Stardust

Clay Terran, astronaut extraordinaire.

[herrforehead-blog]

I…

[ Apollo only frowns, even when Clay grabs his hand, even when he gives it a light squeeze back. It was a nice confirmation that Clay was actually here beside him, but it didn’t help the weight lift off of Apollo’s shoulders. ]

I think I’d rather talk about it when we get back to the house. If that’s okay.

[ His anxiousness is visible all over — Apollo keeps touching his bracelet, his shoulders are tense, his eyebrows are furrowed, and he can’t keep his eyes fixed on Clay.

Despite this, he gives Clay the best smile he can as they continue walking down the path. They’ll reach the market soon, and then, hopefully, the subject can be dropped until they get home. ]

… Which reminds me! Since you’re here, I think it’d be nice if we stayed in the same house. They’re big enough, and it’d feel less lonely, I think.

[clayofearth]

[A long breath escapes him. It's far from a sigh-- he just wants to let a little of the tension out of his own body. Apollo has put the conversation on hold for now so he needs to let it go for the moment. Clay nods and lets go of Apollo's hand.]

"Okay Apollo, later is fine."

[As they walk again, Clay begins to jot down a list of things to buy while they're on their way to the market. Apollo speaks up though, with a more relaxing topic. He laughs a bit in agreement.]

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea! I'd prefer to live with you than alone, especially now that we're not really home anymore. I sort of dug around my house and messed it up though so it'd probably be better to stay at your place."

[scissorbladewielder]

Honnōji Bound. [INTRO/OPEN]

Slowly the teen looked around, the corners of her lips turned down in an expression of concern. Even Senketsu was quiet, slowly taking in the quaint surroundings that they were suddenly presented with. It was obvious that the two were no longer in the city— not even the slums where Mako lived. No, this place was far cleaner, no litter decorating the streets in replacement of flowers, a sour stench drifting through the air… One Ryuko found she never quite got used to unless she was home.

Home.

Where was home? The raven haired teen narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked upon the persons walking by, none of them donning a one-star Goku uniform, nor two nor three… So she was safe for now, at least. It was a small relief, but it hardly lightened the situation at hand. Twirling the small, red half scissor between her fingers, the student began to make her way around the humble village.

The sound of water wasn’t too far off, glistening water just in sight, but what distracted the teen was the smell of farm animals— now just where the hell was she?! Farm animals? Expression becoming increasingly more displeased, she continued to look for anyone familiar— hell, she would even settle with Satsuki if she just knew where the hell she was.

“Ryuko." The voice resounded through her head, and her fingers ceasing to swirl her small scissor blade, she looked down at the uniform is slightly raised eyebrows.

“Hm?" Something was obviously amiss, and as Senketsu hummed the teen became increasingly more worried. This would definitely put a stopped in her plans. As the clothing thought, Ryuko once again raised her head, treading along as her starch white high tops kicked up dust. The sound of trickling water came closer until the dark haired female stood by the bank.

“I cannot transform.”

“What are you talking about?!" Immediately her temper flares— but this was simply caused by her swelling sense of loss. There was no Mankanshoku family, no Three-Star brats, no Satsuki or— hell, even that creep of a teacher… Ryuko was just glad to have Senketsu, but to find this out… It was disturbing. Yet just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, the teen flicked the scissors, willing them to grow— but they refused, staying in the small form they were found in.

“Come on, open up!" Ryuko growled, body becoming tense as she flicked the red piece of metal again and again, the smooth paint shining in the sunlight. Against the uniforms protests the student simply became more and more frustrated, flicking harder, harder, and harder still until it slipped from her fingertips. She let out a small gasp as the blade buried itself in the ground. Looking up at the stranger, the teen put on an apologetic expression, fingers already itching to get her weapon back.

“Ahh, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

[clayofearth]

[So far, his exploration of Benu has produced... little results. It's not as if there hasn't been much to look at- there's plenty- but nothing that would give any really detailed information about what EXACTLY was going on. Everyone is nice enough and nothing is wrong with the area, but it hasn't helped him in his investigation really. Clay is supposed to find answers, it's in his nature, but he's having a lot of difficulty on that front. At least it's peaceful here.

As he's around the village, he spots a young girl ahead of him. She's dressed differently from the villagers that he's seen so far, so maybe he can ask her a couple questions. Upon approaching her, he notices that she seems to be... mumbling to herself. Perhaps she needs some help with something? Clay stops and is about to ask if she needs help but--]

"Ah!"

[He quickly pulls his foot away from the falling object. It's fairly small but it was sharp enough to get stuck in the ground. Yikes. The girl apologizes quickly, but Clay waves his hand and gives her a small smile. It was clearly an accident. Anyways, she spoke to him already so he can get on with his mission.]

"That's alright, miss. No harm done after all. Are you alright though? You looked a little troubled."

[youreinnocentright-deactivated2]

[ The sun had been in the sky for what felt like two hours since it peeked out from the horizon. Mia observed the sunrise from her bed, stuck against the wall with the window. Usually rising with the sun, it was different this time, nothing troubled her, how strange. ]

Rise and shine.

[ Tossing her covers off, she went into the restroom to prepare for the day. The agenda for today was groceries. Was there anything else? The thought lingered for a bit, this routine was too…casual for a lawyer. Like that, the thought disappeared.

Grabbing her scarf from the coffee table in the living room, she went zooming past the kitchen, breakfast could wait. Mia shut the door behind her. The morning played out like any other morning, the neighbors doing their usual tasks, waving to her as she passed. She waved back, of course.]

[ Some time passes at the marketplace. Mia holds a large paper bag in her arms, making her way through the moderately packed area. Her venture had lead her to the very center of Benu’s central square. She browsed the storefronts, stopping at a pastry shop’s ornate display of sweets. Not having breakfast caught up with her, but the need to watch her diet plagued her mind. The woes of closing in on 30.  ]

[clayofearth]

[Benu's market is filled with much more people than Clay had expected. He's trying his best to weave through people without disturbing them too much but honestly, it's a little hard. Looking around him for a quieter area, he sees that a small area in front of a litter of shops is less crowded. Apologizing to a few people he in front of, Clay makes his way to the edge.

His pathway through leads him to a small pastry shop. Behind the window are a number of fancy but delicious looking goods. Clay has always loved sweets but he's never really felt the urge to buy the fancy ones-- until now. There's a woman a couple feet away eying the pastries as well, but she seems conflicted. Maybe he can rope someone into sharing one with him. Clay leans in closer to the window, as if being closer to the glass would make it easier to eat.]

"Those look really good, don't you think so?"

[herrforehead-blog]

You’re not stressing me out…!

[ Which is a complete lie. The only reason Apollo is stressed, though, is because he knows if he thinks too much for too long, he might cry again. In fact, the idea of Clay leaving his sight makes him even more anxious — if he left now, how could Apollo guarantee he’d see him again? ]

Please — don’t go. I’m sorry I’m acting weird, it’s just that… things have been kind of hard lately, even before I got here.

[ Apollo rubs the back of his neck, his gaze still fixed elsewhere. There lump hasn’t left his throat, and he can tell his voice is shaking, but he hopes his words console Clay at least a little bit. This was awful. He’s supposed to be happy — both of them are — but instead, Apollo feels miserable. Perhaps he should’ve lied about how long he’d been here. At least then he’d have a real reason to seem shocked and overwhelmed to see Clay again. ]

[clayofearth]

[Apollo still isn't talking about what's going on with him, which is a weird first. His feet stop abruptly on the pathway and he furrows his brows-- Apollo usually tells Clay about everything that bothers him, but not this. Despite what he said, Apollo doesn't look any less comfortable with the idea of him staying. In fact, he looks more anxious.

Clay wants to stay with Apollo, like he's suggesting, but he has to make sure he'll be okay. He reaches out and gives Apollo's hand a light squeeze.]

"Are you totally sure? I know you don't really want to but we can stop to talk about what's been going on with you if that'll help."

[If Apollo chooses to continue with the facade, he really will let it go for now. He can only persist for so long. They'll head down to the market, shop around a little, head back to their houses and call it a day.]

[herrforehead-blog]

Yeah…! I was planning to get food for the house, too. Good timing.

[ And suddenly everything feels awkward, though he doesn’t want it to. This just wasn’t the time to explain. Apollo supposes he might as well enjoy their time together, then — act like nothing had happened. But it’s difficult, and he has trouble even looking at Clay, choosing instead to look at the ground or at the scenery ahead, only occasionally stealing a sideways glance as they walk. ]

Have things been going well for you, then? I mean, since you’ve woken up here.

[clayofearth]

[They walk at a moderate pace, down the road to town. There isn't much going on around them, aside from the occasional rustle of grass and the rolling of stones that they kick around on their way. Clay would be paying more attention to his surroundings to see if there's more life around but all of his attention is stuck on Apollo.]

"Oh yeah. I've only been awake for a little while but I spent most of my time exploring bit by bit."

[He wants to ask how Apollo's been doing since he woke up, but as Clay peeks at Apollo, he sees nothing but unease. In fact, it looks like Apollo is actively trying to avoid him. Was it really so bad that his best friend felt uncomfortable around him? Another long pause. He nibbles on his lip a little. They've made some distance walking but it feels so awkward that even Clay is starting to lose his resolve. His presence isn't doing anything for Apollo...]

"Y'know, if being around me right now makes you uncomfortable... I can leave. I don't mind it's just... I don't want to stress you out."

[herrforehead-blog]

Um… S-Something like that, yeah.

[ That was a good enough excuse for the time being. Apollo had just broken down crying in front of Clay, and he was just barely able to keep it all bottled up now. Explaining further, on top of being dropped into a new environment and seeing his best friend cry, would no doubt terrify Clay. And then there would be the issue of Clay thinking he was actually still dead, or something similar.

This was not going to be easy. The lump in Apollo’s throat feels like it’s growing again, so he forces a cough and crosses his arms. It’s hard to act like everything’s fine when he’s still sniffling and stuttering, though. ]

Maybe we should go inside, or go for a walk. You just got here, right? I just got here, too, s-so I’m trying to figure things out…

[ Apollo knows he’s rambling, but he doesn’t know what else to do or say. A part of him just wants to pretend nothing even happened; that everything back home was just a big nightmare and that where he is now is better. But honestly, everything about this situation terrifies Apollo — both the past and the present. Clearly he’d been thinking about it for too long. ]

[clayofearth]

[Though he didn't ask much, Apollo doesn't seem to want to talk about it at all. Since it's making him so uncomfortable, Clay will hold it off until Apollo's ready. There's tension in the air because of... whatever it is, but Clay straightens his back and pats Apollo's shoulder. He wants to say "We're fine!", but he knows somethings up now so it wouldn't really feel right to lie like that. Not only that but Apollo just said that he just only arrived here as well. What happened between then and now?

Clay clears his throat, having not responded in his thoughts.]

"I was actually on my way to the market when you came up. Did you want to join me?"

[herrforehead-blog]

[ Apollo nods weakly. What Clay says is true: everything is okay now, but still, that doesn’t help him calm down. He feels pathetic for crying into his best friend’s shoulder like this. It seems unfair, because he knows he’s worrying Clay, who’s completely in the dark as to why Apollo is upset in the first place. Slowly, Apollo pulls away, rubbing his eyes and taking deep, even breaths. ]

S-Sorry, Clay. I’m probably scaring you.

[ He gives Clay a half-hearted laugh and smile, just in an attempt to smooth things over. Apollo’s eyes are still misted over and his voice still trembles, but he tries to act as put together as possible. Crying in relief like this… certainly wasn’t a new thing for him, but he’d been doing a good job of not crying in public settings up until now. ]

But really, it’s… it’s good to see you again. Y-You have no idea.

[clayofearth]

[Even as Apollo pulls away from him, obviously trying to straighten himself up, Clay keeps his hands on his shoulders. It just seems unreasonable to him to let go. Until Apollo is very clearly okay, he'll make sure that his presence is really obvious.

Anyone could see that Apollo is trying his best to calm down and be strong. His face is still reddened from crying, there's the threat of tears still in his eyes and he doesn't even SOUND okay. Clay doesn't want to make that noticeable though.]

"You did scare me a little, but it's fine."

[He hesitates to ask what the concerning reaction was for, fearing that he may unintentionally make Apollo cry again. There's a good chance that there was a large time gap in "waking up", but it's still a little unnerving.]

"Although, your reaction worries me. Has it really been that long since you've seen me?"

[herrforehead-blog]

[ As the realization that no, this really isn’t a dream, hits Apollo, the color drains from his face, and his mouth hangs slightly open, speechless. It would make sense for Clay to come back. This whole world seemed to be some kind of giant reset, after all.

Apollo is happy, of course, but it’s too overwhelming to hear Clay say what he’d been thinking about for quite some time — that they would never see each other again — and Apollo can’t help but let out a muffled sob. It was really, truly a relief to see Clay again, so that his last image of him is no longer a mortifying picture in a case file.

He doesn’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that Clay seems to have no idea what happened to him before this. How could he even begin to explain? ]

[clayofearth]

[Whoa. Clay freezes and his grin disappears from his face. He thought Apollo did react a little extremely but now he's... crying. In all the time he's known Apollo, there are few times that he's seen him really, REALLY cry. At least, not recently. Recovering from his initial shock, Clay puts his hand on Apollo's back and rubs small circles into it.

Maybe Apollo's been here longer than he has-- maybe for him, Clay's been missing for much longer than he originally believed. He'll have to ask when Apollo's calmed down.]

"Shhh, it's okay 'Pollo. I'm here."

[Instinctively, Clay holds Apollo a little closer to him. He can't help it, his best friend needs him.]

[hopemaedanagito]

After much wandering, getting turned around, and too many dead ends to count, Komaeda still has yet to find the square. He’d found bookstores and vacant buildings, but nothing that seemed like a central hub for a busy village full of citizens. 

Maybe he should backtrack from the resident’s area?  Despite his inability to find what should be a rather obvious landmark, he could at least retrace his steps with relative ease. Maybe it’s good luck that he could always go back to his newly inhabited house, but bad luck that he could never get anywhere else he needed to be.

Head low, he mumbles to himself, mentally and verbally ticking off landmarks so he knows just where not to go when he makes the trip for the nth time.

Of course, not looking wherever you’re going is bound to cause some issues and he quiet literally runs into Clay, toppling them both with a loud "oomph!" and a cloud of dust.

[clayofearth]

[The sky is quite clear when he steps out and Clay can only describe Benu as beautiful. The world is so clean and natural in comparison to what he's always known, but it isn't half bad. The housing is spacious and there doesn't seem to be much around aside from the number of brick houses littering the area, but he can see what looks to be the town square on the horizon.

Clay begins his expedition downtown when he's collided into, landing with a loud thud on the ground. There's dirt on his uniform now, but otherwise he's unharmed. After coughing a bit, he looks over at the person who ran into him. Whoever they are, they have a wild hairdo.]

"Oogh, hey- you okay?"

[herrforehead-blog]

[ Apollo freezes in place upon hearing such a familiar voice, his heart and stomach sinking. His mind was playing tricks on him — he was just lonely and shaken and tired. That wasn’t unusual. It’d happened periodically ever since Clay died; Apollo would hear his voice just before falling asleep or think he saw him at the supermarket.

But the person in the distance looks like Clay, too. Apollo squints, suddenly worried for his own mental state. Maybe he needed to lie down. Especially because the sight of Clay quickly approaching him wasn’t fading.

And then Apollo is tackled, and he stumbles backwards under Clay’s weight. Once he steadies himself, he grabs Clay’s arms, gripping tight, eyes wide. ]

C-Clay! What are you — you — you’re here!

[ His eyes immediately well up with tears, and he wants to slap himself for it. It’s embarrassing, and he still isn’t sure if this is all just his imagination. ]

[clayofearth]

[He laughs briefly at Apollo's reaction, gripping tightly to him. Apollo looks a bit like he's seen a ghost, but he still looks happy. A little bit of an overreaction maybe, but Clay is feeling emotional too. It isn't as if he hadn't seen Apollo in a while, but now it's not so lonesome. They can explore together! Just like that one time in high school when they took the wrong bus and wound up out of town. He gently pinches Apollo's flushing cheeks.]

"Boy am I glad that you're here! I thought I'd never see you again!"

[Clay wraps his arms around Apollo, holding him close to his chest. If Apollo is here, maybe his friends are here or maybe the crew is here too! The fact that Apollo is here is a huge relief for him-- it means there's a chance that his sort-of-family are here too.]

[clayofearth]

[It's... weird. Everything is so commonplace and simple that it's startlingly strange. Clay's spent the past hour looking through his new hom-- house. Nothing seems to be particularly alien in the building but there is a definite difference. Admittedly, it probably wasn't a good idea to dig around so much, since there's a huge mess now. At least it seems like he lives alone.

On that note, are there other people around? Having poked his head out earlier to ask questions, no one who answered him seemed to think anything was weird about this world. Clay sighs, looking around at the litter of miscellaneous objects on the floor. He COULD clean this up...

But he'd much rather check the area out first. No one will care if his house is a mess right now-- there's a whole new world to explore! From what he recalls there are a lot of shops in the town square, which means there will be a lot of people there. He'll make his way slowly there, making sure to take in his environment on the way. With that in mind, he marches out the door and out on his way to the downtown.]

[herrforehead-blog]

[ Apollo is covered in blankets when he wakes, and he feels well-rested and calm, despite not really recognizing where he is. The memory that hits him once he gets out of bed is dark, violent — full of fire and destruction and loss. And because it seems so far away, like it happened years ago, the memory doesn’t disturb him; instead, he accepts it as simply fact.

Apollo stretches and walks to the kitchen, somehow knowing where to go. Everything feels routine, but slightly different. No big city, no paperwork, no clients. He purses his lips. It’s kind of… lonely.

Upon realizing there’s no food, Apollo reluctantly readies himself to go outside. He’d find some kind of market to get food at, and if he didn’t — surely he’d find someone to ask. He exits the house and begins the walk to Benu’s central square. ]

[clayofearth]

[Call it his natural curiosity but ever since he awoke in this new world, Clay hasn't been able to sit still for too long. It isn't as if it's being in SPACE exactly, but everything has changed. This isn't Earth anymore, or at least it doesn't seem like it's Earth. The village isn't bizarre in any manner, but the air feels different and the sky is off. So it's a new world-- one that Clay is trying to explore in intricate detail.

Which is why, at the moment, he's wandering about the streets to take it all in. Silly of him to forget to document everything, but he can't hold back the wonder in his heart and the gleam in his eyes. As he's standing in front of another house, near identical to his own, the sound of footsteps draws his attention. Clay hasn't met many people yet, since he's been taking his time to observe the world carefully but--]

"APOLLO!"

[He's both shocked and relieved to see Apollo here. If he's being honest with himself, Clay thought he would never see his friends ever again. What are the chances that, upon being brought into a new world, you'd see someone you knew?

Regardless, his excitement boils over and he breaks out into a grin. Clay runs and leaps at Apollo, ignoring the size difference between the two of them.]

[falloutblu]

THERES NOT A STAR IN HEAVEN THAT WE CANT REACH

[taigakougami]

逆転裁判５詰め | ミカミ

[apolloxjustice]

<3

WE’RE BOTH FINE!

[princeofwands]

Source

[hoursago]

i’m fine pollo

everything’s fine