koiwamizuiro | 2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]

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2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]

[Some time has passed since Ai first entered Luceti, and even now she was growing accustomed to life in the village. Slowly, but steadily. It was a much quieter place than what she was used to back in Kibitou.

The draft had come and gone, but the girl hadn't taken part in it, and she was thankful for that. Her recent entrance into this peculiar world was enough to deal with on its own, though she had kept herself as informed as she could as to what exactly was going on.

Today, she had initially tried to simply soothe herself with another walk around the village. It had developed to be a certain routine for her that she often practiced, and the weather was more pleasant than it had been before, warmer. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and blue denim jeans, along with her yellow jacket on top that she had regained possession of upon entering Luceti.

However, curiosity got the better of her and she ended up heading to several places that she had intended on checking out earlier, diverging from her walk a bit.]

Action I.

[Firstly, Ai found herself near the Bakery in the morning, a certain scent inviting her to come even closer and see what was available that day. The girl had wondered whether she would be able to find anything like her favorite Imagawayaki dessert here to buy later (or get, rather), so she would inform herself of what was offered here. Besides, she was also feeling hungry now, so her timing couldn't have been better.

One may find her right at the time she has an inner discussion with herself as to what to get, or they may find her wandering close by later with a croissant in her hand, already eating it contentedly.]

Action II.

[Then, Ai found her way to the front door of the Battle Drome. From what she had understood, this fascinating facility wasn't just a combat simulator, and she wanted to test out its capabilities for herself. She had read about it and already had a few scenarios in mind, but that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't use the help of somebody around offering to help her understand it a bit more.]

Action III.

[The Library was also a place the girl wanted to check, the last location on her route today, though she didn't have anything particular in mind upon entering it as she simply went on browsing. Maybe there was something informative as to the worlds of the other people she met here? Or perhaps there were different works of fiction made by authors from these other worlds that could intrigue her? Regardless, she wouldn't mind having some reading material to go through before she went to sleep each day.

Ai would spend quite a bit of time here, thinking as to what she would get and what would spark her interest the most.]

Action IV.

[Finally, when the sky has already darkened, Ai would take a small break near the river close to her new come, Community Housing Building #2, and clear her head some with her eyes watching the stars and her body resting on the grass. Anyone wandering around this late would be able to catch her there.]

(OOC: You can stumble upon her anywhere along her route. Reading the reflections post I have linked to is not necessary as it simply shows her initial thoughts and impressions of Luceti right after she gets herself an apartment.)

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[It was odd seeing the pony who was usually filled with glee - even days after she had been transported here - look so down, and also a little disheartening. It seemed that the draft had left an imprint on a lot of people, and if Ai had to guess, Twilight was one of the many examples of that.]

I am sorry to hear that, Twilight-san. Does being in the library help relax you? Having things to read? [It wouldn't be among her first choices too soothe herself, but at least it was almost as quiet here as it was in most places outside.]

[The girl then followed the pony through the aisles towards the reading room, which she hadn't had the pleasure of visiting before. Perhaps that would be just the thing for her, and she was more interested in fictional material than anything else anyway. There was a curious look on her face as she made her way through the library.]

[ She nods. ] Yeah. I love reading. And sometimes it's comforting to know there are characters that haven't leapt off of the pages into the real world. Well, yet.

[ She stifles a yawn. Hasn't been getting much sleep recently. ] I never thought I'd find books to be less violent than the real world.

[Reading could have a positive similar effect on Ai as well, though it did depend on the book and whether she found it gripping enough to hold her interest. Otherwise her mind would once again wander. Regardless, she chuckled a bit at Twilight's comment as she continued following her.]

...Do you think we are among the characters who did?

[At the very least, the purple alicorn had that unique look, colorful enough to have come from a book or from some cartoon, though Ai was fairly normal in comparison.]

[She could only frown a bit at Twilight's next statement, however.] ...Was it that bad? [At that moment, she was more certain that the comment was related to the draft in some way or another and that it was connected the shift in Twilight's mood.]

[ She hesitates, trying to decide which question to answer first. She goes for the first one. ] I don't really know yet. I haven't found any fictional accounts of me and my friends, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

The draft was... intense. A lot of people fell.

Even if there were, that would make you fictional in somebody else's world, not your own. [She wouldn't put it past for something like that to exist of her given how strange their predicament was and the fact that some people supposedly did have fictional versions of themselves. It could have all been a plan by the Malnosso to cause confusion in them or try to depress them, perhaps.]

I heard that it was, yes... are all of your friends okay?

That would make all fiction real life in some form, wouldn't it? I'd rather not think about that. [ She rubs her forehead. ]

Let's see... here we are. [ They arrive in the room Twilight's set up. There's a reading lamp and a stack of cushions in a corner. ] All free of people we actually know. Ponies, too.

And... they all made it out alive. Which is good, I think.

Not necessarily. As you said, it seems to happen to only select individuals. [Not that she would put the possibility past for all the rest, though, for there could have been many unconfirmed scenarios of the same outcome.

As Ai followed the purple alicorn inside the room that she had been leading her into, she looked around with a curious look on her face. She had noticed the door that they just went through before, but she had taken little to no note of it before, her attention usually caught by the front shelves of the library.]

This is cozy, Twilight-san... And even quieter than the rest of the library. I like it. [She also gave a smile upon noticing the pile of cushions.]

Hmm. Moiraine did point out that friends of current residents have a higher chance of arriving. After all, Rainbow and Pinkie were already here when I got here.

[ She smiles. ] I'm glad you like it. Sometimes even the library is too busy for me, and I need a room like this. [ She paws at the ground. ] Fluttershy would probably like a place like this.

...Yes, it seems to be that way.

[That had exactly been one of the things Ai had been thinking about a great deal, and Twilight wasn't the only exception to have at least a couple of her friends with her here. She could think of other examples, such as Aang and Diamond. It couldn't help but make her wonder whether any of her friends would eventually arrive in this place as well; it was a possibility.

Also, Twilight's friends were named Rainbow and Pinkie? Equestria was full of colorful names, wasn't it?]

I can see myself using a room like this to check out what the books that catch my eye are like before taking them... [And then yet another interesting name, presumably belonging to another pony.] Who is that?

Another friend of mine. She likes quiet spaces, like this! She doesn't love books as much as I do, though. She's more of an animal person. Fluttershy used to be here, actually!

[Turned out she was right in her assumption, then, which made her smile a bit and give out a faint chuckle. Yet another pony from their universe, then; it was an interesting coincidence.] Was she brought back to Equestria, then?

[The girl then proceeded to take in the room around them, a finger on her chin as she looked around, a question popping into her mind while she did so.]

...You mentioned that you created a "fiction" category before?

She... isn't here now. So I think so. I hope so.

[ She flaps up to the higher shelves and does a circle around the room. ] That's this whole room! What are you looking for? Mystery? Adventure? Romance?

She was, then. [What she said now was not just meant to comfort the alicorn, but she also believed it herself even if she would never be truly convinced that the Malnosso were actually behind it. All the people who had been here and were now gone; otherwise they would have resurrected.

As for the genre of books that she wanted...]

Um... I was just looking for something... otherworldly. [She scratched her cheek a bit as she thought.] I guess all of those work if I find the concept interesting.

You sound pretty sure. And you wouldn't be the only one. I used to be here, apparently, and I've spent time in Equestria since then.

How about some science fiction? [ She pulls a small stack off the shelves and brings them down to Ai's level. ] H.G. Wells has got quite the imagination.

[Her eyes widened a bit at Twilight's comment before she nodded, now more familiar with the concept of recurring journeys to Luceti than she had been before.] You probably do not have memories of that trip, however.

[She had to shake her head at the alicorn's suggestion, though, as she clarified what she had meant earlier.] I can read H.G. Wells back home. I was looking for something that I can only read in Luceti. Something from another world.

Oh! I didn't realize you had... [ she peers at the book cover ] giant tripods at home. Maybe one of these others?... [ She looks down the shelf. How much of these does she have to recategorize if it's not fiction? ]

Oh, and I don't have any memories of my last time, no. Though some others here do.

[Ai gave out a small chuckle as she smiled amusedly at the pony, shaking her head a bit as she did.]

What I mean is that the author of the book is a famous one back on Earth, from one of our other countries. His books are available home.

[The Japanese teenager may not have been born in England, but H.G. Wells was a well-known name worldwide. She hadn't read any of the talented writer's work, but she had most certainly heard of him before.]

[ She lets out a long breath. ] Okay. Let's see. Fiction not written on Earth. Hmm.

[ A battered green book catches her eye and she leaps over to it. ] Daring Do! Of course! [ She tosses Ai a book with a brown pony on the cover, carrying a blue artifact. ] This is one of my favorite series at home. Rainbow Dash's, too, though she doesn't know it yet.

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2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]

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