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Recolle Log Overflow
What the tin says. Every once in a while, the log threads hit captcha, so here we go!
Eleanor remained standing, leaning against the tree until she was sure she wasn't going to fall down. Chloe's thoughts. And her own thoughts too, it seemed. She looked back the way they had come, into the forest. Far in the distance she could make out a glow that might have been the strange flowers...
"Mine were...I don't know. I wanted it, but I don't know...why..." She trailed off, her eyes narrowed, lips slightly pursed. Just more mysterious, never any answers. Finally she sighed before looking back at Chloe.
"You were hearing your girlfriend's name...and that Kirika girl's name, you said, right?"
"Mine were...I don't know. I wanted it, but I don't know...why..." She trailed off, her eyes narrowed, lips slightly pursed. Just more mysterious, never any answers. Finally she sighed before looking back at Chloe.
"You were hearing your girlfriend's name...and that Kirika girl's name, you said, right?"
Chloe fidgeted when asked that. She wasn't looking at the flowers or the direction of the forest right then. She was staring at Eleanor with a mixture of worry and other troubled emotions. "I think I understand, though what they offered me was ... easier to understand. Maybe, it is because I want something that is... rather basic." It was shameful to admit it, but the fact was that she was lonely, and two years hadn't been easy, and weren't getting easier.
Chloe raked her fingers through her hair when she saw blue eyes turn back towards her and she fidgeted in her spot again. "Yes... and two others, but if you will forgive me, Eleanor, I would rather not name them right now." For a variety of reasons. "I suppose I've been conflicted lately, and the flowers seemed to know it."
Yes, that was a roundabout way of letting her know 'what' was wrong without being specific about it.
Chloe raked her fingers through her hair when she saw blue eyes turn back towards her and she fidgeted in her spot again. "Yes... and two others, but if you will forgive me, Eleanor, I would rather not name them right now." For a variety of reasons. "I suppose I've been conflicted lately, and the flowers seemed to know it."
Yes, that was a roundabout way of letting her know 'what' was wrong without being specific about it.
"It's not my place to pry," she said with a shrug, pushing off the tree. Chloe's private life was her life. Admittedly knowing that Chloe was hearing names from her fake like and her real one was...unsettling. And the fact that there were other names...good lord. Chloe had complicated feelings, it seemed!
"Well. I guess it was...just throwing everything it has at you, right? To see what stuck."
"Well. I guess it was...just throwing everything it has at you, right? To see what stuck."
"...sort of. They all stuck, or there wouldn't have been an effect. They all tempted me to be out there. One was really bad just now," she said, shrugging, looking right at Eleanor right then. She swallowed and closed her eyes.
"Two years ... is a very long time to be away from someone, Eleanor. And the other girl? She felt very real things for this Kirika. I remember those feelings. The other two?" A cough. "Sorry... if I name them, I don't really get to take those names back, do I? So, thank you for not prying."
Because not being able to take it back was definitely the problem right this instant.
"Two years ... is a very long time to be away from someone, Eleanor. And the other girl? She felt very real things for this Kirika. I remember those feelings. The other two?" A cough. "Sorry... if I name them, I don't really get to take those names back, do I? So, thank you for not prying."
Because not being able to take it back was definitely the problem right this instant.
(From here)
Freya was starting to make an increasing amount of sense, and when she felt the tug on her arm, Chloe stopped resisting and let her drag. the drag was soon assisted by the purple-haired girl's own steps and she started to move with increasing speed away from the forest and flowers. She lingered close to the other woman, not quite huddling. She was a little too proud of that, but definitely close. She didn't trust herself not to run either, not until the insidious whispers were gone.
"I... I don't know, but it sounded so real, and I ... I want her." Though she wasn't specifying who 'her' was. Her own mind wasn't capable of that right now.
Freya was starting to make an increasing amount of sense, and when she felt the tug on her arm, Chloe stopped resisting and let her drag. the drag was soon assisted by the purple-haired girl's own steps and she started to move with increasing speed away from the forest and flowers. She lingered close to the other woman, not quite huddling. She was a little too proud of that, but definitely close. She didn't trust herself not to run either, not until the insidious whispers were gone.
"I... I don't know, but it sounded so real, and I ... I want her." Though she wasn't specifying who 'her' was. Her own mind wasn't capable of that right now.
Really, the identity of this mystery woman was the farthest thing from Freya's mind, considering all the other weird crap going on. The whispers of answers and the desire to help tugged at her mind, back towards the glowing flowers and dark of the woods, but concern made itself a more pressing matter.
"Well, you've got your head on straight now, yeah? Keep your eyes forward. Don't let 'em get to you."
"Well, you've got your head on straight now, yeah? Keep your eyes forward. Don't let 'em get to you."
She nodded. "Yes, let's get out of their range, and we can talk." At this point she was as protective of Freya, knowing that the whispers would have affected her as well, as she was of herself. She didn't slow down her own walk until they were well away from them, on the fringes of the city again.
She breathed a sigh of relief, looking for something to sit down on or lean against and smiling at her. "Thank you... I don't know what would have happened if I'd listened too much."
She breathed a sigh of relief, looking for something to sit down on or lean against and smiling at her. "Thank you... I don't know what would have happened if I'd listened too much."
Freya was a little more interested in getting out of the rain than sitting, and started towards a wooden bench to duck under.
"Already listened too much, if you ask me." Her tone wasn't harsh; merely chiding. "Don't sweat it. Couldn't leave you there."
"Already listened too much, if you ask me." Her tone wasn't harsh; merely chiding. "Don't sweat it. Couldn't leave you there."
She followed, and once they were under a nice park bench, and at least out of the rain, she could finally relax. "Yes... well, yes." She reached up to scratch her head uncomfortably and smile over at Freya. "It... was hard to ignore at a certain point. It's like it knew what to whisper somehow, the right way to whisper it."
It was a lot easier now that she was away.
It was a lot easier now that she was away.
Eleanor seemed to be thinking this over, her gaze back on the distant flowers now, eyes slightly narrowed. Maybe it was different for her, all she'd really felt for the memories she'd regained were...anger. Frustration. Curiosity maybe. Nothing like love or friendship.
What did that even mean, really?
"Well," she finally looked back, offering a thin smile. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, since we're away from there now. You certainly did a better job running from that I did." Her curiosity was a bit spiked now about all these feelings Chloe had, but she had no place to really ask about them.
What did that even mean, really?
"Well," she finally looked back, offering a thin smile. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, since we're away from there now. You certainly did a better job running from that I did." Her curiosity was a bit spiked now about all these feelings Chloe had, but she had no place to really ask about them.
Well, the 'love' for Kirika wasn't something she felt. It was something that the other girl had felt, but the feelings were memories, ones that felt real even if they also felt foreign to her at the same time. She refused to acknowledge them, even as she couldn't help that they were still there. God, what would happen if that girl appeared one day?
"It ... doesn't matter, no. I'm not going to let flowers decide when and if I say things," she said, nodding firmly. "And I wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't stopped me in the first place. Don't sell yourself short, Eleanor."
"It ... doesn't matter, no. I'm not going to let flowers decide when and if I say things," she said, nodding firmly. "And I wouldn't have gotten away if you hadn't stopped me in the first place. Don't sell yourself short, Eleanor."
Had Ami's reflexes been on anything like Chloe's level, this would have been the perfect time to execute a hasty Lass Scamper out of the way, or even a graceful Youth Roll. Unfortunately, she only had the reflexes of a perfectly average untrained human teenager, so the maneuvers she actually used were a Stupid Babyflail followed by a Dumbass Shuffle. But she did go left, so she had that going for her at least.
She scrambled behind the concrete bench end and took cover. She could hear at least one heavy vehicle in the distance, but was it the bus or a truck? It was still too far to see. Meanwhile she peered cautiously out at Chloe and the cat, the latter of whom still seemed to be deciding which way to turn its attention. Which way would kitty choose to go? The suspense is terrible!
She scrambled behind the concrete bench end and took cover. She could hear at least one heavy vehicle in the distance, but was it the bus or a truck? It was still too far to see. Meanwhile she peered cautiously out at Chloe and the cat, the latter of whom still seemed to be deciding which way to turn its attention. Which way would kitty choose to go? The suspense is terrible!
Decisions decisions. At the very least, the two of them had gone in separate directions, which was a positive development for trying to make sure that they kept their distance from its thwapping paws. The suspense was thick enough that you would have to cut it with a knife. However, as the bus was trundling up, there was still some distance.
Looking to the left and right, the cat had on the one hand Chloe, was trying to move around as much as possible to keep its attention, and Aradia, who was moving more slowly and clumsily. Motion, or easy, motion or easy. It yowled and made its choice, whapping its paw at Aradia and starting to stalk towards her, the pillar of the bench serving as protection at first.
Chloe squeaked and pulled out her knife, trying to take a pot-shot at somebody's tail while shouting "Keep your distance! I will try to distract it!"
Looking to the left and right, the cat had on the one hand Chloe, was trying to move around as much as possible to keep its attention, and Aradia, who was moving more slowly and clumsily. Motion, or easy, motion or easy. It yowled and made its choice, whapping its paw at Aradia and starting to stalk towards her, the pillar of the bench serving as protection at first.
Chloe squeaked and pulled out her knife, trying to take a pot-shot at somebody's tail while shouting "Keep your distance! I will try to distract it!"
"Yeah, I...wouldn't go lauding my praises there." Eleanor laughed, her expression rather embarrassed.
"I only woke up because I tripped."
"I only woke up because I tripped."
She laughed and shook her head. "You still saved me. I don't care what the reason was... or we saved each other. But come, let's get out of this weather, back somewhere warm and safe, ok?" She motioned for her to follow. "I want away from those flowers and their whispers."
Freya tilted her head to wring out her hair for as much good as it would do, drenched as they were. "Any idea who your 'they' were?"
She hadn't thought to question it, earlier. It didn't seem important. Now, though, Freya was wondering how she'd missed it.
She hadn't thought to question it, earlier. It didn't seem important. Now, though, Freya was wondering how she'd missed it.
"No idea. It seemed like it was the flowers whispering to me, and I suppose that's possible, if frightening" She shrugged, shaking her head and shaking the water off. "I assume that was what you wanted to know most, who it is responsible for all of this." Who to punch certainly seemed like valuable information.
"Yeah..." She agreed, glancing back at the forest again, her eyes narrowed.
"...We should see if we find anyone else wandering this way though. On the way back."
"...We should see if we find anyone else wandering this way though. On the way back."
"Right." Eleanor tried to look positive at that, but offered a hand to help Chloe stand either way.
"Let's go."
"Let's go."
The thought crossed Ami's mind, briefly and absurdly, that she had not signed up for this. It was absurd because of course she hadn't, one does not simply sign up for Retrospec and its associated shenanigans.
Panicky though she was, Ami still had enough wits about her to follow orders. Keeping her distance might be difficult, however. The obvious path was to slip past the cat, giving it a wide berth, and trying to lead it back in Chloe's direction (since she seemed to know what she was doing, kind of, probably). But when she scooted around the side of her hiding place, the excited cat noticed her immediately, almost as if its senses were evolutionarily tailored to efficiently track the movements of creatures about this size. The cat had a huge advantage here, to be honest.
Ami ducked back around the other side, but the cat followed her there, too, with a quick snap of its head. She tried the first side again, but it was the same. The cat wasn't going to lose her that easily. She'd have to just make a run for it... but she couldn't quite get up the guts to go for it, not with those huge yellow eyes staring her down. The closest she got was a false start, twice, which only resulted in the cat crouching, then crouching lower, its butt wiggling as it prepared to pounce.
Panicky though she was, Ami still had enough wits about her to follow orders. Keeping her distance might be difficult, however. The obvious path was to slip past the cat, giving it a wide berth, and trying to lead it back in Chloe's direction (since she seemed to know what she was doing, kind of, probably). But when she scooted around the side of her hiding place, the excited cat noticed her immediately, almost as if its senses were evolutionarily tailored to efficiently track the movements of creatures about this size. The cat had a huge advantage here, to be honest.
Ami ducked back around the other side, but the cat followed her there, too, with a quick snap of its head. She tried the first side again, but it was the same. The cat wasn't going to lose her that easily. She'd have to just make a run for it... but she couldn't quite get up the guts to go for it, not with those huge yellow eyes staring her down. The closest she got was a false start, twice, which only resulted in the cat crouching, then crouching lower, its butt wiggling as it prepared to pounce.
And this was where Chloe did something stupid.
There were a lot of dumb things that could be done right about now. One of the most sensible options was to flee and let fate declare what happened with the young girl. But she couldn't very well let her be treated like a mouse! Seeing the cat's rear hovering up, the tail lashing, she did the only thing that she could think of right then. She jumped.
A running vault caught her up to the lashing tail and she hurtled into the air, grabbing hold of it and letting out an 'oof' sound as the whole cat whipped around in surprise and irritation. Her grip, assisted by a knife (which was probably part of why the cat reacted so suddenly) held fast as the world started to whirl.
"Get to the bus!" She shrieked. It was coming by soon, she could hear it.
There were a lot of dumb things that could be done right about now. One of the most sensible options was to flee and let fate declare what happened with the young girl. But she couldn't very well let her be treated like a mouse! Seeing the cat's rear hovering up, the tail lashing, she did the only thing that she could think of right then. She jumped.
A running vault caught her up to the lashing tail and she hurtled into the air, grabbing hold of it and letting out an 'oof' sound as the whole cat whipped around in surprise and irritation. Her grip, assisted by a knife (which was probably part of why the cat reacted so suddenly) held fast as the world started to whirl.
"Get to the bus!" She shrieked. It was coming by soon, she could hear it.
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