Just then a rare thing happened - a note of clarity appeared in The Sketcher's eyes.

"Several points there..." She mused. "Firstly, it is not a nowhere-place...it is an everywhere-place. Secondly, I do not embody it at all, or at least someone does not." She frowned then, before moving on. "None will follow...but not for the reason you think." She glanced at Maria, and from there to Sora, before the clarity faded, and the hint of hazy cunning returned.

"Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you come and follow me, and never be the same?" She sang quietly, her voice changing the old hymn into something tempting and almost hypnotic, yet simultaneously twisted. Her voice seemed to echo around the square, and for a moment there was silence.

Telleo, for a moment, considered the Sketcher's words. Everywhere place... none will follow but not for what I think?

But, of course, this was only for a moment.

"Why am I even entertaining this..." He shook his head, gripping his sketchbook a little harder than needed, "I'm not M- I'm not him, okay? So I'll have nothing to do with your little--" He stopped short, because at that very instant a sharp ring bit in his ear. His sketchbook and pencils fell to the ground as his hands clapped over his ears, as if the mettalic sting could be shooed away by this simple gesture. With this, an odd sense of deja vu washed over him. Where have I seen this before? The question was quite useless, because, he already knew the answer. As the sketcher had said... "why not follow the ones you know... or knew?"

Splayed across the pavement, one of Telleo's 'masterpieces' made itself known to the world. It different from the one he had been crafting earlier, very different. It was a dou piece, a man and a woman. The man was thin as a rail and had muddy brown hair, the woman short and petite and had thick golden locks. Practically two opposites, but what they wore made them one. The man wore what must have been originally been a three-piece suit, but it was torn and ravaged, and subtle yet sharp rises of the seams hinted at thorns. The woman's dress was far more refined- a light a delicate black number, cut and layered... much like flower petals. The two appeared to be engaged in a form of tango, one thick red ribbon wrapped around their arms, connecting them.

Briar, briar and rose. Brother briar and his rose.

Maria blinked in confusion as Telleo clapped his hands over his ears. "What's wrong, uu~?" she asked worriedly, not yet noticing the picture.

(lazy post. 8D)

The Sketcher, however, had. She reached forward, gently picking it up with one of her long fingers and scrutinising it carefully. After a moment she laughed, a true laugh not just a chuckle, and grinned up at Telleo.

"You have an.....excccccccellent........eye for detail, brother." She murmured.

The ringing dulled to a dull ache at the back of his skull, and when Telleo opened his eyes- he hadn't even known he had closed them in the first place -black splotches danced across his vision. He glanced between the two girls, and then his sketchbook. Fingers pinched on the bridge of his nose, as to further 'dull' the pain, he muttered, "Old work, and most definately not my best."

Not, apparently, an ear for detail though. Sketcher noted.

"Perhaps you should look through the...older pieces...more often, brother." She murmured, repeating the term of address.

(Bah. I should really read you guy's posts more carefully... and be less lazy...)

Telleo had never been all to perceptive, and so naturally his listening skills weren't at their finest when he was being harassed by that insane ringing in his ears. But a second time, that's all he needed to catch onto the term.

"Actually I- hold on. What did you just call me?" Telleo shot a sharp look Sketcher's way. He was normally a particularly laid back guy but, "Brother" is taking it too far.

[Hehe ^_^ ]

"Me?" Sketcher glanced up at Telleo, her eyes completely devoid of any guilt or shame.

"Yes, you." Telleo shot back, irritation edging into his voice, "I'm not your brother. We're in no way related. You're just an ill girl set up in town center babbling about things that you really shouldn't." He released the bridge of his nose so he could face her fully, "You really shouldn't."

The Sketcher shrugged, not bothering to look Telleo in the eye as she flipped a card seemingly out of nowhere, studying it for a second. One corner of her mouth quirked up slightly.

"Perhaps it is you who are ill....Telleo." She replied nonchalantly. "Drawing and thinking about things you really shouldn't." Her eyes flicked upwards to meet his, shining with something strange, not of this world. "You really shouldn't."

(Question... when should these guys go into Rorrim?)

Skin flushing beet read, he snatched the sketchbook from the Sketcher's hands. As much as he wanted to yell, as much as he wanted to strike out... he couldn't. He was locked into those eyes... and he couldn't for the life of him look away. She's lying... lying. She's lying. This was the mantra he repeated over and over in his head, but it did little to douse the growing tension in his chest. He hated hearing things that he knew had at least some obscure grain of truth to them.

"So perhaps we both should stop?" He hissed.

[Dream tonight - perhaps? ]

"Continuing might be the right thing to do." The Sketcher replied with a sudden grin, her teeth flashing white. After a moment she seemed to take pity on Telleo and blinked, looking down at the card again. "Follow the path you've chosen, take the road that was made for you." She murmured, almost to herself.

(Sure, when DA gets back on?)

Telleo's lips pressed into a hard line, and he was able to muster enough strength to take a step back. "Is that what you did? Continue?"

"It's what we all do." Sketcher chuckled. "Whether or not you know it."

For the longest time, Telleo stood there, unmoving. Then with a sigh, he said, "It's getting late."

He turned around, nearly running over the smaller girl. You're still here? He plastered on a smile for the Maria and her stuffed toy, "Is your mother waiting for you?"

Neko gave one last look at Sketcher before she turned to leave.

"Good night." She called as she walked to her hotel

"I'll see you all soon." Sketcher murmured, her eyes closing.

Maria shook her head. "Uu~ Mama's still at work, uu~." she smiled.

"Oh? When is she going to get home?" Telleo asked, beginning to head the general direction of the small sprawl of houses the tiny town housed. He offered the girl a small smile, "If you need someone to walk you home, I'm free."

After waving to the mysterious girl in the town centre, Maria followed after the older boy. "Uu~! Okay!"

Telleo offered his free hand to her, "Where do you live?"

"This way, uu~!" Maria answered, latching onto Telleo's offered hand. She lead the way, walking near the middle of the cluster of houses.

Telleo nodded, glancing around at the houses they were passing. He didn't live too far from where they were, but again, living close to the people you meet wasn't a rare thing in Brekenbridge.

After they progressed a few blocks in silence, he decided to fill in the time with a question. "So... who's Sora?"

"This is Sora~! Uu~!" Maria said, holding up the stuffed bunny in her hands, its ears flapping lightly as they walked.

"Ah," Telleo studied the bunny, "She's adorable, Maria. Do you take her with you everywhere?"

Maria nodded. "Yep, uu~! Sora is Maria's best friend!"

"Well, she must be a really good friend." Telleo looked up at the house they were nearing, "Is this the place?"

"Mhm." Maria responded, walking up the steps to the front of her house. She turned around in front of the door, smiling. "Uu~ thank you, Telleo~!"

"No problem," He waved her off, adding "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Uu~!" Maria waved, until he left. She turned around, searching her pockets for the door's small key, before unlocking it and stepping inside.

(Timeskip/switch to Rorrim, or still wait a bit?)

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