APRIL MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: April 25th - Early May
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers, spring activities, and feathered friends!
NOTES\WARNINGS:

⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital. However, if they are arriving from Aphaia, it's a little different, though mostly through means and familiarity. They will still show up in the hospital of course, but how can vary. Either through Aurora offering a portal for escape, their own demise (however it might have happened), or even a simple blink of their eyes and they're in the hospital. They had been given the briefest explanation last time they were here, but at least Aurora can better answer their questions now. No time constraints nor rushing them off to a dying world, this time! In the hospital's lobby are several party tables set out with miscellaneous baked goods: croissants, cookies, breads, cake slices, as well as tea and coffee to accompany them - or hot chocolate, for those who are opposed to the other offerings. Outside the hospital, spring is sprung, it is warm and comfortable. Flowers have bloomed, and everything is in a sharp contrast to Aphaia—there is life within the bubble, and even the myriad wildlife seems to be basking in the glow of it all. Almost as if a celebration of that life itself. Bees are buzzing, birds are—warking? ⏵ Birds of a Feather ⏴ Etraya has always had its interesting assortment of critters, but there seems to be a particularly colorful array of birds wandering around. Those familiar would know they are named Chocobos, those less so familiar, well, these are some strange looking ostriches, or whatever large bipedal bird equivalent fits. While the birds all seem to be of the same species, there are certainly some variety in their features. Some with friendlier faces and others looking a bit more eagle-like. They are not particularly congregated in any one spot within Etraya, seeming to stick to groups, while others don't, yet even some are accompanied by newly hatched chicks. The observant might be quick to notice that their colors dictate some level of behavior, or even where their little groups mingle: Colors Behavior and habitat Yellow Can be found just about anywhere in Etraya, they don't necessarily stick to self-made groups, and typically are more likely to be friendly to people. However, if they are in the company of a newly hatched chick, they can become wary, though easily won over with some greens. Green These Chocobos are mostly found in grassy or woodsy areas, almost always in pairs, and sometimes found in the trees themselves. They are more wary than their yellow brethren, though if they see someone struggling or in danger, they are quick to offer assistance in what way they can. Doting like motherhens. Blue Most often found by bodies of water, these Chocobo seem content to keep to themselves. Three to a group, they are not so easy to approach without being noticed. Their skill and love of water is clear, however, and it's not unusual to find them flapping about or swimming. Though they may flee to the water if you spook them. Brown The most skiddish of the Chocobo, they can be found throughout Etraya, though further away from anything occupied by people. They stick to groups of four, though they have a clear leader who sports blue and green feathers, but seemingly is not of the other two types. Should they catch sight or sound of someone approaching they are like to run off, or they might attempt to defend themselves. Red There seems to be only one of these running around. Highly aggressive to anyone who dares to approach it. Best to avoid it. Very likely to hurl comet-like balls of fire your way. Untamable. The birds all favor these strange cabbage looking plants that can be found out and about in the wilds of Etraya. Some proving a little overeager in their voracity to eat the leafy greens. One should be careful, with those large beaks of theirs. ⏵ Gift Hunt ⏴ It isn't only the birds that have shown up out of nowhere. Small to medium sized boxes, wrapped as if they should be under a tree, and maybe not hidden in a tree, have also appeared. For whatever reason (possibly the same reason eggs were given out over winter) there seems to be gifts hidden all over Etraya! Some in more difficult to find locations (in trees, on top of a roof, on snake island), while others look as though whoever "hid" it gave up halfway through and simply dropped it on the ground and put a leaf over it. For those who need a little extra help, well, certainly your fellow Etrayans could lend a hand, however there are also perfectly capable birds about for those still left wanting. Certainly that blue chocobo could assist with crossing the river to obtain that perfectly balanced gift on a rock! Or what about that green chocobo roosting in a tree not too far from that gift stuck in the branches because it has entirely too many ribbons? With that said, there might also be some dangers in trying to take one of the myriad gifts from a chocobo's nest, especially if there's a chick presently sleeping next to it. Perhaps befriending them would be a good idea first, besides, isn't friendship with a big bird the truest gift of all? On the tag of each and every gift box says the same thing: To: You Love: 💋 Each gift has a random assortment within. Some contain candy, others contain alcohol, make-up...maybe even a pair of socks, very perfunctory gifts with very little thought or feeling put into them. However, there is at least one gift that is personally relevant to each character in Etraya. This item will be the equivalent of a 5 point AC reward, and does not have to be found by the person it is intended for. What better way to break the ice than to give someone their gift which you opened! ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Welcome to Etraya newcomers and happy spring to everyone! It appears that someone is trying to correct her previous mistake of handing out eggs during the winter holidays, and now there's a hunt for gifts accompanied by a bunch of lovely birds to help out! Some notes in regard to Chocobos: -Each color can be tamed except for the red one, he's a free spirit. Should someone wish to harm or attack this chocobo, let us mods know. There is only one of him, after all. -The others will just take various amounts of work to win over, however, but they are loving and cute companions for those who are willing to put in the effort! And who knows, maybe more colors could arise with time and patience... -Feel free to pull from all the designs of chocobos throughout the Final Fantasy series. If you fancy FFXII's, for example, there are some that look like that. Variety is the spice of life! Concerning the personal item, be sure to plot out and get permission when finding someone else's item. This is meant to encourage possible new CR and mingling, but the choice of the item should ultimately be within the hands of the player who is receiving it. If you are uncertain if your item is appropriate for the reward cost, feel free to ask here! For all questions relating to this log, please refer to the mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[sabigoe]

[ This time, she doesn't drift back to sleep. The pages didn't make for a good pillow, but she senses the shift underneath, when she feels her face lowered upon the fuzzy carpet floor. It does take a few minutes of lying perfectly still, before she finally decides to move her entire body.

Her hand remains lightly clinging to the warmth nearby. Is there someone next to her? She thinks about Levania, who she misses the most of all... but the monster doesn't have human hands. Her adoptive mother and father. They stopped holding her hand a long time ago. Lars? Blaze? Both had allowed her to hold their hands back on the alien planet. For such small gestures, that made her feel very happy...

Very slowly, Fio sits up. Blinking, she scrubs at her eye with a free hand. Her hair is unkempt and there's a bit of warm drool left dangling from the edge of her mouth. ]

Hm? You're...?

[ The person with her is an unfamiliar face.

Her brows lift slightly, too much in a daze to fully express surprise. Drowsy eyes drift over to the book that had been pulled away, then over to the numerous picture books sitting in a nearby stack. She remembers now. This is the library in a place called Etraya. ]

... ... ...

Mister Librarian?

[ That's the best guess she can make. ]

[levelshift]

[At this point, he's honestly half-expecting her to just conk out on the book a second time. That wouldn't bother him very much, it's what he'd do, and he's fairly sure he'd just keep being a pushover and sit there and wait for her to actually wake up.

Ugh, he's such a wimp when it comes to little kids.

But no, he is spared on this day, and he lets out a little sigh as she blinks up at him. He still doesn't make any move to pull his hand away - it's fine, it's totally fine, shut up - and waits for her brain to catch up to her surroundings. It might take a few minutes, he's never been very good at waking up, so it always takes him a while. The question isn't one he's expecting to hear though, and he raises an eyebrow.]

Do I look like a librarian?

[Rhetorical question, he doesn't care about what her answer is. He gestures at the book she was sleeping on, specifically the page with a wet spot drying on it.]

You were drooling on the book.

[He eyes her a little after saying that, noting the things around her neck and wrists. The one around her neck looks like a collar or something, which is a strange fashion choice for a tiny kid.]

[sabigoe]

[ The stranger points out her crimes, her attention drifting over to the visibly damp spot on the page. Eyes widening, the shock further wakes her up to feel more in the present. She is a resilient little girl. It takes far, far worse to send her into a fit of tears. (And hopefully, no one will ever drive her to that point.)

But she feels terrible. While Fio doesn't cry, bright red rises up to her cheeks, feeling both shame and embarrassment over her carelessness. Usually, she's well-behaved and with good manners. How could she have made a humiliating accident like this? ]

...Oh. Um... hm?

[ She's awake enough to finally realize her hand, curled around his. A brief look of confusion, then she slips away to place both hands in her lap. Sure, she likes holding hands with others. But this person is... probably very disappointed in her, she thinks. She's already disappointed in herself. ]

...

I'm sorry, Mister Librarian. [ She doesn't know if he looks like a librarian. Etraya has many different people with all sorts of clothes she's never seen before in her life. She just assumes he could be one. And she doesn't know what else to do besides apologize. ]

Do I... gotta pay a fine or something? [ As if they have any currency here. ] I'm really sorry.

[levelshift]

[When she releases his hand he pulls it back reluctantly, curling his fingers. It's... fine, it's not like he enjoys people touching him and holding the hand of a total stranger is probably weird for her. He focuses on her apologetic demeanour instead, letting out a small sigh.]

No, you just need to be more careful next time. I doubt the guy who owns this place would ever charge anyone for anything.

[And not just because Etraya has no currency. Harold is simply that kind of person. There's no way he'd ever fine a little kid, even for some major rule-breaking. He's fairly sure he wouldn't bat an eye at something this minor.

That kind of makes Accelerator wonder if he's being too harsh (she's apologizing, she shouldn't be apologizing), but he shakes those thoughts off. Instead, he grabs the book, flipping the page to the next one to make sure it's fine. When he sees that it is he flips back to the page with drool on it.]

If you leave the book open on that page it'll dry. [There's a slight pause and he glances around, spotting a nearby table. Taking hold of his crutch, he carefully hauls himself onto his feet.] ... On a table, so no one accidentally steps on it.

don't worry accelerator... handholding is not completely off the table...

[sabigoe]

[ Fio gives an obedient nod and stands, reaching to take the book back. ]

'Kay... I can put it over there to dry. I'm really sorry, little book... [ Not that the book has thoughts and feelings to be able to reply back, but she says it anyway. It is a really nice book with pretty pictures of what looks to be Earth's moon. She winces just a little, getting a closer look at the spot of drool. ] So you're not Mister Librarian? Who owns this place then?

[ Unless there's multiple librarians.

There's a brief curious glance at his crutch, then looking right past him, she notices several more picture books that remain on the carpet floor. Some of those books she plans to read and others have been used to sandwich flowers in between the pages, though not without extra sheets of paper. At least she's been careful about her flower pressing activity. There is a small stack of her completed reading too, which needs to be reshelved. Assorted stories about outer space, sky, flowers, silly-looking monsters... ]

I'll tidy up everything else too. I can do it.

[ This is a very important responsibility that she must do, to atone... ]

he could use a handhold

[levelshift]

[He'll hand her the book back before absently reaching his hand up and cracking his neck.]

A guy named Harold Finch. He's really old, got glasses and a limp, so it's hard to miss him.

[Harold technically isn't a librarian, but he isn't going to bother correcting her. He's close enough, honestly, and it wouldn't surprise him if he had some librarian skills on top of his absurd computer science background. Plus, he definitely has a librarian's demeanour.

Anyways, he watches her for a moment. Sheesh, she really wants to make up for that, huh? He frowns slightly, looking thoughtful. It'd be really mean to just ditch her, or let her clean all the books up on her own.]

... Here, I can help. [It's just a few books, after all.

He stoops over and with his free hand grabs some of the books that were stacked. He gives a quick glance at the one on the top, a picture book showing space and several planets.] You got anyone keeping an eye on you here?

[That question has been hovering around in the back of his mind, so he may as well get it out.]

[sabigoe]

[ A nod, keeping the description mentally tucked away for future reference, just in case. Harold Finch, huh. Going by his instructions, she leaves the book open on the nearby table. She doesn't waste any time, moving to gather the rest of her books.

She won't decline his help, but she stops halfway on her short journey to the shelves, like she's watching to make sure he doesn't hurt himself... ]

...Mmhmm. [ Kind of. Obviously, Lars is not keeping an eye on her now. And she's not going to expect anyone to always be available to keep her company the whole time. ] I'm staying with Lars. He's a friend, from the same place I came from. We're living in the same apartment 'cause it felt too big living by myself.

[ She's far too young to feel accustomed to being in a living space on her own. It's peaceful, living together with a friend and in a clean place, not so much full of grime like her old home. Though she does need to better familiarize herself with some of the modern amenities in the room. ]

I know Lars isn't here right now... but I'm okay. I've been to places by myself before.

[ In the past, she's been left to her own devices before in her town, even going as far as outside of it, so she thinks she can handle wandering around on her own here too... ]

[levelshift]

[Accelerator will be moving slower than her, having to put the books he's picked up onto the table first so he can put them away one by one. Downsides to using a crutch and only having one hand.

Still, he doesn't mind. He likes books, he likes the library, and it's nice to spend some time doing something so mundane.]

Okay. [Good. That's good to hear. She's way too young to have to worry about stuff like feeding herself on her own or cleaning or doing laundry. Even better, she isn't alone, she has someone from her own universe here. Given he's been here a year and hasn't had anyone else from his home show up, he understands how important that is.]

Well, a library's a fucking good place when you're by yourself. It's quiet and there's more than enough reading material to stay entertained.

[Much better than things like video games or finding ways to be sociable. He glances down at the next book he has to put away. She's been reading a lot of different kinds of things, huh?]

Any of these you really like?

[sabigoe]

[ Asides from getting a very good night's sleep nowadays, she's been getting used to having proper meals, three times a day. It's a very welcome change. What she used to have in her old life could barely be called a meal, bowls of gruel that hardly satisfy her appetite. Even seeing the food offered to the higher ranks in Aphaia, felt unreal. Her score wasn't the best over there, but Lars was one of the people that helped her get by. The Cage... it probably wasn't necessary for her to eat. Or sleep. But life before that, the time she was recorded from... it wasn't the best.

After she's sure that he isn't struggling with the books, she begins shelving her own pile. Fio doesn't realize he just used a vulgar word just now. She thinks it must be on the same level as those funny big words that Shadow uses around her sometimes. Judging from the way he uses it in a sentence, it sounds like some sort of high approval. This new vocabulary word will be tucked away in her mind...

She did pick a wide assortment of books, but she hasn't quite found a favorite yet. When it comes to her choice of picture books, it appears that stories focusing on the Earth's moon outnumber all other stories. Looking over, she points to one of the books that still needs to be reshelved. Thankfully not one she's drooled on. The cover features an illustration of a moon, with a sleeping, smiling face faintly painted on its surface. A small ladder leans against it. ]

I'm not sure if I have a favorite, but... I like this one. There's a girl who asks her daddy to get the moon for her. I wish it was that easy to reach the moon...

[levelshift]

[It doesn't even occur to Accelerator to clarify his less-than-polite language to her. Most other kids he's run into understand that they are, at the very least, bad words, and unlike other people in Etraya it never bothers him when kids swear. It's just his verbal tic, nothing important and not worth thinking about.

He puts another book away, and when Fio points out the one with the moon he's going to wander back over to it and flip through a couple of pages. It's definitely a book for kids, kind of fairy tale-ish. He can't really fault a kid for liking a fantastical story that involves a parent being ]

Yeah, you have to think about the lack of oxygen, the low temperature, air pressure issues, and that's not even getting into the amount of thrust you need to escape the planet's gravitational pull. [Oh God he's such a nerd.] It isn't that hard to get high into the air, but a couple of kilometers up it starts getting rough.

[He's speaking from personal experience, being able to fly and all. All of those things are things he needs to calculate for, depending on his altitude.]

[sabigoe]

[ Now Accelerator is stringing together even more complicated words and sentences that she doesn't understand. There's already a lot of information jam packed in there in a few sentences that she doesn't know which word to focus on first.

Earth. Earth's moon. The sun and stars. She's aware that they're in the sky, far apart from each other. That much she knows, knowing very little about actual facts. Like "space"—she only just learned about that word from the picture books she's found. A fairy tale won't teach her much though. Some of her companions from her journey through the Cage would know better. Or the administrator, who once observed the memories of humanity. Though she was supposed to join the latter, she found herself called upon by Echo instead. Too little time for any chit chat.

It's a newfound interest for her, ever since learning of the Cage's location. Etraya has a moon too—she wonders if there's anything up there in the same way that her Earth does.

She shelves away one final book, while listening to Accelerator speak. ]

...

Um... I didn't understand a lot of what you said. I just understand that it's really hard... [ A small, embarrassed smile. ] Has anyone ever tried going up that high?

[levelshift]

[Accelerator pauses, not having realized he's been rambling about topics a normal kid isn't going to necessarily understand. Aha, right, he should've slowed down, maybe stuck to the basics. It's just hard not to be a huge nerd when it comes to space, there's so much interesting science going on out there. It's terrifying, awe-inspiring, and making you feel like a tiny speck really helps give you some perspective on life.

He grabs the last book to put away, this time trying to form his answer in a way that's more accessible to her.]

Astronauts can do it using spaceships. I used similar technology to go up there once, but it was only for a few minutes to take care of some shitty business.

[It wasn't a great time. He shrugs, mulling it over for a moment.]

I guess it's possible I could just fly up there, but I've never tried.

[sabigoe]

[ Just a little more accessible. Astronauts? She might have stumbled across that word somewhere in one of the many books she's borrowed. Same with spaceships—that one's easy enough to figure out just from the name. She was supposed to go to Earth for an indefinite amount of time, to keep another girl company in a desolate world. And then someday, she would like to go back up to the moon, to visit a friend.

Maybe she's thinking too far ahead while she's still here in Etraya, with the responsibility to protect the multiverse on her shoulders. But there isn't much she can do until the next mission. ]

...In the country I grew up in, people got around on carriages pulled by horses. I only just learned what a trolley is too.

[ To give Accelerator an idea of what she's most familiar with. Yet she does know about some advanced technology like elevators and teleporters because that's what the Cage had. There's a lot of new things that she's only just learned about.

She scampers back over to the table, where the drying book remains along with a thin stack of other books that she wants to keep borrowing. She clambers up into a chair, rummaging through her remaining selection. ]

Do you have a spaceship? ...This?

[ Poking through the books, she holds one up that shows a cartoony, brightly colored unrealistic depiction of a rocket ship. Unsure what he means by "just fly"... ]

[levelshift]

[Carriages pulled by horses? Oof, that's practically the Stone Age compared to what he's used to. How on earth did people live back then? He has no idea, he's pretty sure he'd die if he didn't have access to a modern convenience store.

Following her at a slower pace back to the table, he drops down into the chair next to hers and looks over at the page she's holding up. Absently, he leaves his crutch next to the table, and rubs his right forearm before throwing his arm over the back of the chair.]

No, I don't.

[The city does, but if carriages are the level of technology she's used to he doesn't think it'd be all that helpful to start rambling about the technicalities. A lot of it would probably just go over her head and confuse her. Besides, he's got a much simpler answer he can give her.]

... I can make wings for myself. [Out of air or AIM or whatever, technically, but again, that's getting into a level of detail he doesn't think he needs to go with her. The basic idea of 'extraneous limbs used for flight' is the point he wants to get across.] They let me fly.

[sabigoe]

[ No rocket ship? Hm. One last glance at the picture, thinking it would be nice to one day see a real one. She closes the book and returns it to the small pile on the table.

She adjusts her sitting position, folding her legs underneath her body and turns to look at him, leaning her side against the back of the chair. It takes her a moment to react, blinking curiously at him. Meeting a human that can grow wings is not what she expected. ...Is he human? ]

...Are you an angel?

[levelshift]

[A rocket ship would indeed be cool, that's something he would agree with.

Her question makes him do a bit of a doubletake. In hindsight it's a logical question to ask (what other human-like beings can make wings?) but it isn't something that occurred to him. Ironic, given this is reminding him of being back in Russia, when he first manifested his white wings and the halo that went with them.

Despite that, he shakes his head firmly.]

No. I've just got an ability that lets me do it.

[It's a bit more complicated than that, but there isn't any reason to get into the details. He sighs a little.]

... One of my employees is an artificial angel, though. I don't know her very well, but she's really protective of the kids from my city.

[sabigoe]

[ Angels are the first thought that came into mind since she grew up being fascinated by images of them. Pure angels and beautiful princesses—she liked that sort of thing in stories and pictures. Even if she knew it was unrealistic. They were nice distractions, especially for the kind of life she lived. Anyway, it doesn't make her less interested knowing that he isn't an actual angel. ]

Oh... okay. [ She gives an understanding nod. ] That's a nice ability to have. You can travel to all sorts of places if you fly! [ There's a small hint of a smile. The more she speaks, she begins to forget how embarrassed she was earlier over her little accident. ] But how do you grow wings? ...Can you show me? [ Without missing a beat, another question: ] What's an art- artificial angel?

[ Another big word that she nearly trips up on. Not as difficult as others, however. She's heard the word before. It's just not a term often used in her own vocabulary.

He's giving her less details in shorter sentences now, which is easier for her to follow along. There's always something in his words that she doesn't know about, however. And she keeps coming up with more questions to ask... ]

[levelshift]

[having spent a lot of time recently around little kids, he isn't particularly surprised at the growing number of questions. That's just how kids (semi-normal kids, at least) function, and he figures it's good for them to be questioning things around them. You can't learn if you don't ask questions.

Accelerator decides to tackle her second question first, as even though it's more technical it's also the easiest one for him.]

Her being artificial means she was made by people using science and technology. Machines and stuff, instead of God.

[He doesn't know the exact process, but he's certain it was all scientific in nature since it involved the AIM diffusion fields of all the espers in the city. From his tone - calm, pretty casual - it's clear he doesn't see this as being a big deal. It certainly doesn't make Kazakiri any less of a person, it's simply part of who she is.

Her other questions... those are a little harder. He glances around.]

I'm not making them in here. It'd mess all the books up, and I don't feel like doing more cleaning.

[sabigoe]

[ Judging by what he says, she imagines that they must be massive wings. Likewise, she wouldn't want to add on to the extra cleaning. Plus she doesn't want to ruin another person's property. The clean up would be even bigger than a puddle of drool inside of a book. There's plenty more that she can ask about artificial angels, but now her mind is honing in on his wings. One kind of angel is from science and the other is from God. She has some familiarity with machines. That's enough of an explanation for now though. ]

Then let's go outside. I wanna see!

[ Shifting around in her seat, Fio allows her legs to dangle off the edge, feet barely touching the floor. Just as she's about to slide down, she realizes that she might be getting ahead of herself. She didn't even wait for him to give the green light. That's impolite.

She places her hands on her lap, to appear well-behaved and patient. ]

...Is that okay? [ A pause, realizing something else: she never introduced herself. ] My name is Fio, by the way.

[levelshift]

[It's a little odd to be talking about Kazakiri and artificial angels, it isn't stuff that's come up often while he's been stuck here. Back home the whole situation was pretty insane, so the fact that she's just accepting this so readily is also a bit strange. But then, she's a little kid, so maybe she's too young to get that. Well, it doesn't matter.

He raises an eyebrow at her exclamation, not moving from his chair. She really wants to see his wings, huh?]

.....

[She's a lot more polite than Last Order, that's for sure.]

... Accelerator. [He's muttering that as he glances in the direction of the library's entrance. It'd be a pain if someone saw them (mainly because he doesn't want to get hassled for being nice), but he also doesn't want to disappoint a little kid.

....... Ugh. He sighs, grabbing his crutch before getting to his feet and head for the door.]

C'mon.

[sabigoe]

[ There's a whole lot of strange things that she's seen in her life that she takes with stride. Especially with what she has seen in the Cage. They could sit around and talk more about artificial angels, but she's been sitting in the library plenty long enough at this point. There's someone with wings sitting with her right now and she wants to see them! It's a nice excuse to go outside. She restrains herself from being louder than she already is in the library, but her excitement can be seen in how she swings her legs. Grinning, she hops down from her chair. ]

Ac-cel-era-tor... Accel-erator. [ Fio can be heard murmuring his name a few times. That name is a mouthful and while her pronunciation is correct, she says his name slowly. ] I know that word. Accelerate means to go fast.

[ Which is... something Accelerator most likely already knows, so she doesn't need to tell him. But she seems proud of herself to be sharing what she knows out loud to someone else. She totters ahead, patiently waiting for him at the door. She'll hold it open for him too.]

...Accie. Does that mean you fly fast too?

[levelshift]

[Hah, he prefers that reaction to his name than other responses he's gotten. Most people don't like it, and here in Etraya there have been more than a few times when people have complained about it. His own opinion of it is mostly indifference born from years of being called 'Accelerator' and only 'Accelerator,' so he's fine with this.

He's even (mostly) fine with yet another nickname. Those things are always a bit ridiculous, but it's easier to tolerate when it's coming from a kid who is so young it's a miracle she even knows what the word means. So, Accie it is!

He shrugs as he heads outside, giving their surroundings a small glance before deciding to head south. There aren't any buildings in that direction, just a lot of empty land, and therefore fewer people around.]

I can, but 'Accelerator' in this case isn't referring to that. It's my ability. It was named after a type of machine scientists use to understand the world around them.

[That's what a particle accelerator is at its most basic, and he figures it's a good starting point for explaining what that kind of equipment does to a little kid who isn't familiar with physics.]

[sabigoe]

[ Accelerator's name is nothing compared to the two little ghosts that she used to spend time with. They had strange names like Carrier or Substitute. With them too, she accepted their names with stride and came up with new nicknames. No matter how strange the name though, she simply treats the moment like she's befriending any other person. ]

Ohhh...

[ She's not just saying that. She understands! Again, it does lead to more and more questions.

Once outdoors, Fio is careful not to walk too far ahead of him. Coming up to Accelerator's side, she then reaches to grab for his free hand as if this is a completely normal, acceptable motion to someone she just met. Though it isn't crowded out here that she might get lost without someone holding her, it's an old habit that she's been falling back into... ]

If it's the name of your ability, then does that mean you have another name? How does the machine work?

[levelshift]

[Fio opening the door for him was nice and all, and coming from a little kid he can tolerate that kind of kindness. But when she takes hold of his hand he nearly does a double take, blinking in surprise. Silently, he looks down at her much tinier hand, memories of other kids flash through his mind, again like earlier when she had grabbed him while still asleep.

He has to take a few moments to gather himself, but he'll squeeze her hand and hold it in return.]

... Yeah, but I don't use it. I only go by Accelerator.

[He inhales slowly. Every time he's brought that up he's been met with shock and indignation on his behalf, even though he's long past caring how dehumanizing it may be.

Her second question is much easier to answer. It isn't hard to break down the details of a particle accelerator.]

The entire world is made up of particles. Tiny ones that are too small to see with just your eye, you need special equipment to know they're even there. And when I say the entire world I mean it - even stuff like air and your own body are made up of these particles.

[Atoms and electrons in a nutshell. He continues.]

The machine is called a particle accelerator. It either spins those particles around incredibly fast or it smashes them into each other. Scientists can use the particle accelerator to also measure how the particles react when they're spun fast or hit each other. It's mainly complicated math, which is what gives them important information about the world.

[As he's explained he's led them away from the so-called center of Etraya, off to an empty grassy field. He doesn't even see any animals around, so he figures this is good enough and stops.]

You're gonna want to step back.

[sabigoe]

[ It doesn't cross her mind to think of him as just a machine or an ability because of the name. At this point, all Fio can think of is that he's a new friend named Accie.

Fio walks along hand-in-hand, quietly happy that he's willing to reciprocate. She tries her hardest to listen, absorb the information that he tells her...

And again, the more that he talks, the harder it becomes for her to remain focused on every single word. Everything in the world is made up of particles. That part she understands. And then there is a machine that spins the particles... math is involved somehow? Towards the end there, she's not sure that she understood the rest of what he just said. ]

...You know a lot of stuff, Accie.

[ Once they reach the grassy field, she slips her hand away from his and starts backing up several feet away. ]

Is this good enough?