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[painlessfighter]

[Hello again, Luministi. Natsuo is back, and he's not happy. If you were here last season, you might be about to have some serious déjà vu...

House B3 in Luministi Greens West is quiet for a short time after the Mayor's message, but roughly a minute later... every last window of the house shatters. In unison. Loudly. If you're in the area, you definitely heard it.

A young boy, with cat ears, a tail, and wearing an eyepatch, dashes out the front door. He looks angry, a little panicked... and maybe if you manage to catch him while he's running, you might notice he's trying not to cry.]

Youji!! ... Anyone!! Hello?!

[A pause... and then, he feels the need to add:]

I hate this place!!

Comments

[detectiveofthewest]

[Heiji almost bumped right into the kid, but managed to turn aside just in time, grabbing for his collar instead.]

Hey, watch it, squirt! You're gonna get yourself hurt runnin' around like that! Where're your parents?

[painlessfighter]

[Natsuo's fighter reflexes kick in almost involuntarily, and he ducks to avoid getting grabbed. He does stop, though, and spins to face him, those cat ears flattened a bit and his eyes narrowed into a half-hearted glare.]

No one's parents are here! You get pulled here, and you get stuck here, and everyone else is back home!

[detectiveofthewest]

Huh? What're you talking about?

Anyway, you seen a pay phone around here or something? I'll help you call your folks.

[painlessfighter]

... [Squint!]

You're new.

[detectiveofthewest]

[Huh?]

'Course I am; I just woke up here. Why, how long you been here?

[painlessfighter]

I just got here this time. But I was here before.

[He's calmed down a little bit, so his ears twitch back to a normal position and he doesn't look quite so ready to either bolt or pounce. He sighs - it's almost a defeated sound.]

Don't bother looking for a pay phone. That's stupid. You can't leave by calling people.

[detectiveofthewest]

[Heiji stared at Natsuo for a second. What Natsuo had said had made no sense to him at all.

And also cat ears.

On one hand, this kid seemed a little too into his anime. On the other, well. There weren't really many other people around, and it was broad daylight, so it wasn't like someone was going to snatch him off the street, right? Right.]

I'm gonna go call 110. Don't wander too far off, okay? Ask someone if you get lost.

[painlessfighter]

[He just... raises his eyebrow at Heiji.]

... Okay.

[And by "okay," he actually means that he's going to wander off the second you're out of sight.]

[video]

[bonnypiperlad]

[There's a blinking light on the CAT that appears, shortly after that dramatic exit from B3, followed by the holographic video of Jamie - who, for some odd reason, appears to be in a cave.]

Natsuo! Hey, Natsuo!! Can ye hear me?

[painlessfighter]

Huh...?

[Natsuo stops running, pulling his CAT out of his pocket with a frown... but when he sees Jamie, he looks a little hopeful.]

Ah! Jamie! [He nods once, firmly.] I can hear you.

[bonnypiperlad]

[Well, that's good - and bad at the same time. Especially once he takes in where Natsuo actually appears to be.]

I wasn't sure if ye could or not. Look, am I seeing things right? Are ye actually back in the town?

[painlessfighter]

[He's rubbing at his eyes with the back of his free hand while Jamie speaks - totally not crying, totally. Really. Honest.]

Mm. [Nod again!] It brought me back. Without Youji again. [His voice turns sharp - angry.] This is stupid. I'm going to make them stop this time.

[bonnypiperlad]

Och, that's just great. We've not found Resarci yet. If he's gone back there and brought ye all back somehow, I'll... [His voice - also angry to start - abruptly turns resigned as he realizes that Natsuo's not the only one trapped.]

Aye, well, I'll suppose I'll not do much of anything unless I learn how to fly the TARDIS.

[painlessfighter]

Fly what? [blink!]

Hey, you're on another planet! Aren't you? [He cranes his neck a bit, like it'll really help him see past Jamie and give him a better look at the background.]

[bonnypiperlad]

The TARDIS? Oh, aye, that's right. I'd not remembered when I saw it. Look, do ye remember when I found that funny looking console in the park? The one ye wanted to press all the buttons on?

And aye, I am, but we're in a cave. It's not very exciting. [He turns the CAT, though, so the lad can see the cave wall. Which looks mostly like rock, with maybe a little crystal worked into it.]

[painlessfighter]

[Nod!] That thing flew? Really?

Ohhh. [Satisfied with the view of the cave, he nods again.] Yeah, that's boring. Why are you there?

[bonnypiperlad]

Well, not like that. There's a whole rest of a ship that goes along with it. If we can get out of here and find the Doctor again, maybe he can show it to ye at some point.

Right now, though, we are - or we were - trying to track down Resarci. But it turns out there's something else going on here. Ye remember what I told ye about the fans? We found a few of them, turned into statues. And that's not the only thing.

[painlessfighter]

Oh. A ship! Like a spaceship? [His eyes light up a bit. That's awesome!]

Fans turned into statues? [Frown!] What do you mean, that's not the only thing?

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye. [That is a multipurpose 'aye', covering both spaceships and fans turned into statues. It's handy like that.]

One of the statues was Proctor.

[painlessfighter]

Proctor? [He takes a second to think that over.] But why?

[bonnypiperlad]

I don't know. That's what Xion and I are trying to find out, aye? And the Doctor, too, until he disappeared.

[painlessfighter]

Disappeared? That’s rude. Is he coming back?

[He does think about Proctor though, for a second...]

Hey. Is Proctor still a statue? If he’s not, I can get him to talk again. Should I do that?

[bonnypiperlad]

I don't think he can. Last I checked, the TARDIS is still here. [He glances over his shoulder for a brief moment.]

And Proctor's still a statue. Xion and I need to get a wee bit further in these caves and see if we can find out anything about them, I think. Maybe if we figure out what's going on we'll be able to turn him back again.

[Although, to be honest, at this point, he has no idea how that'll even be possible.]

[fortune_sought]

[at all the noise, Sophie comes running out of her townhouse. unfortunately, she's only wearing a bedsheet, but at least she has a pin to hold it in place? this is especially good since she's stumbling and has to grab for the doorway once. apparently she's having balance issues]

What is going on out here? [she sees Natsuo--and her eyes go wide even as her tone becomes demanding] Did you do that!?

[painlessfighter]

[And Natsuo sees her! He'd comment on the bed sheet, but that hasn't quite registered yet. Ah well. And, of all courses of action the kid could take... He runs to her, eyes squeezed shut, head hanging low. He stops just in front of her.

And does he really need to answer that question? He doesn't think so. So instead, he moves on with conversation, voice quiet and actually shaking a little - scared, angry, sad... he's all of the above right now.]

I'm here again and... and Youji's not.

[fortune_sought]

[well, that just took the wind out of her sails. Sophie stares at him for a moment--and then her motherly instincts take over, and she steps forward and wraps her arms around him. her voice is soft but firm when she speaks again]

We'll get out again. I promise.

[painlessfighter]

[He leans against her, glad for the hug. After all, she's one of the only people he really has, in this world or back home.]

I hate this stupid place. [It's muffled a bit, really, because his face is somewhat buried in her arm. But it's still coherent.]

[fortune_sought]

Yes. We all do, Natsuo. [she pulls away a bit, looking down into his face] Which is why we aren't going to stand for it! Are we? [she raises an eyebrow at him]

[painlessfighter]

[He shakes his head sharply, meeting her eyes with his own - they’re still a bit misty, but he’s trying to push the tears away in favor of being determined and ready to beat and maim whoever is standing between them and home.]

No. We’re not. We’ll get him. And then go home. Right, Sophie?

[fortune_sought]

[she nods confidently, relieved to see him regaining his usual spirit] Of course we will. After all, we've done it before--some of us twice.

[painlessfighter]

[Nod!] Mm.

[And, now that he's feeling a little better...] ... Are you going to do it wearing that, Sophie?

[fortune_sought]

[it's only with that reminder that Sophie realises she's outside in a sheet] Oh goodness, no! [she pulls away from Natsuo, glancing around to see if anyone else is in the area. she's a bit red now] I just wasn't expecting to be human again! I'm sure there are still dresses in my home...

[she glances back at it, but she doesn't want to leave Natsuo alone already--especially considering the state of his townhome. she pauses thoughtfully] Would you like to come in with me? I could make tea and see if there are still scones in the cupboard.

[painlessfighter]

[Like she really needs to ask. He nods again.]

Okay. You can find a dress. Can I help with the tea?

[fortune_sought]

[she's actually surprised by that offer from him. perhaps he's grown a bit?] Oh, yes; of course. I'll fill the kettle, and you can listen for it to whistle.

[as she talks, she starts back toward her townhome, wobbling a bit while she walks. hopefully she'll be used to being without a tail again soon]

[painlessfighter]

Good. I like helping.

[And he follows! He notices the wobbling though, and bites his lip in order to keep his snickering to himself.]

Hey. Sophie. You were a cat before. What happened?

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie grabs the doorframe as she enters the townhome. her expression is sour, and even though Natsuo might not see it with her back turned, he'll hear it in her tone]

This town did, I should think. I was still a cat before I arrived here, but suddenly I was back in this room and human on top of it! Really, this place.

[as she makes her way toward the kitchen, her balance is at least improving]

[painlessfighter]

Would you rather be stuck here as a cat though?

[He's still following. And as usual with Sophie's house, he's definitely admiring all the little knickknacks as he goes. ♥]

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie looks aghast] Certainly not! But it didn't even ask, did it? It's terribly rude, throwing magic about like that.

[she doesn't notice his wandering gaze, as she's too busy banging about in the kitchen as she fetches the kettle and fills it with water, setting it on the range to heat up]

Now, I'm going to see what dresses I can find in my room. There's tea in that cabinet. [she points] Choose which you'd like, and then there should be scones in the larder if you'd like to look. Let me know if the kettle begins to whistle, but it shouldn't. I'll only be a moment.