002. Runaway Bride

[creme_master]

Characters: Francis and YOU.
Setting: Floor Six
Format: Either is fine. I’ll match.
Summary: Francis needed a bit of nature. Francis got a bit more than what he asked for.
Warnings: CRACK! Oh… Maybe language?

Comments

//nervous; feel free to ignore tag if you want orz

[prayerless]

She'd decided to return to the forest where she had made her first foreign encounter in this place. She'd since learned, just by looking, that there were people from all kinds of worlds here.

In addition to that, there were also monsters. Not animals -- she'd had to fight off more than one aggressive woodland critter with ungodly jagged teeth and strangely shifting skin, and cute woodland creatures werent supposed to have either of those, so these were surely monsters.

Keyblade drawn, Aqua surveyed her surroundings with a frown. The staircase wasn't visible in any direction; she really should have been more careful and made a trail back. The sound of rustling put her on the defensive immediately, and she raised Stormfall in anticipation of an attack.

"Hello?" tried the young master warily, on the off chance that the presence was non-hostile.

/i love kh ;; don't be nervous! <3

[creme_master]

He genuinely wish he had brought his gun out of his trunk as well before heading out. The original plan hadn't been to venture so far out. He'd wanted to sketch some of the plant life; found it calming until he was immersed in it without a sense of direction to help him out.

Francis wasn't tired, not really - but he was nervous that the were-rabbit would come back after him (perhaps his family? Did were-rabbits produce quite as much as their normal cousins?). Or something worse! Something much larger. Oh, he knew he'd wake up after it killed him and such but he wasn't exactly looking forward to such a thing.

He'd taken shelter behind a nice line of trees when the rustling first popped up. Taking a deep breath, Francis tried to become one with a nearby tree. Russia would have laughed. But a voice called out, sounding just as cautious as he was feeling right about now and he let that breath out, peeking out in the direction he'd heard said voice

/that makes me feel better ;w;

[prayerless]

Aqua waited, tensed in anxiety for either a reply or an assault. Magic was already beginning to gather in the tips of her fingers, tingling along Stormfall's handle and just waiting to be released. Each breath she took was sparse, so as not to lose her hold on the magical energy from complacence

[creme_master]

Francis sighed at her reply. He was a little discouraged. "I've honestly lost track of time. I was chased from the staircase upon arrival." He sounded a little bitter by the fact - understandably. He'd been looking over his shoulder so much his neck was starting to ache and his tracking skills were not what they used to be. After all, he'd enjoyed relative calm for over sixty years. Cheese eating surrender monkey be damned.

The blue-haired girl was strangely calm for being lost in a forest full of worrisome animals hungry for whatever they could get. As if reminded by his own morbid thoughts, he continued in a lowered tone. "What's brought you out here this far mademoiselle? I cannot think a stroll amongst beasts is inviting for a lady such as yourself."

He doesn't know exactly what the blade killed, having never dealt with her homelands; merely extending a few thoughts to get answers about his unlikely companion.

[eastern_awsum]

Canada had warned Prussia about the forest and only having one useable hand he walked through it easily with his broadsword strapped to his right hip. He'd wanted to at least feel like he could go for a walk outside so the strange forest was where he was.

Cutting down what he thought was a deer path, he caught a glimpse of familiar blond hair. He couldn't help but grin and sneak up behind the French man and grinned.

"Lost again Francis?"

[creme_master]

The Frenchman had found a stream cutting through the undergrowth of the forest and was currently following it in hopes that it would lead somewhere. Like a staircase or a clearing. Somewhere where he could gather his thoughts. This stream had been Francis' first stroke of brilliance. Recalling his first trip to the forest the memory of running water off in the distance had been audible.

So this only made sense, really. He'd hidden in the underbrush to keep an eye out for the shape-shifting creatures that called this place home. The only problem with being near running water was the fact he couldn't hear every rustle and crack.

That was unfortunate, very unfortunate, for France's man card. Yelping, high and mighty (girly), he swung around to give his friend a scathing look and a smack on the chest. "You son of a bitch! Oh my heart..." Sniffing, he tried to regain his composure, muttering now. "Again? What do you mean again?"

[eastern_awsum]

"Again I mean your sense of direction is shit and you'd get lost in a wet paper bag." He snickered and rubbed his chest from the smack France had given him. "So, having a nice waltz through the woods and hiding in shrubs?" he teased and put a hand in his pocket.

He didn't comment on France's wonderfully girly scream, but he was wary. A noise like that would bring out all kinds of nasty creatures that'd want a snack on the two of them.

[creme_master]

For a moment Francis was unresponsive. He still looked like he wanted to throttle the pale man he called his friend but there were more pressing matters, namely the animals that probably heard his cry. Those animals would take a chunk out of his thigh like a famished man devouring a turkey leg and Francis was not interested in being a meal. Not at all.

When a few minutes passed and they were still intact he finally replied to Prusse's lovely queries.

"This forest goes forever. It wouldn't surprise me if I were to walk and walk for days and not find a wall. Paper bag," he scoffed. Sniffing, he looked at the stream once more. "Following the stream should lead to the staircase." A pause, then sounding more confused than ever; "What are you doing out here?"

[animus_sorrow]

The forest... It was a nice change in scenery. When she'd first been alive, she'd rarely had the opportunity to visit places that had grown so beautifully. While sharing her consciousness, on rare occasions, with KOS-MOS, she'd never had the opportunity until they'd seen the Miltia of Shion's past. And even then, it hadn't been anything like this

[creme_master]

Francis had been wandering strangely uninterrupted for the last ten minutes... or was it fifteen? Maybe an hour? With as many candles on his proverbial birthday cake of existence time was oddly skewed when a lack of definition gave meaning to it. He simply knew that he would kill to see that blasted staircase about now

[animus_sorrow]

At least the person she bumped into was just that, a person. And he didn't look threatening, especially after showing that he was unarmed. Though, if she was honest with herself, she could probably have help her own even if he had been and had also been violent. Mary knew she wouldn't have done as well as Yeshua, but at least she had something resembling combat experience through KOS-MOS.

"I.. I don't think I'm lost. I'm certain I can remember the way I came." Mary glanced back in the direction she had been coming from, thinking for a moment each turn she'd taken, and the landmarks before smiling to the man. "Yes, I'm sure I could... maybe."

Well, given a bit more time, she very likely could. And maybe a few wrong turns here and there... They couldn't stay lost there forever, after all.

[creme_master]

The more she spoke the more perplexed Francis found himself. She didn't seem like a woman of certainties if her love of using the word 'maybe' was any hint. It could have been nerves though, after all neither of them had expected to run into the other soul out here in the middle of nature. No matter how dangerous it was. Francis usually had a way of putting women at ease.

He put on that smile that he'd simply allotted a number to: 39. It was one of his more complacent grins and he looked over her shoulder before speaking. "Ma chere, would you be willing to point me toward the staircase? I think I have had enough nature for today." More than enough for a decade if he was honest, but a decade was a blink of the eye for the likes of Fran. "I came here to sketch and ended up chased by the wildlife. I would not be suggesting your continued stay in the forest."

He winked. Lady-killer, this one. "A lovely lady such as yourself need not be amused to the joys of this place."

[vanavanushka]

Ivan was stuck.

Well, technically it was his pipe that was stuck. But with his pipe stuck, he wasn't going anywhere. He had gotten turned around at some point in the forest, lost sight of the door, when the animals came out. If one could even call them animals--they were something more akin to monsters, if he was to name them.

He had been very close to smashing one particular monster's skull open--and maybe getting some meat for himself, as opposed to all icecream all the time, which the tower had very recently implemented as their monthly menu choices--when the weapon was yanked harshly out of his hands, torn up to a high branch of a tree. And he could swear he hear the sound of some sort of beast laughing at him

[creme_master]

It hadn't been since the last Christmas party that a gun had been pulled (and used, let's not forget) on him which was currently a record. That was now broken, thanks to this infernal forest. The surprise of seeing a weapon aimed at him had him blessedly silent and wide-eyed, stock still until the damned thing was lowered and even then... A breath and he wilted slightly against the tree he'd walked behind.

"Oui. Frantsiya. The man you do not want to shoot?" He's a little grumpy from being stuck out in the forest with the beasties too long. Sighing, he stepped forward. "Russie...what are you doing out here?"

[vanavanushka]

Ivan didn't seem to realize the fear that the other had held, becuase really, why would he shoot Francis. For one, Francis was a friend, and a good one at that. And two, it was a waste of bullets. If Ivan was to fight Francis here of all places it would be with his pipe. Or his hands, as his pipe was still up in the tree too far above his to reach.

"Of course, why would I want to be shooting you?" he replied and smiled a little, humming a little and glancing back at his pipe. "Ah... Doing here? In forest? Ah, I was trying to find another way out of tower.... And then I was getting little bit lost." he gave a sheepish smile, and a tiny shrug. "Ah... What are you doing here? This does not seem like your type of place to be liking."

[creme_master]

He noticed Ivan's attention being drawn toward the tops of the tree and followed suit, glancing heavenward with a frown. At first he didn't see it and was wondering if the man had cracked but a step in his direction changed the angle of view enough that the 'bird' sitting on a large branch caught his eye. The gleam of the Russian's pipe in its possession seemed all too mocking.

"It seems as if you are getting along with the wildlife as well as I am! Wow, look at that." Francis returned the same sort of whoops! smile before standing beside the larger man to look up some more. Oh, he wasn't going to square off with the creature, but he could at least APPEAR concerned. "Maybe if you shoot it the thing'll let go of your pipe?" Thinking out loud again, Francis.

"Oh. Bah! I was feeling artistic, cheri. This place is much more attractive near the staircase."