1st Punch

[medicalpunch]

[Action: Where the rivers meet in the village]

[Sakura's arrival in Luceti comes with a short, bitten-off yell of surprise and a splash as she drops into the icy water. The white-clad figure vanishes underwater, then reappears, struggling, fighting to surface long enough to catch her breath. It's shockingly cold, iced over in places -- although thankfully not where she fell -- and even if she knows nothing else yet, she knows she must get out of the water.]

[Flailing, gasping, reeling in shock from the sudden cold, it's extremely difficult for her to get atop the water as a ninja would normally go -- but she's too cold to swim properly, she knows that all too well, and with the ice besides, she has no other choice.]

[She's proud of her own strength and control, and she makes herself display it now, pushing up out of the water and working her way until she is balanced by chakra on the surface.]

[Now, though, she's exposed to the bitter air, soaking wet, with nothing but a thin, backless white dress to cover her. And she's freezing.]

[She makes her way toward the shore, where there's a journal waiting for her. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a warm blanket or anything like one. Just the journal, with her name on it, and a biting chill to the air.]

[Video]

[Sakura's hair is is still damp when her face appears on the journals. She's managed to get dry and warmed up -- and much more warmly dressed than when she arrived -- but she looks disoriented, worried, and worn.]

I don't know what this place is, where it is, why it is. I'm not sure I even want to speculate. But if there's anyone... familiar out there, anyone who knows me -- I'm here.

Comments

[hero_of_smiles]

How about the first thing that pops into your head? I've been doing that.

[medicalpunch]

... You called this place Luceti. What is it? How did I wind up here?

[hero_of_smiles]

Luceti is a village, but it's on a completely different world. Dimension even. But, you wound up here because of the Malnosso.

[medicalpunch]

The Malnosso?

[It's an odd word -- doesn't even sound like her own language!]

What's the Malnosso?

[hero_of_smiles]

Hmm...from what I get they're a group that kind of experiments on the people here. They've also been apparently trapped in this world with us and are trying to find a way out I think. But, they're also probably the reason why we're here.

[Soon he'll open his journal, he remembered finding it awhile ago...AH! Here it is.
He pulls this up and hands his book to her.]

This has a bunch of intel the people here have gathered so far.

[medicalpunch]

[It's a lot to read; she skims it quickly, her frown growing deeper and deeper as she does.]

This... this is a lot to take in. Would there be a way for me to review this later, on my own?

[hero_of_smiles]

Yeah, of course. You still have your journal right? You can look at it on there.

[medicalpunch]

My journal...?

[Oh, right, that book she'd grabbed by the side of the river. She hasn't given it much thought since then, but she opens it now and frowns.]

...This is very different from any other sort of journal I've seen.

[hero_of_smiles]

Yeah, it's some really complicated science and magic all mixed together or something like that. I'm still trying to figure out how it works. No luck sadly.

[medicalpunch]

Huh. [She flips around the journal a bit, curious, thoughtful.]

It certainly isn't like any jutsu I've ever seen.

[hero_of_smiles]

Neither is it tech that I've seen. But, you can only gain from it if you learn how it works.

[medicalpunch]

That's very true.

[She pokes around the journal a bit more, then manages to pull up the same entry he's got open. She's a smart girl, this one!]

Well, I guess I have my reading cut out for me!

[hero_of_smiles]

Suppose you do! Better get workin on it! Once you find a place to stay and all.

[medicalpunch]

A place to stay... mm-hm. I do need to find one of those, if there's no quick way to get home. What is the housing like around here? [She's seen the buildings around, during their walk here, but she's still curious for more information.]

[hero_of_smiles]

Well, there's community housing buildings around here and you're able to take your on apartment in them if you're alone. But, if you have friends here there are houses too.

[medicalpunch]

Just take an apartment...

[She contemplates that.]

It's like the clothing, then? There's no rent or anything?

[hero_of_smiles]

Well, anyone that's free. Pretty sure people would be kind of annoyed if you barged in and took their place over.

[There's a nod though.]

Yup. We don't have money here and we just get everything supplied to us for free by the Molasses.

[and yes, he's calling the Malnosso the Molasses.]

[medicalpunch]

Well, yes, of course!

[And then she can't help giggling.]

The Molasses?

[hero_of_smiles]

Okay, well there real name is the Malnosso. But they're dumb. They don't get a name.

[Speaking of names...]

Hey, I never even told you mine! The name's Cross Blanchard!