practicality

Wha--Thalassa's gone missing? I haven't seen her lately, but... I'll help you look.

You should have said something after just one day. Maybe she can take care of herself, but she is just a kid, you know.

I'll search the Wilderness too. And the lake and Captain Planet might be good places to search.

Next time - well, not saying there is going to be a next time, but if there is one, tell people over the journals first. Bridge is a good boss, and he'd probably let me make up hours another day so I could go looking for her, and I bet a lot of others would look for her too.

I'm Sniper.

Nice to meet you, Daitou.

[A couple of taps.]

Look, if you're going to look for her in the Wilderness, you'll need somebody to come with you so you don't get lost too. If you don't have anybody to go with you, then I can. Besides, four eyes are better than two.

Dunno anyone by that name, but I may have come across her. What's she look like?

She's ten or so - small, short brown hair that's kind of wavy, really cheerful about everything. She likes wearing really bright colors, mostly.

Thank you.

No, [Sniper said, shaking his head and approaching the counter before resting the tips of his finger upon the top.] I'm Sniper--we spoke over the journals last night, remember?

I searched nearly everywhere for Thalassa, but I couldn't find her. If she's anywhere right now, it's gotta be the Wilderness. [He glanced down at the papers Daitou was tallying up, and reflexively brought his hands away from the counter in favour of stuffing them back into his pockets.] I'll let you finish up your paperwork first.

[While Daitou finished up the rest of his work, Sniper wandered to the other side of the store, busying his eye with the various colourful candies that lined the place. Had it been another day, he would have been interested in sampling one or two. He took a moment to scan the store, remembering that Krile had once mentioned something about her sister working here, but she didn't seem to be in. Once Daitou had finished, he gestured for the boy (and he was pretty sure that he was a boy after he'd spoken) to follow him out the store.]

So, Daitou... you're one of Thalassa's brothers, huh?

[That wasn't surprising, Sniper figured. Anybody who named themself Crow didn't sound like the friendly type. He nodded.]

Which is why you didn't wanna bother him by asking to go down there with you, huh?

[He sucked on his cheek pensively, staring down the path to where the elevator awaited them.]

I took Thalassa fishing a couple of times, so I thought she might be at the lake. I asked Krile - she can talk to animals - to ask Bernard if she saw Thalassa, and she didn't. So that's one worry down.

[His logical conclusion prior to Krile speaking with the giant squid was that Thalassa had decided to go to the lake by herself and slipped on the wet dock and drowned. It certainly didn't seem unlikely. Kids died like that all the time, snd it was a huge relief knowing that Thalassa wasn't dead somewhere in such an awful manner.]

They do, [Sniper said, hitching his large bag further up his shoulder.] And some of them, you'd never be able to tell by looking at them, so it's best not to underestimate anyone.

[He reached out and pushed the button to summon the elevator.]

Most things here, [Sniper said, giving Daitou a sidelong glance as he stepped into the elevator. He wondered what the Wilderness was like this time around--he hadn't been paying much attention to the reports on them on the journals as of late, but he came equipped with his weapon just in case.]

Maybe she's trapped in the elevator, [he suggested.] You've heard about people getting stuck there before, right?

Not everybody, [Sniper said, shaking his head.] Sometimes people don't pay attention to where the elevator's going until they're already there, and by that time it's too late. It's happened to a few people I know, actually.

[He blanched at that.] But I wish they would.

[When the elevator doors slid open, Sniper stepped out warily, the massive space greeting them taking him by surprise. He looked a bit forlorn as he stared around only to see an expanse on both sides of them.

How the hell were they supposed to find a kid in this mess?]

Yeah, [Sniper replied with a nod of his head. He felt his natural pessimism rise with a whisper of you're never going to find her but instead of dwelling on it, pointed to the right.]

Let's just start this way, then. Sometimes the mannequins can be helpful, so we can ask if they've seen a little girl and... oh wait, I know. Wait a second.

[Sniper dug through his cluttered back before triumphantly producing a rather worn sketchbook. He flipped his way through it until he found his sketch of Thalassa holding a fishing pole, newborn shoes muddy and cheeks rosy.]

We can show people this, [he said.] It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.

[Sniper made a small sound of surprise, but quickly regained his composure even though he had coloured just slightly.]

O-of course! [He declared, waving one finger in the air.] I'm Sniper, the Great Artist. So that means that if she's here, we'll definitely find her. Come on, let's go!

[And with that, he trucked off to the right, keen eyes darting to and fro as he took in the the fascinating merchandise at the same time as he was searching for Thalassa.]

I dunno, [Sniper replied, busying himself with flapping the drawing at anybody who would stop.] I usually don't. Once it was this huge place that gave you robes and the paintings all talked. And another time, it was a huge park.

[He paused to absently stroke the soft fabric of various pieces of strange clothing hanging at a booth.] Sometimes people say it even shows you your home.

[Sniper knew very well what his home was like, but he hadn't seen it in the Wilderness, but on the fourth floor. This wasn't something he was keen on telling Daitou, not when he just met the other boy. Yet the very word 'home' evoked that salty air, those warm planks, the feeling of being gently rocked somewhere far away.

He probably shouldn't tell anybody other than Chivalry he was a pirate, he figured. Somebody out there would probably want to hang him.]

Not many people here have seen their homes here, [he said, picking up a cowboy hat from one of the stalls and placing it on his head. It looked ridiculous.] And... well, I'm pretty sure that this place isn't like anybody's home.