[Action]

[knightofratatosk]

[Morning finds Emil lugging a bulging knapsack up the road to the bridge near CH #1, the ends of what look like a couple of glass bottles sticking out of it. Whatever is inside it seems to be rather heavy-- he has to stop every few yards to rest, but he's determined to make it to his destination despite this.

Once he gets to the bridge, he unzips the knapsack and begins unpacking the contents. Inside is a whole array of glass bottles, each one containing a letter addressed to a friend who has left Luceti. Richter, Marta, Tenebrae, Horatio, Luke, Faize, Lloyd, Genis-- each one of them (as well as several other people) gets a letter. He figures that with all of the creepy supernatural stuff going on lately, maybe, just maybe, if he drops these bottles into the stream now, they'll somehow reach the intended recipients. It can't hurt to try, right? If nothing else, it might make him feel a little bit better about hearing voices and seeing things.

... or so he hopes.]

Comments

[herotypical]

[Oh, look. One vampire slayer is out for the day and--yes, she does recognize the other blond.]

Hey--Emil? [She jogs lightly to reach him.] Littering, huh? [She doesn't genuinely believe that he would be littering. She's just...well, she's just Buffy.]

[knightofratatosk]

[He looks up at the familiar voice, pausing with a bottle in his hand.]

Huh? No, I, um...

[Feeling suddenly embarrassed, he hides it behind his back. He's not littering, honest.]

[herotypical]

[Nosey as ever, Buffy peers around his shoulder.]

Well, I kinda doubt you're feeding the fish. So what's up?

[knightofratatosk]

[And pulling away.]

I was just... I thought that since everyone has been seeing and hearing things from their worlds, maybe if I...

[With a sigh, he'll withdraw the bottle from behind his back and hold it out for her to see.]

[herotypical]

[She gently takes it from his hand, examining.]

Messages, in bottles?

[knightofratatosk]

[He nods.]

I thought that if we really are being haunted by spirits or something, maybe they would get the messages.

[herotypical]

[Caught off-guard by the sentiment, Buffy's expression drops. There is that hint of vulnerability and she nods as though she understands. Perfectly She twists the bottle in her hands one, two, three times before handing it back to Emil.]

That's...that's a really great idea. [She does not believe that it could work--not really. But his attempt at closure is touching.]

[crisisrain]

[Hey, that bridge is right beside the house. Have an old man walking towards you.]

Ya shouldn't dump yer rubbish in the river ya know.

[knightofratatosk]

I know it sounds crazy, but... I don't know. I just wanted to try it.

[He accepts the bottle back and holds it against his chest almost without thinking. So many people have been leaving lately... even if they aren't people he knew, it's still saddening to hear all of the announcements over the journals saying that yet another person has gone home.]

[knightofratatosk]

[sdfjklsdf BUSTED.]

I-it's not rubbish!

[herotypical]

After mom died, I still talked to her. [Buffy leans against the bridge's rail.] I guess it's not the same--but, I don't think it's crazy.

[She picks at the wooden rail, distracted.] Sometimes I want to write messages, in the journals. Little things to people who have been gone for a while.

[knightofratatosk]

I still talk to Richter and Marta and Tenebrae sometimes... you know, just telling them about things that happened here. Um, not that I think they can hear me or anything, but... it just makes me feel better.

[He looks over the rail at the stream below.] I keep a journal with a couple of pages about every person I've met here in Luceti. That way, even if they get sent home or if an experiment does something to my memories, I won't forget about them.

[herotypical]

[Aiming to cheer the kid up, Buffy nudges him.] A page, huh? What does mine say? C'mon, dish.

[She smiles.] You better not have forgotten my super cute fashion styles. Or my excellent microwave tea.

[knightofratatosk]

I-I said that you're really nice and you're good with microwaves and you're... kind of like a big sister?

[crisisrain]

Then prove it. We kinda need this water don't go pollutin' it!

[herotypical]

[She grins and has to resist the urge to ruffle his hair.]

Thanks, Emil. Right back atcha. Minus the sister and microwave thing, I guess. Though--you're getting better.

[knightofratatosk]

[Silently, he'll hold out one of the bottles, eyes on the ground.]

[knightofratatosk]

At least I haven't blown anything up since that potato.

... um, I'm still sorry about ruining your microwave like that.

[herotypical]

Oh, pshaw. [She waves a hand.] Consider it a bonding experience. I'm pretty sure that makes us comrades-in-arms, now.

[crisisrain]

[He takes the bottle from Emil and examines it. Shaking it to see the letter jiggle about inside.]

Ooh! Ya found treasure maps!

[knightofratatosk]

It's not a treasure map! It's... it's a letter.

[knightofratatosk]

Blowing up a microwave does something like that?

[herotypical]

[You bring out the most indulgent in her, Emil.]

I think so. There's probably a badge or something for it, back home. We survived the microwave apocalypse together.

[knightofratatosk]

... I'm not sure that's something to be proud of, especially since it's my fault it exploded in the first place.

[crisisrain]

Well what're ya waitin' for! Let's get it out and read it! [He starts whacking the end of the bottle to move the letter down.]