First Reality

[anxiousgrace]

[A soft sob... Coming from behind the clinic in town. There, a young, dark haired woman is curled in a ball, releasing more pent-up emotion than she has in quite a while. She's freaking out, and no surprise, all things considered. After all, she just woke up in a strange place, in clothing she's never seen, with wings.

It doesn't help that to her, this is just a sign that her schizophrenia is getting worse. It also doesn't help that the dress is vaguely reminiscent of the clothes patients wear at mental hospitals; she half believes she's in one.

Even though it's spring, it's a little nippy, and she's shivering in her thin cotton dress. She hasn't noticed the journal sitting by her feet, but she has at least stopped crying, though her breathing is still rapid.]

I don't know if I want this to be real or not...

Comments

voice;

[menial]

Probably not, but unfortunately, it more or less is.

Re: voice;

[anxiousgrace]

[With that, she looks up.]
Then... where am I? Where is this? What is this?
[Better not to ask about the wings yet... Those were probably in her head.]

voice;

[menial]

"This" is a place called Luceti. It's... sort of a different world. You can talk to the other residents in the journal that this is probably coming out of...

Uh, what else? It's all real, or at least, if it's a dream, there's a lot of us and it can last a long time.

Re: voice;

[anxiousgrace]

[That's good... and bad.]
Thanks.... I guess. Wait, what?
[Locating the journal, which was lying open on the ground, Cayla peered into it.]
What is this? And who are you?
[First wings, now a talking book? This was just not her day... better than hearing voices, though.]

voice;

[menial]

Just another hostage here. These journals let us communicate or whatever, so we should be thanking our kidnappers or whatever.

Anyway. You all right?

action;

[halfremembered]

[ Even with this place being a complete mess right now, Aether cannot help but look around the town and ensure that everything is in order and everyone is doing well. So when he hears someone sobbing behind one of the buildings, he cannot help but be drawn in that direction. ]

Excuse me, Ms?

[ He's not the safest-looking presence, true; tall, dressed entirely in pitch-black clothes with a cerulean ornament and with an inhuman spark in his eyes, he looks more ominous than anything. Still his voice is concerned and so is his expression. ]

Did something happen? If there is anything I can do to help, I shall.

Re: action;

[anxiousgrace]

[Don't worry about the black, Cayla wears more than her fair share as well. The height, however, would be very very intimidating to someone who is barely 5'2". She lifts her head, but just to level, not to make eye contact.]

I... I'm not sure. I think I might be sick.

[halfremembered]

Sick..?

[ She does seem rather cold, unless the shivering stands for something else. Aether doesn't make a step forward yet; if she's scared, someone like him moving closer would only make things worse. ]

Just how long have you been here? [ Beat. ] No, nevermind. The building next to us is a clinic. Would you like me to take you inside?

[action]

[anxiousgrace]

Yeah... [She doesn't realize they are talking about different kinds of sickness.]

A clinic, eh?[Canadian accent peeking through here...] Do they have psychiatrists? I might need to see one...

[action]

[frost_jewel]

[Oh my. People really shouldn't be crying behind the clinic. ...Even the ones who can't seem to get their real selves together this week.

Mia saw her through the window and comes outside now, dropping a blanket around her shoulders.]

You are welcome to come inside where it's warm.

Re: [action]

[anxiousgrace]

[Well thank you and... Oh my God blue hair. Once she gets over that, she will stand up, slowly and unsteadily because her legs fell asleep.]

Thank you. [pause] Who are you?

[action] only because it's my day off

[frost_jewel]

My name is Mia. Who are you?

[She offers a hand to help the other girl keep steady.]

[action] I know how that goes.

[anxiousgrace]

Cayla... My name is Cayla.

[She takes the offered support with a slightly sweaty hand. Her legs will recover pretty soon, but she is having a hard time with more than just that.]

WHY HI THERE [action]

[herd_effect]

[Willock's stepping out for a break when he catches that sob, and he strides towards her in concern. His run-in with Drusilla has lately made him a little wary about getting too close to people he doesn't know, so he stays a few feet away as he addresses her.]

Are you all right?

SALUTATIONS

[anxiousgrace]

[Wary is usually Cayla's middle name... but these are extenuating circumstances. She looks up, but is having a hard time focusing, and sweating despite the chill.]

Probably not...

[herd_effect]

[This reminds him a little too much of the way he personally reacted to showing up in Luceti. He takes a step forward, his sympathy overpowering his caution.]

You should get inside. It's cold out here.

Is this [action], then?

[anxiousgrace]

[At that, she stands up. Between the psychological stress and the fact that her legs are completely asleep, she's shaky on her feet, but recovers quickly.]

That's probably a good idea... [Even if she thinks this is all in her head, common sense is a good thing!]

voice;

[bloodypocket]

You are not the only one who has thought that before. [He says it softly, given the girl's obvious distress. There would be little point to making her all the more paranoid of the unfortunate situation.]

action -> voice

[anxiousgrace]

Not the first? [The voice came from the book by her feet, so she picks it up and talks back into it. She's a little frantic, and growing worse.] How many others are here? Where is here? Who are you?

voice;

[bloodypocket]

The estimates for the amount of people in the village average around three hundred. As for who I am, I am merely another number to the Malnosso.

[It was probably not the best thing to say, but it was the truth as far as he knew.] Yourself?

[voice]

[anxiousgrace]

300? The Malnosso? [300 people... and he said averages, so the number must change...]

I'm Cayla... Who are the Malnosso?

[ ᴀᴄᴛıᴏɴ ]

[symp3thy]

[ The search for lost possessions seems an ongoing thing here; Minako's been in Luceti for a few weeks and she still hasn't had the good fortune of being returned a casual skirt. It's on one of her outings in search of such things that she hears the sounds and sees their source.

...and being who she is, promptly makes her way over - albeit calmly rather than in her usual energetic gait. The clothes tell her everything she needs to know. ]

Lost, huh?

[action]

[anxiousgrace]

[Cayla simply lifts her head slightly and nods. She is definitely lost, that much is true. Lost, wearing unfamiliar clothes, with wings...]

...Yes.

[ ᴀᴄᴛıᴏɴ ]

[symp3thy]

[ Now she hums her affirmation and nods. Then, after a moment, she comes round to sit beside the girl, mimicking her position exactly save for the soft smile Minako wears. ]

It can certainly be disorienting to find yourself in a place like this. But it is real. Why don't you tell me your name, miss, and we can work things out together? I'll do my best to explain.

Re: [ ᴀᴄᴛıᴏɴ ]

[anxiousgrace]

[Disorienting? Yes. Confusing? Yes. Frightening? Very. Is she glad that someone who seems sensible is here? Yes. Cayla glances over to Minako and makes brief eye contact.]

I'd like that. My name is Cayla Reed.