[Action]

[ledbythewind]

[It's late in the afternoon when Richard awakens in the middle of the forest, clad only in the pair of white pants given to all New Feathers when they arrive. As if that weren't bad enough, it's currently raining, and he's disoriented and confused and why does his back hurt and where is he? There's something strangely familiar about this

Comments

[ishisfriend]

[People come back. They always come back. Leo hadn't paid much attention to that particular section of the Guide, but he'd seen Asbel's announcement of Richard having returned home and well, here he is.

...looking a little lost, in fact. What is he doing around House 53?]

Richard?

[ishisfriend]

[He laughs quietly.]

You might get a few disgruntled replies.

[ledbythewind]

I might get more than a few if I manage to get it wrong.

[ishisfriend]

That's only normal. [That being said...] So what will you do now, Richard?

[ledbythewind]

What will I do...?

[He's quiet for a moment, gazing off into the woods.]

... I suppose I'll try to settle back in as best I can. That's the only thing I can do.

[ishisfriend]

Are you anticipating trouble?

[ledbythewind]

I don't know, but I do know that it will take some time to adjust to being here again.

[ishisfriend]

Mmm...there doesn't seem to be much choice, is there?

Although to be honest, I meant to ask how you planned to get home.

[ledbythewind]

I could always just knock on doors until I found the right house.

[ishisfriend]

It's a very large village. [...] But if it's a house, it should be easier than covering every dwelling.

[ledbythewind]

And even if I get the wrong house, perhaps the people there could point me in the right direction. Someone like Asbel is bound to have made many friends here already. He's the sort of person who just can't resist trying to help everyone.

[ishisfriend]

And most people shouldn't mind helping out as long as you knock. But this Asbel- is he a good friend of yours, Richard?

[ledbythewind]

[Oh, now Richard is smiling, and it's a smile that lights up his entire face.]

My very best friend. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him.

[ishisfriend]

[A smile like that is hard to ignore, especially when Leo definitely can identify.]

The both of you must be very close.

[ledbythewind]

[Is that the slightest hint of slightly more than platonic feelings in his eyes? It might be.]

We've known each other ever since we were children, though we spent several years apart.

[ishisfriend]

Childhood friends then. How long ago was that?