Sora Laughing Under The Storm - OTA

[sora_under_the_clouds]

Open/locked?: Open to all
Who: Sora and whomsoever finds him.
What: Sora's arrival on the Isle
Warnings: Mentions of violence, possible PTSD mentions, murder mentions.


Soramaru came to on the roof of the school, laying out on his back. He blinked and looked up at the sky, drizzling rain on his face. At first nothing seemed odd. Sora was used to waking up under a cloudy sky. Everything that had happened recently had been intense, but it was such a short time compared to the rest of his life, and for a peaceful moment it was though he was before everything again. Where the hardest part of his day would be training with Tenka to prove himself. He allowed himself a small smile, sure today would be the day.

But then he finished waking and sat up, recent events catching up again. "Tenka?" he called, crawling to the edge of the roof to look down. "Chutaro? Sh..." hi voice caught a moment, but he shook his head. Enough to realize that this wasn't the temple grounds. Any other names froze unspoken on his lips. "Where..." he shook his head. Where was he wasn't the right question, he could figure that out later. How did he get wherever he was, and why was he here? Those were the concerns to focus on.

He stood at the edge of the roof to get a look around. Thorns, a lot of them, in pretty much every direction. Though he spotted a path to a large body of water. It didn't look like lake Biwa, but it could be a clue as to how he got here.

He looked up at the cloudy sky then back towards the water. He tried to see if he could see if there was any sign of the tree that would tell him he was looking at Lake Biwa from another side. But there was some sort of... something weird in the air maybe? He couldn't tell.

He might have to see if anyone was around and ask for some help.

For those seeing him for the first time, he probably looked a bit odd with hi Reformation Era clothes; Hakama pants, multiple layers of sleeveless yukata with a happi coat tied around his waist like people in other countries might one day tie a hoodie. He was in his boots and at his waist was what looked like a pair of short katana in hard enamel sheaths wrapped in beads. His dark hair had red on the tips here and there, like on one side of where the hair crossed over his nose between his eyes.

Comments

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Wait... a spirit curse?" Sora asked, instantly alert and serious. "I think you're going to have to start from the beginning." He closed his hand reflexively on the hilt of one of his swords. It was so natural that for the moment he wasn't thinking about the fact that he shouldn't have them. And as he hadn't swung them yet, he wasn't yet aware that they were different than the swords he had worked with for so long.

[awkward_turtleduck]

Zuko groaned. "No, sorry. I don't know what kind of magic. Just-"

His gaze followed the boy's hand to his weapons, and he took a half step back, narrowed eyes resting back on the boy's face. He didn't look ready to attack, though the move made Zuko uneasy.

"No need to get testy. From what I understand it was some kind of a bungled wish or something. It sent everyone who was supposed to be here away, and it's been pulling people from other worlds back ever since. I don't know the specifics on why or how. Just that we're stuck here."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"What... Oh no." he let go of the hilt. "Sorry. Last Spirit curse... well never mind. A wish? How does that even... Okay if you don't know, who can we talk to?"

[awkward_turtleduck]

Zuko crossed his arms, though he'd lost the tension from a moment ago.

"If you're looking for a clearer explanation I think Foulques would be the best bet. He's been here a while, and talked to the people outside this Agni forsaken barrier. Oh, another thing; there's something around this island. It blocks out all forms of magic and makes other abilities and technologies work weird." He was still annoyed he'd missed the last ship from Auradon. There was nothing to do about it now though.

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Island," he said slowly, then looked back out the direction he had been looking from the roof. "And if I guessed this was some sort of prison...?"

[awkward_turtleduck]

"I'd tell you it was a good guess. Supposedly, for this world's villains. What that's supposed to mean about us?" He scowled and looked away from the boy. "I'd rather not think about it."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Gokumonjo..." he said softly, somewhere between sounding like a swear word and sounding like something that caused him pain. He looked away as well. Took a few deep breaths, then shook his head. "I probably deserve to be here at least, then. So.. I'll do my best to repent, serve out my time, and try to make things better to make up for all I made worse."

[awkward_turtleduck]

Well that... was a somewhat familiar sentiment. "Look, it's uh, not all that bad. It's not a real prison, not right now at least. You can go where you like, and most of the folks here have been working together to make the place more livable."

He ran a hand through his hair, still getting used to having that back. "I'm Zuko, by the way."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Oh. Sora." Since they clearly were just using given names. "It is okay if it is that bad. I have a lot to make up for. So I'll do my best," he said, offering up a smile.

[awkward_turtleduck]

Zuko wasn't sure what this Sora had done, though he doubted it could be worse than his own wrongdoings. It was probably best to leave it for now. He tried for a smile back, the expression feeling foreign and a bit clumsy on his face. "Most of the work right now is gathering food. I can show you the beach later if you'd like. I should probably show you around inside first though. It's the only place to sleep really, and it's where Chell's been doing all the cooking."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Sure. I'll be happy to help. Just show the way. Can we see the mainland from the beach?"

[awkward_turtleduck]

He shrugged. "Yeah, kinda, if the fog's not too bad."

He headed away from the beach first, around to the front of the school. "I'll show you the soup room first. Are you hungry?"

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Well if you ask Tenka and Shirasu" That still hurt, but he kept going "my age means the answer is going to be always," he said with a chuckle. "With how much all of us eat and how little we get paid, we're extra grateful to the townspeople back home."

[awkward_turtleduck]

"Sounds like a fr- like a guy I know." Zuko shook his head. Had he really almost called Sokka his friend? His memories were still choppy, but the word had felt alarmingly natural. "Anyway... You don't have to pay for the food here, just help out so there's enough for everyone. This way."

He pushed open the doors to the school, and the faint smell of the ever bubbling pot of simple fish stew billowed to meet them. Hopefully Sora liked fish.

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"So basically I'd eat well and my big brother would starve?" He asked with a bright grin. "Works for me." He missed Tenka, and it felt so good to be able to tease at him again. Sora sniffed the air as they walked. "Smells delicious."

[awkward_turtleduck]

Zuko rose an eyebrow. "You want your brother to starve?" Tone? Zuko does not do tone well.

He shook his head. "It's a little bland, but aside from the issue of eating the same thing every day, it's not as bad as it could be."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

Sora laughed. "Nah, but I don't mind making him sweat for a bit first thinking I do." He grinned. "I consider it payback. Though not nearly enough. And bland is fine. Maybe I can help out in the market once I find it to get us some extra supplies to mix it up too."

[awkward_turtleduck]

Far be it from Zuko's place to question Sora's relationship with his brother. He wasn't exactly the shining example of brotherly affection to begin with.

He shook his head. "No markets here. Just the shore and whatever you can get out of the water or off the beach. Chell probably wouldn't mind a hand though if you offered to help cook."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"I don't mind at all... but what do people who don't fish do for food if there is no market? Surely some people have jobs that keep them to busy to catch and cook their own food...?"

[awkward_turtleduck]

"I'm not sure how things used to work here. Right now there's not enough people to worry about it. Maybe fifteen, and a lot of them are kids." He didn't seem to include himself in that category, despite obviously still only being a teenager himself.

"If you don't want to fish, you can clean the school, or try to clear some of those vines." He gestured to the wall of thorns that surrounded them, before pushing a hand against the door to the school. "Food's this way."

[sora_under_the_clouds]

"Kids.... like.. Chutaro's age or...?" he asked, then blinked. "Oh, right. Probably should mention Chutaro is 12 before I ask a question like that," she said with a chuckle.