Open Chasing Clouds

[Ricky Maze]

Chasing Clouds
Spring 2nd, 513 AV

Ricky had fallen asleep in his own bed for the first time in a long time, the comfort in knowing that he owned a place of his own again brought relief to his mind; yet the worst was the only thing that had passed. He had a long road ahead of him, and already his mind was exhausted just by the idea's he had planned. Thus when he slipped into a relaxed blissful sleep he felt himself slip on, onward into the depths of the dreamworld that called upon him.His eyelids were too heavy to open them for some time, but after what felt like an age's passing, he finally opened them a peek. He was drifting into a void, a endless space that had no sound. He felt as though he were floating on, as if he were being carried up into a higher place.

Suddenly he reached a surface he wasn't aware of, his body felt the strange sensation of liquid as it changed. When he opened his eyes again he found himself laying in the air, in a endless sea of clouds that stretched on for miles. Ricky stood up and stumbled around as his balance was thrown off, the cloud beneath his feet slightly gave way as his feet sunk within it like snow. His expression was one of shock as he thought he would sink all the way through, however the cloud still held firm as he sunk knee deep. 'Shyke! I hope there's close ground below.' He peered left and right as the sea of clouds was filled with waves and mountains of more clouds, as if the whole world were nothing but clouds.

'Where the petch did I end up?' He walked onward cautiously, aware that some of his steps went deeper than his knee's when he treked on. He was fascinated by the world before him, curious to find something that resided out in the fluffy sea of gray and white.

[Tsukiko]

Making her way down into the side of her catamaran, Tsukiko fell into her bed, exhausted from the past two days. It had been a day since the Ansayia, but she still felt the festive mood in the air, and grinned. The celebrations had lasted for such a long time, she had wondered if they would ever stop, though she wouldn't have minded if they had. Considering for a moment as she closed her eyes, she decided it was better that it had finally come to an end, her limbs sore from the dancing and merriment, voice hoarse from singing. Letting out a sigh, she lay on her back so as to not have her horns tear the cloth beneath her head, and attempted to relax her muscles, breathing in slowly. Gradually, the Ethaefal began to drift of, her consciousness slipping into slumber, aided by the slight rocking of the Crescent. She began to feel an odd sensation, opening her eyes to a sight that caused her mind to go blank with incomprehension. It seemed that she was laying among clouds, if that was in fact, what they were. Experimentally, she reached out a hand, as if to grab the whiteness, but it gave way so that she only caught air. Cautiously, she sat up, allowing her gaze to roam her surroundings. Tsukiko could only see an expanse of clouds, spreading out an unknown distance. As she struggled to grasp what she was seeing, she began to get to her feet. 'Where the petch did I end up?' Internally, she couldn't agree more, still at odds with what she was seeing. Then she realized that the comment had been spoken out loud, and had come from behind her. Spinning quickly towards the voice, she found herself looking at a man she had never seen before. Nervously, she reached up to where her horns would be, at her temples, and was surprised to find they were absent, and in her peripheral vision noted that her hair was that of her earthbound, Svefra, appearance. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, she returned her attention to the stranger before her. "Umm... may I ask... who you are?" she said lamely. It was not exactly at the top of the list of questions she wanted answers for, but it was a start.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky turned to the voice that came out of the blue, or more so white since they were srrounded by clouds everywhere. It belonged to a beautiful woman with brown hair, she laid in the clouds as though she just found herself there as well. "I'm... Ricky. Who are you?" He asked her with curiosity, he wondered if she lived here by any chance. This place was intriguing all on its own, to discover if she lived in it would be fascinating. She could probably show Ricky around, tell him more about it. "Say, do ye live in this place? Know where we are by chance?"

OOCBleh, sorry for the short post.

[Tsukiko]

"My name is Tsukiko," she replied with a slight smile. She had just noticed that his eyes were a lovely shade of blue for his eyes, and it reminded her of her earthbound kin. "No, I don't live here, nor do I know where this is..." she replied, looking around. "From your questions, I assume that you're not of this place either?" The Ethaefal paused. "I was just laying down to sleep, and the next thing I know, I'm laying in clouds..." She frowned in thought, "Perhaps... this is a dream..? I didn't think my tolerance was that bad..." she muttered, thinking of the drinks she had had previously. Turning her attention back to the sailor she asked, "You wouldn't happen to be Svefra..?" 'As if that would make a great deal of difference,' she thought wryly. She had to admit, he wasn't bad to look at, and that his bearing seemed that of a sailor, was only an addition in her views. "Since neither of us seem to know where we are... want to take a look around? " oocThat's alright, mine's short too...

[Ricky Maze]

Tsukiko. A very uncommon name one would hear in the world, Ricky actually liked the sound of it when he repeated the name in his thoughts. She didn't live here in the world of clouds unfortunately, but her approach to memory proved to be something useful after all. She had mentioned that she fell asleep, then awoke here within the endless blankets of clouds. Somehow she mentioned the possibility of this being a dream, and given the circumstances Ricky could actually see how that made sense. 'What does she mean? Her tolerance bein bad.' He wondered with a interested look, she was indeed a curiosity that piqued his interest.

"I'm... probably a bit o' Svefra, from me Pa likely." Seeing as how his father was a sailor, and he inherited much of his fathers looks, the likely he was descended from Svefra was possible. Something Ricky had always been unsure of when he thought about it of course. She had then invited him to look around with her, to check out the fields of fluff as they went on without end. Mountains and mountains of clouds decorated some areas, but one never knew what would be waiting to be discovered in places like this.

"I'm up for a bit o' explorin 'round 'ere. Ain't no tellin what we'll find after all." He accepted with a warm soft smile, as he held out a hand to help her on her feet. An odd place to meet another person, but oddly enough Ricky gladly took it well.

[Tsukiko]

Ricky seemed unsure of any Svefra parentage, which did not really strike her as odd, being that seafaring people, particularly the men, were not unknown to seduce land-bound women. Then again, who was she to talk, who did not even know her parents, though she had two fathers, of sorts; being a child of Moon by night, and Sea by day. As such, she returned the man's warm smile and moved on, accepting the hand he offered, and rose fully to her feet. Brushing her hands against the side of her pants, more of a habit than anything, she looked around once more, before gesturing in the general direction of one of the cloud mountains, the white fluff much like a gentler version of the fog that often gathered near coves and such. "Might as well start here? There's not much to see, well, yet anyways," she said with a crooked smile. Setting off, Tsukiko was cautious at first, still unsure if the clouds would hold them from the unknown heights they traveled, but gradually became more confident when the mysterious support continued to hold. This was probably the most interesting and strangest meeting she had ever experienced, but it was also somewhat pleasant, much to her surprise. She was lucky that Ricky seemed to be a gentleman, and absently thought that perhaps he would not be the only stranger she encountered this night, if it was indeed Leth's reign. Thinking of Leth brought on thoughts of how perhaps she would be able to meet him, though at the same moment, she doubted such a meeting would occur, and her thoughts turned again. By chance, the sailor would not be the only stranger she would encounter, which brought countless possibilities. Soon, she realized she had lapsed into silence while the gears of her mind had turned, and reigned in her thoughts. "So... I don't suppose you sail? I mean, seem to be a sailor, I hope you don't mind my assumption. Whereabouts are you from?" Tsukiko was curious, for if it this was indeed a dream, in theory, distance was not of great importance. She had lived solely in the Suvan since her fall, and wondered if she had perhaps crossed paths with him without realizing.

[Ricky Maze]

"Lead on then." Ricky nodded with a friendly grin as she decided their destination, he watched as she too cautiously figured out that the fluff was solid enough to hold. Soon after they both marched on to explore, a little bit of silence existed between the two until Kiko decided to break it. She had asked if he sailed any, and where it was he came from. Ricky treaded carefully as he felt his footing go a bit unstable, he still felt calm and relaxed though when he answered.

"I've lived in Zeltiva all my life really, hardly ever done any sailin' to be honest. What 'bout ya? Ye look like someone who's seen plenty o' sea and sun." He humbly admitted with a grin, he didn't realize it off hand but he found himself walking close to her. Nor in a clingy sort of way, just close to where a small amount of space was left between them; and it just somehow happened naturally. He wondered about her and that if by some off chance they had met before, though he would've likely remembered a face like hers. A face that pretty was hard for any man to forget really.

[Tsukiko]

Maybe it was the years she had spent with her adoptive pod, but she didn't mind the closeness between them as they made their way through the cloudy forms. "Mmm, I do sail," she said with a bright smile, "the Suvan Sea is my home, at least, it has been for the past few years until now..." she said, not intending to divulge that last piece. The Ethaefal, as cautious as she was, found that it was rather easy to talk to this stranger, comfortable, perhaps even natural. Switching topics, she asked, "Isn't Zeltiva... on the outer coast?" She was curious, and amazed that she was talking to someone who lived such a distance from her, that she could not even fathom it; having never stepped too far from the waters of her home. "I've heard stories of how some of my kins' ships are built there," she added, her eyes bright as she remembered her adoptive family; before the light in her blue eyes dulled slightly, recalling that she was no longer with them. She laughed lightly before speaking absently, "This must be a dream then." As the two passed by mounds of white fluff, Tsukiko reached out a hand, trailing it through the clouds, just as her footing began to become unstable. "Wha-" was all she had the time to say as her left foot was met with no resistance, and she felt gravity beginning to take hold of her body. Her legs gave way, unprepared for the sudden loss of 'ground', as her arms flailed wildly, hands grasping for any sort of hold. Mind blank, panic swept through her, though she felt something on the border of nostalgia, pass through her consciousness.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky nodded as he listened to the part she told about sailing, it figures that she was from the inner coasts of the Suvan Sea, otherwise they would've likely met somewhere had she lived elsewhere. She definitely was a pretty face he would've remembered, so the possibility of meeting before was in fact next to none. "Only the best ships are made in the city o' Zeltiva." He assured her with a warm grin, a moment of silenced followed until she spoke her thought out loud. This is a dream. She was absolutely sure of it by the sound of her tone, Ricky didn't have to agree with her at all; as the world they treked was more than convincing proof.

'Interestin' that we're up elsewhere, but where be the world if-' His thoughts were cut off by the sound Tsukiko made as she began to fell through, her reaction astonished him enough to where his protective nature had kicked in. Immediately he reached for her hands as she fell through, however his footing was not so great as it was in this fluffy field they walked. So he too slipped through as they both went into a big sea of fluff, colors of grey and sherbert all around them as they felt the pull of gravity. Finally after a few chimes they fell into open sky as the world of clouds seemed to grow, Ricky pulled her in close as he turned his back to the floor below.

He expected to feel a painful crash when the two would hit whatever floor waited below the fluff of the clouds, yet when they did finally hit it the only force that brought him pain was the plomp sound the clouds made as they bounced. They did this a couple of times before they were finally on solid "ground" again, with Ricky landing on his back as he snuggly held Tsukiko to protect her, his breathing picked up as relief filled his mind. He looked down to Tsukiko with a loose grin, his eyes met hers to see if she was ok.

"Ya okay?" He asked as his breathing slowed down, he was surprised the air didn't get knocked out of him from the fall. Yet somehow the cushion that the clouds they landed on gave them a landing softer than pillows. He loosened his hold on her so that she could stand on her feet once again, and the two could resume their misadventure through the dream they shared.

[Tsukiko]

She had not intended to bring him down with her, not that she had exactly been thinking at the time. Tsukiko had the vague sense that she would normally be making rebuffing remarks on how he held her, but the Ethaefal had to admit that it was difficult to mind it when it was a well muscled, blue-eyed man's arms that had caught her. Laying there with a sense of comfort for a few moments, gazing at him all the while, she had a feeling that many women, not that she did, had fallen for such a grin. 'You must of hit your head,' she thought, berating herself for observing such things. Coming back to a sensible state of mind, she rolled away slightly, before laying on her back and clutching her head, as her ears rang from the impact of sound they had experienced upon landing. "In... A.. Moment," she bite out softly, closing her eyes in attempt to lessen the ringing. Her head was beginning to ache slightly. "..You?" she asked, her voice still soft. Tsukiko slowly realized that she lay on something soft and very comfortable, absently wishing that her bedding had such softness. Sitting up slowly & hesitantly, she looked over at her companion, her ears no longer ringing so badly, Tsukiko smiled giddily. "I suppose we made it in one piece." She ran her hands along the space around her, marveling at the texture of the apparent clouds. "Do you suppose this is what they really feel like?" she pondered out-loud, attempting to shape some of the substance in her hands. Making to stand, she glanced at Ricky as she did; a cursory look to check his well being, or so she told herself. Tsukiko brushed her hands against her pants, patting them, before looking around to see where they had landed. oocSorry for taking so much time to post! It's been a bit hectic with end of the year exams and tests coming up.