[X-MOD] Quiet. Peaceful. [Juon]

[Juon]

SPOILER: Click to show

Echo
+ Description: A lone X-egg seems to have stumbled across your path; it seems to see through you more than most do. Was its original wish once similar to yours?
+ Ignore it entirely or flee: +1 Guardians, -1 Faberge, -2 Roost
+ Chase it off: +2 Guardians, -2 Faberge, -1 Roost
+ Talk it down and cure it: -1 Guardians, +3 Faberge, +2 Roost
+ Smash it: -1 Guardians, -2 Faberge, -3 Roost
+ Find someone else to take care of it: +2 Guardians, -2 Faberge, -1 Roost
+ Requirements: Must be done solo; tag for X-mod
+ Submitted by Pai

The train ride back home to Kanazawa had been a long one, and the sounds of the rails beneath him had lulled him in and out of sleep as the hours dragged on; but it had been quiet, peaceful, and in his more awake moments had given him time to think, to sort everything out. There were no other Guardian Characters on the train; no X-eggs, X-characters, no--what were they called again? Hunters?--no Guardians, Roost, Faberge, no transformations, no one getting injured, no drama; nothing. It was quiet. Peaceful.

Juon had been looking forward to nothing quite so much as he had been dying for summer break--finals were over, he'd done his best on them, and now he was going home for a month. In his past years at Seiyo, it was usually such a chore to go home, especially if his father wasn't going to be home during the time, too--but this time was different; this time, he couldn't wait to get away.

He wanted to get away from all of the eggs.

Back to a place where things were normal.

Or, at least, he hoped.

It wasn't something that many at Seiyo realized (himself included), but it was true that the Heart's Egg nonsense was present everywhere--Otonoki had just had rather a saturation of it all. But he paid any consideration of the idea absolutely no mind, because home was supposed to be safe.

It was easy getting back, once he hit Kanazawa. The familiar scent of the air was almost refreshing, as the town itself was a very laid-back one, very down to earth; something he used to complain about, but now found himself wanting to embrace. The scent of the distant ocean. The feeling of the older architecture. The general spirit of the people around him. It carried a different note than Otonoki; a strong contrast in its overall tone, as his culture- and history-rich hometown clashed against the modern and entertainment-focused hub that was Otonoki.

His mother and sister had met him at the train station, his sister as eager as ever to see him, even if a bit reserved. He greeted her back, acknowledging her existence, tolerating her, even as she (as he expected) proceeded to overreact in her bubbly excitement about the earring that now sat [to his still-horror] comfortably in his right earlobe. His mother looked tired but still well, and she'd promised that his father was going to be home for at least a week while he was there; the thought alone already made the trip worth it, and practically cast off all of his fatigue from travel in that instant alone.

Home was the same. His room was untouched, and he used the opportunity to get reacquainted with the things he'd left behind. It was like traveling through time, back to a period were things were easier, simpler, quiet, peaceful.

And as eager as Clip had been to accompany him home, Juon was glad that he knew no member of his family would be able to see him--and he was able to move through things without too much anxiety backing him up over what Clip might do, or what people might think of him. And though the threat of Character Change loomed desperately over his shoulder every time Yonah drew near, he promised himself that he wouldn't try to fight it if it came; he'd just go through it, accept whatever happened, and be done with it. It was just a part of life.

He'd promised himself he'd get better about the whole thing.

Well, and technically, he'd promised Keiko, too: but Keiko wasn't here, and he didn't have to think about or interact with her in any way. He was Free of it All. Nothing could harm him here. None of it would even cross his path, no less touch him.

... He'd assumed, as he'd headed out during his second week there, strolling down familiar narrow streets of the suburbs to head toward his usual candy shop. There was nothing like jellybeans from your hometown. It was a comfort.



_{Miuna junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨ hello please wreck him
also feel free to take your time because I cannot forsee myself being good about replying to this regularly at all}

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

He'd have no problem making his way around the neighborhood. The day had slowly twiddled down and along with it the action it had seen the moment it started. People had begun to settle down for the day, most either inside their homes or speckling the streets in passing. There was one particular soul who hung out on the streets who found themselves lost as it moved past others aimlessly. No one turned an eye to it as it continued to slip by like a ghost forgotten by others. No one saw it, no one heard it.

A single black egg.

The sighting of an egg be it black or white floating through the air was nothing new. Students were often seeing eggs whether they'd asked for it or not, it was just how it had become. With time passing it became something more normal than others. No one could even look forward to a UFO sighting with the possibility it was simply just another lost egg. People were loosing themselves so easily these days, one more lost egg was nothing.

The small egg made its way through the suburbs, greeting each passing person with a simple Hello. It was the only word it seemed to know as it would greet a dog and bush in passing. It was unclear whether the egg had a destination or whether it was simply moving through the masses without a goal as it simply just continued to move. It passed the young boy, greeting him as it continued moving through. It chirped to itself, a small repeated hello as it seemed to make noise to itself.

[Juon]

It was true that the sighting of an egg was nothing new--though Juon still was quite unused to seeing the black ones face to face--and that he'd practically grown accustomed to seeing them wherever he went. But there was something different, and remarkable unsettling, about seeing them outside of Otonoki.

He'd only looked up from his phone for a moment; he'd been trying to text Takeo a picture of one of the sights--not expecting anything back, granted--and had simply glanced up to make sure that he was still continuing along without running into anything, only for something dark to catch his eye. He nearly dropped his phone, fumbling with it for a moment as he looked up more fully, eyes fixated on the round black threat that loomed up ahead.

No. Not here.

Anywhere but here.

He was so taken aback by its existence that he hadn't even been able to process that it was floating by him, and had offered a hello. He was frozen, eyes locked on the shell, reeling at the fact that it was happening: that they'd even invaded his hometown. Or had they always been here? Had the awful power that was granted by Guardian Characters simply let him see them for the first time? How many were here? Why did they have to be here?

As it passed him, he turned back in the direction he'd been heading. He didn't move.

Was he supposed to do something about this? ... What could he really do, anyway? No. No, he could let this blow over. It'd just moved past him--it didn't attack. It didn't confront. He could just... forget he ever saw it. He'd never seen that X-egg. No, definitely not. It wasn't even there. He'd just... continue on toward his destination. Maybe he only imagined it.

This trip was supposed to be quiet and peaceful, after all.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

He'd done something the egg hadn't expected. He'd turned around. He had acknowledged it and that was enough to cause the X egg to turn back around as well. It tilted to the side as it watched him attempt to resume his path. After having so many others not even bat an eye at it, to have someone actually stop and lay their eyes on it. The small egg had to take another look behind it, taken back just as well. Was this boy really able to see it? Were people really able to see it? It drifted a bit close to the boy as he went on about his business like before.

"Hello! Hello....hello?"

The egg called out to him once again, following behind him slowly from just a distance. "Helllooo....hello! Hello. Hello!" It continued to chirp its apparent single word vocabulary. It had gotten so used to simply passing people by. No other X egg ever lingered long enough for it to cling to a group, it was quite used to being alone. It was always alone...they'd always been alone...It had appeared the same way. All by itself. Without anyone to answer to or ask anything from. Where exactly did it belong...

Maybe he knew. Maybe he'd have some sort of idea...since he'd been able to see it. Maybe it had a chance at..not being alone for once. Though he didn't seem to linger on the egg for very long. That's okay...maybe he had urgent business to attend to. The egg did not mind follow him until he was done his important business. As long...as he acknowledged it again. It would be satisfied for the time being. But for now it was fixated on him. If he wanted nothing to do with it, he was going to have quite the time shaking it off now. His first mistake had been to even look at it.

It was like a lost cat that had been given just a sliver of decent tuna, coming back for more and not stopping until it was given what it wanted. It ebbed up and down as it followed him, still keeping a distance warily. "Hello....hello. Hello. HeeelllllloOooo. Oh. Oh. Oh. Hello." It's usual pattern of greetings had changed to shape some sort of makeshift tune as it followed behind him like one of the seven dwarfs. Hi ho hi ho, it was time for work. Or something along those lines...

[Juon]

Juon had made it a firm point to leep walking, to look past it all, to ignore the egg and anything it tried to do. Out of sight, out of mind--if he couldn't see it, it didn't exist, and it definitely wasn't his problem, right? Absolutely not. It wasn't in his line of sight, so he didn't have to deal with it.

... But he could hear it. What did that count for? And it was talking to him. Did it know he'd seen it? Or that he had an egg? Clip's egg gave a stir from inside his bag, but the Guardian Character was still asleep.

Juon gulped, having stopped in his tracks uncomfortably at its repeated hellos. It sent chills straight down his entire spine, blood running cold, eyes tempted to squeeze themselves shut.

But he kept walking.

It kept talking to him, greeting him, trying yo get his attention again. He made it all the way to the candy store, moving throughout the racks and dispensers as if nothing was wrong at all. If he ignored it enough, would it eventually go away? It hadn't attacked him uet, so maybe it wouldn't now. Maybe he could trick it into thinking it made a mistake.

Because he didn't want to or have any idea on how to handle it otherwise, and was refusing to admit it to himself.

[junko ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨]

It had followed him to his destination, chirping behind him as it struggled to get his attention once again. Though that was nothing new for it. The feeling felt vaguely familiar and just as equally frightening. It hesitated at the doors, waiting out front for the student to return. It swayed side to side, almost in a pacing motion as it anxiously awaited his return.

It rose and lowered, peeking through the windows as its greeting echoed softly. Could he see it still in there? Could anyone see it from in there? The greetings slowly started to drag out, suddenly changing to a sullen tone as it almost seemed to be growing more distressed the longer he took in the store. What if he was the only one to ever see it? What if it would continue to go unnoticed forever?

The egg sank lower to the ground with a cry. It wanted to be noticed. It wanted to be acknowledged. Why wouldn't they acknowledge it? Why wouldn't they look at it?