[Dragon Mail: Rayu]

[vast_oceans]

[the letter from Ashtaroth is written in a hand wildly different from anything written by her before- the writing is flowing and cursive, but still small and orderly, making it nice to look at and easy to read all at once]

Tell me.

Is all that talk of players true?

And is it true of me?

Comments

[justabard]

[... She "woke up"?]

Yes, it's true.

On both counts.

[vast_oceans]

How do you know?

I don't understand. How can people believe it?

[justabard]

[This takes some time to arrive. He has to bribe the dragon to stick around while he thinks of how to word it.]

I've met my player.

And I've spoken to yours. Through you, initially.

[vast_oceans]

Through me?

[the returned dragonmail takes a moment to get back because she's remembering Nova and his own sudden dragonmails]

But it's not... it's not like they say, I've been here.

[justabard]

Everyone has their own way of thinking about it. I think if you feel like you've been here, then you've been here. What we remember is real enough.

I wrote to you once to give you a heads up once I found out. That's when your player spoke to me instead. I suppose you don't remember any of it.

[... pen taps.] Your player needed help with you. I wanted to understand. I wanted to help. I'm sorry. I've known since that second meeting in the graveyard.

[vast_oceans]

I... no, I don't.

[...]

No... I do. I remember the letter, but... no, that's all.

[she doesn't know what to make of this. she knows most of the rumours, she knows about earth, and players, and the theory running around about two worlds merging, but her life has been so utterly mundane between all of the chaos, it seems hard to imagine. she can remmeber whole conversations about absolutely nothing.

and she's not sure if she's upset, or why she would be, except that she's talking to rayu- to victor- because he's the only one that it makes sense to talk to about this (and because her pride will see to it she doesn't speak to nova again about it anytime soon). the idea of talking to artemis- she doesn't even know where to start with that. she felt terribly for him, of course, and she'd been running errands for him... dangerous errands... with rayu...]

How do you mean, needed help?

[justabard]

I don't understand the details. Something about gaining experience. Apparently my particular brand of assistance works well for that.

She cared about you, your player. You don't have to be happy about it, but you don't have to be frightened, either. [Like he was...]

[vast_oceans]

Experience?... for what? What could all of that have taught me?

I don't understand

[a long pause passes by as she calms down because she's starting to freak out again]

You've... met yours?

[justabard]

You might have to ask her. If you're up for something like that, that is.


I have. Some of Bastan's gone over there. Some of Earth's come here. He was a part of that.

[vast_oceans]

I don't know. It doesn't... it doesn't seem real. I feel as though someone's pulling a prank on me.

[...]

Oh- oh, Rayu, I'm sorry. I don't know why I- I mean, my life

Well, my story, I guess

compared to yours

I'm so sorry, I feel so foolish

[justabard]

That's better than thinking you've gone mad. I can give you the name. And I could be there, if you wanted. Even if it's only letters.


My life is how it is because of my choices. They were only party to the circumstances.

[vast_oceans]

I've been hearing about it for weeks here in Bastan. You just... never think it will be you that's one of them. You've got your life, your memories, you never stop to think that it isn't real.

Not the way you thought it was, anyway. I... I think I like how you put it better.

[there's a long pause here while she thinks about that. does she want to speak to this person? what kind of person made her? and why did she make her the way she did?]

If... if you have the time. It's not like I'm scared or anything! I just want someone around to make sure I'm doing it right. That's all.

[justabard]

It's a lot to think about. It took me a while, and even now, I still don't think I've fully- Well. It's surreal.

I make my own schedule as a hunter. Tell me when and where.

[vast_oceans]

What do you think of your

[crossed out. she doesn't want to ask that over letters- she wants to see his face when she asks that sort of thing]

Soon. I want to deal with this as soon as I can. Ah, but I've... I've been avoiding some things. I need to get some work done, first. [because she had, in fact, barricaded herself into her room with her desk, after speaking with nova, and she is sure at least two or three people have been looking for her and she is kind of hungry]

Tomorrow?

[justabard]

Tomorrow.

Where do you want to meet?

[vast_oceans]

...I chose the time. You choose the place.

[justabard]

[Bastan's where she's comfortable, but it's not safe for them to both be there...]

There's Bydell. [It's a small farming village not far from Bastan.] If they've got room at the inn, it would afford some privacy.

But it's Bydell. It might be quiet enough about anywhere you pick.

[vast_oceans]

You're probably right.

Let's do that, then. I'm sure I could get some time off. With mostly just the Temple and the paladin headquarters here... there's not as much to do as there used to be.

[justabard]

All right. I'll be there.

It sounds like it hasn't been easy. It's that sort of problem that worries me the most.

[vast_oceans]

I expect world-swapping would trouble a lot of people. It's been an exercise in letting go, that's for certain.