[Action/Video] 012 (Backdated to 06/08)

[ribbonbon]

[A girl lies sleeping in the forest, bits of twigs and leaves stuck in her hair as she occasionally rolls over or turns. Dressed in the usual New Feather sundress, it would be easy to mistake her for a new arrival. However Pilouette has finally come back from the draft currently unaware that she had ever been out of action.

Whether someone wakes her up or she does so on her own, Pilouette is soon making her way back to the village. Though her regular walks in the forest are making it a little easier, she's still trying to get her head around just what happened. The last thing she remembers was being in Zompania. She was bandaging up Mac's wounds and they were plotting their next course of action. Then...Then the cultists found them and...

And then what? To say it's troubling would be an understatement.]

[Video]
[Later on, when Pilouette is back to her apartment and more put together she realizes that she's missing a few things. Her bag of medical supplies and her first aid kit. The bag can be replaced. Given the conditions, she imagines anything that was in it was taken and used anyway. However, the first aid kit is special. Her best friend in this place had made it just for her. Aside from the features it had, that alone made it unique and precious to her. It's not just a tool. It's a precious keepsake.]

I-It's Pilouette. I'm back. I guess I've been gone for a while. Uh, sorry if anyone worried. Hey, so, like, when we were in... [She pauses briefly. It's almost as if the name hurts to say.] ...When we were in Zompania, I had a first aid kit with me. It's, um, really important so if any picked it up or if anyone has seen it, I'd really like to know.

[As she waits for responses, Pilouette is really starting to put it all together. She died, didn't she? She must have. After all, it was weeks after the last thing she remembered happening and it's not like the Malnosso would have kidnapped her off of a battlefield. She's not sure they could, even if they wanted to. She died in Zompania. Again. There's no other explanation.

There are still a lot of questions, though. She's not even sure exactly how she died which is a bit troubling. Then there's the question of her penalty. She has one. She has to. She just...doesn't know what it is. Something feels off, but she can't quite pin down what it is.. She supposes that she should be glad she was able to be brought back at all, penalty or no, but not knowing is the worst part.]

Comments

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

[Pilouette is back. Ginia breathes a small sigh of relief as she watches the video. She looks fine, sounds fine as one can be coming back from the dead.]

Welcome back. I have your first aid kit. I've been holding onto it.

[The unspoken thing is that she was there, saw Pilouette's body in the wreckage, moved her somewhere safer then grabbed the first aid kit to keep it safe.]

[Written]

[ribbonbon]

[Finally some good news to focus on! Pilouette lets out a quiet sigh of relief before writing a response.]

That's great! Thank you for taking care of it for me. I was scared that I'd lost it out there. I can meet you somewhere to get it if you want.

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

Where's the easiest place to reach for you? I have plenty of time today so I can meet you wherever.

[Written]

[ribbonbon]

I live in Ice Building, Apartment 9 but I can meet you anywhere.

[She doesn't particularly feel like going anywhere right now but more than that, she doesn't want to be alone right now. If that means leaving her apartment, so be it.]

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

I can walk over there. Have you eaten? I can pick up something from the store or bakery on the way down.

[Written]

[ribbonbon]

No, thank you. I'm actually not feeling very hungry right now.

I guess I'll wait for you then. I don't really plan on going anywhere, so you can really just drop by whenever.

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

I'll come over now. Give me a few minutes.

[Ginia briefly debates taking Laika along before deciding against it. Laika's a friendly dog, but she's not quite sure if Pillouette is a dog lover. She feeds her dog some treats, then grabs her phone and the first aid kit and begins running over to Ice Building.

Knock, knock, knock.]

[Video]

[spellfeather]

[She's been gone? Well, Karis wasn't exactly nearby for Pillouette's second death...nor knows anything about it, but announcing one's return after that mess? She'll believe that it's a possibility.]

Glad to hear that you're back. Are you holding up well?

[Video]

[ribbonbon]

Y-Yeah...I think I'm doing okay.

[About as okay as someone can be for having just come back to life, anyway.]

My memory is a little fuzzy, though, I guess. I'm trying like, really hard to remember the last thing that happened to me before I woke up, but...I can't.

[Video]

[spellfeather]

Hmm. I'm sure there's a way we can jog your memory. [Probably not the best idea though, considering the circumstances...]

[Video]

[ribbonbon]

R-Really? You think so?!

[As scary as the idea is, part of her really wants to know exactly what happened when she died. All she knows is that she was alive one minute and the next she wasn't.]

I wonder how, though...

[Video]

[spellfeather]

Of course! It may take a bit of work though, depending on the situation. [She nods.]

Retracing your steps is a start, but another way is to possibly talk to people that were around you at the time. It may not work, but at least you'll know what happened at least!

[Video]

[ribbonbon]

Well, I'm not sure that retracing my steps is really, like, an option...

[Since that would require going back to Zompania and there's no way that's going to happen.]

But I guess I can ask around. I can only remember being with one person before my memory gets all fuzzy, so I guess I'd ask him if I asked anyone...

[voice]

[frost_jewel]

[That is the voice she's been waiting for, the one she holds her breath over every time she opens her journal. Mia has to force herself ot just breathe a minute before she answers.]

You're back. [It takes every ounce of her effort not to drop everything she's doing and run in the necessary direction.] Where...are you?

[voice]

[ribbonbon]

[Hearing Mia's familiar voice makes Pilouette feel a little calmer, her body relaxing just a little.]

I'm at my apartment. I, um, I'm sorry. I probably should have come to see you first.

[She can only guess how much Mia might have worried about her in her absence.]

[voice]

[frost_jewel]

[Come to see her? Is Pilouette hurt? Most that die come back without injuries, but with the situation in Zompania the way it had been...]

Do you feel like having company?

[Please say yes, but she tried to wipe all the bias out of her voice. Pilouette shouldn't feel like she has to see anyone.]

[voice]

[ribbonbon]

...Yeah. That would be really nice.

[Pilouette is feeling so many complicated things right now, so much that she's not sure what all of these feelings are or what she "should" feel. Out of all her friends, Pilouette feels like she can talk to Mia about anything. Maybe talking to Mia would help her sort all this out.]

[voice -> action]

[frost_jewel]

I'll be over in just a minute.

[Now, if she had Kurt to hand she'd ask to appear there immediately. The minutes it takes to get from the battledome to Pilouette's apartment feel long and drawn with worry.

Then all at once she's knocking on Pilouette's door.]

[action]

[ribbonbon]

[The door creaks open and Pilouette peeks out before opening the door completely. She smiles a little. Being around another person, any person, makes her feel a little better, but that person being Mia is especially comforting. She exhales, stepping aside to let Mia come in.]

M-Mia! Hi...! Um, I'm really glad to see you.

[She's not sure what to say, really. Even after thinking about it for a bit, she's still kind of in shock.]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

What did the first aid kit look like? Was there anything special about it?

[Because, well, it's kind of hard to identify a specific first aid kit unless it has some sort of unusual characteristics.]

[Voice]

[ribbonbon]

It's pink and the cross on the front lights up when you press it. Th-There's not another one like it anywhere.

[Considering where she lost it...]

If it's even still around it's probably empty, now that I think about it.

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Oh, that sounds pretty distinctive. It shouldn't be hard at all to find something that looks like that.

[Then again, if she lost it on the draft...]

I'm sure someone probably picked it up if they found it-- most people wouldn't just leave something as useful as a first aid kit lying around.

[Voice]

[ribbonbon]

Like, I sure hope so. It's like, totally irreplaceable. A friend of mine made it for me so I totally have to get it back...!

[She wants to believe that someone picked it up but the idea that it might have been lost is more than a little worrying to her.]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Your friend made it?

[Okay, that is DEFINITELY something that shouldn't end up lost on a battlefield somewhere.]

Then I'll help you look for it as the leader of Brave Vesperia. A present that your friend made for you is way more important than just a regular old first aid kit. You shouldn't have to be without something that's that special to you.

[Voice]

[ribbonbon]

[As important as the kit is to her, she wasn't sure if anyone would really take it that seriously. However, she appreciates it more than Emil might know.]

Thank you...Thank you so much! [She's still a bit afraid that she might find out it's just...gone.] ...But, um, even if you don't find it for some reason, I'll do my best to return the favor, okay?