Was touwaka ra coall mean ciel

[imbuologist]

WHO Devon, Sefton, Croix, random Ar Tonelico 2 NPCs as needed
WHAT Two scientists get snatched from Earth and deposited elsewhere by a strange artifact...
WHERE Ar Ciel, specifically the 2nd Tower and the land of Metafalss/Metafalica
WHEN sometime in 2054
NOTES Sefton with song magic. And a cosmosphere. This is going to be interesting.
WARNINGS *grabs the Ar Tonelico 2 box; AHEM!* ... Language, Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity and Suggestive Themes. ... >D

The outskirts of Pastalia City were plain, nothing to speak of. There were sparse patches of grass, but most of the land was dirt and dust. Oh, and metal. Lots of metal. Devon discovered this the hard way.

Thankfully, whatever strange rip in the fabric of... well, whatever... opened up to deposit him about a two feet above the ground. Not so fortunately, he’d fallen through the rift backwards, so it was the back of his head that came in contact with the cold, solid ground first. Upon impact, he immediately sat back up, gripping his head in both hands and biting back a very loud curse... okay, no, he let that out anyway. “Shit!” he exclaimed, curling in on himself and squeezing his eyes shut tightly just so he wouldn’t have to deal with the swimming vision the blow no doubt caused. He still had no idea what exactly just happened to him, but he felt he could figure that out after his ears stopped ringing and his head stopped pulsing with pain...

Comments

[biomagnet]

Sefton merely frowned. “What... what ‘p’ned?” It was easier to speak if he kept from enunciating, at least, though he probably wouldn’t be heard as clearly.

[imbuologist]

Devon could gather well enough. He was capable of deciphering Adria’s bawling at her worst, this was nothing. “You fainted. Right after saying you were fine.” He raised an eyebrow. “How are you feeling? And God help me, if you say ‘fine’...”

[biomagnet]

It took much too long for Sefton to follow the words Devon was saying. “I... can’t breathe,” he mumbled, eyes shifting somewhere that wasn’t Devon’s face. “S’ hard.”

[grandbellknight]

“That’s... not fine.” Devon was instantly back to high-speed worry mode. He had to stop himself from reaching to check Sefton’s pulse, and otherwise, he was completely at a loss for what to do.

Croix, who hadn’t moved from his position by the wall, finally took a few steps forward. “I... have a thought,” he offered hesitantly. “I don’t want to be right, but... it’s still an idea. A weird idea.”

“Weird how?” Devon asked.

“Is he a reyvateil?” Pause. “I mean, I know they’re supposed to be girls. But you did say you’re not from here. So maybe, for all I know...”

Devon’s only answer was a blank stare.

[biomagnet]

Sefton turned to look at Croix, his gaze shifting into a confused squint. “... What?”

[grandbellknight]

“Just... sit up and take off your shirt. Please.” Wow, this was awkward. “If you even have the strength for that, I mean.”

[biomagnet]

“What?” Sefton repeated. Clearly, he was further gone than he thought if he was hearing Croix say what he thought the other man was saying.

[grandbellknight]

Croix rubbed at his eyes with one hand. “You could be dying. And if you are, there’s a chance I know what’s wrong, but I have to see. Please.”

“You know, or, you could just, well, tell us,” Devon managed while tripping over even more words in his mind.

Croix nodded. “I know. But the explanation will take longer. If he’s a reyvateil - a third-generation reyvateil - he could very well be dying. If that’s the case, he needs a life extending agent right now.”

“And what the heck is a reyvateil?!”

“I’ll explain later.” Croix’s answer was firm, moreso than he’d been before. Guard mode. Things needed to get done, and soon, or things would get worse.

[biomagnet]

The information was met with a blank stare. Sefton closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly tried pushing himself into a sitting position, which was only made more difficult by the unwieldiness of his limbs. “Reyvateil?” he murmured, as if just then getting to that point in the conversation.

[imbuologist]

“Later,” Croix repeated. “This is far more important. I’m sorry.”

Devon just watched, feeling somewhat helpless. He eventually turned to Sefton. “Do you... need help?”

[biomagnet]

“No,” Sefton insisted automatically. He didn’t take it back even after registering how short he was being, instead pushing himself against the headboard and grabbing at the hem of his shirt to yank over his head. It took a few tries, but he did get it in the end.

[grandbellknight]

Croix looked Sefton over, but not incredibly closely, as though whatever he was looking for would be obvious to spot. His chest, arms... nothing. It meant either he was wrong, or it was somewhere else. He didn’t like the sound of either of those. He took a few steps to the side, trying to see if he could get a look at Sefton’s back, even waved a hand forward to ask that Sefton try to sit away from the headboard a little.

Even without Sefton moving, Croix caught a glimpse of a black marking, near his shoulderblades, much like a tattoo. He bit his lip, and waited for Sefton to move so he could get a better look.

[biomagnet]

Sefton watched him blankly, then grasped the top of the headboard to pull himself onto his arm with a slight wince. Oh, it had definitely bruised.

Between his shoulders sat a marking of a strange pattern. It was circular: the right half was filled in, with several pieces missing from the inside to make the pattern; the left side had only the pieces the other half was missing. Put together, they would have been a solid circle around the stylized center, yet would never ever touch.

[grandbellknight]

Croix knew exactly what that was. He wondered if they really had no idea that Sefton was a reyvateil - it’s not something that just, you know, happens to you - but they honestly seemed clueless. Who was he to say? He took a deep breath. “You are a reyvateil,” he finally said, “and that’s where your installer port is. Which means... no wonder you’ve been tired and unable to breathe.”

Devon was trying so hard to be patient. “But what does that even mean?”

“Reyvateils are girls - ” he glanced at Sefton... uh... “ - people that can use song magic. Those songs connect directly to the tower that supports our world. They’re very powerful. But third-generation reyvateils, without any life extending agent, don’t live to be much older than twenty, if they even make it that long.”

[biomagnet]

It was getting harder and harder to concentrate, so instead of being offended at being called a girl or whatever, he looked partially over his shoulder toward Croix and said, “Twen’y-six.”

[grandbellknight]

Croix was honestly surprised. “And you were fine until today? Or yesterday?”

[biomagnet]

“’m not a... a rave-athing,” Sefton replied simply. He was an adept, sure, and a fairly obtrusive one at that, but it had nothing to do with... song-magic or towers or third-generations.

[grandbellknight]

Croix shook his head. “We can figure everything out later.” He turned toward the door, speaking over his shoulder to the both of them, “The point is, you’re dying, and you have an installer port. Getting the life extending agent may help. In fact, I’m sure it will. I’ll be back.”

[biomagnet]

Sefton hardly moved. He turned to Devon with a concerned look on his face. He said nothing, however, because air was getting harder and harder to pull in, and talking would really help with that. His expression was enough to show the fear, however. He was dying? For real?

[imbuologist]

Devon watched Croix go, then let his eyes close. No way... as much of a nightmare as this whole thing had been before, now his friend was dying? And there was nothing he could do about it? He knew he could only trust Croix, and so far so good, but...

He looked to Sefton. No idea what to say, no idea what to do... but at least he was there. Not like he felt like that meant enough.

[biomagnet]

After a while, Sefton let his eyes flutter shut. He needed to concrete on... not-dying, apparently.

[grandbellknight]

Croix wasn’t gone for long. He returned, holding a small, cylindrical object in one hand. It seemed to glow, faintly, in a pulsing manner. Eerie, but in a way, comforting - like a heartbeat. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, facing Sefton. “I... need to be able to reach your installer port.” His tone gave away just how awkward this was for him.

[biomagnet]

Sefton didn’t open his eyes this time, though at least he was still conscious. Knowing him, it was something of a small miracle. “What?” he murmured.

[imbuologist]

“Or Devon could do it,” Crox somehow managed with very little stuttering, “but one of us needs to insert this into the installer port.”

Which required touch. Devon winced, and mentally said a prayer that Sefton wouldn’t be too goddamn stubborn about this one...

[biomagnet]

There was a small silence. “S’ on my back, innit?” Sefton asked quietly. The one place he wouldn’t be able to reach on his own. Seriously? Seriously?