Old World Remnants

[Nayt]

Rather shamelessly, Akizets cupped Eld's hand with both of hers and gently controlled it. Except it wasn't that shameless. In fact, she was pretty much harmless. All she did was take his index finger and use it to trace circles around her belly button. She just couldn't get over it, how weird and wonderful it felt when someone else-- this boy in particular --put his hand upon any sensitive location on her body, and her belly just so happened to be sensitive. In fact, she was actually quite ticklish on her sides.

But she cut that out after a moment, leaned back against Eld, and nestled against him with her head right up against his chin-line. She pulled his arms so they were completely around her, and held onto him and quietly relished in the warmth and comfort of this embrace.

"Hey, Eldridge?" she asked softly to get his attention.

There was something on her mind and she wasn't going to think about it. If she thought about it, Akizets knew she'd scrap the thought and never bring it up again, and then there'd be no risk. But if she risked nothing, she'd gain nothing. That's how it worked, right?

"Are we . . . like Tou and Maya?"

[Zach Kaiser]

"Ummm...er..."

That question threw him a little, because it was precisely the question he was avoiding thinking about it. Responding to her question was to admit something that he'd been trying to avoid admitting to himself. Mostly because the answer raised questions about himself that he didn't think he'd like the answer to.

But in the end he couldn't bring himself to be dishonest with her. Besides, if she was even capable of asking that it might mean things weren't as bad as he feared. "I don't know exactly what Kyo and Maya are, but...probably."

He waited a second to let that sink in, more for his own sake than Akizetsumei's. Then he asked, "Do they get pretty close when she comes over?"

[Nayt]

Did this . . . give her hope? Did it make her feel light on the inside? Fill her belly with butterflies and make it hard to breath without giggling? Almost. Eld's answer wasn't a resounding yes. She was happy, still smiling and all, but not overly enthusiastic. Yet.

"Yeah," she nodded her head to his question.

Truth be told, Akizets didn't really know what was up with her brother and Maya, either. Maya spent a lot of time there, and Toushikyo had even gone over to Maya's a few times, too. It was all one big mess that she'd have never paid attention to if she weren't in a vaguely similar situation with Eld. Worst of all, she'd never given that sort of thing her attention before, so she really had no clue what was going on right now!

"They kinda sit like this. Well. Sorta like this. And they hold hands, too. I dunno. I was just thinking about. I . . . dunno what it all means, or . . . I-- I dunno. I never paid attention to stuff like that before now, I guess? All I know is that, well," Akizets paused to think about this and word it carefully, "They're happy together."

[Zach Kaiser]

"I see..." For some reason, the thought of Maya and Kyo being that close made him more uneasy than he imagined. He'd suspected it, of course, and at the time it'd made him kind of happy--at the very least due the possibility of teasing the usually stoic Toushikyo about it and seeing if he could get a reaction.

And yet now that it was more or less fact it didn't seem like such a thrilling prospect. "Ah...well...that's enough about them," Eld murmured. A little more lightheartedly, he added, "You know what they say: if you talk about someone, they'll appear." Well, the phrase was "speak of the devil," but he suspected Akizetsumei wouldn't get the phrase and he'd have to explain it anyway. "And I doubt you want Kyo appearing right now..."

He had little doubt that if he saw them this close, he'd try and throttle Eld.

[Nayt]

"Ah! Ummmmmmm," she put her hands over her lips, "NoIreallydon't."

That would be totally bad! If Tou came through the path right now, why-- he'd see her and Eld like this and he'd be a grump all day about it! Akizets didn't want to deal with a grumpy Toushikyo. There was nothing worse.

Which reminded her: Toushikyo could be coming down the path at any time, and they were here sitting and resting, and while it was really nice-- in fact, this was something she'd never give up for the world --her brother just so happened to be frustrating enough that maybe it was best if they took a break from this and pressed on. Then maybe a little later they could get close like this again? Or closer, if possible? Well, maybe that would be rushing things, but hey, Akizets enjoyed running around.

How could they get any closer than this, though?

One idea came to mind, and the very thought of it made Akizetsumei lightheaded and giggly. It probably wouldn't happen in a million years, though!

Akizets gently pulled Eld's arms away so she could better stand up and stretch her legs out. This was a good rest! They were going to have to do it again sometime!

"You wanna walk a li'l more?" she asked. It was the only way they were going to lose Tou. If, of course, he was tailing them. Akizetsumei's overactive imagination placed him there, though. To her, he was so definitely tailing them.

[Zach Kaiser]

That was pretty much Eld's thoughts regarding Toushikyo's potential appearance. He didn't it was very likely, but there was always the chance someone spotted them following this fresh trail and told him if (or more likely when) he noticed they were both missing.

He could only hope he was so caught up in fishing--or possibly Maya--that he didn't notice their absence.

"Sure, we can go a little further," he said, climbing off the rock after her. He felt a bit better after the rest, and figured he was good for a least a little more hiking.

[Nayt]

"Okay," she smiled back to him, spun around, and started onward once again.

Akizets led on. She was happier than she'd been all day, which was really saying something! As the day wore on, she'd grown pretty happy, after all. But now she was thinking about Eld, and what it'd be like if they got closer like that. If he'd actually do something like that and if she'd actually let him. And of course she'd let him! Why, it'd be a miracle if a boy ever liked her like that! It'd be a double miracle if that boy happened to be Eldridge Tsukimono.

Without realizing it until lit was too late, Akizets led them into a clearing. She didn't notice until they passed the last tree and encountered the brightness of the early evening sun once again. At first, Akizets squinted and shaded her eyes. It was only when her eyes adjusted that she saw exactly how wide this clearing was. It practically looked man-made! And for what? She looked down towards the ground . . .

And then a lot of things stopped.

Eldridge and Akizetsumei stood before plots. They were all evenly spaced-- perfectly so --and marked by an item of some sort. There weren't many, but there were just enough to merit an immediate experience of sullen confusion, as if the air here was heavier than it was back in the woods.

There were entire rows of these items, most of which appeared to be weapons. A pair of fans were crossed, a quarter staff was sunk half-way into the ground, a pair of gauntlets rested against each other, and an orange and red brooch lay next to it. There was a space where something appeared to be missing, and then the rows continued: a dagger intertwined with a crossbow, a hunting knife, and a book bound and locked with no key in sight. Behind these, there appeared to be room for more, at least five more even spaces, but they were all empty.

Most of them were covered in dust and cobwebs, perhaps left untouched for longer than Eld and Akizets had been alive. Generations, even. Yet even still, this didn't make any of these artifacts appear weak or fragile. By the look of such things as the hollow quarter staff, these were all probably still as durable as they day they were made.

"Wh--"

For some reason, Akizets could barely maintain the ability to breath right now. She couldn't talk. She couldn't gasp. She could only stare ahead incredulously.

[Zach Kaiser]

At first, he couldn't believe his eyes. It seemed impossible for a place like this to exist without him hearing from it, even as far from town as it was. He wondered if it was someone's idea of a joke, given how unusual it was, but something told him it wasn't.

It was a graveyard, but with seemingly random assortments of weapons and items rather than headstones. Whose graves were these? Why here of all places? Why were they marked only by these items? And then there were places where there was a mound of earth but nothing else to mark it.

Something about this place made him uneasy, far more so than visiting the Hillcrest's actual graveyard, where his grandmother was buried. But even so, he felt drawn to look around. This was a mystery, a real one, not like the some of the puzzles he figured out when he was bored as a child.

"Why is there a graveyard here of all places?" he wondered aloud. That was the part he couldn't get over; there was nothing out this far from town that warranted one.

[Nayt]

"Used to be lakeside," a gruff voice came from behind them.

Akizetsumei nearly jumped out of her skin. White as a ghost, she spun around and looked behind her, back down the path they just came from. Initially, she expected her brother to be carving his way through the forest after them. She was pleasantly surprised (at first) to see that it wasn't the case.

It was Remmy.

Except he wasn't alone. He had a canine companion with him. A very large canine companion. A canine companion with scars and a bitter hatred for people that weren't Remington V. As Remmy cleared the path, Batou followed behind him and glanced once at Eld and Akizets. Once and only once. Remmy wore darker clothes than usual, notably a black shirt, dark slacks, and boots. It was actually a little awkward for someone like him to wear.

"Then, y'know, centuries pass and nature moved on its own," Remmy shrugged his shoulders, "'Least, that's what I've always been told."

[Zach Kaiser]

Eld, too, was startled by the sudden voice. His relief at seeing it was Remmy was offset by seeing Batou accompany him, though--but at least the wolf didn't seem terribly interested in them at the moment. Despite his earlier claims, the way he followed him certainly made him look like he was his pet.

"Even so, I don't remember reading anything about any kind of settlement by the lake."

He originally intended to walk through the rows of graves, but with the wolf present he wasn't about to leave Akizetsumei's side. Even though Remmy could almost certainly control him, he wasn't taking any chances. He even took a few steps forward to place himself between her and them.

"I've never heard of this place before, not even rumors." Which wasn't impossible, but there was something else that bothered him along with that fact. He gestured around to the clearing. "But it's been kept and maintained...as though it's supposed to be a secret. We only found it by following someone's trail. Yours I take it?"

He didn't actually claim Remmy knew who was buried here, but the implication was definitely there.

[Nayt]

"Yer good," Remmy half grinned, "I came here, but I ain't the one maintainin' it."

He put his hands into his pockets and looked away from Eld. He didn't seem too worried about much, not even Batou. In fact, he looked more like he had something on his mind than he did anything else.

"'Sides, this ain't no super secret. Just nothin' important to Hillcrest anymore."

Although Akizets felt a lot more comfortable around Batou with Eld intentionally standing to protect her, that didn't mean she was terribly happy to have that big bad wolf around. She now felt as if her life was in danger, and before she realized it, she was completely hiding behind Eld.

"Hey kid, don't worry," Remmy called out to Akizets, "It ain't night and he ain't got his pack. He's harmless as a pup."

"R-really?" Akizets stammered behind Eld. She poked her head out to look at Batou, then to Remmy. "Y-you mean, like, he won't try and eat us?"

"He won't even think it."

"Phew," Akizets sighed in relief, before edging out from behind Eld. She stood next to him, then, and glanced from Remmy to Batou a couple of times.

As if reading Akizetsumei's thoughts, Remmy declared bluntly: "Don't pet the doggy."

Akizets recoiled behind Eld a little again and lifted her arms quickly. "W-wasn't gonna!"

She was totally gonna.

[Zach Kaiser]

As Eld assumed, harmless was a relative term when it came to Batou. "Yeah, just because he won't attack us doesn't mean he likes us." Despite Remmy's assurances, he wasn't going to move aside.

It was odd, though; Remmy usually seemed carefree, but he seemed...apprehensive? Perhaps it was just the way he was dressed...it was a lot more appropriate for this place than the bathing suits Eld and Akizetsumei were still in.

"What's going on?" he asked more seriously. Even though it was Remmy, it made him uneasy...not he himself, but the fact that he approached them now. He couldn't shake the feeling that Remmy had expected to find them there, which was impossible, since they'd stumbled upon it while hiking on a whim.

[Nayt]

"Long day at the office, ya could say," was all Remmy said.

Batou looked up to Eld. He didn't seem aggressive at all. Disinterested, maybe, but not at all filled with dislike or disdain. Batou released a breath from his nose and looked away from Eld. Were he not a huge scarred up wolf, he'd have actually seemed approachable right about now.

"Got a pretty wicked job to work on. Makes me feel like a total fuckin' bastard," Remmy elaborated, only to apologize (for Akizetsumei): "'Scuse the language."

"It's, um, it's fine," Akizets shrugged her shoulders. She'd heard worse in her life. She personally didn't like to curse, but it rarely bothered her when people around her did.

"Can't talk 'bout it, though," he preempted, "Sorry. Policy an' all. Can't chat about this with people that ain't part of it."

Well, that sounded pretty awful! Akizets wanted to tell him she was sorry or something like that, but she had a feeling that wouldn't help any. So instead she frowned and averted her eyes. What she ended up setting her eyes upon, though, was that pair of steel fans, set in the dirt and crossed over each other like an X. Whatever that meant, she hadn't the slightest clue, but they caught her eye beyond any other artifact in this weird graveyard. Enough that she took a couple steps towards them to get a better look.

[Zach Kaiser]

"I see." He wondered what kind of problem Remmy had to solve that would make him feel that way. He didn't strike Eld as the kind of person who would take a job if he found it objectionable, so he wondered what was bothering him.

But he had a good point, he suspected it was better if he didn't know anyway. Instead of replying, he looked around at the graves more.

I wonder how Remmy heard of this place. He said he used to live here, but why did no one else in Hillcrest seem to know about it? It could've been a family's private plot, but it was so far out it seemed unlikely...and that didn't explain the other oddities. Like why all the graves are unmarked save for some weapons and stuff.

"Hey, do you know who's buried here?" he asked, turning back to Remmy. He just hoped he wasn't being disrespectful.

[Nayt]

Eld was being no more disrespectful than Akizetsumei was. She had knelt down before the headstone that comprised only the steel fans. They had this weird look about them, as if they were way too dirty right now and needed to be cleaned. But also as if they could never be truly clean, no matter how hard one might try to clean them. They weren't like all the other ones. At least, not to Akizetsumei. She felt something with these ones. Empathy? Maybe the person these once belonged to was a girl a lot like herself?

Whether or not Eld or Akizets were being disrespectful to this place was unclear, even by the way Remmy reacted. It was as if he didn't mind it at all.

"Memories," he said, "Remnants of the old world."

Akizets checked herself. Regrettably, she didn't have anything to clean these with. Which was unfortunate, because whoever they belonged to last would've probably liked them to be cleaned and well taken care of. They were ornate in a way that gave them the appearance of a regal sort of customization-- be it truly regal or not, these were definitely one of a kind, and Akizets knew that if she happened to own a pair of steel fans like this, she would have taken very good care with them. Well, she didn't have a cleaning cloth, but she could at least run her fingers over them, maybe clear off the cobwebs and excessive dirt . . .

"Nothin' ya gotta worry yerself abou--" Remmy began, but stopped short as soon as he looked past Eld. "Hmn . . . ?"

Akizets reached out her hand. She planned to rub her palm against the flat side of the first fan, just to get the dust and cobwebs off . . .

"Wait!" Remmy shouted. There was an abrupt sense of urgency to his voice. Even Batou reacted. He leaned back, put his paws up, and let his fur stick up on the ends to accompany a low warning growl. "Don't touch tha--!"

--Static . . .