(no subject)

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi was anxious.

This wasn't atypical for Hitomi; anxiety had become a close friend since she entered the world of Gaea. She found no comfort in the familiar, though, even as the scene in front of her became unfamiliar.

Freid was no longer how she remembered it a few hours before; the city itself was still (mostly) intact, save for the occasional building that looked as though it had been cleaved neatly in half; what was supposed to be on the other side wasn't there. Not just the building's other half, but the environment that was supposed to be there, too.

Paths to Godashim's market now lead to a lush forest that looked as out-of-place in Freid's desert climate as Hitomi did in uniform here on Gaea. A large swath of the city had been replaced by buildings that looked like they belonged in ancient China.

But worst of all was the missing. There were plenty of them. Even if you didn't personally know someone who was missing, you couldn't miss all the people shouting out names in the streets. All this only heightened Hitomi's anxiety. Especially because she was missing all of her friends, too.

Maybe if she could do something about it, she wouldn't feel so powerless. She could douse, yes, but she didn't have anything from Van or Millerna or Merle or even Allen to help her. It was lucky enough that she had her duffle.

She didn't know where to go, so she started looking for the palace; she wasn't as familiar with Godashim as she was Palas. Hitomi didn't know if she couldn't see the towering building from here because she was far from it, or because it had been spirited away with so much of the rest of the city.

It was only when she was walking that her foot knocked into something hard and metal; it bounced off the toe of her shoe with a clank so deep and hollow that if she hadn't felt it, she'd know by sound alone that it was something heavy. Even though the streets were littered with debris from the chaos, all that together was enough to lure Hitomi down the alleyway it had been knocked into.

It was there that she saw it. There was no mistaking it, either. Chid's golden crown. The plumage that had decorated its top was matted with the same sludge that covered much of the cap's precious metal. The feathers lay flat over the cap's curve, wet with something that made Hitomi's nose curl with disgust.

Still, Hitomi snatched it from the ground gratefully. As unlucky as things had become, if the crown had not become so muddied, it may have been recognized for what it was. And if it was recognized for what it was, she would never have found it. She might not be able to use it to find Van or Millerna or Merle or Allen, but she might be able to find Chid. And if she found him, maybe she could find everyone else.

There was no quiet place in the city, but this alleyway was the closest she could find to it. Though she hesitated to sit down, she did; it was far easier to douse that way. She placed the still-dirtied crown in front of her and wiped her hands clean with her handkerchief. She might not have a map like when she doused before, but even just having a direction to follow was more than what she had now.

Hitomi removed the pendant from around her neck, closed her eyes, then let it swing. Every part of her was focused on her memory of Chid. His bright blue eyes. His green tunic. The un-princely way he ran through the palace halls when he thought no one was looking. The earnestness. The scented oils. In Hitomi's mind, Chid was virtually there right in front of her.

At least, until she was interrupted, and that image of him evaporated in an instant.

Comments

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

There was a lot about the day Reigen was having that didn’t make sense. Even for someone as good at winging it as him, his brain could only process so many…happenings at once. He was still trying to get halfway through a million happenings that had occurred in the last six hours.

Actually, was it even five hours? Was it less, more? Time wasn’t making sense either. Especially not when he nearly stumbled into a girl that teleported him straight back into his youth.

The haircut. The sailor uniform. He felt like his sister from 15 years ago was right in front of him again. And the sense of familiarity was even more stark because not a single other person he’d run into was familiar at all.

Reigen re-collected himself and shook his head. Even in wherever he was it probably wasn’t right for a man his age to be caught slack-jawed over a high schooler. He glanced in the direction of the nearby forest path and then back to her and took a deep breath. “H-hey. You wouldn’t happen to be from Japan, would you?”

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi was startled out of her concentration and nearly lost her grasp on her swinging pendant. Looking up at Reigen, she stuffed her pendant into her pocket.

"Yeah, I am," she answered. She quickly stood, brushing the back of her skirt.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen could have wheezed in relief. It wasn’t much but it was something to ground himself.

“This may be an odd question but…do you know where we are right now?”

[aoihitomi]

"I wish I could tell you," Hitomi said honestly. "This area looks like it's part of the Duchy of Freid, but... there's a lot here that doesn't belong."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Whoa, whoa." Reigen's hands snapped to form a time out gesture. His moment of relief was disintegrating with how strangely blase this girl was being. "Duchy? Freid? Are you saying we're in...Germany?"

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi felt a stab of sympathy for Reigen. She felt just as confused when she was whisked away to Gaea.

"More like another world." Hitomi picked up her duffel and pulled it over her shoulder. "That's what it was. I'm not sure what it is now."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Ah," Reigen replied as if that made any sense whatsoever. He turned from Hitomi, not letting this very polite young woman see the expression that overtook his face.

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi leaned forward slightly, concerned. "...are you okay?"

That was a silly question to ask. Was anyone okay right now? It was chaos everywhere. And this guy didn't at least have the benefit of sort-of knowing where he was, either.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Just fine." Reigen turned back to her, clearing his throat. It was true--he was fine...physically, anyway. 'But I can't say that about that one...'

Reigen weighed his options and came to quick conclusion--you had to give a little trust to get it.

"I'm Arataka Reigen. I'm from Seasoning City. What's your name?"

[aoihitomi]

She hadn't heard of that place before now, but Hitomi supposed there were plenty of places in Japan she wasn't familiar with. She rarely went very far from home, except to visit her grandma who lived in the mountains.

"Kanzaki Hitomi. I'm from Kamakura-Kita."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Nice to meet you. Hitomi. That means pupil of the eye, doesn't it? That's a good name." Now they they were looking at each other, Reigen was getting a better read on her. She seemed like the friendly and helpful sort.

"I'm sorry to trouble you so soon into making your acquaintance, but...I've got a question. Have you seen a middle schooler around anywhere?" Reigen gestured to his shoulder-height. "He's about this tall. Black hair. Gakuran. Bowlcut. Real spaced-out looking."

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi made a soft mm as she shook her head. "I haven't seen him. But I haven't strayed far from this city, either."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"I see..." Reigen grimaced. "We were out together--you could call him my student. We got separated, and I ended up here. We're not related or anything, but I am responsible for him."

[aoihitomi]

"Oh." That wasn't good. It sounded like he might be pretty young. As young as Prince Chid?

Hitomi cast her gaze down at the soiled crown at her feet. She reached down to pick it up.

"If you have something of his, I might be able to help you."

Hitomi unzipped her duffel and wrapped the crown in her gym shirt. She really wish she had some way to clean it, but she definitely didn't right now. And she didn't want everything in the bag to get dirty, either. This would have to do for now. She'd just wash the shirt later.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Really?" That was unexpected. Did he have something of Mob's? He had a bag of his own things back at...well, he supposed it was essentially a camp. Nothing he could think that would get them pointed in the right direction (especially with his damned phone getting no reception), but maybe this girl had a few surprises of her own.

"I would be really grateful...but I don't have anything on me to compensate you."

[aoihitomi]

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "If he's a child, then he really needs to be found by someone who can take care of him."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Hitomi’s kind words brought his worry up further in his throat. He swallowed it back down—he wasn’t going to do anyone any good by losing focus.

“Thank you.”

Reigen gestured back down the path he had taken to get into the part of the city they were in and began walking that way, trailing slightly ahead of Hitomi. “This road turns into forest right after you turn the corner. I left my stuff back that way. I’m actually not alone…I ran into someone else who looked lost.” Lost felt like an understatement. “I don’t have much, but I do have a few things at camp I could split with you for your troubles.”

The only lucky thing about that day was that he and Mob had been on their way to an assignment that involved camping. He at least hoped wherever the kid was, he still had his supplies on him.

It was less than a ten minute walk, and the trees were soon back in view. Reigen had the presence of mind to leave markers with chalk that hadn’t disappeared—a good sign that things weren’t going to warp even further he hoped. He came upon a small clearing by the water. He signed in relief that everything was still intact, even the tent. Leaving the kid alone had felt risky but he didn’t have much of a choice. He didn’t seem well enough to be on his feet for long. It looked as if he was still asleep, so Reigen entered the tent as quietly as he could to snoop around for something—anything—that would have belonged to Mob.

’Ah-ha!’ Mob’s notepad. It was what he had the kid take notes on whenever Reigen was struck with some sudden brilliance that couldn’t afford to be lost. It was full of Mob’s handwriting as well as his random thoughts aand doodles—he hoped that counted. Reigen backed out of the tent and returned to Hitomi, handing the paper pad over. “Will this work?”

[aoihitomi]

"It should," Hitomi said. It looked well-worn, so it must have meant that it was used by his student a lot. That would make the dousing way easier.

She glanced over at the open tent and at the bit of sleeping body she could see inside. She couldn't see much, but she could tell with just a look that there was definitely a man inside. It made her nervous knowing there were two men here alone with her in an unfamiliar forest, but so far Reigen had been very nice to her. And transparent about there being someone else here, too. So she'd try to give them both the benefit of the doubt.

"Is he okay?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen had the sense not to say something flippant like ‘that’s a good question’ but…that was a really good question.

“I’m not sure. I ran into him pretty soon after I ended up here. He seemed confused.” Reigen rubbed his neck. “Actually, I was going to ask you if there was a hospital or something around.”

[aoihitomi]

"I'm not sure about Freid, but if I can find the person I'm looking for too, he might be able to tell us."

Hitomi brushed a patch of the ground free of leaves and sticks with her free hand and then sat down, dipping her hand to tuck her skirt beneath her. Then she placed the notebook in front of her.

"It'd really help if you could sit down with me," Hitomi says. "It works better the more people there are to help."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

So Hitomi had someone she was looking for too—it made sense. He already had plenty of questions, but for now, Reigen did as he was told. What did he have to lose? “I’m at your command.”

[aoihitomi]

"I need you to hold this," Hitomi said, offering Reigen Mob's notebook. "Clothes your eyes and focus on your student with all of your being. Try to picture his hair, his clothes, his expression."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

'Divination, huh?' Even if Reigen wasn't capable of such a thing he was well-acquainted many concepts from the occult. He couldn't market the aesthetic with smooth-talking alone. And then there was Mob...

Even without prompting, Reigen's thoughts kept going back to him. Mob came to his mind clearly--his pin-straight black hair, his plain uniform, and his even plainer face.

Reigen was hit with a pang. He missed him.

[aoihitomi]

Hitomi took the pendant from her pocket and grasped the free end of the notebook; the chain dangled from her hand, letting her grandmother's pink-red pendant hover above the ground. It'd be better if they had a map, but they didn't have that luxury now. Even if she did have a map of Gaea, it probably wouldn't prove of much use at all. Not when the land had been so obviously altered.

Hitomi too closed her eyes; she didn't know Mob, but she tried picturing him just as Reigen described him. The fuzzy, cartoon-like picture she had of him in her head grew clearer and clearer, until she could see him just as if he were standing there right in front of them. Even the background came into view as more details drew themselves into place over one-hazy colors.

A Japanese neighborhood?

Hitomi felt the pendant swing, and her eyes snapped open. "There," she said, pointing in the direction the pendant pulled itself. "The person you're looking for is in a neighborhood in that direction."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

A jolt ran through him--Mob! It wasn't until Reigen opened his eyes that he realized they had been closed...but it felt so real in the moment.

Right. There was no mistaking his gut. This girl was the real deal.

Reigen followed her finger. "Could you tell how far?"