[Celtic]

"Oh doing cat things. You silly creatures wouldn't understand." Monkey sighed and laid back down on the rathril's back. He did get so much joy out of being vague. It was so much fun.

"I'm not sure why he was in the desert but when we met he was tending to a nice little cemetery. Monkey is truly a caring little guy. He would only agree to leave when someone else agreed to take over his place."

"Who you calling little!"

Remi smiled as the two continued to squabble. They must be old friends-- what a joy it would be to have those. So dramatic! You've got the closest friend you could ever need- me!. Remi rolled her eyes and thought back, 'You're just a voice and you're just part of me. You aren't a friend and you aren't your own thing.' Only because you won't accept me. Other Remi is so much nicer. She knows my name, she cares for me and converses with me. I don't know why you are so so stubborn. It's quite rude you know. She shouldn't have responded. No more.

"Say, how far do you two want to hike? It's getting dark... I'm not sure if you have supplies to set up a camp or not."

[Celtic]

"Well we are just following your lead hun." Bear responded. He was very much a go with the flow type of guy, he wasn't too concerned. "We can make a camp when we need too. Although that should probably be soon."

Remi just nodded. She wasn't sure what to do in this situation. She didn't know what the original plan was let alone plan B. "Maybe, maybe we should set up camp here. It's as good a place as any."

"Okay, we'll set up camp! Why don't you go find some sturdy branches-- we'll build a lean-to." Remi nodded. Branch collecting-- that was well within her wheelhouse. She left quickly and didn't really hear the conversation that Monkey and Bear continued having. She didn't want to hear if they were going to talk about how inept she seeemed. She was embarrassed.

[Celtic]

"She doesn't seem like she has a clue what's going on." Monkey muttered to Bear. He felt his friend starting to take responsibility for this lucain and he did NOT want that to happen. "We should just take her into town and get her a nice room and leave her to it."

Bear set his mouth in a hard line. "Monk we are not doing that. Can you not see this creature needs our help? She's lost, figuratively and literally. We need to help her and we will." Monkey didn't bother to argue further. He knew it was a lost cause and it's not like they had anywhere better to be, so they were going to help this girl apparently. Monk just sighed and began clearing an area for a fire.

The rathril began humming a happy tune. He was going to figure this out and he was going to help Remi. He was determined at this point.

[Celtic]

Remi came back to an almost completely set up campsite. There were aluminum foil bags sitting on a fire, and some areas for sleeping swept out. Much better than anything she would have done. Bear intercepted her as she walked into camp, "Oh great! Let me take these." He grabbed the branches that she was carrying and set them up in a lean-to fashion for some shelter over where they were planning on sleeping.

Monkey grumbled, "Dinner will be ready soon. Hobo packs, hope you like them. It's all we had." Remi thanked him and he added, "You should really carry rations with you. This isn't a city. You can't just order take out."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not dumb" Kinda seems like you are from this point of view.

"Uh-huh, sure."

Remi grimaced but didn't really have a comeback so she just sat down. "Is there anything I can do to help? I do appreciate this." She wasn't trying to be useless- she just kind of was useless. Other Remi would be better at this situation. She was always better.

[Celtic]

Bear grinned, "Nope, you can just eat this wonderful dinner our chef has prepared for us."

"No!" Monkey swiped at Bear, "It's not finished. You all need to wait." Bear chuckled again and laid back near the fire.

"Ah well, guess we'll just have to enjoy this lovely evening for the time being then." Remi smiled too and sat at the fire. It'd been so long since she'd just sat and enjoyed something. She was always moving, always trying to retrace her steps or get back to her home. This is why you have no friends. Remi waved off the voice, reminding herself. He only has the power you give to him. Ooo, you decided I'm a him? Interesting... Her tail flicked and she shook her head, like she was physically expelling the voice from her head. She wanted so badly just to cherish this moment. The sun was almost down under the horizon, bringing out deep purples in the sky. On the far side she could see the brightest stars begin to poke through and the dual moons getting brighter and brighter. It really was a lovely evening.

[Celtic]

The evening came and went without much event. They ate, they chatted and they fell asleep. Remi awoke to the brightness of the sun and looked around to find Bear and Monkey gone. Ah well, she supposed she would leave a strange girl too. She was too secretive and boring... Not good enough to hang around for long. They saved her from a painful evening and that was good enough.

As Remi stretched she remembered-- Something from manic Remi! A flash of a conversation in a town, a handful of keystones on a counter, a job-- No, a hunt. She was hunting something. "Oh, fuck Remi," She muttered to herself and kicked some dirt. She wasn't a hunter, she wasn't anything. She was just a girl who was battling mental illness. That was it. Why take on something so dangerous?

[Celtic]

Well, the other thing she remembered was her goal was to keep moving up. So clearly, she had to keep going. Remi may not have any faith in herself, but she wasn't exactly the quitting type. Either she'd succeed or she wouldn't, but she wouldn't quit. Now, if she failed... Remi told herself, well I can go home. That settles that at least. Going home would be nice. Her parents always cared for her and they always put her in good sorts.

Her ears pricked, hearing conversation. Did her new companions not leave her after all? Were these new people? Were these dangerous people? Remi's mind flashed. Maybe this was her fate after all, be killed by some rando's in the woods. Wouldn't be the worst way to go.

Oh for heaven's sake, pull yourself together. This is absurd.

Well if you don't like it, go find yourself someone else to bother!

Thankfully, she wasn't left to her own devices for too long or she surely would have worked herself into a frozen panic. Monkey and Bear appeared shortly, carrying a small bundle of food. "And breakfast my dear, is served." How were these two so resourceful? It was amazing. It was, well strange.

"Thanks, but I'm not exactly a breakfast person. I really want to get going to the top, I'm supposed to be looking for something."

"No problem! We will come with you. Breakfast is best served on the road." Bear's warm smile, Monkey's annoyed eye roll. Monkey was absolutely thinking about how selfish she was not accepting their gifts. What a trash monster.

[Celtic]

"Do we have to keep following her around?" Monkey whispered to Bear. He was bored, he didn't like this chick and he wanted to go to a city. He had a strict one night in the wilderness rule. He was proudly an indoor cat. He loved stability, cleanliness and friendly company. Currently, he had none of those things.

"She needs us, can't you see? She's going to positively waste away if we let her." Bear did have a point. The girl looked sickly, her ribs were easily visible through her fur and she was positively tattered. She had no possessions but was out in the mountains searching for something. Clearly, not a stable creature.

"I'm drawing the line after we get her to the top. I'm telling you, we should just leave it be after this. She can figure it out for herself."

Bear grimaced and decided to ignore Monkey, "Say Remi, any idea what we are searching for?"

Remi sped up and called back "OH uh, not... not really. But it's for sure here! Just gotta go higher. I'll know it!"

[Celtic]

Or you won't. The voice echoed her fears. She knew what she needed to do, just not if it'd be successful. Oh she really wished Bear and Monkey weren't following her. It's so much easier to fail when no one is watching. But unfortunately, they didn't seem keen to leave. So Remi was stuck, she had to try and she had to try really, really hard.

Just before they reached the top, Bear caught up, "Say, do you have plans for what you're doing after you finish this hunt?"

Remi was struck by the question. "Uh, I think I need to go talk to someone and then... No not really. I was just going to go back home."

"Why don't you come with Monk and I? We're headed to the sea. The more the merrier!"

The... sea? Remi was certain she hadn't ever been there. Her heart beat a little faster and her brain stopped working. Could.. Could she actually have friends? Could she do this? A crashing realization hit her though, if she goes into an episode there is no telling what will happen. She could abandon them or get them in trouble. She's not that bad y'know. Unfortunately, Remi didn't know. She never remembered. She had no idea what she was like and she hadn't ever had close friends that recounted her escapades in details.

"C-can I think about it?"

"Oh sure, there's no rush. The Dead Coast is where we're headed if you want to know."

"Um, yeah. Thanks..." What the fuck was she supposed to do with that. This was insanity. One thing at a time. They'd reached a fairly high point. The wind was picking up with lack of tree cover and it was brisk. Find the thing. Find the thing. Find. The. Thing.

[Wild Pet Found]

[Celtic]

"Vat do you vant?"

The sudden sound startled Remi. It was a quiet, menacing, feminine voice, but she couldn't figure out where it had come from. She whipped around, "Wh-who's there?"

Out from behind the rock a strange dark creature glided. "I saaaid, vat do you vant my dearest?" Her body moved in a strange rocking motion, almost like she was dancing or testing every step she took. Remi's hair stood on edge, she was in trouble here.

[Celtic]

The creature was close now, and it reached out to stroke her wing blades. "Honey, I'm not going to vait all day." Remi gulped. Where were Bear and Monkey? Sure she had run out ahead, but she didn't think she'd gotten that far. Remi looked around, just now noticing they were surrounded by a fog. If this creature wanted to kill her-- it could.

Remi tensed her muscles and grimaced, clenching her teeth. She might as well be honest, "I want to be one, not two." Well, three if you count me Now was seriously not the time for smart remarks. Besides, as far as Remi was concerned the voice was her, not something separate.

"Hmm... An interesting choice to make, vhy do you think you are two?" The creature was slowly making a circle around Remi, tracing her sides, making the lucain more and more uncomfortable.

[Celtic]

As the nonaga came back around to her face, Remi looked closely. The creature was scaled, and covered in golden threads... Reminiscent of a festival she'd heard of that was supposed to be happening around this time. "I don't remember whole bits of time... Months even. I have two separate lives." Why was she telling this to a mysterious creature? She was likely to die anyways, with the way this was going.

"Hmm... You are split, but without a split marking on your body. Thus you are not two, you are one. You seem to be holding back on me, dearest one. Vhat else?"

Why... Why the questions? Why was this creature so curious? Why should she answer? Because you have no one else to tell. And you're scared. We're in danger. Remi took a deep breath to keep her voice from shaking, "There is a third. A voice. Not me, or the other me. Not a bridge."

"Vhy my dear, so convinced he is not a bridge? But hasn't he told you that he is that- a bridge?" All three eyes were squarely focused on Remi.

She sees us.

[Celtic]

Well holy gods on high, could you be any creepier? Remi thought sarcastically, but she felt it. It was like a millipede was creeping all over her, exposing every thing she'd ever done, fishing for the second Remi. "I don't really believe he exists..." She eventually replied, her voice raspy and quiet like she was forcing it out of her. We're definitely fucking dead with you at the reins.

"Oh that's very silly of you sveetie. Very, very silly." Her eyes finally moved away, scanning the horizon, looking at something else. "Vell, I vill leave you. Open up to the creature in your mind. Trust, it'll be vorthvhile." The nonaga retreated backwards in the same sway-step motion, and the mist swallowed her up, leaving Remi confused and dazed.

[Celtic]

"Remi!"

"REEEEEMMMIIIII"

"REEEeeeEEmmmMMMMIIIII"

Bear and Monkey were shouting but found her before she reacted. "Remi! Why didn't you call back? You could have been seriously hurt out here alone, this mist came out of nowhere." Monkey walked around to look at her face.

"Bear, she looks pretty out of it again. What do you suppose happened?" Monkey scampered and climbed onto Bear's back.

"I don't know.... Remi, honey? You okay?" Bear then shook her a little by the shoulders and that seemed to do the trick.

"Oh uh, sorry sorry. A really strange snake person with three eyes was here... She just freaked me out I guess." She spoke quietly, and slowly, like she wasn't sure what to say or how to speak. She was really out of it.

[Celtic]

"Let's get you out of here, back down to a nice spot where you can take some time to yourself. Drink some water." Bear draped an arm around Remi's shoulders and she slumped into the rathril, mumbling a thank you. She didn't know why she was so drained... What did that creature do to her? What was it's goal? Why did it come and speak to her? I don't know, but I'm with you. I'm going to lie down...

The three of them ambled down the hill, Monkey opted to walk so as to not overburden his friend. He kept a close eye behind them, making sure nothing was following them. There was no way someone could fake a reaction that strong, there was definitely something that did this to Remi. What did she do to provoke it? Was that why she was so shady when they first met her? His suspicions continued to grow, but he knew Bear would never let him interrogate her in this condition. He'd have to wait.