[ and, as soon as akira hits send, there is a sudden hand on his shoulder, and astoria turns him around. she looks . . . well, relatively okay. still with a lot of hair, with a faint glow to her cheeks, barefoot in her little weird garden of eden. but her eyes hold concern, and while she looks a little tired (circles, faintly, underneath her eyes), she's definitely in one piece. ]
Where did you go?
[ almost insistent. ]
You fell from my sight, for days -- why could I not see you on Struxta?
[holy SHIT, Astoria, you can't do that to a guy!1]
[Akira jumps as soon as he feels the pressure on his shoulder, instinctively whirling around on his heel to face her, hands raised in front of him, palms facing forward. you think he'd be used to this, after the last time she tracked him down from out of nowhere]
Asto-- what?
[he's so bewildered]
Warn a guy. . .!
[so bewildered he doesn't answer her question yet]
[ chiding, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he looks Freaked (tm). in fact, she takes a step closer, to peer at him a little closely, invading his personal bubble without a care in the world. ]
. . . and what is on you?
[ don't mind her, she's just going to grab your face with her hands -- her hands, which feel . . . odd. not quite warm, not quite hot. almost like a balmly breeze is caressing his cheeks, but with a bit more weight, and she peers into his eyes, concerned. ]
What did you bring here . . . ? Something does not feel right about you, are you okay? Do you feel alright? Do you have a headache?
[ headache is now the descriptor for all ailments. ]
[aaaaaaaaaaaaah??? if she can feel such things, she might notice that his cheeks kind of heat up underneath her palms. he squirms a little bit under her grasp in an attempt to escape, but he isn't trying that hard, so she can maintain her hold on him pretty easily]
I was in a tunnel? Underground! Your magic wouldn't work there, so I guess that's why. . .
[he trails off]
[wait]
Huh? I didn't bring anything with me, and-- no, I'm fine, I was asking about your headache.
[ if she does feel it, she seems to ignore it, allowing her eyes to close, seemingly ignoring whatever akira is saying in lieu of doing . . . well, something. and, suddenly, akira feels slightly warm -- an energy washing over him, like a gentle hug, and astoria exhales before opening her eyes, concerned. ]
I could not sense most of you for some time. I thought I had lost you all.
[ and astoria removes her hands, freeing akira to do as he pleases. ]
[it's certainly a weird feeling, but not an unpleasant one. he breathes out deeply as the warmth washes over him, and his cheeks are tinged a slight pink when she pulls away. with a huff, he lifts a hand to rub at one, brows furrowing]
Even your magic has reception issues, huh. . .
[he has suspected, but this is definitely confirmation]
And no, I don't feel any different at all. Why? What do you. . . ah, sense?
[ a little uneasily, as she lowers her hands to her sides. ]
I imbibed you with some of my magic, so you should be a little safer, for a little bit. Extra protection. [ astoria isn't sure how effective it will be, but it will make her feel better, at any rate. ] Hopefully it is simply just because you were disconnected from me for a little bit, maybe I am just getting used to seeing you again. I am not sure, but it feels harder to breathe. Don't you feel it?
[there's a pause before Akira answers her question, a moment where he places his hand over his heart and really focuses, trying to pinpoint what-- if anything-- is different about him now. but no matter how hard he tries. . .? everything about himself feels in tact, from the toes on his feet to the nose on his face]
I don't feel anything.
[that may be because he isn't as sensitive to subtle changes in the Temple air like she is. but now that she's talking about "darkness?"]
I did noticed some patches of grass and flowers are wilting without an obvious cause. I thought maybe a new arrival had plant wilting powers, but. . .
[ her brow furrows, at the news that grass and flowers were wilting . . . and she looks around her, but doesn't notice any of that. the grass is green, around her, and the flowers are bright . . . ]
Show me, Akira.
[ suddenly, insistent, and she looks back up at him, her lips pursed into a frown. ]
Where did you see it? I want to see it for myself.
[ she follows, quickly, but she doesn't quite seem to step. it's sort of like a smooth floating, an ease of movement through the air, as she follows akira. walking on mist, as it were. ]
I have never seen the plants die.
[ almost upset, at the thought. ]
Everything here seems to be just . . . here. Present, alive, blooming. I have never seen anything die.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text | immediately upon returning to the temple
Date: 2018-08-21 03:41 pm (UTC)How’s your headache?
action.
Date: 2018-08-21 10:38 pm (UTC)Where did you go?
[ almost insistent. ]
You fell from my sight, for days -- why could I not see you on Struxta?
[ WHY DID YOU GO INTO A MAGIC-PROOF BASEMENT ]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 12:48 am (UTC)[Akira jumps as soon as he feels the pressure on his shoulder, instinctively whirling around on his heel to face her, hands raised in front of him, palms facing forward. you think he'd be used to this, after the last time she tracked him down from out of nowhere]
Asto-- what?
[he's so bewildered]
Warn a guy. . .!
[so bewildered he doesn't answer her question yet]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 12:57 am (UTC)[ chiding, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he looks Freaked (tm). in fact, she takes a step closer, to peer at him a little closely, invading his personal bubble without a care in the world. ]
. . . and what is on you?
[ don't mind her, she's just going to grab your face with her hands -- her hands, which feel . . . odd. not quite warm, not quite hot. almost like a balmly breeze is caressing his cheeks, but with a bit more weight, and she peers into his eyes, concerned. ]
What did you bring here . . . ? Something does not feel right about you, are you okay? Do you feel alright? Do you have a headache?
[ headache is now the descriptor for all ailments. ]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 01:02 am (UTC)I was in a tunnel? Underground! Your magic wouldn't work there, so I guess that's why. . .
[he trails off]
[wait]
Huh? I didn't bring anything with me, and-- no, I'm fine, I was asking about your headache.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 01:10 am (UTC)I could not sense most of you for some time. I thought I had lost you all.
[ and astoria removes her hands, freeing akira to do as he pleases. ]
You are certain you feel no different?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 01:23 am (UTC)Even your magic has reception issues, huh. . .
[he has suspected, but this is definitely confirmation]
And no, I don't feel any different at all. Why? What do you. . . ah, sense?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 01:28 am (UTC)[ a little uneasily, as she lowers her hands to her sides. ]
I imbibed you with some of my magic, so you should be a little safer, for a little bit. Extra protection. [ astoria isn't sure how effective it will be, but it will make her feel better, at any rate. ] Hopefully it is simply just because you were disconnected from me for a little bit, maybe I am just getting used to seeing you again. I am not sure, but it feels harder to breathe. Don't you feel it?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 01:51 am (UTC)I don't feel anything.
[that may be because he isn't as sensitive to subtle changes in the Temple air like she is. but now that she's talking about "darkness?"]
I did noticed some patches of grass and flowers are wilting without an obvious cause. I thought maybe a new arrival had plant wilting powers, but. . .
[he trails off. was he wrong about that?]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 02:18 am (UTC)Show me, Akira.
[ suddenly, insistent, and she looks back up at him, her lips pursed into a frown. ]
Where did you see it? I want to see it for myself.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-22 02:24 am (UTC)[he agrees without hesitation, immediately spinning on his heel, to head deeper into the forest]
I know I saw some out this way. And the flora seemed to decay any time a new arrival got near it, too.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 12:28 am (UTC)I have never seen the plants die.
[ almost upset, at the thought. ]
Everything here seems to be just . . . here. Present, alive, blooming. I have never seen anything die.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-23 12:32 am (UTC)Death is an unchangeable constant of the universe. [the universe as he knows it, anyway] Are you saying that's different, here?
[death itself might be natural, although Akira can also admit that even then, the unnatural way in which the plants were wilting was an anomaly]
[at any rate! he is leading her towards a wilted bush he stumbled across earlier]