|| slipping slipping slipping

[flamesfallen]

[He can see tiny silvery branches stretching through the darkness. He follows them, though he can't explain how, and shivers as the light blue leaves brush his cheeks. At last, his hands touch the core. He is engulfed by a warm light, though without the humming he sometimes dreams about, and then there is fire. And then there is nothing at all.

The strange dream is only a prelude to something stranger. Expecting to wake up at an inn, Luke's sprawled out on cold, hard ground. The natural grass here is dry and itchy, and the sky is overcast. It's also missing the band of fonstones that can be seen night and day in Auldrant.

He sits up quickly and looks around. To the north is a gathering of white mountains, shrouded by clouds. To the east is a swamp and a line of more mountains. Otherwise, the land is gentle and not too hilly. Feels like he's sitting on something--

-- oh, hell. It's his /replica/. It's his replica and they've both been kidnapped this time. Luke rolls off and frantically shakes his shoulders.]

Ugh. Wake up, you idiot!

[He can't tell underneath all that hair, but they are both certainly gifted with some new... features.]

Comments

[flamesfallen]

[Luke pulls away, a little more violently this time, and shakes out his wings.]

You have your own!

[flamesfanned]

[A yawn, and Ember blinks sleepily after Luke for a bit before what his original said even registers.]

Yeah, but I can't tuck my face into mine like that... The anatomy's wrong.

[Overly literal replica is overly literal.]

[deprivation]

[Sync manages to pull together his tattered robe. It's even worse in daylight, and a bit stiff where the blood dried. Nasty. He has pants on, but he's not sure ditching his only shirt would be a good option. The scars are a little... yeah.]

Are you two ready yet?

[flamesfallen]

[Luke just barely resists the urge to kick his replica. His face is red. Cuddling isn't something he signed up for, okay.]

Come on. We need to get moving.

[He eyes what's left of Sync's clothes and considers handing over his coat...]

[flamesfanned]

[Gosh, you guys need to learn to take a snuggle.]

Alright, alright, I'm coming...

[Probably too much to hope that there will be any hand-holding with Sync around. Ember stands and stretches his arms above his head - oh well, he's getting more used to the wings anyway. He can walk. Probably.]

Can't believe you guys aren't even stopping for breakfast, though...

[deprivation]

If you're that desperate, there's plenty of prairie chickens out in the grass.

[Sync rolls his shoulders as he turns toward the path.]

You just have to watch out for the direwolves.

[flamesfallen]

[... He's not really sure Sync is shitting them or not. He doesn't know the kid well enough to tell, and this one is a bit... different, anyway.]

We'll stop for lunch. [He's not willing to endure that much whining.

Anyway, he hopes no one notices how much he's wobbling because fucking /wings/. Points for trying, though. And not holding hands.]

[flamesfanned]

Let's get going, then.

[The sooner they start, the sooner it's lunch, Ember figures - he's certainly not going to stop and hold them up, especially when he's going slower than he likes anyway. The wings are still putting him a bit out of balance, enough that walking is slower and fighting is not something that he wants to think about, but hey, he'll get better.]

So how far is it to the city?