[The light is dim around her but bright enough for her round face and rosy cheeks to show up clearly, as well as the pink hair that frames it. Her expression, however, is oddly unreadable for this particular child. Something between worry and irritation perhaps.]
[A start, and then he turns, looking around for the source of the voice, frantically at first. And then his vision focuses on the Forge and he calms, but just slightly. He takes a hesitant step forward, then halts, staring at the image of the child in the fallen box across the room.
The word, clearly, means nothing to him, nor does the girl.]
[It hurts. Even though she understands the reasons, she knows it isn't his fault, it still hurts that he doesn't know her. So she frowns and gets a little bit angry rather than letting herself get upset.]
It's this stupid place, Xerbie. Stupid Anatole. It made you come here and then it made you different. So you don't remember being here. But you were! That's your house! You and me live there together!
[He crouches down a bit, still a safe distance from the Forge, but close enough that he can get a better view of the girl. He just stares for a few seconds, trying to get over the strangeness of the situation before addressing her.]
I'm sorry, but I've never met you before. I think I'd remember if I did.
[He wonders if the child in the box is deranged, but that's not a fair thing to wonder because he's seeing a child in a box. And although he wants to dismiss her words, he did see those drawings on the wall. She looks quite like her representation, but the other guy...]
I'm not Xerbie. Maybe I look a bit like him, but... my name is Kevin, for starters.
[Awkward pause. He's so bad with children. He's suddenly afraid denying her will make her cry. He's had enough of crying little girls lately. He flips the long ponytail of his hair over his shoulder and leans just a bit closer.]
[Hello, you look very much like someone he met the other day. :|a]
...Xerxes?
[Hrm. Your hair is much longer, though, so maybe he has a twin brother or something...?]
Um, we're in Anatole. I don't know very much about it since I just got here the other day, but it's apparently another dimension that we can't freely leave.
[ video ] I can htmlheartbetweenAugust 2 2011, 05:32:02 UTC
...Oh. Ah, sorry. It's just I met someone the other day who...well, his hair is a little shorter, but looked almost exactly like--
[Stops himself. He's being a bit rambly now, isn't he?] Nevermind. I'm Kaien Shiba, what's your name?
[But he shakes his head at the next comment and shrugs a bit. You do appear to be human and he can't sense for reiatsu through this thing, so he assumes it makes sense that he wouldn't be aware of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, for instance]
Not particularly. There's a couple of dimensions back where I'm from.
[Kaien pauses a bit and regards the young man. He seems so...flighty. It's a little concerning to Kaien, and so despite his uncertainty as to the futility of the venture, he makes his offer]
[ video ] html is for the weakto_theothersideAugust 2 2011, 17:58:45 UTC
-That must be the cause for confusion, then. There's not many people with hair like mine. Or eyes. ... It's an honest mistake.
[This is an explanation he can deal with. He nods once, then pushes a wisp of hair out of one eye.]
It's Kevin. Regnard. [He's grown hesitant to give his last name as of late, because most people get a look of grim recognition in their eyes, and speak condolences about the loss of the Sinclairs. But, in this place, it seems like no one's aware of his folly. Thank goodness for small favors.]
...Are there. Well. I guess we hail from different places, Shiba-san. I've been told some fantastical things about this one already, and I'm not sure if I believe those, either.
[And his eyes flash for a moment at the offer, hardening like stone.]
[Skeptical, yes, and a bit defiant. Youthfully so. He's not sure whether to trust this guy, who doesn't look so old himself but seems to have a strangely paternal way about him.]
...Kevin. Regnard. Knight to the...
[Shit.]
Never mind. [He covers with the return of the defiant edge.] If we've all been abducted from different locations you probably won't have heard of my family.
I've already been through this with others. Of course there's a way out. There's always a way out. It just depends on whether you are willing to take the risks necessary to find it.
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Xerbie?
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The word, clearly, means nothing to him, nor does the girl.]
How is this possible?
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[It hurts. Even though she understands the reasons, she knows it isn't his fault, it still hurts that he doesn't know her. So she frowns and gets a little bit angry rather than letting herself get upset.]
It's this stupid place, Xerbie. Stupid Anatole. It made you come here and then it made you different. So you don't remember being here. But you were! That's your house! You and me live there together!
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I'm sorry, but I've never met you before. I think I'd remember if I did.
[He wonders if the child in the box is deranged, but that's not a fair thing to wonder because he's seeing a child in a box. And although he wants to dismiss her words, he did see those drawings on the wall. She looks quite like her representation, but the other guy...]
I'm not Xerbie. Maybe I look a bit like him, but... my name is Kevin, for starters.
[Awkward pause. He's so bad with children. He's suddenly afraid denying her will make her cry. He's had enough of crying little girls lately. He flips the long ponytail of his hair over his shoulder and leans just a bit closer.]
...What's your name?
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Where from Endiness are you?
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What's Endiness? Is - that where I am?
[Somewhat demanding, but there's much fear behind his words.]
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...I apologize. I have mistaken for someone you are not. This city is Anatole.
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[His shoulders tense, just a little.]
Yes. You're not the only one who has.
I've been told the name of the city, but not how it got to be here, in this dimension.
[Was it pulled here, like another Sablier? He doesn't know much about how any of that works.]
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...Xerxes?
[Hrm. Your hair is much longer, though, so maybe he has a twin brother or something...?]
Um, we're in Anatole. I don't know very much about it since I just got here the other day, but it's apparently another dimension that we can't freely leave.
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You've got the wrong person, sorry.
[There's an edge to his voice, a warning, even. As if you've met someone you might not want to get attached to.]
That's- [He laughs uneasily.] That's absurd. You have heard too many fairy tales.
[He seems to hear a noise off screen, and turns to stare for a moment, before turning back to Kaien.]
I hope you'll excuse me. I need to find my way back home.
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[Stops himself. He's being a bit rambly now, isn't he?] Nevermind. I'm Kaien Shiba, what's your name?
[But he shakes his head at the next comment and shrugs a bit. You do appear to be human and he can't sense for reiatsu through this thing, so he assumes it makes sense that he wouldn't be aware of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, for instance]
Not particularly. There's a couple of dimensions back where I'm from.
[Kaien pauses a bit and regards the young man. He seems so...flighty. It's a little concerning to Kaien, and so despite his uncertainty as to the futility of the venture, he makes his offer]
Would you like any help searching?
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[This is an explanation he can deal with. He nods once, then pushes a wisp of hair out of one eye.]
It's Kevin. Regnard. [He's grown hesitant to give his last name as of late, because most people get a look of grim recognition in their eyes, and speak condolences about the loss of the Sinclairs. But, in this place, it seems like no one's aware of his folly. Thank goodness for small favors.]
...Are there. Well. I guess we hail from different places, Shiba-san. I've been told some fantastical things about this one already, and I'm not sure if I believe those, either.
[And his eyes flash for a moment at the offer, hardening like stone.]
No. No, I'll be fine. I can find my way myself.
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...
You're not going to call me Xerxes, are you?
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[ A beat. ]
No, I don't suppose I will. What is it that you'd prefer to be called?
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[Skeptical, yes, and a bit defiant. Youthfully so. He's not sure whether to trust this guy, who doesn't look so old himself but seems to have a strangely paternal way about him.]
...Kevin. Regnard. Knight to the...
[Shit.]
Never mind. [He covers with the return of the defiant edge.] If we've all been abducted from different locations you probably won't have heard of my family.
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And just what is that supposed to mean?
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