001 | time here all but means nothing, just shadows that move across the wall.

[encourage]

You know, I have better things to do than daydream. Do I daydream?

[ Sakura has to stop and consider this, since she doesn't think she does so much anymore. Hadn't she been going to the store? The weird one, one of the first rebuilt after the attack, that'd made no sense when she'd stopped in to see how things were doing. Who had she even met at the time? Why had she come in again? ]

Not that it matters. Come on, wake up, stop staring into... oblivion? What kind of place is this to dream about?

[ Dreams are what make sense, if this is more of a nightmare after current events. No floor, endless stars? Points of light in darkness and buildings that feel more like child's building blocks strewn about an area, held up by nothing she could actively grasp as being there and concrete left her unsteady. What had -- been mentioned before? She pinches herself, flinches, and frowns. ]

Ouch! I knew that trick wouldn't work.

[ Things could stand to be a little more familiar. Sakura runs a hand through her hair, schooling herself into meditative breathing. Look. Observe. React accordingly. ]

All right, the stress has finally gotten to me. I'm standing in the middle of space, and there's an information booth. I wonder if it has any tips for how to locate your sanity when it's gone missing.

[ She makes herself stop again, largely because she's talking out loud to herself, and this isn't as helpful as she wishes it was. Time to pretend an audience! ]

Hey, if anyone can hear me, a little guidance would be appreciated! You've got a really nice place here, but there's a few dozen appointments I have to keep and a Hokage I need to check in on, along with most of a hospital to help run, and a war to prepare for, so as much as I'd love to stay, I need to get going.

[ Another pause, and she looks upward toward the sky that isn't the proper sky, and sighs. ]

Or I can use the information booth and file a complaint with whoever's in charge. [ Adjusting the gloves on her hands, she smiles. ] In a manner of speaking.

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

Filing a complaint won't be of much help, I'm afraid, however you won't miss any appointments while you're here.

[encourage]

[ She slides into a ready stance as she attempts to pinpoint who was speaking. Looks like someone's here and listening, and willing to make that clear. ]

Oh? How does that work?

[lamb_of_gold]

[Mu's only a few feet to her side, not really making an effort at hiding himself. He's as relaxed as one could expect, which is to say very.]

Time stops while one is here. I'm afraid I don't know how.

[encourage]

Time... stops.

[ She isn't even close to believing that right now. ot to mention, for all he's relaxed, she isn't, and doesn't appear to be getting any more so. ]

Who are you? And if you don't mind, where exactly is here?

[lamb_of_gold]

It does. If you wish to see for yourself, then simply think of home.

[It's easy to read her posture, and Mu keeps his distance.]

Mu name is Mu, and this is the Astral Plane.

[encourage]

[ Without understanding that he pretty much literally means what he says, she frowns. The idea of an astral plane is... around in more theoretical literature. She's glossed over it in fits of curiosity, but never spent time really thinking about it. Too little impact on the realities of life. ]

An astral plane of existence? Or the astral plane of existence?

[lamb_of_gold]

'The,' I think, though perhaps not in the spiritual sense many think of. It's simply the title of this place, fitting as it is.

[explains]

[Someone caught most of that and that's a little sad. Because it means she needs the explanation again, which he doesn't mind offering, but it also means she's probably going to have the same reaction as last time. Guy approaches from the side, smile friendly and benign as he waves a greeting and stops a short, comfortable distance away.]

Haha... Well the kiosk's a good start at least.

[Welcome back? Welcome? Which is the proper one to use in this situation?]

Hey there.

[encourage]

Right.

[ She brings a gloved hand up to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. ]

I'm on the Astral Plane. Thank you for the name, Mu.

[ Manners. Several beats too late to be anything but rude, if she's more reserved and holding herself at a distance. On home territory, she'd probably be smiling. This is too off-centering for that. ]

I'm... Sakura.

[lamb_of_gold]

[If he notices, he isn't showing it] Sakura...ah, after the tress with those lovely blossoms, yes?

[Sometimes, he misses his old mergers.]

[encourage]

[ If she knew that she knew this once, she'd be happy to not run through the whole gambit. Unfortunately...

Sakura takes a half-step to the side, facing Guy head-on. It's good that he's kept his distance. From the tense line in her shoulders to the delay in any verbal response as she takes stock of him (quick, seconds to reach a conclusion of "I'll handle what I need to"), she's a fighter out of her element and not at ease.

Not that she's terribly imposing at barely over five feet, with a shock of candy-pink hair. (Then again, you know those short pink haired ladies...) ]

Hey. A kiosk, huh? Same thing as an information booth, right?

[ Her shoulders relax a fraction. See how totally okay she is with this situation? Yeah. Sort of. She almost sees it, too. ]

Who're you?

[explains]

[Fighter. If she's the same or similar as the one before, field medic, freaked out, and this time he has an idea of what things to assure her on first. As for taking her lightly, he's unlikely too. Tiny girls are not to be underestimated (girls in general aren't) even if Guy himself is pretty tall at just over six feet.]

Right.

[He keeps the smile and his distance, hands resting on his hips but not at his sword.]

My name's Gailardia. I'll answer if you have questions, though I bet I can predict what's worrying you most. [Unfair advantage, but he'll tell her why later. He grins instead, to make it seem more cheesy, more relaxing.] You can get home. And before you ask, you won't lose time there--as long as you're here, time stops back home.

If you want to give it a test, think of going home, you'll be there. Think of this place again and you'll be back. Easy, right?

bear with me on this

[encourage]

[ And suddenly, no Sakura. ]

[encourage]

[ Then there is Sakura. ]

[encourage]

[ Then there's no Sakura. ]

[encourage]

[ Then there's Sakura again, this time looking distinctly disturbed. ]

The bird was still midflight between being here and being back.

[ Now he knows why the out and back again. Sakura doesn't trust things easily, and she looks for some kind of echo of pattern to what she encounters in her life. ]

How is that possible? What is this place?

[ Her voice drops down low, eyes scanning the great big... everything she can, then returning to Guy's face. Something concrete. ]

Where're my manners? [ She won't win awards with this smile, but it's small, polite, and attempting to normalize. ] It's... a very strange pleasure to meet you, Gailardia. I'm Sakura.

[ Remember that whole handshaking thing? She's doing it again, but only after removing her glove. It's an intent motion, one she doesn't think about.

She's going crazy. Man, did it have to be like this? ]

[encourage]

Ah, yes. After the cherry trees.

[ She attempts something of a smile, lips curling up at the corners. ]

Not for the hair. My parents just got lucky on that one. Or maybe I did.

My turn for spam

[explains]

[He's patient, calmly waiting for her to finish her test. He sympathizes, really. At least he was greeted by some people he trusted. Still trusts, present tense.]

For where, that's easy. It's the Astral Plane. Though the how is a little trickier. I could theorize but...

[explains]

[And then this face.]

[explains]

[Followed by this one.]

[explains]

[And Guy is backing up several steps rapidly, holding his hands out in a slightly defensive way, keeping the smile, though it's strained and closer to terrified.]

Ah--ha ha... I-it's not you! No offense! [His voice cracks a little with stress, and it's actually pretty comical. Aside from the seconds from terror thing.] But pl-please, could you keep your distance?

[lamb_of_gold]

[Her smile is met with a chuckle, and a careful step forward. He's not exactly one to comment on an outlandish shade of hair - his is lavender, after all.]

Perhaps, but there is something to be said for intuition.

[encourage]

[ Sakura watches, surprised at first, then bothered, then concerned. Partly for Gailardia, partly for herself, evidenced as she looks down at her hand, then to him, and let's her hand just... slowly drop down.

Yes. Officially losing it. This is all too bizarre to really be offended, so she offers a softer: ]

None taken.

[ Before taking one step back herself, then another, then scanning the area to her right looking for someplace to -- go. The urge to sit down and absorb her own mental breakdown is imminent, and tied up init is the anger that it wasn't fair, that none of this was fair, and that apparently she wasn't able to hold up under the pressure of everything back home. ]

Damn.

[ Still soft, but said for her own sake as she lets anger and dismay show on her face, completely independent of anything Guy had asked after. His reaction's weird, but maybe -- with this all being in her head -- it's just the natural conclusion of what anyone should do when presented by her hands. You want steady, you want dependable. Sakura was much better than she had been, but... she wasn't there yet.

She folded her gloves together, tucking them into the pack at her hip as she started walking. Sakura ran a hand through her hair, a futile attempt at gathering her thoughts and remaining sanity together.

The bird had still been in the air. She went back to see it land, came back here because that couldn't be possible. Moving toward the kiosk, largely because it was the obvious landmark, she was shaking her head. ]

Damn damn damn damn damn damn. Naruto's training, the village is rebuilding, and I'm going insane. Sakura, you don't have the time for this!

[encourage]

[ His statement makes her laugh, short lived and genuine. Sakura shakes her head, and shrugs. ]

Must've been all on dad, in that case. I think my mother was convinced I was a boy right up until I was born.

[ She shakes her head. ]

Which is neither here nor there. It fits in with our family name, so I think it had more to do with that, if I like the idea of someone being intuitive around then.

[lamb_of_gold]

And may I ask what the family is named for?