not_meatbuns | Rebel 1 [Action / Voice]

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Rebel 1 [Action / Voice]

[Around sundown, somewhere out in the forest, one Litchi Faye-Ling is waking up in a bath tub.

The first thing she notices is that the Boundary is much more quiet than it was the last she knew. The strain is still there, and everything hurts, but the buzz of memories is quieter. At least, it is until she cracks one eye open and sees that she's in a tub. In the middle of a forest. Then the wave of memories from clashing timelines and realities is a roar, and it's all she can do to curl into a ball and wait for it to stop.]

N-no... please, not now...

[This isn't Kagutsuchi. This place, she's been here before, and nearly every time it's had something to do with a tub, and--

--Luceti. This is Luceti. She thinks. Or something along those lines. People were always appearing in tubs... or at least in her tub... although she woke up in one once too, didn't she? No, that can't be...

It isn't until Lao Jiu crawls back up onto her head that the roar starts to die down. And then the memories start to unfold a little less chaotically, and she peers over the edge of the tub to see the inevitable journal, lying open on the ground. She gives a weak laugh.]

My goodness, this is all so familiar... Hello? Is anyone-- [Luceti Valley. Mu. Raining trees. She stammers to a stop for a moment before trying again.] --Is anyone there? I think...

[This is the headache of the century. Litchi stops again, leaning her forehead against the cool side of the tub until the Boundary quiets down again. That doesn't seem right. It wasn't this loud before, was it? ...Wait, it was, wasn't it...]

I think I may need some help. This is... Luceti, yes...? I'm afraid I woke up in the forest and I... seem to be missing a few things. [Her usual clothes. Memories. Mantenbou. A ring. Although the last one she has an itching suspicion was both very important and has a very low chance of being here.

And there's one other thing...]

Also, could anyone tell me if Tsubaki Yayoi or Kazuma Kval are still here? It would be a tremendous help.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You always were sentimental. You should have seen some of the planets I've been to. Now those were a real wonder.

It would be nice if we could visit. We can't really help where we're from, of course, but being able to walk around freely without worry about seithr or ars magus or anything... it's truly a wonder of its own.

A visit? Now that would be nice, wouldn't it. [He's already up to speed on Bil's proposal as it is. Interesting things are afoot.]

It really would. I suppose we can keep dreaming, hm?

[Yeah guess who hasn't found out about that yet.]

You never know what to expect in this place, Litchi. Dream like that could come truer sooner than you know it.

That's certainly true, isn't it? I'd love to be able to see some of these other worlds.... although I'm not sure how safe it would be for anyone to visit ours.

Can't be any worse than some of the shadier sides of Mute City.

Well, Kagutsuchi itself isn't too terribly dangerous, even on the lower levels. It's the seithr on the lowest levels and further down the mountain. [She gives a small, thoughtful frown.] Although I would hope if the Malnosso sent anyone else there, they'd try to aim for the city.

Malnosso aren't what I'd call reliable. Never have been.

[But sup, village dead ahead.]

Well... that's certainly true, isn't--

[Oh heavens, it's the village. And the pure joy at seeing it again is struck down by the freight train of memories that rush up at the sight of it. She stumbles a step, catching herself on a nearby tree.

Deep breaths. Everything is fine. And this isn't Luceti Valley.]

[Well. That's not a typical reaction to the village. He stops, watching with concern.]

You going to be alright?

Y-yes, just... a little dizzy, that's all.

[Which is something of a lie, but it's as close as she can get to the truth. The truth is just far too complicated. Shaking her head slowly to clear the lightheadedness, she gives him an apologetic smile.]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to trouble you like this...

[Back together again and she's already hiding things from him again. Just like old times.]

You know I don't like apologies like that.

[That's right, it did always drive him crazy, didn't it? There was something else, but... it's just not so clear anymore.]

Of course. [Another deep breath. She can do this. And maybe she can even tell him what's going on -- at least part of it -- later. But right now, she needs the village to stay in focus and stop scrambling her memory of what goes where.]

It... should be past in just a moment.

Sure there isn't something you want to tell me?

[Think, think. Which is what really happened? It was Goroh who had helped Noel when she lost control of the Boundary before, right? Somebody had told her...

Swallowing down her fear and guilt, she manages to meet his eye.]

B-by any chance, do you remember... anything about fighting me the last time you were here? [Gods, she can't even bring herself to say "when I attacked Noel".] I... I wouldn't have been holding back, I'd imagine.

[... it was starting to come back to him. She was crazy. Something was wrong with her. Very, very wrong with her. His expression grows sterner.]

... sounds familiar. You weren't yourself.

[She gives a barely-perceptible nod.] Y-yes, I... I'm afraid I don't remember any of it, just what I was told.

[She's afraid. In part of telling him everything, because what will he think, but also afraid to speak half of it out loud. The way it's affecting her now frightens her.]

That was... well, it was caused by the same thing causing the dizziness now. It's all because of something from my world. It's... a very long story, but to keep it short, it's a power that normal people simply aren't supposed to have any access to.

You managed to take care of it last time, though. How'd you do it? [A gut instinct tells him he won't like it.]

I lost control of it before. The only reason it was under control after was because... well, the Malnosso took it away. [She's sure if he remembers the way people lose things when they die, he'll understand that.]

As a penalty. [Damn. He remembered that. What were the chances of her getting the same penalty twice fro dying? Not good, he figured.]

[She nods.]

...I've been trying to find a way to reverse the effects for over two years back on my world alone.

But not going so well. You got any plans to deal with it here?

I... I'll have to. I'm not sure how, but... there must be a way.

[Even if she's only got a few months at best to figure it out.]

I'll be looking into it too. See what I can't find. [Maybe a bargain could be made with the Malnosso. They wanted bodies for the missions didn't they?]

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