003-- Wonder how long I'll beable to see the moon like this?

[stillshinigami]

Duo sighed, crunching into the fish he'd cooked over the fire that he built out in the court yard. It'd been working well since he'd decided to reduce the ammount of that gruel in his diet, but he knew the fish wouldn't last. Not if people started eating in his example. He finished his meal quickly and lay back, crunching on an apple and looking at the sliver of a moon in the sky.

"Strange. Last time I looked at the moon I could see home." He said to himself through a bite of his apple. "Not like the moon even looks the same when it's full."

He grimaced, looking back up to the stars. There was a little pain there, homesick. The thought of never getting home? Turned his stomach inside and out. A hand falling on his stomach to try and quell that sensation, and he looked back up to the crescent thinking back to the days of his youth in that church. What would the old Father tell him to do at a time like this? Pray for guidance and answers? Pray that he'd get home in one piece? Sounded like just another lost cause to him.

But then again, wouldn't it be ironic if he were wrong? If all he had to do to get out of here was to pray to the lord on high?

"Dammit." With that thought cycling through his mind, he planted both of his palms against his closed eyes, then pulling down at his face. So damn this whole place to hell. He didn't know how much more he could take.

Comments

[sakedrinking]

It had been a strange couple of days since arriving in the castle, with little in the way of explanation as to how and why they were there. Some others that Haku encountered later spoke of strange shadows that moved, pools of darkness that came with them, and a fountain that granted wishes, but Haku herself had seen little of this.

Mostly because she'd been following Quatre around like a lost puppy dog whenever she saw him. She didn't mean to, but not having her family around left her feeling strange and constantly uneasy. Quatre was a source of calm she needed, much like Luka was back home, and she hated being out of his presence for very long.

Which was why when she found herself suddenly away from him this night when they were walking together and she'd stopped to fix her shoe only to realize he'd wandered off... somewhere else, she felt something in the pit of her stomach drop hard.

"... W-Winner-san... ?" she called out somewhere near the door that led out to where Duo was currently, voice meek but loud enough to echo. She walked forward, thinking he may have accidentally gone on without her, only to find some one else entirely outside.

"O-oh!" She said after a startled yelp, quickly bowing to the stranger with her hands clasped in front of her.

"I-I-I'm terribly sorry, b-but did you see a blonde man come this way?"

[stillshinigami]

Winner.

That name snapped him out of his thoughts and he sat up from laying on the ground, leaning forward on a hand then looking around. Was he dreaming that?

Well no. It sounded more like Winnersand. What? So then he turns around to see this woman walking towards him with long hair, Japanese accent. He's just stunned by the sudden arrival at first and he turns around fully to look at her, then pulling to his feet.

"Uh. Actually? I haven't." Duo said, scratching the back of his head.

[shadeofawinner]

He'd thought Haku was right behind him, but the moment he turned around to ask her about something she was gone. He stopped and started to back track, hoping that she hadn't gotten too far behind him. If she got hurt because he was too inconsiderate to notice she was gone, he wouldn't forgive himself.

"Miss Haku!? Haku? Where are you?" He called out, nearly running back the way he had come until he ended up in the small courtyard as well, and stopped dead in his tracks.

[stillshinigami]

Was that? Wha... Was that who he thought it was?

He didn't mishear after all! His eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of the boy he could recognize even in the flickering candlelight at the entrance.

"Quatre!"

He dashed forward and closed the distance, wrapping his arms around the shoulders of the man in a hug.

[sakedrinking]

"Winner-sa--!"

Haku's cry was cut off by Duo's, the man she'd met seconds before rushing past her to embrace his apparent friend. She stood there, obviously dumbfounded at what had just happened.

Dumbfounded, and a little hurt. So... he had a friend here, but none of her family had made an appearance yet...

[shadeofawinner]

Quatre let Duo wrap his arms around him, not sure what to think. "Duo...? You're..." Hesitantly he hugged Duo back, almost not sure if he should believe his eyes and ears.

[stillshinigami]

He barely acknowledge Haku for that moment, pulling away after Quatre hugged him back. Just to see a familiar face was...

He pulled back and placed his hands on the other man's shoulders. "Quatre. Man. Sorry. Just..." He smiled broadly, then glanced back to Haku as she spoke. Hm?

"It's just really good to see you."

[sakedrinking]

"Ano..." Haku mumbled to herself, watching the two of them and only vaguely aware that she was being glanced at briefly. She was already a third wheel here. She fidgeted for just a second before starting to shuffle backwards in to the hall, intending to return to the common area. They needed time to talk, right? She didn't need to be there for that.

Just as she made it past the doorway, though, a voice came at her from the slight darkness of the hall just as something very solid collided with her.

"Hey, bro, did you-- GYAHH!"

"AIE!"

Both parties went crashing to the ground hard, the younger Duo now laying firmly on top of Haku's back with the Vocaloid's face pressed to the ground. She let out a groan the same as him, though hers was distinctly more pained.

"... p... please... please get off of me..."

"Eh? The hell--" Duo muttered, pushing himself up on his hands to look down at the girl, obviously confused as to who she was or where she came from.

[shadeofawinner]

"Its really good to see you too Duo..." He said, watching Haku from over Duo's shoulder and wincing when she was practically run over by someone who looked remarkably familiar.

"Sorry, give me a sec. Haku, are you alright?" He asked, going over to her.

[eldritch_princess]

"Hello. I hope I'm not intruding, I simply happened to be in the area and noticed..."

Cordelia spoke after slowly closing by, her curiosity awake by the faint smell of fish. Not that she was particularly hungry, she had eaten, but the smell of food implied people, and Cordelia had been somewhat lonely. She liked company, after all.

She carefully stepped closer, but stopped several feet away, still not wanting to "enter" uninvited. Well, it wasn't really a room, but still.

[stillshinigami]

"Heh." So damn proper. He'd have to rectify that at some point. He waved her in, hand slipping back behind his head as he stared up at the night sky.

"How's that gardening project working out for you?"

[eldritch_princess]

Cordelia followed the invitation (it was one, right?) and sat down nearby.

"I've managed a few straw-berry bushes, for the most part. However, they're a bit darker than yours, but the taste is pretty much the same." She was glad he remembered the earlier talk, and had at least cursory interest.

"I have a hard time making them exactly the same, though."

[stillshinigami]

Sure it was. He's friendly enough isn't he?

Duo listened to what she said, then scratched his chin as he looked up into the sky.

"Maybe they're just different seeds. Or riper. I think they're better if they ripen naturally though."

[eldritch_princess]

"Oh, no, the seeds and berries themselves really are fine, it's just a small side effect."

She didn't mention the failed tries (strawberries with thorns, for example, where somewhat pointless), but there had been several. It always took a bit of trial and error for her.

"You are hoping that you'd stay here long enough for the plants to grow naturally?" She then asked curiously. Most people wanted to leave, after all.

[stillshinigami]

If she told him he'd start to wonder if her magic was even legit at all. torns? Really?

"Eeh. And if the side effects make us sick? That's not exactly what we were thinkin' here." Duo replied, then pausing at her question.

"Heh. No. Just trying to survive this place. Beat the system. And if you can help me do that... Well. Win win for us."

[eldritch_princess]

Thorns indeed, that's what happens when your magic was based on chaos and thus prone to randomly mutate the flowers or plants affected.

"That'd not happen." She stated firmly. She could be firm since she had checked for that possibility (which, indeed, could theoretically exist).

She smiled, trying to give a nice one, to give support to her assertion that nothing was amiss. And there really was nothing amiss, she had made absolutely sure of that. She had even weeded out some of the weird flowers that had started to grow close to the bushes.

"Well, I'd be glad to lend some assistance to everyone, if I can. It's ...like it's my duty, you know?"

Serving the country, and all. Just that there was no particular country here. Still!

[stillshinigami]

At least someone felt that way. That it was their duty?

"So your magic powers? Can you do anything like... medical?" Duo wondered aloud, laying back to look up at the sky again.

[last_lombax]

Nighttime was not a time for rest for this Lombax. It never really had been. Ever since he could remember he couldn't sleep easily at night and most of the time it was restless. Naps during the day were better for him when he actually had the time. Which was why he liked Veldin. Shorter days, longer nights and it let him have time to sleep and be awake. Here though it was about even and most of the time he just couldn't relax enough to sleep.

So as usual he was out and about tonight, wondering the castle by himself. Even with the one close call before he still couldn't just sit in his room at night. he needed to move, to do something. So he took long walks for hours everywhere and anywhere he could get to by himself. He wondered outside tonight and thought a bit of stargazing would be nice. He walked out into the grass and looked up at the moon. His green eyes focused passed it and into space. Out there somewhere, in the exact center of the universe was his best friend...give or take fifty feet. Or...maybe not. He was dead so this was most likely some alternate dimension or something. Who knew. Maybe this place brought him back? Only time would tell.

"Clank buddy...you better be okay. You hear me?" The fuzzy Lombax sighed and lowered his head, his eyes catching movement to his left. He looked over slowly and blinked.

"Duo?"

[stillshinigami]

Duo turned his attention back to the voice and smiled immediately. Well, of all the company he could hope for this wasn't one he was going to refuse! He waved him over, but didn't sit up yet. Too busy star gazing himself!

"Ratchet! How y'doin, buddy?"

[last_lombax]

Ratchet smiled and walked over, sitting down beside his friend. Well at least he had another friend here. It made it easier in the long run.

"I'm as alright as one can be stuck in a giant spooky castle. How about you? What are you doing out here?"

[stillshinigami]

"Lookin up at the stars, nothin' much else to do." Cept eat his apples and enjoy the cool ocean air. He flopped back down onto the grass, hands moving behind his head to support it.

[last_lombax]

"Not much else to do here I guess." The Lombax followed suit and laid down in the grass with his hands behind his head.

"Nice view of them tonight though, right?"

[stillshinigami]

"Barely anything. We were working with Toph on making weapons a few days ago." Absently he wondered about Ratchet's wrench. Was it made of strong metal? If he practiced with him he didn't want to wreak it.

"Yeah. It's great. In a few days we might be able to see even more when the moon is new."

[last_lombax]

"Speaking of weapons, I need to try and wish for some of my guns. They might actually work on the shadow monsters." Ratchet shrugged absentmindedly.

"Maybe. Who knows, we might even see a ship. If we could send a distress call out we might get picked up."

[stillshinigami]

"Hope they do. What kinda guns are we talking about? Cause I just got two of mine." Just projectiles, and he'd probably not waste any bullets on them.

"It's possible. I'd actually like to get down below and see if there's anything we can use to get off of this island. The mainland can't be far."