Take Two, Part I

[sixthiteration]

WHO: Take Two I participants
WHERE: Everywhere!
WHEN: February 26-March 4
OPEN TO: ONLY Take Two participants — Reactions to the disappearances should have their own posts.
WARNINGS: Please warn in your subject line as needed
NOTES: Plot Basics | Cheat Sheet & Other Details | Color Combos

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Morning, February 26. A message blinks across the devices of many in the village, sender unknown. Meet with a specified someone else, it says, dubious but not overtly sinister. Is this belated Valentine's matchmaking? An Observer attempt at forcing friendships?

Or could this perhaps be something that takes just a wee bit more effort?

Comments

[cisskabob]

Cissie shakes her head; she doesn't know why Aqua would ask her that, unless it's something everyone can do where Aqua is from. She doesn't realize that this kind of size change isn't something Aqua has done before. But even as she's shaking her head no, she's wishing she could, and she doesn't even notice that it's happening at first. Once she does realize that she's growing, just like Aqua, she gasps and almost lets go in surprise, stopping herself at the last second. She grips Aqua's hand even tighter, which becomes easier as she starts to match her in size again.

"...I guess I can. This is new," she says, mostly to herself, reaching out with her free hand to help Aqua, smacking at the claw, trying to help her pry it open.

[aguidingkey]

Adapting to one's environment has been a critical part of Aqua's life. Existing in the Realm of Darkness didn't change that and neither has existing here. She's had to get used to a wide variety of things and abilities she didn't have at home, not even as a keyblade master. Changing size is one of those. But her train of thought jumps from her to Cissie. If Aqua can do it, why can't Cissie?

They just have to keep contact.

The two of them get the claw pried open after another few moments of struggling. Aqua manages to land a kick on its joint, causing it to release her on reflex. Unfortunately, this means it drops her into the water. She holds onto Cissie's hand with all her strength, grateful that she hasn't been pulled out too far yet, and quickly pushes herself to her feet. Their adversary seems to be watching them, sizing them up.

Aqua's eyes narrow with determination and she readjusts her grip on Cissie's hand. Now that they're standing side-by-side, they can thread their fingers together and have an even stronger grip on each other. It'll be harder to break them apart now.

"I'm not interested in killing it," she says, watching it carefully. "I just don't want it to keep distracting and attacking us."

If it doesn't attack them, she's content to leave it alone.

[cisskabob]

Cissie laces her fingers tightly with Aqua's, nodding. She's not a fan of killing anything, even animals, even knowing they have to eat and it's a necessity of life here--and she's not so married to that ideal that she's willing to go vegetarian. But that doesn't mean she wants to do any hunting or killing herself. Maybe this would count more as fishing, but she isn't actually going to think too hard on it right now, since she's too busy watching the giant freaking crawfish to see if it's going to back off or not.

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be "or not." The creature retreats back under the waves, but she can see its shape, darker against dark waters, seeming to swim away... only to circle back towards them again. Cissie takes a step back up the shoreline, tugging Aqua back with her. Maybe if they're not too close to the water, it will back off--it can't possibly reach that far, can it?

But then again, maybe it can. She's never seen anything like this before, and she's not even familiar enough with normal crawfish or lobsters or shellfish to know how they behave. Her father took her mother out for a fancy dinner when she was five, and the bad shellfish he ate killed him; she's just not a fan.

Cissie reaches and picks up a rock. It feels like a small rock, but in actuality, it's more like a boulder. Thanks to their size, it feels like picking up a pebble. She takes aim and tosses it at the water behind the creature, hoping the noise and movement of the water will be more interesting than they are. "Maybe that will get it's attention..."

[aguidingkey]

Aqua is a little disappointed that the answer doesn't seem to be swaying in their favor, even if she isn't surprised. Still, she doesn't back down as the creature swings back around towards them. At least, not until Cissie picks up a small boulder to throw at it. Her aim is impressive and Aqua can tell that it hadn't been the intention to hit it. Though the creature seems slightly less fixated on them, Cissie's tactic seems to have worked for a short time, it gives Aqua enough time to think of another option.

"We've discovered we can become larger," she starts, backing up slowly and gently tugging Cissie with her. "Do you think we can make ourselves smaller, too? Maybe if we're small enough, it'll lose interest in us or maybe it won't even be able to find us."

It's a shot in the dark at this point, but she'll take anything she can get. And she has a feeling Cissie will feel the same way.

[cisskabob]

Cissie lets Aqua take the lead, following her back away from the water’s edge. She gives her a quick look of surprise, then grins at her suggestion. “That’s a great idea! If we’re small enough, maybe we won’t look like food anymore—if it can even still see us.” She pauses and adds, “...We’d better get further back, so we don’t shrink too much too fast and land in the water somehow.”

[aguidingkey]

Getting away from the water is an equally good idea. Taking a risk, Aqua turns them so they can see where they're going. If the giant crawfish decides to follow them, they should hear it. Once they're up far enough, Aqua turns them so they can see their adversary. By now, it's making its way back up to the edge of the water, so they only have a limited time to shrink to make this work.

"Ready?" she asks Cissie, glancing at her friend. "Once we're small, we should probably move again, to make sure it can't find us."