[72] [action/voice]

[silversnowfall]

[Taken silently within a few hours of one of her oldest friends disappearing, she didn't even have her journal on hand to chance an explanation. A quick one. It was too fast and too late and she was gone.

Over a week later, she wakes up in a greenish forest near some tended shrubs and trees - a cherry tree, says her thoughts, with no basis at all - and tries her best to look nonplussed until she can figure out what in the world is going on here. This is no Keterburg, and she's sure she went to bed in her quiet, frozen hometown just a few hours ago.

When she stands, slow and unfamiliar, one supportive hand brushes against a book bearing her name. So she opens it. Reads things from people she suddenly recognizes, all at once understanding the journal and the forest and the wings again.]

Luceti? [The word comes as a distant almost-whisper. In the journal's camera, Nephry is wide-eyed and scattered for an uncharacteristically long time; when she does regain her composure, she can't keep the surprised note out of her voice.]

Luceti? I...don't understand. How long...has it been since I left?

[[ooc: Thanks to some excellent genes, it may be hard to tell that Nephry's gained about ten years, physically, in the week she was gone. But she has - and has ten years of life and changes on Auldrant in memories to go with them! And ten Auldrant years is a very long time.]]

Comments

1/2

[distressedude]

...Nephry?

[Something felt off. Ion had been keeping watch of the journals and taking the occasional walk around the village, both to keep his mind off of this past week and to keep an eye out for Nephry's return. Her room had remained untouched and the door unopened since she vanished.]

[...why was she in a new feather dress?]

[distressedude]

[That didn't matter right now. He all but jumps up from his chair, gripping the journal tightly.]

Nephry? Are you all right? Where are you?

[silversnowfall]

I'm just fine, Ion, it's-

[...been years. Years that choke her now with their downpour of understanding.]

...I can hardly believe this.

[distressedude]

...you've been gone a little over a week. [Answering that question before made it easier. It's been a week. She... sounds as though she's been gone far longer.]

[But people going home and coming back a week later was a common occurrence in Luceti, wasn't it? He's heard of it happening before. People come back a week later while even more time had passed for them...]

[His voice grows a bit softer as he asks again:] ...where are you? I can come find you, if that's all right.

[Voice]

[onlyashell]

...Is that you, Miss Nephry? [Sounds like she might have been taken for a while...which would explain why things have been quiet on her end.]

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

Yes, it is. Who is this? Please forgive me if I...should remember you better.

[Voice]

[onlyashell]

Yes I...well, this is Alexei, but as you can tell I'm not quite myself.

[Voice]

[silversnowfall]

Alexei? ...The military commander?

[voice]

[seleniahymn]

[The first thing she felt when she saw Nephry's face in the journals was intense relief; every since Natalia had left, she had been afraid that while the older woman was gone, her belongings would also disappear and notify them all of her departure from this world.

Just as she was about to call out to her, she hears her say those words... and nothing makes sense. And now that she looked more closely, she seemed almost older?] Nephry? What do you mean by 'how long'...?

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

I mean that my last...tangible memory of living here was quite some time ago. For me.

[voice]

[seleniahymn]

Some time ago? [But that could mean several things, to her knowledge. The most likely of them was that Nephry had at some point been sent back home, but that couldn't have happened when all of her belongings were here.]

Could you tell me what that memory was? Maybe it could help me understand a little more. [And in turn give her more of an idea of how to help her.]

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

No, I can't tell you my exact last impression of Luceti. What I can tell you is that almost a decade has passed, for me, since that time.

[She knew - knows - Tear, and that she will appreciate the directness.]

[ action ]

[gohon]

[ So you know that cherry tree you mentioned?

Yeah, Souji ventured out here on his walk and sat down at the base of it. It's not flowering--pity, but it's nice and shady enough and the breeze goes through it nicely. He may or may not have fallen asleep where he was sitting.

Though he's a very light sleeper, and when Nephry starts talking he's eventually roused from his nap. It doesn't take long for him to find the source of the noise, and before doing anything just opts to stare at her. ]

[ action ]

[silversnowfall]

[Well color her surprised. She's got a bit too much dignity to stare back, turning it into a concerned frown instead.]

I apologize if I interrupted your rest.

[ action ]

[gohon]

Nah. Don't worry about it.

[ Just getting up now. He shouldn't have fallen asleep anyway ahahah ]

[ action ]

[silversnowfall]

[What will he do with this bewildered woman in a new feather dress, hmm?]

Pardon me, then, but...this is Luceti, is it not?

[voice]

[wildkotetsu]

[Well, he hasn't really spoken to this person before but... But they seem kinda' confused. He'd think she was a New Feather, but...]

You've been here before? Are you alright?

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

I'm fine, thank you. And yes, I...I have too many memories of this place to count.

[voice]

[wildkotetsu]

Aa... Does that mean you went back home?

[He's wondered about that. How it works and what it's like. Stuff like that.]

[voice] LATE

[fabrecation]

... Nephry?

[She sounds a little different. Looks just a little different. But why? And why is she acting like she just... came back after a long time?

...

He frowns for a moment, before he shifts in his seat and warily asks:]

How long have you been gone?

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

Luke!

[Listen to how happy she sounds to hear from him!]

It's been...quite a while. About a decade, for me. Far less than that for any of you, I'm told.

[voice]

[fabrecation]

A decade?!

[Yeah he's too busy focusing on that to think about anything else, even reared back in his chair and everything. Sure, he's heard of people being gone for a few months, maybe a year, but TEN YEARS?]

[action] LATEST

[failguardian]

[Anise had spent most of her day playing around in the Battle Dome. She doesn't return until late into the afternoon, trudging into the too-empty house with Tokunaga slung across her shoulders.]

[Imagine her surprise when she catches sight of a familiar blond woman in the living room.]

...Nephry?

[action]

[silversnowfall]

[Upon hearing her name, Nephry turns toward the voice, and-]

Anise! [She's so young.] Hello.

[She's also the recipient of a hug if she doesn't duck away from it.]

[action]

[failguardian]

[She doesn't. If anything, she darts forward to throw her arms around Nephry, clinging tightly for a moment as weeks of tension and worry leave her in a flood.]

[It takes a moment before she can speak again, composing herself and letting go.]

You're really back! We were all so worried...