chikaidestroyer | ∞ Broken Walls [fourth wall catch-all]

∞ Broken Walls [fourth wall catch-all]

Albert
[The influx of people in the village is certainly strange, viewable as it is from the second floor of the building that housed both the welcome center and Celsius Tear. The tea shop was still seeing business, especially with the "novelty" of food and service being free in the village, so even if he felt like returning to the house, he's kept busy between observing the newcomers and going between the shop and the grocery store.

There's that suspicion that there's bound to be something else going on, and he's gone through enough years to associate this time of the year with mysterious bouts of forgetfulness. He keeps a notebook on hand to write down his observations as the weekend continues.]

Leon
[Leon, for his part, is mostly fascinated by the fact that most of the newcomers seemed to be missing the telltale wings that people had from their world. There's also that encroaching suspicion that comes with large-scale strangeness; ever since that Shift that turned out to be a cultist invasion, he's looked at experiments with even more wariness than before. He sticks to the fountain plaza and the nearby bridges, as they seem to be good places to carefully look at the sea of new faces.]

Walter
[Walter wants nothing to do with whatever this is. Nope. Not at all. The last time something even somewhat similar to this had happened, memories were messed with thoroughly. No. He's not going to deal with that at all.

So he's just going to sit on top of the barracks and ignore at all these wingless wonders.]

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[At one point, Cheng-Long enters and gives the shop a onceover. His posture is straight and decisive, but lax in its own right as, on sighting Albert, he slides into the seat across with an easygoing smirk.]

Unusual, isn't it?

[There's something about the newcomer's posture that is familiar, if nothing else -- and the smirk does little to put him off from replying. By now, he's seen so many different reactions to Luceti that this calmness (confidence, arrogance) is welcome.]

This traffic? Quite unusual. [He gestures to the shop, which still has a few empty tables.] Feel free to take a seat.

[A seat, certainly. But not at an empty table with nobody to bother, as he'll test the waters with this stranger.]

I heard something interesting. [Eavesdropped, more like. Then again, with the nature of the traffic, it's hard to not overhear things.] This place is called Luceti – the world your type has lived in for some number of years.

[Genis doesn't remember this tea shop. He doesn't remember Albert being the type to be working at a tea shop either. He lingers by the entrance kind of suspiciously, trying to sort through his mismatched memories.]

[Albert is just finishing wiping down a table when he notices someone hanging out by the door, and he pauses when he realizes he recognizes the boy.

It still takes a moment for him to head over to him, though -- as if the fact that he's doing something as out of character as working in a tea shop is enough to embarrass him.]

Are you looking for Raine?

[It seemed better to presume he was looking for Raine than ... well, anyone else around.]

Oh, you remember me, huh? [Which - is sort of surprising, he guesses?]

-- But, yeah. I sort of just got here, and haven't really seen her around. [And, well, being that they lived together, he figured if he could find Albert, he could probably find Raine. If he remembered it correctly, anyway.]

I thought you might know where she is, so I went looking for you. Didn't expect to see you waiting tables, though.

[He gives Genis an ironic tilt of the head at his question -- even if he didn't attempt to remember faces of other residents over the years, Genis was one of the few who had actually lived under the same roof as him.

But he dismisses it; if he remembers anything about Genis, it's that he was always looking out for his sister's best interests.]

I'm helping out Sheena; at this point, it's become a habit.

[He walks over to where he can look over the plaza, gesturing in the direction of the flower shop.]

Raine may be in the flower shop, if you haven't seen her at the house or the library. She's taken to running it.

...I'm sure she'll be happy to see you; it's been years now.

Sheena's here too? [-- The name probably should have tipped him off, but it didn't! And he spends a second looking around for a familiar ninja.

But then Albert's gesturing across the plaza, and his gaze follows the direction of his hand. He almost asks about the flower shop (why the flower shop?) when what Albert says last finally registers.]

... Wait, years? How long's it been, exactly? [He thought he'd been gone a while, but. That long?]

[He notices the way Genis glances around when he mentions Sheena's name, shaking his head faintly.]

She's not in at the moment, but I'm sure she'll be back in if you wait awhile.

[And there was the inevitable question, now that it was clear that Genis remembered both him and Luceti. He fights back the urge to shake his head again.]

About four years. We're into the seventh Luceti year now.

[Of course Ayumu would check out the local restaurants eventually, and the tea shop just so happened to be next on his list. When the teenager spots an older gentleman with a notebook people watching though, he makes his way over.]

Is it that entertaining?

[He pauses in his note-taking to glance at the boy who approaches, but is soon returning his attention to the papers so he can finish a thought. It's only then that he stops.]

Perhaps not the word I would use. We have had issues with sudden population influxes in the past.

[Probably the kindest way to lump together both the Kin'cora refuge incident and the more recent cultist invasion.]

[Sea of new faces? What about a familiar face who is walking by the fountain on her way to the bakery?]

[Okay, so a familiar face is even more likely to get his attention out in the middle of this bustle. He stares dumbly for a moment, disbelieving, before he's walking quickly after her.]

Nagisa!

[In his surprise and his hopefulness, it doesn't even come across as a question.]

[Upon hearing her name being called, Nagisa looks around briefly to figure out who was saying it. And sure enough, once she finally turns around, her expression goes from bewildered to surprise and then to delight upon noticing who it is.]

E-eh...? Leon?!

[His shock melts into an excited smile when he hears her say his name, and he picks up his pace to jog over to her. He reaches for her -- her fingers, her hand, her wrist -- just to ensure that she's actually there, continuing to smile like an idiot.]

I can't believe it. I... It's been so long.

[At first she's a little startled and confused as to what he's doing, but once she figures it out, she can't help but laugh lightly. He's definitely not the only one happy to see the other.]

It has been, but it's very nice to see you again! [She looks him over briefly before continuing.] I think you've even gotten a little taller while I was away...

[He twitches a little at her comment, his face faltering as he mumbles just a bit.] It's more than a little, thanks...

[But the smile's back in full force soon enough.]

You look good. I mean, I remember that you would get sick, and it is still kinda cold--

[Poor Leon... Nagisa doesn't catch the first comment, and instead looks down at her coat while answering the latter.]

Thank you! But um... I still do get sick easily, actually... I arrived around here though, so I made sure to get some winter clothes before walking around. So I think I'm okay for now!

[Mia can't exactly call herself seeking Walter out specifically. She's looking for somewhere quiet and out of the way; he just happens to also be drawn to such places. The barracks don't even strike her as the best choice.

She sees him as she meanders by, though, and waves a little, with a smile that doesn't quite turn up at the edges.]

[He sees Mia from a distance off, initially curious why she might be down in the southern part of the village before presuming that she's taking a long route to the battle dome or something like that. When she draws closer and waves at him with that odd smile, he finally calls his teriques to float down from his perch.]

Mia...?

Hello, Walter. [The smile she keeps trying for never does touch her eyes.] How have you been?

I've been avoiding this wingless crowd that's shown up. [He briefly frowns off into the distance before returning his attention to her.]

...You don't seem quite well.

I don't think I am, actually. I'm not sure. One of those "wingless" people says...that he is my son. Eventually.

[It is the strangest thing she can recall hearing without a whole handful of days to think about comparisons.]

[Walter slowly blinks at Mia as she explains her current state, his brows drawing together in momentary confusion. Then he's shaking his head slowly.]

That can't be right. It's too easy for people to make claims like that.

You should see him. I can't say he looks just like me, but he knew about Imil and he's dressed- well it's rather obvious he's from there, at least. And it would explain why Amiti was so careful about the way he talked to me.

[It probably sounds like she's babbling. She is.]

[He recognizes babbling when he hears it, especially now with his exposure to both Norma and Oscar, and he lifts one hand a bit, as if trying to slow her down.]

Hold on, slow down. Who's Amiti?

[Mia, usually in control of her...well, everything, has to put her hand over her mouth in order to stop herself this time. Once half-settled, she tries again.]

Amiti is someone from Weyard, thirty years into the future. He was here when I first arrived. He's a Mercury Adept, like I am.

Thirty years?

[He frowns in mild disbelief. He's familiar with hearing about other worlds and varying times -- but the differences had always seemed to be a few years' difference at most.]

I-- Huh.

[He tries to process the information, uncharacteristically left speechless.]

While he was here, he told me a few things about our world in the future and its fate...but never mentioned my children, even though I believe they would be roughly the same...age.

[His frown becomes contemplative.]

Maybe he was concerned about things becoming awkward if he said more.

Of course. It makes sense for him not to tell me, but...that doesn't do much for my shock now.

I guess not.

[...That probably wasn't helpful at all, was it?]

Is there anything I can do? Tell me what you're thinking.

[One thing she's thinking lives in such treacherous territory she doesn't dare ask about it. The rest...]

No, I don't think...anyone can do anything, can they? If it comes to pass, then it comes to pass. But I- I suppose I just can't imagine being a mother, not really.

Thirty years is a long time to ... well, become a mother.

[He feels awkward commenting on it, but ... after thinking about it for a moment, also happy for Mia.]

What did you think of him?

[But he's thirteen, and his sister is older, so it's not really thirty years, it's more like-]

I think he's wonderful. He seems calm and considerate and...he was afraid I would be disappointed, I suppose.

[...]

He sounds like you.

[He means it as a compliment, as apparent from his thoughtful expression.]

[Flushing, Mia looks back down toward her feet.]

Thank you, Walter. [She's very red, as a matter of fact.] Though I didn't have his experience of the world when I was his age.

[He doesn't think much of Mia looking down at her feet; she could just be weary from her experience, after all.]

I imagine traveling around would be difficult in a snowbound area.

It is, a little. There isn't much up there to travel to, either.

[She breathes, intentionally taking the space for it.]

Thank you, though, I do feel better.

[At the words of gratitude, Walter nods with an almost contented expression.]

I'm-- glad that I could help, even if I didn't do much.

You did. [Even if she can't qualify how.] I think I just...needed to tell someone who wouldn't think I was crazy.

Anyone who would think you're crazy for that hasn't been here long enough to realize how bizarre this place is.

[It seems pretty simple to him, in retrospect.]

You have to admit it's not the usual strange thing one hears around here.

[He pauses to consider that, shaking his head faintly.]

...Well. No. But I don't think it's something I'd want to hear becoming usual.

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∞ Broken Walls [fourth wall catch-all]

mr. body modification – oh. wait. albert, i guess.

his -claim to fame-

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at the tea shop

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Albert

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You know who...!

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