paixaorpg | (no subject)

Character(s): Neirenn, Yorda
Content: Neirenn decides to keep an eye on Yorda
Setting: Actua Are hotel
Time: Week 10, dark times
Warnings: Nope.

Neirenn was grateful now that Yorda had showed her to the hotel. She probably could have teleported from the O Pastore, but it was better to be closer. Walking to the other girl's room quickly, she kept a wary eye out for any Heartless that had managed to sneak inside... so far she hadn't seen any, but she'd rather be careful. Even knowing what those things were now... Neirenn wouldn't hesitate to fight them. She didn't want to turn into that.

And she wouldn't let Yorda get turned into that, either. Poor Yorda... to lose a friend so suddenly, and where had he gone to? They were going to die when they brought here. It's not fair, she thought. How are people brought here anyway? And how is it that someone can just vanish without a trace? The magic that governed this city worked in such odd ways. She would find out what it was, though. Things like this shouldn't just happen.

But in the meantime, keeping Yorda company was more important. Neirenn wasn't really sure what she was going to say to her, but it might just be better to listen and be with her. That other friend of hers would watch out for her too, which was a relief to Neirenn.

"Yorda?" she said, stopping by the girl's door and knocking gently. "It's me, Neirenn."

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Yorda had been desperately looking around for any sign of Ico, but had found none. What if those terrible shadows had...? No, she wouldn't think about that. She couldn't. They had survived similar situations before - worse ones, too - and the horned boy could easily fight his way through. The sword was gone, too, so Yorda could only assume he had taken it with him.

Even so, Yorda was on the verge of tears as she answered the door, blinking them quickly away. "Hello, Neirenn," she greeted, more subdued than usual in her worry and fear as she stepped aside to let the other girl in.

"Hey," said Neirenn, with a small smile that faded when she saw how upset Yorda was. This wasn't right. But she'd seemed so certain that Ico had gone for good. If I knew what he looked like, I'd search for him, but what if he got turned into one of them? There had been so many when she'd encountered them. It'd be far too easy for someone to be overwhelmed.

And then there was what someone else had told Lei'ella on the network. Neirenn had seen that, even if she hadn't said anything. Gone, one way or another....

"...How are you doing?" she asked, looking at the girl with concern. "You didn't get hurt by any of the Heartless, did you?" she added, looking over her. Yorda had said she could heal, but still... she looked unharmed, though.

Yorda shook her head mutely at Neirenn. Luckily for her, the Heartless had not ventured indoors, nor had she ventured out. She had been too afraid of the wily creatures that lurked in the darkness to even go out in search for food - but she still had some left, at least. She was worried about Ico, especially given the circumstances regarding his disappearance. Any other time, she would have known he'd left - like Ivan had - perhaps even gone back to his world. But under these conditions, who knew what had happened? Yorda often fretted about this late into the night, and even now, sat nearly wringing her hands, her eyes fixed on the floor.

She had never been so worried, nor afraid. Surely he would have sent some message by now?

Neirenn sat next to Yorda, wordlessly wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders. She didn't blame her for not saying anything--the pain, the helplessness, the not knowing--she could understand that, even though her situation hadn't been exactly the same. And Yorda was so innocent. She didn't deserve to lose a friend, and even though she hadn't met Ico, Neirenn doubted that he had done anything wrong either.

"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked after a few moments. She hoped that Yorda had food in her room already, but if she didn't, Neirenn still had plenty. Her teleportation spell had been coming in quite handy in the darkness.

Yorda shook her head. "I am not hungry, although I have food here," she replied. She had been completely unable to swallow a bite since learning of Ico's disappearance, and she didn't feel hungry at all. She leaned her head against Neirenn's shoulder, appreciating the gentle contact. "Are you alright?"

She hated being troublesome, being unable to fight and afraid of it besides. She didn't like even the thought of hurting something or someone, even if something attacked her. It was too sad, too cold and cruel. Even if something attacked her, she would only freeze up or flee, just as she had on the island.

"All right," said Neirenn. "And I'm fine." She could understand the lack of hunger, but she also knew that Yorda did need to eat. If she was any good as a cook she'd have fixed her up something, but she didn't know much but the most basic of recipes, and that was under her father's supervision. Hopefully her other friend would be able to do better for her.

Instead she just stayed where she was, giving what support she could to the girl and wishing that she could do more. But really--what was there to do? Just be there, that was all. Although I think I'll look for him after I drop her off at wherever Urd is, she thought to herself, just to make sure.

She would wait for Yorda to speak before suggesting they go find Urd. The last thing Neirenn wanted to do was make the girl think that she was being a burden.

Yorda, for her part, stayed silent, not being in the mood to ask questions or chat - not much, anyway. Some part of her knew that she shouldn't be like this, that she should soldier on nonetheless, and she would - but right now the princess could do nothing, except... "I will go to look for him," the girl decided. Even if she couldn't fight, Ico hadn't when he had arrived, and yet he remained with her nonetheless, and freed her.

If he was in trouble, the least the girl could do was the same.

"What?" said Neirenn. She looked at Yorda with more concern than surprise. The girl wasn't a fighter, and those Heartless were swarming everywhere. But it was perfectly understandable for her to want to look, of course--Neirenn didn't want to discourage her from hoping, far from it.

"You have to eat something first," she said, pulling her arm away and looking the girl in the eye. "And I'm going with you." She could deal with the Heartless, even knowing what they were now. The thought of someone having their heart ripped out, well, it--Yorda wasn't going alone.

Neirenn was right; Yorda was not a fighter. When she was endangered, the girl didn't even have the presence of mind to even attempt to defend herself - and sometimes, she couldn't even run. But Ico had come for her when she had expected no help and no hope at all. She had to do something. She had to try, at least.

Yorda shook her head. "I cannot look right now," she told Neirenn, albeit with reluctance. "I am going to see Urd soon." Perhaps the Goddess would know something, would be able to help her find out where Ico had gone. Besides, the princess, distraught as she was over Ico's disappearance, knew that going alone would be utter foolishness.

"All right," said Neirenn. "But let me know when you do go." And in the meantime she would stick to her own plan of looking for him on her own. She was confident in her own abilities, at least. She would have to be careful, of course, but it was better than Yorda running off alone.

"Where does Urd live?" she asked. "If you want, we can go there now--I have a portal spell I can cast, so that we won't have to go through the Heartless."

Yorda nodded. "I will tell you," the girl promised. She would find Ico, or at least learn of his fate. It was the least she could do after everything he had done for her. They had both been so happy, living innocently together in this hotel room, until he had vanished without a trace. What had happened? Where had he gone? She would find out, no matter what she had to do.

The girl thought for a moment. "Urd lives in Iriela Apartments," she remembered. She smiled gently at Neirenn, although it was subdued, and laid her cheek affectionately on Neirenn's shoulder. "Thank you."

Neirenn nodded, careful not to disturb the girl as she pulled the communication device from her pocket and brought up the map. "Iriela Apartments..." she murmured. "All right. I'm going to cast a portal spell to get us there so that we won't have to go through the Heartless," she said.

She cast the spell, and the two of them ended up on a bench in the lobby. Neirenn had had a lot of practice in the past few days.

Yorda nodded, nervously clasping her hands together. She did not like teleportation - her mother had used it, and it had been frightening. She shut her eyes tightly upon feeling herself move, and small shoulders hunched even as it ended. She opened her eyes after a bit, glad they had stopped, and looked at Neirenn silently for a few moments. "Thank you," she decided. "I will be alright from here." She didn't wish to trouble the other girl any longer.