Introductions

Peter

"Thanks," I told her, sitting down. Ses sat down beside me and curled up. "Uh, don't feel like you have to keep me company or anything. You can go back if you want." I doubted she wanted to see the really invasive guy, but I wasn't sure if she had friends among that crowd she wanted to eat with. I was used to being alone anyway.

Kinley

"Nah, Peter, it's cool. I'm introverted, anyways, so it's kinda nice being around only one person..." I glanced at Sesria. "And a soul, I guess."

I took a drink of my tea before setting the mug down on the ground beside me. The people inside were being loud, as usual, and I was sure none of them even noticed Peter and I had left; I certainly hoped Jake didn't, at most, because he wouldn't let it go and would just keep making his unamusing jokes... I released a small sigh. We were like a crazy, dysfunctional family.

"So, um, this whole "soul" thing... Do I have one?" This question had been on my mind for a while now, and I figured that now was as good a time as ever to ask.

Peter

This was a question a lot of people from outside my multiverse liked to ask, so I was used to answering it.

"Not in the sense that I do," I told her. "For most people, what they would call a soul, I'd call a spirit. Your spirit is you, occupying your body. I can tell you if you have one of those... Give me a moment." I concentrated on the life energy in the surrounding area, and Kinley's spirit and life energy showed up right away. "You do," I told her.

Kinley

I released a laugh, nodding. "I was fairly certain I had a, uh, spirit in me, but thanks for the reassuring words. I'm sure that some people inside there'll disagree with you, though."

I dug the heels of my boots into the ground in front of me, making a little pile of dirt at my feet. I wasn't really sure what to say next, so I figured that I should keep myself occupied to try and break down some of the awkward energy that was floating around in the silence. I bit into my toast.

Peter

"Heh," I said. "Well, then they're certifiably wrong."

I hadn't yet encountered a universe where people didn't have spirits of some sort, and frankly, I didn't want to. The thought freaked me out to no end. So, rather than think about it, I just decided to eat my toast. I hoped she didn't mind the ensuing silence, because I wasn't really sure what else to talk about. I'd never been a great conversationalist.

Kinley

After a few moments of silently finishing up my food, I set my plate down beside me and picked up my tea. Ahh, warmth, I thought to myself. Okay, so maybe the cool evening air of fall had bothered me a little bit, but I was still okay.

I looked over at Peter and tilted my head slightly, observing the way he moved around. And then I decided that it's kind of creepy to watch people and moved by gaze down towards Sesria. She was a very pretty, ah... dog-slash-soul thing; I wished that she was tangible though. She'd probably be quite soft.

Suddenly, one of the mines let out a rumble, and then there was a eardrum popping explosion. I flinched at the sound and turned away from it, shielding my head with my arms even though it happened far enough away that nothing would have hit us. I grew up surrounded by loud noises, and was used to them, but land mines were where I crossed the line...

Peter

In a reflex, I shielded myself from what I recognized as a land mine. The sound was all too familiar. It...wasn't something I'd heard in a long time, and I would've been fine never hearing it again. Forcing my muscles to loosen up, I returned to my previous position. I was glad I hadn't been holding my tea at the time, or I would've spilled it all over myself.

"Ha...well then..." I said, trying to keep the unease out of my voice. "That happened."

Kinley

As Peter relaxed himself and spoke up, I flinched again. Land mines were point blank my least favourite things, and they brought back... the worst memories. I forced myself into a sitting position, but kept my jaw and fists clenched tightly; my breathing was shallowing, and my heart was pounding so hard...

"Y-yeah..." I stammered, forcefully digging my boot heels into the ground again. "N-not fun..." My ears were still ringing, but I could vaguely hear the now-hushed voices from inside the building. When land mines went off, it wasn't a good thing, but I just... couldn't get myself to move.

Peter

"Should we...do something?" I asked. I'd noticed that even the people inside the building were quiet now, so I assumed the sound wasn't as natural as, say, the gunshot from earlier. To be honest, though, I was hoping she'd answer my question with a "No." I was having enough bad memories resurface for me already.

Kinley

When Peter asked me what we should do, well... that was when the full panic set in. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head towards the ground, focusing on adjusting my breathing to a somewhat normal level.

"Just... g-give me a m-moment..." I managed out. We'd have a few minutes to spare before anything else happened, if whatever set that mine off was still alive and moving, plus we were seated right beside the door to go back inside, giving us a quick escape.

Peter

She looked really distressed...not that I didn't understand why.

"Um, sorry..." I said. I wasn't sure exactly what I was apologizing for, but I felt the need to apologize anyway. She'd freaked out a lot when I'd spoken; I felt really bad for that.

I wondered what had set the mine off in the first place. Based on the atmosphere, it seemed like something we ought to be worrying about, but maybe it'd been benign...? Maybe a wandering animal activated it... Not a nice prospect for the animal, but better for us than the alternative. Not that I even really knew what that alternative was... Yet again, I felt frustrated at how in the dark I was in this world in general. I had no idea what to expect for anything, and I never liked that feeling.

Kinley

A few more moments passed of my being silent, and then I raised my head and looked around. The dust had just cleared out, and I had to squint to see the distant shadows of moving... lumps? I grabbed my dishes and stood up, bolting into the building and almost tossing them into the sink.

Nolan, Wen, and Jake were all in ready positions in the kitchen; Jane and Luka were making sure all of the windows and the front door were locked, along with making sure no candles were lit; I was sure that Damien was set up upstairs... I grabbed a gun from the trunk in the living room—my swords wouldn't be of any use in this situation, at least not at first—and I waited for the emergency signal from Wen.