Isn't it sucH a pEacefuL Place and tiME?

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

...the woods? i found you here.

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

When did you talk with Eylish?

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

she took someones phone, idk.

Might have been mine

probably

Should we go back now?

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[they continue walking home]

[Just going along, there they go]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

yeah?

I dont know where we are or how to get back

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

Lead the way

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[they keep walking]

[Walking woo]

[walkity walkin]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[they start walking home]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[walk walkity walkin]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[clover waited next to them]

:)

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

thats good :]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

...the woods? i found you here.

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

When did you talk with Eylish?

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

she took someones phone, idk.

Might have been mine

probably

Should we go back now?

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[they continue walking home]

[Just going along, there they go]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

yeah?

I dont know where we are or how to get back

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

Lead the way

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[they keep walking]

[Walking woo]

[walkity walkin]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[they start walking home]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[walk walkity walkin]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[clover waited next to them]

:)

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

...the woods? i found you here.

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

When did you talk with Eylish?

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

she took someones phone, idk.

Might have been mine

probably

Should we go back now?

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[they continue walking home]

[Just going along, there they go]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

yeah?

I dont know where we are or how to get back

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

Lead the way

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[they keep walking]

[Walking woo]

[walkity walkin]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[they start walking home]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[walk walkity walkin]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[clover waited next to them]

:)

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

...the woods? i found you here.

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

When did you talk with Eylish?

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

she took someones phone, idk.

Might have been mine

probably

Should we go back now?

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[they continue walking home]

[Just going along, there they go]