2/11 ; 6:50 AM

[psykick]

I need help.

I just tried to leave my house to go to school and my vision suddenly... just POOF. Gone. Everything went black. Like someone blindfolded me, but there was nothing there. I managed to get back inside and it stopped. Which is how I'm able to type this.

It happened yesterday as well, and from what I can tell... it just happens when I'm outside. If I'm inside, I can see. So... until this stops (I REALLY HOPE IT STOPS, BECAUSE I CANNOT THINK OF HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS TO A DOCTOR. SITUATIONAL VISION LOSS?) I need some help getting around.

Starting with getting to school in the next 30 minutes.

Comments

[psykick]

[Just knowing that Rean is there, helps her start to calm down. She's not alone. She can figure out what to do if Rean is helping her.]

That... that sounds good.

[She unclenches her hands from the front of her coat and holds out the one closest to Rean.]

I trust you, Rean.

[And she does. While there are some people on the app she would begrudgingly trust in this situation, Rean has her implicit trust.]

[motiv8]

[Oh, good, she's not getting weird about this. He sighs a little in his own relief, before squeezing her hand gently to let her know they're setting off.]

All right, c'mon. ...Watch your step in front of you, there's some spilled coffee.

[RIP, Rinka's coffee. You will be missed, mostly by Rinka.

Rean narrates the walk every so often as they go, just to give her something auditory to anchor herself to.

Fortunately for his heart rate, it doesn't take too long to find a church to duck into. Unfortunately...]

Okay, we should be good here at least for a minute. Careful, though, stairs... I'll go slowly, but you're going to have to feel it out with your feet unless you want me to pick you up.

[Which he can, he doesn't doubt his own strength. He just doubts that she wants him to.]

[psykick]

[Indeed, RIP that coffee. Rinka will very much miss it and the chocolate croissant she dropped.

With Rean guiding her, she manages to make it to the church with minimal incident. A stumble here or there, but she catches herself each time. When he mentions the stairs, she nods.]

I can do it.

[She slides a foot forward until the toe of her sneaker hits the first riser. She lines up her other foot, then lifts the first again so she can measure the height of the stair. Then, alternating feet, she checks the height of the stair before placing her foot down. Luckily the stairs are fairly deep with only a moderate rise, so the risk of her tripping is less than it would be on steeper stairs.]

Just let me know when I'm at the top.

[motiv8]

All right.

[It's a slow journey up the stairs, one at a time, Rean not letting go of Rinka's hand the entire time – thankfully, there aren't too many of them to worry about.

Soon enough:]

Okay, there you go. That was the last one. Come on.

[He leads her forward, opening the door and moving to push her inside ahead of him so the door won't close on her as she's following.]

[psykick]

[Rinka lets out a small sigh of relief as Rean informs her she's reached the top. It had probably only been a couple minutes, but it had seemed like at least ten or fifteen.]

Ah, finally.

[And as she crosses the threshold into the church, it's like something is pulled away from her eyes. All of a sudden, she can see. She gasps at the sudden light and color and squeezes her eyes shut for a second before cautiously squinting them open again.]

I can see! Rean, I can see!

[motiv8]

Really?

[Oh, thank goodness, that is the best news he's heard all day. ...Hm, still, he probably shouldn't get too ahead of himself, here.]

All right. Let's just hang out here for a second and try to at least figure out what happened. Just in case it happens again...

What were you doing when you couldn't see before? Did you remember anything, or...?

[psykick]

[Rean has a pot. She needs to think about this.

Rinka crosses her arms and tries to remember what happened.]

I got my latte and pain au chocolat. And then.... I did remember something.

[She frowns a little as she mentally pokes at the new memory.]

She was... blindfolded. A man was talking to her about her senses. That she could learn how to use more than her sight to sense what's around her. Because apparently she was planning to fight a teleporter and a teleporter will get in your blindspot. But if she used her other senses, then she'd be able to tell where the teleporter was coming from.

[Rinka looks up at Rean]

Then everything went dark.

[motiv8]

[Rean listens, nodding.]

...Okay. It sounds to me like it might have been one of those weird memory side effects. I've had a couple, myself, but nothing quite like this... which means it'll wear off soon, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're out of the woods yet.

[So what triggered it going away? It seems like it happened the minute she stepped through the door, so...]

I might have a theory, if you're willing to test it. If not, we can just wait here until you're feeling better, too. I've got nowhere to be.

[psykick]

Side effects? We have side effects to worry about now?

[Rinka sighs. Getting these weird memories is already more than enough to deal with without throwing something like side effects on top of it.]

Let's test this theory of yours. The sooner we figure out what's going on the better.

[motiv8]

Yeah. I know when I first regained my sword skills, for the first week or so every time I grabbed anything even remotely shaped like my sword I wound up shifting into one of the eight forms and attacking whatever was in front of me. Thaaaat was awkward, to say the least.

[Poor, poor Crow.]

All right, well. It stopped when you went through a doorway, more or less. So I'm wondering if passing through other doorways will affect it, too.

[There are two where they are – one leading into the church, and one leading back outside.

Rean moves to hold open the door leading further in for her.]

Try going through?

[psykick]

[Getting into random sword fights does sound like it could get awkward. It's almost expected when you're five, but when you're in college? Not so much.]

Passing through doorways... Okay, it's a theory.

[A weird theory, but one she'll happily test out. Taking a small breath, Rinka steps forward, though the door and into the church.

No change.]

Well, I can still see.

[Which is good.]

[motiv8]

[Yeah, precisely. It was terrible and also he slammed Crow directly in the stomach with a broomstick.]

All right. Doorways, no. Second theory... try heading back outside.

[He'll go and hold that door open as soon as she's come back through. He's a gentleman!]

[psykick]

[So... inside and outside? It's still far fetched, but so is a girl who can turn herself intangible.]

Okay....

[Rinka steps back into the vestibule, then steps back outside. The moment both her feet touch the top of the stairs, the world goes black again, the sensation of something tied over her eyes returns, and she freezes.]

Ah. Can't see again.

[motiv8]

[Now you're thinking with anime logic.

Rean watches after her, and his heart stops for a moment when she freezes, but he manages to steady himself with a sigh. It's just the expected result, after all.]

All right. I'm taking your hand and bringing you back in, okay?

[A warning before following through with that, because it must be weird enough to suddenly lose your vision without being touched out of nowhere.]

[psykick]

Y-yeah. Okay.

[When she feels Rean's hand on her own, her tension lessens, and she lets him lead her back into the church. Once again, as she crosses the threshold, her vision returns.]

So... it might really be inside/outside.

Which is just weird.

[motiv8]

Sure is, but that's Retrospec for you.

[Once she's inside and safe, Rean lets her go, crossing his arms and sighing.]

Well, it's good we figured out what causes it, and it shouldn't last more than a week in my experience... but that still leaves the time between.

[psykick]

A week?

[Rinka sighs]

Maybe I can solicit people on the app for help. I can't exactly explain this to my mother or classmates. I just... need to get from one building to another.

[motiv8]

Maybe less. Hopefully less. That's just how long it lasted for me the last time I remember this.

[A sigh as well. He feels for her, he really does.]

Well... if you need any help during times I'm not in class, I'd be more than happy to come by and help you out.

[psykick]

Thanks, Rean. I really appreciate it.

[she glances toward the outside]

Though, for now, I should... probably just go home.

[Good thing Rean already knows where her house is!]

[motiv8]

...Yeah. Probably for the best. Heh... good thing I learned where your house is last time, huh?

[He holds out his hand, offering it to her to take. Although...]

It... might be a little harder to get down the stairs than it was getting up.

[psykick]

Funny how these things work out, huh?

[Rinka looks at the stairs as she takes Rean's hand. He does have a point.

I could hold the rail too. That might keep me better balanced.

[motiv8]

Sure is.

[He nods.]

Okay. I'll go down ahead of you, we'll take it slow. If you start falling forward, I've got you.

[psykick]

[Rinka eyes the instance from the door to the rail... then steps outside. As the world goes dark again, she takes a steadying breath and walks forward. After a few steps, her fingers brush against the metal railing, and she grabs on. A couple more steps and she'll be at the edge of the first stair.

With Rean's help, she slowly climbs down the stairs, counting off each step in her head as she does.]

[motiv8]

[Rean stays in front of her, one step at a time. Sure, they're getting some odd glances from passersby, but Rean doesn't care.

When she goes to step down onto the sidewalk, he speaks up.]

Okay, last one... there you go. Solid ground.

[...He sounds a little relieved, too. It's not like he doubted she could do it, and it's not like he wouldn't have been able to catch her if she did trip, but it's nice to not have to be on AS high of alert.]