It had been shaping up to be a good day for Kyle. No lingering nightmares of the dark maze. No memories from a past he couldn't remember; a past he didn't want to remember really.
The sun was shining, albeit all little warmer than usual. It was strangely peaceful...a little too peaceful for comfort, but nevertheless Kyle got comfortable. He probably shouldn't have but, can you blame him?
Even more peculiar than the unusual peace was the lack; the lack of everything really. The lack of people wandering about to say hi to. The lack of panic, worry, or strife. The lack of Bek plucking fruit from the trees hoping that in some way she could make amends. The lack of Acho, who had probably just gone to see Greacie earlier than usual. The lack of Owen wasn't as much of a surprise considering he had essentially given up on the clearing.
The lack of throwing knives as Kyle made his way towards the clearing's archery range was a bit more surprising though, as was the fact that Krow wasn't there. It was always there; if only to linger, and torment him a bit before they both went on with their days and avoided each other like the plague
Kyle was a bit perplexed as he neared the red and white targets; covered in holes and tears from avid use. Slightly nervous for a reason he can't quite place. He reluctantly lets his eyes flicker a bit to the left, towards the all too familiar maze entrance.
He has to do a triple take to make sure he sees what he is seeing.
It was Krow no doubt. But last time he had checked, Krow didn't have a fur-lined winter coat. The last time he checked, Krow wasn't in the maze. Yet here it was coming out of the doors, looking around the clearing in awe, or confusion; definitely one of the two. It's turned in almost a full circle when Its gaze lands on him.
It doesn't scowl or flinch, or scoff, or anything of the sort. It just simply stares at Kyle, its face contorted in confusion; maybe even a bit of surprise. But no matter how hard Kyle looks, he can see no anger.
No anger? From Krow?! It's unnerving to say the very least, and Kyle is incredibly wary as he stares back.
"Krow?"
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Krow visibly tenses at the mention of its name.
"How do YOU know my name!?"
The whole "people knowing Krow's name except It doesn't know them" thing is becoming a trend fast. First with Red, now with whoever this person is? Once is a coincidence, now it's getting kind of scary. Krow looks said person up and down, taking note of the tears in his dark grey hoodie and how the sections of white shirt that stick out from underneath are stained slightly pink.
Lav, sticking close to the maze wall, flies around Krow to land on the highest target of the archery range, perfectly poised to eavesdrop, despite Krow's requests to stay hidden.
"What do mean?"Kyle raises an eyebrow; wariness fading as his interest piques.
"I mean that I've never met a...."
"Kyle. I'm Kyle"
"I've never met a Kyle, yet somehow you know my name? Somehow everyone in the universe knows me..." Krow mutters the last part under its breath.
Kyle is getting hit with a strange wave of Deja Vu, because didn't this exact same thing happen to Ayngel- not even a month ago? New outfit, no memories and all? At least he's assuming that it has some kind of memory loss.
He hates to admit that he's kind of excited. This is a clean slate. A second chance for Kyle. A chance to prove that he's changed since the "prison incident." Now that all of their previous history is "ctrl+alt+deleted" he can stop being bitter and guilty and just start over finally. And all it took was Krow's memory supposedly getting erased.
If only he knew the truth...
"And you're sure you don't remember me?" Kyle questions. Still in a little bit of disbelief."Nope," Krow responds simply; kind of relieved that it's essentially getting spoon-fed an excuse and doesn't have to come up with an elaborate lie about where it's from like it ended up doing in Nourk version two.
"Well then nice to meet you...again technically." Kyle starts towards Krow and sticks out a hand to shake. Krow takes the hand awkwardly and winces in pain as it realizes that it just used its still healing left arm. The more it moves the arm, the harder it's getting to shove the pain into the background. Kyle immediately takes notice of this.
"You ok Krow? You don't look too hot." Kyle says regarding Krow's messed up shoulder.
"Wow! I wonder why..." Krow says sarcastically; rolling its eyes, though they are near invisible
through its hair.
Lav snickers from his perch and Kyle turns around to see who made the sound. He sees nothing except a bat. And bats are just bats, nothing more, right?..
"But seriously, it looks worse than it is." Krow shrugs as if it's no big deal, and then instantly regrets it because [redacted] that hurts.
"I can take you to our potion person if you want?" Kyle suggests.
"Ok...?"
Kyle starts off at a brisk pace into the clearing pointing things out to Krow along the way.
"That's the campfire"
"That's Owen's place"
"The hotel"
"Munch at...whatever it's called now."
"The piss pond"
"The thicc sussy"
"The dark maze..."
"And here we are!"
As Krow follows, Lav hovers around it like a batty satellite. It pays more attention than usual, soaking in the information like a sponge. As they get closer to this "potion person's" house the voices make paying attention increasingly difficult.
For whatever reason, the voices in Its head are screaming about soup again.
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Soup looks up from her potion bench upon hearing a voice at the door. It's a weird time of day for visitors as most people know that she'll be busy brewing by now. She carefully squeezes her last ghast tears out of a pipet and into the waiting potion bottles on the brewing stand. It's sad, how few of them she can find in the assorted chests in the maze. The liquid reacts instantly, swirling into the signature magenta of a regeneration potion. Then, and only then does she stand up to open the door.
"Hello?"
She didn't know what she was expecting, but she was not anticipating Krow and Kyle together...and not killing each other?!
As if Kyle can read her mind, he answers Soup's question before she can ask it. "It doesn't remember anything."
"Nothing?" Soup questions with a bit of suspicion. It just doesn't feel right; the idea of Krow forgetting. Especially considering the amount of time they've spent together, willingly or otherwise.
"Krow, who am I?" Soup asks.
"Should I know? Krow responds. "I mean, Kyle told me you were the quote en quote potion person, but...."
"Well, I guess in that case." Soup says tentatively "Hi! my name is Soup!" Rather than shaking its hand, she offers it a friendly wave. Krow waves back(with its right hand this time).
It's like a lightbulb illuminates in Krow's head. It instantly knows exactly why the voices are chanting "good soup."
"This is all really wholesome but...." Kyle wordlessly motions towards Krow's left arm.
Krow is quickly ushered inside when Soup sees the injured arm and goes full mother hen mode. She basically drags it over to the nearest stool. Lav swoops in just before the door closes and finds a place where he can comfortably hang from Soup's rafters.
Soup soaks a cloth with half a bottle of regen that she holds in one hand while she uses the other hand to peel off Krow's jacket. The coat only puts up resistance where it's sticky with blood as it's shrugged off of Krow's shoulders and thrown at an unexpecting Kyle who catches it; albeit clumsily.
Soup cleans out the wounds using the potion-soaked cloth and Krow watches in awe as the skin and muscle that had been torn up, stitches itself together.
It doesn't work perfectly due to limited resources and lack of experience that Soup can actually remember but it's still remarkable what Soup's ready-made potions can do.
"Krow, how did this even happen?"
"I got attacked by a spider monster thing, I think?" Krow thinks uncertain, the whole thing is kind of a blur now.
Soup's face pales at that. She takes even more care to inspect the wound for even the slightest tinge of green; the signature of getting stung. Thankfully there is nothing of the sort.
"If you ever feel weird, or like, poisoned. I NEED you to come to me okay?" Soup emphasizes the need part of it especially. Soup knows from experience, that once that monster's poison takes hold it's nigh impossible to get out. She really does not need another unconscious person in her basement right now.
"Sure?" Krow mumbles before something dawns on it. "WAIT WHY WOULD I FEEL POISONED?"
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meanwhile, Ayngel does what she's been having to do for a while now. Watching from her lofty perch up in the clearing's largest tree. She likes this tree. She doesn't have to pretend on this tree. She can cry on this tree, without breaking the delicate facade of lost memories. She can take her time on this tree. Waiting until she can reveal what she literally has up her sleeve. The numbers feel like they're burning a hole in her skin. But she bites her tongue and continues watching. She has to because of them. She has to for the others.
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