deercountry | The New Person

Who: Echo + Pandora House & Friends
What: Meeting or reintroducing yourself to the new housemate.
When: Arrival time in April.
Where: In and around the Pandora Hearts house.

Content Warnings: Allusions to abusive conditions

Oz just happened to find Echo on the boardwalk after she finally made it to shore and got her bearings. She followed him home! ...Well, maybe it was more like he dragged her. Although "dragging" would imply she hadn't willingly grabbed his hand...

ANYWAY, regardless of semantics, he's taken her to the house the people from his world (and then some) inhabit. Oz will be handling the initial settling in, making her pick a room that's more than a storage closet with a place to sleep, etc.

For everyone else, there's a good chance Oz proceeded to tell you Eko-chan was here! Or maybe you saw her arriving or are just seeing her for the first time around the house. And Echo will definitely be around the house, as interesting as it is. At some point, you could find her just about everywhere she can reasonably get to. Echo won't intrude on some's personal room without invitation, and she probably wouldn't spend too much time in any of the stranger places like the basement, because she spent enough time in Vincent's room already, thank you. She has a habit of just quietly observing from one out-of-the-way spot with a good view and not showing much emotion. Unless you're very perceptive, you may not even spot her at first. She does need to do things like go from place to place and eat, so you can certainly find her moving about, as well. Echo could also be found in her room.

Since I'm still learning about the house, I'm going to trust you guys with the exact settings this time if that's okay.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, the desk! We can make it any colour that you like, Eko-chan! Then you can be happy to write in your journal there, right?

[Oz has decided! A new desk, it shall be!]

Blue suits you... Wanna get a blue desk?

[She didn't recall any painted desks in the Nightray manor. But, appropriately enough, one of the reasons she keeps her diary is in an attempt to understand everything she encountered. Perhaps this was just another one of those new things.]

Er, a-all right. Blue is nice, yes.

And the necessary supplies are readily available in this town?

They can be!

[Oz will find a way to paint a desk for Echo, if it's the last thing he does! After all, it seems like the most simple way to introduce her to the concept of decorating her room. She'll have a practical piece of furniture and some optional colours.]

What do you say? Want to go into town together and look?

[That doesn't sound very convincing, but she's done enough surveillance to know how hit-or-miss most things in life can be.

So she give him a nod.]

That's fine.

[Echo starts to head out of the room, but hesitates as she remembers that apart from getting outside, she has no idea where she's going.]

Then let's go! It's a date!

[He really needs to watch his mouth, before he embarrasses himself. Oz offers her his hand, bouncing on his heels with eagerness. Brightening Echo's life is apparently the highlight of his day.]

[Yes, please don't call it a date. She totally knows that's not what it is. Plus as much as she knows that in general they're not the sort of things Vincent would talk about his being for, that's still most the exposure she's had to them.

So Echo is going to ignore whatever her face has decided to illogically do in response to that and nod.]

Y-Yes. You...will have to lead the way.

[She takes his hand again without hesitation, at least. And finds herself squeezing it a bit again too. It's been quite the day, that must be why.]

[Oz has also noticed, a bit too late, that he used the word 'date.' Normally he uses such language to diffuse tension or get a reaction, but it's embarrassing to use it on Echo. Maybe because she's a friend and he's used to one-off chats with strangers.

He also has to recover from his new expression.]

Ooh, you're gonna trust me to lead? What if I take you somewhere weird~?

[Gently, he tugs her towards the door. Looking forward while he corrects his face.]

[I mean you got a reaction even if she wants to pretend you didn't? Not that you're helping the situation if you keep talking like that... Quit making her gut reaction be to stop or just walk away when she's already holding your hand and it's hard to let go because of what jut happened (from her point of view, at least)!]

Eh?! Echo— I have only j-just found myself here. Where—that is, why would you do such a thing?!

[If he knows anywhere weird, it has to be Break's fault. Would not be the first time this has happened.]

Because sometimes weird is fun?

[He laughs nervously, aware that he is digging his own grave. He appreciates her pronouns, which do help him to behave.]

But alright, I'll stay in line. We'll only pick up the basics today~ Weird stuff some other day?

[...So admittedly, she does find him weird on a regular basis (like right now) and has ended up liking when she spends time with him, but she's pretty sure that's not what he's talking about.]

......No. That is, it would depend on what exactly you mean when you say "weird".

[Would it really, though? Here she'd thought Oz had helped her figure everything out about herself when it turns out she still doesn't understand much at all. She really wants something about this to end. And she's pretty sure it's not the "being with Oz" part.]

J-Just! Whatever is considered to be basic. Yes.

Right, right. We'll find a basic desk and chair today... Maybe we can find a shelf to display stuffed animals on or a wardrobe to put dresses in tomorrow!

[Oz leads her out of the house, waving farewell to their haunted housemates, and pauses at the gate. He debates using the 'lamp friends' to teleport them into a shopping district, but ultimately stays his hand. He's sure that Echo wouldn't mind a walk and this way he can keep her longer.]

Let's go! Weather is great and your desk awaits, Eko-chan!

Uh...?

[Dresses? Displaying stuffed animals? ...Well actually that would be safe now, and it would be a lie to say she didn't miss her Jyanta plushie, but he was sacrificed for a more worthy cause.]

Yes, but...you s-seem to be thinking somewhat too far ahead, Oz-sama...

Of course I'm thinking far ahead!

[He adjusts his hold on her hand, insistent in how he links their fingers together.]

We've got a looong time to be together now! Unless you're thinking of slipping away~? Should I be worried that you're a Cinderella?

[How did he just make her feel worse? Or, feel it more strongly? What is she feeling? Whatever it is, it involves her heart pounding in a potentially troubling way.]

I— I...do not think I would like to leave again, in the foreseeable future... However, I am not familiar with that term?

It's from a fairytale I read recently. Guess I'll have to read it to you next time.

[Oz flashes her a carefree smile;] But I'm glad that you aren't gonna leave me again. I don't think I could stand it, if I'm to be honest.

... Okay.

[Not that she can't read it herself, but it's another chance to do something with Oz. That alone is pretty incredible right now.

His last comment makes her frown a bit, though. She'd really been focused on her own experience at that point, but given all the circumstances that wasn't wrong of her. And she could accept that was how things had ended. In retrospect, though, Oz hadn't seemed as okay with it as she was.]

I— I should apologize, if you were hurt before...

[He maintains his smile, even if her apology hurts him deeply. It isn't her fault. It's the memory of those last moments and watching her turn into dust... Knowing that Echo was gone forever and they had only just started to understand each other.

Unconsciously, he tightens his grip on her hand.]

It's okay. I was hurt because I like you, Echo. And I was so happy that we met. You don't have to apologize for that kind of pain.

[She still feels bad, if only because the idea of him suffering in any way is painful to her. She may only have a rough idea of what he's been through, but she certainly understands how difficult it would be. Not just from her own experiences but from watching Noise's, and her suffering was hard enough for Echo.]

Oh. All right.

[She mumbles that, but in spite of her concerns his words made her feel good somehow. She kind of has a ghost of one of those smile things, actually. And she finds herself returning that tighter squeeze on his hand.]

The New Person

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...I see what you did there...

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