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]

“Thought the understatements were my job,” Sefton said with a small scoff. He followed suit, however, and stood from the bed, making a motion for Devon to lead the way.

[grandbellknight]

When they arrived downstairs, Croix was sitting at the table, flipping through a book, glasses on. He glanced up when he heard them, and his relief was plain in his expression. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

[biomagnet]

“Alive,” Sefton answered frankly. He stopped by the wall, thought better of it, then took the chair furthest from Croix and sat himself down. He looked down to the tabletop for a moment. “Which... thanks.”

[grandbellknight]

“Of course. I wasn’t just going to let you die,” Croix explained, “we need to get you two home. Right?”

[biomagnet]

“Right,” Sefton agreed with a nod. “But first we need to talk ‘bout some things. Like what that whole thing was.”

i want my paid account back blahhh. #rpproblems

[grandbellknight]

“Yeah.” Croix closed his book and put it aside. He stood - he always preferred to stand when explaining - and tried to think of where to even begin. He’d start with a slight repeat performance. “Like I said yesterday, reyvateils are connected to the tower. It’s what gives them the ability to use song magic. The energy is a lot to handle, though, and incredibly taxing on the body. Only pure-blooded beta-types can really handle it. Most can’t live for very long, especially not without life extending agents.”

/patpat

[biomagnet]

“That’s fascinating and all—” (it really was, even if Sefton didn’t look very interested) “—but I’m not a reyvateil. I don’t use... song-magic, and—are you saying even with that stuff, they don’t live long?”

[grandbellknight]

“That’s what I don’t understand.” Croix sighed. “Not only are all reyvateils female, but you’re born a reyvateil. You don’t just suddenly become one. And yet, for some reason, you have an installer port on your back and we just had to use the agent on you.” He momentarily wondered if he looked as confused as he felt. It was very likely.

“And, yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Croix continued, “because I know reyvateils who have had to go through that every few months. They’re still alive today.”

[biomagnet]

Sefton simply stared at him. Understood the words Croix was saying, but the meaning of it all seemed almost impossible to put words to. Not only was he the human magnet that governments the world over would love to get a piece of, but his lifespan had suddenly been drastically cut down and he was spontaneously something that literally no man before had been? (There was something about magic in there, too, but really, that seemed to be the least important part of what Croix was telling him, which was pretty telling in and of itself.)

[imbuologist]

Devon decided to chime in. “First of all, we don’t have anything like that on Earth. No magical towers, no song magic, no installing ports, nothing like that. So until we showed up here, he definitely wasn’t a reyvateil. I don’t know how it’s possible for someone’s entire genetic makeup to be altered just by ending up somewhere else.”

Croix nodded. “I know what you mean. But at the same time, you also don’t know how you ended up somewhere else, in another world, except that some object brought you here.”

Devon bit his lip, sighed. “You have a point. It still sounds crazy, though.”

“You’re telling me,” Croix agreed with a small sigh of his own.

[biomagnet]

Sefton quietly pressed his hand against the table, just needing contact with something, and took a moment to breathe. “So what now?” he asked. Despite his sudden change in species and longevity, what were they supposed to do now? It wasn’t as if he knew how to use the new abilities that came with it all, so it was really just a pile of negatives on an already unpleasant situation. “What’re we gonna do?”

[imbuologist]

“We’re going to try and find that item,” Croix answered, “or find another way around it.”

Devon nodded. “I still haven’t quite given up hope on finding it here.”

“Actually, I went out yesterday to see what I could find out.” Croix crossed his arms. “It’s not in Pastalia, but there was talk of a caravan that traveled to Rakshek with some strange things in the cargo. It’s a long shot, but maybe...”

[biomagnet]

“No shot’s too long right now,” Sefton said with a shake of his head. “Lead’s a lead. If it shows up here... we can just ask your friend ‘gain later, right?”

this is still my favorite icon of his. forever.

[imbuologist]

“Right.” Croix smiled a bit. Things were looking up, at least a little. “It’s a full day’s walk, so we should leave as soon as possible.” He paused, expression slipping into one of concern, then asked, “Can you two fight?”

There was a beat of silence, and then, “That makes me feel so safe,” Devon deadpanned.

it's a really fun one.

[biomagnet]

Since ‘I can kick people in the face’ didn’t seem like the best, nor the most encouraging, answer, Sefton merely narrowed his eyes and carefully said, “Sort of... Why?”

[grandbellknight]

“There’s always a chance we’ll run into trouble,” Croix explained, “be it monsters or opposition. If you can fight, it’ll help. If not, that’s okay. I can protect you.”

Devon bit his lip. “I can try. It’s not exactly something I’ve had practice with, but I assume if something comes at me, I find something to stab them with, right? Shouldn’t be that bad.”

That might have been a small laugh. “Don’t get yourself hurt, though. But you’re welcome to try.”

[biomagnet]

Sefton turned to Devon, incredulously. “Your first thought goes to stabbing?” he asked. Then, he turned to Croix as something suddenly sunk in. “Monsters?”

[grandbellknight]

“Well, hell, if they have guns...” Devon tapped his chin, seriously considering this.

That took Croix by surprise. Monsters were just another annoyance of travel in the world, and he traveled a lot. He shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. Wild beasts that don’t appreciate people trying to pass through their territory. Sometimes, it’s not even that, they’re just out to attack people.”

[biomagnet]

Raising a hand to keep Croix from continuing further, Sefton asked, “Okay, hold up. Did you say ‘fight’ earlier, or ‘horribly murder’? ‘Cause I heard fight, but I’ve got no idea what he heard,” he added, with a sidelong glance to Devon.

[imbuologist]

“Hey!” Devon protested, “The way it’s being presented, it’s them or me. We’re already stuck somewhere we know nothing about. I’m not going take my chances with monsters I’ve never heard of.” Of course, his bark was probably bigger than his bite, per usual. That wasn’t going to stop him from barking, though.

[biomagnet]

“You can take chances without killing things,” Sefton huffed. He sat back in the chair, crossing his arms, and turned to face Croix. “You don’t have roads or anything? No place to pass through that isn’t their territory?”