Re: Thought Dispersion (A SuvixMasq RP)

[Masquerade]

With everyone set on just getting away from the Council for the moment, they followed Grace through the lobby and out the main doors back into the courtyard. She herself seemed a bit shaken and remained quiet. She didn't hum. Her gait certainly wasn't a merry one. The woman merely walked solemnly along despite how at peace everyone around her was, playing their music and eating their sweet berry treats. Grace led the group along the main thoroughfare, turning down a side street that led to some more skyscrapers. Eventually she came to a stop in front of a building that only had about eight floors to it. It was made of the same reflective material as most of the other buildings around. The sign above the door read: "Better Days Inn." Grace allowed the main glass doors to slide open as she approached and ushered the group inside. She went up to the front desk to talk to the receptionist there. Even when talking to him, she didn't crack a smile. They only carried on for about a minute or two before she returned to the group with four keycards. "410, 411, 414, and 415," Grace said siimply as she handed the cards to Kazu, Jun, Rien, and Quin respectively. Each card was made of white plastic with the name of the hotel and the number of the room upon it in black lettering along with a strip for scanning. "You can use your keycards to get into your rooms, unlock the mini fridges in the rooms, to get food and drink at the cafeteria, and to gain access to the main doors for they lock at 11pm and remain locked until 8am," she explained before navigating around them. She was about to walk right out the door before she stopped, but didn't turn around to look at them. "I'm going to Tranquil Grove. I have responsibilities to take care of there. My house is on Amethyst Avenue, right off the main road near The Passageway. It's pretty unique. Made of a mix of sandstone and concrete bricks. Can't miss it. You know, in the case you feel like visiting since you don't know many people in this realm..." her voice trailed off. "You're free to go anywhere you want in the city, though I'd avoid the Council Building. You can go to Tranquil Grove. There should be an attendant at The Lift that you can talk to if you feel the desire to go back. Azrael's Slope can take you down to Cumulus Harbor, but it can be pretty dangerous. It's safer to take the train. I guess I'll see you guys around." With that, she sighed and left the building.

Kazu fiddled around with his keycard for a moment before sighing himself. "Dunno about you guys, but it's weird hearing her talk like that. Only knew her a day and still I'm used to her sounding peppy and cheerful," he said before turning around to head to the stairs in favor of the elevator. It was only four floors after all. "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." He headed up the stairs and disappeared from sight. Upon reaching the fourth floor, he exited the stairwell through a door that led into the hall. The interior walls were a beige color and the floor had a forest green carpeting that was rather flat and controlled. He walked along until he found his room, a small gold plate with the numbers '410' distinguishing it from the others. He swiped the card through the scanner above the golden handle and opened the door. His world didn't possess such technological advancements, so he was glad that everything was easy to use. Inside, the room was rather large. It was square in shape, though the bathroom took up about a fourth of the space. The rest had stuff like polished wooden dressers and tables, a soft beige sofa, and a huge queen-sized bed with a spotless white bedspread and white sheets, the whiteness reminding Kazu of the people. He walked over to the bathroom and found some kind of switch. Flicking it, the lights turned on and he looked contentedly as the bathroom, free of any grime. It had been cleaned down to every single corner, top to bottom. The porcelain sink and toilet almost seemed to sparkle. It was extremely odd, so Kazu turned the light off and walked back into the living space before flopping down on the couch. He found that his feet were rather sore now, for they had done a lot of walking. The bathroom had toiletries and towels and the like. Maybe he'd enjoy a warm bath later or something. Crimson eyes gazed up at the white ceiling. What a crazy day. He was tempted to close his eyes and take a nap, wondering if, when he awoke, he would be back in his own world and all that he had experienced would have been nothing more than just a dream...

Back downstairs, Rien scratched her head, pocketing the keycard. It wasn't familiar to her along with quite a few of the things in the city. "I'm kinda at a loss as to what to do now...," she murmured, eyes flickering from the elevator to the front hotel entrance. Did she really feel like doing more walking? Maybe she could find a nice place to sit or something...to just enjoy the sun and peace. Maybe there'd be some nice music playing... "What're you going to do now, Jun?" she asked her friend...or at least she considered him to be a friend. He was nicer than Quin or Kazu. Then again, she didn't know those two all that well... She felt a bit ashamed at judging them, but kept her worries to herself while awaiting Jun's answer.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun didn’t respond right away, he was busy touching and getting a feel for anything he could grab. After living in the ruins of his world for a while, all the technology that had been commonplace to him before had suddenly become amazing and new. Hearing Rien, he looked towards her voice, tilting his head. “Hm... I wanna go see what the rooms are like. Take a bath, get a haircut. I’d give myself a haircut, but, y’know... I’m blind,” he laughed a bit awkwardly, stepping back towards Rien. “I dunno, I think it’s a good idea to take advantage of the rooms while we still have them. That just might be my survival instincts talking, though.” He scratched the back of his head, scrunching up his face as he remembered how grimy he was.

He held up the key card, flipping it in his hands. “Now I just have to figure out which side has the strip...” he muttered, before shrugging. “Eh, guess I got a fifty-fifty chance.”

Quin had quickly walked up to her room, not bothering to explore much. There wasn’t anything of particular interest, it seemed, so she just decided to flop down on the bed and take a nap. After laying there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, before kicking off her shoes and standing up on the bed. She hesitantly started bouncing, laughing quietly to herself as the springs of the mattress squeaked. “I’m completely alone!” she giggled wildly, feeling free for the first time in her life.

[Masquerade]

"Oh, no, I can understand. I think I'm going to head off into the city first before I get too apathetic. If I go up to my room, I'll probably pass out," Rien replied sheepishly. It seemed as though everyone was going to be left up to their own devices including herself. "I'll catch you around, Jun. Maybe the Council will be able to find out how we got here sometime soon," she mused hopefully before turning about and heading for the front entrance. The glass doors slid open and she felt her skin warm instantly to the delight of the afternoon sun. She paced along the main road back towards The Passageway, keeping an eye on the street signs as she continued along the way. Eventually, she came to one that read: "Amethyst Ave." Turning quickly upon it, the girl paced along, looking at the houses on both sides of the street. Most were made out of things like jewels or ore with a few being made more conventionally out of such things as bricks or concrete or even wood, as was the case for an apparent bakery on the street.

Rien paused and decided to open the front door. The smell of baked goods nearly sent her rolling back on the street. Having only eaten grass today, she found herself drooling at the prospect of sinking her teeth into a jelly-filled sweet bun. Collecting herself and straightening her posture, she walked in completely, closing the door behind her. There were no customers inside, but there was someone managing the front counter. She approached the rather young fellow and smiled. "Pardon me, but do you have an jelly-filled sweet buns? Preferably with raspberry jelly? Those are my favorites," she said, nearly giggling in delight. She hoped that her stomach wouldn't rumble in front of the man. "Oh wait, but I don't have any money..."

"Nah, don't worry about money here. Everything is free here," the man explained. He noticed that the woman was dressed very oddly for someone who was in Paradise. He himself was wearing a white chef's outfit with a white apron over top that was oddly clean for someone of his profession. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"N-no, I'm afraid I'm not," Rien replied, slightly taken aback. She avoided giving too many details involved with her plight.

"Well, everything in this city is free. We don't have currency here," he said again. "Money is a very thick root of evil. Only bad things come from it, and that's why the Council abolished it. Besides, this was for the best anyway."

"But...well, I was going to ask how you made a living, but if everything's free, you don't need money... But where do your resources come from?!"

"We make everything ourselves, and when we're through with it, we return it to the earth. Everything we synthesize is biodegradable, though that isn't because of us. It's just that the soil in this realm has an unnamed property that can undo our synthetic processes easily for some reason. No one looked into it because there wasn't a point. None of us were going to take it for granted, that's for sure. Because of this though, we're all able to just do what we love. And we don't have to worry about the seeds of sloth making us lazy; there's hardly anything around to distract us--another favor that we owe the Council."

"Sounds like the Council has been very good to you..." Rien murmured. She watched the man turn around and open the glass door to a wooden cabinet behind him. Grabbing a paper wrapper, he took a golden bun off a plate and turned back around, handing it to Rien. The girl took it gladly with a polite smile and proceeded to take a bite out of it. She felt like her tongue was going to melt. The jelly was strawberry, and it was so sweet she thought she was going to pass out from the sheer delight. "I-It's very good," she managed to say, watching the man smile at the compliment. "But about the Council...is it true that you chose this life for yourselves? Like, you asked for the abolishing of all the sinful stuff? They didn't force you to do anything...right?" she asked as casually as she could, but her voice still came off as shaky. She tried to cover it up and boost her nonchalance by taking another bite out of the sweet bun.

"Of course we wanted this," the man replied, slightly taken aback by the question. "If it were forced on us, there'd be rebellion. Yes, the Council members are strong, but they couldn't take on our sheer numbers. There's no military or secret guards or anything. They abolished it all. It's how confident they were that everything would be all right. And it is." He nodded his head.

Rien bowed her head slightly to him. "Well, I'm glad everything has turned out the way it has. It is very peaceful here. Thank you for the food, sir," she said politely and turned to leave, exiting the building while taking another bite of her bun. "And to think that she was so rash without even talking to anyone...Kazu gives her more credit than she deserves..."

Meanwhile, back in his room at the Better Days Inn, Kazu had fallen asleep on his couch. The thing was surprisingly comfortable. Almost made him wonder what the bed felt like, granted those were his last thoughts before drifting off into a peaceful sleep...

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun waved to Rien as she left, before turning and wandering around the lobby for a bit. As he stumbled around, clicking and groping the walls, looking for an elevator, he cursed his blindness. At least once he got up to his room he could take off this god-forsaken blindfold and clean himself up. If he was alone, there wouldn’t be anyone he could harm besides the room, and the room could always be repaired.

“Four eleven...” The haggard looking man mumbled to himself as he finally found the elevator, taking a moment to run his fingers over the buttons and find the “4.” As the elevator went up, he hummed quietly, the whirring of the elevator taking him back to more peaceful and worry-free days. For the first time in a while, he remembered riding the elevator up to his apartment from school, scratching the white paper mask on his face... His little brother would always throw a fit if he pressed the buttons, Jingchun, Jingchun, I wanted to press them! The buttons are the best part!

He shook his head as the dinging of the elevator shook him out of his reverie, stepping out of the metal box. For a moment, he wished he could cry, but alas, he’d been born without tear ducts. Jun scratched his beard, letting out a sigh, and continuing down the hallway, running his fingers over the walls. After several minutes of combing through the hallway, he finally came to room 411, and after another minute or so of cursing and fumbling with the key card, he finally opened the room, quickly closing the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath, Jun pulled off his bandana, blinking a few times as his single brown eye adjusted to the light. Everything seemed to sag under his gaze, but he pushed off the guilt. It was just a room, after all.

He then ventured into the bathroom, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror and finding it quite hard not to stare. This Jun was much different from the one he’d seen- what, two, maybe three years ago? His face was much more worn, and he looked to old to only be twenty. What he’d kept hidden under the blindfold hadn’t changed much, though. His eye sockets were still just sunken in holes his head, covered by skin, no eyelids.

Another sigh escaped his lips, and he turned on the shower, not bothering to take off his clothes before he stepped in. After all, they probably needed a wash as much as he did. As the hot water washed over him, Jun smiled softly, sitting down in the floor of the shower. This was nice. It’d been a long time since he’d taken a bath, let alone a warm one.

[Masquerade]

Rien continued down Amethyst Avenue while munching on her sweet bun as she went. Eventually, she came to a stop in front of what she was looking for--a house made of a mix of sandstone and concrete. She expected something more simplistic, but the house was actually rather elegant. It reminded her of one of the townhouses in Altinor. "So, this is where Grace lives? She probably hasn't made it home yet..." the girl muttered to herself, her dark blue eyes focused on the wooden front door. Slowly, she approached the door and apprehensively knocked on it a few times, but as she expected, there was no answer. A frown formed on her face even though her expectations hadn't been very high. She could go back to Tranquil Grove, but that was a good hike away and there was no way she was making that walk again. Chances would be that it'd be late by the time she made it back to Paradise. As she thougt about what to do next, she walked back the way she came until she made it to the main thoroughfare. Choosing to ultimately avoid The Lift area, she decided to head back to the fountain area. The square was still decently populated with people that were singing and playing music while others sat back and relaxed. A few were reading books underneath the shade trees that were planted there. Rien looked around and found a stone bench on which to take a seat. A few of the denizens looked at her curiously. Of course they were all wearing white and she was the only one who wasn't, but did that make her that much of a stand-out to them? She could understand them all wearing white in a realm like this one. White represented cleanliness and purity of the body and the soul. However, it also made the city seem so bleak and unambitious. At least the buildings and nature were colorful. Rien sighed and looked into the sky. She had to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun. It felt warm on her skin.

The peaceful music mixed with the sound of the pure water flowing out of the jade fountain statue drifted wondrously into her ears. The language the people sang in was so elegant and beautiful--probably one of the most enchanting she had ever heard. It was here that she remained sitting in peace, just listening and thinking. She wondered about all sorts of things like how long they would be stuck in Sanctuary and if the Council would ever be able to find out who was behind all the pranks. All in due time, Rien. All in due time, she mentally reassured herself while she rested.

Kazu was still out cold in his room, no dreams visiting him as he slept. Despite all that had happened with the winding up in a different world and such, he still managed to get a peaceful sleep.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Once he deemed himself clean enough, Jun stripped off his worn clothes and hung them up to dry. As he turned back to face the mirror, he found himself frowning again. He really was a mess. Light scars darted across his arms and chest from the numerous hunting accidents and fights he’d gotten in the middle of, the ones on his arms only made even more dramatic by his dark tan.

His rats’ nest of hair hadn’t been made much better by the water like he had so foolishly hoped. He grabbed a nearby pair of scissors, his clumsy hands doing their best to trim all his hair evenly. After a few minutes of cursing and shaking hair trimmings out of his face, a much neater Jun was looking back at him in the mirror. Unfortunately, this meant now he had to remember how to use a razor without cutting himself. He had been shaving before the Storm, but not for very long, and three years was a long time. Muttering a prayer to whatever god was up there, he picked up the razor.

After another good half hour of cursing and shaking hair trimmings out of his face, Jun finished. His face had only suffered a few cuts, but it was well worth it, he figured. Deciding not to bother with his still wet clothes, he simply collapsed on his bed, quickly falling asleep. Beds were a lot comfier than the ground.

Quin on the other hand, was far from sleeping. The sudden realization of her freedom had been a bit too much, it seemed, and she had promptly started bingeing on everything she had ever wanted to do, but couldn’t due to rations, or laws, or anything.

[Masquerade]

Rien awoke with a start and looked around. A few couples were taking a stroll around the fountain that was now being lit up by artificial lights that apparently were hidden beneath the ground during the day. It was definitely romantic. Violin music filled the air and Rien spotted the musicians playing them, candles lit at their feet. It was on the verge of pure night now, for the sky was full of stars and only a sliver of sunlight could be seen on the horizon--a full moon covering the city of Paradise in its gentle, ghostly glow conquered the sky now. Rien hugged herself, a chill running down her spine. It had grown a lot cooler since she had fallen asleep which she couldn't even remember. When had she decided to lie down on the stone bench and fall asleep? How could she have even done it? She had slept surprisingly well given that it was pure stone beneath her body. Somehow she had managed. The girl stretched her arms out as she stood up while starting to walk back to the side street that the hotel was on. On the way, she noticed something flashing in an alleyway towards the end. She stopped in her tracks and peered at. It turned out to be some kind of machine. The city was fairly technologically advanced, so Rien wasn't surprised. The lights were kind of pretty. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued on her way until she reached the right road--Platinum Boulevard, apparently. She reached the Better Days Inn and walked through the front door without any problems which meant it wasn't as late as 11:00 pm yet, though she reasoned it couldn't have been if the sun was just finishing its descent. The female receptionist offered to get her something hot to drink when she walked in.

"I'd be delighted to have a cup of tea," Rien replied politely with a soft smile, going to take a seat on a couch in the lobby while the receptionist sent another worker to get the drink. Rien yawned cutely, bringing a quaint hand to her mouth to cover it. She was still a bit drowsy from her nap. She probably wouldn't actually get to bed until late tonight. Maybe she would start a story about her little stay in Paradise. She laughed at the thought of the idea but stifled herself when the tea arrived. Taking the steaming cup in both hands, she fiddled with the possibility of a short story.

Kazu managed to wake up from his own slumber a bit after Rien had arrived. Groaning, he managed to stand up and meander over to the bathroom to relieve himself. He looked at his weary face in the mirror and splashed a bit of warm, clean water on it after which he dried himself with a face towel. "I wonder if she's still up, or even in her room for that matter," the assassin said to himself, making sure he had his keycard on him before leaving his room. The door closed behind him and he found himself standing in the hallway which was oddly silent, granted it was just as quiet earlier. "Ugh, what was her room number again?" He had to think for a moment before approaching room 415 at last and rapping upon it loud enough for Quin to hear him if she were inside.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Quin quickly woke up at the sound of the knocking, as she was a light sleeper. A quick glance around the room caused her to frown as the events of earlier dawned upon her. How could she have let herself get so out of control? Blankets and pillows were strewn everywhere, and her normally neat hair was a mess. Her dress seemed to be a little ripped as well, but she could easily fix that.

She walked to the door, opening it a crack to see who it was, before recognizing Kazu and opening it a few inches more, trying not to let him see the mess. That would be embarrassing. “Hello?” she greeted him hesitantly, not really sure why he would be knocking on her door. She thought that they had both expressed quite clearly that they weren’t social people.

Jun woke up after a bit, pulling on his still damp clothes. As he went to tie on his blindfold, he frowned at the black spot in the middle of it, where his third eye usually was. He’d need to get another one, before his Flow wore through it. Clicking a few times, he opened the door, continuing to click. To his surprise, there was actually someone in the hallway! “Hey,” he greeted, not quite sure who it was.

[Masquerade]

Kazu was glad that Quin was still in her room and even offered her a suave smile. She seemed to be a bit confused by his presence which was understandable. It was a fairly impromptu visit, but he thought it would be...at least somewhat...something. Now he was a bit confused. "Are you busy? I'd like to take you somewhere if you'd let me," he finally managed to say after a few moments of awkward silence, granted he noticed that someone else was approaching now. He turned and saw Jun just as the fellow greeted him. "Oh hey there, Jun. It's Kazu," he said, granted Jun would probably be able to identify the voice just fine. That's when Kazu's eyebrows rose. "Wow, Jun...you're looking much sharper than you did earlier." Kazu noted that the haircut wasn't perfect and Jun had obviously cut himself accidentally while shaving, but overall he looked a whole lot better than he had before. He shot a glance at Quin to let him know he still was hoping for an answer from her.

Down in the lobby, Rien had asked the receptionist for some lined paper and a black ink pen. The woman kindly obliged and Rien found herself writing down a rough outline of everything that had happened since she arrived in Sanctuary. She jotted down all the areas she had seen and the people she had met including Kazu, Quin, and Jun along with the Sanctuary natives like Grace and the Council members. After she had a suitable outline, she started writing the events as they had happened since she awoke in Tranquil Grove. "I can't wait to let Scarlet read this when I get back," she commented to herself. Scarlet Auburne was the Royal Scholar that served directly beneath the queen. Commanding utterly powerful magics, she leads the other magicians and scholars of the castle in battle when defensive measures must be taken. "Speaking of the other castle scholars, they'll enjoy this too, methinks." Her pen met the paper and she found herself unable to lift it. All of the events--the feelings she had and the sensations she experienced--were still all too fresh in her mind. It made transferring them to paper that much easier.

[quackers are yummylicious]

“Yeah, scissors are less scary than holding a knife to your head. Figured if I could shave before the Storm, I could do it after. I figured wrong, but I think it went over okay. I look like less of a wreck, hopefully,” Jun shrugged, anxiously running a hand through his hair. He’d tried his best, but he was pretty sure he still looked like a wreck compared to everyone else.

Quin blinked, now feeling much more confused. “I was not planning on doing anything...” she answered. “That’s fine.” She clutched her rock in her pocket, part of her wondering if Kazu was up to something not good. Seeing Jun walk up, looking a bit less of a mess than usual, she raised an eye brow. “You look fine, Jun,” she stated, although that was a bit of a lie. He certainly looked a lot better than he had, at least. Some things would take time, she figured.

[Masquerade]

"Yeah, your efforts definitely paid off. Those shaving nicks will heal up right quick and you'll be just fine. As a matter of fact," Kazu said as his voice trailed off. He raised his hand, focusing on the moonlight that was surely to be visible by now. "Hold still and don't be alarmed." A sphere of light formed in Kazu's hand, and the assassin could feel the power within it; it must have been night outside for his spell to be so powerful. Raising the sphere to about a foot from Jun's face, Kazu allowed the light to shine brightly. A few second passed and Kazu crushed the sphere in his fist to reveal that all the cuts Jun had accidentally sustained while shaving had completely healed up, and any lingering pain would dissipate as well. "A simple healing spell. Your nicks are as good as gone, friend," Kazu explained with a contented grin. He turned to face Quin real quick. "We're heading to the roof. Do you have your keycard? I'd hate for you to get locked out," he teased lightly, taking his own keycard out for emphasis before stuffing it back into his pocket. The assassin seemed to be in a rather good mood for whatever reason.

* * *

Grace had finally made it back to Paradise after a rather tense afternoon in the Tranquil Grove. The stars were shining brightly in the sky and the whole city was bathed in the ethereal moonlight. She made her way to Amethyst Avenue and down the road until she reached her house. There was a sticky note on the front door. "Stop by the Council Building tomorrow. We may be onto something in regards to the outsiders. Sincerely, Howard," she read the note aloud to herself, taking it and stuffing it into her pocket before opening the door and walking inside. The house was dark, so she turned on the lights as she made her way to the kitchen to wash her hands at the sink. It was quiet in the house save for the sound of running water. Grace turned the faucet off and walked to the fridge, opening it up to take out some fresh carrots she had washed earlier in the day. She put them on a plate with some ranch dressing, and grabbed a glass and filled it nearly to the brim with wine. Taking the food and drink into her living room, she plopped onto her couch making sure the coffee table was in easy reach. She set the plate on it and instantly worked on draining the glass, sighing in content after taking a long swig of it.

"There are just those days...," Grace muttered to herself. The frustration of the Council was something she wished she hadn't seen. It reminded her that they were still all vulnerable to that which they had wanted to get rid of--to displace from their society. The sins of old still lingered where the people of Sanctuary could not see them. The society was free of temptation, but that did not mean the sins had vanished. "We always knew it, but we just ignore the fact that they're there. Watching us. Waiting for a moment of weakness so they can strike. But we are strong," she said to herself, draining her wine glass and spending the rest of the night drinking and resting on the couch.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Confusion passed over Jun as he saw a bright light through his blindfold. “Wait, what?” he asked, a slight panic washing over him, before he heard Kazu speak again. “Healing spell?” he asked a bit rhetorically, carefully touching his face and finding that it was cut free. “Thanks, Kazu. I owe ‘y one,” he grinned, his crooked teeth actually visible for once. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow, it’s nighttime, right? Later.” With goodbyes over with, he hurriedly continued on his way. It seemed like Kazu was trying to pull something with Quin, and he wasn’t invited, not like he really wanted to be. Maybe he’d find Rien or Grace or someone he actually knew. Unfortunately, the list of people he knew wasn’t that long.

He found the elevator much quicker than he had before, since he’d come out of it. It didn’t take him too long to find the button for the ground floor, either. Soon this place wouldn’t be that inconvenient for him. For a moment he wondered if they had stairs, but shook the thought out of his head. He needed to get over the whole elevator thing. That life had ended when the Storm hit.

The elevator dinged and Jun walked out into the lobby, clicking his tongue. It was weird being back among technology. There were lots of memories from before the Storm that kept popping up, and he didn’t really like it. He ran a hand through his hair, happy that he was able to do so, before promptly running into a potted plant in his distraction.

Quin, meanwhile, pulled her keycard out of her pocket, showing it to Kazu, before putting it back. “I’m not going to get locked out,” she responded, wondering why Kazu wanted to go to the roof. Unlike Kazu, Quin seemed to be in an even worse mood than usual. It probably had something to do with how she was awakened from her nap.

[Masquerade]

The sound of something that sounded like a flowerpot rattling against the floor shook Rien from her writing trance. She had made it up to the point where she and the others got off The Lift at the top and were preparing to see Paradise for the first time. Setting the paper and pen down on the couch, she arose and looked around the lobby to notice that it was Jun that had run into one of the potted plants. She hadn't even heard the elevator ding or the doors opening granted she was a fair distance from it. Approaching him without hesitation, she was stunned when she got a close look at him. His hair was cut, albeit a just a tad unevenly, and he had also managed to shave without hurting himself. She was impressed and grinned sheepishly at him, glad that he couldn't see her expression. "Jun, you should beware of these potted plants. They're a hazard for anyone not paying attention," she teased, tacking on a bit of a giggle at the end. "I must say that you definitely clean up well. For doing the grooming yourself, you certainly did a suitable job. You look very handsome," she commented with a soft smile.

Back on the fourth floor, Kazu waved a hand dismissively at Quin. "Good, good. Just making sure," he said before heading to the stairs, gesturing for Quin to follow him. It seemed that she was going to, so he just assumed she would. He made his way up the stairs, quickly ascending them. The hotel had twelve floors surprisingly, but Kazu had made it to the door leading to the roof in no time at all, hoping Quin wouldn't have any trouble keeping up with him. The door was locked, so that would give her time to catch up if she had fallen behind. "Oh, locked doors. This takes me back," he said aloud while taking out a couple of lock picking tools out of his pocket. He was lucky that it was a classic lock and not one that required a keycard. Sticking the tools carefully in the keyhole, he fiddled around with them for a minute or two before he was rewarded with the sound of a click. He pulled the handle and opened the door for Quin.

"Ladies first," Kazu said with a grin. "And I might be an assassin, but I'm not going to try and kill you off or anything. I don't even have a reason to do that. There's no need to worry," he tried to reassure her in the case she was tense.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun stumbled backwards, laughing nervously. Hearing Rien, his face turned a little pink, and he tugged his blindfold a little farther down to hide it. “I just got a little lost in thought... I don’t usually run into things!” he protested weakly, walking towards her. “Thanks, though Kazu cleaned me up a bit with a healing spell or something,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

Taking a deep breath and pulling his hair a little out of nervousness, he extended a hand towards Rien, feeling his face get even hotter. “You wanna go outside somewhere?” he asked, clicking his tongue a few times out of habit and immediately wishing he hadn’t. “I mean, I think it’s pretty here, ‘cuz it smells and sounds nice, and I bet it’s really pretty at night, but what am I talking about, I can’t see,” Jun laughed nervously, starting to talk rather fast. He minds as well make the most of this place before he went home, right? He’d most likely never see any of these people again, so was there really any point in furthering the relationships? Well, it couldn’t hurt to live in the moment.

Quin took Kazu’s offer and walked through the door, clutching her rock tightly in her pocket. While part of her said that the assassin was talking sense, another part of her was screaming at her not to trust him. Trust was your downfall. “I’ve been trained in combat for a long time, so I’d like to see you try,” she muttered challengingly, turning to face Kazu and brushing her bangs out of her eyes so she could see better. This whole thing seemed rather suspicious to her.

[Masquerade]

Kazu had done something nice? Maybe he wasn't half bad after all, but with his odd attitude, it was hard to tell. She only knew the guy a day; it was only proper for him to remain an enigma. It seemed to suit him anyway. Rien took Jun's offered hand and smiled. "I just came in from outside not too long ago, but it really is beautiful near the fountain. Even if you can't see, you can still hear the wonderful music and smell the fresh air and such. I think it would be nice regardless," she explained. "Oops, wait here just a second." Letting go of his hand, she dashed back to the couch, her footsteps still clearly able to be heard from Jun's position. She gathered up her story and stuffed it into her dress, pocketing the pen while she was at it. She managed to catch the receptionist's gaze and was glad when the woman waved at her as if to say it was all right to keep the writing utensil. Sighing in relief, she promptly returned to Jun. "Sorry about that. I had been writing down everything that happened today so I could show it to my sister and her friend, Scarlet when I got back to Alidaire," she apologized sheepishly.

Kazu closed the door as he stepped across the threshold to join Quin on the roof. The stars and the moon seemed brighter from up so high. It reminded the assassin of home, save for the dark tendrils that should be tethering the sky to the world. Kazu merely laughed at Quin's statement, savoring the feeling of the cool night breeze as it tousled his hair and danced across his skin. "We are certainly confident, aren't we? You forget that I'm a natural at killing. So what would prevail: training or a natural knack for it? It would be interesting to find out, but I told you I didn't bring you up here for that," he quipped, moving over to the edge of the building that was overlooking Azrael's Slope with Cumulus Harbor resting at the bottom. His legs dangled over the edge, and his head tilted up to look at the sky. One hand patted a spot next to him--a signal for Quin to come and sit. It truly was meant to be a friendly outing. Something about brutalizing a 15 year old didn't sound too appealing to the assassin. He had been issued young marks before, and he had carried them out without question, but he had much more of a conscience now than he had then. Yep, those days are definitely over... he thought to himself with a slight smile.

"You know, it's wise not to be too trusting, but you don't have to be so damn tense all the time," Kazu called out to her. "Gotta have at least some time to relax right? We can't all be adults one hundred percent of the time. Dead serious. Distrusting. Hostile. You're in a different world, you know?" He didn't care if his words didn't hit home. He felt a bit sad for Quin. She was pretty much forced to adopt a lifestyle that she may or may not have wanted, just because her world was a certain way. Hell, even Kazu felt he was forced to be an assassin just because he wasn't good at anything else. Killing others was better than dying himself, or so he thought. The fear of starvation and homelessness was pretty great. It could drive anyone to do something they detested.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun scratched the back of his head nervously, clenching his hand by his side when Rien ran off. She had smooth hands. It was definitely quite the change from the cacti, cracked dirt, and his own callused hands. “It’s okay, that sounds interesting! If you want, I’ll write something, too, so you have my handwriting as proof,” he offered. He kind of wished that he would have someone to share this adventure with, but when he got home, he’d be all alone again. That was a depressing thought.

Trying to push it to the back of his mind, Jun smiled at Rien, walking towards the door, or at least where he thought the door was, clicking his tongue every few seconds. “What’s your world like?” he asked, trying to start up a not depressing conversation. Plus, Rien seemed to be the only one really content with her home.

Quin sat down a bit of a distance away from Kazu, obviously not entirely trusting. She swung her feet off the edge, looking down over Paradise, before turning her gaze upwards towards the sky. There were lights in the sky? That was odd, she’d never noticed them in Baiyu before. Maybe her world didn’t have any? “If you lose control of your emotions, you die. If I took time to relax back home, I’d be dead, and old habits die hard. I’ve already started to get too emotional,” she muttered stiffly, taking the rock out of her pocket and clutching it in her hands.

The wind was blowing had a sweet smell, much different than the sour winds back home. It was kind of refreshing for someone who could control the wind. She felt so free here, and Kazu was still telling her to loosen up? She wasn’t sure if she could get anymore relaxed. It didn’t exactly feel nice to know that not only was she some sort of freak in her home world, what with her training and the resistance being run by her parents, but she was also some sort of freak in other worlds.

[Masquerade]

"Ah, that's a good idea!" Rien exclaimed. She hadn't even thought about letting any of the others write something. Without proof, it may as well have been a story. "I'll give you a sheet of paper and the pen for tonight. Maybe you can jot something down before going to sleep. I'll ask Kazu and Quin if they want to contribute anything tomorrow," she chimed, waiting for the glass doors to open before stepping into the night air which felt so great that she nearly lost herself. That's when she realized Jun had asked a question about her home world. She started walking down the main thoroughfare aiming to get to the fountain area. In the meantime, she gave her answer. "Alidaire is a magical world that I've come to love greatly in the eighteen years that I've spent there. I mean, it is really dangerous. We've come so close to our world being destroyed so many times that it's almost ridiculous. And besides major threats, we always have monsters roaming the wilderness. They're things the likes of which you couldn't even imagine. You could be walking through the plains and be set upon by mandragoras, or if you traveled through the mountains, large birds with magical powers could attack you. Going underground usually unleashes the wrath of the undead and burrowing monsters. There are so many types that people have actually dedicated their lives to classifying all the different types of monsters. It's crazy." She let out a sigh because she felt like she hadn't breathed during her explanation. It made her feel a bit flustered. "Sorry about that," she apologized with a nervous giggle. "There are other fascinating things like a desert where one can see things from dreams, a magical labyrinth deep in a jungle on another continent, and a variety of different races like the Restocasians who possess control over all of the world's magic and the Dragao who are a mix of dragons and humans. It's a large world and there's so much to see. I've only seen Altinor, my home city and the bit of area around it. I still have a lot to see myself."

"Granted. Since you're going back to your home world soon, I'd hate for you to die because I told you to relax," Kazu said nonchalantly, turning his gaze to the little harbor in the distance. "Tell me. Quin, have you ever lost anyone close to you?" All the lightheartedness in his voice had vanished. As a matter of fact, there seemed to be a heaviness lacing his tone. He didn't blink as he gazed out, and a sad frown had formed on his visage, though Quin probably couldn't see that. He figured that might be for the best. He had asked a rather dour question, though the sturdy Quin would most likely be unfazed by such a thing. We'll see. In a world where death is common, it might not mean anything to her.

[quackers are yummylicious]

“Sounds like a fairy tale world,” Jun mused aloud. Dragons were pretty awesome, and his inner child couldn’t help but imagine riding around on one. In some aspects, he figured, Rien’s world wasn’t that much different from his own. There were plenty of mutated animals roaming the wasteland, waiting to take a bite if you weren’t careful enough. Seeing mirages in deserts was like seeing your dreams, right? After all, if you were seeing mirages, you probably really wanted water. “Exploring is good, especially when it sounds like there’s a lot out there to find,” he grinned.

Quin sighed, keeping her gaze looking out over the city. “I’d have to have someone close to me for that to happen. Not to say I don’t care about others, but at the end of the day, all people are expendable, even myself,” she answered, her tone remaining its usual unwavering monotone. Sure she liked her mother, father and their resistance. Occasionally she met someone in her classes that didn’t seem like a complete oaf. But eventually, they’d all be dead, and their lives would just be stepping stones towards a hopefully better future.

“Considering you asked me, I suppose you’ve lost someone close to you?” she asked, opening her hands and letting the gentle wind brush over her rock. Maybe exposing it to such a nice breeze would give her better control. Items could be very temperamental.

[Masquerade]

"What might be a fairy tale for others is definitely reality for us on Alidaire," Rien laughed, brushing a bit of hair out of her face. She had met people that had traveled to other worlds before, and she heard phrases like that before. They would say the world was so surreal and impossible, yet it existed. Rien was living proof of that. "And you can bet there's tons to find out there in Alidaire. There are rumors in Elendia of uncharted and undiscovered continents that no one's ever seen before. I'd like to visit them all one day." She let out a whimsical sigh as she imagined traveling the seas with her sister and Scarlet, aiming to find new lands. It would be great. "And what about your own world? All I know about it is that there was some kind of storm and you have the ability to manipulate the Flow you mentioned earlier. I wouldn't mind hearing a bit more about it," she inquired, still walking along. In the distance, she could see the beautiful jade fountain statue lit up by the artificial lights. It was magical in its own way and definitely reminded her of something she would see at home.

"So that is where we differ," Kazu muttered loud enough for his acquaintance to hear. "Earlier, I had thought you to be one I could relate to, but you're not. My world may be spiraling towards the end, but people still maintain emotions and form bonds with one another. It might be the only thing keeping them going, really. No use pitying you though. I know your people are working towards some kind of resolution to the war, even if it is through immense violence." He paused for a moment and realized he hadn't addressed her question. "I have lost someone close to me. Her name was Erimonia, another assassin who worked for the sorcerer alongside myself. I told you I defected right? Well, as a result, the sorcerer killed Erimonia just because he knew how much I loved her. Even though she said she wouldn't leave and would continue to work for him, he killed her anyway. I lost the only one I have ever loved because I didn't think things through. I should have saw it coming from a mile away, but I didn't. I have the burden of revenge setting upon my shoulders, and the burden of saving the world granted the rebellion forces also have that burden weighing them down as well. But the point is that at the end of the day, I feel like I'm still human and not just some ruthless killer." He took a moment to lighten up and even go as far as to laugh. "Guess it won't matter if I'm human or an animal if the world ends. I forget sometimes that this isn't some book where everything turns out happy in the end. This is reality. Would you be satisfied if, say, both of the warring countries in your world destroyed each other?"

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun frowned slightly in thought, running a hand through his dark hair. Where to start? “Well...” he began a bit unsurely, “I can’t really tell you how the whole world was before the Storm, but the city I lived in was kind of...poor. Like, the technology here used to be pretty common place, but after the radiation spill, you had to be pretty poor to stick around. That was a few years before I was born. But we got along, usually had bread on the table. Considering where we lived, I think my family got off pretty well. The Storm was about three years ago, I think. Everyone over eighteen was killed off. When you throw in Flow, you’ve got a bunch of orphaned kids with super powers squabbling over food and shelter and the such. A...A lot of kids got killed, before a few got the sense to get away from the others.” He paused here to swallow anxiously, clicking a few times. He didn’t really like to think of those times, since that was when his siblings were killed.

“It’s...not really pretty. I mean, I guess things are better now than they first were after the Storm, but there’s a lot of mutated animals that roam the wasteland, plus there’s always the occasional empire that forms up and tries to conquer the world. But, eh, home sweet home, right? I don’t want to depress you or anything,” he finished, adjusting his blindfold anxiously. Thinking about the year after the Storm was making him jumpy.

Quin sighed, her voice laced with agitation. “Your world is less technologically advanced than this one, am I correct? My world has technology far beyond this. People can be monitored at all times. Any sign of disobedience to the Dictator, and you’re dead. The government does not encourage actual relationships, as it gives people something to fight for. Like I said earlier, kids will turn in their own parents to the secret police. Don’t judge my world for being unable to maintain emotions when you haven’t even lived there.” As she finished, her voice took on a malicious tone, before she coughed into her hand, calming herself down again. “I suppose Bing and Baiyu destroying each other could bring some sort of peace to the world. However, every major country in the world has a similar governmental system to ours, and the problem wouldn’t exactly be solved.”

[Masquerade]

Kazu stood up suddenly. "You're right. But now don't we sound like a hypocrite? Didn't you come into this world judging left and right? That one guy--Howard--was right. You don't live here. You didn't know that woman, Claire, as well as they did. Now you know how they felt," he shot at her. "Can't really be helped though," he added with a shrug. "It tends to be human nature to judge. But let's forget that. To be honest, your world sounds like it would be better off destroyed as a whole. Thanks for enlightening me, Quin." The assassin said nothing more but leaped into the air, only to land on the rooftop of the building adjacent to the hotel. He waved a clawed gauntlet at her and smiled before turning around to effortlessly glissade from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of the main thoroughfare. Dark as shadows, he managed to not draw any attention to himself as he went. When he reached the road, he turned and started leaping in the direction of the Council Building, having to scale some of the larger buildings in order to reach the top. He stopped atop a particularly tall building and looked towards the Council Building in the distance.

"Well, that went over well," Kazu muttered to himself. "Called her a hypocrite and said her home world would be better off blown to smithereens. What do they have to live for though if they can't do what they want in life? Where they have to live in fear of everything and can't interact with other people? That's not a damn life. That's nothing. Harsh as it is, they may as well be dead. Maybe then they can be free." He sighed and carefully put his hands to his face to wipe his eyes. "Guess people like Quin make the most of it..."

"You're not depressing me!" Rien retorted loudly, pouting a little. "I asked the question, and you gave the honest answer. There's no need to sugar coat it; my sister never sugar coated anything for me, so I'm used to harsh truths. There's no need to worry," she told him reassuringly. "I would say that world sounds really dangerous, but mine's no different, though, I had the idea that maybe..." her voice trailed off. Would it be insulting if she asked him now? "Well...I mean...I'm sure you were doing fine back there in your world--doing your best to stay alive and such, but it seems so harsh. How would you feel about coming to Alidaire with me?" She cringed slightly as she asked the question. "I...I know it sounds ludicrous, but I could set you up with my old townhouse. You'd have a place to stay and I'd help you find a nice job. Maybe we could even work together because I wasn't really doing anything much with my life back in Alidaire, as embarrassing as that is to say," she rambled on, her words spilling out of her mouth like water out of a faucet. There was no doubt she was nervous; it was a ridiculous idea. There's no way he would go through with it. How could abandon his home world? Maybe he will, maybe he will. I just don't want to see him have to suffer like he obviously was when he first got here, she thought to herself in despair.

[quackers are yummylicious]

Quin clenched her fist as Kazu hopped away, though she had no desire to follow him. Instead, she crossed her legs, softening her breathing, and using her rock to control the wind and push her upwards. Levitation was soothing, she found. Plus, if she got too emotional, then she’d loose control of the wind and either fall, or shoot herself into the air and then fall. There was nothing better to calm yourself down with than a little self-endangerment.

Opening her eyes, she found her vision blurred by water. Strange, she’d almost forgotten she could cry. Daring to move a hand to wipe her eyes, a small frown twitched across her face. Why did Kazu yelling at her make her cry? She hadn’t even cried when her mom lost control of her item and nearly exposed the whole operation! Her own mother could have led to her death, along with the deaths of everyone she cared about, and she hadn’t shed a single tear. This was ridiculous. She was already becoming far too soft.

Confusion passed over Jun’s face, and if he could’ve, he probably would’ve been staring at Rien. After a few seconds of processing what he’d just been asked, a wide grin spread across his face. “I’d love to. Your world sounds amazing...” he trailed off, his smile fading slightly. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, well...I don’t think it would be a good idea to take me back.” He really wanted to go, really. It wasn’t like he had anything left back home. His family was dead, and he was traveling through the wasteland all alone and praying not to die. Geez, his life really was miserable, now that he thought about it.

But if he hurt Rien’s world with his stupid eye, what then? That’d be horrible, to destroy a place you were invited into. It would be better if Rien didn’t find out what a freak he was, and he couldn’t keep that from her if he went into her world.

[Masquerade]

Kazu had departed the building he was standing on and started hopping from rooftop to rooftop once again, passing by the fountain area and coming to a halt atop the brick wall surrounding the perimeter of the courtyard of the Council Building which he hadn't even noticed earlier. "Night, embrace me in your dark cloak," Kazu said, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be shrouded in darkness. To anyone around, it would be as if he weren't even there. Stepping lightly along the wall, he approached the Council Building entrance and took a step forward as if he were going to enter. To his pleasure, the doors could sense his presence and opened automatically. The night staff behind the circulation desk looked curiously at the door, but they saw nothing there. Kazu had to stifle a laugh at their confused looks, but they didn't seem to stay that way for long and instead set back to their work. Walking around to the door on the opposite side of the circular room, Kazu tapped his foot seven times. A grin spread across his face as he watched the heavy door slide open and he crossed the threshold quickly. Grace's words about the door not staying open for long echoed through his mind. He didn't even have a chance to see how the workers had reacted. Inside, there were only three people sitting at the table--Howard, Karen, and a woman with black hair like Karen's, but there was a streak of green in it which seemed to liven her appearance up a bit, for her face was rather sallow and her eyes were dark and hollow. She looked depraved somehow, but still possessed a weird aura of power about her. The word embroidered on her white robes was 'Temperance.'

"Did someone enter?" Karen asked in her soft voice, the kindness making the words seem to roll out lavishly as they left her mouth.

Howard stood up a moment and looked around, but he saw no one. "There might be a glitch with the doors...or someone walked past it with seven footsteps. It wouldn't be the first time that happened," the man said, laughing. "That's a bit of a relief. Anyway, so have there been any more cases reported today?"

"Luckily, there have not. Have you made headway on the investigation regarding the outsiders?" Karen responded, firing off a question of her own.

"I'd like to believe I have. I'll look into a bit more tomorrow, but I am fairly certain that it is the Thought Stream that brought them here," he replied.

"Oh no...I hope that isn't the case," the woman with the green in her hair spoke up.

"I hate to say it, but I'm positive that it is. And what's worse, it might be the source of our other troubles as well."

"You mean the objects? You are aware that the appearance of the strangers may have been random, but someone is definitely making trouble in our realm on purpose?" Karen said, looking at Howard quizzically.

"I am more than aware. I don't know who's doing it, but they're using their own power along with the Thought Stream to accomplish it. That's for certain." Howard took a deep breath and all three of the Council members grew quiet.

Kazu carefully rubbed his chin while thinking over what he had heard. What is a Thought Stream? he thought which was the question that completely dominated his mind at the moment. If the Council settled on that being the cause of their appearance in Sanctuary, then he figured he'd hear more about it tomorrow.

"Why is that?" Rien asked, a bit confused as to why Jun could be so thrilled one moment, then completely reject the idea the next. "There has to be a reason right? I mean, are you absolutely sure you don't wish to come to Alidaire? You don't have to give an answer now. You still have time to think about it. We don't know when we'll get a chance to go home anyway; it all depends on the Council." The fountain area was coming into sight now. Rien still couldn't get over how beautiful it looked at night. Shaking her head, she kept her eyes trained towards that very sight. She didn't want Jun to make any hasty decisions, whether it be for going to Alidaire or against. It was a major decision that would impact his life so heavily that it couldn't be made in nothing but a few seconds. If it were her in his position, she probably would have jumped at the chance without thinking about it...which may have come back to bite her since she wouldn't have thought it through. But why the sudden change? He was even grinning at the prospect. What was keeping him from taking the opportunity?

[quackers are yummylicious]

Jun scratched the back of his head, turning his head away from Rien. He really did want to go, but the risk of hurting Rien’s world was quite large. “I’m sorry, Rien, but even at home, I’m a bit of a freak. I’ve...accidentally hurt a lot of people that I cared about. I don’t want to do that to your world,” he responded quietly, holding a hand over his eye. He could hear the gurgling of the fountain now. This had gone far from what he had expected.

He wasn’t a very good liar to begin with, and plus, he couldn’t think of a good lie. Not like he wanted to lie to anyone. Maybe I should just gouge my eye out and burn it... No, who knows what would happen then, what if the curse was transferred to the smoke? he mused, trying to come up with a solution.

[Masquerade]

Having heard enough from the Council, Kazu navigated back to the door and tapped his foot seven times. The steel door opened and he departed, positive that more confusion would come about due to his actions, not like it mattered. He lightly dashed across the floor of the Council Building and fled out the front door without being seen--his body covered by the graces of night. The courtyard was rather empty, emptier than the fountain area anyway. Kazu kept himself cloaked as he meandered along at a relaxed pace. Now that he had done a little spying, he was at a loss as to what to do. I could always go and apologize to Quin even though I meant every word I said to her, as harsh as it was, he tossed the idea about in his mind. The last person she probably wants to see right now is me. At least we won't have to be together for too much longer...

"I...I see, even though I don't fully understand," Rien replied sadly, clasping her hands together. They had finally made it to the fountain. She could hear the violin music suffusing the air mixing with the sound of running water from the fountain. In the artificial light, the water seemed to shimmer radiantly. It was breathtaking. "I really wish you would come with me, but if you have your reasons..." her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "Please, promise me that you'll think about it a bit more first. Don't give me an answer tonight. If it's still no tomorrow, I won't pressure you." She looked at the angel statue, wishing it would come to life and bless Jun with safety no matter where he wound up going. I'm sure he'll be okay...I know he'll be okay... she thought and sighed as quietly as she could. "Do you promise?"

Who was that? Oh, it's Rien and Jun, Kazu thought as he nonchalantly walked into the fountain area, keeping hidden beneath his magical cover. He spotted his fellow foreigners loitering near the fountain itself. Nice to see them getting along. Good thing Jun chose not to go with me and Quin. I'd hate for the guy to have to see what happened...well, figuratively see anyway. He maneuvered closer to the duo and simply observed as they chatted.

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