And The People You'll Meet

[Ssezzkero]

19th of Winter, 516 AV

She studied the sun paint strips of light on the wall from behind her curtain and tried to read what they meant. When this practice returned her no profit, she felt the jerk of a sneeze and sat up, wiping her nose out of habit. "Oh… grosssss…" Sezkero sniffled, kicking her legs to remove the sheets and stepping over to her washbasin to rinse her hands. Only after the lukewarm water was mixing with the harsh lye soap did Sezkero realize why the sun stuck out to her. She was late.

The rinsing bowl shifted with her jolt of worry, and Sezkero sniffled again, trying to prevent leaks as she dove for her yellow dress. Her white one was still drying over the fire. Tripping over herself to slip on her stockings, Sezkero landed on the bed, using it to stuff her other foot into them.

Much quicker the dress was over her head, and as she was slipping into her slippers she yanked a brush through her hair two quick times. Hair was such a nuisance.

Grabbing her coin purse she stuffed it into her pocket, only hesitating to look at her jacket. She had meant to buy a coat this season, but considering how warm it had been, she barely even needed sleeves. Waving it off, she rushed out of her room, slamming the door and twisting the key. As she did so, Sezkero felt an odd yet familiar pulling from the metal, but it was so light it was barely noticeable. She slipped it in with her coins and stuffed it back in her pocket anyway, turning around to face the day.

And smacked straight into an Akalak.

"Miss?" The unusually feminine voice rang out above her, and there was a Konti reaching down to her, right where she could have sworn the Akalak was. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, Sezkero propped herself on her elbows and just stared. Something was shimmery about the woman before her, and it didn't take long as the pale white skin began to darken to a deep blue, and she rose in height. The transformation forced her to reach down further to offer Sezkero her… or his hand. "Miss?" He repeated and the voice was much deeper, although not accented how she would expect. This voice had the draw of an Alvad accent, not a Tukant one.

After nearly a chime of shocked unresponsiveness the Akalak pursed his lips and straightened up, walking away and muttering something about newcomers.

Newcomer? She had been here nearly three seasons! Oh how rude the Nykans were! Shouldn't he be worried about using strange magic, whatever magic that was, out here in the open? Was he not worried about the monks?

Finally Sezkero shuffled up, glancing down at the familiar cobble as she brushed her bum off. This was Nykan cobble. She twirled far less gracefully than normal to look at the white wall behind her. This was Nykan building. Only her apartment lead her to the street, rather than down a hall in the hostel… Sezkero had completely forgotten she was late for work at this point, but turned west out of habit anyway, only to find the rift a few feet away from her. To her utter horror, there was a green slime oozing backwards out of the Aperture and spilling onto the street. Nothing came out of the Aperture in the day! It took her a moment to connect her thoughts before she cursed herself.

[b]"You pray to Ionu and they sshhrink your whole cccity. Literally."[b] She muttered, pinching herself on her wrist just in case. What had happened?

Twirling back to the east, she saw something even more confusing. Only a few hundred feet from her it looked like the street had the color sucked completely out of it. Everything was bleach white and reflective in the mid-morning sun, even the people. Although very few were clearly Konti, she found herself tracking the movements of one person walking into the street, almost shrieking when the color in their body faded as they continued down. Ionu must be playing pranks with her, but why would they be in Nyka? Was she even in Nyka anymore?

One man, who was walking away from her, had long silvery hair and slim muscles caught her attention in particular. It was as if an opalescent veil had been placed over him as he proceeded down the street, but it was not that which intrigued her. She recognized him! Without thinking, Sezkero began walking after him, paying little mind to her surroundings now, but keeping her distance, just in case. She couldn't yet remember how she knew him, unable to see his face, but she was determined to find out.

[Yisanareysin]

Rey was in the white place again.

Gross.

The white place, which he'd since learned was modelled after a place called "Mura". Whatever it was, it was far too bright for his liking, without colour, without shadow. Ugh.

He glanced up at the sun, orienting himself. Mura was east of the place with the crack, and Sunberth was down south. And Rey wasn't certain, but he thought that maybe north was the place where the underground had migrated.

Now, where to go. Rey was making his usual rounds, checking in with his contacts to see if anyone had a job for him, or any thing new to report. So far, no such luck. His underground contacts might prove more profitable, but truth was, Rey was rather reluctant to go north. There was some nastiness going on in the wintery sections of the city, he'd heard, and frankly he wanted no part of it. The yellow stars that ringed his pupils had gotten him mistaken for a Vantha twice now, and he'd had to shift both times to prove that he wasn't.

It was a bit bothersome, really. Interesting overall, but occasionally annoying for him.

Instead, Rey started towards the south east, thinking to make his way to Syliras. He hadn't checked in at the Rear in a while, and the tiny little knights were always good for a laugh. He probably should stop at in the Bizarre as well while he was there, see if Talion was hanging around, or Ennis. Then afterwards, maybe he could skirt along the suvan back down to the grassy area, and then...

Rey's planning slipped from his mind as he slowly became aware that there was something bothering him. What was it? He kept his pace, not wanting to alert anyone who might be watching of the direction his thoughts had taken. Nothing seemed different about himself or his own body, as far as he could tell. Nor was there anything unexpected about the path he was taking. What was it, what was it....

There. Footsteps behind him. He focused on them intently, still feigning casualness even as he searched for any other signs of danger. They were soft, but it was a softness born of distance, not deliberateness. The footfalls were slightly faster than his as well, rather than matching his like a trained tail would know to do. An inexperienced tail, following at a distance. Not any of his competitors, none of them would ever stoop to sending someone untrained after any other spy. Someone else.

Slowing his pace ever so slightly, Rey breathed in slowly, and slipped into his sense, feeling the familiar tingle of Alvadas bloom over his tongue. Focusing, Rey spread his sense out, searching for people in the vicinity. Several distinct flavours came to him, but he quickly dismissed any walking in a different direction, leaving just the aura behind him.

Only one tail. That was manageable. Either it was one person working alone, or they were severely underestimating him. The basics came to him easily, dark hair and skin, a hint of tangy puzzlement, a vague undertone of what might have been sleepiness or exhaustion, and under that, a base note of... rainwater?

He probed further. Yes, that was rainwater alright, and a fleeting hint of salt, and...

Rey frowned, focusing intently. Yes, that was the unmistakable scent of a serpent. And more than that, the aura itself seemed so familiar. Why did-

It all came together at once, and Rey stopped, and turned around to face his tail, grinning broadly when he caught sight of her.

"Sezkero. It's been a while."

Snake Tongue : Common : Arumenic

[Ssezzkero]

She was honestly caught off guard by the grin and when he turned, sharp Dhani teeth glinting in the sun, she was able to put a name to the face. "Yissanareyssin!" She almost shrieked his name, before realization sunk her brows. "You're in Nyka?" Sezkero forgot to speak in the language they shared, never liking how awkward it felt on her human tongue, but knowing he would understand her just the same.

Even though she had met the snake once, Sezkero patted his shoulder, as if she was touching a strange object with an uncomfortable texture. Feeling the boney angle under the warm skin she could not deny his reality, unless Ionu was especially tricky with her that day. Still she was looking at the pale veil that covered him and realized the error of her question. This couldn't possibly of been Nyka. The Aperture was weird, but this was Alvadian level trickery… was she not already suspicious of the Trickster's involvement? "…Or am I in Alvadasss?"

[Yisanareysin]

Well. That was not the reaction he had expected. In... Nyka? That was the place with the crack, right? The washed out white of the both of them made it fairly clear they were in Alvadamura or whatever people had taken to calling it. He blinked in surprised as she touched his shoulder awkwardly, and felt his eyebrows disappear into his hair at her next words.

"....Yess? Ssort of." He switched back to common to respond, not quite certain what was going on. "This iss the Mura ssection of Alvadas. Did.. were.." He trailed off, trying to work out what was happening. She thought they were in the Nyka district? Or... did she think they were in real Nyka?

She thought they were in real Nyka. Why? He knew she'd left the city some time after he'd first met her, but that was over a year ago. So, she'd left, then came back? Then why did she still think she was somewhere else? Perhaps she'd lost her memory? "It'ss a dozen and a half or so days into the winter of 516." He added helpfully.

She looked a little shocked. Slipping back into his sense, he noted that her aura smelled shocked as well. A tint of disbelief, a tang of what might have been understanding or realisation or something like that. Perhaps this was not a conversation to be had standing in the middle of the street. "The Sylirass ssection and the Rear is just thiss way, if you would prefer to ssit?"

Snake Tongue : Common : Arumenic

[Ssezzkero]

"Nineteen. We are nineteen daysss into Winter." She felt the need to clarify, at least to check her sanity if nothing else. "Yessterday, we were eighteen daysss into winter… The Sssylirasss Sssection?" Sezkero asked but was unable to concentrate to hear an answer, if he gave one. As if her feet were as confused as she was, the brushed forward mechanically in the direction Yisanareysin had waved her.

Her mind was flying faster than the wind now as she tried to recount the actions. If Yisanareysin was here, and he thought they were in Alvadas, then it must be so. The Aperture was weird, but it was not this weird. This could have only happened by choice… by the Trickster's choice… Which meant Ionu had quite literally answered her prayer. They had lied to her like she asked and brought her back. But why Alvadas of all places? In all her travels, it did seem the one city she was always coming back to, even in the past decade when she hadn't been able to stay in one place longer than a year. Since the rest of the world discovered her kind, paranoia had taken over. Yet Alvadas had always been quite safe… mostly because who would believe what she was? And partially because no one cared enough…

"Yisanareysin… I wasss in Nyka yessterday. Actually in Nyka, near the easstern occeansss and the Aperture." She muttered, when she remembered she was not alone. He was likely very confused by her now, and she needed to explain. "I think, I think Ionu brought me back." She glanced up at him, feeling a little silly by the absurdity of it. Or perhaps it was the absurdity of it that made it no so absurd, this was Ionu after all. And then another piece of information came back to her. She wondered if maybe Yisanareysin was not as confused as she. Couldn't he read minds? Or emotions, or something like that… How had he described it? Either way he must know that she was telling the truth, or at least wholly believed it to be the truth, because there was simply no other explanation. "What isss going on here? Why isss Mura, and Nyka, and… Ssssylisras in Alvadasss?"

[Yisanareysin]

Sezkero smelled of puzzlement and recollection and internal focus, and though Rey couldn't sense what she was thinking, he could make a good enough guess. Even for one used to Alvadas, waking to find yourself in a different city would no doubt be disorienting. He let his sense slip away, seeing that there was not much need for it.

"I ssee. I ssuppose... if this were to happen it would be in Alvadas." He hadn't thought that Ionu's powers would still be so powerful outside of Alvadas. It brought up a number of other questions, all of which he filed away for later. For now, he gently took Sezkero by the arm and guided her towards the Syliras district.

"This is Ionu's little joke for the sseason, it sseems. Alvads don't leave the city much, sso the city has taken the rest of the world to them. Alvadas has become a map, with ccities from all over."

Rey gestured ahead, to where the Alvliras Castle was coming into view. "Syliras castle. Not a perfect copy, but a..." He hesitated, unsure of the word in common. "a caricature, of sorts. The city-districts are all like that, foreign lands seen through an Alvad's eyes. "

"You ssay you were in Nyka yesterday? Will you go back there? Or hass Ionu brought you here for a reason? Do you have everything you need here?"

Snake Tongue : Common : Arumenic