[action] A glorious return

[faterecanted]

[It's probably a peaceful enough day, as Luceti goes. Maybe people are out looking through the shops. Maybe they're strolling through the plaza. Maybe they're sitting on the edge of the fountain, reading a book or having a snack.

Maybe there's a 6'2", 180 lb man in new feather pants being dropped into the fountain from a height of, oh, about 3.14 feet.

Wait, what?

Van is falling. That doesn't surprise him, it's exactly what he should be doing; except then he blinks, or thinks he does, and instead of purple and glow, there is blue sky. He has the barest of moments to register confusion over this development, and then he hits the water ass first. Shortly followed by the bottom of the fountain which, for the record, is hard. He's not feeling any better about the day he's had so far, either, now that it also includes being doused and viciously spanked by an inanimate object.

He may need a few moments to sort out what just happened to him.

Handily, that's about how long it takes for his regular clothes and journal to follow after, and land in the general vicinity of on his head and also his ruined pride. In case he needed a reminder that his boots are really heavy.]

What? [What else can a man possibly say in a situation like this?]


[Somewhat later, after he has recovered from his terrible butthurt, better remembered where this even is, and maybe picked up a change of clothes that isn't soggy, he will squelch over to his house. Oh, house 47, he barely knew you. He hopes it's still his house, because if it isn't someone's getting a terrible surprise when he barges on in through the front door and leaves puddles all the way to the laundry and shower.]

Comments

[Action]

[childofthefullmoon]

[Somewhere along the way of Van's tromping through the village, there is Estelle. She pauses and her eyes go wide once she beholds the very wet man in very white pants. She gasps and her hands go to her mouth, cheeks turning beet red.]

[Action]

[faterecanted]

[It could be worse than it is! He has a shirt. And a tabbard. ...which is also mostly white, and therefore also kind of see through. ...Really it couldn't be worse. But Van is at least both observant and well-mannered, thank you very much, so as soon as he notices Estelle he does his best to cover anything, um. Questionable.]

I am very sorry.

[Action]

[childofthefullmoon]

[Too embarrassed to say anything, Estelle just averts her eyes and goes the other way. She might be just a tad traumatized.]

[action]

[chainedraven]

[It was a really nice day out, which is why Gilbert was sitting on the edge of the fountain and eating his lunch. Really good lunch, too, that's absorbing most of his attention.

At least until someone decides to jump in the fountain and splash around and get him wet.

So maybe it's sunny and warm enough that he'll dry soon. And so maybe the guy is in New Feather pants, as Gilbert discovers when he whirls and glares, and maybe it wasn't his idea to jump in the water after all. But no. It's still his fault.]

I beg your pardon?

[action]

[faterecanted]

[When Gilbert whirls around, he will find the object of his ire looking a sight, with hair all sodden and fountain water dripping off the ends of his beard. What just happened and what did he do to -- actually, no, he knows the answer to that one.]

...Not my intention, I assure you.

[action]

[chainedraven]

[Yes, well, that was a really good sandwich, and half of it is now lying in a sodden heap on the side of the fountain. Gilbert is not mollified by anyone's intentions, and continues to glare.

Though, uh, he's keeping his eyes... politely up, after ascertaining that yes, those are New Feather pants, and yes, they're wet.]

Nor was it my intention to have my lunch ruined. Apparently we're neither one getting what we want.

[dissonates]

[Asch is attempting to enjoy a nice cup of tea on the couch in the living room when Van arrives, his knees tucked up, an orange cheagle curled up in his lap and a tabby cat wrapped around his feet, the very picture of a peace. His journal is resting on his knees, open, but with no pen in sight. He doesn't even look up, even with the squelching feet.]

Ginji, is that you? It better not be raining.

[faterecanted]

[Squelch squelch squelch...]

It's good to see you too, Asch.

[Oh, the irony. But at least he got the right house.]

[dissonates]

[Okay, that? That was not Ginji. And the voice is instantly recognizable, too. Asch jerks upright, startling both animals- Tsuae scrambles off his feet and flees the room, and Star tumbles off the couch. Asch drops the journal and reaches out to grip the top of the cushion for extra balance, setting his jaw. He doesn't know why Van is back, what he remembers, what happened while he was gone, but he is not comfortable with this situation. With the state he's in and no one else home? Yeah, not happy over here.

He glances in Van's direction, lips pursing.]

...I didn't think you'd be back.

1/2

[fallenambitions]

[You know he really shouldn't be so surprised by things or people for that matter just falling out of the sky around here, but he wasn't exactly looking up. So when passes by the fountain and hear's a sudden loud splashing sound, it nearly catches him off guard.]

What- [And basically makes the same reaction Van did.]

[fallenambitions]

[Once he got over that, he backtracks to see what had happened and finds himself look at a grown man in the fountain, new feather garbs with his clothes piled on top of him.]

... [He'll...just take the journal that's sitting all snuggly on top of all his clothes.] Are you all right?

[trueknight]

[So, it's one thing to be walking along and have something weird happen in the background. That's almost to be expected. But it's something totally different when a grown man falls out of the sky and lands in a fountain about four feet away from where you were walking by.

Yuri's normally a pretty hard to shake guy. That ... That made him jump a little. Not to mention what follows. Wow. Did he piss off the Malnosso at some point in time, or what?]

... Someone out there really doesn't like you.

[A clearly new person getting snarky commentary from a mildly shocked passerby is probably not the best thing. Let's follow that up with something else.]

You ... gonna be all right there?

[Should he even be asking something with such an obvious answer?]

[faterecanted]

I believe you may be right. [Understatement of the Year award goes to...

Van is just going to need a moment to- Maybe he should put his shirt on before he stands.]

No worse than the first time, I suppose. [If he takes his humiliation with grace and dignity, that means he has not been humiliated.]

[action]

[relinquishing]

[It was supposed to be a short trip. Just long enough to tear himself from the apartment, pass through the plaza and run an errand or two. No bar work today meant there was not much to keep his mind occupied, and he definitely needed a distraction.

Hearing the splash and looking over to hear that very familiar voice from the fountain? Yeah, that was... quite a distraction. Enough of one to get him to stop in his tracks, at least.]

Van...

[Well. Then. That just made things wonderful and cheery around here, didn't it?

He's just gonna cautiously get moving again. Van, he's really hoping you didn't see him.]

[action] Guy is, in fact, free to run away and leave him uselessly pissy until later

[faterecanted]

[Oh, he saw you, or rather, heard you. You know when the last time he saw you was?

About five minutes ago, when you helped kill him.

He is therefore accordingly pleased about this reunion. (And just wait 'til he finds out what happened while he was elsewhere...)]

Gailardia. [Guy better not run away. Guy better have the decency to stand here and face him right now, instead of being a big avoidant baby, even if he was just unceremoniously dumped into a small body of water. Wow, it's almost like last time, but in reverse, and with 300% more murder.]

action;

[trashed]

[...It wasn't every day that Sync walks by the fountain and hears a splash. Had some idiot fallen in?

He glances over, not really expecting that idiot to be Van.

But it was.

...] I guess you're back.

action;

[faterecanted]

[He is not an idiot and he did not fall in, thank you very much.]

Do you intend to simply stand there?

[If Sync has an ounce of foresight in his replicated body, he will start ingratiating himself before Van finds out what he did to his favorite.]

[action] Joint with Tear 1/2

[falenandawn]

[Frey and Tear had been spending time together recently, mostly because Frey has been worried about how she had handled recent events, and wanted to be there for her. It's for that reason that they're out today, walking through the Plaza towards Seventh Heaven.

Of course, when there's a loud splash and water falling in their direction, he's going to be stumbling to the side to try to get away from the water, and that, well....

He didn't plan to bump into Tear, but at least he took the brunt of the splash.]

[action] Part 2!

[seleniahymn]

[Tear had been caught off guard just as much, some of the water still making it onto her person. Having nearly lost her balance when Frey bumps into her, she instinctively latches onto his arm to try to keep them both from falling over onto the hard plaza floor while at the same time trying to locate what had been the cause of the sudden commotion.]

Wha...?! [... Hold on...]

[Action] It's like the opening scene of a horror movie...

[broji]

[Ginji's panting by the time he reaches the front door of House 47, arms laden with bags of groceries and supplies. If he can get all this put away and organized, then by his calculations he should have a few free hours left to tinker around with his current mechanical undertaking before it's time to start on dinner. Right! Sounds fair enough to him.]

[It's as Ginji shrugs his way inside that he notices the floor is less tidy than he left it. And there are puddles. Has Arietta been off in the woods or-- worse, maybe Asch went out for something and lost his way? Better hurry it up. If it's Asch, he'll be in an awful mood.]

Mr. Asch...? Arietta? I'm back!

[Action] The Eyebrows From Outer Space

[faterecanted]

[Who is this and why is he in Van's house?

No, clearly this is 'Ginji', unless Asch has invited multiple people to come live with him. ...A likely story.

Which means Van should probably put in an appearance, instead of just sulking in his room like the touchy thwarted murderer he is. Not as impressive of an appearance as he'd make if his uniform wasn't drip drying and unwearable, but sort of just appearing in the entrance to the hallway is still good, even if it is done in jeans and a too-small tshirt.

Someone probably wrote a fanfic like this, somewhere.]

I haven't seen Arietta yet today.

[Action]

[wildlittlegirl]

[ Sorry Asch that they kind of left you alone with the big bad happening to show up today. Won't happen again maybe.

Arietta for her part comes back after another wonderful day of wandering through the woods trying to talk to animals, and welp, that looks like a puddle trail!

Trails are meant to be followed.

So there's now a loli following (and carefully not disturbing) a line of puddles into the house. What oh what could be at the end of these puddles? ]

[Action]

[faterecanted]

[At the end of the puddles she will find one (1) Order of Lorelei Commandant's tabard, slung over the shower curtain rod, drip drying.

Also, if she turns around and looks to the other end of the hall, she will notice that there is a light on in Van's former room.]

[action]

[silversnowfall]

[Guess who else was passing by the fountain today. Surprise!]

General! [That's the first thing she could say that wasn't a stutter.]

[action]

[faterecanted]

[Nephry he is back now and he is looking like a wet cat and also his clothes are indecent?

And Van did so well avoiding her out of embarrassment last time... His first impulse is to not be sitting in the fountain, which is probably not the wisest impulse, because halfway between sitting and standing he realizes what he is now wearing, or not wearing. Thankfully, as he is standing, his normal clothes are falling, and he catches them around waist level. Completely intentional cover-up.]

...Viscount.