sixthiterationlogs | open your eyes to a new world }{ OTA

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open your eyes to a new world }{ OTA

WHO: Aqua
WHERE: Bunker, Inn, blacksmith (all south village)
WHEN: January 4th (bunker), January 5th for the rest
OPEN TO: Bunker is closed to Malik, the rest are OTA
WARNINGS: tbd!

bunker, January 4th, closed to Malik

Darkness had surrounded her for so long that she wasn't even sure if she would ever see the light again. It was almost as though she belonged to the Realm of Darkness now. Like she was a part of it somehow. Aqua had spent her life fighting darkness and had sacrificed herself to protect Terra from being lost here with her. That all seems so long ago. Sometimes a part of her wonders if it was even worth it in the end. Did Xehanort get what he wanted in the end? She doesn't know.

She just feels so lost and disconnected, forever wandering in the darkness.

Her eyes slide closed for just a minute. But it's a minute that feels like it lasts an eternity. Just like everything else in this realm. The sensation of falling asleep is the last thing she remembers. Inside the tube deep in the bunker located on another world entirely, she sleeps, unaware of where she is or why. Her name and vitals flash on the tube's readout, the only signs that she is alive at all. For now, her body rests within the stasis tube, the magenta scrubs a glaring contrast to the soft blue of her hair.

Inn, January 5th

After spending the remainder of the night and part of the morning in an abandoned house, she decides to take a better look around the southern village. Around lunchtime, Aqua slowly pushes open the door to the Inn. Her limbs feel like lead and she can't tell if it's because she's not used to so much light or because the Realm of Darkness took so much energy out of her all the time. She squints a bit at the flood of light, still not used to it after so long with so much darkness clawing at her. Finally, after she manages to get her eyes to adjust, she makes her way inside, closing the door softly behind her. So many people seem crowded into this one space; it's hard for her to adjust. She will, of course, but a part of her had almost thought she would never see anyone again. Her eyes search for any familiar faces, out of habit, but of course she doesn't see any. Ven is still sleeping and Terra...

She doesn't know what's happened to Terra and that's one of the things that keeps tearing at her.

Steeling herself, she takes a deep breath and heads for what appears to be the kitchen area. She can see at least a couple of people in here. Maybe one of them can answer a few more questions for her. "Um, excuse me," she says to the nearest person, doing her best not to take up more time than she needs to. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could tell me how much munny a plate of food is."

She doesn't really have munny right now, but she is willing to work for her food and help out as much as she can. Besides, having something to do will help her keep her mind occupied and keep her from thinking too much about what's going on in the Realm of Light.

blacksmith, January 5th

Eventually, she makes her way through the southern village again, ending up in what looks like a blacksmith's building. Taking stock of everything she can find once she makes her way inside, she heads for the first person she can see. "Excuse me. I'm looking for a new weapon."

She isn't at all used to needing help in any form and she's spent the majority of the day asking everyone she meets for help in some form or another. If this keeps up, she really isn't going to know what way is up anymore. Still, she is determined to find a way to help and fit in for as long as she's here. She will pay their kindness forward as soon as she can. Whatever the first person tells her, she eventually finds someone else and asks something entirely different.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

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"Oooh, um. Well." Brigitte tilts her mask and goggles up to get a closer look at this stranger who's wandered in (much like she had a week ago, in fact). The furnace is slowly building in front of her, the fire roaring merrily along, but not yet hot enough to melt the ore from the mountain. It means she's killing time at the moment while it heats, and can spare some time to look away from her work.

"What did you have in mind? Unfortunately, there's a long list for new weapons. There are some old ones at the inn cache, but right now we're prioritising tools and supplies rather than making weapons." Brig is getting the hang of it, learning to parrot off the forge rules. "And, yeah, I can actually do with a second pair of hands in a few minutes, stick around."

Aqua lifts a hand to her chin for a second. That makes sense. Tools and supplies are important. She can't say how dangerous it is here, but even without her magic, or the Master's keyblade, she should be able to take care of herself. She still feels like she's lost another part of herself, but given everything else... well, at least she's out of the Realm of Darkness for now. Maybe later she'll go see what the Inn caches have left.

"Okay," she says in answer to the request for help. "I won't go anywhere. I've never worked a forge before, but I'm a fast learner. I can help as long as you need it."

Brigitte shoots her a hopefully-reassuring smile. That sort of can-do attitude is familiar -- it reminds her of herself, a bit, and it immediately endears the blue-haired woman to her. It takes a certain kind of personality for either of them to be faced with a new problem and simply knuckle down to work on it.

"Get some gloves from over there," she says, pointing towards the neatly-stacked pile of heavy-duty protective gloves. (The tidiness all Seifer's doing; if it had been up to her, she'd probably have misplaced her pair atop her lunch.) "Annnd in a couple minutes I'm going to have you hold a piece of molten ore in place while I hammer it into shape. There are some long tongs you'll grip with, so it won't be dangerous. Are you okay with that?"

It's a small sense-check that she's not asking too much; though it's a simple enough task, some people have specific qualms about fire, after all.

Aqua is happy to wait for as long as she needs to. She always does better if she has something to do with herself. It's less time to spend wondering if her strength is enough to keep beating back the darkness. As for the request itself, she shakes her head. Given that she used to shoot fire out of her keyblade, dealing with a little molten ore won't be hard. She doesn't mind fire or heat.

"I'll be fine. I've had worse than a little heat," she says before turning to find a pair of gloves that will fit. Once she does, she returns with them and the closest pair of tongs that it looks like no one is using.

"Okay, just show me what to do." She thinks she has the gist of the idea, but it can't hurt to have a demonstration of how to hold everything.

Brigitte guides her through it, adjusting Aqua's grip before she goes ahead and executes the molten pour -- a river of flame dribbling out of the furnace, Brig quickly shaping it, then getting Aqua to pin it in place as she starts hammering the ingot. The conversation goes on temporary halt throughout the noise and clamour, a rhythmic clanging, Brig swinging hard with each blow to shape it. It's better as a two-person job, the fiery piece of metal held more safely immobile.

It's soothing, repetitive work; it's given Brig a way to feel useful and to keep herself occupied, and so she's more grateful for it than she can even express. By the time they're done and the ingot is cooling, the brunette wipes away a bead of sweat, shoots the other woman a thankful grin.

"See? You're a natural. And now that we're not dealing with molten-hot fire--" She holds out her own gloved hand. "I'm Brigitte. Welcome."

Aqua doesn't know the first thing about blacksmith work. True to her words, though, she does learn quickly. As Brigitte shows her what to do, how to position herself for best effect, Aqua learns to adjust herself and the tongs she holds. Her strength holds everything steady, even as Brigitte pounds on the ore. When they finally stop, Aqua takes the offered hand.

"Thank you. I'm Aqua," she responds. "It's nice to meet you. I guess you've been here longer than I have. You seem really settled in."

"Oh my god, no. I'm just experienced with forges specifically, I grew up doing this." Brigitte waves a hand dismissively at the smithy around them; it's far more low-tech than the workshops she grew up in, but familiar equipment is equipment and at least it keeps her busy.

"I got here, um. Maybe a week and a half ago? What about you, it sounds like you're new too?"

She cranes to attention slightly even as she asks the question. She's been half-collecting fellow newbies lately; it's been easier to latch onto them, other people just as discombobulated and disoriented and lost as she is, and also in need of direction. At the moment, the oldbies -- settled in with their loved ones and family, their old shared histories -- remind her a bit too much of what she's lost.

It's lucky that Brigitte could find an occupation here that is so close to what she did in her world. Aqua finds herself wishing she had the same security. She doesn't, though, and she is adapting. Or trying to.

"A day or two ago," Aqua answers, after a moment's consideration. After so long of not being able to keep track of time, suddenly having day and night pass as normal has her turned around again. These days and nights actually count. "I still haven't really found my way around yet, so I'm helping out when I can. That's the best I can do right now."

A pause follows that, and then she adds on, "Everyone seems to know I'm new before I say anything. I guess it's easy to see."

"It's the clothes," Brigitte explains with a sympathetic grin and a hapless wave of her hands to the scrubs that both she and Aqua are still wearing, the bright pop of magenta at the other woman's neck. Layers and long sleeves have gone a long way towards coping with the winter weather, but they don't have the full kind of wardrobes that people have accrued over months or years here.

"They are a work-in-progress, so. I've seen some people with these kinds of full, matching, well-fitting outfits I've never seen in the communal supplies. I don't know if they got them as a present or something, but those of us who arrived recently... we all look a bit the same."

"I guess that makes sense," Aqua says in response. She has noticed that not everyone wears the scrubs. Also there's something of a variation in colors. "I don't really know how I got these. I woke up in the tube wearing them." Which was uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. "Maybe I'll ask around about that, too. Someone has to know where to get better clothes." And what she might have to do to get them. It is pretty cold, after all.

"Thank you. For the information and for giving me something to do. It's been a long time since I haven't had a job."

"Oh, that I can actually help with!" A snap of her fingers, a brief little burst of satisfaction that she knows something despite her short tenure here, and can offer up actionable information. "There's a room at the inn on the second floor, that contains abandoned items and communal supplies. You can rummage there for better clothes. It's like a village thrift shop or something, except you do not have to pay."

Aqua has no idea what a thrift shop is, but she understands the general idea. "Not much seems to cost munny here," she says thoughtfully. "I guess that's more reason for me to find something to do to help out here." She would anyway, but the more she hears about this place, the more reason she finds for doing exactly that.

"Thank you," she adds on, offering a small but genuine smile. "I think I'll go look through that room at the Inn. If you need more help, just let me know." Aqua is always happy to help, especially someone as friendly as Brigitte.

Brigitte doesn't even catch that slight idiosyncrasy in the word munny; she just thinks it's an accent.

"And you too," she says quickly, with a warm smile of her own. "If you have any more questions, just ask and I can try to help. Or we can try to figure it out together. I live at the inn and work here each day."

And as they bid each other farewell and Aqua heads back out into the brisk day and away to rummage for supplies, Brigitte wipes a bead of sweat off her brow, and turns back to heating up the next batch of ore. Back to the grind. Literally.

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open your eyes to a new world }{ OTA

Blacksmith 🔨

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& closed!