eureka! part 4.
Oct. 6th, 2012 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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log▶ Part 3
Taking off from Iyet is a lengthier process than anticipated due to Guriko's resistance at the prospect of leaving "Mistake" behind, a terminology that at first confuses Tiir. Minato calms her down on the promise that "Mistake" is an unbeatable force who can easily overcome the tides surrounding the island -- trust him, he knows. She nods carefully at the reassurance. Not long after that, they set sail.
Tiir is not keen on bringing a child along all of a sudden, but a part of him is relieved that Guriko was the one to carry Derunio. He still can't help but be suspicious that she would appear so conveniently and separate from Walter after an alleged encounter, bringing their treasure back to them. On top of that, she led Minato back to the ship. Her! Lead him!
"We'll be there in about a week," Minato relays. "It's rather close."
"Where is this unlikely trio headed?" asks Guriko, drumming her fingers against Derunio. For the time being, Minato has convinced Tiir to let her hold onto the relic. "Another pub?"
Tiir glances at Minato, his gaze asking, How does she know that? Minato shrugs, his gesture for she got around.
"Actually," Minato answers, "we're seeing someone."
"Someone?" echoes Guriko.
"Seeing as you brought Derunio back to us, we'll let you in on that much. We'll have to separate once we land," Tiir interjects, observing the girl's reaction. Understanding the implications behind his words, she regards him with what can only be a look of pure stubbornness. Minato, it seems, has returned with him a piece of work.
She bows her head, holding Derunion to her bosom.
"In that case," she whispers, stepping back, "Guriko has no choice but to do this!"
And with that, she flings herself over the railing and into the gently churning sea -- almost. She experiences a sudden stop midair, then cranes her head to glance at her feet. Wearing a slight smirk, Tiir has a firm grasp on her ankle, though he appears none too happy with her impulse.
"Drastic one, aren't you?" he comments.
She nods and declares, "If the treasure hunters will deny Guriko her right to see this someone, she might as well plunge into the seas with their treasure!"
"We're pirates."
"No, you're not."
Tiir frowns, then pulls her over onto deck. Guriko lands on the wooden floor with a soft thud, never relinquishing her grip on Derunio. At that moment, Minato pipes up from the side.
"I think she means well, Tiir."
Stifling a sigh, Tiir regards Minato with a slight downturn of his lips. "You're far too lenient. Will nothing make you more wary of your surroundings? People, even children, can be deceitful."
"Guriko can hear you," she pouts, standing.
"Then you should know that any attempts to fool us will be futile," retorts Tiir.
"Would she have fooled you if Guriko claims that she is actually, genuinely, truthfully the dumb Mistake?"
Minato turns away while Tiir frowns.
"Don't be ridiculous. He's taller than you."
------
In the end, Tiir concedes and brings Guriko beyond the shore they've anchored onto. The landing site is presumably not as Guriko suspected, with the bustling streets that face the ocean and merry atmosphere of town. At one point, she asks if Tiir is seeking a "dancing lady"; it takes him five minutes to catch onto the fact that she's talking about a prostitute, and he stops walking and takes her aside to teach her not to assume such things about anyone. In the meantime, Minato buys a bag of bagels.
Though vivacious the small town may be, the trip is short and the mood short-lived. Within less than an hour, they venture into a forest where Tiir seemingly takes them through a mindless route. Anticipating something great, Guriko holds her breath when Tiir tells them that "we're here."
When the thickets part, she sees a rundown shack. She inclines her head, but says nothing and follows Tiir and Minato inside. When the door creaks open, a thin veil of dust showers down before them.
Inside the darkness, a beautiful, silky voice rings out, "Tiir, Minato. It's been a while."
Tiir steps forward. Guriko ganders a glimpse up at what side of his face she can see. He's smiling, softly.
"Ene," he greets, "Things took longer than anticipated. But we've done it."
The voice giggles.
"Hey, why don't you introduce the guest?"
For some inexplicable reason, Guriko shrinks back at the reference. Her hands reach up to tug at Minato's shirt, somehow convincing herself that sticking to his side will make her invisible. Perhaps reminded of her existence, Tiir looks over his shoulder and motions for the both of them to approach.
"This is Guriko," he introduces. "At least, that's the name she refers to herself with."
Her eyes have adjusted to the darkness better now, and Guriko bravely leaves Minato's side to do her piece.
"I am Guriko!" she proclaims. "Are you Someone that the rock hunters have been talking so fondly of?"
"We're pirates," Tiir corrects.
The voice giggles again. Upon closer inspection, Guriko's eyes widen when she sees pale hair and pale skin. In the middle of the tiny shack sits a young woman. In the darkness, it looks as though she is aglow, and it takes Guriko no more than that to discern that this woman is the most beautiful she has ever laid her eyes upon.
" . . . beautiful," she mutters, when a hand -- Minato's, from the soft texture and gentleness of the motion -- clamps down on her shoulder.
"This is Ene," Minato reminds her. "She's Tiir's friend, and for whom we brought Derunio."
She looks back at the beautiful woman. At a second glance, she can see that the paleness comes partly from the sickly pallor of Ene's body everywhere. She's still ethereal.
She looks like a radiant corpse.
But Ene is alive, if clinging to life according to the necessary use of Derunio, and Guriko snaps her attention to Tiir, who approaches his longtime friend. He procures Derunio.
"Derunio: the stone that's said to return life. With this, your illness should be cured, if not at least weakened . . . "
He swallows, eyeing Ene's unwavering smile. It's a gentle and fragile smile, threatening to shatter at any moment, yet also gives the illusion of being ineffaceable. Looking at it is obvious cause for anxiety for Tiir; he raises the stone and offers it to her.
Seconds feel like eternity. By the time Ene lifts a feeble hand to reach for Derunio, Minato is shifting and Guriko is scratching her head. The former ushers confused Guriko away from the door, so casually that she's almost surprised when it comes crashing down in an inglorious cloud of dust and webs the second they're out of range.
"Tiir!" yells a voice, angry and determined.
Guriko points at the intruder.
"Ah, Mistake!"
▶ Part 5
Taking off from Iyet is a lengthier process than anticipated due to Guriko's resistance at the prospect of leaving "Mistake" behind, a terminology that at first confuses Tiir. Minato calms her down on the promise that "Mistake" is an unbeatable force who can easily overcome the tides surrounding the island -- trust him, he knows. She nods carefully at the reassurance. Not long after that, they set sail.
Tiir is not keen on bringing a child along all of a sudden, but a part of him is relieved that Guriko was the one to carry Derunio. He still can't help but be suspicious that she would appear so conveniently and separate from Walter after an alleged encounter, bringing their treasure back to them. On top of that, she led Minato back to the ship. Her! Lead him!
"We'll be there in about a week," Minato relays. "It's rather close."
"Where is this unlikely trio headed?" asks Guriko, drumming her fingers against Derunio. For the time being, Minato has convinced Tiir to let her hold onto the relic. "Another pub?"
Tiir glances at Minato, his gaze asking, How does she know that? Minato shrugs, his gesture for she got around.
"Actually," Minato answers, "we're seeing someone."
"Someone?" echoes Guriko.
"Seeing as you brought Derunio back to us, we'll let you in on that much. We'll have to separate once we land," Tiir interjects, observing the girl's reaction. Understanding the implications behind his words, she regards him with what can only be a look of pure stubbornness. Minato, it seems, has returned with him a piece of work.
She bows her head, holding Derunion to her bosom.
"In that case," she whispers, stepping back, "Guriko has no choice but to do this!"
And with that, she flings herself over the railing and into the gently churning sea -- almost. She experiences a sudden stop midair, then cranes her head to glance at her feet. Wearing a slight smirk, Tiir has a firm grasp on her ankle, though he appears none too happy with her impulse.
"Drastic one, aren't you?" he comments.
She nods and declares, "If the treasure hunters will deny Guriko her right to see this someone, she might as well plunge into the seas with their treasure!"
"We're pirates."
"No, you're not."
Tiir frowns, then pulls her over onto deck. Guriko lands on the wooden floor with a soft thud, never relinquishing her grip on Derunio. At that moment, Minato pipes up from the side.
"I think she means well, Tiir."
Stifling a sigh, Tiir regards Minato with a slight downturn of his lips. "You're far too lenient. Will nothing make you more wary of your surroundings? People, even children, can be deceitful."
"Guriko can hear you," she pouts, standing.
"Then you should know that any attempts to fool us will be futile," retorts Tiir.
"Would she have fooled you if Guriko claims that she is actually, genuinely, truthfully the dumb Mistake?"
Minato turns away while Tiir frowns.
"Don't be ridiculous. He's taller than you."
------
In the end, Tiir concedes and brings Guriko beyond the shore they've anchored onto. The landing site is presumably not as Guriko suspected, with the bustling streets that face the ocean and merry atmosphere of town. At one point, she asks if Tiir is seeking a "dancing lady"; it takes him five minutes to catch onto the fact that she's talking about a prostitute, and he stops walking and takes her aside to teach her not to assume such things about anyone. In the meantime, Minato buys a bag of bagels.
Though vivacious the small town may be, the trip is short and the mood short-lived. Within less than an hour, they venture into a forest where Tiir seemingly takes them through a mindless route. Anticipating something great, Guriko holds her breath when Tiir tells them that "we're here."
When the thickets part, she sees a rundown shack. She inclines her head, but says nothing and follows Tiir and Minato inside. When the door creaks open, a thin veil of dust showers down before them.
Inside the darkness, a beautiful, silky voice rings out, "Tiir, Minato. It's been a while."
Tiir steps forward. Guriko ganders a glimpse up at what side of his face she can see. He's smiling, softly.
"Ene," he greets, "Things took longer than anticipated. But we've done it."
The voice giggles.
"Hey, why don't you introduce the guest?"
For some inexplicable reason, Guriko shrinks back at the reference. Her hands reach up to tug at Minato's shirt, somehow convincing herself that sticking to his side will make her invisible. Perhaps reminded of her existence, Tiir looks over his shoulder and motions for the both of them to approach.
"This is Guriko," he introduces. "At least, that's the name she refers to herself with."
Her eyes have adjusted to the darkness better now, and Guriko bravely leaves Minato's side to do her piece.
"I am Guriko!" she proclaims. "Are you Someone that the rock hunters have been talking so fondly of?"
"We're pirates," Tiir corrects.
The voice giggles again. Upon closer inspection, Guriko's eyes widen when she sees pale hair and pale skin. In the middle of the tiny shack sits a young woman. In the darkness, it looks as though she is aglow, and it takes Guriko no more than that to discern that this woman is the most beautiful she has ever laid her eyes upon.
" . . . beautiful," she mutters, when a hand -- Minato's, from the soft texture and gentleness of the motion -- clamps down on her shoulder.
"This is Ene," Minato reminds her. "She's Tiir's friend, and for whom we brought Derunio."
She looks back at the beautiful woman. At a second glance, she can see that the paleness comes partly from the sickly pallor of Ene's body everywhere. She's still ethereal.
She looks like a radiant corpse.
But Ene is alive, if clinging to life according to the necessary use of Derunio, and Guriko snaps her attention to Tiir, who approaches his longtime friend. He procures Derunio.
"Derunio: the stone that's said to return life. With this, your illness should be cured, if not at least weakened . . . "
He swallows, eyeing Ene's unwavering smile. It's a gentle and fragile smile, threatening to shatter at any moment, yet also gives the illusion of being ineffaceable. Looking at it is obvious cause for anxiety for Tiir; he raises the stone and offers it to her.
Seconds feel like eternity. By the time Ene lifts a feeble hand to reach for Derunio, Minato is shifting and Guriko is scratching her head. The former ushers confused Guriko away from the door, so casually that she's almost surprised when it comes crashing down in an inglorious cloud of dust and webs the second they're out of range.
"Tiir!" yells a voice, angry and determined.
Guriko points at the intruder.
"Ah, Mistake!"
▶ Part 5