T̷h̷e̸ ̵G̶a̴m̸e̵ - A VR Role-play

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Sphagnum walked over to a towering tree and rested a hand against it, letting its own phalange tendrils intertwine with the heavily furrowed bark. It was a mature swamp oak at the height of its majesty. The trunk was hardly taller than Sphagnum, but the crown of branches continued on in endless layers from this viewpoint. Row after row, impossibly dense two-toned leaves blithely flared their silver undersides.
But yet its nearest neighbor was very much so a dove tree in full bloom. The pyramid-shaped tree brandished pairs of neatly whitened bracts, hanging limply from each leaf to safeguard a small red flower at their center.
And since Sphagnum's travels had versed it well in vegetative taxonomy, the fact that these two species never coexisted naturally was blindingly obvious.
“But I have to agree with you. This is certainly not where I last tread. And my circumstances prior were anything but extraordinary.”

Sphagnum turned to give Cassie another cursory once-over in attempt to pair her to an environment. Her skin's untarnished fairness and richly colored hair told that she wasn't used to the hardening touch of the sun. "I'm going to go out on a limb and presume you're not from Barbados."

”where?” She tilted her head “what’s Barbados?” She peered at the tree’s it had somehow connected with, they were just sitting there, I mean obviously what did she expect? The entire forest to grow legs like Sphagnum and start walking around singing and dancing the conga line? No but she expected something to happed like the trees to start glowing and shifting in an invisible wind or Sphagnum to be absorbed by the tree.

 

[TamingMaster]

The inside of the shop was soothing and quite pretty, a stark contrast to the rest of the city. Nina took a deep breath, a citrusy, perfumed scent washing over her, and she relaxed a bit as she took the place in, her shoulder aching.

A wave of relief flooded her when the woman behind the counter reacted to Damir, but it faded just as quickly at her words.

"The Safe Zone?" She echoed, returning Damir's glance with an equally nervous and bewildered expression. "At least... the name implies that it's safe...?" she replied doubtfully, grasping for a shred of positivity, but it was like trying to hold hands with the wind; she was just as confused as ever.

Turning to the strikingly pretty woman, Zahara, she shook her head as if to clear the whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind. "What exactly is this 'Safe Zone?'" she asked, making air quotes. "I mean, it's obviously some kind of city, but where are we exactly? What state, country?" Is this even the real world? she wondered, thinking of the coins that had appeared, the people's odd behavior, or the door that had just straight-up vanished.

A strange theory was beginning to form in her mind, had been since she found the coin, but she kept pushing it away. It wasn't possible, didn't really make sense. Still, her mind hissed, it could be, you never know.

"I'm sorry," Zahara replied to Nina, "I don't understand. Can I help you with anything else?"

"How can you not understand?" Damir blurted out, stepping closer to the counter. "You have to know where we are."

"You're in Aromatica Tea Shop, located in the heart of the Safe Zone." Zahara smiled, copying her previous actions. "Can I help you with anything else? We have a half-price deal on Becalm Tea today."

"But what city? What country?" He reiterated Nina's point, almost demanding the answers, a thought slowly creeping into his head. Did she just repeat herself?

"I'm sorry," Zahara replied, this time to Damir. "I don't understand. Can I help you with anything else?"

Damir swallowed hard, taking a step back from the counter. His expression scrunched tightly, his heart pounding in his chest. He looking directly at Zahara, quietly asking her again. "What country are we in?"

"I'm sorry. I don't understand." Zahara smiled, her actions matching once more. "Can I-"

Anxiety filled his body. His vision blurred, sweat began to form, and his chest was suffocatingly tight. None of this makes sense. Are they being paid to behave like this? Are they even real? Are we? What are we doing here? Where is here? Wh-

He pushed his way out of the shop, taking in as much of the "fresh" air as his lungs would allow, desperately trying to calm himself down. His hands fell to his knees, his whole body trembling. So much for staying calm and looking out for the kid.

 

[Thing2]

"I'm sorry," Zahara replied to Nina, "I don't understand. Can I help you with anything else?"

"How can you not understand?" Damir blurted out, stepping closer to the counter. "You have to know where we are."

"You're in Aromatica Tea Shop, located in the heart of the Safe Zone." Zahara smiled, copying her previous actions. "Can I help you with anything else? We have a half-price deal on Becalm Tea today."

"But what city? What country?" He reiterated Nina's point, almost demanding the answers, a thought slowly creeping into his head. Did she just repeat herself?

"I'm sorry," Zahara replied, this time to Damir. "I don't understand. Can I help you with anything else?"

Damir swallowed hard, taking a step back from the counter. His expression scrunched tightly, his heart pounding in his chest. He looking directly at Zahara, quietly asking her again. "What country are we in?"

"I'm sorry. I don't understand." Zahara smiled, her actions matching once more. "Can I-"

Anxiety filled his body. His vision blurred, sweat began to form, and his chest was suffocatingly tight. None of this makes sense. Are they being paid to behave like this? Are they even real? Are we? What are we doing here? Where is here? Wh-

He pushed his way out of the shop, taking in as much of the "fresh" air as his lungs would allow, desperately trying to calm himself down. His hands fell to his knees, his whole body trembling. So much for staying calm and looking out for the kid.

Nina furrowed her brows at Zahara's response, glancing at Damir as he spoke. When the woman started repeating herself, repeating her movements, Nina took a small step back from the counter, suddenly wary. The soothing atmosphere they'd encountered upon entering the shop had turned sour, and she could feel her heart rate quickening as adrenaline began to seep through her.

Something didn't feel right.

Beside her, Damir's breathing quickened, and she could hear the tightness in his voice. Zahara started repeating herself once again, the same empty-eyed smile taking over her features, and Nina felt a rush of nausea at how wrong everything felt, the sick sweetness of the air choking her. Damir turned and stumbled out, and Nina followed him, cool air brushing against her face as she passed through the doorway.

She stood in the street, resting her hands on her hips and closing her eyes as she sucked in long, calming breaths, her face tilted towards the sky. "So," she finally breathed, turning towards her companion, "that went well..."

Noticing his hunched position and the way his chest heaved, she trailed off, moving so she was standing in front of him. She leaned over a bit, peering at his face, and spoke, her voice soft.

"Hey, we'll figure out what's going on. We'll figure it out, and then we'll get out of here," she reassured him awkwardly, cursing herself for the hint of uncertainty she couldn't drive out of her voice. "Just... breathe, and, um, focus on my voice. I know we don't know where we are, or what's happening, or what's going on with all these weird people-" Not helpful, she thought, grasping for what to say. "Um, but, y'know, that doesn't mean we won't be able to find the answers to those things. I'm sure they're out there." Her words were just as much for herself as for him, at this point. If only she knew these things for sure, instead of weakly trying to speak them into existence.

 

[TamingMaster]

"You just picked me because you wanted to be a saviour, and I looked the most damaged." Fabian yelled back through the locked door.

"No," their mom replied, "we picked you because we wanted you to be part of our family." She gently placed her hand against the door, "We picked you because you shone the brightest."

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up!" Fabian burst through the door, racing down the stairs. They pushed past their second mom, who was standing at the bottom, and rushed to the front door. They flung it wide open, running down the street until they were far out of sight.

Their first mom tried to run after them, following them until she lost sight of them. "Fabian, come home! Please..."

Fabian slowly opened their eyes, staring at nothing in particular. They let out a sigh, their breath forming a white puff in front of them. I was a horrible son, huh.

It didn't take long for them to realise the cold feeling creeping across their body. Or how the inside of the hollow tree trunk was different, somehow.

The smell had changed, going from a humid burning to a fresh chill.
The light followed a similar pattern, a warm yellow was now a cool, pale blue.

They crawled out of the now-smaller hole, squinting through the white light that reflected off the snow.

"What the hell?" Fabian touched the frozen ground, it melting slightly. Their fingers turned bright red as they caught up with the temperature of the new climate.

There's no way I hallucinated an entire desert. They put a hand to their head. What about the crabs, and the bag, and the hammer?

They ducked down, peering back into the hollow trunk. There, propped up against the inner wall, was the hammer they had dug up. Next to it sat the bag they'd fought so hard for, filled with the coins of their victory.

They slung the bag across their chest, the black fabric blending with that of their t-shirt, and pulled the hammer out.
Whether they'd hallucinated it or not, they decided to keep the hammer, just in case.

They breathed a deep breath, taking a few steps forward, their eyes scanning their environment.

Giant pine trees, spaced a fair distance apart, covered as far as the eye could see. They caught large amounts of heavy snow, leaving the gaps to be blanketed with the leftovers. There was no other foliage in sight, as it had been covered by the snow, no doubt.

The ground was a frozen tundra, and the snow had made it difficult to determine whether or not it was safe to walk on. The only truly safe ground was that below the trees, which had been left untouched by the freezing weather.

Instead of making them worried, the sudden change of place had left Fabian incredibly angry.

They gritted their teeth tightly, scowling at the world. "I could've dealt with the stupid desert, but no. I had to somehow be put here. In this cold- Ugh."

"Stupid snow." They violently tried to kick the snow out of their path, the random direction they'd picked, but it barely moved.

It wasn't long before they started to shiver. Their arms wrapped around their chest, and their hands were tucked into their armpits, as they desperately tried to stay warm.

They screamed loudly, shouting obscenities at the trees, snow, and anything in sight. Their rage was probably the only reason they hadn't completely frozen.

But, they trudged on, the bottom of their jeans soaked with partially melted snow. Their shoes in a similar state, soggy all the way through, water slowly absorbing into their socks.

Fabian quickly reached a clearing where the snow was slightly thinner, in comparison to the previous masses.
Tiny shrubs had pushed their way through, fueled by the miserable amount of sun. They added colour to the bland biome, in the form of yellows, teals, and pinks.

In the middle of the clearing, laid on top of the shrubbery, was a black insulated jacket, lined with fleece.
There was no one in sight, no one who could've left it, and it seemed like the only chance Fabian had of surviving.

They walked over, trying not to use up their, already lacking, energy. They weaved through the shrubs, the sharp branches scratching at the fabric of their jeans, threatening to rip them if Fabian wasn't careful.

As they reached out to pick the jacket up, their reddened fingers burning from the frigid air, a sudden noise stopped them in their tracks.

Crack.

Fabian quietly looked down, using their shoe to gently brush some of the snow out of the way.

Below them was a vast shelf of foggy ice, underneath which was a body of deep blue water. Darker shadows flitted around in the water, tracing the lines in the splitting layer of ice.

"I am not doing this again." Fabian scrunched their face into an angry glare, deciding what exactly to do. But, that said, they weren't really one for thinking about their actions.

From what they could see, the shrubs were growing in the ice, like it was substrate, each having a single root that extended into the water.
If they could clear the shrubland, they would clear the ice, and aboid being pulled into the depths by whatever abomination inhabited them.

One hand carefully grabbed the jacket, the other held the hammer tightly.
They didn't plan on sticking around, or moving slowly. So, the only good option was to run. Fast.

Running to the left seemed like the best way, as it was a shorter distance, but the brush was much thicker, meaning it would be difficult to get through quickly.
The right was further away, but thinner; the better route of the two, since they couldn't go back, and they definitely wouldn't make it if they tried to go forwards.

Crack, the ice splintered even louder than before, echoing through the open air.

Fabian took a deep breath, taking a single moment to prepare, before running like he never had before.

Fabian got over halfway to the other side, before throwing their hammer and coat safely onto the snowy bank.

The ice cracked further underneath their feet, splintering into assorted sizes, starting to push itself apart. Some shards started sinking into the water, others pushed their way onto the banks, crashing and scraping across the frozen ground.

They almost made it.

Almost.

Fabian's foot slipped, plunging into the freezing water. The momentum carried the rest of their body in, pulling their head under. The shifting ice slid over, making it impossible to resurface.

They desperately struggled, their numb hands trying to slide the ice out of the way, even if just long enough for them to take another gasp of air. Their legs kicked wildly, despite the coldwater shock, hoping it'd be enough to keep them afloat, just until they could escape.

With all the strength they could muster, they punched at the ice, splitting it just enough to push apart. They reappeared from the water, taking a deep breath, their body shivering as it clashed with the cold air. "Aha."

But, their celebration was far too premature. The little tracing shadows rose up, wrapping around their legs, extending up their torso, and pulling them back down, under the now crashing waves.

Fabian tried to pull them off, to swim back to the surface, to do anything to escape, but the shadows wrapped further around their body, up their arms, continuing to pull them down.

Quickly, it became obvious that the little shadows were tentacles, attached to a much larger squid-like beast. And they were pulling Fabian towards the mouth - a giant, piercing beak, hidden in the midst of the extremities.

A giant eye domed outwardly, clashing with the murky green skin of the creature. It had a soulless pupil, thinned like a goat's, a hunger glowing in them, like nothing they'd seen before.

The tentacles constricted suffocatingly tighter around Fabian's torso as they were pulled closer, ensuring they wouldn't escape before they were able to be devoured.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a gigantic whale snatched the squid from the bottom of the depths, kicking up bunches of sand and flora.

The panicked squid released Fabian, its only goal now was to escape the jaws of the enormous whale. It clung tightly around the whale's skull, constricting as much as its weakening muscles could manage. But, eventually, its body gave out, and was swallowed down by the whale, as it disappeared into the deeper water.

The waves, from the battle of the beasts, knocked Fabian further into the deep, smacking their head on the mass of rocks that were splayed across the ground.

They tried to swim back up, a trail of blood seeping from their forehead, but they were too weak. The unconsciousness took them faster than they'd expected, and everything faded to black as their body drifted through the water.

"F-" Their last remaining breath left their lips as they began floating downwards, straight back to the place they'd tried so hard to escape, leaving the world guessing at what could've been their last word.

...

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"What on Earth is going on?" One of Fabian's moms called out as she made her way into the kitchen, shortly followed by their other mom. Smoke was floating through the air, setting off the fire alarms, which had woken both of them up.

When they got to the dining table, it was covered in plates filled with pancakes, cups of orange juice, a badly made jug of coffee, and burnt toast. Syrup was dripped across the tablecloth, and some of the butter, too. There were even some garden weeds that had been picked and tucked into a vase, placed in, roughly, the middle of the table.

The two shocked mothers stood in surprise for a minute, before Fabian appeared from around the corner, holding a little pot of strawberry jam.

Fabian stood for a moment, just looking at them, gauging their reactions. Their little face was covered with food smears, including a patch of flour across their forehead. "I-I wanted to say sorry. For running away."

They walked over to the table, tiptoeing to put the jam next to one of the plates. "Also, thank you."

Their first mom leaned down, pulling them into a tight hug. Their second mom, after turning the stove off, joined the hug.

"Thank you so much, Fabian." Their mom smiled widely. "This looks delicious."

Their other mom nodded along, "Shall we eat, then tidy up together?"

Fabian grinned proudly, climbing into one of the chairs between them both. "Yeah!"

...

Fabian launched up into a sitting position, patting their chest and gasping away, as the feeling of drowning hadn't quite yet subsided. "I'm alive? I'm alive!"

Their clothes were completely dry, apart from where they were sitting in the snow, and their skin prickled, like it had only just started to chill. It was almost like they'd just been placed there, to relive the sensations.

They patted their face, checking their hands, when they noticed a black, oval marking. It started to fade across the top, stopping when it reached a third of the way. "What the hell?!"
But, they were quickly distracted by more urgent matters.

A glance around revealed that Fabian was still in the frozen forest, next to the icy lake. A few steps away was their hammer and the jacket they'd thrown, prior to their journey to the depths.

They stood up, rushing over to their gear, and suddenly realised that the bag was missing; it wasn't across their chest or piled with the jacket.

A quiet splash drew their attention as the bag resurfaced in the water, floating close to the shore line.
Fabian hastily fished it out with the hammer, pulling it close enough to grab, as they dared not to enter the water again. Whether it was a dream or not, I'm definitely not chancing it.

A glint in the water caught Fabian's eye, causing them both to widen with shock as they realised what they were looking at.

Their body, deep in the water, faded away, like it had never been there to start with, leaving them with more questions than answers. But, it left them with one certainty.

"I really died."

 

[Yowza Wowza]

“Neat” Lyra walked in and was almost amused at Evan’s cowardly behaviour, she led the way with ease into the hut. Her adventurous nature made her want to touch and examine everything in the hut, she peered at the drawings, some skilful child had clearly drawn these, maybe it was someone who was also stuck where her and Evan were? Maybe they hadn’t figured a way out? Little did Lyra know just how far from the truth she was. She looked up as Evan told her the clothes on the line were still wet, her stomach dropped, something told her they weren’t supposed to be in here, particularly if the owner of the hut was still around. She put down the picture of the ants she had seen earlier and crossed the small room in two short strides to where Evan was, “do you think they will mind us being here?” She asked intently

Evan shook his head nervously “I think we should leave.. we’re basically invading someone’s home.” He replied, giving one last look around the room.

Creak.

“Yeah that’d be smart Home Invaders.” came a muffled voice in the doorway.

Evan’s body froze, his eyes slowly turning to look in the direction of the small figure that stood in the doorway. It wore a mask with a horrifying painted face as it wielded a bamboo staff in both hands in a defensive position. The being was short, wore t-shirt, leaf skirt, and was completely barefoot with some plant wrappings on its limbs.

Frantically, Evan stumbled backwards and looked for some kind of weapon to defend himself with, but all he could get his hands on was a crayon that he pointed pathetically at the small being. “S-Stay back!” he voice broke, eyes glued on the emotionless painted face.

The child didn’t heed Evan’s words and arrogantly stepped towards him and Lyra. Without warning they smacked the crayon out of Evan’s shaking hands and jabbed their staff into his stomach, forcing him to come crumbling down to the ground. They lifted up their mask and gazed up at Lyra rather boredly.

“So do you want to end up like your boyfriend here or are you actually gonna think about your actions?”

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Evan shook his head nervously “I think we should leave.. we’re basically invading someone’s home.” He replied, giving one last look around the room.

Creak.

“Yeah that’d be smart Home Invaders.” came a muffled voice in the doorway.

Evan’s body froze, his eyes slowly turning to look in the direction of the small figure that stood in the doorway. It wore a mask with a horrifying painted face as it wielded a bamboo staff in both hands in a defensive position. The being was short, wore t-shirt, leaf skirt, and was completely barefoot with some plant wrappings on its limbs.

Frantically, Evan stumbled backwards and looked for some kind of weapon to defend himself with, but all he could get his hands on was a crayon that he pointed pathetically at the small being. “S-Stay back!” he voice broke, eyes glued on the emotionless painted face.

The child didn’t heed Evan’s words and arrogantly stepped towards him and Lyra. Without warning they smacked the crayon out of Evan’s shaking hands and jabbed their staff into his stomach, forcing him to come crumbling down to the ground. They lifted up their mask and gazed up at Lyra rather boredly.

“So do you want to end up like your boyfriend here or are you actually gonna think about your actions?”

Lyra froze and whirled, the small child had some guts taking on Evan who crumpled to the ground. The kid turned to her
‘So do you want to end up like your boyfriend here or are you going to think about your actions?’
“I’ll think about my actions” she said hurriedly before kneeling to help Evan up, “and also he isn’t my boyfriend.” She added. She wasn’t sure why she was even telling the kid he wasn’t her boyfriend, it’s not like the kid would care anyway. She looked at the curled up Evan, “are you okay?” She whispered, Lyra looked up at the kid “um we didn’t mean to intrude we were just confused and we are lost and we saw a hut as shelter and we didn’t think this through” she realised she was babbling again “so I noticed your quite the artist” she said changing the subject.

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Lyra froze and whirled, the small child had some guts taking on Evan who crumpled to the ground. The kid turned to her
‘So do you want to end up like your boyfriend here or are you going to think about your actions?’
“I’ll think about my actions” she said hurriedly before kneeling to help Evan up, “and also he isn’t my boyfriend.” She added. She wasn’t sure why she was even telling the kid he wasn’t her boyfriend, it’s not like the kid would care anyway. She looked at the curled up Evan, “are you okay?” She whispered, Lyra looked up at the kid “um we didn’t mean to intrude we were just confused and we are lost and we saw a hut as shelter and we didn’t think this through” she realised she was babbling again “so I noticed your quite the artist” she said changing the subject.

Evan sputtered and coughed on the floor, keeping his arms wrapped around his stomach. For now he was staying down to avoid getting another hit if he dared to get to his feet. He took a peek at his assailant, who was none other than just a small girl with outrageous strength.

The girl just went ahead and whacked Lyra over the head with her staff before she could finish her last sentence. Her strike was not hard enough to knock her out, but just for Lyra to get the idea that she wasn’t messing around.

“Yeah sure like I’d believe that.” she hissed, curling her lip, “I’d expect something more realistic from some adults.” She held the end of her staff in close proximity to their faces, threatening to hit them again if they made a stupid move. “Tell me what you two are really out here for, are you guys trying to snag one of the exotic birds out here for trade?” she growled, demanding them to spit out the truth.

Evan kept his movements slow and careful as he took his hands away from his stomach. He shifted onto his knees so he was kneeling in front of the wild bush child. “I swear, we’re completely lost. We didn’t mean to trespass, we just thought that we could find someone to help us and explain where we are and how we got here.” Evan struggled to keep his voice steady as his eyes refrained from looking straight into the child’s face as he spoke. “We’re not here to hurt anybody or capture birds, so please, a little mercy?” His hands raised in front of his face, shielding it for another potential blow.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Evan sputtered and coughed on the floor, keeping his arms wrapped around his stomach. For now he was staying down to avoid getting another hit if he dared to get to his feet. He took a peek at his assailant, who was none other than just a small girl with outrageous strength.

The girl just went ahead and whacked Lyra over the head with her staff before she could finish her last sentence. Her strike was not hard enough to knock her out, but just for Lyra to get the idea that she wasn’t messing around.

“Yeah sure like I’d believe that.” she hissed, curling her lip, “I’d expect something more realistic from some adults.” She held the end of her staff in close proximity to their faces, threatening to hit them again if they made a stupid move. “Tell me what you two are really out here for, are you guys trying to snag one of the exotic birds out here for trade?” she growled, demanding them to spit out the truth.

Evan kept his movements slow and careful as he took his hands away from his stomach. He shifted onto his knees so he was kneeling in front of the wild bush child. “I swear, we’re completely lost. We didn’t mean to trespass, we just thought that we could find someone to help us and explain where we are and how we got here.” Evan struggled to keep his voice steady as his eyes refrained from looking straight into the child’s face as he spoke. “We’re not here to hurt anybody or capture birds, so please, a little mercy?” His hands raised in front of his face, shielding it for another potential blow.

“Ow” she cried her hands flying to her head, she sat up almost immediately “I promise, I swear on my own life we are lost” she said echoing Evan, she looked sideways at Evan to look at what he was doing to not provoke the kid. She watched the child for any sudden moments for her to try and dodge, this kid was over the top, like seriously in need of some anger management. Lyra could probably recommend help for her, she sniggered to herself despite the fact the kid would probably attack her.

 

[TamingMaster]

Nina furrowed her brows at Zahara's response, glancing at Damir as he spoke. When the woman started repeating herself, repeating her movements, Nina took a small step back from the counter, suddenly wary. The soothing atmosphere they'd encountered upon entering the shop had turned sour, and she could feel her heart rate quickening as adrenaline began to seep through her.

Something didn't feel right.

Beside her, Damir's breathing quickened, and she could hear the tightness in his voice. Zahara started repeating herself once again, the same empty-eyed smile taking over her features, and Nina felt a rush of nausea at how wrong everything felt, the sick sweetness of the air choking her. Damir turned and stumbled out, and Nina followed him, cool air brushing against her face as she passed through the doorway.

She stood in the street, resting her hands on her hips and closing her eyes as she sucked in long, calming breaths, her face tilted towards the sky. "So," she finally breathed, turning towards her companion, "that went well..."

Noticing his hunched position and the way his chest heaved, she trailed off, moving so she was standing in front of him. She leaned over a bit, peering at his face, and spoke, her voice soft.

"Hey, we'll figure out what's going on. We'll figure it out, and then we'll get out of here," she reassured him awkwardly, cursing herself for the hint of uncertainty she couldn't drive out of her voice. "Just... breathe, and, um, focus on my voice. I know we don't know where we are, or what's happening, or what's going on with all these weird people-" Not helpful, she thought, grasping for what to say. "Um, but, y'know, that doesn't mean we won't be able to find the answers to those things. I'm sure they're out there." Her words were just as much for herself as for him, at this point. If only she knew these things for sure, instead of weakly trying to speak them into existence.

(^ This is so cute. )

Damir looked up at Nina, closely observing her features and movements, her emotions, for just a moment. Unlike the other people, she had life in her eyes, and behaved like a person normally would. He was certain that she was real, and that he was, too.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbled, knowing he had to calm down; panicking wasn't going to help either of them.
Besides, Nina was right, there had to be a reason for this, and still possibly a way out, for both of them.

But, he didn't know where to begin, or what they were supposed to be looking for. They didn't even know where they actually were, aside from what Zahara had called the "Safe Zone".

Damir took a short breath in, before standing up straight and trying to bury his anxious thoughts. This wasn't the first time he'd had a panic attack, and he knew it definitely wouldn't be the last.

He glanced back at Nina, giving her a quick nod, trying to reassure her that he was okay. The kid shouldn't have to worry about me, in any case.

After standing quietly for a minute, taking stock of what they had to work with, Damir finally spoke. "We need a plan... Or, at least some kind of next step."

He was open to any ideas they could think of, assuming it'd be better than just standing in the middle of the road, waiting.

 

[Thing2]

(^ This is so cute. )

Damir looked up at Nina, closely observing her features and movements, her emotions, for just a moment. Unlike the other people, she had life in her eyes, and behaved like a person normally would. He was certain that she was real, and that he was, too.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbled, knowing he had to calm down; panicking wasn't going to help either of them.
Besides, Nina was right, there had to be a reason for this, and still possibly a way out, for both of them.

But, he didn't know where to begin, or what they were supposed to be looking for. They didn't even know where they actually were, aside from what Zahara had called the "Safe Zone".

Damir took a short breath in, before standing up straight and trying to bury his anxious thoughts. This wasn't the first time he'd had a panic attack, and he knew it definitely wouldn't be the last.

He glanced back at Nina, giving her a quick nod, trying to reassure her that he was okay. The kid shouldn't have to worry about me, in any case.

After standing quietly for a minute, taking stock of what they had to work with, Damir finally spoke. "We need a plan... Or, at least some kind of next step."

He was open to any ideas they could think of, assuming it'd be better than just standing in the middle of the road, waiting.

"Hey, don't apologize," she said, offering a reassuring smile. "That-" she gestured back toward the shop "-was really... unnerving. It freaked me out too."

She nodded and turned away as he spoke, stuffing her hands into her back pockets. He was right, they did need a plan. "I mean, we could leave the Safe Zone. I don't know how dangerous it is out there, but we're getting nowhere in here."

The coin, nestled in her pocket, brushed her fingers, and she absentmindedly brought it out, her eyes settling on her palm tattoo instead. The coin, forgotten, was returned to her pocket as she stared at the inky 56 marked on the skin of her hand.

"Yours was a 100, right? What do you think these mean?" She asked, looking back up at him as she tossed her theory around in her mind. "Do you think there are more of us out here? What if these are like- I don't know- player numbers or something." Her voice quieted as she finished the thought, a little embarrassed but too confused and anxious to really care.