sixthiterationlogs | (OTA) A not so warm welcome

Entry tags:

(OTA) A not so warm welcome

WHO: Seifer Almasy
WHERE: South Village Park fountain; Around town
WHEN: December 7th - 8thish
OPEN TO: Anyone
WARNINGS: Swearing. Usually lots of swearing.

Fountain Arrival:

One good thing about growing up near the ocean your entire life was that it's very uncommon to not know how to swim. The downside being the water was never this cold. It felt like a dream, no, worse, it felt like clawing through Time Compression all over again as he breached the darkness into blinding daylight with gasping breaths. The shock of icy air was in many ways worse than the water, chilling him straight to the core as he flopped gracelessly in a sopping pile on the ground, coughing water out of his lungs. Hyne, what a terrible way to wake up.

After spending a few moments laying on the ground spluttering water out of his lungs and wondering what his life had come to Seifer finally pushed himself up, shivering. Miserable. It was cold, he didn't know where he was, and he had no idea who he'd pissed off this time. Whoever it was he must have really done it to find himself tossed, presumably drunk, into a fountain in the middle of winter. Wait.

"...When the hell did it turn winter?" He glanced down at himself then, finally realizing that his clothing didn't feel right. "And why the hell am I dressed like this?" He looked like a mental patient. Did he have a psychotic break? If so, who the hell throws mental patients in fountains? Even giant assholes like Seifer. Not that he could blame them, but still! That's just screwed up. With no one immediately around to hear him talking to himself, he presumed, Seifer decided to shuffle off toward the nearest building he could find. Maybe someone would take mercy on him and give him a towel before he froze to death.

Out and about the town:

This place had a serious rodent problem. He'd never been anywhere with mice just running around out in the open like it was nothing. They could really use some of Timber's cats here, or a truckload of traps. So far in his wanderings Seifer had managed to dodge stepping on any of the bold little creatures though it was quickly becoming increasingly hazardous to explore. Everywhere he went was a minefield of mice darting around, chewing on things, skittering right at him as though he weren't large enough to step on them and make them into tiny mice pancakes. Although, something was weird, anywhere the mice went was covered in thick ice. Which didn't make much sense to him at all, were they that hungry they were trying to eat ice? Or was he missing something?

Wait, no, crazy, of course. Just one big hallucination that was the obvious answer to all of this. He never expected he'd go this crazy, and yet the evidence couldn't be denied. One such piece of evidence was a small evergreen shrub of some kind he'd just witnessed a mouse go skittering out from beneath that was now a very intricate ice sculpture. Idly he meandered over to tug at one of the frozen over branches in wonder. "Guess I have a vivid imagination." He mumbled to himself, now more certain than ever that he was just lost in his own delusion. Probably meandering down the street somewhere screaming at himself. Or locked up in an institution.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

When it came down to it, there was a whole wealth of reasons Nida didn't want to go outside today. Pretty high up there was the fact that he frankly didn't want to deal with the fact that he and Rinoa were both a bit bummed over the lack of Squall, for a number of reasons. After all, it had so little time since they had realized he was gone, and Nida didn't much know what to do with that. No chance Squall was dead, he refused to believe that. But he'd read about gruesome deaths in the chronicles of the village before.

The other reason he didn't want to go out was the mice. His last encounter had left him as a popsicle, the one before had been an instance where he'd found 7 had burnt down her house, and then at his arrival there had been... well, there had been the mouse that had frozen his bag. So yes, he was leery to go out with them out in force. But that didn't change that he had responsibilities, and today he intended to find Iron Bull and talk about this watch idea of Altair's. So, despite himself, Nida was heading outside, bundled up in his coat and wearing the gloves Squall had left behind.

Which meant he was out on the path despite himself. Which meant he followed the line of a mouse skittering under a bush and it turning into a sculpture. From where he was he saw a blond further down the path watching as well, but he didn't think anything of the man. Didn't think anything of a specific familiarity of those shoulders, of that hair cut. There was no chance. After he took a quick glance he kept walking, heading past the blond and slowing just long enough to raise a hand to greet him and...

The word hello doesn't make it out. Because only a brief glimpse got the vivid eyes and the the scar and the scowl.

"Seifer?" he asked, shocked. Too shocked to be aggressive. Just... not sure what to do with this.

The trend, insane and unlikely as it seemed, was starting to be impossible to ignore. Mice go here, everything turns to ice. Mice go there, ice again... interesting. Had he... blundered into some unknown monster's nest? Was this some kind of plague building up to be a town killer? And here he was without his gunblade or even a Remedy on hand. Not the best situation to be caught in.

Beginning to realize the danger he'd begun to take a few steps away from the frozen evergreen, turning enough to watch the person now passing by. There was something weirdly familiar about him, but he wasn't going to say anything if this guy wasn't. Instead he just started a nod until the man froze, not mouse froze just normal froze, and said his name. "Huh?" Good response there, Seifer.

He frowned, several scenarios running through his head at once. Someone who recognized him from Deling, Timber, Garden maybe? Hyne he hoped not. The other, and right now the more likely option to him was that this was someone from wherever he'd been to end up in scrubs. "Do I know you? Look I don't know how I ended up in the fountain either but it'd be real great if we didn't call security to come tackle me in the snow, alright?"

Yes he's leaning on the probably being an escaped mental patient and he just doesn't remember it angle. That sounded plausible.

Rinoa was on her way to the fountain for a few reasons. One, she organized the occasional patrol and it was one of those times when no one was around, and two, maybe Squall would crawl out of the fountain again. It was a foolish hope, that he'd be taken and spit back to her so quickly, but she didn't know what else to do. She'd spent too much time staring into space at the house, willing things to change. She went through the motions of existence and brought a blanket toward the fountain to sit with in case someone came through.

She would never in a hundred years expect Seifer to be the one she spotted from a distance. She did know him, too, even in the strange clothes, even shuffling off, Rinoa knew him. She paused. This was something of a cruel joke, she thought, but that wasn't his fault. In true Rinoa fashion, she didn't even think to herself that he might be a version of himself she didn't want nearby. She simply assumed he was Seifer enough for her to figure it out; the sorceress wasn't here and neither was her influence. It would be okay. Even if looking at him made her want to cry some more, but she'd been crying enough for most of it to be dried out by now.

"Seifer," she called out to get his attention, hurrying to meet him in the middle. It was so cold out and he was wet, so she didn't even ask him a question, she simply tossed the blanket at him. It was warm, from being inside the house and with her body heat, and he was going to need that. "I'll explain everything once we get inside the inn, okay?" Rinoa gestured toward said location, where everything was warmer and grounded.

Distracted as he was by the strange situation and the cold Seifer didn't even notice he was being distantly followed. Much less by whom. Were the circumstances less miserable he might have been tempted to bolt upon hearing her voice, either he was living in a waking nightmare and this would go badly, or it was reality and would likely still go badly. As it was he was too miserably cold to put up much fight, instead hesitantly turning to look over at the source of the sound.

The good news she didn't look like a twisted amalgamation of Ultimecia and herself, the bad news she was definitely Rinoa. Which probably meant there was soon to be some serious trouble for him. No trouble came, just a blanket tossed over his head which he gladly tugged tightly around himself, shivering violently. Seriously, who the hell throws people in fountains in the middle of winter? Right now he couldn't come up with a reasonable argument so he just nodded dumbly, moving to follow after her. Explanations might be nice. Maybe he'd been dumped out of the mental hospital and stumbled his own way into a fountain? That could be it too.

Okay, Nida can understand being forgotten, more or less. When it came down to it he wasn't exactly the most memorable of the students at Garden, but he had made use of that face rather well. But surely... surely there was something there, some glimmer of familiarity.

But that wasn't the big problem, was it? It was the fact that Seifer thought he was in a place where security would make sense. For a moment Nida truly looked like he didn't understand what was going on, and then the understanding dawned on him. Scrubs? That was very hospital, or mental institution or things like that. His expression softened at that.

"Seifer, you know me, even if you don't remember it. Where... do you think you are?"

Yes, the guy almost destroyed the world, but someone still had to explain what was going on.

Nida was certainly familiar, Seifer was just of the mind that if he does know this guy then it was probably from whatever mental institution he wandered out from. That was the most logical conclusion to him right now. Yup.

"I think," He paused, frowning and looking around. Yeah none of this made sense. "I think I broke out of a mental ward after a really serious psychotic break and now I have no idea where the hell I am. Or when it got cold as fuck."

Yeah he looks completely lost and confused here. That was the only thing that made sense. Worst part was he didn't feel crazy, then again they never do do they? Hell if he knew. "Say, you seein' mice? I think I might be hallucinating." It's pretty bad.

Just what did the Sorceress do to the once confident and powerful head of the Disciplinary Committee that he just took it as a given that he'd be in a mental ward? It made Nida think of the reports he'd heard, of what had happened to some people under the influence of the Sorceress, made him think he understood. At least in passing. The Sorceress had messed with his mind.

"Okay, let's start with the easy thing. Yes, I see the ice mice. I've been literally frozen by one, giant ice cube. Almost suffocated. So I'd really rather get us somewhere away from them before we talk about how not crazy you are. Just... unlucky."

If asked directly Seifer might still deny it. Still try to shoulder the full blame for his actions, his weakness and failings that lead down that path. But he couldn't exactly say that things were entirely screwed down up there anymore. Not with this being something he couldn't entirely tell if it was reality or not. Had he even gone fishing with Fujin and Raijin? He sure hoped so, that was a nice memory. One he was able to keep, to boot!

The claim about being frozen alarmed him, he might have been less inclined to immediately believe Nida had he not witnessed something firsthand, so instead he nodded. They might as well get away from the danger Blizzaga mice. "I dunno about that, but I'll take your word on the mice. Let's go." Not like he had anything better to be doing with himself right now.

Truth told, Nida would happily let Seifer claim his weaknesses and failings. And the fact that he was a dick. Probably not too much more than that. Because there was no denying Seifer was an asshole, but Nida had known Raijin and liked the big guy. And when Raijin said Seifer wasn't really like that, Nida believed it.

"Come on, I have a place near here," Nida said. Sure, it was backtracking, but the house was warm and he knew Rinoa wasn't in right now so he could avoid that issue for the moment. A slight gesture indicated which direction he wanted to go, and Nida turned to walk there, leading the way. Better to make Seifer feel comfortable, not like Nida was watching him too closely. Helped that he knew the former-knight wouldn't have his gunblade. Or magic. He should be safe all the way to his door and through it.

"I live here with a friend. Come on in, it's warm and you can sit down while I explain a few things."

He'll be too proud and stubborn to claim them outright, of course. Just internalize and lash out at everyone else, because that's how Seifer copes. It's a terrible method and only gets him into trouble. Seifer was a lot of things, but a schoolyard bully does not necessarily a megalomaniac make. Things went sideways then snowballed. Not that he'd ever be one to make excuses for himself. No, instead he was just of the mind that rather than lock him up to rot they shoved him in a mental ward for a while.

Still, how he ended up out in the cold was a very good question. Place? That sounded suspicious. Why would this guy who was faintly familiar invite him back to his place? Bet it's the hospital. Whatever he'll play nice, better to not cause a ruckus while he was actually self-aware. Seifer just sauntered along after him, hands shoved in his pockets while he kept an eye out for stray mice. They really were everywhere. Maybe this guy's a hallucination too. Funny thought.

"You look familiar." He observed aloud finally, watching Nida's back as he moved away. Something about the way he carried himself. Or his hair? Hell he didn't know.

"I should think so," Nida answered as he stopped at the door to the house. Probably best to put down a simple ground rule first. "Okay, so those mice aren't the only weird things here, okay? My roommate has something called a peakitten. It looks like a mix between a kitten and some sort of blue-green bird. Be careful not to touch it. The oil on it's feathers sort of gets you drunk. I don't understand it, but it's not a dog and I'm still allergic to those, so it's a step up. Don't worry about it trying to get out. Usually sleeps on the couch when her owner isn't home."

Then he opened the door and held it for Seifer. He'd step in himself and close it once they were both inside. Until then he'd wait for whatever Seifer was comfortable with.

"We sort of grew up together, albeit distantly."

The upside was at least he'd had an evening to dry his clothing out. Still felt like a weird hobo, not much he could do about that until he figured out where the hell he was and what to do with himself. Annoying. While most of his attention had been locked on mouse spotting duty he did pause to glance up at Nida, raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "Right. Freezing mice and drunk-inducting bird cats. And you want me to believe I'm not crazy?" Sure, whatever, he'll go with it. Better than standing out in the cold waiting to be frozen into an ice sculpture.

That last comment did get a moment's pause with a hint of alarm. "Garden?" If that were true he should probably leave. Quickly. He wasn't in the door yet he could absolutely bolt. There were several long moments where it looked like he was debating on doing just that. Walk into the trap with his head held high or duck and run with his tail between his legs?

Hell. He'd already admitted he was nuts. Might as well not do it in the cold. Grudgingly he made his way inside.

"I wish it was as simple as being crazy," Nida mumbled, mostly to himself.

Still, he could see the moment Seifer put it together, and he waited. Could see the fight or flight kicking in. Honestly, he expected flight, but he was willing to be patient. And when Seifer went inside he found himself breathing a sigh of relief. Inside himself he flicked the lights on, grateful once again for the electricity, and immediately divested himself of coat and boots. That might make Seifer feel more comfortable, because it's not like Nida could easily chase him like this. It would take time to put on shoes.

"Yeah, Garden. My name's Nida. You probably don't remember me, though. I wasn't the most recognized student before everything happened. I wasn't a Squall Leonhart or a Seifer Almasy sort of visible. Not even a Zell."

Because that tattoo was memorable. With that thought making him smirk Nida moved to take up a seat at the far side of the living room, another quiet reassurance that he wouldn't trap the knight here. Mercenary training, whether you made the elite or not, involved a lot of tactical things. Which meant a lot of posturing. He wondered if Seifer would even reason this out. The best seat in the room was one that allowed you both a view of the front door, but also had your back more or less to a wall so no one could come up behind you. Nida deliberately didn't choose that spot. Instead he sat on the couch, which put him further from the door, put his back toward the dining room and kitchen beyond, and left space for Seifer to be able to watch things. For a mercenary, that mattered. For someone like Seifer he thought it might matter even more.

"I can't say whether you're completely sane or not, but this place? It's real. I arrived here a week ago myself. Appeared in that damn fountain, swam my way out. A resident found me and offered me shelter. People just do that, sometimes. From what I understand this place has been here for a while, some people more than two years. Some of us days or weeks. We don't know how we come to be here. We don't know how to go back. But we're stuck here in a low tech place, none of our powers or weapons or anything like that, and we... well, we try and survive. The mice, from what I understand, aren't exactly normal though."

The flight wasn't completely off the table, just warm and away from mice that might freeze you to death weighed more in his favor than running away. Especially with Nida evidently unarmed. He would see it through for now, if only to solve the mystery of who Nida was exactly. Warily he watched the man, eyes darting between him and mapping out exits. Without explaining himself he did move to go peek his head around any of the more obvious walls and hallways, simply to verify the house was as empty as Nida stated.

More and more he felt like a caged animal, walls closing in, but that curiosity of his wouldn't be sated until he had answers. Both to who Nida was an if he were a threat, and what this weird place he found himself in was. "Nida..." He rumbled thoughtfully, clearly trying to recall who that name belonged to. Nida. So familiar. Nida... N... something? He'd think on it while he stalked around, making sure the coast was really clear.

He noted, of course the prime seat intentionally left open for him. One that let him guard his back as well as watch most angles anyone could come out of. An olive branch? A few moments more of hesitation before he took the offered seat, not following suit and taking his boots off. Rinoa might be angry with him later, that'd be fine. He had to be able to run. It was clear in his posture he wasn't sitting comfortably, feigning relaxed with muscles coiled and ready to spring any moment. Seifer wasn't going to let himself be trapped without a fight.

While Nida explained his expression only drew more grim, brows furrowed and scowl becoming even less friendly than normal. "I think I'd rather hear about being in a mental ward," He mused. "So. There are others here. None of them know how we got here? Or why?" That just seemed even more insane than his original theory. "And why this?" He held up his arm with the watch he'd so far ignored.

Yes, there was a chance Rinoa would get annoyed, but for Seifer's comfort, Nida would take charge of clean up for this. The olive branch out he settles back in his own seat, making sure to slouch. Look at this, he's even taking himself into a position that says 'look, I can't get up easy.' Not only is it clear that Nida's trying not to be a threat, he's also making it clear that he's making it clear that he's not trying to threaten Seifer. This is supposed to be a conversation. If he gets a black eye, he'll deal with it.

"Yeah, I'd probably rather be in a ward too," Nida admitted. This wasn't exactly what he'd signed up for. "I don't know if people know how we got here. There are more than I've had a chance to talk to, by any stretch of the imagination. But at the same time, it's smaller than Balamb Garden, for all that it's over more space. From the books I've read of the history here, I think there are suspicions of why. I myself am not really liking the conclusions I'm drawing so far, which is that we're on some twisted form of entertainment, or maybe this is some sort of place between life and death where we're judged for our lives, but we're here. We're here and we need to survive. That's how I get through the day right now, because it's not like my salary can cover it."

Oh, the wristband. That one is a bit harder. Nida reached out to fiddle with his own. It didn't serve as an adequate replacement for his mother's bracelet, but he's taken to stroking the band all the same.

"Think of these like the Garden network, but with the potential for live and recorded audio-visual feed as well. I have no clue how the tech is so small. Beyond that... I don't understand them much. I know the color is supposed to mean something.">

The effort was noted and appreciated, Seifer eventually calming down enough to fully regard Nida. Rather than the skittish half paying attention to him, half listening for an ambush thing he'd been doing. Safe enough for the moment. No hostility at the very least, only wariness. Seifer was way too cold and way too tired for hostility right now. He also didn't remember enough of Nida to be hostile.

An eyebrow arched higher. Afterlife, or some twisted game by some powerful force huh? Yeah that'd just be his luck. "Hyne the baby eating god turning around to toy with us in the afterlife? Guess it ain't too far-fetched in that light." He never believed the god was even a thing, of course. Sorceresses sure, they were undeniable. The reason behind their existence seemed silly. "So what exactly are we doin' here, then? Anyone trying to find a way out? Are the monsters bigger than mice?" Like most Garden students he didn't have a lot of useful life training outside of military related exercises. Finding a place to fit in was going to take some work, and Seifer wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of being stuck there. Alone. Without his posse.

The description of the watch earned another dubious look, Seifer scrutinizing his own as if he were expecting it would speak up to verify the claims. Nope. Nada. He'll have to mess with that later. "The colors mean something?" He asked, glancing back up. He was wondering what kind of place put its prisoners in black scrubs. That was just weird.

"I'm floating that one as a possibility, but I don't think so. Because so far as I can tell, we're the only ones from our world. A lot of people from other worlds. Some I can't even begin to believe. Space and men taller than you with horns and... Maybe insanity doesn't sound that impossible."

Nida laughed because what else could he do? This was all a lot, and he'd been keeping it in. Still, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, and continued on. He wasn't going to let his building anxiety get to him. That wasn't what a SeeD should do.

"People have tried to find ways out. One hasn't been found in over two years now, according to records. But some people have died, and others randomly vanish. There are things bigger than mice, but most people here don't call them monsters. They're just... part of the ecosystem of this place, but dangerous. There is a book in the inn that discusses a good bit of what people have run into so far. Like giant boar, or dust moths or peacats. These aren't what we'd consider monsters. No moon involved. Unfortunately, there aren't many weapons either, very few bladed ones, no guns at all."

Perhaps Seifer wasn't as alone as he thought, but that was a matter for after Nida got through his briefing. Which was sort of how he was handling this. An informal one, but a briefing nonetheless.

"Each person arrives with a color assigned. They connect to personalities and, I think, they're supposed to be something else. I don't know yet. For instance..."

He gestured to the scrubs top he had been wearing under his coat, and then made sure to show off his own device. His are a nice hunter green.

"My roommate has light gray, but they wear a lot of blue. The other roommate... vanished a few days ago. I think they were magenta or something."

"Different worlds? Now who sounds crazy?" He offered with a wry smirk, starting to relax. Alright, he got it, he didn't need to be on high-alert here. Probably. Maybe. Insanity still sat supreme at the top of the list for possibilities. Talk about a very intricate delusion if it was, however, especially if he was sharing it with someone else. Or he made Nida up in his head too. That could very well have something to do...

"Nomura!" Hah! There it was. Yes he'd been mulling on that since Nida said his name. It was going to drive him nuts until he figured it out. Memories hadn't been especially reliable for him for a while now, but he was pretty sure that was the right name. There, sorry, don't mind him he just had to get that out. Back on task.

"So we've got hostile not-monsters that might be monsters, no decent technology, and no guns? What kind of frigid hell is this?" Because if there weren't any guns there weren't any gunblades and that was just a crime. What was he supposed to fight with, a stick? He didn't take stick training that was Raijin.

Green, magenta, gray... He held up his own watch to show off the black color. Seifer hadn't even thought anything about it, black being such a common color for a watch. "I thought black scrubs were kind of weird." They also weren't very warm. He would love to have some heavier pants. Was there even anywhere to buy clothing, or get money for that matter? At least Nida had sorted out the shelter issue. For a moment. Presumably water was taken care of as well, that left food. Presumably they'd have to do something about that. Already he was staring a mental tally of what they'd need for a long-term stranding situation. They were trained, they could do this, but two years?

"Two years is a long time to be stuck here without any progress." He grumbles, not enjoying the outlook that left them with.

"I wouldn't say without any progress. From my understanding there has been progress. But everything here pushes back against these people. Fights them," Nida sighed, shaking his head. It's a bit extreme, but they'll have to figure it out. There seem to be a lot of smart people working on that goal.

Absently Nida started to fiddle with his wristband, twisting it a little this way and that. An old habit transferred to a new medium, and he didn't like it nearly as much. Catching himself he let the device go and instead ran his fingers through his hair.

"No one ever said survival was easy," Nida reminded Seifer. "Surely you're up to the task."

He hunches over his knees in thought, propping his chin in his hand. It certainly did sound like the antics of some kind of cruel trickster god toying with them, if such a thing were real. If not that, then what? Of course sitting in a living room pondering that wasn't going to bring any exact answers.

Nida's quip earned a flat look and a snort. "Tch," Don't think you're going to trick him into throwing his lot in that easily, Nida. Seifer has no intention of being anyone's errand boy or pet. Not about to toss on the yolk of a new master without any idea what he's getting himself into, much less for whom. "The training we have is to cover weeks, maybe a couple months at most. Don't give me that shit." Not settling down into a pastoral life or whatever it is people were doing here. They're mercenaries, not farmers.

Don't think he missed the fiddling, he was just refraining from comment for the moment. There was a lot more to sort through if it wasn't just a matter of being insane. The hell was he supposed to do with this information? Normally he'd just hike to the nearest settlement that wasn't trapped a hundred years ago. Certainly wouldn't just settle in. Where do you even start with something like this? He needs more information. "You said there are records?"

“You think I don’t know that?” Nida snapped. He couldn’t help it, even if he knew he should. It had been a long week, he had lost everything and everyone and was left with Rinoa who he not only didn’t know well, but whose bright and can do attitude had faded with th departure from Squall. He just wasn’t good at this, at being outside of the structure of Garden, or not having easily attainable goals, or not being able to work frustration out by fighting things.

And now here was Seifer, telling him something they both already knew like Nida hadn’t thought of it. Maybe he should be giving Seifer a break. The guy thought he was crazy. He should be fair.

But damn if he wasn’t just tired of that very same knowledge.

Anger wouldn’t get him anywhere, so Nida took a deep breath to center himself. “I’m sorry. It’s... been hard. My roommates were dating and now that one is gone the other is... forlorn might be the best word. And I don’t know how to help and I don’t know people here and... anyway, the inn. I can take you there if you want. I don’t know if they have any open rooms where you can stay, but there is food, warmth, space. I can’t imagine you want to be near a SeeD. Even if I have no reason to harass you.”

A raised eyebrow. He'd have expected a SeeD to be made of sterner stuff. Only a week and he was already starting to freak out? Hyne, and this is the guy Seifer's going to have to babysit? He just watched, clearly not impressed by the outburst. If he wanted to talk about losing everything he should take a moment to look at who he's talking to. Not that he knew the finer details about Rinoa and Squall, then he might understand more. Even so, they can't be falling apart this fast.

After all, what did it matter to him if he died from exposure or being frozen by a mouse? Admittedly no matter how down and depressed he got he couldn't quite surrender but right now he didn't see a lot of point in getting upset. Everything was already fucked what's a little more? At the end of the day no one would know, and no one was there to care.

"Since all other avenues are out of the window I guess find out where we'd be useful. Got arms, I'm sure we can put 'em to use." They have that much going for them. If it isn't monsters it'll be something. Never thought he'd be doing menial labor, then again he never thought he'd turn on his home and wage a war on it either. Things just don't pan out how you want them to no matter how hard you try. That last comment earned a snorted 'tch' through his nose. "I could say the same to you." He was the enemy, after all. "Let's go know what there is to know." Might as well try to start somewhere.

Yeah, Seifer would be quite wrong to think Nida needed babysitting. Or that Seifer would be the one to do it if he did. Give him a few more days to get his head on straight and he would be fine. Besides, having the man who almost killed him and destroyed his home here to replace his boss wasn’t exactly comforting. Still, Nida responses to Seifer’s raised eyebrow with a roll of his eyes.

“I am already setting up things to do. There is a city watch forming which I was going out to join, among other things. I don’t require a blades weapon to fight, after all,” Nida shrugged. He did push to his feet and gesture for Seifer to proceed him to the door if he wanted. And look, the chill was back. “Don’t misunderstand me, Seifer. I can see you looking at me like I’m the unbalanced one. I’m not. This last week has had me almost killed three times. And... Hyne this sounds stupid... Nevermind.” The fact was that when you were faced with someone who had always looked down on you when they noticed you at all, it was easier to accept they would always do that. Strange how it was easier to admit weakness to someone who had already treated you as weak.

He might think that, but Seifer can be really annoying when he's decided he needs to watch someone's back. At the moment he wasn't entirely convinced Nida was any more prepared to deal with this than he was, so he might as well hang around on the pretense of making sure Nida doesn't get himself killed. Perhaps a tiny part of him felt obligated in making an effort for someone he directly wronged.

Seifer didn't move until Nida had his back to him, then he got up to follow him back outside. Which was good, he'd rather be in neutral territory than some stranger's house who was apparently friends with someone who may or may not decide to stick a knife in his ribs later. Or a steak. Whatever. He's not a vampire it might just be what's handy. "Bad luck," He mused. Worse than his possibly. "Nevermind what?" He persisted. Might as well throw it out on the table. What was the crazy guy going to do with it? Not like he could let well enough alone anyway. Nosy bastard.

“The inn is pretty close,” Nida observed as he paused by the door to put his boots back on. Then he paused, frowning at Seifer. “Maybe we should take a moment, get you fully into your warm clothes from your pack. That room over there is mine, you can feel free to change in there if you want. I’d say use the spare room but I would want to talk to my housemate first, see if they would be okay with you possibly sharing space. Not that you have to. Just figure you might prefer people who wouldn’t pry into your past as much.” And look, between that and stooping to tie his boots he was trying to neatly dodge Seifer’s question. Probably better to just stay in professional mode here. Easier to not be... well, vulnerable if he treated the situation like a job. Think about what the mission parameters would be, in this case ensuring Seifer’s comfort and feeding. Find him a place to sleep tonight.

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(OTA) A not so warm welcome

Out and about the town

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Fountain

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