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(no subject)

Characters: Wanijima Akito & OPEN
Date: April 1st - 14th
Location: Wood Sector, mostly.
Situation: Akito is exploring his new - and hopefully temporary - 'prison'.
Warnings/Rating: n/a

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He misses Tokyo.

It's the first thing Akito thinks once he can concentrate on something other than how quiet it is in his mind. No Agito there to keep him company, or Lind lurking in the background. It's quiet and empty, save for the chains and cages. The black water of the ground feels foreboding. It could swallow him up at a moment's notice. He could drown in his mind with only a pinprick of light as company.

A shiver runs down his spine. Even in his earliest memories - before he knew Lind had always been there, lurking - Akito had never felt so alone as he does now.

He does his best to focus on his current task: exploring.

Admittedly he finds himself impressed by the size of the trees in the sector he'd been assigned to live in. He had never seen a tree so large before. At first it was a bit disconcerting, but now he finds it comforting. The imposing form of the woods is cozy in a way that the skyscrapers in Tokyo weren't (though the skyscrapers were fun to play on). It makes him think of the fairy tales he enjoyed as a child; the stories that kept him company when he was locked up and left alone.

He makes sure to check out all of Iroh's recommendations on where he can get food, then looks at all the other shops at both clothes and weapons (best to see what kind of weapons he might have to defend against). He picks up a pair of plain flats for shoes until he can find sneakers; a pair of loose pants and a long shirt as well. Once finished with the necessities, Akito meanders around, though always keeps a sharp ear out for any danger.

It's tempting to just keep pretending this is all a dream, but he knows that it isn't.

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A slightly deflective response, combined with a very visibly defensive posture. Okay, then. She made a mental note to keep a few paces in between them for the time being.

"What about the other sectors?"

"They're nice, but this one is the best." Akito still isn't sure what she wants - if anything - but he notices that she keeps a respectful distance, which causes some of his tension to bleed away.

"How long have you been here? If you're claiming to be not-so-new?"

"How long have you been here?" Obviously at least a few months, if not longer, if her previous comment was any indicator.

She shrugged absently. It was hardly a secret.

"More than a year...by about five months, give or take." ...has it really been that long? Zatanna was gradually growing up away from home, and there were moments when she was...almost okay with that. "It hasn't been all bad."

"It could be worse," he agrees. He could be stuck someplace even worse. Then again, he could be somewhere else with Agito and - even if it was infinitely worse than a giant turtle island - it would still be better, because at least they would still have each other. "But it could also be much better."

Akito doesn't even want to think about what will happen when he needs to fight.

And since the girl did answer his question without issue, Akito decides to be polite and return the favour. "I've been here less than a week."

"So you are new."

She figured.

And she also agreed about the better remark. Because, while she did have her own life here, now...people who she loved and who loved her back...people she would never be able to see again if she ever went home...there was still the matter of her life back home. Helmet or no Helmet, there was her father and her old friends and her old school.

...okay, maybe not so much the school.

But then there was also the impending war looming over their heads. The assassination of the previous Emperor. Gang Wars and Fire District crime life and all that other fun stuff that almost reminded her of Gotham. Those parts of Turtle Life, she could do without.

"I'm not saying this place is a total paradise. I'm just saying...give or take, I'm actually kind of glad I was brought here."

With all that was taken from him to be here, Akito can't help but frown. It's nice that this girl is content and he won't begrudge her that, but he is certain he won't ever be glad he was brought here.

"This place has already taken too much than could ever be given back." He stares down at his feet; idly wiggles his toes in his new shoes. It makes things easier to focus on the small things when he feels too overwhelmed. "It's good that you're glad."

She shrugged at that, well aware that Experiences could Vary.

"I got lucky. But what did you mean it took too much? What did it take from you?"

"Something important, and irreplaceable." Not something he wants to go into detail about just yet. "Something I'm useless without."

"Sounds ominous."

She wouldn't pry. Assuming this was more than just a dramatic setup.

He shrugs, scuffing a foot on the ground. "If I get home sooner rather than later, everything will be good. My presence here won't be missed."

"Really? No friends yet?"

True, he said he hadn't been here that long...but Zatanna had managed to collect a few on her first full day. Granted, she had the advantage of knowing a few faces from before, but even the ones she'd never met hadn't taken long to make the list.

"I'm not exactly sure how to break it to you, but...the whole sooner rather than later thing doesn't really happen too often around here. People go home, but we can't predict who or when."

Another shrug, and he seems to shrink in on himself just a little bit more. "I've been kidnapped. It's... Not the best time to make friends right away, ne?" He wants to believe everyone is nice, but experience tells him to be wary. "And even if it doesn't happen very often, it could still happen."

"Mmm...yes, and no. You were kidnapped, but not by the people living here. It's not there fault. And don't you think making a few allies in a new world might be the smart idea?"

"Allies are always a smart idea, but making them with just anyone is not. When you're still adjusting to a new dimension and have nothing familiar for guidance, the last thing you want to do is make friends with someone who just wants to kill you later on."

"Point taken."

Thanks, Hannibal.

"But you also can't hide yourself away and wait for all the untrustworthy people to announce that they're untrustworthy. You need to go and find out for yourself."

"Maybe..." He can't say that the thought isn't entirely unappealing. He's lonely, and misses being in fun company. But he's also scared. If he messes up, Agito isn't there to help him.

"Tell you what. You're off to a pretty good start right now." Friends might be pushing it a bit for such a first meeting, but Zatanna would admit the conversation hadn't been entirely unpleasant. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Zatanna, by the way."

Akito eyes her hand warily for a moment, but she's given him no reason to distrust her, and there's only so cautious he can be without it being draining, so he gives her proffered hand an awkward little shake.

"I'm Gazelle," he says quietly. Lying isn't something he likes to do, though he supposes if one were to get technical about it it isn't entirely a lie. Once he's gotten used to his surroundings he'll drop the alias and go by his real name, but for now he'll continue using it as his metaphorical safety blanket.

With his hand returned back to his side, Akito gives a small, informal bow. "It's good to meet Zatanna-san."

He's pleasantly surprised when he realizes that it isn't a lie.

She raised a slight eyebrow at the honorific.

"Just...Zatanna is fine. My name's enough of a tongue twister as it is."

"I'm from Japan. Your name isn't that difficult," he jokes.

She grinned, joking back.

"You'd be the first person to tell me that."

"That I'm from Japan, or that your name isn't difficult?"

"The second one, mostly. People here come from all different parts of various universes. Japan isn't really any stranger than under the sea or Mars."