silversnowfall | [72] [action/voice]

[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.]]

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I'm not far from the house. Ion is coming to join me as we speak, I think. From what I remember, it won't be long until we're back to the house.

[She shows Tear anyway, a view of the cherry trees.]

Ion is already on his way there? [It was more repeating what she had heard, just to hold on to something while she observes the view of the trees that Nephry is showing her. So it really wouldn't be long before she arrived at the house.]

Is there anything I can prepare for you meanwhile? Or anything else you would like to know?

Please don't trouble yourself. I'm fine, if a little tired, and waiting to talk in person is probably for the best.

[For one thing, Nephry's smiles come faster and easier now.]

[She does notice the smile, though she wouldn't comment on it immediately. That could wait until they were actually face to face.]

Then I'll be waiting for your arrival, please don't rush yourself for me.

[It does take her a while, because once they get there she an Ion talk, and she learns the truth about who is and is not living in house 1, or in Luceti.

After that and some tea and a change of clothes, she makes her way up the stairs to the room she recalls as Tear's, and knocks on the door.]

[Tear hadn't left her room in the time that Nephry had taken to do those things, occupying herself by reading books of history or simply staring out the window at for long moments.

When she hears the knock on the door she doesn't move from her place sitting on the bed, but only nods quietly to herself before calling out:] Come in.

[The door opens. That's as far as Nephry gets, too: standing in the doorway. Even though Tear said to come in.]

Hello, Tear.

Nephry. [Seeing as the other woman was making little indication to step further into the room Tear proceeds to stand, walking closer to her while trying to take not of her appearance. For having claimed to have been gone for ten years, she didn't look all that much older...]

How are you feeling now? I imagine Ion will have already spoke to you... [And perhaps sorted out details of what had happened since Nephry had been taken by the Malnosso from them.]

I feel fine, thank you. We did talk, and hopefully all of these...memories and facts will sort themselves out soon.

How are you?

I'm all right. [Nephry's return should by all means lift her spirits, though she felt she should know better than to expect a simple return.]

Though I do feel a little tired.

Do you? I hope you aren't getting sick. I won't keep you from resting.

No, I don't think I'm falling ill at all. [It was more tiredness from the things they were forced to endure while in this village, therefore it would fade in time. But when such tiredness did chance by, it was difficult to shake off.]

It's nothing, honestly. Though if you don't mind telling me, what has Ion told you so far?

[This is a heavier sigh than she intended.]

That this house is emptier than when I left it.

... Yes. Since we last saw you, Natalia and... Dist have returned to Auldrant, Natalia not even a week ago.

[It was strange, but whenever someone of their world returned home it felt as though someone else followed them soon after...]

I know. The house feels emptier, doesn't it?

It does, to think we expanded it not long ago because there were so many of us here. [She didn't want to dwell on why they had done so if they always knew going home was a possibility.]

It may happen again, and we will be prepared if and when it does.

It could... though I suppose it would be of little point to invite Luke or Asch to join us, they have gone their own separate ways. [Luke at least came over often enough, and Asch was still merely an occasional ally to her.]

I don't think they would like living in this house. It doesn't suit their natures.

Hmm... Should we close off the other rooms meanwhile? [It was a hunch, but she felt none of them would want to be in those rooms for a while.]

Most of them, probably. Especially with winter coming. We may want to leave one as a guest room.

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