[well, Asch gets his kissCPR onâand, since Britt went and gave me the idea and all, as his lungs inflate with fresh air, his eyes slowly, groggily, flutter open while Flayn's lips are still solidly connected to his. he gasps with the return to consciousness, and coughs violently, trying his best to lean away from Flayn as he does, spitting out petals, drawing in several quick, labored breaths.
okay, so. he finally kissed a girl.
sure, he was dying, but he's counting it. mammon and zenitsu are officially erased. flayn is the only one.
but none of that really matters at the moment, because he passed out at a pretty crucial time, and now he can reach his sword. he struggles to stand, pulling his sword roughly from its scabbard, breathing still raggedâand starts making his way towards the eye, intent on cutting anything that comes to close to Flayn, or himself.
fuck this. fuck all of this. he's going to go absolutely fucking feral on everything else in here.]
[STOP NIJI WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS i was so sure that was already your plan.
Anyway, he's breathing. He's breathing, and thank the gods for that because if anyone dies on this break-in Flayn is going to be really, really upset. As it is, he'll feel a brief outpouring of relief as he pulls away, since he'll get the emotions for a good five seconds or so after breaking contact. As he forces himself to his feet, she backs off, roots around on the ground for the knife she'd yeeted earlier, and forces herself up to follow him.
...the thing about eyes that stare? Well, they make pretty good targets. Flayn isn't sure she can get there quite fast enough to help, but she's got her knife in hand again, so. She adjusts her grip on it, takes aim, and hurls it directly at the eyeball as it's staring at Dimitri.
Then she takes off at a run after Asch, gripping her staff tightly to smack anything that comes toward them out of the way.]
[ While his comrades are MAKING OUT, the eye glares him down and the violin jerks and Dimitri's footing slides, spear dislodging before he can drive the wound any deeper. The wires thrash at him before he can try again, one snaking around his leg to yank it out from under him, sending him right onto his back—he only gets out a short, surprised cough, breath knocked out of him before he has to bring his spear up to protect himself from getting pummelled as best he can.
But he's not getting anywhere this turn, sorry guys. ]
Asch charges forward, sword swinging and knocking the bs akimbo and out of the way as he races toward the eye, that same golden thread following him as it reaches out toward Dimitri. Dimitri's knocked on his back, and the wires hang over him menacingly as the eye begins to pulse.
And Flayn's knife collides into the eye and the sharp screech of strings rings out, the ground beneath them rumbling angrily and collapsing under Flayn's feet, a fissure growing beneath her in the wood that pulls her down and out of sight.
The golden thread disappears not long after, a cacophony of notes playing disjointedly over the sound of the song as the fissure closes up. Careful, Flayn. It's a very, very far fall through the darkness.
[it's a croak, a crack of a yell, as he hears the wood split apartâdrag Flayn downâand close. the eye explodes in discordant noise. and Dimitri's on the ground.
there's not even time to mourn. with a groan of anguish, anger, and revenge, Asch rushes towards Dimitri's position, placing himself between the prince and the wires, knocking them backâbefore turning, and in one swift, targeted move, slamming the entire length of his blade directly into the eye. he drives it in, gritting his teeth, and twists the blade.]
[ He sees Flayn fall in his peripheral, ground closing up over her, and his blood feels cold in his veins. He twists his foot free, ignoring how the wire scrapes at his leg as he reaches back, grasping for the gold thread—
But it vanishes, too. ]
FLAYN!
[ Asch is dealing with the eye, so he pulls himself the rest of the way up, ready to fend off any more wires before he grabs Asch by the arm, just in case he's swallowed up as well. ]
[Flayn disappears, the golden light fading with her, and as Asch run ahead to slam his sword straight into the eye it waters, blinking and begins to cry tears of blood. Red rivers run past their feet as the violin trembles once more. Dimitri grabbing Asch's arm is probably a good idea because the song comes to a close and the eye itself begins to melt away. The wires fall limp, lashing out one last time and the wood beneath them chips away, crumbling into dust.
The pair of them fall, and at least Dimitri's holding onto Asch as they do so that's nice! As they fall through endless darkness, they'll see a glimpse of that golden light circle around their arms. It's a fast fall, cool air slapping them in the face and as they drift they'll catch the scent of...salt?
They won't have much time to think this over because they're both going to hit the sand right about...now.
The sand, at least, cushions their fall and as they blink their eyes open they'll be greeted by a warm ray of sunshine. Waves crash against the shore playfully, and the rocky cliffs around them shield them from prying eyes. Boats cheerfully dot the horizon and the waters stir a new song.
[the sword finds its mark, and the blood runs. good. real fucking good!
Dimitri grabs himâand as the eye melts, they fall. he lets his sword go, and grabs the taller manâat the very least, he can cushion him again--
whumph.
his sword clatters in the sand next to them, and as he looks over to it, Asch catches sight of the sight around them. it's... nice. for all five seconds that it lasts, probably.]
Dimitri. [he pushes himself back up, dragging his sword back into its scabbard. it's cleanish. his voice is a strained whisper.] Are you okay?
[for once, the emotional connection is paying off: free of the illusion, Asch's waves of apologetic guilt roll over him, his worry for Flayn and Dimitri blasting with deep concern in the forefront of his mindâcautious, careful, and caring.]
[ He watches the eye try to blink around Asch's sword, blood pouring from it, and their thoughts and feelings are equal: good. He hopes it hurts.
It's the last thing he thinks before the ground gives out and they're falling.
The sand cushions the eventual and inevitable collapse, puffing out around them as they land, and he answers Asch's question with a vague, frustrated noise as he rolls over. He's fine. More than well enough to sit up, sand falling from his hair as Asch's emotions catch up with him. ]
...I'm all right.
[ There's a thread of anxious energy in him as he looks around and still doesn't see Flayn, but he's not angry. That much is clear as day, unmistakable—if anything, the apology is met with a little confusion and a squeeze around his arm before he pulls them both to their feet, as much comfort as he can afford right now. ]
Put it from your mind, Asch. We need to find Flayn.
[ Speaking of, he looks around—any signs of life? Are they just going to have to walk along this beach and hope? ]
[Look alive, boys. The coastline is empty but the music continues as the cloudless sky brightens around them. Those spotlights are gone, but if they look toward the waves they'll find what appear to be footlights hiding in the water...and speaking of, glancing at the waves they'll see some fish!
...but they appear to be...hm. They sure are. Something.
There's the gentle caw of sea birds but if they look up they won't see any overhead. They'll see shadows cast against the sky, as if the horizon stops at a certain point. And not far away from them there appears to be a few things poking out of the sand.
[in terms of comforting gestures, that is more than assurance enough. better than saying more, he taps Dimitri's hand lightly with hisâAsch's own worry for Flayn, care for both Dimitri and her, flashing through.
it's emotionshare week! but for someone who often has a hard time voicing it? maybe it's not that bad.
they're off, looking for Flayn('s knife). at the sign of something in the sand, Asch proceeds cautiously, kneeling down, and digging up whatever he can reach. as he does, he muses out loudâor rather, as loud as his vocal cords will allow.]
I can't see any birds.
It's going to be some damn stupid music thing attacking us again, I'll bet.
[ It's strange being able to actually decipher Asch's feelings from what Asch says and does, but at least it's clear they're on the same page. He takes that as Asch feeling well enough to move about some more.
As Asch goes to dig up whatever's in the sand, he steps forward a bit, looking ahead down the coast. ]
I fear you might be right. The place we saw... it was from your childhood, wasn't it?
[ So what are they looking at, now? Was it Flayn's...? ]
[As Asch and Dimitri begin to walk, the music seems to have a calming effect over them despite a lot of fish-puppets staring directly at them. Dimitri may recognize this place, and he can see that the end of the coast seems to be cut off by a cliff of some kind, like a barrier.
As Asch digs, he'll find...Flayn's dagger! He will also find a small ivory key, awkwardly shaped as if it fits into another shape. But Asch may recognize it as a piano key.
Also, as he's digging, he may notice that the sand seems to brush away and there's...a wooden platform beneath them? Hm. Wild.
...
...
...
It's dark for Flayn. The darkness surrounds her, and as she attempts to move, or to see, she'll find that the space is a bit cramped and no light will seep in. She can hear the sounds of the ocean, and there are the sounds of voices. A man and a woman speak happily and fondly toward one another, and they're voices Flayn herself will recognize. And yet...they don't seem to know she's there at all.]
Flayn can't see. She doesn't know which way is up and which way is down, and she struggles to feel around for something - anything - to help her get out of here. She was - she was falling, wasn't she? She was falling and now she's not, and...
...
Those voices. Her breath catches.]
Mother..? [Her voice sounds tiny even to herself.] ...Father...
[She struggles to sit up - but to no avail. Her head hits something hard in the darkness, and she falls back down with a slight oof.]
I thought it wasâI have a similar memoryâbut that wasn't me. [he slips the piano key into his pocket, and the knife alongside his sword in the scabbard, because they're probably going to run.] It was my replica. He'd replaced me.
[in one of his happiest memories, one that he'd held closest to his heartâhe'd been put aside in favor of...
he shakes his head, forcing the thought out. it was an illusion. fake. just to trick him into anguish. a shame, then, it had worked so damn well.]
I found Flayn's dagger, and a key from a piano. I'll hold on to them.
[...
he taps the hard surface.]
...Is this... another instrument? Or some kind of-- [he coughs, a blood-red petal falling to the sand.] --of, of stage? There were spotlights.
[he brushes away some more sand with both hands, ignoring the stinging pain from the sand in his wounds.]
[ So a memory, but distorted. His brow furrows. He doesn't blame Asch for being caught up in a spell like that, when it had been designed so deliberately to hurt him? Was Flayn trapped in the same?
The music lulls him into a false sense of calm, but the unease still rests beneath it. He regrets putting Asch through this when he'd just been violently choked out, but needs must. ]
It does feel like a stage, and we're the actors.
[ ...He hurries along, expecting Asch to follow. There can't be that much to search, if the coastline drops off like that. ]
I feel like I know this place... It's not quite right, though.
[If Flayn feels around (and considering she's bonking her head), she may find that she's in what appears to be a sturdy wooden box of some sort. There are a few indents in the roof, though it's impossible to make out what they could possibly be at the moment. Most importantly, the air situation isn't super great. But she'll hear the voices of her mother and father lovingly speaking toward her, but not directly at her.
Asch taps the surface and it produces the same hollow-like sound as their footsteps had before in the flower field. As they begin to walk, the sand shifts beneath their feet and there's the glint of something out in the water, like glass in the sunlight. Up above, there's also the cry of a seagull and the shadow's shaped strangely, as if the invisible bird is holding something in its mouth.]
Okay, that's not great. That's not great at all. Flayn sucks in a sharp breath, distressed, but then tries to will herself to calm. She breathes shallowly - if this is what she thinks it is, then she needs to conserve her breath.
The sound of her parents' voices makes her heart ache, though, and tears prick at the corners of her eyes. With as much strength as she can muster (it isn't much), she slams her hands against the top of whatever she's in.
Please, find me...!
She wants to scream it out, but she needs to save her air.]
[Asch looks up, and Dimitri is already off. He stands hurriedly, and starts to follow after, catching up quick enough.]
It must be another memoryâFlayn's. If she's not here, she might already be caught somewhere. If I was the focus of my stage, then she must be the focus of this one. Lookâthe fish aren't even real.
[ The fish are kind of creepy, actually. Especially since he's left on beach-wading duty. But Asch is right, Flayn is potentially in a great deal of danger—what if neither of them had been there when Asch was dragged up by the neck?
No time to waste, so he'll go off into the water to try and... grab? whatever's in the water. What's out here. ]
[As Flayn slams her hands on the ceiling, the sound reverberates beneath Dimitri and Asch's feet, as if, perhaps, she's somewhere under them. Asch stomps on the shadow of the bird and it squawks indignantly, something falling from the sky to bonk Asch on the head. It falls to the sand, but should he look, he'll find another piano key, also oddly shaped. It doesn't quite fit the first piece he found, but it's sure there.
As for Dimitri, he'll find that up close the water looks more like a lot of shiny fabric waving back and forth than water itself, but there's a glass bottle bobbing in the waves. Should he pick it up, there's a third piano piece.
That, somehow, is more frightening than the fact that she's still stuck in this - whatever it is. She's trying to keep her breathing even, to not use up all her air in sheer panic, but it's hard.
They were right there. (You cannot turn back the clock, she reminds herself. Mother is already goneâ) They were right there.
[ He grabs the bottle, tapping the key out onto his palm before giving one of the fish a concerned look and striding back to 'shore.' ]
I found one as well—sorry, you heard what?
[ The ground has the same, strange hollow to it as before; he kicks aside some of the sand, fingers smoothing over the wooden surface before pounding on it, like a very aggressive door knock. He just calls out, to everywhere and nowhere, to above the floorboards and below, ]
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kissCPR onâand, since Britt went and gave me the idea and all, as his lungs inflate with fresh air, his eyes slowly, groggily, flutter open while Flayn's lips are still solidly connected to his. he gasps with the return to consciousness, and coughs violently, trying his best to lean away from Flayn as he does, spitting out petals, drawing in several quick, labored breaths.okay, so. he finally kissed a girl.
sure, he was dying, but he's counting it. mammon and zenitsu are officially erased. flayn is the only one.
but none of that really matters at the moment, because he passed out at a pretty crucial time, and now he can reach his sword. he struggles to stand, pulling his sword roughly from its scabbard, breathing still raggedâand starts making his way towards the eye, intent on cutting anything that comes to close to Flayn, or himself.
fuck this. fuck all of this. he's going to go absolutely fucking feral on everything else in here.]
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Anyway, he's breathing. He's breathing, and thank the gods for that because if anyone dies on this break-in Flayn is going to be really, really upset. As it is, he'll feel a brief outpouring of relief as he pulls away, since he'll get the emotions for a good five seconds or so after breaking contact. As he forces himself to his feet, she backs off, roots around on the ground for the knife she'd yeeted earlier, and forces herself up to follow him.
...the thing about eyes that stare? Well, they make pretty good targets. Flayn isn't sure she can get there quite fast enough to help, but she's got her knife in hand again, so. She adjusts her grip on it, takes aim, and hurls it directly at the eyeball as it's staring at Dimitri.
Then she takes off at a run after Asch, gripping her staff tightly to smack anything that comes toward them out of the way.]
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But he's not getting anywhere this turn, sorry guys. ]
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Asch charges forward, sword swinging and knocking the bs akimbo and out of the way as he races toward the eye, that same golden thread following him as it reaches out toward Dimitri. Dimitri's knocked on his back, and the wires hang over him menacingly as the eye begins to pulse.
And Flayn's knife collides into the eye and the sharp screech of strings rings out, the ground beneath them rumbling angrily and collapsing under Flayn's feet, a fissure growing beneath her in the wood that pulls her down and out of sight.
The golden thread disappears not long after, a cacophony of notes playing disjointedly over the sound of the song as the fissure closes up. Careful, Flayn. It's a very, very far fall through the darkness.
What now?]
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[it's a croak, a crack of a yell, as he hears the wood split apartâdrag Flayn downâand close. the eye explodes in discordant noise. and Dimitri's on the ground.
there's not even time to mourn. with a groan of anguish, anger, and revenge, Asch rushes towards Dimitri's position, placing himself between the prince and the wires, knocking them backâbefore turning, and in one swift, targeted move, slamming the entire length of his blade directly into the eye. he drives it in, gritting his teeth, and twists the blade.]
DIE!
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But it vanishes, too. ]
FLAYN!
[ Asch is dealing with the eye, so he pulls himself the rest of the way up, ready to fend off any more wires before he grabs Asch by the arm, just in case he's swallowed up as well. ]
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The pair of them fall, and at least Dimitri's holding onto Asch as they do so that's nice! As they fall through endless darkness, they'll see a glimpse of that golden light circle around their arms. It's a fast fall, cool air slapping them in the face and as they drift they'll catch the scent of...salt?
They won't have much time to think this over because they're both going to hit the sand right about...now.
The sand, at least, cushions their fall and as they blink their eyes open they'll be greeted by a warm ray of sunshine. Waves crash against the shore playfully, and the rocky cliffs around them shield them from prying eyes. Boats cheerfully dot the horizon and the waters stir a new song.
...where will they go next?]
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Dimitri grabs himâand as the eye melts, they fall. he lets his sword go, and grabs the taller manâat the very least, he can cushion him again--
whumph.
his sword clatters in the sand next to them, and as he looks over to it, Asch catches sight of the sight around them. it's... nice. for all five seconds that it lasts, probably.]
Dimitri. [he pushes himself back up, dragging his sword back into its scabbard. it's cleanish. his voice is a strained whisper.] Are you okay?
[for once, the emotional connection is paying off: free of the illusion, Asch's waves of apologetic guilt roll over him, his worry for Flayn and Dimitri blasting with deep concern in the forefront of his mindâcautious, careful, and caring.]
Before--I'm sorry. I should have--I--
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It's the last thing he thinks before the ground gives out and they're falling.
The sand cushions the eventual and inevitable collapse, puffing out around them as they land, and he answers Asch's question with a vague, frustrated noise as he rolls over. He's fine. More than well enough to sit up, sand falling from his hair as Asch's emotions catch up with him. ]
...I'm all right.
[ There's a thread of anxious energy in him as he looks around and still doesn't see Flayn, but he's not angry. That much is clear as day, unmistakable—if anything, the apology is met with a little confusion and a squeeze around his arm before he pulls them both to their feet, as much comfort as he can afford right now. ]
Put it from your mind, Asch. We need to find Flayn.
[ Speaking of, he looks around—any signs of life? Are they just going to have to walk along this beach and hope? ]
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...but they appear to be...hm. They sure are. Something.
There's the gentle caw of sea birds but if they look up they won't see any overhead. They'll see shadows cast against the sky, as if the horizon stops at a certain point. And not far away from them there appears to be a few things poking out of the sand.
Flayn is still missing.]
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[in terms of comforting gestures, that is more than assurance enough. better than saying more, he taps Dimitri's hand lightly with hisâAsch's own worry for Flayn, care for both Dimitri and her, flashing through.
it's emotionshare week! but for someone who often has a hard time voicing it? maybe it's not that bad.
they're off, looking for Flayn('s knife). at the sign of something in the sand, Asch proceeds cautiously, kneeling down, and digging up whatever he can reach. as he does, he muses out loudâor rather, as loud as his vocal cords will allow.]
I can't see any birds.
It's going to be some damn stupid music thing attacking us again, I'll bet.
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As Asch goes to dig up whatever's in the sand, he steps forward a bit, looking ahead down the coast. ]
I fear you might be right. The place we saw... it was from your childhood, wasn't it?
[ So what are they looking at, now? Was it Flayn's...? ]
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As Asch digs, he'll find...Flayn's dagger! He will also find a small ivory key, awkwardly shaped as if it fits into another shape. But Asch may recognize it as a piano key.
Also, as he's digging, he may notice that the sand seems to brush away and there's...a wooden platform beneath them? Hm. Wild.
...
...
...
It's dark for Flayn. The darkness surrounds her, and as she attempts to move, or to see, she'll find that the space is a bit cramped and no light will seep in. She can hear the sounds of the ocean, and there are the sounds of voices. A man and a woman speak happily and fondly toward one another, and they're voices Flayn herself will recognize. And yet...they don't seem to know she's there at all.]
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Flayn can't see. She doesn't know which way is up and which way is down, and she struggles to feel around for something - anything - to help her get out of here. She was - she was falling, wasn't she? She was falling and now she's not, and...
...
Those voices. Her breath catches.]
Mother..? [Her voice sounds tiny even to herself.] ...Father...
[She struggles to sit up - but to no avail. Her head hits something hard in the darkness, and she falls back down with a slight oof.]
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[in one of his happiest memories, one that he'd held closest to his heartâhe'd been put aside in favor of...
he shakes his head, forcing the thought out. it was an illusion. fake. just to trick him into anguish. a shame, then, it had worked so damn well.]
I found Flayn's dagger, and a key from a piano. I'll hold on to them.
[...
he taps the hard surface.]
...Is this... another instrument? Or some kind of-- [he coughs, a blood-red petal falling to the sand.] --of, of stage? There were spotlights.
[he brushes away some more sand with both hands, ignoring the stinging pain from the sand in his wounds.]
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The music lulls him into a false sense of calm, but the unease still rests beneath it. He regrets putting Asch through this when he'd just been violently choked out, but needs must. ]
It does feel like a stage, and we're the actors.
[ ...He hurries along, expecting Asch to follow. There can't be that much to search, if the coastline drops off like that. ]
I feel like I know this place... It's not quite right, though.
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Asch taps the surface and it produces the same hollow-like sound as their footsteps had before in the flower field. As they begin to walk, the sand shifts beneath their feet and there's the glint of something out in the water, like glass in the sunlight. Up above, there's also the cry of a seagull and the shadow's shaped strangely, as if the invisible bird is holding something in its mouth.]
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Okay, that's not great. That's not great at all. Flayn sucks in a sharp breath, distressed, but then tries to will herself to calm. She breathes shallowly - if this is what she thinks it is, then she needs to conserve her breath.
The sound of her parents' voices makes her heart ache, though, and tears prick at the corners of her eyes. With as much strength as she can muster (it isn't much), she slams her hands against the top of whatever she's in.
Please, find me...!
She wants to scream it out, but she needs to save her air.]
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It must be another memoryâFlayn's. If she's not here, she might already be caught somewhere. If I was the focus of my stage, then she must be the focus of this one. Lookâthe fish aren't even real.
[he stops, and points out.]
What's that.
[the odd bird shadow flies underneath him.
out of curiosity, he stomps on it.]
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No time to waste, so he'll go off into the water to try and... grab? whatever's in the water. What's out here. ]
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As for Dimitri, he'll find that up close the water looks more like a lot of shiny fabric waving back and forth than water itself, but there's a glass bottle bobbing in the waves. Should he pick it up, there's a third piano piece.
HM.]
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That, somehow, is more frightening than the fact that she's still stuck in this - whatever it is. She's trying to keep her breathing even, to not use up all her air in sheer panic, but it's hard.
They were right there. (You cannot turn back the clock, she reminds herself. Mother is already goneâ) They were right there.
Did they not even notice she wasn't...?
She slams her hands against the ceiling again.]
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he leans down, rubbing his crown and scowling, and scoops it up.
huh. another key.]
Dimitri! I found another piano key. And I heard something--beneath us!
[he's already back to digging, brushing sand away, trying to relocate the wooden stage floor.]
If Flayn is below, I'll rip this place apart.
[but in the meantime, he diggy.]
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I found one as well—sorry, you heard what?
[ The ground has the same, strange hollow to it as before; he kicks aside some of the sand, fingers smoothing over the wooden surface before pounding on it, like a very aggressive door knock. He just calls out, to everywhere and nowhere, to above the floorboards and below, ]
Flayn! Can you hear us? [ where are you! ]
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