It hadn't been all that long since they'd helped escort several Yladian elves through the dangerous lands of Esuilus; since Kyupin had watched as innocents died because of her inadequacy. (If only she'd been stronger. Faster. Better. But she hadn't been, and so they'd died.) The towering mushrooms and trees felt more peaceful now, even a little bit calming once Kyupin pushed away from the sickening thoughts of what had happened along these roads. At her heels, Vulcan seemed to hop between 'alert guard mode' and 'relaxed calm mode', his ears and tail sometimes perking up as if hearing some unheard melody. She took each warning to heart and slowed her pace, then looked to him for permission before moving on. It took the duo a while to reach the clearing: the shambles of a village left behind, already falling apart without the tender care of its citizens. She stood and stared at the not-quite-ruins, only stumbling forward when Vulcan nudged at her legs from behind. One motion lead to another, and then Kyupin was peeking into abandoned homes, trying to bring some life back into the settlement. Rearranging furniture and dusting things off. More personal things, like the family heirlooms and photos lying around, trinkets waiting to be reclaimed, she left untouched. They were not hers to cry over, as much as she wanted to sob for the lost. Each house was gone through almost methodically. Numb movements that tried to calm her pounding heart, but failed. She felt the anger building in her throat, all of the grief that she thought she'd managed, until it ripped out of her in a vicious, tearful scream, bouncing off the trees surrounding the clearing.
Being in Yladia at all was a bit rough for Solaria. The battle with Mycolossus still haunted her, despite the war with the giant fungus being won. The memories made her shiver- she'd rushed too much into things and caused people trouble, and yet she'd made friends amongst the others that took part as well. She grew stronger from it, yet felt weaker in her knees as she stared wide-eyed at the ruins of what once was a prosperous elfin village. Sounds of creaking doors caught her long, nimble ears. The abandoned houses weren't alone- there were people here besides Solaria. Following the noise, she found herself surprised to see a feline-like girl trying to clean up the disaster of the village's fall. She was cleaning the houses, as if to make them livable. Was she going to rebuild this entire village by herself? "Um..." Carefully, she took a few steps into the house that was being worked on, adjusting a chair that was a bit too close to the door, at least in her eyes from her tall stature. "Is it okay if I help? You're trying to make things livable in case they come back, right? Actually...The signs to each house are ruined, so I can't tell which house is which. A little girl asked me to find her doll here...Maybe if we work together, we can do both at once!"
Kyupin jumped, startled by the voice intruding into her moment of grief. Vulcan snarled at the stranger, teeth bared and fur on end, feeling his tamer's fear. The pain that had morphed into a bitter sneer on her face was wiped away, replaced with a painfully fake smile. She wasn't sure if she knew this elf, but the green hair picked at something in her memories. From the Mycolossus battle, perhaps? One long shuddering breath later, she was calming down, and by extension, so was Vulcan. She looked at the newly adjusted chair. "Help would be nice. I don't think they'll come back here," she admitted, "at least not for living." Kyupin thought of the vicious storm of spores that had rapidly torn at their escort team, then shook her head. If she thought too hard, too long, she would panic again. Instead, she gestured to a family photo hanging from the wall. "But they might miss their things." Blinking away tears, Kyupin nodded rapidly. "Yeah. We'll find her doll and sort out these houses. That's a good idea." Tugging on her dress and picking at a stray string from her apron, she finally made eye contact with the other woman. "I'm Kyupin, and this," she gestured to the tense pup, "is Vulcan." Inspecting the place one last time, Kyupin decided to move along to the next abode. She went at a slow pace so @Solaria could follow, taking the lead while Vulcan skulked after them, keeping an eye on her back and any possible attacks.
"Kyupin? That's a cute name." Smiling, the green-haired elf was quick to follow, though she was a bit more awkward trying to get around certain obstacles she found in her way, such as knocked over parts of fences. "Kyupin and Vulcan. You guys seem to make nice duo to me. Ah, I'm Solaria. I wonder why your face feels familiar..." Thinking was never Solaria's strong suit. As she walked, her hands were clenched into fists, brain rattling to try to find the answer. "Ah, did you fight Mycolossus too? It would explain why you'd try to help the people find what they miss from their homes." Her smile turned into an eased grin, her hands relaxing as she stretched her arms towards the sky. "I met a little girl during the exile. It's that same girl who lost her doll and has been crying. If I don't help her, I'd feel horrible." What was the point of having strength if not to help others? Especially such a sweet young girl. "What led you to come here to spruce things up? It seems like no one else has thought to do anything in the town now that it's so desolate. It's hard to believe it, really..."
The mention of the Mycolossus had Kyupin instinctively recoiling for a split second. "Yes," she answered simply, biting down on her lip. Bad memories. She shook her head, as if to clear away the thoughts rumbling inside of her. She looked back at the elf, taking in the cheerful grin and relaxed stance. The ease that @Solaria spoke with calmed some of the wilder feelings struggling against her cheerful facade, bringing a peace that was reflected in her companion. She climbed over a broken fence, her feline reflexes lending to some of her more nimble movements. Solaria seemed like a good person. Talked like one, at least. Kyupin understood that urge to help people - doing whatever she could with what strength she had. They closed in on the next house, and Kyupin pushed open the door. Dust, having settled in the absence of activity, rose in protest. Only after it cleared and Kyupin stopped flashing back to spores suffocating her, did she speak. "There was a boy. He died during the chaos of the stampede." She rubbed at one of the dirty surfaces, trying to sweep off all the dust. "It was my fault." Her hands stopped vigorously rubbing in circles at a single spot as the Felis noticed her distracted actions. She went to the next surface. Sweep. Rub. Repeat. "His mom's alone now, and I can't be there every day. So," she shrugged helplessly, "I dunno. Maybe if she has something of his... she'll be at peace?"
Listening to Kyupin's story about the boy, Solaria couldn't help a mild frown tugging at her usually upward lips. "Losing a loved one never comes with peace, Kyupin. We can try to ease it, but the pain will always be there." Her sadness was slightly slipping into her words, memories clashing with her attempts to stay positive. "My mom died when she had my baby brother. She was already in really bad shape...But mom told me that no matter what happened to her, the thing I had to do most was smile. Because a smile is the best gift you can ever give." Turning her frown back upward was difficult at first, but as she join in by slicing up some of the cobwebs and adjusting furniture that had been knocked over, she found it easier to feel at ease. "Whether a mother loses a child or a child loses a mother, loss is loss. What we have to do is help it be bearable, even if peace isn't achieved. I bet she's really happy just having you by her side, caring for her. That people care is what's wonderful about them, isn't it?" Her ears perked a little as she gave a wider grin. She knew she'd heard the girl say something discouraging, and had to alter it. "And you know, it's not your fault. You tried hard to save him, didn't you? That's more than a lot of people would. It's only your fault if you don't even try. That you tried shows true strength of heart."
Every word @Solaria spoke was like a healing balm applied directly to the anxiety that had blossomed in Kyupin lately. Sure, it didn't take it away completely. Not even close. But for a moment there, it became a little bit easier. A little more bearable. As she stewed over the words, letting them soak into her mindscape, a comfortable silence settled inside the household, only interrupted by the occasional clatter of furniture being shifted around. When she ran out of things to clean and rearrange, Kyupin trekked back to the door, pausing at Solaria's side to plant a small hand on the other's shoulder. "Thank you," she said, her smile genuine, if not small. Wandering back into the open, Kyupin spotted two abodes an equal distance away from them. One to the left, and the other to the right. "Which one should we take first?" Because it wasn't a matter of which one to do, just the order, she supposed. Still, they were a bit of a walk away. She waited for the elf before setting off at a relaxed pace. Her heart pounded, still anxious, but Kyupin pushed that aside, knowing that was just her mind being crazy.
As the girl seemed eased by her words, Solaria felt a similar relief- the calm of others was like her own, as if her body absorbed it when she did something right. Her eyes looked down at the creature beside her. Vulcan was it? It seemed quite attached to Kyupin, almost like a guard- yet at the same time, didn't its emotions seem to mimic her? "Your friend is quite cute, Kyupin. Just like you are." Internally, she wondered if cute things came in pairs. Pairs, much like the two houses left for them to scour for lost items and dirt. Her eyes scanned both quite equally- one was only barely more damaged than the other. "Let's go with that one. It looks a little more unstable, so it'd be best to get it done first." Taking a few strides in the direction of the house she'd chosen, she glanced at Kyupin carefully over her shoulder- the same one the smaller girl had touched just moments before. "Let's do our best, shall we?"
She followed @Solaria's line of sight, nodding along to the suggestion. "Yes, we shall–" Her friendly words were cut off by a howl filling the air, vibrating in her bones. Kyupin's head twisted to look at Vulcan, and then up to the treeline, where mushrooms seemed to be pulsing. Though it seemed to go in slow motion, the Felis would maybe look back and realize it had been instantaneous. One moment, peace. The next, spores in the air, falling quickly around the trio. As they made contact with exposed flesh, the spores started to burn. Stuck between the previous structures and the new ones, Kyupin swept Vulcan into her arms and made a break for the house they'd agreed on. The weight of her small form was enough to send the door flying open as she barrelled straight into it, where she then turned around and kicked it closed. Luckily, most of the damages had been cosmetic, so there were no major holes for the spores to seep in through. Shaking, Kyupin collapsed on to her behind, wobbling legs unable to support her weight any longer. She checked over her companion for any wounds, vigorously rubbing off any spores she could. "Good boy. Are you okay?" she asked, trying to control her breathing. It took her a moment to realize she'd left the other girl. "SOLARIA!"
The pain as her skin crawled left a rather complex emotion inside her. For virtual reality, the amount of 'reality' this world held could be a bit too real sometimes! "Kyupin, you okay?" Looking around, she realized the girl had already taken off without her. Well, that wasn't so bad. At least one of them was safer, right? A groan left her lips as she felt the spores sting her bare ankles. This wasn't the kind of poison or toxin she'd learned about in school, and as such, even her nursing studies couldn't help her. It took all she had to stand up and run, her lack of coordination from one ankle being in severe pain desperately obvious. In a flurry, she found herself in the house she'd agreed on with Kyupin, sighing with relief. At least the spores couldn't harm her any further. "Are you guys alright?" Smiling meekly up at the girl, on her knees from collapsing in pain and fatigue, Solaria found her hand clutching her ankle desperately. As her hand glowed slightly, she was able to heal her own wounds, before looking up at Kyupin. "Show me where you two got hurt- those spores are real trouble. My illumancy's pretty helpful at times like this, but I don't think I can do more than heal the basic wounds. It's hard to say what kind of toxins are being forced into us from them..."
She was well on her way into a full-blown panic attack when the door slammed open again and her companion came tumbling in. Kyupin could barely focus on what @Solaria was saying, so overwhelmed by the guilt and shame she felt. Hadn't she just promised herself to grow stronger, to protect all the innocent people in the world? And then she'd left the other behind. Solaria had even gotten hurt, limping and cradling a swelling ankle, though that had healed easily enough. Still. If she'd been a little smarter, acted a little faster, that would've never happened in the first place. She tried to swallow her sob, but it bubbled out of her, unbidden. "I'm so sorry!" she cried out, letting Vulcan hop out from her arms and trot hesitantly around her shaking form. "I left you–I can't believe–I'm sorry!" Even knowing that Solaria was safe now did nothing to ease the ache in her soul. But the elf had a point. Unconcerned for her own health, she guided Vulcan so that the side of his face that had made contact with the spores was exposed. It probably hurt, but her pup was being so strong for them. Kyupin sniffled. "I'm sorry," she whispered again. Her hands and arms were covered in burns from the spores she'd rubbed off of Vulcan, already starting to blister. "Will you two be okay?" she asked weakly.
The girl's apologies lead to a frown, albeit a rare image to see upon solaria's usually energized face. "There's no reason to apologize. It's normal behavior in an emergency." She was thinking of pointing out how planes apparently told passengers to always take care of themselves before children as an example, but felt it best not to do that. For all she knew, this was a child in disguise. What a scary thing it'd be to say to a kid! "I'll be okay. It hurts a little, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, you know?" Besides, she'd gotten hurt plenty before. She wasn't exactly known for her logistics, at least not as she'd grown up. It seemed like the last time she was called a strategist was before her mother died. Was her impulsiveness rubbed off on her by her baby brother or something? That kid was quite a rascal after he was born. Holding a hand out to the pup, she offered to heal it- but it seemed far more concerned about Kyupin, or so it appeared. "I don't think Vulcan likes you taking on the pain for both of you. Poor fella's worried sick, it's clear on that cute face."
Whatever barriers she'd put up to block Vulcan from feeling her distress seemed to fall apart as Solaria pointed out her pup's concern. Her shoulders shook, hands aching from the searing pain there. "Will you have enough energy to heal us both?" she asked, still a touch stubborn. Vulcan took priority. If he died... she didn't know how to bring him back. But Kyupin could die and still be okay - the benefits of being a player. Of being... not part of this world. "Let her help you," she begged her companion, "and if she can manage, then me. I'll be fine." She offered a smile. "I promise." Vulcan whined, but eventually submitted, bowing his head and falling docile so that he could be maneuvered as needed. She would stroke his fur if she could, offer some semblance of comfort, but with her hands the way they were... She refrained. Instead, she looked around the home they'd taken refuge from the storm in. The spores outside, carried by the howling winds, rattled the walls. The family photos framed on the walls shook with each vicious ram until one fell off from all the movement. Glass shattered on contact with the floor, but the picture seemed to still be okay. Kyupin carefully approached the shards. Her feet were covered with thick hide, so she didn't feel anything as she nudged the pieces aside with her toes. "A little girl..." she murmured, squinting at the photo. "Is this her? The one you talked about?" She looked over her shoulder at @Solaria.
Smiling gently, she could already guess why @Kyupin Felnya focus was to get her little friend healed first. Grateful to see such kindness, Solaria was far more than just happy to do so! Gently petting the small creature, she worked out the toxins with her magic, before moving on to her new felis friend. "Healing people is what I do. I'm even studying to be a nurse!" Stretching herself, she began to look around, when Kyupin noticed the picture of a little girl. Taking a closer look, she frowned ever so slightly- the girl was so pure in this picture, smiling so beautifully. Inside, she was reminded a bit of her own past- her own loss, and a friend she felt reminded her a lot of the cute little girl, at least when they were young. Shaking off the nostalgia, she could only smile with tears in her eyes. "This is definitely her...A happier her. I'm sure if we find what she's missing, she'll smile like this again. Think you can help me look? She said the doll was made by her mother, and looks like a bunny."
Kyupin nodded. A doll shaped like a bunny - it could not be hard to find in such a small space. "Of course," she said, smiling over at @Solaria. With her newly healed hands, it was easy to shift things around. She sorted through furniture; uprighting and dusting as she went while keeping an eye out for the stuffed rabbit. Vulcan did his best to help too. Nudging things with his snout. She smiled at him too, scratching behind his healed ears. It was good he was okay. Turning away from her furry companion, Kyupin opened a small chest. She felt half-guilty as she crouched down and rummaged through it. It felt wrong to go through others' private things, but there was good reason. Kyupin cleared her throat. "You said you're studying to be a nurse?" she asked. While the companionable silence was nice, Kyupin had been tossing the words around in her head since she'd heard. "In real life, right?" It seemed silly to ask, but maybe one could be a nurse in the game. There seemed to be no real limits. "That's amazing of you." Kyupin couldn't remember what she'd wanted to be; the dream job she'd chased since she was just a child. Her hopes and ambitions had disappeared along with her legs.
