Event Eight.

[awashmods]

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care; The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there. No more from the cottage again will I roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

he Town is quiet this week. No sudden quests on the forum post, no roars of werewolves in the distance... just peaceful, peaceful quiet. Of course, it's hot as hell right now, but that aside, it's pretty pleasant. You probably don't want to wander around the Town right now, but... Naturally, now's when the Town is going to start thoroughly encouraging you to do just that. You do want to find your doorway back home, don't you? Better get searching! And don't mind the other worlds you might end up stumbling into first. Welcome to Awash's eighth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[heartsteals]

[ oh --- oh. This isn't Dextera. Either that, or Dextera learned to talk -- but the more he looks at him, the more Lupin begins to spot tiny differences. Picking up small details is essential to his work as a master thief; he's actually somewhat embarrassed that he didn't notice right away.

But he's more shocked. And he's wondering if this is another of the town's tricks. Hesitantly, Lupin takes a step backwards. ]

-- Who are you? Why do you look just like Dextera?

[ his words aren't confrontational, but they are cautious. ]

[bisection]

[ Ah, he backed away. He's not surprised. He supposes it will be like this forever until one of them disappears. It hurts just a bit, but his expression stays even.

He pinches at the skin on his own arm curiously to distract himself, watching the color of it change under his thumb. ]

I am his older brother. I was born just a moment before him.

[heartsteals]

... Older brother?

[ immediately, the caution about him evaporates, turning into curiosity instead. Lupin and Dex aren't particularly close - he doesn't know anything about Dextera's family. The existence of a twin brother is news to him.

Of course, this also means that the way he just acted was incredibly rude. Lupin scratches the back of his head, giving him an apologetic smile. ]

Ah... sorry about that, then. I didn't mean to be rude. This place has a record of conjuring up spirits and things that look like other people, so I was worried it was happening again. [ a beat. ] Let's try that again. My name's Lupin. You are?

[bisection]

He thought so, too. That I was a spirit or delusion. It's not normal for us to exist at once, so I understand being cautious.

[ Really, he expects it, even if he hates it. He can't stay mad about it even if it makes his frown grow. ]

I am... [ oh. right. ] Sin... Sinistra. [ that's right. ]

[heartsteals]

[ even if he hadn't spoken up, Lupin thinks he might have been able to tell this wasn't Dextera. He exudes a completely different aura. Sinistra seems on edge, maybe even angry, although he supposes he can't blame him after that rude introduction. ]

Sinistra, huh... That's cute. [ their parents clearly weren't feeling very creative, but it's charming anyway. ] Anyway, I was serious. You're getting a horrible sunburn.

[ he makes a shooing gesture in the direction of the nearest building, which is at least casting a bit of shade on the space in front of it. ]

[bisection]

Cute?

[ not a word he expected, but he will take it, sure. If only because it's technically praise for dextera. ]

My brother came up with it. He named me.

[ he's bad at following orders, but maybe it's better to listen this time. He shuffles in the direction he's pointed, ]

Will it always burn when I go outside?

[heartsteals]

Did he? Then it's even cuter.

[ he wanted them to match... that's wholesome, thinks Lupin, who is tragically clueless to the circumstances of their existence together. ]

It won't always burn - just on days when the sun is really bright, like today. You've got to be careful not to stand directly in the light for too long, especially with skin as pale as yours.

[bisection]

Ah...

[ That doesn't make sense to him. He looks more puzzled but doesn't question it further. ]

Why does it burn some days and not others? It's always in the sky, even when it's cloudy, isn't it? Do the clouds make that much of a difference if there's still some light reaching your skin?

[heartsteals]

Yeah, they do. I don't really know the science behind it all, but the proof's in the pudding, isn't it?

[ he gestures at poor Sinistra's tomato-colored hide. ]

It's not any different from how you can't look straight at the sun, I think. Too bright.

[bisection]

The what?

[ He's never heard that phrase. It's like this man speaks another language. His frown creases his face further. ]

So because it's brighter, it burns?

[heartsteals]

[ he doesn't know what pudding is... he should have seen that one coming, in retrospect. ]

Yeah, I think so... Like I said, I'm not a scientist. The important thing is getting you treated before you start really hurting. [ a hum; he rubs his chin, brows knitting together. ] Yogurt and aloe are usually the go-to solutions, but I'm not about to find either of those here...