( open )

[combats]

Date & Time: Backdated to the week before the Uruguay mission, during timeswap.
Location: It's a whenever and wherever you want deal again!
Characters: Jacquese Foran & YOU
Summary: Jacquese is turned into his little acolyte self and is wandering around lost, come say hi.
Warnings: angry uncooperative mute child alert

[ In the compound and even outside of it, a young boy can be found walking around. A boy that might seem familiar to some. Jacquese, even without his horns and his monk robes, can still be quite recognizable. His hair is much shorter, but still long enough to be in a ponytail and the scar across his nose is still there too. The most notable differences were of course that he was much smaller and younger, looking to be about 15 years old, and the permanent scowl he was wearing on his face.

Waking up in a strange place and then being surrounded by people he'd never seen before with no familiar face in sight had been very disconcerting and it hadn't taken Jacquese long at all to decide he wanted out. He'd much rather be in the dreary Prontera Church than here, wherever 'here' was. With that in mind he'd set out to find a way out and regardless of what people told him, he kept looking. People, especially adults, couldn't be trusted after all. Father Remiel had said he'd always be there for him and where was he now? Not where Jacquese needed him, obviously.

So he sulkily keeps wandering around, getting lost and frankly not giving a shit about it. He has a mace if he gets anywhere where he needs to defend himself so he's sure he'll be just fine. ]

Comments

[whatsupcroc]

Prontera? Um... okay! We can ask around. But...

( She does look apologetic. )

What happens if we can't find it?

[hornedomen]

[Ico moved around. His head still ached and his right horn remained wobbly, but he no longer wanted to sleep. He slowly rose to his feet. A few wounds had closed. Ico watched with amusement as he opened and closed his hand without feeling pain. He no longer needed to brace himself against the wall. However, he remained very hungry.]

Thank you, Jacquese. What are you doing out here?

[combats]

[ Her inquisitive remark earns a deadpan look, because really, stating the obvious much? But it lacks the sharp irritation his previous expressions held and he nods in reply all the same.

He pauses to contemplate how to best pose his question until an idea strikes him. He points to his throat, closing his eyes and opening his mouth before moving his hand from his throat past his chin in an airy gesture to indicate singing. Following that, he looks back and points at her and then spreads his hands as he casts a Blessing over her. The spell, meant to increase strength and accuracy of both the physical and magical kind, comes with a feeling of invigoration.

With that the next question he mouths hopefully has more context.

Are your songs magic? ]

[combats]

[ Jacquese shakes his head again, irritably. That wasn't what he'd meant at all and he's aware it's because of how little he's tapping out on the device, but it's not the easiest way to write and it's annoying anyway.

He takes a breath and then actually takes more time to type out what he means. ]

father remiel from prontera church its home want to find father remiel

[combats]

[ That seemed to have done the job well enough so Jacquese left it at that, lowering his hand again. He was ready to turn and leave, but then Ico actually said his name and it became very clear that he did in fact know Jacquese himself and it wasn't a concussion talking.

He froze, eyes narrowing warily as he stared at Ico. He only belatedly realized he was asked a question and he vaguely pointed in the direction he'd been walking in, his gaze not leaving Ico for a second and the suspicion was apparent on his face. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( SHe can nod for this, holding her hands out for the tablet. )

Right, sorry, I should have guessed! Let me look and see if I can find his name for you.

( There's always that chance. If she gets the tablet in return, she'll flick her fingers over the surface, bringing up the simple search interface.

It's not going to bring him news he'll like, so she searches the archives as well. )

I'm not seeing his name listed here.

[allsongs]

[her eyebrows lift quickly at the sensation of magic. it straightens her as she sits, nearly to standing, her shoulders lifting with a strong inhale.

her eyes settle on his face, his mouth, watching with greater care.

and then her expression begins to shift, mouth quirking a slow-forming smile that crinkles her eyes.]

Very few peoples choose to magic me like so. [there is just the faintest glint of challenge in her eyes – but an amused one. feeling no danger from his spell makes his bold move more interesting than offensive.]

My words have magic, as well, yes.

[hornedomen]

[Ico continued to smile despite Jacquese's suspicion.]

What's over there?

[He looked where he pointed. Then he shook his head.] I don't understand. What happened to your slate? I have paper here.

[He reached for the paper he carried. To his mild surprise, it was missing.]

I must have forgotten it. There's more in the housings. Do you want to follow me? I have food there, too.

[As if on cue, his belly rumbled loudly. Ico pressed his hand over it and he laughed.]

[combats]

[ He hands her back the tablet and watches her do ... whatever it is she's doing with it.

The answer she gives him isn't actually all that surprising, but Jacquese remained rather visibly skeptical about the whole thing. How would the device even know who was here in the first place? Did it know he was here too and if so, how?

To convey the question, he points at it, then to the girl and himself before making a grand gesture to indicate their surroundings, or rather everyone in here, and he tilts his head questioningly with a frown. ]

[combats]

[ What she says just makes him raise his eyebrow and give her a weird look in return. It was merely a simple buff and back in Prontera people were always begging for them, she made it almost sound like she was saying how dare he bless her. So the hint of a challenge doesn't go unnoticed there.

Which, of course, just tempts him to cast an Agility Up too and that's exactly what he does. A spell to enhance speed that heightens the senses and makes one more alert.

Since her words had magic and she used those on him, it was only fair anyway. Even thought here was nothing negative about the spells he used, that wasn't the point. Although his actions might make her more disinclined to answer, he mouths another question regardless.

Are you a bard? ]

[combats]

[ It's not hard to figure out that by 'slate', the boy meant his miniature blackboard which, last time he'd seen it, he'd left on his desk after getting send out of the classroom.

Not that it was any of Ico's business, but the fact he knew about the board meant that he was telling the truth and that he did really know him and that ... that Jacquese found very unnerving.

Even if Ico had the paper on him, Jacquese would not have taken it. He was feeling very disinclined to answer anything and the offer of food, even though he was feeling rather hungry by now, was met with a vehement shake of his head.

... Only his stomach rumbled in response and Jacquese hid his embarrassment with a scowl. ]

[allsongs]

[it makes her limbs feel rather abuzz with undirected energy, bringing a trickle of laughter to her lips. he's so engrossed in magic himself – so very rare! especially here, where it is not just colors that are muted. rare, delightful, this sour-faced boy.

as for the question on his lips, she squints, mouth puckered for the moment she needs to parse the motions out.]

I know of no bard, silent man. I am Simmaeri, and I am to sing thousands of songs and speak thousands more words.

[whatsupcroc]

It has a list of all of us. I can find your name here, if you tell me it. And I guarantee it'll be here.

( Collette bites down on her lower lip. How to convey this properly? )

Did you hear how we're brought here? ( Waiting for a nod or shake, confirmation or denial. )

[hornedomen]

[He laughed softly. It was a kind laugh.]

But you sound hungry. Please, come with me. You know, there're not a lot of fruits and vegetables left. You have to go to the market early to buy them. Probably sold out now, but I have them.

[Ico walked in the direction of the housings building.]

And there's bread, cheese, sliced meat… [He was very hungry.]

[combats]

[ The answer wasn't very surprising. Only men were bards after all, but she definitely didn't look like one of the scantily-clad dancers, so bard had been the only thing he could think of. The answer he does get tells him who she is, but not what she is and that's what Jacquese was trying to find out.

He mouths I before pointing at himself and then mouthing acolyte as he gestured to the clothing he was wearing, an indicative of what he was and one that the people seemed to lack around here. He then pointed to Simmaeri as he asks what are you? ]

[combats]

[ He shakes his head at the last question and then hesitates for a moment.

He doesn't particularly feel like telling anyone his name, but he did really want to know more about what the device knew.

So, after a small internal debate, he motions for her to hand the tablet to him. ]

[combats]

[ At first, Jacquese stubbornly remained standing on the spot, but the more Ico listed off foods, the more he wavered until finally he found himself stomping after Ico to catch up.

He still didn't look too pleased about it, but he figured that he could just eat whatever Ico offered and then leave again to search for the way out. He needed a moment to regain the spiritual power he'd lost in healing the other boy anyway. In case he needed it in his search, because you never knew what could be out there that needed to be smacked in the face with Holy Light. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( She hands her tablet back to him, wondering if he'd have anything in particular to ask. While he has her tablet, she gives him the short run-through on what mechanism brought them to Exsilium. )

We were all transported here from different places. We're not even on any of the same worlds that we used to be.

[combats]

[ Jacquese takes in the explanation as he slowly taps out his name. There's a pause after he's written it in which he's taken in the explanation fully and he squints at her before he adds a question after his name. ]

jacquese foran how

[allsongs]

[acolyte. her eyes narrow again, mouthing the word after he does, placing sounds there in memory.]

You have words I do not know.

[whatsupcroc]

By transporter pads that reach for people in different dimensions and pull them here. It's some way advanced science! Okay, here, let me look up your name for you, see what we've got. That way I an show you the list of people brought here, too!

[hornedomen]

[It was not much longer until they were at the housings. He left the door open for Jacquese. Ico did not waste any time to get to the kitchen and begin preparing the food.]

Eat as much as you'd like.

[He did not know much about cooking beyond which meats needed to be cooked and which did not. Everything that did not need to be cooked was set on the table. All the food that did not belong to him remained in the refrigerator.

Ico could not wait for the meat to finish cooking. He ate some bread and cheese first.]

[combats]

[ Jacquese frowns deeply at that. Never having heard of acolytes before? That was ... very strange. Surely she would know of priests, priests were— priests. Everyone knew about them. Granted, everyone knew about acolytes too where he'd come from, but ...

He makes a cross out of his hands in front of him, close to his chest, before mouthing priest. ]

[combats]

[ Jacquese tilts his head in askance. Advanced science? That just sounded like magic to him. The same magic they were taught and priests used to teleport places.

But all the same, he hands her back the device before crossing his arms and watching her with a troubled frown. ]

[combats]

[ Jacquese entered the unit after a moment of wary hesitation, but really, Ico seemed pretty harmless and way too focused on getting the food anyway so he eventually entered and followed him into the kitchen, leaving the door open behind him in his wariness.

He gave a curt nod at the offer and set about getting himself some bread and cheese as well as he glanced around at the things Ico had taken out.

After a small moment of consideration, he rapped his knuckles across the table to get Ico's attention before making an egg shape out of one hand and tilting his head in question. ]