entranceway | video/action;

[It's late in the evening and the feed is giving a low level view across the lake. For a moment or two, it's totally still. Nothing is happening, as though the device were switched on by mistake.

Then, Satoru breaks the surface of the water, thrashing like he's drowning. It's a moment before he gets himself under control enough to drag himself out of the water, and even then, his movements are uncoordinated. He's visibly shaking with cold, as though it weren't a perfectly fine spring evening.]

Th-this is...

[He doesn't finish his statement, in part because his teeth are chattering too hard, and partly because it's obvious that he's back in Wonderland. He stares around himself for a moment before spotting the device, and when he grabs it, it shakes in his hands.]

Is K-k-kayo still h-here? She...she is, right?

[At least he's got it together enough to remember that, if he remembers this place, he probably wasn't gone for long.

He tries several times to get to his feet before he manages it. Then he starts to stumble toward the Mansion. He's probably suffering from hypothermia, he thinks, so getting inside and getting warmed up again is vital.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh.

...

Yes. That...makes more sense.

[What do you even say in a situation like this? 'Sorry for your apparent awful death'? He dithers, before choosing on a response. ]

I'm glad you're not drowning here?

[He really needs more friendship lessons to get better at this. ]

[Satoru's still too cold to think that's a weird thing to say.]

M-me too. I don't...don't recommend it.

[A save, for socially awkward horse. ]

I doesn't sound like a lot of fun, that's for sure.

[An awkward chuckle. ]

I take it things aren't going well, then? Back home?

[It's a second before he answers that. Really, it's hard to say.]

K-kind of... Everyone else is safe.

[Something he'd worked really hard on. Things had paid off, on that front. Everyone that mattered to him was safe from any danger he could prevent.]

[Sunburst frowns, his ears flicking back. ]

Everyone but you, evidently.

[Which is where his concern lies. ]

Yeah. Um.

[He stands there quietly for a minute, looking at the clump of damp towels in his hands.]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to die...

[The universe really needs to just stop sucking, for like, a minute. This is awful news, and Sunburst's heart truly breaks for him. This isn't fair. ]

...I want to say 'I'm sorry', but I feel that's a little lacking, considering the situation.

[After a second, Satoru shakes his head and manages a small, somewhat shaky smile.]

No, I...I appreciate it.

[Now that his head is starting to clear, he's honestly starting to feel real fear about what he might be going home to. He's doing his best to manage that, though. It's not really going to do him any good in Wonderland.

Still. It's kind of hard to shake off.]

[Sunburst doesn't really know how he'd handle something like this. Knowing he was returning home to his death. Worse still, knowing Wonderland was his final stop, the last place to play out the final vestiges of existence.

It's not a comforting though. ]

I...I guess you're here, at least? It's not exactly a pleasant place to be a lot of the time, but I suppose it's something.

Yeah. It's... Well, it's nice to know I have a little more time.

[There's no knowing how much more, but it's something.]

And I'll be here with Kayo, so it's not so bad.

And time is a precious commodity.

[Made all the more so by not knowing how much of it there is. ]

That's good, then! Are they your friend?

Yeah. Kayo is...

[He stops for a moment, trying to think of the best way to put it. He settles on:]

She's really important to me.

[He wonders briefly if she's his special somepony, but realises that's...probably not a term that humans use, and it's also pretty invasive, as questions go. ]

That's nice. It's good to have someone like that in your life.

[Satoru nods. It's absolutely great to be in Wonderland with Kayo, where she's (relatively) safe. Especially now.]

I've got other friends here, too, that I'd miss.

[Like Sunburst! :)]

I should probably go inside... I can help you take these towels in.

I know you'd be very much missed here.

[He'd be touched to be thought of as such. He's not exactly rolling in friendship back home. ]

Sure, here you go. [He'll levitate a couple over, the towels folding themselves up as they hover in front of Satoru's face.]

[It occurs to him that, with hovery unicorn magic, Sunburst doesn't really need his help. But he still takes the towels and gathers up his coat from the ground. He won't be needing it at least, since it's spring here.]

Let's go.

[Sunburst absolutely doesn't need to help, but he figures Satoru probably wants to be helpful. ]

Lead the way~

video/action;

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action