driftfleet

Entry tags:

001

Who: Yuri Kozukata & you!
Broadcast: Fleet-wide video
Action: The Marsiva if there's anyone even around for that
When: now right now

[here's a clattering noise when everything turns on as Yuri wakes slowly at first, only to realize this isn't her bed in Hisoka's house and sits up to send everything flying. Her device skids across the floor and Yuri sits stock-still for a few long moments, taking everything in.

She climbs out of bed and picks the device up, staring at it incomprehensibly for a moment before something else seems to catch her attention and she looks off.] Hi...soka...? [okay but what the fuck actually tho. This is clearly not Hisoka's home, nor the Shadowspring. It didn't feel like she'd gotten sucked into someone's memories.

She looks at the device again, her expression trying to stay carefully neutral despite the corners of her mouth turning down and the furrowed brow indicating clear confusion. There's a certain haunted quality about her face, like someone who hadn't quite decided yet if living or dying was a better option. She looks away again and starts walking]

This isn't Japan, is it? Where...? [She mutters to herself as she wanders along, looking suspicious and concerned in equal measure because the further she goes, the more questions she has] The Camera Obscura isn't here either. [So she's in a really weird place with no weapon-- granted, said weapon was only good against dead people, but still.

Everything's quiet again until she finds the huge observation windows, where she drops her device in shock.] What--!? [Oh look, actual emotion!

She inches forward and knocks experimentally on the glass and then jumps back as it becomes clear it's not just a painting or something. Yuri whirls around and grabs the device from where it's fallen, trying to keep herself together despite the rising urge to freak the fuck out]

Where am I? [She speaks into the device this time, trying to keep the panic out of her voice] I can't really be expected to believe I was kidnapped by-- by aliens, can I? Where is Hisoka, and Miu-san and the others?

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[Her brow furrows a little and her frown is severe, but after a moment she sighs deeply and seems to relax. If 'resignation' could fill in for 'relaxing,' anyhow.]

...Hi. [So she was stuck here, it seemed. The others had been helpful too, at least, but she keeps holding out hope that at least one person is going to go, 'just kidding! This is all a coma dream while you're being murdered by a spirit or something!' Which, while not ideal, would at least make sense to her. Which is saying something, really.

Yuri shakes her head and straightens after her lackluster greeting, takes a deep breath, and tries again.] I'm Kozu-- Eh... Yuri Kozukata. Nice to meet you, Anders. [She finishes it with a bow, because she can be polite like that.]

You don't know Japan...? Where are you from?

[He's patient and uncharacteristically quiet as she decides for herself if talking to random strangers sounded like a good idea. He gives her a smile, though, when she says hello back. Resignation was familiar and good enough for him.]

A pleasure to meet you as well, Yuri. [He bows back, a polite gesture in his own culture, even if ti wasn't one he often used. She'd done it first, there was no reason not to return it.]

I'm from Thedas, Ferelden more specifically. I haven't been very many places, I'll admit, but none of the maps I've ever seen have mentioned a Japan.

[She's curious despite herself, moving to find some place more comfortable to sit while she talks.]

I haven't heard of Thedas or Ferelden before either. Strange... [Different planets? Or just different universes and such entirely?]

What was it like? Do you miss it? [She assumes he does, but who knows. And it's something to talk about right now, to get her mind off of the rest of this craziness.]

[She gets comfortable and so does he, shifting so he's more comfortable for the long-haul this conversation might end up being.]

I wish it were that strange, but for as many Thedosians as there are here, there's three times as many here who are not and only know the name if they happen to know a person here from it, so you're actually in the majority. [He smiles, it was a joke, but that is still strange to him. This whole thing is strange to him and while there's plenty here he didn't like, there were things here that he couldn't rightly complain about either.]

I don't think I can describe Thedas, it just is and each country is different. [He shrugs.] But Ferelden was wet and dank and smelled of dogs and the less pleasant parts of people and, when I left, it was still recovering from a war, but yes...it's all I've ever known, so I suppose I miss it.

[Now his smile turns a little more strained.] I miss the people I left, my friends, the most. They're not here except one and she hasn't met me yet, from what she remembers. Apparently that's a fairly common occurrence here since there's people who remember me but I haven't met them yet.

I hope it doesn't happen to you.

[But on to less personal things! He had to stay positive.]

Your turn, tell me about your Japan. Maybe your favorite thing?

[Yuri hummed lightly in acknowledgement] It's hard to know what to talk about. You've lived there for so long, it just... is. [For lack of a better way to describe it.

But she listens, careful and attentive and the corners of her mouth turn down in a slightly worried frown. If Hisoka showed up, a Hisoka from before she'd saved Yuri... She shakes her head a little. No, she'd still be the same Hisoka; it'd just hurt a little knowing she didn't remember her.] The whole country smelled like dogs?

[She's sure he's exaggerating, but there's an amused tilt to her head. Favorite thing though...]

My country's an island, and it's quick to get around... We're also ahead of everyone else in terms of technology--we're always making something new and improved and the rest of the world scrambles to keep up.

But, specifically, where I lived... It was a really quiet town, at the base of a mountain. A place for tourists, mostly, I guess. They were still big on the older traditions, everyone tended to dress more old-fashioned, but it was nice. Friendly. When the sun went down, the whole town would shut down for the night-- there's a lot of superstitions about being active at night there. The shop I lived at would always stay open late, even though no one would ever come.

But it was... peaceful. A place to start over. [Yuri trails off, looking a little wistful.] Hisoka would do fortunes and things, and we had a few regular customers who'd come. Mostly schoolgirls wanting love fortunes. But I liked hearing their laughter. [SHe goes quiet a moment, then looks a little embarrassed.]

...I think I talked too much, sorry...

[He waved a hand as though to dismiss her apology.]

No, no, certainly not. I asked and you answered, there's no limit on how long or short that answer is.

[He gives a soft smile as he thought over that answer of hers.]

It sounds lovely there. I came from a small town too, a long time ago now. It's nice how insulated they can feel.

[He didn't talk about his home-village, not normally, but some form of connection would likely help.]

Is there magic in Japan?

[She tenses and frowns at the question.] No. [It's said automatically, if a bit defensively.

Then she hesitates and looks uncertain. While she wouldn't strictly call it 'magic' herself, she's sure it falls under the same...category? Maybe? Yuri purses her lips and give Anders a suspicious, sullen sort of look as if debating on just what she could--or should--say.]

Not... exactly. There are people with different...abilities that aren't [A pause as she tries to figure out a word and eventually just settles with:] normal, but I'm not sure if it's it's what most people would think of as 'magic.'

[He can certainly understand caution, and it's his own that keeps him from giving her the sort of assurance she might need to feel more at ease telling him.

But he still wasn't sure how hidden he had to keep himself in this place. For now, it was better to lie as low as he could.]

Well, if they can create things out of thin air or crush a person with their mind, I'm sure it still qualifies. There's quite a bit of it back home, mages everywhere.

[At least he sounds pleased with this fact. Mages are great, not that he's biased.]

[Her eyebrows raise in surprise] That...sounds a little terrifying. [Because honestly who lets someone have all that power?? But her tone is neutral, not exactly accusing or anything, because...

Well. She thinks of the spirits manipulating all those people into outright killing themselves on the mountain.

(She thinks of Fuyuhi's terrified expression at raising a knife to her own throat and struggling against herself.)

Yuri glances away and sighs a little]

I can see dead people. [There's a Sixth Sense joke in here somewhere. She glances at the video and then away again, feigning disinterest to what a reaction might be.] Spirits and things like that, communicate with them. I don't know why, but they're drawn to me more than most people; I guess I'm one of the few around that can actually see and hear them. Or something.

[A pause and she shrugs, voice softening] And some other things, but... Most people just think I'm crazy if I say things like that... [Not as much anymore since she'd started working with Hisoka but before that...]

I don't think you're crazy.

[He's not even surprised other than perhaps in the fact there's people like that in other places.]

We have people who can do that back home. Well, maybe not the dead themselves, but spirits! They're called spirit mediums, it's a kind of magic where I'm from.

[And from what he knew, the spirits being drawn to people who heard them was perfectly normal, even spirits got lonely. Heck, as a spirit healer, he technically communed with spirits himself, though that was a little different.]

You have a gift.

[She looks to him sharply, clearly thinking he's just saying that, but... No he means it, doesn't he? She blinks slowly and most the wariness drops] We have spirit mediums too. Though, they may not be exactly the same. [Same name for some slightly different things, maybe.]

A gift-- [Yuri echoes him, clearly startled, and looks away in embarrassment. How is she supposed to react like that?] You sound like Hisoka... My teacher. [She adds for clarification. Teacher, best friend, quite literal savior. She shakes her head.]

...It doesn't feel like a gift. I just wanted to be normal. [Yuri sighs.] It's lonely.

[Usually, he jokes and teases, usually he smiles. Now his smile is soft, sympathetic. He'd been normal once and he'd thought it was all he'd ever wanted. Having magic had ruined his life as he'd known it...but he'd never come to resent his gift, not like some mages. He resented the people that made it so that his gift was treated like a curse.]

You're not so alone. I've known several back home who felt as you do, they didn't ask for their gifts, they were so mad at The Maker for giving them their magic that they resented their power and feared it. Some of them overcame their fear, others succumbed to it. It's your choice which one you'll be, because no matter how much we might not have asked for it, it's our gift all the same.

And, as long as there's others who have such gifts, you'll always have someone else who understands.

[That was perhaps the only good thing about the Circles. They'd been so lonely, everyone too afraid to get too close, but he'd found one person and that one person had made everything bearable, for a time.]

[Again she stares at him, openly scrutinizing and studying. She can't exactly read his mind over the video (thank god for small miracles, huh?) and she hadn't even gotten to those parts of her powers that truly alienated her from others. "I can talk to spirits" and stuff was easier for people to swallow for now.]

But I don't here. [Have someone who understands, she means. Hisoka is home--hopefully safe and sound after Yuri's rescue of her but... How is she supposed to know for sure?

--Ugh. That was too pessimistic, even for Yuri. She closes her eyes briefly before continuing] You talk a lot like you understand-- Do you know magic?

[A LITTLE. FORWARD... But hey, it's the next logical question]

[He set himself up for that one. What was he supposed to do now? Pretend he didn't? Lie and invalidate everything he'd just said to her?

It was too late to back out now, he'd just have to hope for the best.]

I do, yes.

[He holds up a hand in view of the video and a blue light envelops his hand for a few seconds before blinking away.]

Back home, I'm what is known as a mage. I know quite a bit about magic of all kinds.

So...while it's not the same, I'm here and I'll help you, if ever you need it.

[Yuri leans in, eyes wide with interest] That's amazing. What else can you do? [Much better than her powers. Why couldn't she set things on fire and make fireworks?? Unfair.

Still, she's not sure she would've trusted herself with that kind of power anyhow. His offer is met with a mildly baffled look.] You don't even know me.

[Dammit, Yuri. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, and don't turn away someone reaching out to help you. She can practically hear Hisoka gently scolding her for being prickly and she lowers her gaze a moment, shamed by her own bluntness.] ...Thank you. I'll remember that.

[That reaction gets a wider smile from him. He never counted himself as a 'teacher' in any right, but he could see the appeal with how interested Yuri was in the subject. With the freedom to teach his craft, he could see why it would be appealing to take on an apprentice. Just not in the Circle.]

Quite a few things. Fire, spirit bolts, mostly I'm a healer, but that means I can fix just about anything as long as a person isn't dead.

You're right, I don't know you, but I know how it feels to believe you're alone with no one to help or care about you. No one deserves to feel like that, especially when it's because of their gifts.

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