[OTA] Better Than The Lifestream

[plate_builder]

WHO: Reeve Tuesti
WHERE: South Village Fountain, Inn, Around Town
WHEN: 12/10 for Arrival and Inn, 12/11 - 12/13 for Around Town
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: None

---

Fountain Arrival - Can't Swim Well - OTA
They say that when one died they returned to the Lifestream. This was a story Reeve had even more reason to believe these days. That upon death one would float within the waters until their consciousness parted into it, melting like butter into water, flowing and mingling until it became new life. Reeve, himself, though he would like to be a cat if possible. Was it wrong to imagine that he could be a cat, Reeve thought as he felt himself weightless and rising in the water. Hope that as he scattered back into the Lifestream that he'd get to be a cat? Because he couldn't begin to imagine what else suddenly coming conscious in the water could be. Yes, it was colder than he'd imagined, and he felt like he was moving and heavy but... Well, none of Reeve's work or travel had any reason for him to be near water. He didn't swim because he was bad at it, he wasn't flying to Wutai until next week, and the last he remembered he was regarding the ruins of his Headquarters with some disappointment. So water didn't make any sense.
Which of course made this the perfect moment for the strain to really set in on his lungs, because whether his mind was willing to admit what was going on or not, Reeve's body at least handled being submerged in the right way. He was holding his breath and his lungs hurt and that more than anything got him kicking belatedly toward the surface as his eyes opened.

Too bad he was a terrible swimmer. The more he tried, the more it felt like he was just sinking back. Maybe he wasn't in the Lifestream yet, but as he flailed toward the surface with little real hope of making it on his own, it wasn't beyond reason to think he might be there soon anyway.

At The Inn - A Bit Like Home - OTA

It's beautiful, in its own way. In a way that some from Gaia might not appreciate. The structure is old fashioned by Midgar and even Edge's standards, but there was something about the exposed wood, the stone of the fireplace and the hearth, that made Reeve feel almost at home. Not in his suite at the WRO headquarters, or the apartment he had maintained for himself in Midgar, or even his mother's house in Sector Five. No, it was like his childhood, and even with all the strangeness of this place, Reeve felt oddly safe here. He could close his eyes and smell the rich stews his mother made when he was little and drew pictures of fairy cat kings and listened to his father tell the old tales about the spirits of the world and the will of the Lifestream. It was far simpler than the life he had afforded himself, but perhaps this inn made it more comfortable to be in this strange place.

"Now if only there was a hot cup of coffee," he mused as he stared into the fire he was sitting near. "Maybe a nice rasher with a side of beans and some stewed greens."

Or just company. That could work too.

Around Town - When All Else Fails: Plan - OTA

There was no point in letting himself stagnate. A bit of time spent in the Inn appreciating it for the shelter it provided and the warmth, and a lovely meal or two, had been more than enough. This, Reeve was given to understand, was the new way of things. Perhaps he had died in the final acts of Omega and Chaos, but he didn't think so. Perhaps he'd gone to Mideel and fallen into the Lifestream and come out somewhere completely different, though that seemed unlikely too. Or perhaps it was just another one of those strange things that seemed to scatter through life. Would lingering on the impossibility of it really serve any value end?

No. Never had and never would. So Reeve had pushed himself off of his rear and headed out into the village to walk the paths. He considered them as he went, carefully measuring each pace off in his mind, trying to create an image of the arrangement of the place. This many paces between the Inn and the fountain park. This far down the road to a house. A house of so many paces wide, calculated to actual scale in his head because really the math wasn't hard. At each house Reeve paused and allowed himself a bit of an arch of the front. Rude to truly traipse around his new neighbor's properties, but he wanted an idea of each house. And he marveled over how each had not only a distinctive look, but how well it all fit together.

"Interesting, an old fashioned style evocative of something along the lines of Kalm or Nibelheim, and yet with its own style. I wonder what sort of team they got in to build such structures. How did they transport in sufficient materials for construction, or was this all clear-cut for production?"

So many considerations, and he didn't know where to start!

Comments

At the inn

[ataashihunter]

"Tell me about it. I miss cocoa on days like this. But we haven't figured out how to do it here yet" Behind him a tall horned guy is walking over to sit by the fire as well. He is wearing one of the hunter green scrubs cut open down the middle and then belted close.

"I am the Iron Bull. You look like you're new here."

Re: At the inn

[plate_builder]

"Cocoa would be quite lovely too," Reeve agreed with a measure of consideration before turning to look at his company.

And freezing. Forgive him for staring, but they didn't have anything like Bull on Gaia. The surprise he wore was a momentary one, though, before he composed himself. After Nanaki and the things Vincent could turn into perhaps not that strange. This 'Iron Bull' at least looked more or less human, even if the dimensions were skewed. And the skin color. And the horns.

"I am, as of this morning," Reeve recovered, nodding a greeting to the man. "My name is Reeve. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Re: At the inn

[ataashihunter]

Bull smiles slightly as the other freezes and offers him his hand. "I take it you don't have Qunari where you are from." He smiles. "I am The Iron Bull." He moves to sit down.

[plate_builder]

It would be rude to not shake the hands, so Reeve takes it and smiles as he shakes. Impressive, just how big it is compared to his own hand.

"Qunari was it? No, we do not. Nothing quite like you. At least, not that I know of," Reeve admitted with a soft smile. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Iron Bull."

So much to process while he is here, and this one is definitely a bit interesting. And probably only in the top five most intimidating people he's met. So not so bad. He settled back into his seat and relaxed.

"How long have you been here?"

[ataashihunter]

"About six months or so, there are people here who have been here a lot longer. It is much nicer here in the summer, that is for sure." He chuckles. "And even among Qunari there is nothing quite like me."

[plate_builder]

Six months, with some longer than that. Interesting, and Reeve nodded as he listened to the information. A lot to process there. With this being winter too, new arrivals would no doubt be a burden upon the village. He would have to see what he could do to minimize his own addition.

"I admit you are rather impressive from my realm of experience," Reeve agreed, so yes, bull is special. "Is it alright for me to ask if all Qunari have horns as you do?"

Clearly he's going to ask anyway, already has, but at least he'll play at being respectful with the wording, and he'll absolutely accept the question being dismissed.

[ataashihunter]

Bull smiles at that, he gets the way Reeve asked it, it is one he has met before and besides it doesn't bother him. "Most do, not all like this though, most of them curl along the head in one way or another. There are some Qunari who are hornless, it is considered a symbol of greatness among us."

[plate_builder]

There is no hiding the shock at the idea that hornlessness among a horned people is welcomed. Embraced even. Differences usually led to division, not lauding.

"Well, I suppose that puts you a few steps ahead of humans where I'm from. We tend to pick apart those differences. So, it is your horns which mark you as different from others?"

Most of his initial questions for Nanaki had gone along these lines too. The gently feeling out what could and couldn't be asked of another race. You never knew where you were tripping over cultural or racial morays or potentially offensive topics.

[ataashihunter]

"Yeah, the shape of them is different. But it is also the way I am. Most Quanri don't bother to learn common, I know that, some Tevene, Antivan and Orleisian. I am also a Tal-Vashoth, a traitor and exile from my country."

Arrival

[tothefly]

Natasha makes a point of including the fountain plaza in her regular loops through town on errands, especially now that the temperatures are regularly below freezing. It's odd that no matter how cold it gets, the fountain never freezes over, maybe, but that's probably got something to do with the connecting lines to the bunker. Maybe the water is faintly saline, who knows. The point is, if there are going to be people coming through here over the next few months until it warms up, it's gonna be important to get them out of the water right away. Especially if, like it seems here, they can't actually swim.

Spotting the flailing in the water--just a roiling, a splashing below the surface--Natasha doesn't waste any time. She kicks off her boots and tears off her coat and is in the fountain in less than two seconds, diving in headfirst and cutting through the water. It's tricky to get an arm around the flailing figure, but hopefully he'll feel the brief pound on his shoulder to get his attention, followed by a strong arm and stronger pair of legs propelling them to the surface and dragging him to the edge, heaving him unceremoniously to dry land before hauling herself out after him.

She wants to sit there, let them both catch their breath, but that's definitely a good way to end up with hypothermia, which is why he gets exactly ten seconds to catch his breath before she's moving again, a red-headed blur of efficient motion.

"Can you walk?"

[plate_builder]

It all happens fast, which is far from a surprise. His life could be summarized by periods of frustrated work over long periods, followed by a frenzy of activity. This was just another step in those lines, and with the pull Reeve did his best to go still, to let someone else do the work for him.

Then he's on the ground, panting, catching his breath. Just let him catch his breath and... and wow it's cold out here. When did that happen?

"Y-yes," Reeve stuttered out, pushing to his feet. If he's lucky she's asking because she thinks he could use some warming up. Seemed a reasonable guess given most people didn't save you to let you immediately die after.

[tothefly]

If he'd said any of that out loud, Natasha would say that's just the way life works, really. It's never an even, steady pace. There's quiet, and then there's action, and then the quiet again, an irregular heartbeat signifying life. At least his heart is still beating at all.

Although it won't be for much longer, if they just stay here, out soaking wet in the freezing cold. He pushes to his feet before she can offer her hand, and that's a good sign, offering a nod of approval as she ducks down to grab her boots and her coat. The coat is tossed over his shoulders with a quick, chattered "Here" before she's placing a hand on the back of his shoulder, leading them quickly across the road and into the open door of the Inn. It's between meals, and the main room has more or less emptied out, but there's still a strong fire roaring in the hearth which she directs him towards, much like Frank had done for her just a couple months ago. "Stay," is another one of those one word commands, although this one is followed by words that sound a little less like an order. "I'm going to get some towels and dry clothes." She'll stay long enough to see that he does so, and to answer any questions, before she vanishes upstairs, still soaked but showing no outward sign of the cold bothering her aside from the chatter in her voice.

[plate_builder]

The woman seemed quite sure of herself, of what was best to be done. A bit like a few other people he'd been 'man handled' by in his life. For now he was content to obey, especially with how cold he was. Once he was in the inn he hesitated for half a second to consider the architecture, and then he was being pushed on, which he supposed was a reasonable choice.

"Understood," he agreed before going to stand and drip by the fire.

In his time he had worked with enough people like this to know when it would be best to leave them to sort out things until they thought it reasonable to let him talk.

[tothefly]

He doesn't argue, and that's good. She doesn't want either of them getting sick, not with so many in the village freshly recovered from their near-death experience earlier this month. Leave it to luck, all bad, to have her miss that entirely only to be laid low by the flu. But he stays, and she really does only take a moment, coming back in with several large towels and a pile of clothing scavenged from the storeroom that looks like it might fit him.

This time, her approach is more businesslike, less frantic, which gives him a chance to get a better look at her, or at least a momentary glimpse before she places the pile of clothing on a nearby chair and passes him a towel. "Here. I brought down some clothes that look like they're about your size, too." She's already drying off with her own towel, rubbing the water out of her hair and getting as much dampness as she can off while she stands next to him in front of the fire.

"You've probably got questions. I can try and give you answers, if you want them, but you might want to get dry, first."

[plate_builder]

The clothing could wait until he was in a more appropriate setting in which to strip down. For now Reeve accepts an offered towel and starts letting the magic of friction help with the being cold and wet.

"Thank you, this is all very kind of you, and yes, you are correct that I would like to manage some answers. The first question may or may not be obvious to you. Where exactly have I found myself?"

Names, he had found over the years, were negotiable. They didn't necessarily have to come at any point in a conversation. Figuring out where you were, that was a bit more pressing.

"My best guess is Mideel, because while the architecture is evocative of Kalm, there is a severe lack of stone work for that end. Of course Mideel would have a bit more... glow to it."

[tothefly]

"Don't mention it," she answers, shaking damp hair back as she strips off the wet scrub top, hanging it in front of the hearth to dry and beginning to wring the water from her tanktop. At least he's starting in roughly the same place she had. Names aren't of consequence. Not most places, not for most people really, but especially for people of a particular thought process, and she approves of anyone with the right priorities.

"I'm not familiar with either of those places you mentioned," she says after a moment of consideration, thinking of there's anything even remotely similar she's heard of before. "Chances are this island isn't anywhere you've been before. It doesn't have a name that we're aware of. You're currently in the inn in what we call the South Village. There's also a village across the river to the north called North Village. Not the most creative names, but they don't all have to be winners." A brief pause before she continues, answering the most logical next question. "You arrived here the same way most of us did. From very different places. Different worlds, you could say. Currently, there's no way we know of to get back to where we were taken from, so unfortunately, you're going to be stuck here for a while."

[plate_builder]

Interesting, that she would ever have heard of either of those cities. Add in the information that she had just suggested, and Reeve was left with an interesting problem, was he not. Quietly he considered the information, standing close to the fire would suffice for him as he puzzled through the information. For a brief moment he reached mentally for any Cait Sith unit, and finding none, had to conclude that he was very far indeed from his home. Which meant moving to more immediate problems.

"Cid would be jealous," he observed dryly as he held his hands out to the fire to warm them. "Would it be correct of me to assume, from the temperature, that we are in the area of winter? My arrival would put additional burden on any food stores, and judging from the architecture here that is no small consideration."

So, how does he make himself useful such that he is not an additional burden but rather a mouth worth feeding?

"Is there any sort of formalized government I should present myself before? A place for me to sleep? A task to which I can set myself to so I can assist more here."

Practical. Sure, he's also an idealist, but clearly that isn't going to be much use here right now.

At the Inn

[spoileralert]

“Fricken’ right?” Steph groaned her disgust as she plopped into another fireside chair. “I’ve been here like six months with no caffeine. It never gets easier.”

The blonde’s jeans were positively soaked up to the ankle, and she pulled her damp peacot off to turn it towards the fire in her lap. She’d been running around in the snow more than was strictly wise. She pulled the hood of her long-sleeves black shirt up over her head just enough to cover up her icy cold ears.

[plate_builder]

Wait, no caffeine at all? That news earned a truly distressed look, which was soon schooled back to a neutral state. A complete lack? Well, he would have to adjust to that little shock. It would be possible but painful at first.

"I had a two pot a day habit. I fear that I will have a few headaches due to withdrawal. How exciting."

Clearly from his deadpan tone it was far from that. He glanced briefly at the woman and what she was wearing, a clear touch of envy in his eyes at the long sleeves, before returning his gaze to the fire.

"We haven't had the pleasure of being introduced I believe. My name is Reeve."

[spoileralert]

"Stephanie," she returns with a polite smile.

"Don't worry, the headache only lasts a few days. It'll cool down to constant low-level exhaustion in no time."

[plate_builder]

"Thank you for the warning. I think the last time I had caffeine withdrawal was in the nineties," he sighed. It had been the first week after getting his undergraduate degree. He'd slept for half a week just to clear his head before prepping for graduate work.

Now, though, he could actually slow down. At least for the moment. Sitting by the fire and enjoying it, had he done that since he was a kid? Perhaps not. It was nice, to smell the smoke and the wood. And to appreciate a well working flue.

Apparently he couldn't help but notice it.

"How long have you been here, Ms. Stephanie?"

[spoileralert]

But how long ago was the 90s for him? That was the real question.

She hummed thoughtfully at the question. She hadn't really been paying attention to the passage of time except as it related to her friends and the weather.

"Something like 6 months, I think. It was the middle of summer when I got here."

[plate_builder]

Not so long in the grand scheme of things, thought it could feel like an eternity he supposed. Reeve nodded his thanks over the question answered and turned his attention back to the fire for a long moment. When he spoke next even a brief glance at his expression would say that the question was one he would just as soon not ask. But the need was there and he could not keep himself from the words.

“And have many people died here, to your knowledge?”

[spoileralert]

Time had been blurry for Steph between the depression, the sleep problems, the lack of caffeine and the overall change in a daily schedule she’d kept for two years. It didn’t seem like long to her, but at the same time it felt like she had always been here.

She turned to rest her head more comfortably on the chair back, watching the fire almost sleepily. There was nothing better on a cold winter day. His question did nothing to shake her calm.

“More than one, I know. The one died maybe a week or two after I arrived. People have disappeared since then, but nobody’s died that I know of. I hear the disappearing thing happens kind of a lot.” She shrugged without moving her head.

[plate_builder]

There is a difference between death and disappearing? Interesting. That had him pondering things for a bit longer. Made him think of what Deepground had done, what the Turks regularly did back in the day. And, of course, about the stigma of magic users when Shinra had been in power.

"These people who disappear, it is assumed they have not just died somewhere in the wilds?"

Because yes, this is information and he cannot live without that. Information is required to make appropriate plans for the future. Including ensuring there is a way to prevent the latter if that was what was really going on.