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NEW CHARACTER: Sonja Jo Rosewood (Search)

Age: 24.

Personality: cunning schemer, takes the lead, headstrong, loyal, confident, loves learning. Religious. Bookworm but can kick butt.

Appearance: long, thick flaxen hair frequently worn in two braids. Pointed ears (not an elf. Stop.) bronze skin. Slight scoliosis due to leg length discrepancy. Squared face. Higher-pitched voice. Curvy. Tall.

Talent (super-power): Psychometry. She can see the past of any non-living object if she holds it in both hands. This extends to pieces of an object if they are whole and unbroken (so a handle of a machine). She can only use psychometry with a targeted intention.

World: Diplopia. A nation / country in the center of the earth. An Orb brightens or dims for a sort-of night/day cycle. However, it’s only present in the central chamber – the most notable settlement there is the Five Hives, a floating city that nomads scornfully call the “OverRealm.” In the branch caverns there is Blue Moss which is bioluminescent. The caverns are highly unstable and ever-changing. There are about 12 stable zones outside the Center and all these are settled and almost micro-kingdoms. Nomadic tribes live in the Shifting Zones. There is a high level of crime outside the Center and Stable Zones. The Shifting Zones are inhabited by Cold Shadows, mysterious monsters that prey on the people living in Diplopia.

 

 

It has been three months since I last saw Burn. Five hours since our last conversation (over the phone – which he threw at a Cold. In the middle of talking with me. Why Burn? Why?). An indeterminate amount of time since I last ate.

Hopefully I’ll see him again today.

At the moment, I’m browsing a small store – a little Ma’n’Pa shop with a low variety of food and some little nick-knacks. They have some canned wares and fresh-foods mostly.

I’ve got a few vegetables (okay, carrots and salad) and fruits (all of them) in my basket – enough for me.

Since the shopkeeper was busy at the counter with another customer, I started browsing the knick-knack table.

I pull out another accessory from the tray – a gold hairclip.

Hn. Definitely not this one.

The shopkeeper walks past me. “See anything you like?”

“Oh yes, lots! But I’m not buying for me.”

“Ah. Well take you time. If you want, I have some things in the back.”

“Thanks!”

He leaves, bustling around the counter with a damp cloth. A nice man, I suppose. I won’t have the time to actually get to know him. That’s the tragedy of the world. You can’t actually really know everyone.

I pick up another bracelet from the tray and roll it around my fingers. It has a nice texture – a bunch of gears fused to a simple metal band. It is also silver which matches his skin-tones better than the other bracelets here. Burn’s a mass of freckles – he doesn’t show a clear inch of skin. Although Grimme says he’s got a spot on his back about the size of an adult’s hand.

Hn.

“Eh, what the abyss. I’ll get this one.” But … “No. He’s too likely to do something stupid with it.”

Notice: he threw his phone at a Cold. While talking to me.

I massage the growing headache in my temples. When I see that idiot again, am I gonna hug him or punch him?

I quietly shift my wriggling pack to the other shoulder. Hope nobody notices the lizard.

It’s … the fifth? … one I’ve rescued this week. They’re gonna be on the endangered list soon if this keeps up.

And that’s the scary thing – keystone species keep dying out. Ever since the disaster of the last Flood.

Don’t think about it.

Oh! Oh that’s perfect!

“This one!” I drop it on the counter and wait for the price.

“Are you… sure…?” he says dubiously.

“Absolutely.” I say smirking.

I pay for my purchases and stow them in my basket – stop wiggling around lizard.

The bell tinkles over the door.

“If you stay out of trouble I might buy you something you like.” Someone says indulgently.

The tone of voice makes my skin crawl. That poor kid he’s talking to needs prayers…

What … the abyss …

“BURN?!”

“SEARCH?!”

It’s my idiot he’s talking to!

“What are you doing here?” Burn waves his arm – thankfully not the one with his stupid ‘staff’ – and almost knocks a glass bottle off the table. He pauses before disaster – narrowly

“What do you mean ‘what are you doing here?’ You’re supposed to be half-way across This Place!” I say. My headache is growing. “Are you okay? I did NOT like how that last conversation ended.”

“Waddya mean?” Burn tips his head. The red-dyed bangs fall over his blindfold – he needs a haircut but honestly, the look flatters him.

“Do you not remember throwing your phone?”

Yeah, but he needs to cut pack some of that scruff on his jaw – I’ll do it if I have to (if I can wrangle him into sitting still, more like).

“Oooh yeah. I did do that.” He shrugs, chewing his claw again. “Well, it worked.” Something’s got him high-strung again.

“Stop that.” I march forward and pull his hand out of his mouth. “Now tell me what happened.”

“Everything’s fine.” He leans over to his companion. “Hey, did we fall through another hole in reality?” he whispers.

What?

I switch my grip to his jacket-sleeve – darn it! The pin is missing. That’s gonna make using my talent a lot harder.

“Um. Do you notice anything off about this place?” he says, waving his hand – this time more carefully – over the room.

“It’s just a Ma’n’Pa shop.” I say. Okay. What is he carrying that a) fits in my hand and b) I can lift without him noticing?

“Yeah. I know.” he grumbles. “That’s why I wanted to come here.”

I sigh. Welp. I have something to replace the pin.

“I mean outside the shop.” He says.

“What do you mean outside the shop?” Might as well humor him – might find out what’s going on.

“Um. Come look?”

I roll my eyes and catch his arm, guiding him to the doorway. “Alright. What do you want me to see?”

“Um. Look up?”

 

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