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audio / un: strange - day 6, evening.

We have a way to evacuate the Hivawei.

[ The most important news first. The thing that can't wait. Then, on to detail. ]

Remi d'Arbes has answered our call. With his help, we'll create a path between worlds in search of a suitable planet for the Hivawei to settle. Our course will be set for Gyeonje - unless anyone has a suggestion for a place better suited - with the hope that in making our way to that world we'll find one closer, freeing up those of us based here to open more doorways for the Hivawei to travel through.

[ There's a truth between the lines there, but he doesn't drag it out. It doesn't change what they have to do. ]

We need to be as certain as we can be that the world we lead them to is somewhere they're going to have a real chance to thrive. If anyone thinks they'd be suited to making that kind of assessment and would be willing to abandon the search for the orb to assist with this, let us know as soon as possible.

If there's anyone not already involved who wields magic, or similarly esoteric [ shout out to Itachi for the verbiage ] power, and could spare some time - we'd be glad of you.

[ That's it, their plan and the help they're seeking with it laid out. There's a quiet from Stephen, thoughts ticking over for anything else he needs to add... which there is. One last thing, before they get so ahead of themselves that they forget what this is really going to be. ]

This will not be a small feat. If and when Chief Yerek decides it's time to tell the people, they'll be managing the logistics of a mass evacuation while preparing to leave behind everything they've ever known.

We've all experienced their kindness and the strength of their community. Let's honor that and ease the way for them as much as we possibly can.

[ And with that, he's off to get to work. ]

( ooc: Team Portal would've received this info before he dropped this network post (whether via text or in person for those in Hivawa at the time), along with anyone else in Hiwava who might've been hanging with the magic crowd or spotted he and Remi walking back and followed, so feel free to handwave having been around for the first in-person lowdown!

threadjacking welcome, be wild be free ]

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[ it's a combination of the high of finally having a viable solution at their fingertips and the knowledge that itachi has found a way to refocus all that excitement of finn's that has iris comfortable enough to even joke like this— ]

Breathing's a good first step.

[ Energy now redirected, Finn is a little calmer. Marginally. Enough to have a cringing sense of humor-meets-embarrassment over how desperate he was coming across before. ]

Heh, I know, I know... I'm doing it, see? [ Enjoy that extremely loud inhale, exhale. ] Peep that lung capacity, man.

[ He's joking around, sure, but it's missing Finn's usual bro-confidence. Even with a job to do and a stubborn determination to be optimistic about all this, there's some part of him still worried about what's about to happen. That worry bleeds through more obviously when Finn speaks again. ]

What about you? Are you breathing?

Yep, like I've been doing it all my life.

[ see, finn? everything's fine. we even have space for jokes here. ]

I know we've all got our work to do, but there's no reason we can't do some of the prep work together, right? Wanna hang while we iron things out? We can even breathe together.

[ Couldn't be him, breathing loudly all over again, only this time with audible relief. Having somewhere to sit and work that was somehow both productive and yet still chill in that, y'know, kinda indefinably Iris way? It was perfect.

Way better than sitting out in the woods by himself for hours at a time, just because the trees made it easier to ignore the sky. ]

Dude. Yes. That.

[ He takes another breath. Look at him go! ]

Where are you? I'll come right over, I just gotta grab some stuff. Like paper and... oh hold up, you've got crayons and griz, right?

[ ...griz? ]

Crayons, markers, pencils — you name it, I've got it.

Know that cluster of moss shaped like a heart at the base of that tree with the blue-green leaves? Just outside of the town, near that river. Find me there if you're not a coward.

[ You can't just say stuff like that to him, bro!! ]

[ In his haste to ~~see Iris~~ not be a coward, Finn doesn't even think to confirm he was coming... or even reply at all. After a hasty sweep of the hut, stuffing whatever he thinks might possibly come up in his grass-woven pack, Finn is off.

Iris wouldn't have to wait more than fifteen minutes before hearing Finn's approach, jogging through the woods towards the familiar clearing. ]

Yo! [ Finn cries, hand waved in greeting as soon as he breaks through into the clearing and sees Iris chilling at the base of the tree. He looks winding. Like he ran the whole way here, or something non-cowardly like that. ] M'here!

[ He jogs a little more leisurely over to his friend, taking a beat to wipe the sweat from his brow before promptly falling forward onto the soft moss that grew there. It was a pratfall, designed to earn a laugh, one that Finn was anxiously listening for. ]

Just bury me right here, bro. [ He whines, hamming it up for equally comedic effect. ~~Please think he's funny.~~ ] Whyyyy is it so hot out?

[ iris doesn't laugh, but there's amusement in every loose angle of his body. minutes ago he'd been feeling rather rigid, stiff with a bumbling anxiety that only grows larger and larger with every passing thought of the task set out ahead of him. finn's theatrics happen to be just the right amount of — what is it the kids say these days? "cringe"? — to get iris suitably distracted. at least for the time being.

he folds his arms over the sketchbook laid out across his lap, leaning forward to watch finn work hard to remain immobile. ]

Dunno, but I'm not sure the bearskin hat is helping with the heat.

[ he reaches over to give one of those fuzzy ears a playful tug. ]

[ The tug isn't a laugh, but it's something. Finn was just going to stay face down for a second longer. Until his face turns less red. Shows him for running all the way here in all this heat, right? ]

Okay, yeah, maybe. [ He sits up and tugs it off his hat simultaneously, letting his trademark fall beside him. His hair was significantly shorter than Iris would remember it, recently cut by Steve as his birthday present. His roommate as sick of pulling four foot long hairs out of his brush, apparently. ] I'm gonna have to take a dip or something if it doesn't let up, though. Good thinking picking a place by the water.

[ the mess of blonde strands revealed beneath finn's signature hat isn't at all close to the messy nest iris had seen of it last, so it takes him a moment to readjust to the sight. head slightly tilted, eyeing the new look with perhaps more intensity than is necessary — an artist's eye, cataloging details away for later.

anyway it's a little funny for finn to be complaining of the heat, when here iris is covered head to toe in dark layers. ]

Knock yourself out. But fair warning — you're on your own if a current takes you away. I never learned to swim.

What, seriously? [ In the shade of the tree, Iris cut quite a dark figure overall. It stood in sharp contrast to Finn, who was practically glowing in the light coming in through the clearing. The lingering static electricity from his hat gave his now-shorter hair an almost halo effect. Or maybe it was just how he was grinning at him, skeptical. ] Like... never?

[ He tugged at his shirt with his good arm, pulling it over his head before getting to work on his shoes. Even just under a week on this planet had given Finn an impressive farmers tan. ]

I guess they wouldn't have lakes in that tower, but. If you ever wanna learn, bro, I mean. I'm just saying, it might help us focus if we weren't so sweaty...

[ Nevermind that Iris looked completely fine. Finn was the one who looked and smelled like he'd run a marathon. ]

Edited 2023-04-03 18:33 (UTC)

[ iris' fingers drum a distracted rhythm against the pages of his sketchbook — not because he isn't paying attention to finn, but rather because he can't help but. he feels the itch to reach for the pencil left tucked behind his ear, to capture the brightness in front of him before talks of asteroids will surely make it fade.

when there is suddenly more of finn to see, iris finds himself hurriedly glancing away before he can help it. ]

It just never seemed necessary.

[ seattle has plenty of bodies of water, but he'd never once thought he'd ever leave the tower, and the madam never deigned to have a pool put in. belatedly, he wonders if that had been her attention all along — to deprive the demiflora under her watch one other way to escape her. ]

Dunno how good actively trying not to drown will help me focus, though. Think I'll just learn by watching this time.

Suit yourself. [ Finn shrugs with a smile, understanding if a little disappointed. He stands with a quick stretch, limbering up with maybe a little more gusto than was absolutely necessary, before taking off for a quick running leap into the water. The splash was large enough to nearly hit Iris, Finn disappearing from the surface until the ripples settled. When he did burst back up through the surface, Finn's thick hair was plastered to his head, face nearly covered save his broad grin. ]

Treading water with just one arm is kinda funky. [ He explains, despite Iris not asking. It was stream of consciousness, quickly dipping back below the surface a second time. When he resurfaces again, Finn is closer and... shivering. ] Freezing, though, eesh.

[ the water clinging to finn's golden hair reflects the sunlight overhead in such a way that it's almost blinding to look directly at him. ]

You're either too hot or you're too cold. [ the chiding tone of iris' voice is playful, even as he rolls his eyes. ] Pick a struggle, man.

[ it is getting pretty hot, though. despite the shade of the tree he's under, he's been outside long enough that the heat has begun to cling to the dark fabric of his clothes, and so after a moment he's shrugging off his slightly oversized t-shirt, which would have bared his top completely were it not for the neatly wrapped bandages still keeping him decent. ]

[ The entirely accurate assessment of Finn's complaining earns a quick splash in Iris's direction, accompanied by a tongue sticking out at him. Finn was about to follow it up with something equally mature, when the sudden disrobing distracts him.

He stays there, paddling silently for a few moments, before risking a careful question:]

Are you--did you get--[ He stops, trying to think of a less invasive way to phrase this. It's not like he'd necessarily appreciate wrongheaded curiosity about his own arm. ] You're not hurt, are you?

[ that splash of water gets iris in the right leg, feeling almost ice-cold as it travels down his shin and gathers around the lining of his boot. it gives him something to look at when he gets around to answering finn's question, a beat later than it should have been. ]

No. Not anymore.

[ he feels a droplet slip past his sock, down to his heel. it's a strange, unpleasant feeling. ]

My friend healed me. She said it'd been some time since she used her demiflora powers, so it wasn't as good as she's used to, but I think she was just being modest. Stopped the bleeding in seconds.

[ the corners of his lips quirk into a shadow of a smile, softening the lie he tells next. ]

Barely even notice it these days.

[ Finn was watching him with open, if cautious curiosity. He didn’t believe the last part for a second. The secrecy was written all over him, even if Finn wasn’t going to push Iris any harder than it felt like he was willing to go. ]

We have magic in my world, but I’ve never heard of anyone being able to heal like that…. [ Although maybe it was possible, but simply not done. Most sufficiently powerful wizards in Finn’s world were so absorbed into the madness and sadness that their power wrought that it would simply never occur to use their abilities on something as mundane as healing. Kindness was fast to disappear in the wake of that kind of power, no matter how good the person started. ]

Why didn’t she use it more often?

[ It was neither accusatory nor judgemental. He assumed there was a good reason. If it were simply disinterest or callousness, this friend of Iris’ wouldn’t have bothered using it at all. ]

[ iris starts to tap the pencil in his hand against his knee, the sound dull and muffled thanks to his jeans. ]

It's part of the deal, if you wanted to stay in the Tower.

[ there's a bead of water lazily making its way down the contour of finn's collarbone, taking up all of iris' attention. it was a welcome distraction, uncertain he wants to let his mind sink into thoughts of the tower for very long. ]

I told you before, how demiflora are hunted, right? Most hide, or stick to settlements that try to protect themselves...

Others stay in the Tower. It's supposed to be a safe haven for demiflora of any kind — protected from the hunters, basically anyone who wants to hurt us. The only condition was we could never leave... and we weren't allowed to use our powers.

[ even now, after everything, it's still so easy to hear his mother's words. ]

It was our way of proving to the world we could be trusted. That we could be normal.

[ Finn frowns, brow furrowing as he listens. ]

What’s the point of being “normal” if you’re stuck living in some tower?

[ The thought comes out of his mouth before he actually has time to think it through.

Admittedly much of it was distant and strange to his own experiences. Opposite even. The closest thing Finn could think of was the way humans in his world had sequestered themselves away, afraid of the changes of the world, afraid of those things changing them. But it was very different than what Iris was describing, wasn’t it?

Maybe not. After all, the fear of being hunted was a powerful one, and Finn wasn’t short-sighted or self-centered enough to not see how someone might choose safety over a little freedom. Assuming there was any choice at all. ]

Sorry, I’m sure it’s…more complicated than that. [ He pushes wet bangs out of his face, a guilty look passing across his features briefly. ]

How’d you get hurt then, if the tower was supposed to be some safe haven?

[ there is a faint quirk to iris' mouth at finn's outburst. nothing in his expression or posture suggests he's at all put off or offended by those words... if anything, the mildly wry tilt of his lips seems to imply he agrees.

but even still — it is more complicated than that. a lot more. ]

Like I said, we weren't supposed to use our powers. I didn't like to listen.

[ but that, too, was more complicated than he'd explained. there was lillium, of course. the "betrayal" of hiding him away, letting him go free. but at the crux of all that was the same sin he committed multiple times, without any real worry for punishment. why would he, when the worst his mom would do was ground him?

(well. no. that wasn't the worst she ever did, was it?)

he clears his throat a little. ]

It's not as bad as you're thinking.

How do you know what I’m thinking?

[ There was a slightly playful teasing to Finn’s voice, but his smile softens it. Coming over to the edge of the water, he rests his arm on the rocky bank there, shivering slightly but apparently determined to not give up on the water too quickly. ]

Because I’m definitely not thinking that it’s no big deal.

[ The bandages, the aforementioned bleeding, the dismissive ‘barely even notice it these days’…even without the generally cagey demeanor, it was enough to point to a Big Deal in Finn’s estimation. He recognized downplay when he saw it. He was surrounded by world-class downplayers. ]

[ compared to the rest of them, iris' attempts are pathetically inadequate. his face is too open, his eyes too wide and avoidant, his shoulders too drawn in like he were doing his best to appear as small as possible. everything about him screams he doesn't want to talk or even think about it, and yet when finn draws closer he leans in like a flower desperate for the sun.

he counts the goosebumps along the flesh of finn's arm, letting it slow down the frantic racing of his heart. ]

It's a pretty gnarly story.

[ a quiet truth. as close to a confession of the pain involved in it as he can get, for right now. ]

I'll tell you all about it one day, when you're old enough.

[ there is a teasing lilt to his tone, but an honest one too. a promise, even. one day, but not now. ]

[ It isn’t really a brush off, despite the brief, self-centered flash of hurt Finn feels at the words. At not being immediately awarded for his prying. Instead it gets an improbable laugh out of him, light and brief, diffusing his own wandering rumination that came so easily these days. ]

Okay, but I’m not gonna forget. [ And he means that. ]

Now, help me out of here before I freeze to death? [ He holds out his hand expectantly, although it seems obvious that he could get out on his own, one arm or not. ] Please?

[ in response to finn's (wholly expected) determination, iris feels a strange flicker of something light and airy, lodged deep into his breastbone. the faint flutterings of hope, of grasping onto that unspoken promise like a lifeline. no, he doesn't want to talk about it. but he thinks one day he will. and he thinks he'd want it to be with finn. ]

Is this the part where I remind you you did this to yourself?

[ and yet, despite the chiding in his tone, iris has already shifted forward to offer finn that hand. ]

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audio / un: strange - day 6, evening.

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