T̷h̷e̸ ̵G̶a̴m̸e̵ - A VR Role-play

[TamingMaster]

Lyra coughed spluttering water, at some point during her fall she’d shut her eyes and just hoped she went quickly. And now she was on an island? What. The. Hell.
This couldn’t be right, surely! She hadn’t even felt herself hit the water, but in this place perhaps the biome shifted or something happened to stop her from reaching the bottom.
She rolled onto her side and violently coughed the water she’d swallowed back up. “Oh my…” she broke off glancing around the island they were on, her body was still incredibly weak from her fall. She laughed a little. The island was one of the oddest things she’d ever seen, it was tiny and there was a small town in each corner. But in the middle a circle of rainforest that appeared as though it hadn’t been touched or tampered with ever. However all around this rainforest stood huts.
The huts were tall and built from wood, she had no idea where the people had gotten the wood from, the rest of their island was desert after all. “What an odd place” she muttered. With a groan she collapsed back onto the ground “I’m too old for this” she muttered, her orange and brown hair spread around her head like a fan. A very frizzy fan.

Fabian brushed the dust off their soaked trousers, which had been caked on during their abrupt landing. As they did, they slowly turned to take in the new scenery, rubbing their hands together to remove the clinging traces of sand.

The rainforest, which sat untouched in the middle of the floating island, was a deep green cluster of trees, bunched so tightly it could almost be mistaken for one gigantic tree. The roots trailed across the soil patch, stopping at the edge of the sands, where the biomes blended.

Huge polypores - shelf fungus, in burning autumnal colours, grew up the clustered trees, spread out like fans; their gills being the most visible from where the pair stood. They formed a broken staircase, leading up into the thick foliage above, where yellowed vines looped between branches, dipping back down and trailing towards the ground.

The towns, occupying their own wedges of the land, looked cozy. Their outer walls, from what Fabian could make out, were made of smoothed sandstone bricks, making use of the abundance of sand around them.

But, they lacked something that most towns generally need to have: people.
They were quiet, almost abandoned. There was no movement, except for the occasional dropping leaf, quickly swallowed by the sand as it blew through.

The huts, which stood a little closer, were in a similar state; quiet, abandoned, but clean.
They were made of a wood much darker than the rainforest itself, and were stilted higher than they could possibly climb. There didn't seem to be any ladders or ropes to climb up, all of the huts just seemed to be connected to each other by a thin rope bridge, circling the bunched trees.

Through the wall of clouds, a tiny glint of orange flittered past, unseen by the pair. And the soft sound of wind chimes swept through, breaking the emptiness of the dry air.

When Fabian caught sight of Lyra, they couldn't help but let out a short, but sharp laugh, after noticing her hair splayed out like a peacock's trademark tail feathers.

They limped over, feeling every ache and pain they'd received on their journey to the island. They held a hand out awkwardly, offering to help her onto her feet. "We should probably get out of the sun. Are you okay to walk?"

While they waited for a response, they took a short moment to tally up what they had, mentally cursing themself for losing their hammer and the jacket. But, at least they still had the spider silk rope and their bag.

 

[TamingMaster]

Half-listening to what either the two were talking about, Zulema sluggishly rested her face in the palm of her hand and stared hard at the ceiling while absently fiddling with the knit of her fishnets.

"So, what do we do? Sit here all day, staring at each other, twiddling our thumbs?"

“Actually—” Zulema’s voice finally broke out as she peeled herself off the couch and stood up to face her guests.

Her eyes lit up with exhilaration,“You two hatchlings are getting a big kick out of the nest.”

She tossed on a hooded cloak and collected her crossbow. “We’re going on a quest, and hopefully from there you newbies can figure how to navigate this world first-hand.” she stated sternly, slipping on a pair of gloves and filling her pockets with miscellaneous items from around the bus.

Once she was finished, Zulema stood at the front of the bus and pointed at the rows of seats that were occupied with random equipment, gear, and weapons. “You’re free to pick whatever you want from these seats, they’re pretty basic so you’re allowed to keep them.”

Theodore cast a startled glance a Leita, then back at Zulema. "What do you mean by 'quest'?" He threw up air-quotation marks. It didn't sound very promising- with their only other experience being outside the bus nearly ending in xyr death.

They observed her as she collected things around the bus. It seemed she wasn't giving them much of a choice to go on this "quest," so he decided not to argue. I just hope I can find a way home.
Trying to find a path in his brain, trying to see beyond the walls of the honeysuckle bush, past the confines of the present, was futile. Crackling static in xyr mind blocked xem from seeing almost anything. Failed Seer.

A mention of weapons and armor drew their attention back to the bus, and they stood, looking over the array. A basic set of bow and arrows, slingshots and a rather large shield, knives, chain mail armor, a vest and gloves, and a few various other items.
I could use the bow, but my aim isn't that good... I'm clearly poor with knives, and a slingshot wouldn't protect me from something like the thing in the woods.

Oh.

Glinting from beneath the chain mail shirt was a long blade, which he carefully removed from where it was hidden. Nearly immediately he recognized it as a scimitar. It wasn't a pretty thing, nor was it as long or as thin as Hana's katanas, and it didn't weigh the same in their hands, but it was familiar. Xe knew how to wield a katana to some extent- a scimitar couldn't be horribly different.
He settled on that, the chain mail shirt, and a belt with various pouches. Now lets just hope I don't die.

"A game, huh." Leita muttered to herself, in a polite disbelief, stretching out on the couch. But, by the time she'd got comfy, both Zulema and Theodore were back on their feet making their way through the bus.

Leita quickly bounced back to her feet, following them past the red curtain separator, and towards the junk-filled seats.

She watched both Zulema and Theodore pick through the floor to ceiling clutter; Zulema with intent, knowing where everything she wanted was, and Theodore with curiosity, looking for something protective.

She decided to join them, starting by picking through a small heap of sashes and belts. After a few minutes, she pulled out a long, dark brown, leather belt, with a sheath for a long sword.

Leita tried her sword, which fit well, and would certainly be more comfortable than carrying it everywhere. But, when she tried to buckle the belt around her waist, it was slightly too large.

Luckily, Leita wasn't shy when it came to fixing problems; she placed the belt on the floor and used the tip of her sword to create another hole, making it a better fit. She pulled it tight against her waist, looping it through the strap of her old bag, and slotting her sword back into the sheath with a soft grin.

She then moved onto looking for some kind of armour, to hopefully protect her from other bumps and scrapes with wild animals.

Digging into the deepest pile, she pulled out a pair of shabby boots, which had already been over-worn. She glanced at her blue crocs, which had remained consistently protective, before tossing the boots back into the junk pile.

She fished through old jackets, a pair of trousers covered in dried mud, and various metal parts that she couldn't make out, until she found something that suited her perfectly: a pair of blue leather bracers, decorated with a pattern of waves and scales.

Leita pulled the bracers on, pulling the laces tight and tucking the loose strands in, before testing them out through various stretchse and pretend swings, from a sword made of air.

Her attention was snatched by Theodore wielding xyr own sword, of sorts. Their form wasn't bad, as nervous as they were holding it.

She shuffled a little closer to xem, carefully minding the blade and flailing antlers as she got closer.

"Hey," Leita said in a hushed tone, giving the distracted Zulema a glance before patting Theo gently on the arm. "I don't really trust her. I mean, this all sounds pretty farfetched, right? But, listen, I've got your back, if you've got mine."

She held her hand out with a smile, offering a handshake to seal the deal. She didn't know how much she could trust the pink-haired stranger, but she was hoping it was a little more than she could trust Zulema.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Nodding, Zayne's shoulders slumped as he let out a breath. He hadn't realized just how much tension he was holding, until Xavier confirmed that no, he wasn't the only one who thought it odd.

He trudged along next to Xavier, rolling his sleeves down to cover his forearms. The mud frozen to his clothes made the action pointless, but Zayne was happy to pretend it at least blocked some of the wind chill.

Casting yet another look to the mountains, he shuddered, flexing his numbing toes. A part of him knew that maybe he should be concerned by the lack of feeling, but he was too tired to care, and the dull ache in the rest of his body made up for it.

Gotta keep walking.

"So, uh, what's the first thing you're going to do once we get home?" Zayne asked, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. "I'll probably shower. In hot water. God, hot water would be great right about now." He grimaced, shaking his head. He honestly didn't expect much of an answer from them, only a little ashamed to admit he was he was talking for himself. The more he talked, the less he would think about the cold, and how he could feel it creeping through his body and oh no I'm thinking about it again.

Just keep walking.

"Where are you from? Have I asked that yet? I don't remember."

Normally Xavier would've told Zayne to shut up seven questions ago.
But at this point, it was the only thing keeping them from just sitting down and accepting death and defeat in the fragmented reality of snow and ice.

"I'm from Oregon. About 45 minutes from Salem. And I would shower, and drink copious amounts of caffeine." Its answer was short, but it was an answer.
Xai was not a people-person. People were annoying, they asked too many questions, they wanted to know everything and anything about everyone and everything. They were loud, rude, selfish, and demanding.

Zayne was inquisitive, and asked a lot of questions, but he wasn't any of the following traits.
If they were honest, they could get used to the company of someone like Zayne.

Cold was gripping it, numbing every part of its body. And focusing on the that cold was worth than anything, and the next best thing was to-

Continue talking.

They nearly grimaced.

"What about you?" They asked, shooting him a glance. "Where are you from? What do you do with your life?"

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"A game, huh." Leita muttered to herself, in a polite disbelief, stretching out on the couch. But, by the time she'd got comfy, both Zulema and Theodore were back on their feet making their way through the bus.

Leita quickly bounced back to her feet, following them past the red curtain separator, and towards the junk-filled seats.

She watched both Zulema and Theodore pick through the floor to ceiling clutter; Zulema with intent, knowing where everything she wanted was, and Theodore with curiosity, looking for something protective.

She decided to join them, starting by picking through a small heap of sashes and belts. After a few minutes, she pulled out a long, dark brown, leather belt, with a sheath for a long sword.

Leita tried her sword, which fit well, and would certainly be more comfortable than carrying it everywhere. But, when she tried to buckle the belt around her waist, it was slightly too large.

Luckily, Leita wasn't shy when it came to fixing problems; she placed the belt on the floor and used the tip of her sword to create another hole, making it a better fit. She pulled it tight against her waist, looping it through the strap of her old bag, and slotting her sword back into the sheath with a soft grin.

She then moved onto looking for some kind of armour, to hopefully protect her from other bumps and scrapes with wild animals.

Digging into the deepest pile, she pulled out a pair of shabby boots, which had already been over-worn. She glanced at her blue crocs, which had remained consistently protective, before tossing the boots back into the junk pile.

She fished through old jackets, a pair of trousers covered in dried mud, and various metal parts that she couldn't make out, until she found something that suited her perfectly: a pair of blue leather bracers, decorated with a pattern of waves and scales.

Leita pulled the bracers on, pulling the laces tight and tucking the loose strands in, before testing them out through various stretchse and pretend swings, from a sword made of air.

Her attention was snatched by Theodore wielding xyr own sword, of sorts. Their form wasn't bad, as nervous as they were holding it.

She shuffled a little closer to xem, carefully minding the blade and flailing antlers as she got closer.

"Hey," Leita said in a hushed tone, giving the distracted Zulema a glance before patting Theo gently on the arm. "I don't really trust her. I mean, this all sounds pretty farfetched, right? But, listen, I've got your back, if you've got mine."

She held her hand out with a smile, offering a handshake to seal the deal. She didn't know how much she could trust the pink-haired stranger, but she was hoping it was a little more than she could trust Zulema.

Leita stole Theodore's attention away from the scimitar, his wide-eyed gaze meeting hers, ears twitching. The blonde had given xem no reason to not trust her. Of course, she hadn't given them a reason to trust her yet, but there was no reason he should throw away a possible friend.

If anything, she was a lot less shady than Zulema.

"'Course I've got your back," they offered a toothy grin, shaking her hand with certainty. "It is farfetched, and things are...they're nasty out there. I could use a friend. One who isn't shady."

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Damir nodded, agreeing with Evan. "Yeah, you're right. Maybe she'll be waiting there. Maybe I-I just missed her and she's still there."

Damir gave it a minute of thought, then decided to take him up on his offer to have a short rest, before they went off to find Nina.

He carefully sat on the crate, cautiously lowering his weight onto it until he was fully seated. "Thank you."

He pulled up his trouser leg, unclipping his prosthetic leg and leaning it up against himself. Some of the scarred skin on his leg was broken, but not enough to cause too much trouble for him.

"Ah, s-sorry, I'm Damir." He introduced himself, wondering if he should've offered a handshake or not. "It's nice to meet you... Despite the circumstan-"

CLUNK.

Their peaceful alleyway conversation was interrupted by a little metal robot, which had fallen from somewhere on the building beside them.

After the initial shock, Damir looked up at Evan, then back down at the robot.
It had kept most of its shape, but was missing a few parts, and didn't seem to be working.

Damir shuffled forward on the milk crate, slowly picking it up and inspecting it.
He was sure he could fix it, even with his limited equipment, but he didn't know if he should. "Do you think it's dangerous?"

Evan was abruptly staggered when the robot violently collided with the asphalt. He threw his arms out in front of him as some sort of shield before sheepishly lowering them once he realized there was no ensuing harm.

He exchanged a glance with Damir and followed his movements, though making sure to keep his distance from the robot. It seemed to remain in its reposed state in Damir’s possession. Evan observed closer, noting its three intact limbs and rectangular frame body. It had a sleek design appearance apart from the damage it sustained and cracked panel display.

“I’m.. not sure..”

“I think… I’ve seen something like this before?” he spoke hesitantly, taking a knee by Damir and plucking a few components off the ground that fell off the robot.

“I knew someone who was a robotics engineer and built little companion bots.. similar to this.”

Evan bit the inside of his cheek as he studied the robot and its barren black screen. He pondered out loud, “We can try getting it to work again somehow and figure out it’s diagnostics?”

His eyes fell to the components in his numbered palm. “Though I don’t have anything that’ll put these back..”

 

[Yowza Wowza]

"A game, huh." Leita muttered to herself, in a polite disbelief, stretching out on the couch. But, by the time she'd got comfy, both Zulema and Theodore were back on their feet making their way through the bus.

Leita quickly bounced back to her feet, following them past the red curtain separator, and towards the junk-filled seats.

She watched both Zulema and Theodore pick through the floor to ceiling clutter; Zulema with intent, knowing where everything she wanted was, and Theodore with curiosity, looking for something protective.

She decided to join them, starting by picking through a small heap of sashes and belts. After a few minutes, she pulled out a long, dark brown, leather belt, with a sheath for a long sword.

Leita tried her sword, which fit well, and would certainly be more comfortable than carrying it everywhere. But, when she tried to buckle the belt around her waist, it was slightly too large.

Luckily, Leita wasn't shy when it came to fixing problems; she placed the belt on the floor and used the tip of her sword to create another hole, making it a better fit. She pulled it tight against her waist, looping it through the strap of her old bag, and slotting her sword back into the sheath with a soft grin.

She then moved onto looking for some kind of armour, to hopefully protect her from other bumps and scrapes with wild animals.

Digging into the deepest pile, she pulled out a pair of shabby boots, which had already been over-worn. She glanced at her blue crocs, which had remained consistently protective, before tossing the boots back into the junk pile.

She fished through old jackets, a pair of trousers covered in dried mud, and various metal parts that she couldn't make out, until she found something that suited her perfectly: a pair of blue leather bracers, decorated with a pattern of waves and scales.

Leita pulled the bracers on, pulling the laces tight and tucking the loose strands in, before testing them out through various stretchse and pretend swings, from a sword made of air.

Her attention was snatched by Theodore wielding xyr own sword, of sorts. Their form wasn't bad, as nervous as they were holding it.

She shuffled a little closer to xem, carefully minding the blade and flailing antlers as she got closer.

"Hey," Leita said in a hushed tone, giving the distracted Zulema a glance before patting Theo gently on the arm. "I don't really trust her. I mean, this all sounds pretty farfetched, right? But, listen, I've got your back, if you've got mine."

She held her hand out with a smile, offering a handshake to seal the deal. She didn't know how much she could trust the pink-haired stranger, but she was hoping it was a little more than she could trust Zulema.

Leita stole Theodore's attention away from the scimitar, his wide-eyed gaze meeting hers, ears twitching. The blonde had given xem no reason to not trust her. Of course, she hadn't given them a reason to trust her yet, but there was no reason he should throw away a possible friend.

If anything, she was a lot less shady than Zulema.

"'Course I've got your back," they offered a toothy grin, shaking her hand with certainty. "It is farfetched, and things are...they're nasty out there. I could use a friend. One who isn't shady."

By the time the two collected their equipment, Zulema was already outside of the bus a few paces away watching as daybreak approached. It was still relatively dark out and there was a rich fragrance of dew in the air. She had caught Leita’s and Theo’s verbal corroboration, feeling that she could possibly never believe such a statement— at least not again.

Eventually when the two rejoined her, Zulema started making headway to the location of their quest. She led them into the thickest part of the forest, that was strangely devoid of any wildlife. The three were alone with just the sounds of their footsteps on the forest duff. One might believe she was possibly leading them to their deaths from how eerily uncommunicative she was during their walk.

Once they reached a tree that was unnaturally split down the middle and surrounded by clusters of mushrooms, Zulema gave Theo and Leita a side glance, pointing her finger at the tree, “There are usually landmarks that hint that you’re about to go into another environment. Some aren’t as obvious as this one, but it’s good to be aware of any abnormalities in the landscape.”

She stepped forward past the tree and her entire form disappeared, as if she’d been absorbed by the forest itself. Zulema phased through into a new environment, one that was an entirely grassy clifftop that accommodated ruins of an ancient civilization. The ruins were entirely made of a grey stone and much of the buildings that remained were just foundations and low walls covered with foliage. There were a number of pillars and archways that kept its shape, while some were completely collapsed.

At the other side of the ruins was a medieval-looking castle that rested on the cliff side, with an ocean far below. It was the sole structure that retained its solid fortification.

Adjusting her hood to adhere to the sun that was now above the horizon, Zulema began down an overgrown trail that cut through the lost city.

“We can find the quest inside the castle, but most importantly—” she spun to face her companions, enunciating with great emphasis “Don’t mess with the iguanas, entienden?”

The iguanas Zulema was referring to were the ones that occupied the ruins, either sunbathing, eating, or wandering about. They were rather large and their ashy black scales allowed them to blend in with the stonework of the city.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Fabian brushed the dust off their soaked trousers, which had been caked on during their abrupt landing. As they did, they slowly turned to take in the new scenery, rubbing their hands together to remove the clinging traces of sand.

The rainforest, which sat untouched in the middle of the floating island, was a deep green cluster of trees, bunched so tightly it could almost be mistaken for one gigantic tree. The roots trailed across the soil patch, stopping at the edge of the sands, where the biomes blended.

Huge polypores - shelf fungus, in burning autumnal colours, grew up the clustered trees, spread out like fans; their gills being the most visible from where the pair stood. They formed a broken staircase, leading up into the thick foliage above, where yellowed vines looped between branches, dipping back down and trailing towards the ground.

The towns, occupying their own wedges of the land, looked cozy. Their outer walls, from what Fabian could make out, were made of smoothed sandstone bricks, making use of the abundance of sand around them.

But, they lacked something that most towns generally need to have: people.
They were quiet, almost abandoned. There was no movement, except for the occasional dropping leaf, quickly swallowed by the sand as it blew through.

The huts, which stood a little closer, were in a similar state; quiet, abandoned, but clean.
They were made of a wood much darker than the rainforest itself, and were stilted higher than they could possibly climb. There didn't seem to be any ladders or ropes to climb up, all of the huts just seemed to be connected to each other by a thin rope bridge, circling the bunched trees.

Through the wall of clouds, a tiny glint of orange flittered past, unseen by the pair. And the soft sound of wind chimes swept through, breaking the emptiness of the dry air.

When Fabian caught sight of Lyra, they couldn't help but let out a short, but sharp laugh, after noticing her hair splayed out like a peacock's trademark tail feathers.

They limped over, feeling every ache and pain they'd received on their journey to the island. They held a hand out awkwardly, offering to help her onto her feet. "We should probably get out of the sun. Are you okay to walk?"

While they waited for a response, they took a short moment to tally up what they had, mentally cursing themself for losing their hammer and the jacket. But, at least they still had the spider silk rope and their bag.

She lay there for a few seconds staring at the sky, she felt every ache right to her very bones as she watched the clouds change. Lyra glanced up at Fabian, instead of replying she held her hand up to them in a silent plea to help her get up because there was no way in heck she was getting up by herself.
Pretty sure she had lost everything to the swirly depths of icy water she had been submerged in a few minutes ago she didn’t bother to look or feel around for her bag. Her arms and legs ached and as she strained to sit up her limbs and bones groaned in protest. Oh gosh, how she hated this. “When…this…is over” she rasped, her throat aching “I’m never leaving my room again. School and friends be damned.”

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Normally Xavier would've told Zayne to shut up seven questions ago.
But at this point, it was the only thing keeping them from just sitting down and accepting death and defeat in the fragmented reality of snow and ice.

"I'm from Oregon. About 45 minutes from Salem. And I would shower, and drink copious amounts of caffeine." Its answer was short, but it was an answer.
Xai was not a people-person. People were annoying, they asked too many questions, they wanted to know everything and anything about everyone and everything. They were loud, rude, selfish, and demanding.

Zayne was inquisitive, and asked a lot of questions, but he wasn't any of the following traits.
If they were honest, they could get used to the company of someone like Zayne.

Cold was gripping it, numbing every part of its body. And focusing on the that cold was worth than anything, and the next best thing was to-

Continue talking.

They nearly grimaced.

"What about you?" They asked, shooting him a glance. "Where are you from? What do you do with your life?"

"Oregon? That's nice, I'd love to visit there someday," he said, taking a deep breath. Regret flashed across his face at the icy burn that filled his lungs. "I heard it's really green. Or-- or am I thinking of Washington?"

He shook his head. Geography and other state facts was his strong suit, but right now his brain felt as muddied as the swamp they were previously trapped in. Though with the current situation, perhaps his head feeling "snowed in" would be a more accurate description.

"California," Zayne replied, having only caught the last two questions Xavier asked, "I grew up in San Francisco but moved down south on a scholarship."

Was it on a scholarship, or with? He honestly couldn't keep track of things anymore. But at least he stopped feeling himself shiver. That had to be good, right?

Looking up at the looming mountain, he really hoped this was the right call.

"Have any family? Back home? What're they like?"

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

By the time the two collected their equipment, Zulema was already outside of the bus a few paces away watching as daybreak approached. It was still relatively dark out and there was a rich fragrance of dew in the air. She had caught Leita’s and Theo’s verbal corroboration, feeling that she could possibly never believe such a statement— at least not again.

Eventually when the two rejoined her, Zulema started making headway to the location of their quest. She led them into the thickest part of the forest, that was strangely devoid of any wildlife. The three were alone with just the sounds of their footsteps on the forest duff. One might believe she was possibly leading them to their deaths from how eerily uncommunicative she was during their walk.

Once they reached a tree that was unnaturally split down the middle and surrounded by clusters of mushrooms, Zulema gave Theo and Leita a side glance, pointing her finger at the tree, “There are usually landmarks that hint that you’re about to go into another environment. Some aren’t as obvious as this one, but it’s good to be aware of any abnormalities in the landscape.”

She stepped forward past the tree and her entire form disappeared, as if she’d been absorbed by the forest itself. Zulema phased through into a new environment, one that was an entirely grassy clifftop that accommodated ruins of an ancient civilization. The ruins were entirely made of a grey stone and much of the buildings that remained were just foundations and low walls covered with foliage. There were a number of pillars and archways that kept its shape, while some were completely collapsed.

At the other side of the ruins was a medieval-looking castle that rested on the cliff side, with an ocean far below. It was the sole structure that retained its solid fortification.

Adjusting her hood to adhere to the sun that was now above the horizon, Zulema began down an overgrown trail that cut through the lost city.

“We can find the quest inside the castle, but most importantly—” she spun to face her companions, enunciating with great emphasis “Don’t mess with the iguanas, entienden?”

The iguanas Zulema was referring to were the ones that occupied the ruins, either sunbathing, eating, or wandering about. They were rather large and their ashy black scales allowed them to blend in with the stonework of the city.

Theodore stuck to Leita's side like glue. Distrust was turning his gut- why would Zulema even think of bringing them into the forest where he had nearly died?
The trip was so silent, so deeply unsettling. Gooseflesh crawled down their arms, chilling their spine. Silence was unnerving- silence meant danger.
Warm skin brushing against xyr right hand caused xem to jump, until xe realized it was only xyr hand brushing against Leita's. Stupid. She probably doesn't appreciate you clinging to her side like a scared puppy.

Allowing space to drift between them, he gripped the scimitar in his left hand tighter, even as they stopped to listen to Zulema explain the landmarks. They were so caught up in memorizing the tree, that they hardly noticed Zulema move until she was gone.

Vanished.

Swallowing sharply, he gave Leita a glance. "So, she vanished." Anxiety-tinged sarcasm glazed the obvious statement. Xe observed xyr surroundings, drawing in a deep breath as xe did so. Aa- ow.
Their lungs viciously protested against their binder at the deep breathing. It had been several hours too long, and he was facing the consequences. That's going to be a problem.

...

For future Theodore, he decided.

With no further hesitation other than a thrown away glance back at Leita, Theo stepped past the tree, holding xyr breath as if it would shield xem.
For a moment, he was plunged under the surface of a pool. Sightless and deaf, the only other thing bringing him awareness was brief pressure, until he felt cold air, as if they had never been in the damp forest.

Salty breeze licked their cheek bones and danced among their hair, sweeping curls off of their forehead. Xe dared to open xyr eyes, taking into vast expanse before xem.
Dried grasses whistled around his feet, dust turning the black boots a dirty brown. The moorland stretched for what appeared to be many miles- as if he wouldn't phase back into a forest if he took two steps back.
The only thing that broke the moorland apart were ruins of stone structures.

Fresh waves of nausea came over at the sight of the ruins, at the sight of the castle. Tentatively he took a few steps forward, feet immediately dipping into crevasses in the earth.
Whispers tickled his ears, pieces of an ancient tale glitching across his vision in shattered shards.
A child's small, calloused bare feet slipping into the very crevasses he was standing in. Celebrations older than time, chants spoken in tongues that he couldn't even begin to comprehend. A bleeding sunset casting shadows of the destruction that befell the ancients. The iron stench of it all, the rot of it all creating new, silent life stretching across the ruins of the once alive civilization.
What was this...?

"Don't mess with the iguanas, entienden?"

"Sí, sí, senõrita, entienden!" The sharp tone forced the words from their throat before they really even processed what they said. They were standing right behind Zulema, despite not remembering or even being aware of following the vampire.
Wait...iguanas?

There were iguanas back home. Although they were rare within the city itself, you occasionally saw one in trees or sunbathing. They were virtually harmless beings, as long as you didn't stick your hand near their mouths. Nothing that anyone was ever warned about- Mexico City had far more dangerous things to worry about than iguanas.
"No offense intended," he muttered, full offense intended. "But what the hell is this place? And.. why is it completely abandoned, except for iguanas?"

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"Oregon? That's nice, I'd love to visit there someday," he said, taking a deep breath. Regret flashed across his face at the icy burn that filled his lungs. "I heard it's really green. Or-- or am I thinking of Washington?"

He shook his head. Geography and other state facts was his strong suit, but right now his brain felt as muddied as the swamp they were previously trapped in. Though with the current situation, perhaps his head feeling "snowed in" would be a more accurate description.

"California," Zayne replied, having only caught the last two questions Xavier asked, "I grew up in San Francisco but moved down south on a scholarship."

Was it on a scholarship, or with? He honestly couldn't keep track of things anymore. But at least he stopped feeling himself shiver. That had to be good, right?

Looking up at the looming mountain, he really hoped this was the right call.

"Have any family? Back home? What're they like?"

"Both Oregon and Washington are pretty green, I guess." They shrugged, a stagger halting their steps as they broke into a coughing fit. It's lungs heaved and protested as it fought for freezing air for several moments, before straighting up as best as it could, staggering onwards.
They listened to Zayne, eyes stinging as large flakes pelted them, even more threatening clouds rolling closer and closer. It squinted at the mention of California. "California is very warm. That would be nice right about now. Not that I've ever been to California, though."

Their breath was coming in short, frozen gasps by now, icy eyes pinning on the boy at the last series of questions. "I have an aunt. An older brother and a younger sister." They paused, their gaze falling back to the glitching snow. "My brothers estranged. Left a while back, rarely heard from him since. My sister is bearable enough, I guess. My aunt is.. well, she tries her best, supposedly. She's rarely home." They scowled deeply. "Leaving me to take care of the house and my sister."

It snapped upright suddenly, picking up the pace. "But that's irrelevant. Tell me more about yourself."