Sensory Regain: Aqua

[keystaff]

WHO: Sakura Kinomoto, OPEN
WHERE: Aquarium
WHEN: Early Feb
WHAT: Sakura gets a sensory component with her remembering capturing the Aqua Clear Card. This results in her suddenly being teleported to the aquarium with the turtles and (temporarily) be able to control the water until she leaves.
WARNINGS: None so far beyond water?



[Sakura is just going about her errands, school and work as per usual so far. Now things were mostly back to normal after last month and all. It's only when she thinks back to the fire, to encountering Derek there and how he had asked her if she had any cards that might help against it. She does wish she had her cards, her staff to be able to help more. She hates feeling so helpless and unable to support everyone during everything with the app since she got it back.

Then she remembers, with a different staff, capturing a card relating to water. Aqua. But before she has a chance to really register it, to potentially message Derek to confirm with him, she is suddenly in the aquarium. In the water with the turtles, who seem probably just as startled about her sudden appearance there as Sakura herself is. Sakura blinks, glancing around and giving her trademark:]

H-hoeeeeeeeee? How did I get here?!

[Which is of course her initial surprise, Sakura not yet realizing she herself can control the water while she is in the enclosure with the turtles. But hi to anyone visiting or working at the aquarium near the turtle enclosure?

She might also send messages to people asking for help because of how sudden this is, if people want to respond, in her letting them know she is in the enclosure with the turtles.]

Comments

[cardcaptured]

[It's like his worst nightmare come to life.

One moment, he's accompanying Sakura on one of her errands, relishing the time they were spending together-- and the next, she suddenly winks out of existence, vanishing without a trace in mid-air. His heart nearly seizes in his chest as the reality sinks in, all of the possibilities and implications crashing upon him. Was this Vanderwheele's doing? Was this some sort of rebound from what happened in September?

He calls out her name, frantically, hoping against hope that maybe she just turned invisible or something. But when no one replies, he can feel the panic enveloping him, desperate and strong. He didn't want to go through another stretch of time like that without her. Not again.

The buzz of his phone in his pocket, however, snaps him away from that spiral, getting him to fumble for it in the process. The moment he lays eyes on her text, asking for help, it's like a heavy weight is lifted from his shoulders, and he nearly collapses with relief. Good. She was safe. Mostly, anyway. The turtle thing was strange, but he'd question that later!!

Right now, the main priority was getting to the aquarium, and fast. After sending her a text in return, he books it towards the building, grateful it wasn't too far from where they were. It takes a lot of running and breathless questions and confusion before he finally finds the enclosure within, and he dashes immediately there once he spots her.]

SAKURA--!

[His hands slap across the glass, desperate to get to the other side and over to her but not entirely sure how. He's pretty sure he can't break it open, unless he wanted to get charged for property damage, but there had to be some way...]

Are you alright?! How in the world did you get in here?!

[THAT'S THE QUESTION OF THE DAY, XIAOLANG]

[keystaff]

[Surely, he would be just as confused and worried, with her having suddenly disappeared on him like that. She's just relieved she still had her phone on her to use to message him about the situation.]

Xiaolang-kun? Xiaolang-kun!

[She swims over to the glass, pressing a hand to it and glancing around to find him when she hears his voice, when she hears her name. She doesn't immediately notice the way the water seems to also help push her along to get to him.]

I'm okay, I'm just...not sure what happened? I mean. I remembered something again, but. That hasn't meant I was suddenly somewhere else like this before.

[cardcaptured]

[His hand presses against the other side of the glass, mirroring her own, his face tense with concern. She was like a captive mermaid, out of reach, and he was just the lowly human trying to rescue her. Why couldn't either of them have some sort of phasing ability so he could reach in and yank her back out??

The independent movement of the water misses his notice as well, more focused on trying to hear Sakura's muffled words on the other side. Stupid tank and it's thickness!! He gets the gist of it, though, and his eyes duck down for a moment, trying to piece it all together. There were those weird effects on his skin from last month, but that couldn't be related... could it?]

What was it that you remembered? Was it a new ability?

[WAS SHE ABLE TO TELEPORT NOW?? There's a pause, before he adds:]

Has anyone else noticed you in here yet?

[Because a girl randomly in one of the turtle tanks would probably grab some attention? But he wants to make sure it's something he can ask an aquarium employee to help with and not some glossed over Retrospec nonsense.]

[keystaff]

I remembered another card. Aqua? But I'm not sure how remembering that sent me here?

[That was what was confusing. There was the obvious connection with water but even so. She's never had something like this happen before. At least, not because of her remembering things. His voice is muffled but not enough that she can't hear what he says.]

I'm not sure? I haven't been here long yet. But there's probably some way to get in and out? For the staff to feed them?

[cardcaptured]

Aqua...?

[That was... weird? All of the cards she had gotten back before had rather simple names-- Fly, Shield, Mirror, and so on-- so Aqua seemed oddly fancy in comparison. But maybe her cards evolved when her staff upgraded?? He can only dwell on it for a moment, before shaking his head. No, that wasn't the priority here.]

I'd understand if it was a memory related to teleporting or something, but...

[He trails off, hand sliding down the glass. Was this something related to whatever Vanderweele was doing? It was so out of left field, it was hard to say. Well, that wasn't important at the moment. What was important was getting Sakura out of there, one way or another. It took a lot of self-control not to just shatter the glass with his sword or magic in his desperation to get her free, but... in the end, it'd just cause them more problems. The broken glass could hurt her, the turtles could be harmed, not to mention damaging public property...

He takes a deep breath, not wanting to leave her side after he just found her, but it was the only option available to them right now.]

... you're right, but those doors probably aren't open to the public. I'll see if I can find an employee or someone and have them get back there to fish you out.

[Of course, explaining how Sakura got in there will be....... interesting, but he's hoping they won't ask too many questions.]

I'll be back soon, I promise.

[keystaff]

I don't remember anything about teleporting. I'm not sure if I would want to.

[Because it would seem decidedly potentially dangerous not to mention disorienting. With this particular experience to go from at least. She does want to figure a way out, though at the same time she is also loathe to be separated from him now he was here. Even if she knows he's heading to get them help. To find someone who could get her out of this enclosure with the turtles.]

O-okay.

[cardcaptured]

[It was frustrating, not being able to take her hand and comfort her while she was stuck like this. This was no doubt more distressing to her than it was to him (although he's pretty worried about all of this), and he didn't want to leave her when she needed support the most. But just talking to her wasn't going to get her out of the tank, and while the turtles weren't any threat to her, he wanted to get her out of there as soon as possible.

He casts one more concerned look towards the enclosure, before giving her what he hopes is a reassuring smile. It's okay, he's gonna help fix things!! With that, he dashes towards the nearest exit, in hopes of finding the nearest available aquarium employee.

It takes a little longer than he wants to find someone who has access to the animals-- about ten, fifteen minutes at most-- but soon he's running back with them in tow. Snippets of their conversation float through the air as they approach, the concern clear in both of their tones.]

--how did your girlfriend wind up in there in the first place? It's not open to the public...!

I-I don't know! I think she was visiting a relative who worked here, and--

[But Xiaolang catches sight of Sakura before he finishes, and dashes straight over to the tank, more preoccupied with her than finishing his explanation.]

SAKURA...!

[His hand reaches for hers again, despite the glass, his eyes on the look-out for anything wrong.]

I brought someone who can help! Are you holding up alright?

[keystaff]

[Sakura can't help being a little worried. Not that she wouldn't be able to get out, surely there was some way the staff could get in to help the animals and all. But more that she would get in trouble for something out of her control like this. Still, she stays in the water, near to the window, as she tries to watch, to keep an eye out for Xiaolang while also trying to hide from others that might see her.

So when she does hear him again, she swims back over, the water helping propel her closer to the glass.]

Xiaolang-kun. I'm okay. Just -- I think the penguins are kind of scared. Or confused.

[Possibly more than she was. Still, there's not much she can do about that other than leaving as soon as she can. Her hand reaches for his, the glass between them stopping it from grasping the other teen's.]

[cardcaptured]

[His fingers curl against the glass, wishing so badly he could hold onto her hand and comfort her, but alas. At least he can take solace in the fact that she's doing alright, but he can't help but worry, regardless. His face contorts a bit in concern at the mention of the penguins, though, his eyes darting to somewhere further in the tank to see if he can spot them.]

I don't blame them. I don't think they're used to other people in the tank with them, aside from the staff...

[Speaking of which-- his eyes quickly glance at the employee sorting out their keys, determining they were too distracted to overhear their conversation, before turning back to Sakura, his voice lowering.]

I told them you were visiting a relative who worked here, and that's how you wound up falling in, okay? I couldn't tell them how you really ended up in there.

[Not that they really knew themselves, but 'she suddenly teleported in there' didn't seem believable. The staffer, in the meantime, finally gets out the proper key, and turns to Xiaolang expectantly.]

Well? Are you coming?

[He nods quickly to the employee, glancing over to Sakura one last time.]

I'll be there soon.

[And at that, he dashs after the worker as they let him in through the back. A few minutes and the sound of shoes slapping against the ground later, he's peering down to where she is in the water, looking ready to jump in himself. Instead, though, he stretches his hand out to her, calling out her name, hoping he can somehow haul her out.]

[keystaff]

A-alright...

[That....seemed a more plausible excuse at least. Than her suddenly er, teleporting in. So she gives a nod when he lowers his voice and explains to her. At the least, the important thing was that they were going to be able to get her out.

She herself doesn't even realize she is controlling the water to help shift her up and out of it, when she sees movement, when she hears him calling her name. She heads up to meet him, reaching out.]

Xiaolang-kun!

[cardcaptured]

[The employee honestly seems caught between telling Xiaolang not to be stupid and to keep away from the ledge, or calming down the distressed animals in the tank, but they seem to go the latter route, for now, leaving Xiaolang to do his best to try to get her out himself. Maybe that was a blessing, however, as his eyes finally catch onto the strange activity of the water beneath her, rounding momentarily in surprise. The way it was bending and shifting beneath her, as if to boost her up... it wasn't normal. Was he just seeing things, or was this another effect of what had happened?

Regardless, his hand latches onto hers as they meet, and he pulls her up with all of his might. Sakura wasn't a heavy girl-- at least, not to him-- but he still had the strength of a normal teenage boy, so it wasn't without it's difficulties. However, he manages to succeed, and it's not until he's sure she's safely on not-turtle ground that he wraps her up into a tight hug. Who cares if she was wet and probably covered in whatever turtle bacteria was in there-- she was safe and sound, and he couldn't help but express his relief, somehow.]

[keystaff]

[Sakura is more focused in getting herself out. She figures it best to leave the animals to the staff, who know them better. She doesn't even realize that the water is helping her move, not necessarily aware of it, as she rises to meet Xiaolang and reach for him.

Sakura clings to him once she is up out of the water, taking at least a moment in relief. Having a moment to hug him after her shock of ending up here suddenly, separated from him.]

Xiaolang-kun. I'm alright...

[Just cold. And wet.]

[cardcaptured]

[He cuddles her closer the moment he feels her reciprocate the hug, hoping to warm her up the best that he can, ignoring the dampness transferring over to his own coat.]

... I'm glad.

[His voice is husky and a little low, thousands of emotions silently packed into those two words. Thank goodness she was okay. Thank goodness she didn't disappear for good, or wind up some place potentially more dangerous. There was some curious stuff at play here, but for now, he was just grateful to be able to hold her in his arms to comfort her.

The sound of a throat clearing cuts through the fluffy moment, however, and the aquarium employee shoots the two a dry, yet slightly amused look. Evidently the animals were easier to calm down than expected.]

Okay you two lovebirds, that's enough.

[They toss a towel in the two's direction, before arching an eyebrow.]

Get yourselves dried off, and then we can talk about filing an accident report.

[Xiaolang (who, of course, went ramrod stiff and red at the mention of 'lovebirds') can't help but glance towards Sakura, eyes unsure. Should they try to explain this? Or make a break for it?]

[keystaff]

A report?

[Sakura's cheeks and nose might tinge slightly pink at the 'lovebirds' comment, but well. Of course the staff don't know Sakura had just suddenly disappeared and left him freaking out about it. That and, well. She's not entirely sure what to say in explaining how she ended up in here for that matter, in the turtle enclosure.

She bites her lip, glancing to Xiaolang. He'd mentioned the excuse of a relative, but still....]

[cardcaptured]

Yes, a report. Just so we know what to do to prevent this from happening again. We can't have people falling into the animal tanks, after all.

[Xiaolang's eyes catch hers the moment she glances over to him, trying to figure the best plan of action. Admittedly, he didn't think this far ahead-- the relative excuse worked as a short-term answer, but if they started investigating the employees and realized none of them knew her...

Swallowing hard to force down some of the color in his face, he looks over to the worker and nods his head.]

Sure. Can I escort her to the restroom while you get the paperwork? Just so she can clean herself up a bit more.

[The staff just shrugs and nods, directing them to where they can find the bathrooms. Scooping up the towel, Xiaolang gently drapes it over Sakura's head, hoping it'll at least help her get her hair a little drier. But there's another purpose to it too-- clutching the towel, he leans in closer to Sakura, letting it obscure part of his face from the worker as he whispers to her.]

Once we head towards the bathroom, we're getting out of here. We're going to get into big trouble if they realize you don't actually have a relative here.

[Granted, that's entirely his fault for the excuse... but there really was no other way to explain it. Carefully, he begins to help her back up to her feet, glancing every so often at the aquarium employee to make sure they weren't suspicious.]

[keystaff]

[Sakura gives a sheepish nod at the employee explaining about preventing this from happening again. She's...not sure how to answer to that in terms of prevention when this was something she has no idea how it happened, beyond probably attributing it to the app somehow.

So she closes one eye when Xiaolang drapes the towel over her head, glancing to him then when he whispers to her, giving a slight nod of understanding. She lets him guide her back to her feet and in the direction of the bathrooms.]

[cardcaptured]

[It's not long before they make their way out of the staff area and back onto the floor of the aquarium itself, Xiaolang taking extra care not to walk too quickly lest it rouse any suspicions. It's not until they reach the bathrooms that he ducks into the doorway, motioning her to come follow, out of sight from any prying eyes of the employees. Once he determines the coast is clear, his fingers get to work on the toggle buttons of his jacket, deftly undoing them one by one until the garment is loosened. Shrugging the coat off of his shoulders, he drapes it over hers instead, bundling it up around her the best he can.]

... here. We should at least try to get your hair dry before we head outside, too.

[Considering it was February and she would get pretty sick if she went out in the cold as she was right now!! His eyes quietly worry over her, in case there was anything else that needed attending to. She said she was okay, but...]

[keystaff]

Okay.

[She figures at least this way they weren't lying about the bathroom. Plus, it would be best to try dry off as best she could sooner rather than later. So Sakura follows, not even pausing as she lets him lead her inside the bathroom, blinking when he gives her his jacket.]

Thanks, Xiaolang-kun. I'm not sure what I'd have done if you weren't here.

[cardcaptured]

[Well, he doesn't go all the way into the bathroom-- as much as he was fretting over her and concerned over what just happened, the ladies entering and exiting this particular restroom wouldn't take too kindly to him being in there. Even if he had a very good reason for being there at this very moment!! Still, they could use this lie to their benefit, with Sakura getting whatever she might need before they made their escape.

His hands are busy lingering near the fluffy hood of his jacket, wondering if it was better to get it over her head for extra warmth (but maybe she should dry her hair, before that??), when her words take him off-guard. He blinks back for a moment, his heartbeat fluttering in his chest, the familiar burn taking over his cheeks and ears as her thanks fully settles it.]

I-- a-ah...

[His mouth works wordlessly for a moment, before he averts his eyes, shyly.]

I didn't really do all that much. I'm sure one of the staff members would have noticed you in the tank with or without me there.

[XIAOLANG......... ARE YOU REALLY DOING THIS RIGHT NOW, YOU STUPID MODEST NUGGET]

[keystaff]

Probably. It might not have been so quick though. And -- I always feel better, with you around.

[Which is true. She does. And she doesn't mind if they just stick near the entrance of the bathrooms, just glad for a little more privacy and understanding that might get awkward if he came into the girls toilets or she went with him to the boys.

She shifts, ignoring how her hair is still damp and probably messy from the rough attempts to dry if off and not having a comb or something.]

A-anyway, the sooner we go, the better, right?

[cardcaptured]

['I always feel better, with you around'.

His eyes-- which have been intent on memorizing every weird detailing of the carpet near their feet-- stop their search, instead looking up and over towards her, wide and bewildered. It feels like time had slowed down to a stop between them, the rest of the aquarium moving about a normal pace as he stares, dumbfounded and at a loss for words. His heart skips a few beats, before it expands within his chest, bringing about a wonderful warmth throughout his limbs and body.

... but then she reminds him of their priorities, and he jolts out of his fuzzy feelings, shaking his head slightly to get his focus back.]

Ah-- y-yeah, we probably should, before they get too suspicious.

[His gaze darts back at her damp, unruly hair, worrying yet again about her comfort, and his hands go back to the jacket hood. At the very least, it could probably shield her from the cold, and it would throw the aquarium staff off their tracks. Gently, he pulls the hood over her head, covering her wet hair the best he can, keeping a careful eye on Sakura lest he jostle her by accident.

He's quiet for a moment, his hands still lingering on the hood near her face, feeling those warm, fluffy feelings come back in full force. Even soggy and bedraggled, she was still the loveliest girl he's ever seen... and somehow, he made this wonderful, precious person feel safe and happy. He wasn't entirely sure how, but he did... and it felt like the whole world was lighter because of it.

His eyes softening, he leans in, closing the space between them, to press the most delicate of kisses upon her forehead. It's a brief press of the lips, all tenderness and love, and it's thankfully hidden from prying visitor's sights by the large hood of his jacket. He pulls back, almost too shy to meet her gaze, cheeks flushing just a bit more as he says, quietly:]

... I do too, though.

[A small smile blooms across his face, sweet as sunshine, as his eyes finally catch hers.]

I always feel happier with you around.

[keystaff]

We should.

[She blinks, closing one eye initially when he covers her with the hood. At least at first, not having expected that, or the kiss that comes for that matter. It has her a little taken aback, in not expecting or considering her current appearance making her seem that much more vulnerable, making him feel that much more protective of her.]

Both of us then.

[Which is probably, you know, why and how they ended up confessing and thus dating in the end. Her own cheeks and nose are a little tinged pink as she then glances, trying to figure a sign for the exit.]

Um, this way?