Bewildered but alive

[fonmaster]

Who: Ion and all the people!
Location: The plaza
Time: January 2nd, morning
Style: Anything works
Status: Wide open!



...friend...

[Ion tries too hard to draw in breath and gasps, sputtering. Oh, good, he'd managed to finish his sentence after all. Wait.]

H-hello?

[Utterly confused, he pats himself. How could he be wet? They were just in a volcano!]

Anise? Luke? Tear?

[He looks around. The city is beautiful, almost unnatural. It's possible that this could be the afterlife, isn't it? But he's all wet, and so cold! That doesn't seem right at all.]

Is anyone here...?

Comments

[faithfulblue]

[Have another newcomer looking your way, Ion. A tall, slender woman with black hair and amazing blue eyes.]

Not sure if this is the Afterlife myself but I do know it has a name - Vatheon.

[fonmaster]

Vatheon? I have never heard of it, I'm afraid.

[Some of his panic dissipates when she approaches him. Ion has never been completely alone in his short life, having someone there comforts him. He sounds unsure when he speaks again, aware that he's being rude but needing to know all the same.]

Did, ah... did you die as well, miss?

[faithfulblue]

Huh?

[She sort of stares at him for a moment before shaking her head.]

I'm pretty sure I'm alive. At least I was the last I knew.

[fonmaster]

Oh, I'm sorry! You just mentioned that... ah, nevermind. I'm...

[He holds his head and leans back on the coral to steady himself, then looks surprised.]

...just fine. I'm very sorry if I was rude, miss. My name is Ion.

[Ion smiles brilliantly at her.]

[faithfulblue]

[She shrugs.]

Nice to meet you. My name's Blue.

[beautifies]

I'm not your friend.

[All he heard was "friend". All he paid attention to, anyway.]

[fonmaster]

I apologize.

[He staggers to his feet.]

May I ask you where this is, anyway...?

[beautifies]

This world is called Vatheon.

[fonmaster]

It's good to meet you too, Blue.

[He wrings his robes out somewhat.]

Do you know anything about this place other than its name? If it's not too much trouble...

[fonmaster]

World?

[He blinks slowly, then looks startled.]

I'm on another world?!

[beautifies]

Is there any other explanation? You don't mean to tell me that this place looks anything like your home?

[fonmaster]

Well, no, it does not, but...

[He mumbles a little awkwardly.]

I thought it might be the afterlife...

[Ion shakes his head and smiles at the stranger.]

My name is Ion. What's yours?

[beautifies]

It's not the afterlife.

[Definitely giving Ion a look of disbelieve now. Why would you think it's the afterlife, man?]

It's Hajime Tounomine.

[fonmaster]

Hajime Tounomine.

[He repeats it slowly, like he's never said a name quite like that before.]

That is a very interesting name! How do you prefer to be addressed, sir?

[Now that someone's nearby, Ion is all smiles. Hajime's stern demeanor doesn't really put him off - Ion gets along just fine with Asch, after all.]

[cubofkai]

Oh! Hello! Are you new?

[ A man all in red blinks at Ion, before looking mildly worried. ]

You look so cold! Hold on, I'll get you a towel!

[ Before Ion can say anything, he has darted off to fetch one. Don't worry, he'll be back soon. ]

[fonmaster]

[He's not going anywhere fast. He does manage to make it to his feet at least, leaning against something and waiting for the man to return.]

[cubofkai]

[ Yukimura comes back with a towel, which he tosses around the boy's shoulders. ]

There!

[fonmaster]

Thank you, sir.

[Ion starts to dry himself off, taking his head ornaments off. You lose the most heat through your head after all, so it's crucial to get his hair dry first!]

May I ask your name? And, well, where this is?

[faithfulblue]

Wish it were under better circumstances.

[She stays out of arms length from Ion. If he touched her the illusion she created could be destroyed.]

It's a place under water. People and animals get sucked into this world without much reasoning. I'm fairly new myself.

[beautifies]

Tounomine is fine. Haven't you heard a Japanese name before?

[Ion is a strange name but Hajime isn't about to question a Westerner.]

[fonmaster]

[Ion blushes lightly. Should he have heard a Japanese name before? He's fairly sure there's nothing of the sort on Auldrant.]

Japanese? I'm afraid I haven't. Sir Tounomine it is, then.

So, Sir Tounomine... what is a person expected to do after arriving in Vatheon?

[fonmaster]

I see... is there anything in particular expected of us while we're here?

[That'll be kind of difficult for her. Ion is edging closer. Not only is he cold, but she seems like a nice lady and she wouldn't mind if he huddled up next to her a little, right? Right?]

[faithfulblue]

Not that I'm aware of. I think we're supposed to touch that plant thing one a month - so I heard.

[She nods to the large coral behind her.]

Guess the locals worship it or something. We all have marks on our bodies somewhere and little starfish shaped communicators.

[She has been listening to chatter on the network and from other new residents. It is surprising what one can hear when no one is bothering to notice a 'dog' wandering around. As for the communicator - it hangs from her neck in her wolf-dog form but she can make it look like she is pulling it from the pocket of her coat to show him.

As for him getting closer - Blue has a soft-spot for humans, especially young human pups like Ion appears to be. If he edges forward much more or touches her he will feel thick fur instead of skin.]

[fonmaster]

[He sidles up to her with the speed of a cat seeking that elusive sunny spot. Ah, there, that's better. Now she's a nice windbreaker.

Wait. Is that fur?

Ion stares up at the woman, startled but not particularly afraid or repulsed. If anything, he seems curious.]

[beautifies]

Do whatever you wish. It's impossible return to your home world until this place wishes it so.