[Voice/Action]

[flickerflash]

[This is a very comfy forest, really.  The sunlight's warm, and Katie curls up near a fallen branch and near faceplants into a patch of new spring flowers and waits for Snow White to maybe come dancing through her dreams, or Bambi, or maybe a couple rebel fighters on an awesome speeder bike chase that she can help with.  Ewoks, even.  Look, it's her dream, okay.   She'll will one of these things into existence if she can manage it.

It takes her a long while to realise she's not actually sleeping, and that's ... a little concerning.  Because to her knowledge she doesn't make a habit of going to sleep anywhere other than her very cozy bed, and she doesn't remember why she'd be out here. 

Sleepwalking.  All the way out here?  Kidnapped.  Her parents aren't rich.  By aliens.  That's a little better, but still kind of worrying.  There's a distinct level of nervous settling over her now because she's entirely alone in the middle of a place she doesn't recognise, and she's just not adventurous enough to want to be out here without any obvious way of getting home.

It's not her fault, is it?   She can't get into trouble if it's not her fault.  (Is today a school day?)

It's when she staggers upright, still yawning, that her foot catches on the edge of something and she thumps back down to earth with a startled sound, turning to glare at whatever she'd touched (why are her feet bare?), and stares at the journal lying in the grass with her name stencilled on the front.  And Katie reaches for it, because if it has her name maybe it has an explanation, and... the sight of it touches off muzzy memories of its own.  Familiar, somehow.

So she opens it.

Oh.  She knows what this is.]

[Voice]

...hello?

Comments

[flickerflash]

[Headtilt. Weird kid. Why is your hair so long?]

Hello. Are you lost?

[chibiremlover]

[Vash moves himself a little further out from behind the tree.] No, I'm looking for flowers. Are you lost?

[flickerflash]

Well, you found them. [And instead of answering that, she just smiles at him.] How do I get back to town from here?

[i.e. Yes.]

[chibiremlover]

Yeah, I guess I did! I found them AND you!

The town is this way. I can show you the way back if you want.

[flickerflash]

Oh, good. [Relieved.] If you wouldn't mind. What's your name?

[chibiremlover]

My name's Vash! What's yours?

[flickerflash]

Katie. [She blinks at him a bit because the name rings a bell, but the face doesn't. Oh, well. Vash is such a weird girl's name, too.]

[chibiremlover]

It's nice to meet you Katie! Come on! Follow me! We better get back soon before you get too cold!

[flickerflash]

Okay. [She'll step forward to follow, but looks down at her feet.] Have you seen a pair of shoes anywhere? I seem to have lost them.

[chibiremlover]

No, I haven't. Do you want to see if you can fit into mine for a little bit? My feet are pretty warm right now. I'll be okay without them for awhile.

[flickerflash]

Oh no, it's all right. I don't mind bare feet. I just didn't want to leave them behind.

[chibiremlover]

Oh, do you want to look for them first? Did you have shoes when you came out here?

[flickerflash]

I don't know. [She frowns. She doesn't remember that part.]

[chibiremlover]

[Vash had assumed she knew where she was when she had asked about the town, but now he's not so sure.]

What's the last thing you remember? Don't you know you're in Luceti?

[flickerflash]

I know Luceti. [I'm just not remembering very well.] There's a restaurant in town. I was there.

[chibiremlover]

Okay! Did you go home for a little while then? When I went home for a little while I came back without shoes too.

[flickerflash]

Did I? [She frowns. Maybe that's why her memory is so weird.] I don't remember, but maybe. I think that happened before.

[chibiremlover]

Okay, so you don't have to feel bad about losing your shoes. [Vash takes a quick look around anyway.] I don't see any at least.

[flickerflash]

All right, then. Maybe they got left at home.

...I can always come and look later. [She nods.]

[chibiremlover]

Then let's head to town before you get much colder, okay?

[flickerflash]

Okay.

[She follows you. Like a creeper]

Your hair's very pretty.

[chibiremlover]

[Vash can't help but to blush slightly.] You really think so? Rem also said she liked it, but no one else has.

[flickerflash]

Well, it is. I wish my hair grew long and straight like yours.

[chibiremlover]

If you don't cut it, it might grow long like this! I don't know much about curly hair. No one on the ship has any, but I think your hair is very pretty too.

[flickerflash]

Thank you! I get it from my dad. The boys must really like your hair, though.

[|D Hey guess what, Vash.]