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[throughthelookingmax]

"Hey, looks like there's a town up ahead."

Reigen obviously saw it --- he was the one driving, so he saw just about everything. But Max wasn't sure that the others in the back had. She looked over the shoulder of her seat as she said it, making sure that her voice wasn't drowned out by the sound of the 80s citypop CD they acquired at the last town they ran into.

Max turned back around and squinted her eyes, trying her best to filter out the rays of blinding light that seemed to reflect off of everything.

"I think it might be near a beach, too," she said. "That looks like a seagull, right?" Max pointed at the figure of a bird flying overhead.

Comments

[espresso_doppio]

Doppio nodded, watching the way Vento flicked out his tongue to lick at Chid's hand. Even his tongue nearly as wide as the boy's hand. Sometimes he forgot how young Chid was - he spoke with so much poise and gravitas. Even if he couldn't remember everything yet, Doppio was sure he was nothing like him as a child.

"I don't know how to ride horses, though. You'll have to teach me."

[princechid]

"Doppio hasn't ridden a horse before?" Chid asked Doppio's father. He had to confirm the facts.

[espresso_doppio]

"Well...the first time he got up close to one, he got a little overwhelmed and never tried again."

Doppio winced. "...Not even once? Are you sure?"

"Well, there's no time like the present to try again, isn't that right?"

[princechid]

Chid nodded solemnly, as if taking this as seriously as an oath. "I will show you what you need to do. I'm sure you can do it this time!"

[espresso_doppio]

"R-right!" Doppio cleared his throat. There was absolutely no way in hell he was going to look bad in front of Chid.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"...What do you think they're talking about?" Even as they slowly rolled into the charming sun-warmed village, Doppio was making so many dramatic faces that Reigen couldn't help but comment on it.

[throughthelookingmax]

"Think he might be remembering a few things?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen hummed. It certainly seemed so to him.

"...Wait, if we're going to his childhood home...doesn't that mean...baby pictures?"

[throughthelookingmax]

Hitomi peeked up from the back at that. Max just grinned.

"You looking forward to seeing baby Doppio?" she asked Reigen.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Oh don't act like you aren't. If this is gonna be my last few days with my strange little friend I'm gonna milk it for everything it's worth. I'm gonna get the stories about him you'd only hear at his wedding."

[aoihitomi]

"I wonder if there are any pictures of his family. I'm sure his mom was very pretty. I wonder if they shared the same hair."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Given how easily Doppio passed as a girl, Reigen had a hard time imagining he didn't take after her.

"Hm...if Father Serra took him in as a baby, did that mean there was no one left to do it?"

[aoihitomi]

"His father must not have been in the picture... and his mother might not have had any family herself." This was too sad.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"...Just remember, happy faces, alright?"

They attracted stares as they passed through the narrow stone pathways of the village. Reigen pegged most of the folks as locals with their tanned skin and rustically casual attire, but there were a few that looked out of place. 'We must be the first newcomers with an actual working vehicle.'

At the heart of the village was a small whitewashed church. It had a belltower and everything. He had never seen a church like this in-person. Reigen couldn't help but imagine what it'd be like to explore it with Mob. He carefully, carefully pulled in alongside the priest's truck, though the branches of an olive tree were hugging the tall camper a bit too tight for comfort.

"The rectory is just down that way," Father Serra called to them as he climbed out of the truck, gesturing down a dirt walkway. It was hard to make out, but from what Reigen could see, it was modestly-sized. "I have another guest staying with me at the moment, but there's enough room for everyone."

[espresso_doppio]

"Who?" Doppio asked as he helped Chid down from the back of the truck.

"She's one of the displaced. Her name is Lisa Lisa."

[throughthelookingmax]

"Lisa Lisa? Not just... Lisa?" That was a name if Max ever heard one.

[espresso_doppio]

Father Serra chuckled as he opened the door for Vento to hop out. "Mysterious as she is, she's been a balm to our town. She happens to be from Venice."

"Venice! Didn't we visit there often?"

"We did, for the carnivals. Though the route to sail there on Tyrrhenian Sea doesn't quite look the way it once did..."

[aoihitomi]

"How much of your city is here?" Hitomi asked. "We've been to places where towns are fully intact, but Freid, where Chid is from, was completely fractured."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Biduèllu and the entire coastline remain intact. According to Miss Lisa Lisa, she had to traverse a sprawling desert from the north before arriving here. To the west is the sea as we knew it, but…according to our most experienced sailors, the mainland is nowhere in sight.”

“We drove in from the east. We followed a highway for weeks.” But it looks like their luck would be running out soon if there was no road left to follow from here. Reigen would worry about that later - first, Vento was gazing up at him as they walked and his floofy face was in dire need of some scritches.

[throughthelookingmax]

"I guess that means we should fill up on gas and get that oil change while we're here." On top of a lot of other things. "You think Anri's going to be able to handle that much sand?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“I don’t think the old girl has that kind of juice in her.” And if she did they’d burn through all their reserves of water just to keep her from overheating. “We should probably develop a plan B or C…”

[espresso_doppio]

‘A plan B…’

Doppio suddenly stopped walking as he was struck by a thought, but it was broken when Hitomi walked into his back as a result. He stumbled forward and spun around with a panicked expression.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m such an airhead.”

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi stumbled back but quickly regained her footing. She was an athlete after all.

"Everything okay?"

[espresso_doppio]

When their eyes met, Doppio had to look away. He waited until everyone had taken a few steps past them before answering. When he looked back at her, he mustered a smile.

“…Will you meet me outside tonight?” From his low tone of voice, it was clear he wanted to be private about it.

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi nodded wordlessly. "Sure," she added a moment later.