[OPEN] I'm on my way to feel you

[resurrectedgod]

Characters: Eternity and OPEN TO ANYONE
Date/Time: ANYTIME that's convenient for your character
Location: ANYWHERE that's convenient, too
Rating: TBD.

Notes: This is mainly a CR-building exercise.

I'd been planning logs since my post in the OOC comm, but things suddenly became hectic. I apologize for being slow, but I'll try my best to work these

Comments

Sunday, April 25, Park area, Afternoon-ish

[iattractmushi]

Cloud had found himself somewhat at loose ends today. His supplies where fine so there was no reason to go to the Bazaar, Mustang hadn't scheduled him for anything today, the few people he knew and wouldn't have minded visiting were busy, and... well. He was kind of tired, and didn't really feel up do doing any exploration of Edensphere on his own today

[resurrectedgod]

It was a relatively normal day. Bright, sunny--a good day to wander around aimlessly in hopes of uncovering new things. He could always hunt for things later at night anyway.

Sometimes it's as if a one could feel another person staring at them. He checks, and whoever was doing it quickly averts his gaze because it's not acceptable to stare. Similarly, Eternity felt like someone was looking at him. Perhaps staring, or maybe studying him from afar.

Finally he turned around and noted the lazy figure on the bench he'd been passing. He did a quick study of the man, but there wasn't anything particularly striking about him.

After a short pause, he eventually asked, "Can I help you with something?"

[iattractmushi]

Cloud understood that many people thought staring was rude. But it was something that felt pretty familiar, in that strange, unexplainable way... so even though he hoped he would get used to weird hair colors, he was perfectly okay with ignoring that particular social rule.

He noted that the man had seemed disturbed by something even before he turned to look behind him. Had he sensed Cloud watching him? Very interesting indeed.

He placidly let the other man study him, leaning forward a little to rest one elbow on his knee and cup his chin in his hand. He took his cigarette out with the other hand, holding it as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Not really. I just noticed you passing by, that's all." He paused for a second. Talking with this guy would be a nice distraction from doing nothing. "Going anywhere in particular?"

[resurrectedgod]

By now, it was probably normal for people to study each other upon first meeting. The amnesia or memory loss had people constantly examining those presently with them, trying to comparing similarities between them and hints or traces of a world now forgotten. Of course, that wasn't the only reason--some did so because of blatant differences from whatever they instinctively felt was 'normal', or perhaps because they found the other interesting in some way.

In Eternity's case, he'd typically found something about the situation relatively amusing. Every so often, there'd be someone who'd strike him as vaguely interesting, and he'd at least like to remember what that person looked like in case he didn't catch the name.

"Not really," he replied. "Just doing a little exploration."

Eternity's presence didn't seem to bother the other man--not that he had a problem with situations like this. In fact, that made things even slightly interesting.

"And you--watching things in your free time?"

[iattractmushi]

Exploration, huh. Cloud stuck the cigarette back in his mouth, speaking around it as he answered the second sentence, the question, first. "Nnn. You could say that. It's something to pass the time, anyway."

He leaned back on the bench again, looking away from the man a little. "What about you, are you an Adventurer? Or just naturally curious?" He wasn't trying to get information--ok, he was. But he was just curious. He didn't have a reason to gather the info... but since when had anyone needed an ulterior motive to do anything?

[resurrectedgod]

"It's something to do," he answered. Not that it was a lie--he used to do it before he'd died getting rid of his double, and he still did it now even though he was actually employed. It was a vague and general answer, though, and covered enough bases without fully exposing his intentions. "But I'm not an adventurer."

Eternity turned, preparing to leave. He wasn't really much of a conversationalist unless he was bothering someone, it seemed. Or unless it was Paladin, but that may have very well counted as bothering him. There was some kind of disconnect between the 'normal', expected actions or responses and his own, though it wasn't that he was the only one like this.

He raised his hand as an acknowledging parting wave of sorts. Eternity wasn't really thinking about it, but it wouldn't matter whether or not the other decided to tag along with him. It was just like him to move along, whether or not he had any company. "By the way... What's your name? Or, at least, what you call yourself here, in Edensphere?"

[iattractmushi]

"Hnng." He could understand that. "Too bad. It's a pretty nice job." Meeting another co-worker would have been nice... Cloud was slowly trying to learn all the names and faces of the other Adventurers. It seemed important he know them, somehow.

Cloud started to relax back into his comfortable, lazy slouch on the bench as the other man turned to leave; apparently, that had been enough conversation for him. When the man changed his mind and asked Cloud for his name, he looked back at the man and smiled a little. "I guess that was kind of rude of me... I'm Cloud." Until he got his real name back, anyway.

[resurrectedgod]

The name gave him slight pause. Eternity inwardly questioned it, mentally tasting it and determining it was familiar. But this man wasn't really Cloud; certainly it'd be his name only temporarily.

After a brief pause, he very curtly introduced himself. "Eternity."

He nodded while speaking, taking careful note of the other, observing his reactions, and all the while finding it difficult to connect 'Cloud' with his self-given name. Although he'd originally decided to end their conversation, he thought he might as well ask...

"I see. So I take that you're an adventurer?" It wasn't so much a question as much a declarative confirmation for the inference.

[iattractmushi]

Eternity, huh... interesting name. Cloud wondered why he'd picked it... didn't really matter, though. There were probably a thousand reasons why people picked their names, and most of them would be personal. So instead of asking, he leaned back in his seat with a nod.

Apparently Eternity was now interested in continuing their conversation. Was it because Cloud had given his name? Maybe... he looked up at the sky as he answered the question. "Yeah, that's right." Cloud glanced at Eternity out of the corner of his eye as he took a drag on his cigarette. "What about you? Where do you work?"

[resurrectedgod]

Motioning toward Stuff Inc, he answered, "At the printing press. It's part of the paper factory on that island... Stuff Inc."

Eternity finished the sentence as if just tasting what it was like to say the word 'stuff'. Because the truth was that he actually was tasting it, almost as if he'd never spoken the word before. Or if he had, it'd been such a long time since he'd done so that it seemed new and foreign now that he was saying it again.

"I happen to be off now." And being off from work meant having time to do things such as wander around or hunt, like he did.

[iattractmushi]

Cloud looked in the direction of Eternity's gesture, then nodded. "Oh yeah... I visited that place pretty soon after I arrived here." During the time when everyone had been speaking different languages or jibberish, so Cloud had been forced to look but not ask any questions during his visit. He hadn't managed to go back since... too many other fascinating things about Edensphere kept distracting him. "So you're one of the people who make the journals?"

He noted the odd way Eternity said 'stuff' but didn't comment on it. It was a pretty safe bet thanks to that language problem that the different people living in Edensphere all spoke different languages, so maybe the language of Eternity's world didn't have a word for 'stuff.'

He smiled faintly. "Yeah, me too... relaxing can be nice, from time to time." Although, too much of a good thing wasn't good either... Cloud was still struggling to find a balance between too much work and too much free time. It was strangely difficult, as if he wasn't used to having a lot of leisure time.

[resurrectedgod]

He gave a brief nod before replying, "I don't quite make them but do preparatory work."

Those at the paper press prepared raw materials for the journal makers and passed them through machines to press out rolls of paper that were later cut into journal-sized strips before binding. It was somewhat strange to Eternity that the material was that used to make normal paper--trees. However, what they used supposedly came from the Majestic Oak. He wasn't sure whether that was true or not but certainly wanted to investigate it and find out for sure.

It seemed Cloud was idle from the lack of work and his apparent relaxation. While Eternity wasn't necessarily restless, the nagging sense of powerlessness and lack of control within him demanded he seek answers as much as possible. But he showed no sense of urgency and didn't recognize it as the act of futility that other residents believed it was.

After a long enough pause and with nothing else to say, he finally began to walk away.

[iattractmushi]

Cloud 'hmmm'ed a little. "So... you don't know how the journals are able to do what they're able to do either..." It was mostly muttering to himself, though it was loud enough muttering that Eternity could probably hear him.

Alright, apparently now the conversation was over. He looked after Eternity for a second or two, finishing his cigarette. Then he got to his feet, dropped the butt of the cigarette to the ground, and grabbed his pack. That was enough sitting around; there was still more than enough daylight to do some wandering around the City Without Walls, maybe a little exploring of the islands he hadn't been to yet. Maybe it would be enough to let him shake off the lingering sense of tiredness.

Cloud gave Eternity a wave over his shoulder as he started walking off in a random direction. Maybe he'd see the man again... he seemed interesting somehow, even if he wasn't a very good conversationalist.