vatheon | 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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I come here a lot.

[He slows down a bit. The beach isn't going anywhere. Brushing one of his dreadlocks away from his face, he continues.]

And at all times too. In all kinds of weather and during different times.

[He wishes Argilla could have been here that one night that ship was here and the glowing blue things were on the sand.

And there it is, right in front of them. The beach.]

It never gets old.

[It's true. The sky in her vague memories of the beach are a vibrant blue, not gray. But nevertheless, the environment is beautiful. Feeling the sand beneath her feet is something indescribable, and everything about the experience is breath-taking.

There's a wide smile on her face, and she doesn't even have to see Cielo's face to know he is smiling, too.]

I know the feeling.

[...

She continues to walk, though. Just seeing it isn't nearly enough, and when they get closer to the water, Argilla spots something half-buried in the sand.

She bends down to pick up a seashell.]

You should come back when it's sunny.

[Because that's when the beach most reflects what they remember. The sights, the sounds, and the smells put those memories to shame.]

Of course.

[She isn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon, after all, so there's no reason for her not to.

And the idea that anyone-- not just them-- could stand under the sun without turning into stone... well, that's pretty amazing in and of itself.]

...And look, Cielo. They're everywhere.

[Argilla's picking up even more seashells now. There sure are a lot, and they're pretty, too...]

[There's certainly a lot of seashells. Cielo remembers picking one up his first day in Vatheon. He picks up one himself and spots something in the corner of his eye.

...oh.

It's that crab. It blows a few bubbles out of its mouth and scurries away. He turns back to Argilla.]

Want me to hold them for you?

[...Oh, huh.

Honestly, she hadn't thought about about whether or not she wanted to keep them. And seeing the crap startles her for a moment, but she hardly has a chance to react before it scurries away.

Does he know that ~~demon~~ crab?

...]

Would you like to?

[She's amassed a bit of a collection in her hands now. But it isn't as if the seashells are heavy.

Argilla doesn't mind sharing, though.]

[The two of them go way back. They are two beings that have an understanding between them.]

It looks like a lot for you to carry all by yourself, ja?

[If Argilla has her hands full with holding shells, then she can't use them for other things like touching the water! Besides, Cielo is used to being a pack mule for his Tribe.]

[Hmm. He brings up a good point, so...after a moment of consideration, she does indeed decide to entrust them to Cielo. What better person is there for the job, after all?]

Thank you.

[And after making sure that he can indeed carry them all without dropping them all over the place, she'll move closer to the water; close enough so that she can feel it against her feet.

It's pretty cold today, too-- maybe because of the rain, so there's a bit of a shiver as a wave comes in.]

[Holding the shells, Cielo follows Argilla as she gets closer to the water. The waves reach just close enough to touch his feet before receding back into the ocean.]

So, what do you think?

[It's too bad that it's not warm and clear today, but cool temperatures and grey skies can't hide the fact that this is the beach and that it's real.]

[Despite the cold, she makes no moves to leave. She simply watches the waves recede and turns back to Cielo at the question.

In truth, she doesn't entirely know how to answer, but...

She manages anyway.]

I think I could get used to it here.

[Although she's still not entirely sure about this place... if she's with her comrades, it should be okay, shouldn't it?]

It seems you have as well.

[Sometimes Cielo wonders if getting used to Vatheon is a bad thing. Gale didn't quite approve of it at first.]

Well, I've been here for a long time, ja?

I know.

I'm...still trying to wrap my head around that.

[The idea that he's been here all this time without her...

There's a bit of a sheepish look, and Argilla looks thoughtful; but she doesn't say anything else.]

I don't get it either.

[Cielo doesn't really understand Vatheon's time shenanigans aside from "sometimes people you know are from the past or the future when they come here" and he knows that in Argilla's case, she's from the future (from his perspective) and he's from the past (from hers).

He almost wants to ask what she's seen.]

You want to stay here a little longer or go back down to see everyone else?

[It is definitely weird. It feels different, too, even if she doesn't like to admit it; but they are still comrades, so that much hasn't changed. It's still comfortable to be around him, and it just means there's more for them to talk about, when the time comes.

For now, she contents herself with taking a seat in the sand, after moving back away from the water just a bit.

And that's probably a better answer than her words could ever be.]

Just a bit longer.

[There's a pause, as she listens to the waves, the water still coming up to greet her feet.]

They'll be surprised to see me, won't they?

[She hopes so.

Although the truth is, she still doesn't know how she'll handle seeing Serph again. Maybe a part of her is stalling so she can mentally sort things out...]

[A bit longer is fine with him, and he plops right down next to her.]

Maybe not too surprised.

[He wasn't, and it seemed like recently the Tribe had been arriving one by one. And now they were all here.

No, almost all of them. There's the future friends they had to wait for, right? Cielo doesn't know them yet, but he'll take them right up here too.]

[Not too surprised, huh...

That earns Cielo a bit of a look, though he did say they'd been waiting, didn't he? Would all of their comrades really show up here? Even Roland...?

Even though none of them would know him?]

...Either way.

[In the end, despite that, Argilla smiles. Because she knows Cielo will be just as welcoming to him as he should be; and even if he never shows up for whatever reason, she'll be happy with the comrades she has.

And she'll enjoy laying up here for as long as he wants to.]

Digital Domestic Saga continues

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