ice_echani | thirty-eighth.

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thirty-eighth.

I am awake. I know who I am and what I do here. I have found no trace of the hourglass or the collar that it was on.

Whoever or whatever is responsible for this incident, you will answer if I ever discover you.

Night, I feel I should thank you.

Stoneface, I must speak with you.

Has everyone else who was marked with the hourglass recovered?

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[He nodded, gently brushing off sand that clung to her clothing.]

Yep, just a day! Everyone else that wore those hourglasses went to sleep in the weird cocoons too and a lot of people worried. If you're okay, then that means everyone else will--

[He paused, a chill in his stomach. Looking far more serious than she'd ever seen him, he looked her right in the eyes.]

You remember my name! Do you remember yours? Where you work? Where we are?

[She notes that, but says nothing on it and pushes it out of her mind as well. There are more important things to think of than Night's body language.]

That is... very strange, and not at all what I had been expecting, given the metaphor that seems to be attached to hourglasses.

[She does see how serious he is though, not at all like his usual flighty self.]

I call myself Handmaiden. This is Edensphere, and I am one of the Watch. You are Night, and you work on the farm and own a chocobo.

Yeah, I agree! They tell time, but the result had more to do with the sand.

[Were he cleverer, he would start connecting dots, but... nope. Instead he nodded at each reply, and was relieved when she finished.]

It doesn't seem like you lost anything, then. I was worried it'd be like the regular cocoons, born as a blank slate!

[He sighed in relief and ran his fingers through his hair.]

Then my work here is done! I don't know how, but I'm getting a familiar feeling that sand under the clothing isn't comfortable! I won't force you to stand around here feeling really itchy!

[Strange... she will have to think about that a great deal. Conferring with someone else who was stuck in a cocoon would be something worth doing... she has every intention of connecting dots.]

No, my mind seems to be quite intact--although only time will tell if I have truly kept everything I know.

[She rubs a hand over her own head, grimacing slightly as a shower of sand falls out. Yes, a shower is quite in order. She wonders about another thing, though.]

What were you doing here?

[He couldn't help but giggle a little at all the sand. When the Wilderness was an old western setting, he definitely had to pause to dump it out of his shoes and shake it out of his hair. Still, the warmth and soft sand was rather comforting to him... he wondered why. Maybe it was like home.]

When you fell asleep, I moved the cocoon somewhere safer and kept an eye on it. You never know what a giant squirrel might do to it, and there are crazies about.

[He nodded. One could never know what to expect in this place.]

I played music and wrote some things to pass the time; did you hear any of it?

[.....well. She's not quite sure how to react to that.]

...I see. I am afraid I heard nothing after the sandstorm--I dreamed, and then I awoke.

[So wait, he was there the whole time?]

I... thank you. There was no need for you to guard me, but I am grateful.

[There was another nod.]

It's okay, some of the stuff is just a rough draft. I'll touch them up and see about having you critique. That'd be fun!

[His hand went to the back of his head for a moment before he remembered his stuff was on the ground. He'd go gather it up, strapping his guitar to his back.]

Hey, you're welcome! The Mighty Nightlaser will do his best to protect others in their time of need, even in the face of mystery! Who knows what the cocoons could possibly do, but I'm glad to see nothing too bad occurred from it. ...Uh.

[He paused, and took a step forward with his arms open. Stopped. He wanted to hug, but... well. The whole Echani thing. No touchy. He'd respect that. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and smiled brightly at her instead.]

That really scared me a bit. Let's avoid the rainbow sand from here on out, okay?

I am also surprised that nothing... dire seems to have happened.

[She can see that he's about to hug her but... yeah... she's not a huggy person, sorry. It's a strange gesture to her. She does, however, set her hand on his shoulder for a moment.]

I am sorry to have caused such worry, though I did not choose to have the hourglass.

[Kneeling, Handmaiden sifts through the pile of sand. There is... quite a lot of it. She doesn't even try to find a logical explanation for how sand can turn to glass without heat, never mind reverting to sand. Of an entirely different color, no less.]

Would you help me find the hourglass? I do not know if it still--exists--but I do not want to leave this without seeing if there is anything to be understood about it.

Uh- Oh yeah, that's a good idea!

[Whahey, time to find ourselves an hourglass. Night went to the other side of the pile and began to dig very much like a dog, shoveling sand down and back behind him. His fingers combed the granules for any solid object...]

I'll start on this side! Let's see, you landed around here, so...

[Handmaiden's method of searching is a little less frantic, but when it comes down to it... it's digging through a coffin-sized pile of sand for something that's like. Two inches long. She tries reaching out through the Force to see without her eyes, but if it's working, the hourglass isn't there.

She starts just spreading the sand out as thin as she can on the ground, both with her hands and with the Force, but it's still not revealing anything but more sand.]

It does not seem to be here.

[There's definite frustration in her voice. She's not surprised, but she wanted that hourglass. She's still not about to leave--she opens her belt-pouch but well, it already seems to be full of sand.]

I suppose this is all that can be investigated from this.

Damn... I'm sorry, Handmaiden.

[Shoot, no such luck for evidence or something to go by, eh? That was just like this place. He dusted the sand from his gloves, paused, and suddenly felt a bit awkward. He cleared his throat.]

Right. I'm sure Stoneface would want to know you're okay, so I'm gonna go ahead and set off for work. Lots of things to do before the harvest! The cows need milking and those chicken eggs won't collect themselves!

[He threw a smart salute, took a few steps backwards, then turned and ran like the dickens. He just remembered he was super late for work!]

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thirty-eighth.

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QUICKLOG I HAVE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO A LADY GAGA SONG

QUICKLOG I LOVE ALEJANDRO

QUICKLOG I LOVE...NOBOU UEMATSU?

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