paradisabeyond | (no subject)

[Good evening, explorers! After departing from Cair Paradisa, the path was south at first, but turned west fairly early on. Skirting well south of Eldritch Forest, the travelers had camped near the edge of the Amber Steppe, not quite within sight of the forest that marks the Totem Coast. The grasses are parched brown by the heat, though greener patches mark the presence of water. It's near one of these - a small, bubbling stream leading west that Raine has chosen to follow as it will almost certainly run into the river marked on her map - that the travelers have made their camp.

The carts and wagons are arranged in a defensive circle, though the campers are free to set up their tents outside them as well as inside wher ethe rest of them are. There are small cooking fires scattered around as well as a large bonfire in the center for socializing.

Play music? Sing? Teach those poor non-Earth kids how to make s'mores? Or just sit around and socialize with others.

Or hide in your tent and ignore everyone, if you really want to.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's because if it's happened to you, you don't remember it.

But don't worry, not many reach as many times as I have.

Oh, is that so?

I wonder why it decided to keep you so long this time.

Yep. Unless you're found in a world change, you don't remember your times here before.

[a shrug] Probably to keep me on my toes.

Well, it definitely seems like you're one of the people it favors.

[He wonders why it would favor some people like that... He considers the theory-- or, well, fact at this point-- that the castle feeds off people's emotions. He could kind of get Zelos-- the guy did seem kind of mood-swingy-- but what about Ino? Save for a couple of instances, Ino's quite even-tempered and generally unruffled by anything from what Tsuna's seen... He gives a soft 'hm' in thought.]

Favors or can't make up it's mind about - who knows!

[notices that hm] What's that for?

Ah? I'm just trying to figure out why. There's probably a good reason for it.

...Heh.

You're better off not knowing.

[That catches him off guard a bit. Then again, Zelos always seems to give him little surprises like this.]

What makes you say that?

[He snorts and raises an eyebrow at the kid]

You can't even handle conversations with me most of the time. You get too scared.

No offense, stuff about the castle might be too much for you. This isn't a field trip, you know.

[That actually gets a little laugh out of him.] Yeah... I guess I did. But, I'm talking to you now, aren't I?

I know. We're looking for clues about the castle and this world-- I haven't forgotten that.

Because I seemed less threatening.

[a sigh] Did you read anything about Libet?

No... I think it's because you seemed more... [...] natural.

Libet? [He thinks.] Was that the other castle? The one that fell because it didn't do the sort of things that Paradisa does...

Natural?

That's right. All the bodies were still there too.

Yeah. [...] I think, even when I first met you, through that family reunion... There was something weird about the way you acted most of the time. I couldn't really figure out what it was.

[He starts for a moment. And then:] You went there?

[...] Everyone was acting weird that week, remember?

Of course.

No... I don't think they were. Even though everyone had different memories, they had the same personalities as they usually did. That held true for the people I knew before it, and for me as well.

What happened?

...Whatever.

They were all dead. Castle ran out of energy, it killed them all. So quickly some skeletons were still holding onto their lunches.

Which...wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibilities of that happening to us one day.

... [That's definitely a pretty scary thought. But... it's not one he's unused to. Having to deal with danger popping up at any moment-- ever since he met Reborn, he's been on his toes practically every day.

He learned to stop worrying fast. Not to worry, because it didn't do any good. It didn't change anything, and was only counter-productive in the end.]

All the more reason for us to find a way out, right?

Hm.

[he simply goes back to lying down and looking at the stars]

[Tsuna looks up at the stars as well.]

We'll find a way out. Maybe not soon, but... we will. I know it.

[Zelos says nothing for awhile. He has heard that a hundred times before, even from himself. But from Tsuna? He is skeptical in the way he's skeptical of...most people he meets. This kid may be perceptive about some things...but in a lot of ways he's still weak. He just didn't have Lloyd's hotheadness, his stubbornness. Not from what Zelos could see.]

[Without that, what's going to happen to this one?]

[After long thoughts, he just let's out a sigh and almost says more to himself as he shifts to make himself more comfortable]

Heh. Whatever will be, will be.

Edited 2012-08-25 06:26 (UTC)