[Game 18] The Waking World

[arsgoetia]

After successfully talking Zan into waking up—the world around you starts to dissolve and break apart. There's a lurch, like the sensation of abruptly falling into sleep, but backwards; and all around you, the glass begins to crack apart, splintering and sending ocean water splashing everywhere, gushing forward, a cascade of blue and black, alternating between starfish and actual stars, suspended in liquid sky.

. . . reality seems to bleed in overtop of it and, sluggishly, you find yourselves waking up all over a suburban basement in New Jersey. There is a lamp on near the bed, where someone is still asleep, though fitfully beginning to wake up.

More noticeably, there is a woman sitting up in bed with him, arms wrapped around her bare knees as she watches them with amusement, extremely beautiful and . . . extremely familiar.

"Wow." One hand drops to Zan's hair. "I don't even know where to start with you guys."

Comments

[arsgoetia]

Una sighs, seeming to withdraw into herself a little, crossing her arms. "Ah. Well, we did what we could. Is there anything you can think that we might need from these people to trouble them any further, Sariel?"

[psychopompous]

. . .

No, Great One. Nothing that I can think of.

[arsgoetia]

She flicks her gaze toward Tristan (in the midst of whatever trouble he's still found himself in) and draws herself up. "Well, if neither of us has the key, that's well. Our side does not want this to escalate. Your side, and your master, would do well to consider the same."

[arsgoetia]

Tristan smiles. "I'm sure the message has been noted."

[savethedatasaveyourworld]

[SPITS ON HIM.]

[arsgoetia]

Tristan drops her on her head.

He lets her land on a pillow, though.

[savethedatasaveyourworld]

[hisses and tries to kick him.

i hope you are out of range mr.]

[arsgoetia]

Her gaze falls off Tristan almost immediately, and she sighs, her lips twisting in a sort of wry smile. "Oh well," she mutters. "Could have been worse."

And with that, and an inrush of air, she's gone.

[arsgoetia]

Tristan drops Tsuyukusa as well, immediately walking over to Lucia and yanking her cellphone out of her hand.

"So about that."

[thedevilyouknowbiblically]

[sounds more bemused than anything, to be honest]

What even.

[adropintheocean]

[MAKES A TIRED PISSY NOISE AND

STARTS ... TIDYING THE ROOM!]

[rollwillpowercheck]

[lets out a long, shaky breath.]

I should have realized sooner. There were clues-- I should have realized sooner.

[liarliarliar]

And yet this is still balls.

[telepathetically]

[leans on]

[liarliarliar]

[there there buddy. keeps an arm around him to support him]

[rollwillpowercheck]

[silently watching Sariel, his gave occasionally flickering to Una.]

[psychopompous]

[just staying in his kneeling position, unmoving]

[rollwillpowercheck]

[... walks over to him eventually.

and crouches next to him.]

Well, that sucked.

[liarliarliar]

That your boss?

[flicks at a tuft of his hair]

I guess it couldn't be helped.

[adropintheocean]

[nudges him with the cushion he threw at Tristan earlier, in the middle of tidying]

Hey.

[gavehimhead]

[...plops a pillow on his head]

[troublebrewing]

Who is she? Can you tell us?

[gavehimhead]

[frownnnning at Una until she vanishes, keeping an eye on everyone in the room]

[troublebrewing]

[puts a hand on his shoulder]

[gavehimhead]

[putting his head on her shoulder]

I'm still hungry.