[02] [open] nemesis identified

[usarinpa]

Who: Mizuki and YOU [open]
Where: The wilderness, a ways from Aldrip in an out-of-the-way little cave (Not Lorentia)
What: In which Mizuki finds out she's been alone all along.
Warnings: Spoilers for AI, IDK—will add if any become relevant.

[ There are thin tire tracks starting at the inn that head out and away from Aldrip today. Curious, isn't it? Were they there before? Have you even seen a motorbike here in Aldrip since you woke up here?

If you're keen to find out, you will follow a trail that is just long enough to make you wonder whether you should turn back. Keep with it, however, and you will find yourself at a small cave nestled in the mountains, the opening of which is surrounded by trees. ]


👁️ i. He was the Universe

[ Perhaps you'll see the bike first. It sticks out like a sore thumb. But walk a little further and inside the cave, there's Mizuki, asleep on the cave's dirt floor.

Her hair is messy with sleep. There is a hair piece that sticks out against her cyan locks, standing out almost as much as her bike does in the wilderness. In her hand is an empty, decorated box with a note attached that wouldn't look out of place in a trash can, as it is. Meager remnants of the few good things that have happened to her here, now that she can't go back.

A subtle, unpleasant odor lingers in the air, reminiscent of a wet dog or wild animal that's no longer there. Somewhere beside her sits her pipe, and at her waist, there is her holstered Evolver. ]

👁️ ii. Ought to Know

[ Alternatively, the trail is still going. Eventually, footprints start to appear in the dirt next to the tire track, suggesting that Mizuki has started walking. Catch up to her, you'll find that her back is to you and she is dragging her bike alongside her.

Why? ...Well, technology continues to be fickle, apparently.

Watch her for long enough and you'll see her stop and try to start it again. Instead, there's that all too familiar, insufferable buzz that makes her cover her ears. Her mouth opens, like she's groaning, but the noise that escapes, if there had been any, is easily swallowed up by the rustling of leaves and the buzzing of insects.

Once that passes, she can be seen pulling out a piece of parchment from her pocket—a map. ]

▶ ooc/wildcard

[ Due to trauma, Mizuki will be aphonic/unable to speak temporarily! Sorry about that. She will still be writing things in the dirt or on the back of her map, probably, and if I feel it's appropriate, I may give her back her voice midthread.

Enjoy the introduction of her shiny new bike, and please feel free to reach out via PM, on the Discord, or yammdere for plotting/ideas! Thank you! ]

Comments

[grappler]

Mizuki?

[Vi comes closer to her, before reaching out a hand to shake her shoulder gently.]

Hey, you okay?

[she didn't just die did she--

she's trying to stay calm, but she's terribly concerned about the girl, watching her chest to make sure that she's breathing...]

[usarinpa]

[ She's breathing, so she's got that going for her.

Whether Vi will actually be there when she wakes is up to her, but between the exhaustion and the fact that she probably hungry and dehydrated, Mizuki will be out for a little while. There will be times when the girl looks almost peaceful in her sleep, though she does toss and turn enough that her hair piece comes loose.

By the time she stirs, an hour or two will have passed, and a soft groaning can be heard as a dull pain travels down her back.

Cave floors are not the most comfortable places for sleep, as it turns out. ]

[grappler]

[if Mizuki feels like she's in danger, Vi's not going to leave her. even if it's a little boring, watching someone sleep, she finds herself dozing off against the cave wall.

even if she's dozing, she's still alert -- though considering her life, she's a light sleeper anyway. almost a case of "sleeping with one eye open", as the saying goes.

so even though Mizuki's waking noises are quiet, Vi wakes up and makes her way back over to her.]

Hey. How are you feeling?

[usarinpa]

[ She still feels an ache in her throat when she tries to speak, but her head is marginally clearer. The brain fog starts to lift, though unfortunately this paves way for the reality of everything, and the weight of it still feels heavy. ]

Like everything sucks.

[ She starts to sit up and shakes off the slight dizziness she feels. She looks at Vi questioningly, but doesn't quite ask: "You're still here?"

...She's still here? Of course. Why wouldn't she be. ]

[grappler]

Eh, you'll get used to that part.

[she catches that expression. she looks down and away, huffing.]

I wasn't going to leave you with a creep out here looking for you, and I don't know where you would've wanted me to take you.

[so...she'd just. let her have her dramatics on the ground, there.]

[usarinpa]

[ "Dramatics" meaning "sleep." But okay, that's fair enough, not that she needs the protection or anything. When Vi looks away, so does Mizuki. (She'll out-tsun you, Vi.) ]

Don't really know either. [ Should've known that inn shit was too good to be true. Where to now...? ] I don't really have a place anymore. I figured there had to be something if I went far enough, but stupid bike wanted to have a mind of its own.

[grappler]

[are you SURE ABOUT THAT she has more years in training for this than you do.]

Is going back to the inn a no-go then?

[the way she's speaking makes her think it is...]

There's gotta be somewhere else we can hang out that's not the inn.

[usarinpa]

[ The inn is a hard pass for Mizuki, personally. Not like she'd blame Vi though, if she'd rather go back to the comforts of...whatever you'd call what Aldrip has to offer. A life? Maybe.

Without saying anything, Mizuki finally stands, and she can feel the pull of gravity, making her limbs feel like dead weight. She moves toward her bike, one foot in front of the other, and on one of its handles, she can still see the smear of blood, thanks to him.

She ignores it, unzipping the yellow backpack that came with the bike to pull out a map. ]

[grappler]

[Vi watches, almost getting up, but also getting the feeling that Mizuki doesn't like to be babied. just like herself. just like Powder.

so she just watches, tense and ready to grab her if she ends up needing help after all, as she pulls out her map.]

I don't have anything tying me down to anywhere...so just let me know.

[usarinpa]

[ Mizuki doesn't really know what she's looking for. She does look up though when she sees Vi's movement, but when she doesn't get up, Mizuki will rejoin her, unfolding it so that they can both see. ]

We're not gonna get far without my bike.

[ She'd like to think it'll be okay here for a while, but since he already tried to sabotage it, she really can't say for sure. Either way, she doesn't have much of a choice. Even if she does have superstrength, towing that thing around will wear her down before long.

Especially if there's a mountain involved. ]

[grappler]

Aww, come on. You've never walked before?

[she looks over at the map, dragging her finger across it as she does so.]

If we weren't in a cave, I'd say you were afraid of rocks or something.

[h e h e

anyway.]

I don't like how open it is here, though. If that motherfucker tries to find us, he could come from anywhere.

[usarinpa]

[ why do you hate me......

Mizuki grumbles slightly in protest to her teasing, but when Vi moves on, she happily will too. Cave aside, she supposes it is kind of open, and it sure seems like a lot of nothing over there if they're looking south.

She does catch a glimpse of something however, peeking out into view between the trees obscuring the cave. ]

How about that windmill there?

[grappler]

[the stone was right there, i just had to throw it.

she glances down at the windmill, tilting her head slightly before she nods.]

We can check it out. Not like we'll need much if it's just going to be the two of us, anyway.

🎀

[usarinpa]

[ Just the two of them.

Man. The thought of that makes her apprehensive. Is she being too quick to trust and let this girl in? Is she that desperate for company in light of everything? ...She hesitates, but continues looking on at the slowly spinning windmill. She can feel a calming breeze in the air. ]

Yeah. Sounds good.