auroraexpress | (no subject)

Who: anyone
When: day 38, after noon
Where: in and around the train

[A gentle breeze keeps the afternoon cool. It seems peaceful around now, with the malice pushed back so far, unless you're heading to the island of concentrated malice of course.

It's a good day to relax and daydream.

Distantly you might sometimes hear the tick ticking of clockwork? Or it might be your imagination.

Speaking of imagination, if you think about things too hard you may find your thoughts and feelings shared with those nearby. Or even if you don't think hard at all.

At the mildest this might simply be like your thoughts and emotions being understood by others next to you, either in a vague or explicitly detailed way, but at the most extreme you might project shared delusions. Something like others getting to watch your own memories. Or fantasy sequences. Or inner monologues. Or maybe even blending you delusions with another's.

Whether it goes that far or remains a more telepathic/empathic thing is very random.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We do not need to do this another time. I am not a friend.

No, I mean I'm going to consider all that another time.

I see, then. Very well.

Thus my very subtle attempt to change the subject.

[reality shifts, then. Trees are wisped and woven into being, lush grass painted against their feet, and the sun is filtered through dense leaves caught in a gently swaying breeze.

A forest.

Mistletoe in black, white, and green varieties hang overhead on ribbons tied between trees or attached to them directly. There is also piles of them for the taking and people do.

Oh yes, there are people here.

A few dozen wearing, and most of them wearing outfits themed around a single colour but there are two people of interest: a young woman with blue hair, lighter blue eyes and a mole to the side of her mouth. She wears glasses and is speaking to a much, much larger man with long black hair and rich brown skin, though his lips never move.

'Good day, Amane.'

"Ah, Uriel-sama. Good day to you." She bows respectfully to him and he returns the gesture with a nod.

Hold out your hands for me.

She obeys and the man, Uriel, pulls out a woodlark that hops into her hand under its own power and Amane's face lights up, surprised and clearly excited.

"T-this is! Ah, is this one of Uriel-sama's projects?"

It is the same one, finally finished. It is without a soul, but it can move as you will it nonetheless. Thus, it will follow us in our travels. If misplaced it will likely find it's way back to you, and there is no need for food or drink. Nevertheless, please treat this child with care.

Amane stares blankly suddenly, confused.

"It's...it's for me?"

The giant man looks uncertain for a moment. Did he err in his chosen gift? It is. It seems to be an appropriate occasion for offering gifts, and I thought that this one might find your favor.

He finds his answer in two perfect tears that roll down her face, quickly brushed away.

"O-oh pardon me, I'm unseemly I-I, thank you, I truly do not deserve."

He is openly startled now. Is everything alright?

"Yes, yes, of course, pardon me, it's only that it's such a wonderful, remarkable gift, I did not expect--"

With a small nod, he reaches down to pet her hair, not quite ruffling but smoothing it back. Then I am glad to entrust it to you.

Her hands keep it carefully away from her face so as to not wet it with her continuing tears. "I will cherish it always."

Thank you.]

[He freezes as the memory hits]

[And for a brief, a very brief moment, there is an instinctive feeling of terrified PANIC]

[He jerks back, tripping over his own feet, and hitting the ground with his ass and a muted grunt, looking around quickly. Assessing no threat, the panic subsiding quickly into startled confusion.]

[Then he looks at 80H. Opening his mouth, closing it, just staring as he wraps his head around what just happened.]

["Amane" and 80H might have the same eyes, it's impossible to tell with her blindfold but they sound exactly the same.]

It is only an illusion, do not be alarmed.

[her end of the bond was, at first, filled with surprise and then something approaching wistfulness and heartache, but now it's empty with a dangerous sort of nothing.]

[When you're used to people always hiding their faces, you start to look for other tells, other things that tell you about people.]

That....it's not...I wasn't scared it just showed up. [And he wasn't. He's not sure WHAT he was scared of. There had just bee something there, that had been.]

Amane? [He's calming down, but he's looking at her now because it's odd. Going from a mechanical name to something. Normal.]

That is not my name.

[Her voice is calm and not impolite, but very firm.]

...you've been through a lot, huh?

I am fine.

[He chuckles a bit sardonically at that.]

Hm. Is that so?

Why would I not be?

[still very, very calm and very Polite.]

[Shrugs.] Fine now doesn't mean fine in the past.

So, birds?

A good thing then, because I always have been.

[she is getting the last word here]

Birds are fine.

[He just gives her a look that says he doesn't believe her. If she's always been fine, then he's always been fine.]

Did he make stuff like that often? Wood creatures or just birds?

[she finds that look irritating, but she's not about to call him out on it.

...anything as long as it was wood or other plants.

So kind of like a druid?