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The hallucinations and anxieties that arose from the fight on Hy-Brasil brought the thought of Almere to the forefront of Halle's mind. It was past time they had a talk, and while he'd wanted to go bother his cousin right away, that very night, strategically he knew it'd be better if he had something more to offer than unasked for advice and worry.

So a little over a week later, he sent her signet message, even going so far as to write it on a...well, a scroll. It would arrive in front of her, bearing a place, a time, and the enticement of a magical forest.

At a small park fountain, Halle did his best to not pace. To not scrunch his face. To not cross his arms or be any other form of indicator that this might be more than a guided tour of fantasyland.

He'd struggled trying to make that scroll in shop class. And then he'd paid another guy to do it for him. And then paid to have them make a few dozen smaller ones, as a gift once she got her own signet ring. Not that he'd tell her any of that. It'd be better to have Lisse give them to her, anyway.

A senshi from another world? He vaguely recalled an odd entry in the Connections thing. 'A thousand years old, give or take. I came to the earth one zodiac ago.' Relieved to see his cousin so enthused about traveling to space, he silently thanked the senshi for doing half the work for him.

"That sounds really interesting. It'd be good if I can take them up to see Halle one day, maybe they could help me get it back to what it was."

Hooking an elbow around hers, as if ready to escort her to the ball that was constantly turning about in her imagination, "You have to think a certain thing. Maybe it's been...I guess on the tip of your tongue when you power up sometimes?"

Inhaling deeply, a little embarrassed to say it out loud, Halle intoned, "I pledge my life and loyalty to Lysithea, and to Halle. I humbly request your aid, so that in return I may give you mine."

And then they were somewhere entirely else. Almere would find herself facing a twilight forest, with trees full of a strange and beautiful spectrum of colors, lightly dusted with snow. At their feet was a thick carpet of lavender grass, pale with winter's coming, patches of snow here and there. Behind them was a very large, almost grand sort of lodge made of wood and stone.

"This is Halle, my wonder. You're the first person I've brought here, not even Lisse has seen it yet." Truthfully, he'd wanted to wait until the Hunting Lodge was less hazardous and more comfortable. But encouraging Almere to her own Wonder and signet was more immediately important, and this was the gentlest, least demanding way he could come up with.

Looking at her reaction, Halle felt a sort of pride in the place well up in him. He hadn't really done anything to feel proud, but the sense that it was his place, his forest was undeniably there and it felt good to see that look in Almere's eyes.

Trying not to smile too much and failing, Halle cleared his throat, "The lodge isn't ready for anyone to go into, I don't trust the flooring not to give way. But the forest is really nice."

He led her forward and onto a small stone path leading through the trees. Looking down at it, he commented, "This was hardly visible last time I was here. Mostly packed dirt with some stone peeking through." And now the path's stones were clear and smooth, enough to show patterns carved into some of them. "I think visiting helps things get...nicer? Just a little bit, here and there."

Over head, what looked like semi translucent lace glistened between tree branches. Flowers ranging between the size of a quarter all the way up to the span of a hand gently swayed on the lace. They looked a lot like Earth's tea roses. Glancing up at them, Halle refrained from explaining that they were actually some sort of spider.

"We'll have a party or game night, maybe? Once the first floor is safe," Halle offered with a look bordering on indulgence. He'd never let them know, lest they turn into little demons about it, but getting to treat Almere and Lisse was something he enjoyed to an almost embarrassing degree. Good thing he rarely had a chance to do so.

A small breeze rustled through the forest, sending haunting ripples along the lace above. Moonlight dappled the frosted path and in the distance, there was the sound of water. "Probably nicer than here," he guessed, "...I can't imagine a place attached to you being scary or gross." After a pause, he added, "But I'd like it if you brought me with you. Just in case."

They came up on a large pond with a small series of waterfalls at the far end. On the surface of the water were what looked like small flowers. "Those weren't here last time..." trailing off, Halle squatted close to the edge of the water and plucked up a nearby flower. Attached to it was a small crab, its legs working in the air, tiny pinchers nipping at the cuff of his sleeve.

"If you ask Luke to paint us some figures...he'll probably ask me to help pay for them, but I think he'd be pretty happy to try out D&D. Especially if we say we're doing that instead of training on that night."

His voice trailed off for a second as the night scene at the pond shifted into a glittering and festive daylight. Large paper versions of the little crabs hung from trees and floated across the water in little boats. There was a distinctly delicious scent on the air, floral with a faint hint of seafood.

Someone took his hand, and he turned...

Back to Almere and the quiet evening of the forest. He blinked a bit dully for a few seconds and then shook his head. "Sorry, sometimes I end up seeing things up here. Of how things used to be before whatever happened...happened."

"Dinosaur sounds less terrifying than giant chicken," Halle commented, picturing it. Chickens were feathery cannibals that ate anything and everything. "But it sounds pretty fun."

Squatting back down at the water's edge, he gently plopped the little crab back in. "A festival, I think. For these guys. So far, each time I see things it's been relevant to whatever I've found, or that I'm seeking out. But just a little bit, like getting only a few seconds to look at a section of a wiki page about it."

Straightening up, he added, voice turning a little solemn, "I've been kinda mad, every since me and Lisse suddenly got all these powers and responsibilities. Threats. Furious, when it happened to you too. But the good parts are really amazing, and I have to admit, Lysithea is beautiful. I would have never had the chance to be somewhere like this if I hadn't become a page. And I know Almere is going to be wonderful."

"Well," he sighed, "...given the memories that come up, I can't say it wasn't something destined to happen. I just wish there was more in the way of information and consent. We're just kids, Lena." Thought he sometimes acted like he was the adult in the room, Halle never really forgot that their age gave everything an extra layer of wrongness. Even if, as teens with shared schedules and fewer responsibilities, being young probably made the situation easier to adapt to in certain ways.

Hearing that she'd been training, Halle let out out a laugh, breaking the solemn mood. Reaching out, he risked getting stabbed by her tiny spoon sword and pulled Almere in for a hug. "Thank you. I'm really...really glad you've been training. I should've trusted you to already know it was important."

She probably didn't need him to badger and lure her into visiting her own wonder and getting her ring, either. But he still would, of course.

Some of the quiet fears he'd had for Almere were confirmed in her words. He hated that growing up threatened so much of what made his cousin her own unique self. That reality would eventually either break her or break her dreams. But now, of course, reality was so vastly different than they had understood.

"It's not that I don't want this," he sighed, "I just want whatever system that's behind it to be less...broken." But that was probably a change that would have to come from them. "You really are suited to it, though. And I'm glad to get to see you like this."

He gave a soft wheeze of laugh and patted her head, "Especially the strength part. Does Meadowview have a girl's wrestling team?" Any tighter and she might crush his guts.