untrueheart | Act 1

Act 1

[For two days, Rue has spent her time deep in the forest, surviving on the supplies provided in a small but seemingly abandoned building. On the first day she saw no one, and spent her time as far away from the storybook bearing her name as possible, forcing herself to ignore the black wings on her back. Doing a terrible job of it.

On the second, someone came by, but she hid herself in the surrounding forest until they were gone. It was a stranger and she didn't want anybody to know she was there. Never mind that she was fairly sure this was outside the walls- somewhere she couldn't even imagine going. Not yet.

But on the morning of the third day, self-preservation wins out over uncertainty, and Rue (with her book, so no one else would find it either) walks from the small house until she finds a small lake, following its river upstream and coming within sight of a village with no wall.

There had been spare clothes in the house, so she wears a large jacket despite the heat, to cover her unfortunate wings; it turns away some of the rain that starts up part of the way through her walk. Eventually she stops under the overhang of a shop, staring around at the unfamiliar village, wondering if she ought to stay out of sight.

Too afraid to open a book labeled with her name - a book that might tell her story - she hasn't even come to understand just how different that story is about to become.]

[[ooc: Rue was at New Feather station bb, and she can be under any roof overhang you want but the Item Shop is the most likely one for running-into shenanigans.]]

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[Not a question for him, but he'll answer it.]

Luceti - it's a world outside our own, on a different planet, in a different "universe" as some people say. It draws us here from where we're supposed to be, taking us out of time and even from death.

[Souji reaches into his kimono top and pulls out his journal, opening it to the Guide and setting it in the space between them.]

It's a long read, but it should answer your questions.

[He has a book, too. Rue is pretty hesitant to take it, and her eyes get very wide when she sees the amount of text there is to read, all while trying to absorb things like 'different universe'.

Book open on her lap, she reads for a while, but a lot of the words just run right by without imparting any meaning. None of this makes sense.

Rue closes the book hard, dropping her head into her hands.]

This can't be real.

[The poor child. Souji glances over at her, then lowers his eyes. It can't be easy to have the world she knew ripped away. He barely remembers coming here, almost three (or was it four? longer?) years ago, but he assumes he must have been just as distraught, even if no one saw it.

She doesn't seem like the type to enjoy physical contact though, so instead, he reaches over and closes the journal. His name is emblazoned along the cover, but he doesn't mind.]

I'm sorry, but it is. It's very real.

I don't understand how it could all have changed so fast.

[The story was well on its way to a terrible and tragic conclusion. One she put forth a lot of effort to bring about. One she didn't want anymore.

To awaken in a peaceful green place alone was so jarring it almost hurt.]

This place does that. It rips you away from what you were supposed to be doing and brings you here.

I was in the middle of a war with my friends fighting at my side, when I woke up here. [To give her an example of how she wasn't alone in feeling confused and afraid.]

[What is she supposed to say to that? "I was watching everything that I knew as true fall apart in front of me while my boyfriend turned into a monster"?]

Who's controlling this?

[That. Would be one answer.]

A group called the Malnosso. They're the ones who brought us to the enclosure after the world drew us here.

[So was there a new story writing her life now? Her fingers fiddle with the hem of her jacket, and she thinks of the wings.]

What do they want?

[Giving Rue the answer Souji knows is right would not be kind, but he's never been very good at being kind.

Then again, this girl seems scared and scaring children isn't something he's very good at either.]

They say they want to send us all home, but that it is difficult and thus have to test their theories on us. Overall, the village is very safe, so you needn't worry about much.

[Gold Crown Town was fairly safe, too. For a while. Even if this place is different, Rue is more alone than she has ever been and though it might be good for Duck and Mytho and Fakir, it's awful to feel so stranded.]

I don't know what to do now.

[He decides to risk it and reaches over, putting a hand gently on her shoulder.]

It's understandable you're feeling lost now.

[He smiles reassuringly at her and then moves his hand away.]

The only thing you can do are move forward.

Starting, maybe, with getting you a new home and out of the rain, hm?

A new home. [It already sounds incredible. She flinched at the contact but didn't pull away, and now as he removes his hand she looks at him with a frown.] There's no reason for you to be so nice to me.

[He laughs a little at her displeasure and leans back on the porch, looking up at the grey clouds drizzling on them overhead.]

Now why would you say that? I can think of a lot of reasons to be nice to you.

But you don't even know me.

[Which, if she thinks hard enough about it, might be the very thing that keeps him in the kindness part of the court.]

[He leans in a little toward her.]

And you don't know me.

[He straightens and puts his hands in his lap, looking down at them with a twinge of sadness in his voice.]

Sometimes that makes it easier for people to be kind to one another.

[Most people at home were frightened of him. He tried not to care what others thought of him, but it hurt sometimes to remember how his friends looked at him - the people he cared about the most. After a moment he turns his gaze to her, smiling again.]

And sometimes it's simply because they see someone in need and know what it is like to be there. If you ever need anything, Rue-san, I like at House 50 and I work at the Welcome Centre at night.

Is that so. [A fragment of resolve works its way in past the confusion, and Rue stands.] Thank you, and...and please, show me where I should go first.

[He smiles and stands as well, reaching into the building to get his umbrella. The traditional oiled paper umbrella is probably a little old fashioned for most people's tastes, but to him it reminds him of home. He opens it and holds it out so she can step under it.]

The Welcome Centre has beds open until you find a place of your own. It also has information on this place and a listing of all the available housing here.

[He waits and then motions forward to lead her there.]

[With that motion, he earns himself a small, genuine smile, fleeting as the breeze that may have brought it on.]

Thank you. [She joins him beneath the umbrella, not opposed to the closeness for now.]

[Ah, a smile. Even a small one is a big victory and once she's under the umbrella, he starts walking toward the Welcome Centre, matching her pace.]

So, aside from hot chocolate, what sort of things does Rue-san like?

I like to dance. Ballet, specifically.

I've never heard of ballet. Could you describe it for me?

[Because being from the 1860s isolationist Japan, he doesn't have a lot of experience with many things.]

If I had the proper things, I would demonstrate for you. Ballet is best experienced, not described.

[Plus, describing it makes it sound rather silly and ungainly.]

Then perhaps once you've gotten settled? I think I would like to experience this ballet. Is it fun?

It is an incredible amount of work and requires perfect concentration to every detail.

[Which is all true. But she's wearing such a pleased face.]

It's something to be very proud of - to accomplish something so difficult then.

[Because it's obvious she loves her hobby - work, perhaps. It's plain as day to him, seeing how she glows when talking about it.]

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akfdj;aj "like at" should be "live at" up there

I am fluent, *fluent* in typo, don't worry!

good because i typo a lot orz

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I am fluent, fluent in typo, don't worry!