|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:23 pm
Hefting both packs that she'd prepared for their trip to Caia's world, Bestla shifted a little uneasily on her feet. She felt that the text she'd sent apologizing for her month's long disappearing act hadn't been entirely sufficient when she'd told Caia to expect a couple of days. But at the same time, texting the equivalent of "LOL Lost use of mah eyeball!" wasn't exactly great either. She would just have to hope that her carefully banadaged up eye would be enough and hope that it didn't distress Caia too much. Come to think of it, she had no idea if he'd find the scarring and milky looking sightless eye or the bandage itself more disturbing.
Then, she silently scolded herself for worrying about her eye when this trip was supposed to help Caia feel better about his homeworld. That was all that she should be focusing on right now.
Once he showed up and they went up, she'd feel better. At least she'd have more to think about than feeling sorry for herself.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2021 6:57 am
Caia arrived already dressed for cold, in an oversized coat (or two) and mittens and a scarf, and he walked with both eagerness and uncertainty, because he was hopeful to see her and wary about their trip. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t cold enough in Destiny City for the getup, he’d dressed as if he needed to be prepared before they left, and he needed to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He seemed a bit distracted as he crossed the distance between them, but he waved from a distance and hurried over, frowning only when he got close enough to see her face.
“Bestla!” he exclaimed, with surprise and worry, his own concerns flying away immediately. He was happy to see her, of course! And even with the nervousness he felt for visiting his homeworld, he had been excited to spend time with her. But she looked hurt, and how could he not immediately fret? Even if there was nothing he could do. “--What’s happened?” he fretted, “Are you alright? When did that happen? --Are you alright?” he repeated, because he couldn’t ask enough times until he got an answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:03 pm
Well. So much for being discreet. Keepingher sigh purely internal, Bestla smiled reassuringly and waved at Caia.
"I'm fine I promise! I just got into a fight like the day after I last saw you. I'm only wearing the dumb bandage because I didn't want to upset you more than necessary. But I promise I'm okay."
She decided that, at least for the moment, it was better to save the revelation that she'd been blinded in one eye for after he was a little calmer. To help in tht area, she smiled again and gestured toward his own preparations.
"You weren't kidding about the coats, huh? Good thing I packed some stuff for myself. Just gimme a second..."
Quickly opening one pack, she puled out some thick sweatpants, hiking boots and a heavy coat. Pulling the pants on, she tcked her skirt ackwardly into them before donning the coat and removing her own boots to replace them with the more sensible pair. Then, she threw her boots into the half empty pack and nodded.
"Well. I'm ready if you are, Caia. I'm looking forward to seeing what other worlds look like."
She knew he had to be nervous given his last visit, but she was determined to bulldoze through that. Whether he agreed, he needed to go back up there and face that fear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:57 am
Caia didn’t quite look as though he believed her, but he seemed reassured enough that she appeared in good spirits about all of it. He nodded when she was dressed up, and it was obvious that he was still very worried when he pulled out his phone and walked over to hook arms with her.
“Well, just let me know if you need to take a break or anything any time, Bestla. Anything that needs a bandage sounds like it’s bad. I’m going to do it now,” he warned, but still gave her a good few seconds before he sucked in a breath and clicked the ‘home’ button on his phone.
It took a few seconds before they arrived on Caia, and the change was immediate.
It was daytime on his world, though thick, grey clouds blocked the sun. There was a cold wind, and while it was snowing it didn’t seem like it was a blizzard.
Though it was cold, Caia seemed relieved by this, though he still held onto her arm closely.
There were tall, dark trees that were coated in snow, and the ground fell and rose in hills. There were mountains in the distance, darker than the gray sky. He swallowed, looking around for any bloody or injured people, but there was no one--just them, alone in this strange world.
“Um. Well, here we are, I suppose,” he said, and his teeth were chattering but it seemed like it could have been out of anxiousness as much as chill. “Um. I don’t know if there’s something special we’re supposed to do now that we’re here. This place didn’t come with a map or anything, so I don’t know if there’s anywhere important or special to go...”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:30 pm
Smiling down at the other senshi when he linked arms with her, Bestla nodded agreeably.
"No worries, I'm an old hand at convention prep. I know how to take care of all my business before I go do something intense." She paused and found that she couldn't really argue with his opinion on bandages. However, before she could say so, he tapped his phone and she got to experience how it felt to hitchhike to a world that was not her own.
And while it wasn't a bad sensation, it was definitely an odd one. But when they touched down, she couldn't keep the admiring look from her eyes. Caia's world looked fairly austere to her eyes, but it was beautiful. Grinning widely, she took a step from Caia and turned in a circle, wanting to see everything.
"Dude, this is great!" she exclaimed. "It looks just like a Bob Ross painting! I love it!"
Of course it wasn't as nice as her world, but well hey. She was just biased. Listening to Caia's fretting caused her to let out a little snort-laugh.
"My bud, no one's world comes with a road map. And that's okay, you know? I'd rather explore and find my own way than have one handed to me on a platter. Just like old memories, I suppose. I wouldn't want them all dumped into my brain at once, either."
She could tell he was still nervous, though and she wanted to find a way to help him feel more confident about coming here.
"As for doing anything, I can't really give you much. I just pick a random direction and wander. Any tugs in your gut or intuitions?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:10 am
Caia fidgeted and seemed reluctant to not still have a good grip on her, just in case something happened. “Um. Yeah, my gut says ‘go home’,” he grumbled, but it was with little conviction.
His brows remained knit as he looked around, rubbing at his arm uncertainly. He was usually more bold, usually more excited, but something just made him nervous about this place.
Probably, undoubtedly, the first memory he’d had here.
“But. I guess we can try this direction,” he suggested, and began hesitantly trudging in the snow. “...At least the weather is a little better. I’m not choking on the cold or anything. It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be--but if my world is snowy all the time, it’s going to be really hard to find anything. I guess...those trees don’t look too scary? And...there has to be a reason why we showed up here, right? Your world doesn’t just...drop you in the middle of nowhere.” He paused and looked up at her. “Right?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:51 am
Well, he didn't sound super enthused but he was at least trying and Bestla was proud of him. Smiling, she nodded and began to follow, eyes scanning everything, drinking in her first taste of a world not her own.
"I think we're going to have to think like scientists a bit as far as finding anything goes," she said thoughtfully. "You know, like... looking for mounds in the snow that don't look entirely natural? Unless the people who used to live here built things into mountains, then I guess we'd have to look for big caves?"
She had no idea how a people who lived on Slightly Warmer Hoth would have built things. Her world was cool and misty and full of forests. But at least she could see the ground there and ruins. This would be a bit harder.
"Every time I've visited mine, I always seem to land in the same little grove of trees. I don't know if there's a significance of not. But I don't think where we end up is random. And I think if there are any watery worlds, a single landing point would be important. Otherwise, you risk a drowned guardian and that won't help the world at all."
Shifting her pack a bit on her back, Bestla studied the trees as they approached. They didn't look like the sort that you could build things into, but maybe they could find something that would show Caia that this was worth the trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 5:50 pm
Caia’s steps slowed and he looked down at the snow worriedly, like he suddenly realized he should be afraid they were walking on ice that could swallow them up at any point in time. He shivered, completely aside from the cold, and shook his head. “I guess I’m glad there’s at least solid ground,” he confessed, and continued to hurry towards the trees.
“I don’t know if I can think like a scientist. You know, school wasn’t really my forte, so…”
He had to clear his throat and rub at his arms awkwardly to try and stay focused.
The trees were pretty, covered in snow but without having much to really show for it. There was something almost soothing about the location, and with the wall of trees, the wind eased somewhat and it felt a bit warmer.
Caia didn’t seem particularly consoled.
“What do you look for when you go to your world?” he asked, at least trying to take an honest interest in the whole experience. “Have you found anything amazing?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:47 am
He still sounded unhappy and Bestla was at a loss. She didn't know this world and couldn't speak for it. She thought that it was pretty charming and she hoped that the storm Caia had experienced had been a fluke. Or a one-off of the planet recognizing it's guardian and screaming for help. She was personally convinced that homeworlds were capable of communicating with their guardians. She knew she felt a slow kind of sadness sometimes when she was at her world.
But this was still speculation and it wasn't helping Caia.
"So don't worry about being scientific," she countered. "Didn't you and that brother of yours ever play explorers when you were little? My dad still likes to regale people with the time I thought I was Indiana Jones and took a header off of our garage."
She gave Caia a wink and paused a moment to reach out and touch one of the trees, gently brushing snow from a low hanging branch.
"They look so much like what I'd expect to find on Earth. Sometimes I wonder how much stuff there came from our planets and stars originally..."
She paused, considering his question. She hadn't found anything that she'd term amazing per se. She'd found trees and ruin.
"I don't really try to find anything specific when I visit," she answered honestly. "I just pick a direction and look. So far I've found a lot of trees, some cobwebby ghosts of cloth banners past and what I think might be ruins of a village. But it's hard to tell for certain. And when I have visions, I don't always get to see where the people were. Sometimes, it's just seeing when the trees were alive and the breeze blew through them and set little bells woven into the branches ringing."
She paused again, not sure if she wanted to or should share the vision of the dragon she'd seen. There was so little she knew about things! But maybe... hell, maybe it would help.
"I think there was a sort of dragon once too," she murmured, her eyes seeing things that weren't there. "But the feelings I got weren't scared. There was love and respect and so much joy. So, I guess I lied a little about not really looking for anything. I've been trying to find anything I can about the dragon, but it's hard since any records I might find I'll never be able to read. And what if Past!Me never kept written records? What if everything was an oral tradition? I'll never know unless I have more visions or tear up my world hunting."
Well s**t. Now she felt mildly bummed. But the hunt was worth it. Learning as much as she could was absolutely worth it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:39 am
Caia watched her, taking in everything she said. He was doing his best to be excited, and to an extent, her being here certainly seemed to ease him even if he was nervous. “A dragon! A real one?” he asked, and looked up into the skies like he might see something, or have some memory.
There were only grey clouds, and the occasional snowflake, too excited to wait for the others before dancing down to the surface.
“I guess there’s comfort in familiarity. These trees look like trees.” He leaned close and smelled. “Smell like trees. Smells like winter. So I guess that’s kind of comforting.”
He looked up into the one closest to him, and his hand rested against it. “...I kinda want to climb it. But. I don’t know why,” he laughed. “I’m clumsy, I’m sure I’d fall right out of it. I never played explorers or anything with my brother, he’s a little older than me. Mostly he was looking out for me because I was always getting in trouble or getting hurt, but.” He smiled, comforted by the thought. “He’s still like that. I guess this isn’t so bad. I hope I don’t find any ghosts or have any scary visions. Are you keeping a log of everything you find?” he asked, looking from the tree back to her. “Maybe I should bring a notebook or something when I come the next time, so I can keep track of anything I find. Or see. I just hope my world doesn’t try to scare me. I will have nightmares,” he said aloud, like he was warning it and trying to convince it to be kind to him.
But he’d said that he’d come back next time, so his opinion seemed to have changed of it--for now, at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
