☽ A Game of Ping Pong

[messianic]

Characters: Minato and you!
Location: In a building just off of the center plaza
Time: All dayyyy
Style: Whatever works!
Status: Open open open!

[It is the strangest thing, to remember dying and then wake up as if nothing had happened. It left him strangely restless, and so he'd skipped out on Welcoming Committee duties, he'd drifted a little away from his social life for just a brief period of time--

He'd died in that strange place, that place that wasn't Vatheon.

But...he'd woken up alive, headphones around his neck and not pressed into Tiir's hands. Was something that vivid really just a dream? So he wandered, in search of something to expend his restless energy on.

And he's found himself at a ping pong table. At first he considers that lack of an opponent a problem, bouncing the ball on the table idly. But then he decides to play with the wall (it doesn't seem to bother him that he can't ever win that way).

So there is the click! click! click! of a ping pong ball being hit back and forth coming from an otherwise quiet building into the plaza. He might be getting a little into it.

Further inspection reveals a whiffed shot--don't get hit by the ball!]

Comments

[rainbowarch]

[He nods back.]

I'm ready.

[messianic]

[So he lifts the ball and lightly serves it over that way.

In the meantime, he has to ask, because Cielo and his clothing are familiar in a way.]

Sorry--do you know Serph-san?

[rainbowarch]

[This time, when he hits the ball it doesn't go sailing and Cielo manages to return it just fine.]

Serph? Of course! He's my leader.

[messianic]

Is he...?

That makes sense. Serph-san is a good leader.

[And he hits the ball back, slowly piecing together more about this Junkyard business.]

[rainbowarch]

[Tap! The ball goes high, but it still bounces on the table. It's so tiny and lightweight. Cielo has to struggle to not hit it too hard.]

The best leader!

[Nope, not going to hide how much he adores Serph.]

[messianic]

[Oh cute. Unfortunately, Minato is short, so the ball bounces off at a rather high angle and he can't reach it. A blink.

And he goes to retrieve the ball, returning a few moments later.]

He seems like it. Would you mind telling me more about him and your team?

[rainbowarch]

[That is no excuse Cielo is a shorty too! But whatever, it's "let's talk about Serph time."]

Serph is the leader of our Tribe, the Embryon. [He pauses to return the ball. It bounces off his paddle with a ping] We used to number in the hundreds, but now it's just me, him, and Gale here.

[And then, Cielo is pretty sure most of the Tribe is dead.]

[messianic]

[it's totally an excuse, Cielo is tougher than the Japanese teenager.

But let's talk about Serph time sounds good. He nods, considering that, and returns the ball as well.]

What happened? Where'd everyone go?

[rainbowarch]

Heat and Argilla, they'll show up soon. You'll see.

[And he misses. The ball bounces on the floor once and Cielo catches it before it can go too far.]

Everyone else though...they're probably dead and there's no more rain or Junkyard. [Serve!] And that means no more being reborn.

[messianic]

[...oh.

He returns the ball before he responds.

They're...all dead? That's--]

I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to the Junkyard...?

[rainbowarch]

Gone, poof. That lady, she do something to it. Made everything disappear along with everyone down there. And then the Karma Tower...it-

[Returning the ball! He's starting to get the hang of this ping pong thing.]

-exploded. And that's the last thing we remember before coming here.