thebastion | First Word

Who: Paarthurnax OR Aoi, and you!
Status: Open
When: Day 114, towards the 'evening'
Where: The Bastion
What: Two new arrivals make their way in. One of them is a cute teenage girl. The other is a giant dragon.

[Sometime towards the end of Day 114, a few people watching the Skyway might notice something very big making its way towards the Bastion. Big and airborne, for that matter. It's upon the Bastion in very little time, an enormous wyvern if you want to be technical and simply dragon if you don't. When it lands at the entrance to the Bastion, the earth shakes a bit and it lowers its head...]

[Huh, that sure is a cute teenage girl seated on its neck.]

[Anyone particularly close might be able to hear a brief exchange between the two of them.]

Now we part ways. They would react better to you, I believe. Zu'u fen pek het. I will wait here.

Guess so, huh... Okay! We'll meet up later, then!

[With that, the girl sets off to investigate while the dragon waits near the Skyway as he observes from a distance.]

[Who do you approach?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Honestly, though, a dragon wouldn't seem too unusual to Patchouli. She, however, didn't notice his presence yet, but she did notice Aoi exploring the city.

She kind of... could use more human friends, but she's still not entirely sure how to approach others most of the time, unless it's for something a bit more businesslike. Starting a conversation seems to be kind of a pain in the neck for her. So she awkwardly lingers in front of Aoi for a second.]

Hello. [Hm... she needs something to talk about. Actually, that was easy, so it didn't take long to think of one.] Have you just arrived?

Oh! Hey! [Aoi doesn't seem at all offput by awkward lingering, if she notices it at all. She's way too excited by the fact that Patchouli is a person! She's interacting with a person! Boy, has she missed social interactions with strangers.]

Heheh, yeah... It's real obvious, huh? I'm still trying to find my way around... So you've been here a while?

[Patchouli wasn't really used to social interactions even with people she knew, so that's kind of backwards. Oops.]

Well... somewhat.

I've been here... well, not too long. Maybe a few weeks, I believe.

That's a pretty long time! [She'd been in the school for a few weeks—ah, but she's not going to think about that.] Oh, so you must know a lot about this place, huh?

I guess. [Probably better that way. ~~also don't tell her about it she would be the jerk who unplugs the thing that's supposed to be executing junko~~]

Well... I somewhat know my way around, but I don't know many people here. If you need help with that, I'm not of much use to you.

Ohh... Well, now you know one more! My name's Aoi Asahina! Do you at least have an idea of how many people there are around here, though? [She hasn't seen very many, even just walking around...]

Patchouli. Nice to meet you.

If I had to guess... less than a hundred. [Adding to that, this was a pretty huge area for only a hundred people to share. It was pretty easy to go through a day and not see anyone if you tried.] I couldn't say I've ever bothered to count or ask, though.

Patchouli! Patchouli, Patchouli, Patchouli... [She scribbles on her palm with her fingers as she repeats the name; this way she'll remember it for sure!] Yeah! Nice t'meet you, too, Patchouli!

Really? Is that all? But it's huge here... [She spends a moment looking around, eyes wide as she takes in all the scenery. Since she's woken up on the Skyway, it's felt like she'll never get over the landscape.] By the way, um...where exactly is here?

Yes, this is certainly a much larger space than I'd expect just a hundred people to live in...

This place? This is called the Bastion. That area outside is the Skyway. It's divided into a few separate areas, but I couldn't tell you much about it. I tend to avoid it, for it is dangerous. However, if I'm needed out there...

[Well, she can't really stay honest while saying she would always help. She stayed back during the last core search.]

Well, if I can make the decision for myself, I would weigh it carefully but generally would rather just stay back.

The Bastion and the Skyway, huh... Oh, yeah, it's tough out there! [Both of her legs are covered in scrapes from fending off Peckers a little while ago; she lifts one briefly to show them. Her bright smile is unfaltering, though.] We ran into some trouble earlier...

But...what is this place? I...don't remember how I got here... [Aoi giggles sheepishly, but it's a little forced. It's not as easy to talk about when she isn't surrounded by people complaining about showing up in places missing flashes of memory.]

It can be, yeah... those creature can be very difficult. I'm just glad I can move fairly quickly. I might not be so lucky against something bigger, though. [Honestly, she kind of envies that Aoi seems so resilient. She probably wouldn't be.]

That's... That's a tough question... I can't really say how we got here, but as I understand it... our homes are gone, so... I guess we should be glad we have a second chance.

Though... I'd imagine you had friends. I'm sorry.

Gone?! Wh-what do you mean, gone?! Whole places don't just disappear..! [The horror really sets in at the last bit, though—had friends. Her face's surprised flush drains all at once and Aoi goes pale. No, they have to be okay; there's no Monobear here, she'd even thought they were safe.]

I guess something just happened to us when we were asleep. I woke up amid the ruins of my library. All my books, torn apart and burned...

... Starting over is painful.

B-but that's—no, the world can't just be gone if other people were here first..! It doesn't...it doesn't make sense...

I guess not, but...

I'm sorry.

There's...there's no way I-I'm the only one left! Patchouli, what's the easiest way to travel the Skyway?! I've gotta go back and find the others! [She's started to tear up but it's not doing anything to damper her indignant determination.]

Um... I couldn't really tell you. I don't go out that way often enough.

[Never mind that she can't get back at all. Patchouli has said that already!]

But... but while you're here you can make new friends! [That sure didn't help Patchy. Not that she tried, but she's at least attempting to be helpful in some way.]

[Patchy............

But she doesn't seem...well, more upset by that helpful little tidbit. Or any less upset. She is talking faster and faster, though, and bouncing on the balls of her feet even though the tears haven't stopped, either.]

Ahhh, then I need to find someone who knows how to travel it better! I can't start making new friends until I make sure my other friends are safe! Th-they have to be out on the Skyway somewhere and it's not safe out there!

So we can work on the new friends thing and talk later, okay?!

Well, um--

Miss Asahina--

[She's kind of resigned to Aoi's fate now. She really doesn't see herself stopping Aoi now.]

Just... just be careful out there, alright.

[Probably for the best; there's a fire in Aoi's eyes that will be extinguished by nothing less than cold hard reality.]

I will! Thanks, Pathcouli! See you later!

[By the time she starts that last sentence, she's already sprinting at top speed in the other direction. There goes a girl on a mission.]

First Word :: Day 114

Aoi

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