witchesreign | II. → Naoto Shirogane [BBS]

[We'll say this happens after she escapes from Reno.]

... where would be best for you? The library? Somewhere else?

[Rion likes the library, okay. B(]

[Clearly she does too, if she's in the club for it. Let's do it.]

[Unfortunately, she doesn't know who she's looking for, so it's Rion that will approach her. The one person who can look at her at eye level, apparently, as he slowly approaches like ... he's not even sure this is who he's supposed to be looking for.

But at least he's calm. At least it's a guy, right?]

[She realizes this a bit too late but decides there's nothing she can do about it now as she heads for the library. When she arrives she lingers outside the entrance, trying to make it obvious that she's waiting. And so when he approaches she tilts her head slightly at him.]

Are you the one I spoke to?

[He nods, but doesn't say anything, just looking at her and over her. It's nice to not be looking UP at someone, for once.]

[She arches an eyebrow at him. He does look familiar... Perhaps she'd seen him in one of her classes? But she can't recall which.]

Well... what is it you wanted?

[Rion sets his electronic blackboard down on the desk, and starts writing. Upside down, so she can read it as he writes rather than turning it around - it's more convenient that way.]

I wanted to ask about what the Library Committee does, and what I can do to help.

[And then back up at her - the briefest look of confusion on his face, and then back to a neutral expression.]

[She blinks and tilts her head slightly to watch. He was... writing his message? She frowns as she reads it. He can't speak? That would be the only logic reasons he could think of for this type of communication.]

I see. [She briefly wonders why he couldn't ask this over the network.] It's a club devoted to the reading and discussion for literature. I suppose it can also make for a good time and place to study in peace, if you prefer that.

Alright. Is there anything I can do to help?

[And then, quickly, under it.]

Sorry... I would have asked this at the meeting, but it's really difficult for me to talk in big groups. And it's easier for me to understand people when I can hear them, when I can see them. Sorry if that's... weird.

[He looks really apologetic, like this must be the strangest thing in the world. On the one hand, he hates talking in person because he doesn't like who he is; on the other, he doesn't like the impersonality of the BBS because he can't SEE them, can't pick up on the inflection in their voice, their look, that other people might not.]

[This is a bit strange, she has to admit. But she isn't one to judge. She knows that everyone here is from different worlds, different backgrounds and different lives.]

Not particularly. It is not a very demanding club. Simply show up when you wish to.

[She pauses as he writes, reads it... and frowns.] Ah, I see. I suppose this is why you did not wish to reveal your name over the network? It's not weird. I can quite understand.

Well, look at me.

[He will, in fact, give her a moment to do so, and then he'll keep writing.]

I think people have a lot harder of a time taking me seriously when...

[Note that he's about the same height as her - maybe a little smaller - and definitely less physically imposing. He doesn't feel like he needs to finish the sentence.]

[Naoto blinks and... does so, awkwardly. She doesn't immediately catch anything about him but she sympathizes with his feelings when he writes again. Ah, so that was it? She looks away a moment, frowning. Then she glances back up.]

I see. I can understand that as well. [She pauses and then asks,] Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?

[...the problem is that he'd like to keep talking, but he can't come up with a reason other than that he'd like to keep talking, he'd like to know someone. He looks a little hurt as he responds, like ... he hadn't been expecting that.]

You're not from here.

[This is a statement, not a question.]

What's it like where you're from?

[Well, Rion did choose the right words to keep the conversation going. She looks surprised.]

Yes... I am from a place called Inaba in a country called Japan. Are from this world originally?

[She had been under the assumption that most students at the school were from different worlds. But maybe not?]

I've never heard of either of those, but I guess that's not strange. I'm from here - I grew up in Balamb, actually, and went to school there for a while before I got accepted into the SeeD program. :)

[... yes, he did actually /write/ that :).]

I see. That's quite interesting. I have not had a chance to speak to the natives of this world. Might you know anything of the anomaly that brought us here?

[The :) means nothing to her. She is use to texts from Rise who abuses emoticons like no tomorrow.]

Well, what happened is that the Sorceress Ultemecia was trying to compress all of time and space into a single point, and then absorb it into herself. With her Sorceress powers, she'd then be able to recreate the world into whatever she wanted it to be. She managed to get the spell partially cast, but was interrupted so that the whole of time and space hadn't yet been compressed into a single point. Parts of it were fused together, but enough of it hadn't that a group of SeeDs were able to make their way through it to stop her. The only reason she got part of it cast anyway was so that the SeeD group could use that time compression in order to go into the future and stop her for good. You probably know some of their names - Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Heartilly, Quistis Trepe, Selphie Tilmitt, Zell Dincht, and Irvine Kinneas. They're all sort of ... heroes, even if they don't really show it off much. That was twenty years ago. It seems like the Time Compression has still had some ... different effects, which means that people like you, who should be back home in Inaba, end up here somehow. I hope that cleared things up a little bit, and I'm sorry you're not able to be home.

[He looks really apologetic at the last part - it would be nice if people didn't have to end up here. He's a little homesick here, and he can just go back to Balamb and visit his mom. It must be far worse for people who can't do that.]

[Don't mind her as she pulls out a little black book from her coat pocket and starts writing this stuff down as she reads. She immediately recognizes the names of Riona and Quistis. She's spoken to them both, albeit briefly. She glances back up.]

Yes, thank you. That was very helpful. The more I know the more successful I might be in finding a way back home.

[Rion frowns and looks down - it occurs to him that a lot of the people he's talked to are offworlders. And a lot of the time, he feels like he gets along with them better than the people from here - compare his conversations with Euphie to with, say, Chessy.

Of course they'd want to go home. But he doesn't write anything for a moment - he just looks down sadly, before starting to write again.]

If I find out anything else, I'll tell you.

This earns a small smile from her.] I see. Thank you. Now that we are face to face, might you be willing to tell me your name?

Rion Lyon. We have a few classes together. Basic Training, Field Training, and First Aid. You probably haven't really seen me... I'm easy to miss.

[And he'll even smile back. Just a little, though.

Thou art I... And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...

It brings thee closer to the truth...]

Ah... [She nods once.] Actually you did look familiar. I suppose that's why. It is nice to meet you more officially, Rion-san.

[~~I think Souji objects to you stealing his s.links~~]

... Rion-san?

[He looks very confused. What is a 'san'?

~~what that's your S.Link FF8 doesn't have those B(~~]

Ah... Right. [She keeps forgetting. Riona had asked that too.]

It is an honorific in my native language. It is equivalent to "Mister" or "Miss" in English.

II. → Naoto Shirogane [BBS]

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