EVENT #23: CROSSROADS - IC LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #23 - Crossroads

OOC Event Log

For the past few weeks, you've been stranded in a foreign territory or have had others stranded with you. Officials have assured everyone that the situation is temporary. They've been working hard to secure negotiations that would return everyone home...if that's what you want, of course. For anybody who wishes to stay in their new territory, authorities have promised that this is entirely possible. No one will be forced to go back if they don't want to.

The letter that arrives in the second week of February will say as much. It'll also emphasize that you must go to the exchange and that every Summoned has to be accounted for, or else the exchange may fall through. Even if you don't plan on returning - or you were never sent somewhere else to begin with - you'll still have to come.

The meeting will be held on neutral ground near the Singularity's now expanded crater but at a safe enough distance away. On FEBRUARY 18, portals will open to take you there.

While we will detail the incident leading up to characters fleeing, the majority of the event will be focused on characters surviving in their respective scenarios.

Remember: once you've chosen a SCENARIO for your character, they'll be rescued by the minor territory assigned to that scenario and will stay in that territory for the duration of March.

At the Exchange

The air of late winter is crisp even in the barren landscape around the crater. The Singularity stands tall and silent to the natives, but the Summoned will feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations closer together. The last time all three met here was for the Peace Summit three years ago. Now they meet again on the brink of war.

The territories have assured you that they anticipate everything to go smoothly. As you arrive, there is an attempt to cultivate a friendly atmosphere: Thorne has brought warm fur cloaks for anyone accidentally in the Free Cities who may be without, the Free Cities steps forward to announce compensation for any Summoned who were employed and could not attend to their job or business under the circumstances, and Solvunn declares it will be hosting an evening feast once all the Summoned have been returned to their rightful places. You even see Thornean mages and Free Cities officials chatting diplomatically, if superficially.

But as the exchange gets underway, the atmosphere begins to shift...and suddenly, nothing is as it seems.

Chaos Erupts

As a Summoned, you feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations.

Stillness falls across the gathering as each side waits for the other to make the first offering. An introduction that necessitates negotiation.

It never comes.

A flash from the north blinds you. Thunder drowns out all sound. The sharp scent of practiced magic rises into the air. Gunfire cracks in response. As explosions erupt around you, the facsimile of diplomacy tears like wet paper. Shouts are barely audible as soldiers, guards, and village elders rush forward.

You find yourself pulled between forces. Are they trying to hurt you, save you, or something else? A Thornean guard pushes you to the side. You can't tell if you were deliberately shoved into the line of fire or if it was an accident in the chaos. Someone else grabs you: a hooded Elder bearing the symbols of the Old Gods and urging you to come with them to safety. They can protect you from these dangerous nations, the Elder insists. The Gods have spoken.

As mayhem bleeds into the ground, the crater begins to shift and grow, reaching out to feed. The earth trembles. The soldiers, guards, and Elders notice too late as the crater expands far quicker than anyone could expect. It shatters stone, uproots trees, and swallows whole the natives who cannot withstand its powerful energy. They disintegrate in front of your eyes. Others cry out warnings and begin to flee - but they can't outrun the Singularity.

You are different. If you are one of the older Summoned, you'll remember being able to enter the Singularity's crater. In the past, it's dragged you into the Horizon...but not this time. Instead, you feel lulled by the crater's encroaching borders. You wonder if your best chance at surviving is to step into the crater where no native of Abraxas can reach you. Some of you might run toward it as a result of this conclusion. But, you may also have your doubts. If you try to flee with the rest, you'll find that you, too, cannot outrun the Singularity. As its reach extends across the entire swathe of neutral territory, you are inevitably sucked into its embrace and flung into a whirlwind.

On the Run

As you are teleported through a whirling vortex, you glimpse flashes of your domain in the Horizon. Indeed, for a few moments, it appears as though the domain itself has emerged and is now in the real world with you. Then you blink, and the sight vanishes, leaving you discombobulated.

Once you've gathered your wits, you realize you're nowhere near the original exchange site. If you attempt to use your powers, the effects are unintended: your fire spell causes rain to fall instead, or perhaps you accidentally summon a broomstick instead of your sword. It might last for a couple of hours or it might last for longer. The more powerful the ability, the longer it seems to take for it to start working correctly.

Regardless, you'll need to find each other somehow. Luckily, the Network is still working, so you can communicate with one another at a distance.

Northern Mountains

Though spring is on its way, the mountains are a tundra. Temperatures are frosty, but not as icy as they would've been a month ago. Maybe you've brought some warm clothes with you or the others have a spare cloak they've packed. You might've even brought a snack or some warming potions. Anything will help as you gather your bearings and try to determine where to go next.

If you were unlucky enough to have been one of the victims of Josselyn Creed's cult, you may recognize these ridges. Of course, everything rather looks the same when it's snowy and full of trees, but it's certainly possible to discern that you've been in these mountains before.

Characters in this scenario will go to NOCWICH.

Threats

◎ Revenant

A hoarfrost revenant has lived on these peaks for centuries. He cannot be killed. You can only run or chase him away, but he'll soon return. Take care not to stay in one place too long. A rattling chain and blue-flamed lantern announce his coming. His touch brings instant death, made clear by the frozen carcasses of animals left in his path.

With your arrival, he is now prowling in search of you...but if you encountered him before on these mountains, you'll notice that something's different this time: he does not attack. Instead, he will stand and watch - and if you, too, watch him for too long, you'll begin to grow warm. You'll then subsequently be overcome with the urge to remove your stifling layers of clothing despite the plummeting temperatures. Best hope someone not under his sway snaps you out of it.

◎ Whiteout

In the morning, you might be eager to get moving again. Perhaps you've been assigned foraging duties or you need to search for more firewood. As you leave your makeshift shelter, you realize the wind is whipping. Soon, a thick blizzard swirls around you, blanketing your surroundings in white. In the distance, you hear eerie howls...and you're not sure where you are anymore.

Be careful you don't trip and fall. With some concentration, you should still be able to find your way back home with the limited visibility...or, you might get lucky and somebody will come to your aid.

Resources

Though the mountains are dangerous, they also have what you need - if you know where to look. Snow hares can be hunted for food and any rations you might've had on your person can be shared among each other. Thick evergreen branches can be used for roofing. Alternatively, you can hunker down in a cave instead.

Most significantly, you can trek to an abandoned cabin containing some prechopped firewood that you can take, as well as an iron pot hanging over the cold hearth. Don't linger in the cabin too long, however. The more you stay, the more it feels like something is watching you. In the shadows, you spot two red eyes flickering in and out. You can't tell what this strange creature is, nor will it stop you from retrieving the few things you need, but eventually, the cabin's door will slowly open on its own, sending a clear message: it's time to leave.

Living Forest

Contrary to its name, the Living Forest is filled with seemingly dead trees. Like the Duskwoods, not much light penetrates, casting your surroundings in a dark gloom. Unlike the Duskwoods, it contains no giant mushrooms. Instead, the ground itself is covered in a thick moss, making every step you take feel as though you're walking upon a layer of marshmallows. Hidden in the moss itself are small vipers waiting to strike, each bite containing a venom that numbs the affected limb for several hours. Hazards are made all the more difficult to see due to the lack of light. While not pitch-black, the forest is gloomy and shrouded in a dark haze.

Those who've been to the Feywilds might not recognize where they are at first, but as you travel, you might notice something familiar: bright green and blue pear-shaped cocoons. Dozens of them hang from branches above you and will soon give birth to the aggressive spindled pear moths. As you study them, they begin to twitch, as if close to hatching. Maybe you shouldn't stay in this area too long...

Characters in this scenario will go to THE FEYWILDS.

Threats

◎ Strange Travelers

As you explore the murky woods, some of the trees shift oddly. You realize they aren't trees at all. Instead, they are figures on stilts, wandering in an endless circle. They do not speak. They are utterly silent.

One of them is holding a human-like infant. The child is also silent. While they won't actively threaten you, they have defended their territory with blinking mines stuck to trees and laid along the ground. The smooth steel and oddly modern lights imply a technology that far exceeds what should exist in Abraxas. Further, the mines don't seem to be powered by any magic at all.

Walk too close to a mine and you'll set it off, releasing a gas that knocks you unconscious. When you wake up, you'll have been dumped someplace far from where you were and must reorient yourself - if you can. Your belongings are untouched and you have no injuries beyond a few bruises or scrapes. It seems these Travelers aren't seeking to harm anyone unnecessarily, but they clearly want to be left alone.

◎ Flytraps

Massive Venus flytrap plants are one of the few plants that appear to flourish in these forests. The plant is difficult to spot in the dim light. Its vines will lash your ankles and trip you, then drag you toward its gaping maw. Its mouth is lined with sharp teeth and a corrosive spit that will burn your skin, eventually dissolving you into a paste. They're most prone to attack if you're carrying something that smells tasty: rations, freshly hunted meat, or foraged mushrooms.

Fortunately, the plants aren't too difficult to kill. A burst of magic or a few slashes from a sharp blade will release you. Still, in a situation such as this, even a twisted ankle or an infected cut could make a difference in your survival. Try to avoid the plants where possible.

Resources

As you explore the Living Forest, you might stumble across an abandoned garden that hasn't been harvested and is in full bloom as if it's spring. A variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and cabbages can be found, as well as some herbs for wounds and potions. The area shimmers with Seelie Magic. When you examine the crops closer, you realize that some of the garden is beginning to wilt and rot as the magic fades before your very eyes. A sign of what lies in the Feywilds, it would seem that all things Fey have left this realm altogether, leaving behind only remnants of their diminishing spells.

You can freely harvest the garden. None of the crops appear to be dangerous and the garden looks truly abandoned. However, you'll need to work quickly. The magic won't last until sunrise, so take what you can - you won't have the opportunity to return. Of course, don't overburden yourself, either, or attract predators with what you're carrying.

Open Ocean

Your arrival in the ocean will be more of a shock than the others as you splash into the water. Curiously, though it's still winter, the water isn't as cold as you might expect. It's almost unnaturally warm. As you struggle to stay afloat, the current begins to push you toward something floating in the distance: a large raft covered in moss. It resembles a small land mass, floating in the open sea, with a small curve like a hill or a hump...or the shell of a turtle.

It's possible a few of your fellow Summoned have already found refuge atop the creature's back or you might be among the first. Regardless, you'll want to help search for the others...and the island itself appears to be searching with you. Summoned who have been around a while might remember the Sea Giants who have come to your aid more than once. This may be yet another friendly Sea Giant - not quite the turtle some of you previously met, but perhaps a relative or a friend.

While the creature will try its best to keep you afloat, stormy winds and tall waves will still violently rock the living raft and may sweep away those who aren't careful. Make sure you hang on tight to the vines growing along the surface.

Characters in this scenario will go to THE NETHER.

Threats

◎ Leviathan Attack

Though leviathans are a predictable threat in the ocean, it doesn't make them any less dangerous. Appearing in all shapes and sizes, the one that rises from the water in the dead of night is difficult to discern: you glimpse massive teeth and glowing yellow eyes that, from a distance, resembles the blinking signal of a lighthouse. The leviathan will attack the creature who serves as your raft, who will struggle to defend itself.

You can help in any manner you wish. Attacking the leviathan or casting wards will aid the friendly turtle. While the leviathan is not easy to deter, it can be driven away if faced with enough aggression and will eventually leave in search of easier prey. Don't lose anyone overboard. Any Summoned who falls into the water while the leviathan is attacking will be swallowed up. Avoid its thrashing tail spikes, too.

◎ Aggressive Seabirds

More of a nuisance than a threat, seabirds are a constant menace, squawking day and night and attempting to steal rations, clothes, and other supplies that might be left unattended on the raft. These birds are quick and massive, swooping in and disappearing in an instant. They won't attack without provocation, but anyone trying to take back their belongings will find themselves assaulted by beating wings and sharp talons.

You can chase them off with rocks, sharp objects, or small spells. Supplies can also be warded, but with many people's magic working oddly, the wards might not last as long as they should or may backfire if struck too often by the birds. It may be a good idea to touch up the wards or assign someone to guard your things the old-fashioned way.

Resources

After a rough night, you'll awaken to discover that your raft has brought you to a small island. It's unclear where this island is from or whether anyone has ever mapped it, but nonetheless, the island exists. More importantly, it contains crabs and mussels that can be dug up. You can also find, inexplicably, some coconuts. Possibly bespelled by a Thornean mage who washed ashore in the past, these coconut trees have continued to flourish for decades, if not centuries.

You won't be able to spend long on the island. As the tide rises, more and more of the island begins to disappear. Soon, the water will swallow it up altogether and you'll be forced to board the creature's back again with your findings. Don't get greedy. If you linger too long, your efforts might be washed away with the tide.

Rescue

As your resources dwindle and your situation grows more dire, a glimmer will shine in the distance. You peer at it, curious and, perhaps, a bit anxious. Is it another threat? Is it a rescue? Or is it something else altogether?

Please wait for the WRAP-UP before proceeding to write your character being rescued. Full details will be provided on the Wrap-Up that will help inform what your character will be doing in March, including which NPCs your character will be seeing and the exact manner in which your character will be rescued.

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Comments

[ushiri]

[ Truly, in spite of widespread rumor, Kyle does not have a blood feud with the avian creatures - except in moments like this. He's been shooing the birds away as peacefully as possible - in part because his blessed bones are not working as they should and it's not worth the risk. He's knows little about seafaring, but there's some hope that at least these pests mean a safe landing can't be far off.

He does not recognize Jack's poetry or song. The 'gun' he does recognize as it's tossed his way - a popular kids' toy in Nayeshi that looks little like any rifle he's familiar with handling. He pushes the dart into place and points it at another circling bird - scowling when he misses the first shot as the wind blows the foam dart off course.

He reloads it, firing a second shot that misses as well. The bird stares back at him with black, soulless eyes. ]

We should eat them.

[ He says this in a flat, humorless tone.

The third shot strikes between the legs of a bird trying to dig through a pack, startling it. He follows up by hurling a goodberry at it. ]

[stations]

( It's kind of funny, actually — you'd think it would be the opposite way around, with Badass Ninja Kyle being the crack shot. Surprisingly, though, Jack has yet to miss a single one. Each and every dart thunks off of a bird head with startling accuracy — not that he seems to be paying very much attention to that. It's an almost absent, mechanical sort of movement. Load the dart, pull the thing back, pull the trigger, thwack, squawk, bloop, and a new trail of slowly disappearing, bobbing foam darts trailing behind them in the water. )

Oh, for sure, definitely.

( He agrees easily, with nary a scrap of remorse. His sanity's hanging on by shreds on a normal day. These fucking birds are sending it out the window, and besides, he's got a very appealing, admittedly cartoonish mental image of spit-roasting a seagull like a rotisserie chicken. That would be really, really awesome right now. )

They'd totally eat us, so... it's only fair.

[ushiri]

Do you think our friend will be angry if we start a fire on his back?

[ To cook the terrible birds that will soon actually be murdered.

If he's going to be known for the crime, he might as well do it.

This feels easier, in a way. Maybe the rescue earlier cut some of the tension that he would've expected upon meeting again. He isn't entirely sure how to feel right now, besides relieved that they survived in the first place. He reflexively glances back to where Viktor's huddled. ]

[stations]

( He seems to consider the question for one long moment, drawing back the firing mechanism again, taking aim at a bird hopping over to investigate that abandoned goodberry. One eye closes to line up the shot, a silent second ticks by, and then pop, squawk! The berry is abandoned, and the bird goes hopping back a good two or three feet, shooting a glare at-- Kyle? Instead of Jack? Weird. )

Maybe. ( He decides finally, scrounging around for another dart without bothering to glance at the pile. ) Probably better not to risk it. I've already done the drowning thing- on multiple occasions at this point. I'm good on that entire experience for the rest of forever, if I can help it.

( It's all perfectly mild, surface-level commentary. Jack's good at that; ignoring underlying issues or conversations left unspoken, staying very in the moment, being emotionally aloof. If there's tension to be had, it'll only manifest in him after the camouflaged elephant in the room gets pointed out. If no one ever points at it, then there never has to be tension, problem solved! )

[ushiri]

[ At that admission he shoots Jack a bewildered look - and another bird swoops down, snatching the berry its fellow had been forced to abandon. The bird throws its head back and swallows it - only to immediately start coughing and choking.

For a second, Kyle irrationally wonders if they should... help, but fortunately, the stupid creature spits it right back up. Its friend hurriedly takes it in its beak, and the two of them began a squawking battle, massive wingspans flapping at each other.

Kyle watches this play out for a minute, then, quietly: ]

You would've liked the Free Cities.

[ Not much drowning to do in the desert - he'd have to go all the way to Aquila. ]

[stations]

( Stupidly, for a ridiculous second, despite literally shooting nerf darts at these birds that he's been imagining roasting and eating, he gets the same impulse to maybe help the poor little guy. But then that asshole survives, and it's super fucking annoying, and he starts annoyingly squabbling with his equally annoying friend, and so Jack levels the next nerf dart at the berry itself and shoots it out from between the two of them. It plunks into the ocean for some fortunate fish to find, and they can both suck a butt. )

Yeah, maybe. I don't really like the cold very much, so... the Free Cities was probably more like Louisiana than Thorne. Just... more dry.

( Something-something-it's not the heat that gets you, it's the humidity.

And hey, speaking of that tension — he can feel it creeping up his spine, just a little. Time to deflect more: )

I'm also not a huge fan of authoritarian regimes, so that part got pretty annoying.

[ushiri]

At least the baths were pretty nice.

[ In Thorne. It's as close to a joke as he can manage in the moment - or maybe he's just thinking about how nice a warm shower would be right now. Kyle abandons his nerf gun as the birds tumble over the side of the raft, splashing into the waves.

Kyle draws his knees up, shaking his head. It's always this way - either Jack lets what needs to be said tumble out of his mouth in an over-explanation, or he deflects. Kyle figures that's fair right now. This one is on him. ]

You said you didn't judge me - but all I heard was that you did.

[ Because of the guilt he felt for how upset both him and Istredd were, because of how he had been raised to think about himself and his choices, because it felt like he was being dismissed. ]

[stations]

( The next nerf shot pauses in Jack's hands, the barrel of the gun gently lowering, the birds momentarily forgotten so he can shoot an incredulous look Kyle's direction. All pretense of nonchalance goes out the window, he can't help it — Kyle's right. It's either deflecting, or it's blurting out his thoughts entirely sans filter, and this next bit is the latter. )

You realize that's, like, the exact opposite of how words work, right?

[ushiri]

[ This isn't easy to talk about. His features screw up, and he glowers at the spot where the birds vanished out of view. ]

It occurs to me now, yeah.

[stations]

Sorry, I'm just- having a hard time wrapping my head around this. Have I, at any point since you've known me, established any kind of precedent that I was even remotely good at lying?

( Because he's not. He is very, very much not. He is, in fact, so famously bad at it, it's almost laughable. He just can't really figure out at what point in translation I'm not judging you turned into I am absolutely judging you right now. )

Just- so we're clear, this is judgment. This is my judging-face, and it's over linguistic semantics, not- whatever the fuck we were talking about the other day.

( He remembers exactly whatever the fuck they were talking about, pretty much word for word. It's kind of hard to forget some of the things he confessed to in that short span of time before Kyle walked out — but also, he wrote it down in his journal.

His journal, which is absolutely soaking fucking wet. Aw, god damn it, he didn't think about that until just now. That sucks ass. )

[ushiri]

[ He grimaces, having wanted to attempt explaining how he felt to offer... something. Not continue arguing, or making Jack more upset. He's silent for a minute, then - ]

I know that you understand what it feels like to... never be able to hold onto something, without it costing something else.

[ To not be allowed to have something good, without messing it up in some way - because of something inherently wrong with you - your birth, your blood, your whole being. All he has ever been able to do to survive is move forward, and he has never felt so untethered as he does now. ]

[stations]

( Some five or six feet behind them, Rita has launched herself ten feet into the air with a flap of her wings, snatched a low-gliding bird by the beak, and fully just started eating it like a goblin right there in front of everyone. Good for her, frankly.

But Jack doesn't notice, because he's too preoccupied trying to wrap his head around this conversation as it's unfolding. Navigating delicate social interactions has never been his forte. Sometimes he can manage pretty well, especially these days, but usually it's during times when he's comforting somebody for issues that aren't wrapped up in his own Stuff — with a capital S. Like... monsters, or something. Dead Vanessas. Stuff like that. In other circumstances, he tends to get a little prickly without realizing it, and without intending to. )

But- that's not what was happening. I was trying to hold on, you walked out. That wasn't a price tag, that was you giving something away, like, immediately, five minutes into the conversation.

[ushiri]

[ Kyle offers him the same bewildered look he did when Jack talked about constantly drowning. ]

Jack - you did try to walk out. I had to physically stop you.

[ Literally wrap his arms around him to keep him from walking out a door while Jack was rambling about changing Kyle's sheets for the next person who might take his bed. ]

[stations]

I was trying to process the fact that you were never coming back without, like- freaking out in front of you!

( His finger twitches on the nerf gun trigger. The rubber-tipped nerf dart shoots out, bounces off of the shell, and nearly hits him in the face. He jerks, startled, and drops the gun — which slides off of the shell and into the ocean with a kerplunk.

Damn it. )

[ushiri]

[ He winces, and after a beat silently offers over his own plastic gun. It's not like he's hitting anything with these foam darts anyway. ]

Alright. [ There's no hardness to his tone, only defeat. ] I should have let you leave then.

[stations]

( The gun goes unacknowledged; if history has proven anything, it's that Jack is not a gun guy. Not even nerf guns, apparently. He will either drop them or throw them on accident one hundred percent of the time. )

What? No-

( He starts, then stops, then flounders like a fucking idiot. His hair is matted into salt water clumps; his skin feels gritty. He hasn't been able to sleep since this whole thing started, he hasn't been able to read, he hasn't been able to conjure coffee. He's tired, and confused, and just so god damn bad at- talking. Friends. People. Words spoken with his mouth hole. Everything, all of it. )

That's not- wait- why?

[ushiri]

Because you just said you wanted time to process!

[ He lets the gun drop between them, possibly the most flabbergasted he's been in his entire three decades and change. Kyle takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. ]

I'm not actually trying to upset you right now.

[ In spite of how this is going. The only reason he hasn't given up entirely is because there's a possibility this is not a short trip, that they run out of supplies, that a leviathan bigger than this turtle swallows them all. ]

[stations]

I did process!

( Their tones, their energy, their level of... flabbergastment(?), all of it matches beat for beat. )

You stopped me because you know I'm a fucking idiot, and I processed, and then I thought we were- figuring out, like, a plan or something. I just- don't really understand what I did wrong to change that, but it feels like I- messed up something, somehow.

( Somewhere toward the end, the energy begins to die, to lose steam, to fall flat. The frustration bleeds out into fatigue, and his tone lowers enough that a few seagulls feel brave and venture forth to peck at his leg. The joke's on them, though — it's the metal prosthetic, and after they slam a beak into titanium or whatever it's made of, they hop back indignantly, shooting him a disgusted look. Or, you know, as disgusted as a bird can really convey. )

[ushiri]

[ He goes quiet again, watching the birds uselessly peck at Jack's prosthetic until they too give up. A feather, dislodged from the earlier scuffle, blows toward him, and he reaches out to take it in his hand, running his thumb over the soft strands - he doesn't have a proper word for them. ]

You're my friend, Jack, and I love you. But you... I felt like I wouldn't ever make you believe that.

[ He didn't know what else to do. Another beat, then: ]

I am only here because of god's will. I'll never dream of another future in my own world, because I don't have one. I - just needed to do something selfish here. I'm sorry it hurt you.

[ That's all he can say. ]

[stations]

( It still feels like he messed something up, like he's actively messing something up now, with no real sense of how to un-mess it.

He's quiet for a minute, scrubbing a hand over his face. Thinking, sort of — as much as a sleep-deprived man who struggles in social interactions and interpersonal relationships can manage to do in the span of a few seconds, anyway.

At length, there's a soft sigh. )

Okay, can we maybe... agree to not try to walk out on each other anymore, and call it square? I think we have bigger stuff to worry about now.

( Like the first shots of a war, and being stranded on a turtle at sea. )

[ushiri]

[ It's hard for him to tell if anything he's saying is making any impact. To say I love you and receive little to that feels daunting.

But Jack's not wrong, they have bigger things to worry about. Maybe it was wrong to force this conversation now. This time, it's easier just to give in to simple terms. ]

Alright. No walking out.

[ With a glance at his other fist he makes another berry appear, tossing it at the bird. ]

[stations]

( The words are leaving an impact — it's just that they might not necessarily be the kind Kyle wants. It's alright, though; he doesn't want to fight either. He doesn't want to make this any more upsetting, or worse somehow, by putting his foot so far in his prosthetic mouth it hits the back of his throat. It's just... safer, he thinks, to accept all of this for what it is and to let it go. It's not worth jeopardizing their friendship.

And the agreement earns a soft exhale of relief from him anyway; good enough. )

Cool. ( Comes the light answer, almost too light in tone, but sincere anyway.

Across from them, the bird launches itself at the berry and pecks at it with ferocity and gusto — a finely bated trap for Rita, who springs from nowhere like a cat, pile-driving the bird into the shell with an undignified squawk. Jack winces sympathetically, murmuring to himself: )

She's gonna get, just, round if she keeps this up.

[ushiri]

[ Kyle winces too, wanting to look away from the gruesome scene but finding himself unable to do anything but watch with a slight grimace. ]

Maybe she's extra hungry after getting big...

[ That seems like it makes sense, right? ]

[stations]

Yeah, maybe...

( He agrees absently, but his mind is elsewhere — replaying a moment from his mental journey home, one of the last memories he was granted before he woke up so suddenly that night while Kyle was still around.

“Classic Jack. Captain buzzkill. This is why nobody likes you. Jack, I’m gonna explain this in a way you’ll understand. We’re all getting kinda sick of you. Always whining and moping and using weird french words like ‘portmanteau’ to try and sound smart. So why don’t you do the honorable thing and leave? We’re just… how do I put this? We’re better off without you.”

He chews the inside of his cheek, and when he directs his attention back to Kyle, it's a little gentler. A little more subdued. )

Hey- are we... Are we cool?

[ushiri]

[ Kyle glances over at Jack, trying to sound more confident than he currently feels. ]

I think we are.

[ He wants to be. His brow furrows again. With all their miscommunication he is wary about saying the wrong thing again. ]

Do you feel... uncool?