[PRP] Into the woods (Mila & Kaleb)

[Melancholies]

There were indeed muffins. Thankfully Mila didn't go overboard, because who would go overboard with way more food than you could possibly eat in one sitting? She only had four generous looking things, the tops crusted with sugar, the blueberries showing through the wrappers on the bottom with their delicious purpley insides.

So she'd served them eagerly when Kaleb showed up, blabbered for about fifteen minutes and then wandered off to catch up on Valkyrie Profile. She'd been about an hour in when it happened, and like every time it happened it came onto her very suddenly, very sharply, no warning at all.

She didn't see herself this time though—she saw the outside porch of her flat—but this time the vision lasted a lot longer than the others. She was moving around, looking, stalking until she came close enough to see inside. Lo and behold, she could see Kaleb reading through the window despite the distance.

"KALEB!"

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb was quite nervous when he arrived, but between greetings, Mila's enthusiasm, muffins, and a nice sunny window spot to read in, he was able to relax more and more with every minute that passed. It was surprisingly comfortable with the sounds of video gaming in the background, and the not-quite solitude of being left to do his own thing while sharing someone's company.

When Mila called out his name, Kaleb was pulled out of his book with a start. Immediately he could sense the magic around her, pulsing weakly like a heartbeat. It tapered off into a small wavering tail which pointed directly at him. No, not at him, the faint magic trailed past him and out the window.

He dropped to the ground quickly, now hidden to the outside, nerves back in full force. If he concentrated hard, he could follow the magical trail all the way out to the edge of the woods. It was a tenuous connection, frayed wires struggling to carry a signal, but it was definitely there. Warm and pulsing, and familiar to Kaleb's senses.

"Mila, I'm gonna get my phone, and see if I can take a picture of it," he said, scrambling for his bag. Why hadn't he thought to get his phone out ahead of time? "I can definitely feel the magic, but it doesn't seem malicious or anything."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"N-Not malicious?" Mila seemed to hook onto those words specifically, but it didn't change much. She was very still, eyes wide and glassy and unfocused and terrified. She could still see the porch, see Kaleb fumbling around for his phone, see—

—the walls of her room as her vision refocused. She was blinking rapidly now. "What do you mean? I mean, it's gone, I can see fine again, it's gone but—could you actually get a picture? Did you? Is that possible?" There was a thunderous sound of footsteps as Mila bulldozed her way over to where Kaleb had situated himself. "D-Did you?"

She paused.

"But that means it should be right out there right?" She looked serious for a moment, "Kaleb we gotta go after them or they're gonna keep doing it!"

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb's expression was instantly regretful. "N-no I... I couldn't find it and get the camera app thing open in time. I was too busy doing that I didn't even see what it was..."

The familiar feel of magic had dissipated right before Mila rushed towards him, he couldn't sense the magical link anymore and had no way of knowing if the stalker was still right out there.

He glanced down at his smartphone, as awkward and unfamiliar to him as ever. Somehow he had managed to open that dumb list app in his fumbling, the conversation with Lily still open. If he had looked out the window he might have at least caught a glimpse of the stalker, but Mila's alarm had alarmed him in turn, and if he had looked first it might have gotten scared off...

"I'm sorry... I don't... I'm not sure if we should go out without knowing what it is for sure... um..." He was pink with embarrassment, the sense of failure clearly written on his face. "Will it come back? I mean, if it will... I can see if I can find this camera... I'll try to do better."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Mila was still warbling, "B-But you gotta strike while the iron's hot! You gotta—"

She saw herself through the window again, the magic snapping back into place. It'd been happening more and more lately with increasing urgency. Now, in addition to the strange sight, there was a strange... perception of emotions, a weird filter through her thought process, like... everything had to be simplified, like the eyes she was looking through were processed through a brain that wasn't hers.

And still, she felt it clearly all the same, flee, flee, flee, protect, protect, protect.

"I think I'm dying." Mila said flatly, "This is an out of body experience. Maybe there is no stalker. Maybe it's a demon." Her eyes glassy again, she looked to be on the verge of tears.

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

Kaleb didn't need Mila to tell him when the magic started again, and this time he was more prepared. He whirled towards the window with the phone in hand, and then a bright, amazed grin lit up across his freckled features.

"I don't think you are dying at all," he said happily, and then captured a photo of the stalker with an artificial click sound denoting his success. Not sure how much Mila could tell of what was going on, he reached over to touch her shoulder to let her know he was right there, and very much not alarmed. "You're okay. I got the photo, for when you uh... lose the connection."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Mila startled at the touch, and the strange vision seemed to reverberate with the wave of anxiety. The stalker was nearing in, trying to get closer, daring to get closer than ever before.

And then like before it cut off with a jolt, and Mila couldn't help but feel a part of her was getting further and further away.

"You got a picture...?" She looked a little calmer as she turned slowly to Kaleb. She wasn't on the verge of tears at least, but she still looked a little freaked. Still, Kaleb seemed like the jumpy type, and if he wasn't worried... maybe it was okay... "W-What's it look like? What..." She leaned over to try and look, nosy as ever.

Grey Dragon

 

[Grey Dragon]

When the magical link fell apart once more, Kaleb pulled his hand away from Mila's shoulder and began the tedious process of figuring out how to view the photo. Perhaps his inability to cope with a smartphone was the sacrifice required to accumulate so much knowledge in other areas of life, but it definitely took him too long to find the photo app and pull up the latest picture.

It was a lovely photo of a deer. Although it lacked the composition and framing required for an artistic photograph, it was clear and crisp thanks to the tiny camera's technology, and perfect for his purposes today.

"I think you might have found a familiar by accident," he offered with a smile. Instead of looking even remotely nervous, he seemed quite pleased, and continued with enthusiasm. "Have you met any wargs? Magical people who have an animal familiar? It feels like that same sort of magic, but this is the first time I've seen it trying to connect like this."

Melancholies