ESE

[upscalerat]

"This way it is," Bantay agreed, after Kimi had removed any possible debris from her skirts and started walking. "I'm sure all of these trees have done something or another- I mean, look at how innocent they all seem," he accused, walking beside Kimi as best he could, and giving his best comical glare to one the cropped up between the two of them. When they were far enough passed it, only a moment later, the sowrdsman turned his eyes towards his new friend.

On one hand, he would have been terrified on earth. On the other hand- ESE still seemed like a dream, despite the slaps. Here, there wasn't any social status for the either of them to lose, he reminded himself. The thoughts didn't take much longer to travel through his mind than it took for his eyes to travel to the girl, and he spoke again before she could. "Speaking of innocence- what's up with you? You seem very relaxed. Too relaxed for a person who woke up in a different world and witnessed two fights back to back," the young man explained. He glanced down to look at where his feet fell as he awaited her answer.

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Kidlat had already admitted he wasn't sure about the bathroom theory. He just hadn't had any better ideas other than storage, which she had already chosen. Tiwala would likely win a question from him. At least he got to ask one first. But that only raised the question of what to ask. He crossed his arms and rocked back on one heel, his face pensive. He could ask this crazy girl he'd met no more than an hour ago a single question. He didn't want to ask something stupid like "What's your favorite animal" that wasn't very telling, but at the same time, he feared asking anything deeper, in case he came across as creepy or overstepping his boundaries. There were a few things he wanted to know about her, for sure, the most obvious of which was what had caused her to develop this refuge-in-audacity personality of hers, but they seemed like things only someone who was close to her ought to know. And he was in no way close to her. He would do good to remind himself of that repeatedly, no matter what his slightly elevated heart rate might have been trying to tell him. He frowned. Calm down there, bub. Don't get ahead of yourself. But that still didn't answer the question of what on earth he should ask her. Maybe something mundane really was the safest way to go. A favorite color, animal, hobby, gemstone, TV show, game, musician...

But something popped into his head. He had no idea where it had come from, but it sounded like an efficient way to spend the question, so to speak, so he seized the idea eagerly and looked back up at Tiwala, his eyes twinkling with determination. "I've got one," he said with a grin. "What's your native language?" This would answer a question that had legitimately been on his mind for a while already. Oh, but he would feel stupid if she was a native English speaker, though... He hoped she wouldn't be offended.

 

[Nay'ar]

She looked around her, giving him his time to think about a worthy question 'Maybe he'll ask my name? Or where I live... or something personal like that... or he could be more daring, asking me about my past...' she strived to find a question he could ask. He seemed troubled, maybe he didn't want to waste that chance... then again 'Why? I'm just a teammate and a pretty difficult one at that...' she thought a bit trubled herself. Ren (yes, Ren not Tiwala) looked at him intensely. Ren's gaze was colder than Tiwala's, her expression sharper as she studied him. 'He seems a good boy, chivalrous, happy-go-lucky... but what if it's all a facade? I'm not the only one pretending in this world nor the best... I'm pretty good at it and I like it just like that'. As much as Ren had Tiwala's personality made to be interacted with, her own was the lonely type. She just disappeared in the crowd, or in class. Never intervening unless asked to. She lived looking out the window, being jealous of the birds. At every thought Tiwala's face darkened a bit more. 'I'm so sick of this all... not being able to trust anyone, not wanting to either.' She just tryed not to be interacted with, she didn't want to hurt others by being a cynical hateful girl as she respected others points of view.

"I've got one," Ren snapped out of it, wearing again Tiwala's mask '... that was close' she thought. Tiwala smiled at him "What's your native language?" she laughed with relief 'And here I was thinking of some big question' "Ahahah, and I thought you were to ask something difficult!" she hugged her tummy "That's a simple one." She gazed at him with a playful smile "My native language is Japanese" she ended nodding at the door.

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Kidlat's face lit up in understanding when he received his answer. "Oh, you're from Japan! That's cool." He wasn't sure what else to say at the moment, as he wasn't as knowledgeable about the country as some of his peers, but he could still show polite interest. In any case, it was time to continue their game. He stepped up to the door and turned the knob without any resistance, confirming that it was not locked. The door swung open, revealing a small room with a single window and two little wooden tubs. One was filled with water. The other was covered with a wooden lid on a hinge. He could imagine what was meant to go into that one, though it wasn't the most pleasant image.

"Oh, so we do have a bathroom," he said, audibly surprised. "Huh. And here I was sure you were going to win." He took a step into the room and inspected the other side of the door. The only locking mechanism was a small, simple brass bolt mounted several inches above the doorknob that looked like it would fit into a matching notch in the doorframe if flicked shut while the door was closed. It didn't look to be joined to the doorknob or an exterior lock in any way. "Darn," he muttered. "No lock to pick here." He closed the door after another second and turned back to Tiwala. "Guess that answers a few questions. And I have to ask you another one now, don't I? Aw, picking the first one was hard enough!" An amused smile was back on his face by this point. He cupped his chin in one hand and stared at her as he thought again. "Hmmmm. Another question for Tiwala. How aboooout..." He puzzled for a moment longer, and at last he dropped the hand and snapped his fingers to indicate he'd come to a decision. "Got it. Let's have your name. Who's the girl behind Tiwala? I'm sure we're all curious." He waited a beat, his smile dimming as he realized that had been a dumb thing to say. "...And by all of us I mean me, because we're alone right now. That's totally what I meant."

 

[Lady Alainn]

Bantay's antagonizing glare at the offending sapling tickled Kimi's funny bone excessively. A merry little giggle worked its way from the tips of her satin-covered toes, gained momentum through her belly, and bubbled from her lips. Her hand instinctively flew to her mouth to contain the peals of laughter. She avoided looking towards Bantay lest his face trigger another fit of laughter. She wasn't so much laughing at his face, though that did play a part, but laughing at everything. This world where she could walk or even run, the different characters in this same dream world with her, and most of all, the joy that came with having these characters treat her as if she were normal. No one had pity hidden in their eyes, no one shifted their gaze uncomfortably when speaking to her, and best of all, no one had nagging thoughts. Not even herself. Relief--- that's what fueled this attack of the giggles--- sweet, comic relief.

When her giggles were under control, she sighed contentedly with a warm smile at Bantay. Hothead though he may be, right now he was her freedom.

"Speaking of innocence-- what's up with you? You seem very relaxed. Too relaxed for a person who woke up in a different world and witnessed two fights back to back."

Kimi's hands dropped to her sides and then clasped behind her back as she considered his question with pursed lips. Innocent wasn't the word she would have used to describe a relaxed person, but for some reason it fit here. The more pressing question was how she should answer him. How much to reveal? The "there are many mysteries in this universe" seemed a bit too philosophical to get into. And honestly, there was really only one reason why she continued to be so relaxed in this strange environment.

"I could start out by saying it's because I'm a pretty laid-back person, which I guess I am. I've had a lot of experience lying on my back, that's for sure." Her eyes widened when she realized she had left herself dangerously open to a snide comment. "Oh...gosh, I don't mean... oh!" she bit her lip as colour prickled over her cheeks and covered her neck in red splotches. Yup, she was completely innocent. Kimi cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm still not absolutely, one hundred percent sure that this isn't a dream," she said. "Medication does weird things to the brain and I've had more real hallucinations than this before... I think. I'm pretty sure. Anyway, even with all the fighting, this is still too good to be true-- for me."

Had she only opened herself up for more questions? What would Bantay think of her if he didn't ask them? Silly girl! Since when did you start caring about what other people think? I thought we'd already gotten past that, her thoughts reprimanded her. But being normal is so nice... She bit her lip again and cast her eyes toward Bantay again, letting the hanging pause at the end of her answer ask the questions for her.

 

[upscalerat]

The laugh, Bantay decided a moment later as he considered her answer, had probably helped given him the courage to ask the invasive question. On his next footfall, he started to doubt: she also thought it was still, just maybe, a dream. Maybe that was the proof that it wasn't. But on the following step, those doubts vanished. Either way, he'd sort of jumped into this pool. No testing the water with his toes- he was already in, and it was time to swim through it.

"Medication does weird things to the brain and I've had more real hallucinations than this before... I think. I'm pretty sure. Anyway, even with all the fighting, this is still too good to be true-- for me."

"Oh, yeah? What meds are you on, little miss not-so-innocent?" He asked, and grinned her way. He realized that the phrasing had just been an accident, and wanted to make it clear; however, that didn't mean it wouldn't be accompanied by some teasing. Raising his leg brought something to mind: when they had first awoken, one voice had proclaimed delight at legs. Was it...? "Something to do with the legs?"

'Better hope that's not just diving down deeper,' he told himself. He might alienate her, and at this rate, that wasn't going to take long. 'Sure, start fights with the other two groups you can find, and shut down the girl who'll still talk to you,' the swordsman mentally congratulated himself. What a stellar plan. But, frankly, the risk wasn't enough to make him rescind his question. However... "If that's too personal, then I'll cut a deal with you." He grinned to himself for that pun. Never was being a carrier of a rapier so enjoyed. "Every question that you answer means one question I answer. So you've got one down- and with those two, three," he offered.

 

[Lady Alainn]

Kimi's cheeks flamed again with his teasing nickname for her, accompanied by a quick shake of her curls and a sheepish smile. Now that is definitely going to come back and haunt me. When he mentioned her legs, she sobered instantly and chewed her lip. The last thing she wanted in this perfect little dream world was someone feeling sorry for her. Dream world... that's right! This really could be one big hallucination. And if it was, Bantay was a handsome figure of her imagination and she could will him into whatever kind of response she wanted. Her decision made, she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Bantay's proposal.

"Puns are often mistakenly said to be the lowest form of humour," Kimi chortled "but all the same, I never could resist a good one. Very well, Master Swordsman, I shall accept thy challenge!" Her pace quickened into almost a skip and eyes brightened as her mirth returned. "Since you landed the first blow with a sneak attack, I'll dodge the meds stroke if you don't mind. It hardly matters, does it? Now, for the slash aimed at the knees. Those who faithfully shave their legs will testify that once you nick a knee, it bleeds mercilessly. So! Be prepared for a monologue." She paused for breath and looked to Bantay for reassurance that he did in fact want to know before unleashing the torrent of words building up inside. If there was one thing Kimi could do, it was talk when properly encouraged.

"In my second semester of 11th grade, I got involved in a pretty bad car crash. I probably should have died, but I didn't. I can be extremely stubborn when I want to be," Kimi chuckled to herself. "I ended up losing my hearing in my right ear and am paralyzed from the waist down. Everybody made such a big deal of it. Even now, it's still a big deal. I wish it wasn't. I mean, sure I'll never be able to walk again. I get my wheelchair stuck in the most awkward places. I can't even reach into the kitchen cupboard to get cereal down. I'm completely dependent on my arm strength or other people for getting places. I'll never be able to---" her voice stopped abruptly as tears welled in her eyes. How had that dream slipped into her list? She couldn't admit that secret longing to anyone, not even herself. It was impossible to obtain, and therefore must be forgotten. It only brought her grief. Kimi breathed in shakily and quickly dabbed at her eyes with the frilly sleeve of her gown.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to vent like that. I guess I'm pretty frustrated. I hate it that people get self-conscious around me. I hate it that they feel they have to pity me. Life stinks when you're confined, but at least I'm alive. They don't seem to get that I'm still me. And this place... and you... it's refreshing."

 

[Nay'ar]

"Oh, you're from Japan! That's cool." Tiwala smiled again "Yep... can't really tell though... can you?" she then bounced off the wall and faced the door as he moved to open it. She gulped and prepared to rejoice when that sort of... 'latrine'...? Opened up before them: 'You're jocking... right, Destiny? Fate? Whatever your name is...?' Tiwala felt something tighten her stomach 'What now...? You're scared?' asked her inner voice. However, the girl knew it wasn't fear she felt, she just couldn't point it out well... she was disappointed of course but what she felt was something totally different, something that made her Japanese nature shiver. "But... it's just disgusting!". She managed to point out what annoyed her: that latrine. She just couldn't accept using it. Never. Over her dead body.

"Huh. And here I was sure you were going to win." She looked at him still a bit flustered while he inspected the lock system. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized it's lock was a shabby one 'I'll NEVER EVER EVER put a foot in that... thing... no chance whatsoever!' in the meanwhile Kidlat was cursing that same shabby lock as he wouldn't be able to practice on picking it "What... you pouting now? You won... Lucky me..." she leaned again against the wall, just so she wouldn't be able to look inside the room anymore and sighed massaging her eyes 'It's your fault, never knew a person is likely to burn itself if decides to play with fire?'. It was a good thing she wasn't in 'Ren's body' in that moment, otherwise her right green contact would have been broken by all that massaging. .

She smiled softly hearing him struggle over the question 'With my luck he's gonna ask me a way to meet in real life...' "Got it. Let's have your name. Who's the girl behind Tiwala? I'm sure we're all curious." again she was surprised by his question... how could he be content with just her name? Then again knowing it allowed him find her in real life. 'I DO love Japanese names...' she thought with a bright smile as he was mumbling something about how 'all' meant just 'him' because there were just the two of them there at the moment, or something on those lines. "You never fail to amaze me sir Kidlat, sir" she begun, chuckling softly. Tiwala glanced at a clove of sunlight bathing the table, and started to go there '... And I love flashy ways too... well at least... Tiwala does', once she passed next to Kidlat she positioned herself, sitting again on the table; she wanted to be on backlight to set the playfully serious mood she wanted to achieve and answered with a smirk: "I'm Ren the Diviner".

 

[Ray C]

Nimfa slowly scanned the shoreline around the lake. She could see the mountain peak rising to the far right, towering over the lake. On the bank opposite Nimfa and Koero, a pair of deer (at least, they looked like deer from this far away) stood silently and watched the two girls. Nimfa wondered what they thought about seeing humans in this peaceful place, especially such strange, colorful humans. Were they wary, or just curious? Probably both, Nimfa decided as she resumed her scan. Just a little left was a stream flowing downhill. And of course there were the endless trees surrounding everything, making the lake impossible to see until you were almost in it.

Mountain, trees, water, animals... but no humans. Nimfa and Koero were the only two people for miles around. The lake was theirs, and the water was calling to the water magess. A mischievous glint lit up in Nimfa's eyes as she smiled back at Koero. "Do you want to go for a swim?"

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Tiwala showed Kidlat another smile. She seemed surprised by his question, but maybe it was just his imagination. She quipped back at him, causing him to grin in amusement, and strode towards a patch of sunlight angling into the room. She positioned herself there and turned towards him, silhouetting herself, before she spoke: "I am Ren the Diviner."

This wasn't the answer Kidlat expected, but the smile didn't leave his face. "Oooh, mysterious," he crooned. He took a few paces towards her. "So are you pulling my leg, and that's your D&D character name or something, or is 'Diviner' your last name translated? Oh, but you won't tell me that, will you? I seem to have used up my questions." He came to rest at her side and leaned his back against the table. "Guess I'm stuck calling you Ren. It's cute, though...Ren, I mean." He'd have asked her what 'ren' meant, but as he'd just pointed out, he had no questions left. He held her gaze for another second before he turned away, his face turning neutral. "If it makes you feel better, or if you even care, you can have my name. It's Chris. Chris the, uh, Musical Scale." He ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. "I mean, I was told my last name happens to be a music term. I wouldn't have any idea. I haven't sung anything since fifth grade." He put his hand back on the edge of the table, not sure how to continue from there, or even why he had felt compelled to reciprocate in the first place. He'd won both questions. But still, it seemed only fair.

 

[Nay'ar]

Tiwala started playing with some of her laces looking at him leaning against the table: "If I remember correctly... I DID say I'd answer honestly... and you asked who was the girl behind Tiwala... not a generic 'What's your name?' didn't you? Then that's you answer" she took some of her hair and started braiding them as she went on "Aaaand, I didn't say not to ask... I just said that those were 100% chance to be answered, and honestly nonetheless". But when he stated that he would have been stuck to calling her Ren she stiffened "I thought I already stated that Tiwala was more than enough... and I'd like you to keep my name for you, Kidlat." Her voice although polite, was dead serious, no joke in her tone. He knew her name, sure, but nothing gave him the right to call her by it. Much less in another world.

"Really? You haven't sung anything since 5th grade?" her eyes softened and her voice did too "You really never fail to amaze me" she laughed gently, stopping braiding her hair and combing them with her fingers, absently. 'Gooooood work Ren... how about telling him that there's another bow you can use pretty well' she frowned a bit, looking at her feet while starting to swing them 'Why should he know I play the violin... I won't tell him... what am I... stupid?' her inner voice decided to be a bitch that day 'Well, don't know if you're stupid... surely you're not coherent'. Tiwala massaged again her eyes wearily.

The girl looked up to the sunlight passing through her fingers, turning her back on Kidlat. 'Really Ren?... Just a couple of hours and you give him your back?' As a result, she seemed to remember his presence and turned rapidly, getting down from the table and walking away from Kidlat. Her heart rate higher than normal, not due to Kidlat (she was almost totally indifferent to males) but due to her carelessness. That world had so many distractions for her. "We... ha- have still the bedroom t--to exp--explore... right?" she stammered trying too hard not to seem scared... if everything, for once, worked how it should have... then there was the possibility, that Kidlat misunderstood her fear for embarassement... 'Then again... luck isn't really on my side... today'.

 

[upscalerat]

"Puns are often mistakenly said to be the lowest form of humour, but all the same, I never could resist a good one. Very well, Master Swordsman, I shall accept thy challenge!" Her pace quickened into almost a skip and eyes brightened as her mirth returned. "Since you landed the first blow with a sneak attack, I'll dodge the meds stroke if you don't mind. It hardly matters, does it?"

"Two questions for you, then, instead of three- carry on, m'lady," Bantay offered, but unnecessarily. Kimi was continuing her metaphor, and a moment later, launched into explanation.

The swordsman whistled, as though he were impressed, when she finished. "I suppose it's a good thing that you didn't end up as a mermaid, or anything," he said, almost on reflex. "On one hand, you wouldn't have a ton to get used to. On the other- well, I take it you appreciate this set up better," he added, and eyed the girl up and down. Then, he realized that there was something shining on her face. Tears. "Hey- don't- no, don't cry, now," the young man said, in a consoling tone, stopped walking, and gently took Kimi's shoulder to stop her from walking, as well. The exploration could wait just a moment. Though the girl had taken most of the dampness from her face, Bantay still wiped some off, gently, from her cheek before letting go of her. He- Neil- was reminded of consoling his younger sister, Madison.

"Alive, sure, that's nice, but alive without constant pity would be better, I'm sure. Without the reason causing the pity would be best, but..." Really? Was that the best he had to say? He could usually handle his siblings better than this- clearly the age gap made a difference. "You've got that here." Like that meant anything. This wasn't where Kimi needed to be able to reach the cereal boxes. "And, hey- if this is all actually real, and we're all real people, and we meet up, well, we sure won't be looking at you like a pity generator," he offered. "Seems clear that you don't any more of that."

Everyone had probably promised her that, he admonished himself. But maybe- maybe realizing that they were experiencing this insanity together, maybe that would be what kept the promise? Bantay feebly tried to argue that point to himself. Of course it wouldn't, no matter how nice it would have been. Better hope it was all just some crazy dream, then, and that he didn't just give some false hope to this girl.

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Tiwala seemed so surprised to hear he wasn't much of a musician. Kidlat hurried to counter her and explain himself a little more carefully. "I mean, not seriously, like school choirs or anything. I don't count humming in the shower, heh. Never was a band kid, either." He folded his hands in his lap now. Dorian. A peculiar word. He hadn't inherited that name from anyone. It had been given to him by someone trying to be clever; that was what orphans and foundlings got. He didn't know quite what it meant, just that it had something to do with music scales. He didn't embody it. He'd never thought of himself as a musician. And right now he almost felt ashamed that he didn't, of all things. Oh, he respected music, all right. He envied musicians. But never had an ensemble drawn him in, and thus he had never learned anything beyond how to carry a tune by ear. His nails dug into his palms as he dwelled on his thoughts. Why he suddenly cared about his name, he wasn't entirely sure. Maybe it was jealousy. Tiwala's name was cool.

And speaking of Tiwala, she startled him from his reverie with a stammering statement. "We... ha- have still the bedroom t--to exp--explore... right?" He eyed her in confusion, openly baffled by the sudden change in personality. She sounded nervous, and he could only imagine it was in response to something, but he hadn't the faintest clue what. "Uh, right, we do," he answered. He slipped off the table, but he remained where he was and looked questioningly into the girl's face. "Did I...say something?"

 

[Nay'ar]

'Calm down Ren... calm down' she repeated to herself, closed her eyes and put a hand on her heart 'You seem a freak... Come on, Ren! Just calm down already!' it wasn't the first time she almost had a panic attack, but generally she was able to understand WHY they occured and she was able to hide or counter them. But now she couldn't hide nor could she think of a good reason for it. Tiwala breathed heavily and deeply trying to calm down. No use asking help from others was something that even the doctors said and she totally agreed... well... extending the principle to everything but... yeah, she agreed. 'Think Ren... think.... a good... Oh yes... I got it... Hell I got it!'

She calmed herself down a little more before looking again in his face. 'Now... you better lie well or we're doomed, understood, miss I-let-me-take-risks-after-all-I'm-ok-now?' she was on the verge of tears. She really hated panic attacks, they got her sweaty, they twisted her stomach, almost got her to throw up, gave her the chills and sometimes brought her to cry. Did her father know? Of course not. She could menage just fine 'As we see right now...' "I'm sorry Kidlat, it never occurred... It's ok now, though... maybe my sleeping self experienced some sort of light case of sleep apnea...?" it was a great excuse, in her opinion, after all she DID have breath issues during that little attack, and no one knew what consequences could issues on the 'switching bodies' bring in one world or the another.

Trembling she lied again to him and lied to herself "I'm alright now so... let us take that bedroom on!".

She could think of a lone reason for her attack. It wasn't because she wasn't facing him, she gave her back to a moltitude of people during her everyday life. No. She was more keen to think it was because (in that particular situation), he was a guy, which very likely could use a blade, and he was far too near for her standards on safety. She took her wrist and brushed it again with her thumb. She could almost feel the scar on it. 'I thought I had gotten over it... I'm sorry... It seems I just can't forgive him after all.'

She smiled at him and got herself before the closed door. "Come on! Let's open it... men firsts" she said winking at him.

 

[Lady Alainn]

"A mermaid-- that's a good one," she softly chuckled. "Maybe I should tape my legs up and try it at home."

Kimi patiently allowed Bantay to take a turn at wiping her tears and patiently waited for him to say what he felt he needed to say after her story. She'd learned long ago that allowing those words to be said meant a lot to the other person. If there was a problem, humans generally wanted to fix it whether they actually helped or hindered, and in Kyla's situation there wasn't much more a person could do besides spout clumsy words. She bit back a laugh. Bantay's words definitely were clumsy, but she appreciated the intent.

Kimi found herself nodding and smiling absentmindedly when what he said registered. "And, hey- if this is all actually real, and we're all real people, and we meet up, well, we sure won't be looking at you like a pity generator."

"Wait.... Meet up?" she repeated. "Like... everyone travelling from all over the world? To get together just to meet dream buddies?" Kyla could just imagine the others' faces when she rolled in with her wheelchair. Shorts, she would definitely wear shorts to show off her marbled legs. Oh, and attach paper wings to her back. She was sure she had fake elf ears stashed somewhere in her old costume box. Or should she go with vampire teeth? Dripping in ketchup! She did have the sparkling white skin for the part. Hey folks, sorry I'm late. Had to get a feeding in first, you know how that goes... And maybe she should bring a pillow to catch falling jaws before they crashed to the floor. The question was, just how much should she go overboard on making an impression? Picturing herself waddling in with a mermaid suit was the last straw. Her arms circled around her stomach as laughter overtook her for the second time. If this kept up, Bantay would undoubtedly think her bi-polar or mentally insane. He was probably already wishing he'd gone after Ako instead.

"I'm...I'm sorry," she gasped, wiping tears of mirth away this time. "I'm just thinking.... mermaids... oh I could have fun with that!" The giggles abated with a content sigh. "But unless people agreed to meet me on my turf, I couldn't go. Now, I think it's my turn to wield the sword, Master Swordsman." A mischievous little grin surfaced on her lips as she started walking again. "What's one secret about yourself you've never told anyone before?"

Kimi purposely worded her question in a way to let Bantay be as personal as he chose. For all she knew, he'd tell her he had a stuffed penguin he couldn't go to sleep without. Although, most guys his age would probably find that answer a lot more personal than asking about their love life.

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Kidlat raised an eyebrow. Tiwala claimed she was fine. Her theory about sleep apnea could very well be true, he supposed, but his gut told him something else. That little fit of hers had been quite a strong thing to just come out of nowhere, and the way she insisted more than once that she was okay only led him to imagine that she wasn't, that she was trying to brush the matter off, trying to convince herself it was no big deal as much as she was trying to convince him. He foresaw no good coming out of pressing the matter, though. "If you're sure..." he said. His expression turned neutral as he followed her to the door, but once she was there and said something about "men firsts," he couldn't help but snicker in amusement. "Either someone taught you that backwards, or you're cramping my style," he teased. "But if you insist." He turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Sure enough, this looked like a bedroom. A rather large bedroom, at least. It primarily contained eight plain bunks stacked two high. Images of an extended outdoor field trip he had taken in elementary school popped into his mind, and even though the sight wasn't exactly the same, the parallel injected just a bit of childlike excitement into his system. The seven of them (assuming Ako hadn't just vanished off the face of the earth, or rather off the face of this "Eese" place) were on their own in the wilderness, sleeping in bunks and learning to survive. They were on an adventure. It was exhilarating.

He tapped his foot a few times as he stood in the door perusing his options, trying not to let on that he now felt a bit hyper, and eventually stepped forward. "I call that one," he said with a point towards the top bunk in the far left corner. He unfastened his black cloak from around his shoulders, wadded it up, and chucked it on top of the bed he'd indicated. "You gonna pick a bed, or wait until everyone else is back?" he asked as he turned back to Tiwala.

 

[Nay'ar]

Tiwala, still trembling, forced herself to chuckle as he opened the door. Still brushing her wrist she looked inside the room trying to calm down, but she found eight beds to await her and nothing to split up the male and female sides; Kidlat seemed to enjoy it though as he jumped enthusiastic left and right in the room claiming his bunk. 'First a latrine and now a mixed bedroom...? I'll have to sleep in the same room as...' the girl started to chuckle hysterically, chills went down her spine, cold sweat started to break out on her forehead and her peripheral vision turned completely black. She found herself confused and on her knees, sobbing unintentionally, scratching her wrist unknowingly.

"I'm sorry Naoto-kun... I'm sorry..." she started to mumble in Japanese as Kidlat turned to face her after having asked something. Her grey-reddish scared eyes staring at him in terror: in that moment, for Ren, the long black haired, green eyed guy had turned into the short brown haired, black eyed former classmate who hurt her with the cutter. Her legs were frozen, she couldn't move a muscle. She just shook there pleading mercy in a language Kidlat didn't understand, her wrist bleeding a bit from scratching too hard "Forgive me... please, forgive me" she added still in Japanese.

She looked so small, so scared, so vulnerable on that cold floor looking at Kidlat as if he was some kind of mad killer. 'There's no Mamoru this time... I'm doomed' "I-- I'm doomed" she mumbled terrified in her language making herself even smaller (if possible) holding her, lightly, bleeding wrist: as her scared and scarred mind revived that experience, it compelled her body to be in the same status as the first time; so to speak a bleeding wrist, of course it wasn't as bad, it was just a scratch but that was enough to satisfy her terrified brain. However, it wasn't enough to make her switch to English. She had to snap out of it somehow.

Her red, crying eyes were staring into his green ones picturing, instead, a couple of black holes. Her throat might be talking just Japanese but her gaze was unmistakable: Help me. It screamed.

 

[FiliaFlammae]

That was when it happened. Right about at the same time that he turned around, Kidlat thought he heard a strange sort of laugh. It came from Tiwala. She stood there in the door, her pale face in a cold sweat, staring at him. Her body trembled as that eerie, weak laugh bubbled forth from her lips, and as she shook, she slowly sank to her knees. Water leaked from the corners of her wide eyes. One hand strayed to the opposite wrist, and it took him a moment to realize she was scratching at it.

"Gomennasai, Naoto-kun... Gomennasai..."

Something cold and worried had nestled itself deep in Kidlat's stomach by now. Tiwala was breaking, crumbling right in front of him, or...something. She was muttering words he did not know and staring at him as if her eyes were drilling into his core, as if seeing someone else within. His whole body seemed to have gone stiff. He did not know what this was. Some voice in his head told him it had to be a panic attack, a flashback, or something like that, but what was he to do about it?

"Yurushite... Onegai, watashi o yurushite kudasai...!"

Tiwala wasn't him. He shouldn't have been worried. He should only have cared about himself, and if Crazy Lady was going to be crazy, then Crazy Lady was going to be crazy. But he could not distance himself from what he saw, not from that shivering and very real girl in front of him. He was terrified. Something had happened to Tiwala, something that had shredded right through her freewheeling exterior from the inside to rear its ugly head, something he could not fathom, only watch in horror. His mind raced but got nowhere fast. He still stood there like an idiot, lost. His hands had risen from his sides a bit as if to reach forward and be helpful, but he knew not what to do with them. "Tiwala?" he said, and of course nothing happened because he had said it too quietly. He staggered forward and sank to his knees in front of her, his voice growing more urgent. "Tiwala? Ren?" He didn't know which name would cut through to her better. He waved a hand in front of her face, but she seemed not to react to it. Her wide eyes remained fixed on his. They were the very image of fear. She was afraid of him.

"A-agattari..."

His own eyes strayed downwards. No! Her wrist! He felt his breath get stuck in his chest and begin to burn. No! Ren, you're...making yourself bleed! Stop! Selfish as Chris was, there was something about the notion of self-harm that unnerved him like nothing else, that made him recoil in fear and disgust. Ren was so lost that she was hurting herself. He swatted her hands apart as if he feared getting some sort of infection from them and then took her shoulders in his hands. He was panicking now. "Ren!" He gave her a shake that he hoped was gentle enough not to make things worse. "Tiwala! Snap out of it! It's me!" He wasn't sure who Tiwala saw in him, but it wasn't him...was it? He sure hoped it wasn't him. But then who was it?

What in Tiwala's past had she tried so hard to bury but failed?

 

[Nay'ar]

"Sawaranaide! (Don't touch me)" she screamed as he divided her hands "Hanashite! (Let me go!)" she pleaded as he took her shoulders, she trembled more and more with every passing second of touch and raised her arms in a sort of cross before her as protection, the same way she did the first time. Everything was like the first time. She should have been able to react in a better way. She just couldn't snap out of it, waiting for someone to save her, rejecting every form help. Even her own.

"Ren!" he tried to shake her gently but he just triggered something else: 'So you like to feel scared uh... Ren-chan...?' she heard a familiar voice, Naoto's voice, in her head and looked at Kidlat, still seeing that blue and white uniform. "Gomen nasai, Naoto-kun... Nandemo suru kara... yamete... (I'm sorry, Naoto-kun... I'll do anything so... stop...)"

"Snap out of it! It's me!" said his scared voice, but Ren, once again, heard something else 'Ren-chan, it's me, why are you so scared? As much as I love you... trust me' this voice was desperate, it just craved her attention and she was too scared to deny it to him. "K-kore wa... ai ja nai... shinjite? Naoto-kun ni? Doushite konna koto wo shiteiru? Doushite? (Th-This... isn't love... trust? In Naoto-kun? Why are you doing this? Why?)" her voice was broken, her tears still falling, her legs numb and her brain on road on it's own.

'REN! There's no Naoto! You're Tiwala not Ren! For goodness sake... snap out of it! TIWALA!' Ren ignored her inner self, she was too scared to answer it or listen to it. "Dareka... tasukete (Someone... help me)" she pleaded in a soft voice. 'Ren you're not as weak as you were! Look... you're freaking Kidlat out! IS THIS THE RESPECT YOU HAVE TOWARD OTHERS?' her inner voice was the last thing Ren wanted to hear. She shut it deep inside her. "Ano hi to onaji... (As that day...)"

 

[FiliaFlammae]

Every second that ticked by further proved that Tiwala was gone. She was lost in a...memory? She was lost in some kind of mental world that wasn't the real world. Everything Kidlat did was still met with Japanese, even though Tiwala's English capabiliies had proven just fine, and her voice had a sort of trancelike quality to it, furthering the sense that she wasn't on quite the same plane as him. He wasn't getting through to her. His words were either getting garbled or being completely blocked out. She was speaking to somebody else, an imaginary person that he was not.

He held back as she kept rambling through fearful tears that had no end in sight. "Shinjite?" she was muttering now. "Naoto-kin ni?" Kidlat didn't know what any of that meant. All he could do was sit there and look at her, feeling lost and defeated. He wanted to bring her back to reality, to put an end to this unnerving display, but he did not know how. Would it be better for him to back off, walk away, and let her take several minutes to calm down on her own? Maybe, but something inside him didn't want to do that. He wanted her better now, and though he didn't consciously realize it, he didn't want to leave. Leaving her would mean he had failed, and besides, this poor girl sitting there...how could he want to be away from her?

He hadn't seen a fit like this from the outside before, but was he truly a stranger to it? No. No, he wasn't. Had he not woken up clammy and cold some nights, shivering in terror as he was so deathly sure the walls were closing in on him, and from somewhere both distant and far too close to comfort, he could hear the jeering, the taunting cries of "Scaredy Chris, scaredy Chris!" and "He can fit in there? What a shrimp!" and "He cries like a little girl!" and whatever multitude of aural torture he remembered so vividly coming from outside his hiding place of the day and echoing in? Had he not been trapped in a memory before, lost and afraid and alone?

Slowly, his face softened as he looked upon his companion. Something pulled and twisted at his heart as he watched her, something that he had never felt before but caused moisture to well up in his eyes. The only thing he wanted right now was to comfort her, to rescue her from her spell, and he could hardly spare the mental capacity to entertain a tiny little voice in his head that tried its hardest to cry, Why the heck do you care? You've got no reason to care about Crazy Lady! But he did care. He would loathe himself if he allowed this to continue. She was in pain, a pain he knew firsthand.

For the first time in his life, Chris truly knew what the word 'empathy' meant.

He was still at a loss to what exactly would help Tiwala the most, but out of a lack of any better ideas, and perhaps something more, Kidlat felt the compulsion to lean forward and wrap his arms around her, tucking his head over her nearer shoulder. He was sure she would squirm in complaint, but maybe if he held the embrace assuredly, it would help her gradually calm down. He was gentle, but he did not let go. "Shhh," he whispered. "It's okay." He slipped one hand up to the back of her head and held it close to him; the other hand remained on her back. He began to stroke her hair with his thumb, and after a minute, that turned into using his whole hand and carefully petting her scalp with slow strokes. "I'm here," he whispered again. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."