funnygirl | 005 | Action/Voice

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005 | Action/Voice

[On Saturday night Belle had been mallynapped on her walk home from the library. One moment everything had been completely normal, she'd been walking along the outskirts of the village with a book her hand. She hadn't noticed the figure following her until it was too late.

After that everything became fuzzy and nonsensical. She woke up once and couldn't move any of her limbs. Blurry, people shaped figures moved in and out of her line of sight, murmuring in soft voices she didn't understand. She didn't know how long it lasted, that state of zoning in and out of consciousness, for the next thing she gains sense she's lying on the ground.

She lays there for a long time, trying to remember what happened to her and how she came to be so far from the village. Had she wandered off path and fallen? Had the memories of cold hands touching her and low voices talking been a think of dreams? Her mind playing a cruel trick on her?

But no, she's heard about these occurrences happening around the village. Of people being kidnapped and disappearing for days-sometimes weeks. Her heart thumps loudly in her chest. How long has she been gone?

Very slowly, she pushes herself into a sitting position and smooths the creases out of her New Feather dress. Looking around, she finally spots her journal laying a few feet away and grabs it up. She has a message to send.]

Private to Beast

I'm afraid my absence must have frightened you a great deal. For that I apologize, it wasn't my doing. I believe the Malnosso have held me for...I don't even know how long. But the important thing is I am here still. And I will be home soon.

/End

[Done with that, Belle closes the journal without looking at any of the other entries. Once she's home and can relax she will take the time to catch up on what she has missed.

You may find her wandering through the forest, going in the direction of the village. Or perhaps you may spot her walking through the village, heading towards home. Anyone likely to remember her from the library might notice that she has not been there for the past few days and is only making a reappearance in the village now.]

((ooc: So Belle has been mallynapped for the past few days. Upon returning she has lost the ability to read. Any words she sees will turn to blurry spots that she can't make out.))

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[Ai was just walking through the village when she spotted the girl in the New Feather attire which made her stand out. Thinking this was a new person coming into Luceti, she was intrigued - yet it was a curious thing that she didn't actually look particularly lost. It was also fairly late into the month, and she thought that newcomers only came in cycles.

Regardless, the white sundress reminded Ai of her own experience coming here not too long ago, out in the cold, shivering for a bit while she had been all alone. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad today, but it would still be cold with just that on.

She knew that she would personally want help in her position anyway, and she certainly did when she had been a New Feather. There wasn't anybody escorting the girl, though.

When Belle got close enough to her, Ai spoke up in a curious tone.]

...Hello. You are wearing that sundress. Are you new here?

[Belle stops and turns towards the sound of the voice. Her brows first furrow in confusion before smoothing out in understanding. She's almost forgotten that she's wearing a New Feather dress, too caught up in making her way home.]

Oh, no. I've been where a number of months actually. But I've been...away. [She's still not sure how long she's been gone. And she's not sure she really wants to explain her situation in any more detail. But she forces a polite smile anyways.]

I'm Belle.

[So she was not a New Feather - that would explain why she seemed to know where she was going. In her position, Ai would have been a lot more confused without having an escort by her side.]

Ah. I apologize... I have not seen you here before.

[While rubbing the back of her head a bit, Ai considered what could have happened to Belle. If she actually remembered where she was and what was going on, then she couldn't have been brought back to her world and then brought back here. Which only meant...]

Were you taken by the Malnosso?... For an experiment?

[She then proceeded to bow her head a little as she crossed her arms, doing so per Japanese customs that she was still used to.]

I am Ai Nanasaki. It is a pleasure to meet you.

[There is no reason not to expect the question, as knowledge of the mallynappings are known throughout the village. Yet it still hits her hard and leaves her feeling a little sick. Her smile drops.]

...Yes. I suppose I was.

[She's just thankful she doesn't remember much about it.]

It's nice to meet you as well. Can you perhaps tell me what day it is?

[Then this would make it Ai's first encounter with somebody who had been experimented on in Luceti, her brows lifting inquisitively upon hearing Belle's confirmation.

There was a curious expression on her face as she spoke.]

What did they do to you?

[On the outside, Belle looked fine, but having read the guide to Luceti, Ai knew that there were so many things that they could've done to her that wouldn't be initially obvious, mostly mental changes and other impairments.]

It is the 26th of March... How long have you been away?

[This question however, does startle her. Her eyes widen a fraction and she bites her lip. Again she recalls the murmur of voice talking over her and cold hands on her skin. She shivers.]

I do not know. I slept through most of it. [Thankfully.]

The 26th...[So she was only gone a couple of days. That's a small relief.] Two days. I was gone for two days.

[While it didn't actually look like something was wrong with her now, not knowing what had just been done to her would've certainly been at least somewhat scary. At least Ai would have been, in her position, so Belle's reaction to the girl's question was not unexpected.]

...Maybe going through the guide in your journal would be a good idea, Belle-san. It mentions most of the possible experiments that the Malnosso can do to people here. You may find out that way.

[That way Belle may check whether she has the symptoms of a given experiment if she couldn't tell what had been done to her right away. At the very least, she apparently hadn't lost a lot of time away from Luceti. If Ai were to be abducted and experimented on, she wouldn't want to be gone for long either.]

[Now that is a good idea. One she surely would have thought of eventually. As much as she doesn't want to think about what happened, it would be best for her to at least figure out what's been done to her.]

Yes, I think I will do just that. Thank you, Ai.

[She quickly opens her journal and flips immediately to where she knows the guide is. Her eyes scan the page and...stop. Brows furrowed she stares down at the page in confusion and increasing worry. None of the words make any sense, and appear to her as black scribbles.]

[Being called by her first name did not surprise Ai as much anymore, seeing as she had already gotten used to the fact that she was not in Japan anymore. Instead, she merely smiled at the girl in response and waited patiently for her to find out what the Malnosso had done to her.

Then, she curiously watched Belle's reaction and the way she seemed to squint at the page of her opened guide, her worried expression obvious - and from what Ai noticed, she hadn't even really started reading. She waited a few seconds before she eventually spoke up.]

What is wrong, Belle-san? [Ai furrowed her brows a bit herself. Could it be...] ...You cannot read it?

[She continues to stare at the page, mind reeling. This cannot be. They couldn't have...But then why could she not make out the letters on the page. Clutching the journal tightly, she tries to swallow back a lump that has grown in her throat. Her eyes begin to grow wet and sting as she fights to hold back tears.

This cannot be.]

I-I'm terribly sorry but I really must be getting home.

[Despite he attempts to keep her voice steady it comes out unsteady and course. But she can't stand out here any longer. Any moment now she's afraid she might break down into tears or faint. Neither things she wishes to do in public.]

[And it was then when Ai's gaze widened in surprise upon seeing the other girl clearly becoming even more distraught than before, noticing the sight of Belle's eyes noticeably reddening.

And if that wasn't any indication of what she felt, then her voice certainly was. Seemingly, the inability to read really distressed her, and Ai could only sympathize at this point - being a victim to such an experiment would make her feel bad herself... But maybe being alone at at a time like this, after a revelation of this sort, would only make Belle feel worse.]

W-wait! I-is there anything I can do to help?

[And it was why Ai tried to offer help then... she could guess that she'd feel better in Belle's position if there was somebody there with her, despite what she may say to them.]

[She wipes hurriedly at her eyes to keep her un-shed tears from clouding her sight. All she wants at this moment is to crawl into her bed and curl up. Maybe when she wakes this will all have been an awful dream.]

N-no, no, I'll be fine. There's no need to concern yourself.

[From her body language and just looking at her features, Ai was not particularly convinced of Belle's words, her face falling slightly. She wouldn't be insisting that she help a stranger this much back home, but from what she had experienced in Luceti so far, people's shared predicament already made their group more tightly knit alone.]

...Are you sure, Belle-san?... Is there somebody else back wherever you live? A roommate, or a friend?

[If Ai herself couldn't help, then she wouldn't mind some reassurance that someone else could. Belle might've desired to be alone now, but in the long run having a person by her side, especially someone she knew already, could do wonders to help her.]

[After a moment she nods slowly. She had almost forgotten about Beast. How he's most likely pacing around the house, waiting for her return. But how can she meet him like this? It would only worry him more.]

Yes...there is someone. But I don't wish to concern him with this either.

[Ai's eyes blinked once or twice at Belle's response. Not trying to sound urgent or anything of the sort, the girl put her hands in her pockets and spoke softly.]

...He will probably find out eventually anyway, Belle-san. I think you might want to let him know early... he could help you with the problem, and maybe figure out a way to work around the experiment...

[Maybe whoever her friend was, he wouldn't be able to find a way for the girl to regain her sight, but he could comfort still her if Ai herself couldn't. As for the nature of the experiment - specifically the length of the phenomenon - she was not yet knowledgeable enough to say when exactly it would wear off, but she was curious about it nonetheless. She figured it would only distress the girl more if she talk to her about it, though.]

He would try to help...I know it. But he will also worry and fret and I cannot ease his mind if I myself am close to hysterical. I simply need some time alone. To...come to terms.

[She crosses her arms, pulling her journal in tightly to her chest.]

[Belle was clearly insistent on the matter as to how she felt about the prospect of having lost her ability to read - perhaps it would be for the best if she first calmed down first. The person the girl was describing seemed like a close friend of hers; so the fact that he'd fret was to be expected.]

I think you should not push him away if he does, Belle-san... But perhaps it would be a good idea to clear your head first.

[Ai looked around them, nodding towards a path down the village and then glancing back at the girl.]

You can take a walk by the river, or visit the hot spring to soothe yourself. You might want to pick something from the clothes shop so you will not have to move in this white sundress, too.

[At least that would be one of the methods Ai would use to calm herself down - along with swimming in the lakes if she were even able to at this time.]

[She finally looks up and meets Ai's eyes with a mixture of surprise and relief.]

Yes. That sounds like just what I need right now. Thank you, Ai.

[Belle glances down at her dress once again with a frown. She does tend to stand out while wearing it.]

I suppose you are correct about that as well.

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