Dyss was inclined to agree. This, even if he couldn't see, was better, perhaps than the life in Purgatory. After all, there was no one like Izumi in Purgatory. And out here... Well, even just the feels and sounds and smells were better. Spending their time here was better than waiting in the gray for the end...

"And yes... We're here, anyway. It's so much better... Even if we don't find a way to keep it..."

The alternative wasn't pretty, but at least they would have this time...

"It's true," Attis nodded, "Not all of us get the chance to be out here . . . like this."

"B-but, well, I . . . I'd like to live here," Milos inserted his opinion rather abruptly, saddened by the notion there still was a chance of failure to deal with, "And grow old here . . ."

"Dudes 'ere prolly 'it 'arder, too," Recheov nodded as he stared out of Izumi's window. This could only be seen as a good thing by Recheov, and only to Recheov was it truly a great thing.

Illorex, however, had no addition to this topic. Whether or not he enjoyed it or loathed it here simply could not be discerned--not even for himself. Of two minds, he possibly felt both comfort and discomfort here. Like everything, he wound up feeling nothing, just for a lack of decisive ability.

"I know," Attis replied calmly, "And that's why we should get to work soon, like Illorex suggested. Speaking of which . . . Dyss, did you find any place for us to stay? I don't think Izumi could handle all of us sleeping here. It's an awfully small house."

"Um..."

Dyss shook his head in an almost ashamed way, having not even looked for a larger place to stay. He'd barely survived, after all. He'd been imposing on Izumi for a while now, and hadn't really accomplished what he'd been sent here to do in the first place. Admittedly, he had a bit of a handicap, though...

"No, I haven't. Izumi would probably be able to help more. She knows better than me..."

Dyss felt bad at not being able to help, even in spirit. He was trying, though...

Well, a good contact was better than nothing. Dyss wouldn't be able to claim to have been useless for that reason alone. Granted, they weren't as well off as they hoped, but it was still something.

"All right. I'll go ask Izumi," Attis declared quietly as he stood, "In the meantime, Dyss, could you teach Illorex, Recheov, and Milos about eating?"

"Seriously, wot the fuck is that?" Recheov grumbled.

"I've no idea," Illorex shrugged.

"I think you and I are the only two who have, anymore," Attis suppressed a chuckle as he left the room.

Of course, it was easy to suppress a chuckle about that. Attis wasn't talking about just their group in particular, after all . . .

"Eating... Hmm..."

Dyss had to think for a moment to try to figure out how to explain it. He assumed Attis had left the room, and eventually decided to mime the actions as he explained the steps. Why... He couldn't really explain why they needed to do it, but it was a fact...

"I don't know what Izumi is making, but you put the food in your mouth... Chew it... Swallow... Then wait. It's something we apparently have to do every day a couple of times... You'll probably enjoy it after a while..."

Dyss had grown to enjoy it, as annoying as it was to have to do every day several times. It was decent break, in any case...

Illorex, at least, took it to heart. Or mind. "I see."

"Wot?" Recheov asked as he stared Dyss in the face. "Whoy?"

After awhile, Milos started to think of something. The whole time they'd been here, they had experienced a growing sensation of pain. Not just any pain, though. They'd all experienced physical pains before--well, most of them. Milos hadn't, but that was another story. Nonetheless, if eating was something they absolutely had to do a few times a day, then could it have caused trouble if they didn't? They'd been here in the living world for several hours already--if not close to a day . . .

"Does that have anything to do with the pain we've been having?" Milos asked as he set a couple of fingers on Dyss's stomach, "Right around here?"

Dyss of course couldn't see where Milos was gesturing, but he had a pretty good idea of what he was pointing to.

"Food goes in your stomach, I think. It hurts when you don't eat for a while, in this world..."

He couldn't really answer Recheov's question, because he had no idea himself. Why there would be such an inconvenient need... It was a small price to pay to be here in the real world, though. Still, it was almost like they were bound to it...

"I don't know why, but everyone here acts strange if you don't know..."

"So, jus' act loike we've known all along?" asked Recheov, not too convinced.

Illorex nodded to this. "It would be for the best to blend in."

"Yeah, good luck with that, with your wardrobe and all," the anarchist declared spitefully, "oI wouldn't suggest you goin' outsoide, if you're talkin' about blendin' in and summat."

Milos sighed and slumped down beside Dyss's chair. "Come on, guys . . ."

It wasn't much longer before Izumi was back in, helped by Attis who followed behind. They each carried plates of food with them, breakfast food--egg and toast. It wasn't much, but Izumi didn't have much. This had exhausted all of her supply of eggs and bread, which were fairly pricey items . . .

Recheov stared at his plate with a look of confusion, while Illorex and Milos picked up fast. Attis, on the other hand, had sat and ate--after thanking Izumi for the meal and the effort she put behind it--as if he had been alive all along. Had he simply experienced it once or twice, he would have understood it, but he was just the same as Izumi with not, used to it completely. It was just second nature; pure physical memory. And Milos was much the same, by the time he was half-way done. If anything, this kept Izumi from becoming suspicious about them, or at least curious as to why none of them knew how to eat, or what food even was.

"Umm, Dyss," Izumi broke the silent that filled the room while they all had their breakfast, "I, um, I have to work soon . . ."

It was a hint, perhaps. For what? That was up to Dyss to figure out.

Dyss would eat slowly and surely, as he always did, judging whether there was still food by the weight against his utensils. He never really could tell what food he was eating, but as long as it was simple, he could manage. Cutting food was still something that eluded him.

"Um... Sorry, do you want us to let you get ready?"

Dyss wanted to be helpful, but what Izumi may have suggested was lost to him here...

"U-um, n-no! Tha-that's fine, I-I'm fine, uh . . ." Izumi stammered quickly.

She wasn't dressed for work. That was all she needed to do to get ready, pick out her work clothes, throw them on, and head to work. That . . . that she didn't need help with. In fact, she'd rather do that on her own. In privacy. Privacy entailing no one in her room. No one in her room entailing that this gathering moves on elsewhere. Where? Well, they probably weren't going to fit in the guest room for all that long; her house was small, after all.

Izumi didn't really feel comfortable with all of them in her house while she wasn't home, as well . . .

"Mhmm. I think we're going to go to the local inn," Attis began, only to draw a blankt, "--what was it called, Izumi?"

"The, um, the Guisen Inn."

"Mmm. Okay. Well, if everyone else is ready to go, I think we'll be on our way," Attis declared as he stood up and stood within the doorway.

It was up to Dyss if he was going with or not, though . . .

Dyss nodded, then waited while Attis made his suggestion. It was true- they probably wouldn't be able to all live in the small place. Dyss was a bit sad to have his friends split up already between the new world and old, but there was nothing for it...

"Will you be okay at work today?"

Dyss felt he should ask if she wanted some company. If not, he would go with the others to help them get settled as much as possible. There was little he could do to help her at work, and the others had just arrived...

"N-no, um, i-it's . . . I'll be fine . . ." Izumi started strong at first, but quickly fell back into a whisper.

"Thank you, Izumi," Milos chimed as he helped Dyss up and to the door, if need be.

"Mm, yeah. It was pretty good," Recheov shrugged his shoulders as he head to the door, as well. He was the first person to leave the house, followed shortly after by Illorex, who didn't say a word.

Izumi was silent for a moment, staring as the floor. Attis was kind enough to return to collect the plates and take them all to the kitchen, for which Izumi whispered a silent thanks, but she couldn't help but feel . . . depressed. Horribly depressed. It felt like she had a lump in her throat or something; something burning within the center of her chest that just wouldn't stop.

"Um . . . Dyss, um, if . . . if you're, um, well . . . y-you're probably going to stay with your friends now, r-right?" she asked rhetorically, "I, um . . . all of your things are kept in the drawers in, uh . . . in your room . . ."

Dyss honestly hadn't even considered moving out. As he moved to the door, with Milos' help, he would stop at Izumi's words. Izumi's house was... Well, hard to describe, but he knew he didn't want to leave. It was like having a home he cared about for the first time in... Ever? Or maybe it wasn't the home...

"I... Well, I don't want to leave, if that's okay... I mean... It's not far to see everyone, right...? I should stay here, in case something happens..."

Dyss's face would turn a bit red, though he wasn't entirely sure why. And he felt... Well, strange as well. Like he was back at the transition between worlds, and couldn't really tell where he was. It wasn't so jarring, though, or as abrupt. Or as unpleasant...

"R-really . . .?" Izumi asked with a much happier voice--

Truthfully, nothing had made her happier. One of her worries about this day was that Dyss would leave. It was a strange fear, but it was there, whether she could explain it or not. Explanation was just unnecessary in the end, not when she was acknowledging that it made her happier than ever to know that Dyss had no intention of moving out right this instant.

Or at all.

"Okay!" Izumi exclaimed, jovial once again. This was a relief--the biggest relief of them all. Dyss didn't have to go away! She . . . like him being here, even if he was just down the hall, she liked his company . . .

"I'll, um, I'll be back around this evening. Um, I-I . . . I'll see you then?"

"Yes!"

Dyss realized suddenly that he would need help to get back here at all. He didn't even know how to get here if no one was guiding him. Attis would remember directions, though, or someone else. And they'd bring him back, certainly...

"If someone helps me get back..."

Dyss didn't doubt someone would, he just wanted to make sure they knew he would need help...