[CLOSED-ish] MEANWHILE

[worldlyafflictions]

Who: Shima, Rin
When: Day 59
Where: Wandering the Athenaeum
What: Two guys chillin
Warnings: IDK, sad talk? Aoex spoilers? They're just as likely to avoid it.

[Anyway, Shima's listening to this on the radio when Herbert first turns it on and broadcasts Ignatius' attack, looking at Rin like ???]

Uh, so I hear this kinda stuff happens a lot. Should we be.. heading back?

Comments

[flashover]

[ Rin would rather avoid everyone from his world, with the exception of maybe Shura, but... he kind of also wanted to talk to Shima, a little.

In the end, that had been a bust, too.

He frowns at the radio]

Geez... I can't believe all these Fae are here. Nightshade and Ignatius... those guys were both in Portland, and that's the last we saw of them. I... Portland's memories are pretty fuzzy but I remember they're both nasty customers.

[worldlyafflictions]

[Pocketing his phone and clipping the radio to his belt as he gets out his prayer staff, just in case.]

That when ya got brainwashed? Ya mentioned something like that...

[It was ages ago and Rin hadn't said much about it. Shima probably shouldn't poke at whatever issues Rin has, he's clearly bubbling under the surface about something, but it seems like a Fae thing, so maybe it's relevant...]

[flashover]

[Rin follows his lead and unsheathes Kurikara, taking on a more draconic and, of course, flame-clad form in the process]

No! It wasn't that time...! That was with the Prince. [he waves his hand] Portland was like... it was almost like... [he makes a half groan/half hum sound as he thinks] It was like we got dropped into other peoples' lives! Or, like... our lives, but different. In that world, I was an American kid... Dad was still alive, and he married a demon named Blue and had me, so he was my real dad. [and that was about as much as he could remember about the other Rin's life, specifically. But the feeling that he'd lost something still lingers when he thinks about it] Anyway... that doesn't matter.

[worldlyafflictions]

These fae seem ta think it matters enough ta come back ta haunt everybody though...

[Well, maybe Rin just meant his own alternate backstory in particular, but they might as well treat it with some weight if there's enemies coming after them from it.]

[flashover]

Well, I think we messed up a bunch of stuff while we were there... I know the Rose Queen was extra pissed. [he shakes his head] We should get back to the Carnival. It's not safe out here.

[worldlyafflictions]

Ahaha, worried about me~?

[He is all for that plan though, heading down the aisle toward the main hall in this wing of the library.]

[flashover]

[Rin nods and follows. But, instead of dumping them out somewhere familiar, the hallway ends up leading them somewhere completely different]

... Uhhh... Did we take a wrong turn?

[worldlyafflictions]

[His own teasing forgotten, Shima looks around in confusion at the unexpected change of scenery as the two of them pass under a shadow.]

Uh, did we...?


[He turns to head back the way they came except it quickly becomes obvious that it isn't where they just came from because it's no longer an aisle of books either.]

What the heck??

[flashover]

We walked in a straight line! How did we get so lost so fast?!

[because this place is completely unfamiliar, and the corridor behind them seems... dark.]

.... What happened to the lights?

[worldlyafflictions]

It's kinda like Pheles-san's keys, without the doors... I guess it could be one of those stories changing the setting?

[Or he HOPES it's that because it sounds like people are having a Bad Time over the radio.]

[flashover]

Dude, I don't like that. Not at all! [the keys are weird enough on their own... without the door to actually indicate Something Has Transpired?? Even worse!

Rin frowns and sheathes his sword before turning on his radio, listening in on other channels]

Sounds like it might be related to the Fae stuff.... that sucks.

[worldlyafflictions]

'Sucks'. Isn't that like, really bad??

[Shima eyes their current location with a more critical look, maybe they're still somewhere familiar enough that they can figure out a new way back.]

[flashover]

Well... yeah! But it also sucks, you know? Maybe "sucks" isn't a strong enough word...

[Rin frowns and does the same, but unfortunately, nothing looks familiar...

Not that it's super easy to tell anyway. Everything is just books and books and more books!]

[worldlyafflictions]

It totally isn't strong enough.


[pause]

Crap, we're already lost...



[He picks a direction, K'rik ready to one side.]

Ya think the hallways might be like the books and we just have ta think really hard about it and we'll get back eventually?