as the wicked wind sweeps the land [active/open]

[megane_mode]

Characters: Mao, Rosette, open.
Content: He hasn't left his room in a few weeks and it was catching up to him.
Location: Undisclosed location, outside, sitting among the rubble-
Time of day: mid-morning
Warnings: None

Comments

[breakmy_stride]

It was probably a huge mistake to be out alone. Rosette had a clip of armor-piercing bullets, however, and she was on high alert. That should be enough for a quick once around the neighborhood, if only to make sure nobody needed help against the crabs.

She turned a corner and rolled her eyes. What the hell was the kid doing sitting outside like that? Didn't he know it was dangero-

Wait. That white hair was familiar - wow. She hadn't seen him in ages.

"Hey, Mao," she greeted him, heading over. "Haven't seen you in a while."

[megane_mode]

She was the last person Mao thought he'd still see around here, something about Rosette just seemed stupidly reckless, perhaps even suicidal. To think she was still alive may mean that he had misjudged her prematurely.

"You're still here?" Mao looked at her from the corner of his eye, his voice showing only a slight tone of interest and curiosity towards her. "Thinking about it now, you'd probably make a lousy meal for just about anything."

He twitched a smile, but Mao looked away at that moment in hopes of Rosette not seeing it.

[breakmy_stride]

Oh yeah. That was why she hadn't missed Mao despite his long absence. "Oh, yeah, that's my saving grace," she replied flatly, rolling her eyes. "Nevermind good friends watching my back, or combat training, or being careful - no, I just don't taste good." She couldn't help but grin at the end of the little tirade - only Mao would accuse her of that.

"So." She took a seat next to him. "Where have you been? I thought you'd disappeared."

[megane_mode]

Mao instinctively leaned away from her, glaring as Rosette settled herself down. He wasn't expecting her to stay around after all, but he made room for her begrudgingly nonetheless.

"Where do you think I've been?" He stared up into the sky, Mao didn't know if he was ever going to get used to the bright skies of a human world. "In my room."

[notafakehero]

Almaz had never had too many good experiences of Mao wandering off, to be quite frank. At the Evil Academy, it was okay! (Well, no, it wasn't. It was just the lesser of two evils, he thought.) Here though? That was considerably less okay. He took a quick look down an alleyway, nothing.

Not that he could blame Mao for wanting to get out--he turned a corner here--for that matter, he couldn't blame him for not wanting to get out either. Almaz felt a sense of dread each time he considered looking at what was going on on the network himself. (When would there be any good news for everyone stuck here?) But for as long as Mao was cooped up, Almaz was starting to get worried. So this was a good thing in a way!

But then Almaz remembered the time Laharl had gotten kidnapped--by, guess who?--and felt a shiver run down his spine.

...

I think I'd better hurry, Almaz thought, walking a little faster. Just in case.

He wondered if he would just be ignored (maybe his friend was in one of those moods or maybe he would just be ignored on principle

[megane_mode]

"...What's gotten into you?" Mao replied, his voice coming from behind Almaz as he scurried around the town. The young boy sat up above, resting on the remains of a building as he looked down at the hero. Mao clutched his sword in one hand, resting it against his neck. It had been a long morning already, especially after the earful he received from Rosette.

He never could pass up the opportunity to scare the hero, though.

[notafakehero]

Almaz screamed, clutching at his heart as he whirled around to face this terrible, unseen terror that-- that sounded awfully familiar, come to think of it.

"... M-Mao." Almaz scowled up at his friend, oh, that was just mean. Getting him while he was caught up in his thoughts really wasn't fair. Almaz took a few staggering steps towards the pile of rubble, breathing deeply to try and calm his heart after that spook. "Don't do that!"

Almaz looked around awkwardly. Nothing seemed wrong, out of place, and he heard no screaming (other than his own). "So much for being worried," he continued with a sigh. If Mao was up to picking on him, then he was probably fine. And there wasn't any sign of recent victims to Mao's boredom, so that was doubly good.

So then, just what was this? "What are you doing out here anyway?"

[megane_mode]

He smiled. Good ole Almaz, he was always useful in these situations. Mao looked off, down the road they were on for a moment in silence. It's not like he wasn't allowed out of the house! He just... chose not to leave most of the time. Stepping down from his resting place, Mao dusted himself off before replying, "Nothing in particular."

It was true.
Sort of. Which made Mao wonder why he couldn't come up with something more elaborate, a lie even. It was what he was good at but... no, just not today. He was cranky, he needed to stretch, to leave "home" for a bit.

"You were worried about me? I don't need you to worry." Mao scowled back at Almaz, this would simply not do. Turning away from Almaz, he added, "I need you to make lunch, there's nothing to see here! I wasted my morning scouting around for no reason."