vatheon | Digital Domestic Saga continues

Entry tags:

Digital Domestic Saga continues

Who: Argilla and you
When: Sometime during the day
Where: Near the Plaza, though she's wandered away from it a bit
Style: Whichever, but starting in brackets.
Status: Open!

["Welcome to Vatheon. Welcome to Vatheon! Welcome, to Vatheon—"

The name of this place is about the only thing Argilla's been able to get so far, since she woke up here. That, and a towel, although she isn't necessarily sure what she should do with it until she sees the other newcomers using them. Being wet doesn't really bother her, after all, nor the torn and charred clothing—just as long as the dash of orange is still visible on her skirt, which it definitely is. Even the pain she'd initially felt is slowly subsiding, which she's been told is something she can thank the Coral for after she touched it. That large structure at the center of the city...

But other things hold her interest at the moment—like where this place is and how she got here, so she's slowly exploring. She at least hopes this means they were successful, her and Roland; but she accepts that it's probably unlikely she'd ever find out now.

She'd made her decision. And now...somehow she's living with it.]

Hmm? What is this?

It's...cold.

[It's just about then that she passes by what appears to be an ice cream shop, where a local stops her to offer her a free cone of ice cream. Apparently, Argilla's hair made him think of it—it's perfect for her! Because the first thing you do when seeing a person wet from head to toe (and still trying to dry off) is to offer them ice cream—

Ah. Regardless though, she takes it with a tilt of her head. She's supposed to eat it, she assumes, but it almost feels like it's going to fall off if she moves or touches it the wrong way. Besides, is it...looking at her?

...

The local goes on to explain something or other about the shape of the ice cream, about how it was specially made in the spirit of the Fisholympics which just took place-- but she's really looking for an excuse to leave and explore more.

Come to her rescue?

...Or don't. Whatever. She'll quietly leave eventually—]

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Our comrades.

[What's left of them, anyway. Serph digs into his pockets; he's never been terribly good at explaining. And really, why explain when he ~~can get Gale to~~ has something that can do most of it for him?

He pulls out a paper, folded over several times, and holds it out for Argilla to take.]

[Oh.

She takes of paper then, since his answer is nothing that she hasn't already figured out, and she takes it as a sign that it might be more useful. And, noticing that it has many pages, like a small booklet, she begins to skim through it.

...

...]

So, we can't leave?

[Needless to say, she'll likely go over it in more detail later, but for now--]

[He shakes his head. Although technically they can leave...]

The only way we know is through chance.

[But Serph's not content to leave it up to chance. And... well, there isn't really any Junkyard to go back to.]

Vatheon can send people back to their worlds. We are finding a way to Nirvana from here.

[Argilla looks a bit defeated for a moment, although she...really can't mind it too much. There isn't much to return to in Karma City, for her, but-- she isn't content to leave it up to chance either.

She simply tilts her head, allowing her hand with the pamphlet to fall to her side.

She'd rather focus on him at the moment. She needs to find out how he's still alive... and maybe that'd explain how she is, as well.]

Nirvana? But we already...

[Already found it? No, maybe that's not quite right. Karma City-- the "real" world isn't Nirvana. Not what they strove for anyway, even if that's what everyone would have them believe.

...So instead, she allows herself to trail off and asks:]

Serph, when did you last see me?

["But we already..." But we already what, is the question. Already reached it? He answers Argilla's question first.]

When the Karma Temple was destroyed. ...That was the last time I saw everyone before their arrival here.

[He lets silence hang between them for a moment, allowing Argilla time to digest his words, before he speaks again. His voice is quieter, gentler.]

Argilla... is there something wrong?

[The Karma Temple? Like, when they left the Junkyard-- or rather, when they were forcibly kicked out of it?

That would explain why he still has his tag ring, doesn't it. Oh boy, she can see that now... hm. It is certainly strange, bu she isn't sure she should worry him by saying yes.

It's just a little jarring is all. He's still her leader anyway, right?]

A lot has happened since then.

['At least for me.' And that's probably an understatement.]

Is that... normal?

[Idly, she pulls the welcoming pamphlet back up, preparing to flip through it again; but her eyes are still fixed on his.]

[Serph thinks over what Argilla has said. A lot has happened...? How could that be? Sure, people could be taken from different points in time, but when the Junkyard was destroyed, shouldn't that mean it all ended there?]

I've heard people can be pulled here from different times. What has recently happened to one person may have happened some time ago for their friends.

[And vice versa. Cielo, Heat, Gale, Sera... they all seem to remember the same things he does, nothing more, nothing less. They all saw the world destroyed and ended up here, though some took longer than others to arrive. Yet, Argilla... Could it be...?]

...Is there something after the Junkyard's destruction?

[Serph's eyes are actually quite demanding, if one really cares to pay attention to them. She averts her eyes a bit, although it is not out of fear, but rather, she is simply trying to think. She isn't used to explaining the way Gale does-- especially when she's not even sure she should be explaining in the first place.]

We were mostly separated. But the three of us ended up in Karma City together... you, me, and Gale.

We thought it was Nirvana at first.

["The real world."

But judging by the sound of her voice, he can probably tell she doesn't really believe that anymore.]

[Three of us... "What happened to the others?" he wants to ask, but he doesn't. Argilla had said they'd been separated. Perhaps they would meet up with the others later. And... well, he and Cielo had thought Vatheon was Nirvana at first, too. But that turned out to be false. Karma City is just another name to him. Another stop on the path to Nirvana, it seems.

He nods, a signal for her to continue. He won't interrupt Argilla until she's said as much as she's ready to say.]

[Ah.

Well, she'll actually kind of stop for a moment, too. But she catches that look of his, and she can guess what he wants to ask, even if he's far too polite to interrupt her to do so.]

Don't worry. We found everyone eventually.

[Sort of, for the most part. Even if they did have to chase after Sera again, and deal with Heat and his bitter tears. But hey, story of their lives. And she'll smile even wider for this next part.

Maybe she needs to be telling Gale this, but--]

...And Serph. We met Lupa's son.

[Yes, Gale really should know. Though there isn't much change in his expression, Serph brightens considerably at both pieces of news. They're good thing to hear. It's good to know the others are alive, and it's good to know Gale would be able to keep his promise to Lupa.]

What is he like?

[He has to know!!]

[What is he like?

Ahh. At least this is far more pleasant to think about, as opposed to everything in her recent memory. She didn't enjoy having to say goodbye to him, or the others-- even if she knew it was something she had to do.

So she'll answer him, looking content to do so.]

Young.

[If Serph only remembered the Junkyard, he's yet to meet a child, right? They talked about this, about how there are no children in the Junkyard.]

And full of energy. He's definitely worthy of being an Embryon warrior.

I...

[She pauses for a moment, not knowing what else to say. She could elaborate, but it's still odd to her... she feels like he should know all this better than anyone.]

His name is Fred. I wish you could remember him.

[Remember any of it.

She knows Fred in particular would be disappointed to know that Serph forgot, if he ever appeared here. But she also knows it isn't Serph's fault. There is no blame in Argilla's voice; just slight disappointment, none of it directed towards him.

...After all, she's just glad to see him again.]

[So... he's like Cielo!? Fred, huh... what a strange name. He wishes he could remember, too, but it seems this is just something he has to find out in the future.

The future... Hah... it's kind of funny, but he's spent months thinking they had no future back in their world.

But it seems there is unfinished business there. If Lupa's son is there, then perhaps, so are the answers they so craved. The answers he craved. Answers he probably won't like.

...]

I will, one day.

[But he follows it with a nod. Please, continue.]

[In truth, that is all the reassurance she needs. She believes in Serph, so she's confident that he'll remember one day as well-- especially if he says he will. There's a nod, but...

...there's just so much more that he should know.

She is silent for a moment, because she has to think, but she knows she can't just leave it there. Not when he's looking at her so expectantly.]

He introduced us to a man named Roland.

That's... who I was with, before I arrived here. But I haven't seen him since.

[Not here in Vatheon.]

[Roland. A future comrade, then?]

He will arrive in time.

[Serph says it like he believes... and he does. After all, all that was left of the Tribe has arrived. Will the rest of the Tribe, who died, arrive, too? If the coral can take them from different times, could it not take those who died from before their deaths? He believes that they, too, will come.]

The others remember the same events I do. Yet they arrived months after Cielo and I.

[So it could be a while before they see Roland. Nevertheless, his words are meant as a reassurance, albeit tempered by a more realist outlook.]

[...She hopes so.

Even knowing their ultimate fate, it would make her feel a lot better to see him again. If she deserved to be here among her comrades, so did he, after all. So... Serph is probably right.

She will wait.

And in the meantime...she can find out all about what's happened here, since it seems she's missed a lot.

Somehow.]

Months...

[She repeats the word. It's still so hard to believe.]

And yet it's taken me even longer. [She almost feels guilty about it. But mostly she's just disoriented and confused.] You two were the first, then?

[Serph nods. He follows it with the answer to the next question that would likely flow from there.]

Gale was next. Then Sera. Later, Heat. They all arrived at least a month apart.

[A pause, to allow Argilla to digest that information, before he continues.]

New arrivals appear by the coral near the month's end.

[Argilla takes a moment to take in the information, tilting her head as she considers. It really does seem like their tribe from the Junkyard is forming again...

Although it's weird that the Coral would grant her memories from afterwards.]

I see.

[There is a pause, and she finally takes a moment to pick up the ice cream that had fallen to the ground. She isn't too concerned about it, and it's melted considerably now, but leaving it there seems irresponsible.]

And... where has everyone been staying?

[Argilla are you seriously going to eat that? That's been on the ground! ...Not that it would really matter, to them...]

We have a base on the fringe of the city. ...Would you like to see it?

[Argilla does look kind of beat up.]

[Stop making assumptions, leader, she was going to throw it away, okay? Besides, they eat all kinds of filthy demons--

...Anyway.]

Of course. Please.

[And because she is curious:]

What is it like?

[Be the irresponsible ~~leader~~. Leave the ice cream there! The locals would clean it up anyway...

Serph turns to lead the way.]

It's a three storey building.

[...With a hole in the second storey wall...]

It's less defensible than our previous bases. Acceptable in this peaceful world.

[He pauses, considering whether he'd tell Argilla about the flowers and garden, but he decides not to; let's make it a nice surprise for Argilla.]

Less defensible--

[She turns to follow him, latching onto that bit fairly quickly. And although she does sound a little concerned, her demeanor is casual as she walks. She's already caught onto the fact that it seems to be peaceful here, after all; although only time would tell how long it would stay that way.

She tosses the ice cream into a trashcan as she passes it, having seen other locals use it before-- and although it does seem a waste, she vows that she'll try another one later.]

Do you speak from experience?

[Serph nods.]

Heat broke a wall.

[Yeah.]

No one has actually attacked us, however.

[Months without any attacks...

Perhaps the peace truly permanent, then. She doesn't know, but she does shake her head, closing her eyes as she imagines it.

Amused.]

That sounds like him.

[Serph nods. Yep.

Well, Vatheon is relatively small, so it doesn't take long for the base to come into sight. A magnificently drab three storey building with the Embryon flag hanging proudly from a pole sticking out one of the windows. The Tribe's colour is painted on the doors (of course!), but the real attraction is the garden, cleaned up since the 'attack'.

Flowers and sprouts grow from rows of Vatheon mugs. From this direction, two orange roses can be seen framing the entrance to the building.

Welcome home, Argilla.]

Edited 2012-08-13 13:55 (UTC)

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teradine - 2012-08-14 13:40 (UTC) - Expand

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