bewrightback | Overflow Post [Cerealia]

[Despite their situation, she couldn't help a smile.]

If you insist.

[She was fairly positive she could have made the drop on her own, but he looked so eager to try. So, with minimal hesitation, she stuck one foot out the window. Then the other. Kneeling against the ledge as she found a solid grip with her hands, she began to walk herself down the side of the building. Until she was hanging.]

[On a count of 'three', she let go and allowed herself to fall.]

[He just wants to be helpful... especially to feel less embarrassed about his little fall. But he'll keep his arms wide open and catch her, with just an 'oof!' and a brief struggle. He won't set her down immediately, though, to take a moment to appreciate their faces being on the same level.]

[Once the initial awkwardness of the struggle was over, and they both steadied...]

[She expected him to put her down. He didn't. And...she didn't mind. His arms were surprisingly comfortable, and with their height difference, she rarely had the chance to look into his eyes at so close a level. They tended to look darker from far away, but up close...there was that twinkle. A youthful glint that was still there from their--well, his--University Days.]

[His eyes are full of affection as he looks at her and holds her a little closer. And Phoenix ends up feeling like now's the time to say something smooth. So he smiles and speaks.]

Come here often?

[So smooth, Phoenix.]

Not really, no. [She could have been referring to any number of things. Here, in his arms...here, in the back of the apartment building...through the window...] Though I wouldn't mind if I...did.

[That one was meant for the in his arms part.]

W-well then...

[He pauses for a moment, and sweatdrops slightly as he ponders his next move.]

You should come here often.

[...What am I even saying?

Phoenix then tries to save himself by pressing his lip softly against her cheek.]

[What is he even saying?]

[She gave herself enough time to ponder that over while he kissed her cheek. Leaning in just enough to feel the delicate pressure.]

Does that mean you...want to carry me more often?

[...wild guess.]

...Maybe? [He blinks uncertainly.] I'm... I'm not completely sure where I was going with that.

But, um, we made it. Guess the danger and weirdness is behind us!

[She smiled back, but it soon faded as she glanced back up at the window they'd both dropped out of.]

I hope so. That was terrifying.

What do you think caused all the appliances to start acting like that?

[Phoenix tries to reflect on it thoughtfully.]

It might have been some kind of... electricity problem? Or most likely it's CERES messing with us.

...There was one other time when some appliances went haywire, before you showed up here. But it was nowhere near this scale.

[She looked back to him with wide eyes.]

There was? What happened?

Well... Not much. It was back when Recreare first took control of CERES, and we started seeing Mosley around. There was an announcement that they would be ironing out a lot of the flaws left in the system from the previous administration. ...And in true CERES fashion, that caused a number of odd things to happen.

Some people got trapped in ViViD, and appliances went haywire. ...But as I said, it was mostly minor scale stuff compared to what just happened. Back then, I only had to deal with one rogue iron.

Is there any chance that's what's happening again? Ironing out...another flaw?

[On a much grander scale.]

Maybe... But that announcement I heard earlier made it sound like it might be sabotage. Maybe someone else is trying to iron something else out.

...that doesn't sound good.

[And she sounded nervous. Strange things might have been rather commonplace in Cerealia, but this was above and beyond even the ViViD games. At least, those, she could log out of if the danger grew too great for her to manage.]

Perhaps...we should avoid all buildings that contain technology until whoever is responsible has figured out what they need to 'iron out'. Or is done with their sabotage.

[It would suit her just fine, besides. She was used to living a tech-lite life.]

[He nods.]

Right, that's a good plan. ...Maybe the park would be safe? [A soft smile returns to his face.] Camping's always sounded fun.

Edited 2016-09-13 02:00 (UTC)

[Usually, when they were together...Iris didn't care about where they went or what they did. But for once, the thought of the location provided an even greater relief than his presence.]

You like Camping, Feenie?

Ah! That's right...you did come with Mystic Maya up into the mountains.

[And it certainly hadn't been to train.]

Eheheh... [He scratches at his head nervously.] Well, that mountain trip wasn't exactly my choice. And I haven't really done much legitimate camping in my life, but... the idea's sounding better and better by the second?

Perhaps not, no.

[She strongly suspected, given her great enthusiasm for it all, that it was her dear half-sister to blame for their trip...which meant there was every chance their mother had been the one...]

[But, no, she wasn't going to think of that. Not now.]

Oh, it's wonderful! I would sometimes sleep outside back home, when there wasn't so much snow on the ground. The air would be so crisp and clean, and I could see the stars clearer than any town or village down below.

Come to think of it, I...haven't had much of a chance to look at the stars here at night. They don't shine so brightly from my apartment window.

[It is best not to think about it.

Aside from the fact that, what really won Phoenix over for the trip... was seeing a picture of a very familiar face...]

That sounds beautiful, Iris. [He smiles warmly as he tries to picture that beautiful landscape. Mountains may be cold, scary and way too high up, but there's no denying that they're pretty on top of that.]

Well, at least now I know one thing that we can do. We'll search the park for the perfect stargazing spot...

[Now that was something to think about; if the situation had been different, and they'd had time to actually enjoy those late nights up in the mountains, would they have had the chance to see the stars like that? A night in which she snuck out after curfew and out into the courtyard to look up at the skies.]

[Still, for all its insanity, Iris continued to think of Cerealia as a second chance for the two of them. Which meant...maybe...]

I...think I know a place. It's by one of the shrines, away from the bright lights of the busier parts of the city.

If you don't mind walking that far.

[Because she didn't trust the trains much right now, either.]

Ooh! Now you've got my attention. [He speaks with a warm smile. He's definitely already set on avoiding the trains and most forms of technology anyway.]

I bet it'll be worth the walk. [Having set her down, he tugs gently at her wrist, and he murmurs softly to her while looking into her eyes.] Show me.

[She gently slipped her hand into his, and after assessing the safest path in which to take, began guiding him away from the apartment building area. There was only the slightest hint of apprehension in her gaze, and he was far from the cause of it.]

It's this way.

Perhaps... [She hesitated in her words, as if she didn't truly believe them, but wanted to.] ...being chased out of the building will prove a small blessing after all.

[It was difficult to find the bright side in being attacked in such a way, but when she looked into Phoenix's eyes...she thought she could spot just the glimmer necessary.]

[As her hands slips into his, his hand proceeds to gently squeeze hers, and his smile grows ever so warmer as she leads the way.]

Heh. Yeah... if it wasn't for this, who knows if we'd ever think of going out camping?

I'm almost surprised I didn't think of it sooner.

I must have gotten a little too accustomed to the living quarters we were all provided.

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