Adventure 3- Back to Zero

[weakahoshi]

[Shirahoshi's been having bad dreams. Scary dreams. Dreams of being hurt and people talking and doing things to her and it makes her feel sick to her stomach. In the dreams, she wonders if she's losing something of herself, or betraying some sort of trust she'd been given. But now, waking up, she isn't sure what that trust would even be, or why she's even wondering about it.

The feeling lingers though. It makes her uncomfortable even as she blinks open her eyes.

And the world around her is HUGE. She must have been taken somewhere else again, because Luceti did not tower over her like this even though it was intimidating at first. There are massive houses, bigger than the castle in some ways. And the people! They must be giants! Some of them even tower over her, and no one has ever done that before.

But if she's been moved, that means she isn't where Luffy-sama and the others are anymore either. Even the new friends she met, who knows where they'd be? She's all alone again, though she has her journal and the bubbly coral. Shirahoshi doesn't think to check on them yet. She's too busy panicking to notice that the fountain behind her looks just the same as the one in Luceti, or that the buildings have exactly the same facades.

Someone please come comfort her as she breaks down in normal, human-sized mermaid tears.]

Comments

[toujourschatte]

[Well then, this is interesting. That is certainly Shirahoshi but she seems quite a bit smaller than normal. Though, as far as Robin knows, her distress is typical. Still, have Robin-cat trotting up to offer some comfort.]

[runawayhoshi]

[Oh no what is this giant scary animal?]

EEEEEEEEEK!

P- please don't hurt me, hairy black thing!

[toujourschatte]

[Robin cocks her head. Is this fear of cats really so prevalent? She writes in the dirt with a soft paw]

I won't hurt you

[And then because she's a troll Robin adds]

but you do look delicious, Princess-chan

[cryinghoshi]

[What do you even say to that? A giant hairy thing the size of baby whales walking up to you and telling you you look delicious?

Shirahoshi doesn't know. She just breaks down, pleading.]

I don't wanna be eaten, whatever-you-are-sama!

[justicereigns]

[Smoker basically hears signs of distress from the fountain and instantly assumes it's Keimi... So he goes to check on his daughter and finds a pink mermaid instead. She's kind of familiar but he can't put his finger on it.]

Miss? Are okay?

[cryinghoshi]

I... I think I'm l- lost again!

[justicereigns]

All right. Well, you're in the Luceti fountain if that helps.

And if not... Welcome to -- [Oh. That voice. She spoke of her mother...] Do you remember Luceti?

[cryinghoshi]

Er, yes but. Luceti is... Luceti sized. [She wibbles.] This place is much bigger.

[rashness]

[And there is a... fish... girl. In the fountain. One which is possibly under-dressed?! But okay no either way Rin starts a bit when he enters the square and takes note of this, so he cuts across to her crying and leaps up next to the fountain to hold out a hand]

Hey, hey?

[cryinghoshi]

[Shirahoshi blinks and looks up, surprised to hear a familiar voice. She gapes for just a second, then leaps up, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, sobbing.]

RIN-SAMAAAAA! I was so scared!

[rashness]

[Ack, she's wet and their skin's touching and-! He wiggles but yanks up his neck a bit and wraps an arm around her-]

Wait, what are you- hey? [Patting her on the back...] It's okay...

[cryinghoshi]

I- I thought I'd been taken somewhere else and it's cold and people are so big!

[Her whole body is shaking, a mix of tears and being wet in cold weather.]

[spohkh]

[Spock... as was common these days, was out for a walk when he noticed some rather.... well, fascinating.

However, the small creature seemed to be in distress. Spock approaches gently....]

Greetings, I am Spock. Are you in need of assistance?

[cryinghoshi]

[Shirahoshi shies away just a little, visibly afraid of what she assumes is a very tall human. Her whole body is shaking.]

U- um. Hello, Spock-sama. A- are you going to hurt me?

[spohkh]

[Spock takes in the obvious distress and tries to calm her....]

Of course not small one, I have no intention of hurting you... If it is your desire, I am here to help you.
How did you come to be in the fountain?

[cryinghoshi]

[His calm demeanor is a little reassuring.]

I woke up here. Before that I was...

[In a sealed tank, running out of space as her body reverted to its original size, maybe. Strapped to a table under bright lights while people in masks muttered to each other things she didn't understand. Possibly. She doesn't actually remember if those things happened or not. Maybe they're just dreams. Yeah, she must have been dreaming.]

... I guess I was a- asleep in the ocean.

[savedtheworld]

[Aang hears the crying sound and runs over, seeing her only from behind at the moment]

Hey! Are you okay?

[runawayhoshi]

[Shirahoshi looks at him over her shoulder, a mix of surprise and relief and latent fear all registering across her face.]

Aang-sama! I thought the Malnosso-sama had taken me away!

[As she turns toward him, she bursts into tears anew, grateful to see a friendly face.]

[savedtheworld]

Shirahoshi?!

[You're so... normal-sized!]

[markofthewise]

[The thing is, Sokka doesn't recognize her as that girl from the amnesia bit because, well, she's tiny now. Still, she's... a mermaid, like Keimi. And upset. So he makes his way over, frowning in concern.]

Hey. Relax. It's going to be okay, probably?

[cryinghoshi]

[She's only tiny when compared to her normal frame of reference. Head to fin she's only about six feet long, which would put her standing on her own at around five.

Shirahoshi sniffles and looks up. This man looks familiar. Vaguely.]

D- don't I know you?

[That's weird, because he'd be in that Luceti place. Which was a lot less intimidating. Though that building does kind of look the same...]

[markofthewise]

[Does he know her? He squints, tilts his head, and... oh! Oh!]

You're the.... the mermaid. Yeah. The crying one. Wow, you're back to normal. Well that's good!

[Action]

[mikanphones]

[One thing Yoh doesn't like to see is someone crying. Specially someone he knows.]

Hey, calm down. It's okay, why are you crying?

[Action]

[cryinghoshi]

Y- Yoh-sama? You're here too?

[Does that mean she's still in Luceti after all?]

Um. That is... were the buildings always this big, before..?

[Action]

[mikanphones]

Too? Where do you think you are, Shirahoshi?

[Yoh talks with a small amused laugh knitted with his words, he's not mocking her and it's a natural and casual tone, it's just a bit amusing because for him everything is normal. It's not nice that she's scared, confused and crying but... It's one of those things that time later will seem funny, or so he thinks.]

Unless I've gotten bigger, yes, they have always been this big. If they seem bigger to you, maybe you have become smaller. Or everything else has become bigger, ahahaha I guess that's going to be hard to figure out.