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

[stillshinigami]

Duo just tried to go with 'I'm not going to ask questions' and enjoy what Ratchet had given him. He pulled off his other shoe and pulled on the second boot, then stood up and took a few steps. Huh.

"Well, it's not a bad fit. Comfortable. Don't think I'm gonna need to break em in either. So how do they work?"

[last_lombax]

Ratchet stood up and leaned back on his heels, the boots activated and light blue jets erupted from the bottoms of the shoes and lifted Ratchet about two inches off the ground.

"Lean back on your heals to start them up."

[stillshinigami]

Duo watched the movement, then looked back at his own heels. Okay... He leaned back, only to push him upwards as well.

"Whoa!" He near lost his balance, like if he were on roller blades. "This is awesome!"

[last_lombax]

Okay, that got a smile out of Ratchet finally. "There you go. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. You don't move your feet to go, you just shift your weight. Like this."

Ratchet leaned forward a bit and he began to move, not very fast mind you, but faster than his usual walking speed. "You try."

[stillshinigami]

Duo watched, but then complied as he too just hovered in mid air, stable and about as balanced as a newbie could be.

"Okay. Lemme see here." He looked down at the boots and then leaned forward. And now he's on the move!

"This is awesome!"

[last_lombax]

"Damn straight. So now you lean left and right to steer. Give it a try and do a lap around the courtyard."

[stillshinigami]

And Duo leaned to the right, he turned right. Left, he turned left. He was starting to actually get the hang of it. He stopped however, looking around the courtyard.

"Eeehehe. Maybe we can hold off a run around until morning, Ratchet. I don't wanna get caught out there by a Shadow when I can't see em."

[last_lombax]

"Sure thing. How about a race back to the common area then? Sound fun?"

[stillshinigami]

He hesitated just a little, then went to the kindling of his fire and kicked some sand into it, putting out the embers.

"Sure thing, pal. Let's go." Of course Ratchet was gonna win. Wasn't even a fair match!

[last_lombax]

"Alright. Three. Two. One. GO!" Ratchet was going to win. He hadn't told Duo how to engage the thrusters. And they were the first thing Ratchet hit. His blue blames turned red and white as he zoomed off much faster than they were going before, taking off in the direction of the door back inside.

[stillshinigami]

Aaand Duo went a few yards then stopped, deactivating his hover boots and casually strolling back to the entrance. Once he caught up, he grinned.

"Momma always told me never to play with cheaters."

[last_lombax]

Ratchet was just leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face.

"It wasn't cheating. It was just a tactical advantage."

[stillshinigami]

"Oh hah hah." As he passes he slugged the Lombax lightly in the shoulder.

"We'll just play tomorrow, that's all."

[last_lombax]

"Sure. And I'll win tomorrow too." The Lombax chuckled and playfully punched Duo's arm in return.

[stillshinigami]

Duo continued forward, pausing a second to admire his new boots, his fingers hooked in the heels of his old ones.

"Thanks a lot, Ratchet. I'll find something just as good to give you on your birthday. Deal?"

[last_lombax]

"Only if you want to. I figured since it was your birthday present you needed something epic." The Lombax just shrugged and kept walking with his friend. His green eyes flickered to the boots and couldn't get the thoughts of their previous owner out of his head. Damn it all...