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[quietstrength]

H-Hello? Is it working...? Oh, dear... [ the video is shaky — like, really shaking, as sakura holds her phone with trembling fingers. uncertainty and fear make themselves crystal clear on her features as she looks down at the device, speaking as best she can. ]

The see-through woman said that we could speak to others on- on here. Can anyone h-h-hear me? Ryoma? Takumi? Hinoka...? [ ANYONE? she lists off another series of names and the longer this goes on, the more desperate sakura sounds, the shakier her voice gets, like she's on the verge of tears. ] Please, someone answer me! I-I have to get back... I ca-can't stay here!

Comments

[Video]

[shy_mage]

[Normally he's too nervous of a guy to go around introducing himself to people. But, he felt bad that she seemed scared. He wanted to do something to help, even if he wasn't sure he would do any good.]

S-Sorry... I, I haven't heard of any of th-them. But... But it's safe. M-Mostly. Y-You don't have to be scared.

[quietstrength]

[ as if surprised that someone actually answered, sakura squeaks and nearly drops the phone again before staring at the screen. no one she knows, and that only spikes her anxiety more. at least he's not here in person, right? uh. she thinks. ]

Oh. [ that's slightly discouraging. ] M-Maybe they're here, but you just h-haven't seen them yet! I don't want to give up hope so soon... [ she has to be optimistic!!!! which is... easier said than done. ]

Wait - mostly safe?

[shy_mage]

M-Maybe. There's lots of people...

[He was trying hard. It was odd for someone to be intimidated by him. Though it wasn't unreasonable to be if one knew his skill, most fairly regarded him as generally harmless pretty quickly.

He nodded.]

If... If you stay in the safe parts, y-you'll be safe.

[Perfectly explained, right? He didn't realize he'd made her more nervous yet.]

[quietstrength]

L-Lots of people?! [ if there was a list of 'things you shouldn't say to sakura' that is probably number one. she fidgets again, visibly uncomfortable as she looks around like an army of people will suddenly show up around her. help. ]

W-Where are the safe parts? I ... a-are there places without so many people?

[shy_mage]

Y-You don't like so many people, e... either?

[He often felt like the only one. Not that he didn't like people, he just needed some quiet and big cities didn't offer enough.]

Well... Umm... F-Fayren seems quieter. I-It's where I'm staying.

[quietstrength]

I just — I get ... nervous. [ she seems even more nervous just admitting that, and she almost seems ready to end the conversation there, her voice low. she has such a hard time talking to strangers, but this one is trying to help her. AHHH. ]

H-How do I ge-get there? [ there's a map right? why didn't she look at it? oh right, because she's trying to actually find her family. ]

Video

[fantasykiller]

[If there was one thing Touma absolutely couldn't ignore, it was the sight of someone desperately pleading for help.]

Calm down. Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine.

[He says this in the most soothing voice he can muster.]

[shy_mage]

[He nodded. He almost didn't realize other people could get nervous. It made no sense to him, because they were great and smart and all. But it was something he felt often.]

You... You do?

[It was kind of shocking.]

H-How come? I... I think people would like you.

[He played with the phone a bit. He wasn't inept at it, but he hadn't sent directions to anyone before. But, he found a way, and sent a map to her. It a sort of general, large map.]

[quietstrength]

[ wide-eyed with surprise at the sight of an unfamiliar face on the screen, sakura nods quickly in reply. it's... sound advice, and will probably do her wonders if she actually follows it. ]

O-Okay. [ she closes her eyes then and takes a few deep breathes. it's... kind of helping. at the very least, she can carry on a conversation. ] I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to get so upset. I just... I need to find m-my family... if they realize I'm missing—! [ it'll be pretty rough, honestly. ]

[quietstrength]

[ she nods this time, slowly. her cheeks grow red with embarrassment. ]

It's just - I— I... [ the phone shakes again, and this time she actually drops it. a loud gasp is heard off screen as she reaches for it again. ] S-Sorry!

[shy_mage]

I-It's okay!

[What an odd turn of events. He usually wasn't the one on this side of the conversation, but he would try his best to make her feel better. There was no reason she needed to feel insecure.]

Y-You don't need to worry. You... You seem nice, a-and you're pretty, so, I think that... that people will like you.

Video

[dominantprince]

There is no way to leave. You will be stuck here for the foreseeable future.

[quietstrength]

[ that only serves to make her blush harder, to stammer more, and to almost drop the damn phone for a second time. if she was talking before him in person, she would have bolted already. ]

I, uhm... T-Thank you, that is very k-kind of you to say! But I am not very good with people. I just, I think — I have to go! [ HOW DO YOU TURN THIS OFF. she just kind of flips the phone over and hopes that works. she's... still there. ]

[quietstrength]

[ oh. her expression drops, and - somehow - she looks even more upset. ] T-There has to be a way... We all ca-can't be stuck here forever.

[dominantprince]

Perhaps not forever, but it isn't possible for us to choose to leave this place. Coming to and leaving this place is dictated by someone else's will. [That's what he has come to learn.]

[shy_mage]

[This didn't seem to be going well at all. He wasn't sure why it was going badly, but he was pretty sure it was his fault. Seemed like when he tried to make things better he ended up making them worse. He was confused and panicked, desperately trying to rectify things.

But, he did realize that the phone was still on. So, she would just hear his voice apologizing.]

I... I'm sorry. Did... Did I say something bad? I-I'll, I'll try not to...

[But he didn't really expect any forgiveness. He wouldn't hold it against her if she didn't talk to him again.]

[quietstrength]

W-Who would be so cruel t-to kidnap people like this? W-What is the point? [ the hologram didn't really seem to tell her that much. ] Th-There are so many people back home that need help... I - I can't do anything while I am here!

[fantasykiller]

[Oh boy. He doesn't want to lie to her about the reality of her current situation, but at the same time, it also won't do her any good to have the truth immediately dump onto her. He needs to do this slowly and gently.]

It's alright. I've also gone through what you're experiencing right now so I understand how you feel.

[He decides it might be best to get her to focus on something else for now.]

What's your name? I'm Kamijou Touma.

[quietstrength]

[ it's fine. someone else will crush her dreams eventually. ]

Y-You have? Ah — of c-course you have! If you were kidnapped, too. I-I'm sorry.

[ a topic change is good. very good. she worries her bottom lip between her teeth. ]

S-Sakura. It's ni-nice to meet you, Touma.

[video]

[offwithhishat]

[ Listening to the young girl sound so afraid was difficult. The longer she went on listing names that he didn't know the worse he felt for her. Anyone with eyes could see she was vulnerable and Jefferson couldn't stop himself from worrying that someone would take advantage of that. He wasn't sure that he could ease her mind any but he had to say something. ]

I can hear you but you need to calm down before anything else, okay? I know it's alarming but we'll figure things out. I promise. You just need to let yourself breathe for a minute.

[ Trying to comfort people over video was never a particularly easy task but he hoped that at least seeing another person and hearing that he was willing to help would reassure her somewhat. ]

[dominantprince]

There is no clear answer. Though I would assume some are investigating it. [It's something even he has been wondering about since his arrival.]

[fantasykiller]

Sakura, huh? You have quite a pretty name.

[He grins in an attempt to dispel her unease.]

Please don't worry about me. I've long since gotten used to these kind of situations to the point that I could be considered an 'expert'.

[quietstrength]

[ she's the one that called for help, and yet she's still startled when he suddenly appears on the screen before her. it doesn't help that she was staring at it so intently, pressing buttons and experimenting to try and figure out this weird technology. ]

O-Okay, I'll try. [ an try she does, taking breaths so deep it's a wonder she doesn't somehow pass out instead. thankfully, she doesn't and it ... sort of seems to calm her down?? ] I-I think that h-helped a little. Thank you.

[quietstrength]

[ oh no she didn't turn it off. sakura fumbles with the phone, turning it back around to see his face on the screen again. she blushes, tilts her head and glances off at something else. anything else. ]

N-No! It isn't your fault! I'm just — I'm no good at talking to new people! I meant to turn this off. [ hhhhhhhh. ]

[quietstrength]

T-That's kind of you to say... [ she mutters, her cheeks as bright red as her hair. ]

Has th-this happened to you before? That's terrible!