action/audio later on.

[contaeoro]

[action; the village]
[He managed to get those pesky wings to stay flat against his back at least. It still feels weird, but he is happier now that he's got his clothes on and he made it out of the forest. He's still far, far away from New York though. That much he can tell. The white cotton clothes held in his hand, Maiza looks around in a wonder as he walks into what looks like a small village.

It doesn't look like anywhere he has been before. Narrowing his eyes, he will approach the nearest, friendly looking person.]

Pardon me, ah... could you explain to me where this is?

[audio; later on]
... I think I've got this figured out now. What an interesting contraption.

Hm.

I was told speakin' to this journal will allow me to speak with the other folks in this area. Thought I'd introduce myself, as from what I've heard we're all stuck in the same boat, here. [A pause.] My name is Maiza.

[Longer pause.... what do you even say to introduce yourself when you're talking at a journal?]

Comments

[immamartillo]

I'm not sure. I don't think so; he tried to explain it to me but I didn't really get it.

Glow-y or not, he was pretty good with a knife.

[Good enough to land a hit on Firo and watch him regenerate...]

[contaeoro]

Not a man we want to have against us, huh?

[immamartillo]

I think we could take him if we needed to, but it'd still be better to have him on your side. He seemed like a pretty good guy, though.

[And by that Firo means friendly and sharing their criminal inclinations.]

[contaeoro]

That's promising. What's the guy's name?

[immamartillo]

Yeager.

[He frowns and looks away. The guy was enjoyable company and Firo's been a little lonelier since his absence.]

He's... not actually here anymore. He got sent home or disappeared or whatever it is that happens to people.

[contaeoro]

He's gone?

... That's a shame. He sounded like good company.

[immamartillo]

Yeah. He was.

[Firo bites his lip to keep himself from saying anything sentimental. The guy was one of his first friends in Luceti, and the familiarity of hanging out with someone also on the wrong side of the law helped ease the transition.]

Um, anyway, the house shouldn't be too far away now. It's me and three other people. Well, one's sorta like a cat, but I think she's still basically human.

[contaeoro]

A cat like a human? [Like her personality? Or is Firo going to say she's got ears and a tail? This place, seriously...]

[immamartillo]

Yeah. She said she was a "Taokaka" or somethin'. I think she's got the ears and she, um... bites people.

[contaeoro]

Well it sounds like some sorta mythological creature, but I've never heard of somethin' like that before. That's interesting.

[immamartillo]

She was pretty tough, but I wouldn't say she's exactly mythological. She's kinda weird. Weirder than the other guy who lives there.

[contaeoro]

It sounds like you've gathered yourself a rather interesting circle of friends, Firo.

[immamartillo]

Hey, I wouldn't really call her a friend...

[She did try to eat him, sort of.]

But I do have other friends here, and I bet they'd love to meet you!

[contaeoro]

What kind of folks are they?

[immamartillo]

Well, Kazuma's not too bad a guy, just really shy sometimes. Seto's a really sweet kid, and he's smart, too.

[Though Firo's pretty biased.]

And Grune's, uh... She's kinda weird, but she's really nice.

[contaeoro]

[Maiza smiles a little.] Sounds like a quieter bunch than we're used to.

[immamartillo]

Yeah, they are. It's always really quiet around here, except for the experiments, but you already knew that.

[He sighs wistfully. He'd give a lot to hear the sounds of the city again.]

[contaeoro]

Oh yeah. It's... peaceful, should I say, but maybe too much once I get used to it.

[immamartillo]

Yeah. I kinda miss Isaac and Miria sometimes...

[contaeoro]

Who wouldn't? They've been the light of the parties every since they came, yeah?

[immamartillo]

[He laughs.]

I guess they were. When they're not bein' annoying, that is.

[contaeoro]

You're usually the only one who gets caught up and frustrated by their eccentricities, Firo.

[immamartillo]

Wha-? Well, I, um-!

[He can not deny that.]

...Well, they are really weird...

[contaeoro]

They're different, that's for certain. But I think if you live long enough, you'll meet plenty of people just as eccentric as them.

[Elmer and the governor of his hometown come to mind.]

[immamartillo]

Yeah, you're probably right. I guess Isaac and Miria are probably some a' the more harmless ones, huh?