Multiple Settings Avaris Flight 424

[One of Hearts]

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Avaris Flight 424, with service to (redacted). We are delighted to have you with us today. Your comfort and safety are our highest priorities, and we invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey."

Safety Announcement​

"Before we take off, please direct your attention to the safety demonstration. Your seatbelt should be fastened whenever seated. To fasten, insert the metal tip into the buckle and pull the strap to tighten. To release, lift the buckle flap.
In the event of cabin pressure changes, oxygen masks will drop from the panel above you. Pull the mask toward you, place it over your nose and mouth, and secure it with the elastic band. Be sure to put on your mask before assisting others.
Your life vest is located beneath your seat. In case of an emergency water landing, slip the vest over your head, fasten the straps, and pull the tab to inflate. For manual inflation, blow into the red tube.
There are four emergency exits on this aircraft, located at the front and back of the plane. Two are in the front and two are in the back. Please take a moment to locate the exit nearest you. Floor lighting will guide you in low visibility conditions.
At this time, please ensure your seatbacks and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions, and that all carry-on items are properly stowed. Electronic devices should be set to airplane mode until we reach cruising altitude."

"On behalf of the captain and the entire Avaris crew, we thank you for choosing to fly with us. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your journey with Avaris—where luxury meets the sky. Safe travels!"



Thus the start of a wild adventure began:

 

[One of Hearts]

Elias woke with a groan, clutching his head. That man… the one with the red hair—how had he gotten on the plane? Where was he now? More importantly, where were they? Blinking against the hazy blur of his vision, Elias forced himself upright and peered through the cockpit window. An overgrown forest stretched endlessly before him. Trees. Just trees. They had survived? Flashes of the flight rushed back. He and Jonny had been working desperately—adjusting instruments, trying to contact Air Traffic Control. Then...His stomach lurched.


"NO!"


He whipped around, eyes locking onto his first officer.


"You better still be alive!" Elias scrambled to Jonny’s side, shaking him. "Wake up! Wake up, boy! We survived!"



Nathan woke in the cabin, still strapped into his seat, the oxygen mask hanging loosely over his face. He ripped it off and inhaled sharply, his heart pounding. Did he survive? Did everyone survive? Where were they? He turned to the window. A forest. Nothing but dense greenery. Not much to tell from that, but at least where there were trees, there was likely water. Water… His throat burned at the thought. He needed it...now. Fumbling with his carry-on, he pulled out his water bottle. Half full. He twisted off the cap and took a deep gulp. Better. Much better. His grip tightened around his bag as he turned to scan the wreckage. Was anyone else alive? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he couldn’t just leave everyone to fate. He had to wake someone. A light tap on his shoulder made him jump. Nathan spun around, his pulse spiking, only to find himself face to face with a young girl. Blonde. Wide-eyed.


"You're alive too?"


Her voice trembled, raw from crying.


He nodded. "I am. Looks like we both made it through this." He forced a reassuring tone. "Don’t worry, I’m sure they’re looking for us. You’re not alone anymore."


She swallowed hard and nodded, trying to steel herself. "I just woke up too. Maybe the others will… maybe they’ll wake up too?" She hesitated. "My phone doesn’t work. It’s dead for some reason."

Nathan hadn’t even thought to check his. He dug into his pocket and pulled it out. Nothing. Dead.


"Well," he exhaled, forcing a small grin, "what matters is we’re not dead. That’s a good start. Let’s check the others."


The girl nodded. "I’m Friday, by the way."


"Nathan," he replied.

 

[SirPrompto15]

Yuki woke up,still strapped to her seat in her cabin. She breathed heavyly,her oxygen mask still strapped to her face.

The last thing she remembered before passing out,well alot actually.
The violent turbulences.
The strange purple smoke that made her mask also useless.
And him.
The strange man with red hair. Seeing him reminded her of family folktales her mother used to tell her as a child. About fox spirits that came to distress clan members in time of great crisis. They came to their aid with a gift,a part of their power. Could this men have been...no...Yuki's an otaku but she dosen't believe in such folktales.

She looked through her window. Trees. From far the eye can see. The plane might have crashed in some countryside area.
Or some deserted island?

She removed the oxygen mask and looked on herself. She still had her itabag which was her carry on with her priced plushies from her favorite anime and manga Demon Slayer.They were a gift from her family before she went to college in Boston.
She looked inside the bag and was releaved that she still had a water bottle and a few snacks.
"Mmh!" She heard a voice.
She looked next to het seat. Was the red haired guy back? No it was someone else...who she she stared at was a figure she though only existed in fiction.
"Nezuko?" Staring at her was Nezuko Kamado,a character from her favorite anime and manga,Demon Slayer.

She remembered the character. She was Tanjiro's younger sister who was turned into a demon by the demon king, Muzan.

Either she was a surviving passager who was a cosplayer...no she looked too real to be one...
"Must be that purple gas. I must be seeing things."
The demon girl gestured for Yuki to followed her then headed left the aisle.
" Wait!" Yuki cried as she followed her at least twelve row from her seat with her itabag in tow.
Nezuko pointed toward a row of seats before vanishing out of thin air.

This was really weird. IT must have been the purple gas. Yuki went to the row she was guided to to find two more survivors. A black haired young man and blond teenage girl.
" I'm so happy not to be alone! Are you guys alright? My name's Yuki,Yuki Yokoshiro!"
She noticed that the blonde girl looked sad. "You're worried about the crash too,right?" She asked the teen. "Don't worry,you're not the only one." she said,trying to reasure her.

"Awwww,that so nice of you!" said an high pinched female voice come from the nearby row that she thought was empty. "The poor girl need compasion and reassurance right now.You would make a great big sister!"

Yuki turned to the row,only to notice a young woman the same age as her with long pink and green hair wearing a military uniform ill fitting for her,a white haori ,long green socks,sandals and with a shelthed sword on her belt.
"Mitsuri...Kanroji...the love Hashira?!" Yuki,said surprised.

"Yeah,that's me! Though don't mind me I'm just part of your mind woooo!" She said before giggling.

"Okay...It must have been the purple gas! First it's that red haired guy and now I keep seeing characters from my favorite anime..." Yuki said,blushing red from embarasement.

" For the red haired man,I don't know as much as you but for the latter maybe that's because you're homesick Yuki." Mitsuri said. Yuki looked shocked. "How did you know my name and how I felt?"

"Well I do come from your mind!" Mitsuri replied. "And no you are not crazy. Your new friends are seeing me right now!" she added,waving at them.

"Wait a minute..." Yuki said."How is it possible?"


" I don't know as much as you! For now,maybe it's a good idea if you help your new friends look for other survivors." Mitsuri suggested.

"I...guess so," Yuki said shyly.
One of Hearts

 

[Jackson123]

Johnny stirs from unconsciousness on his right seat of the cockpit, the dull thud of his own heartbeat pounding against his ribcage. He can hear his captain calling over to him.

"You better still be alive! Wake up! Wake up, boy! We survived!"

Johnny groans, his body protesting as he attempts to sit up. The world tilts, and for a moment, he thinks he might be sick. The last thing he remembers is the purple smoke seeping into the cockpit, the alarms blaring, and the plane bucking like a wild stallion beneath his hands.

"Dammit, Elias," Johnny mutters, his voice hoarse. "What the hell happened?"

Johnny tries to piece together the last moment of the flight he remembers. They had just completed a routine altitude check, everything was normal. Then, out of nowhere, the plane started to lose control, master caution alarm, cabin altitude warning, fire warning, all sorts of chimes and alarm. He remembers fighting the yoke and pedals, trying to stabilize the aircraft before the captain took over and he went over the QRH for smoke evac procedure.

"Oxygen masks, don, regulator 100……”

“Cabin rate, yes, pressurisation mode, manual, pack 1 out, check, pack 2 out, check, recirc fan out, check.”

“Fasten seatbelt sign on, check, altitude 30,000 ft……thrust level idle, check, speedbrake full open, check, maximum appropriate airspeed, squawking 7700.”

“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is Pharaoh 424, we have smoke in the cabin and difficulty at the control. Requesting vector to nearest airport. Over.”

The only response was some static crackle, as the purple smoke intensified. Nobody responded.

The controls were unresponsive, and the purple mist engulfed them, obscuring the instruments and vision, until the GPWS sounded as they desperately try to keep the aircraft level.

Bank angle, bank angle, whoops whoops, pull up, pull up, too low, terrain, too low, terrain, pull up, pull up, pull up…….

He looks around, trying to orient himself. The cockpit is now a chaotic mess of wires and twisted metal. The HUD—Heads Up Display, fancy new feature on these new Embraer E190, but one that he’s quite familiar with during his military career—lay shattered in front of him. The trees outside the broken windows of the cockpit are unfamiliar, the landscape nothing he can recall ever seeing before. A creeping sense of dread fills him as he realizes that he can't remember where they were, where they came from, or where they were supposed to be heading.

"Where are we, Elias?" Johnny murmured, trying to piece together his memory as best he could.

But he soon realises that’s not the most urgent issue at hand.

“Let’s get out of here.” He said as he unfastened the seatbelt, the cockpit is now a wreck, hopefully the door isn’t jammed. If the cockpit crew survived the crash, some passengers most likely survived too.

 

[Chaotic Poem]

━ ✦ Awake and uncertain ✦ ━​

---

This was wrong.

Something about the entire plane—about reality itself—felt off, skewed as if she had woken up in a world that looked the same but wasn’t. Clio’s breath was slow and measured as she turned to the window, her fingers loosening their grip on the oxygen mask she had instinctively removed. Beyond the glass, dense trees loomed, their branches tangled in a way that made the forest feel alive, watching. The undergrowth was thick, untamed, and unfamiliar. There was nothing overtly wrong with the view, but the sensation gnawed at her nonetheless.

Her reflection wavered in the window, her golden eyes staring back, shadowed with unease. A thin cut marred her forehead, just above her temple, a crimson bead welling before slipping down her skin. She reached up and pressed her fingers to it, feeling the sting before drawing her hand back. The sight of her own blood grounded her. She was here. She was real.

Clio turned her gaze inward, to the plane itself. Silence had weight, draped over everything like a thick fog, save for the soft creaks of the metal hull settling. The last thing she remembered was smoke—purple smoke. It had poured into the cabin like an unnatural mist, seeping into every breath, every thought, and then… nothing. Except the red-haired man. Then nothing. No memory of impact, no shouts of panic, no flashing warnings—just the slow, creeping haze swallowing her consciousness whole.

Her heartbeat quickened. Purple smoke doesn’t exist. Not like that. Not like something alive.

Swallowing hard, she scanned the cabin, at first seeing only empty seats and stillness. Then, movement—two figures, a little ahead of her, speaking in hushed tones. A man and a woman. The man had a mop of unruly brown curls, his posture tense, like a coiled spring. The woman, younger, had striking blonde hair that almost seemed to glow in the dim light, her expression unreadable.

People.

That was good. That was something.

Clio exhaled and shifted, gripping the seat in front of her as she stood. Her muscles felt stiff, her legs uncertain beneath her, but they held. The familiar weight of her bag above her seat caught her eye, and she reached for it slowly, the simple act of slinging it over her shoulders bringing a flicker of reassurance. She had trekked through jungles, across deserts, through places most people would never dare—always with this pack. But never without her knife. Never without her machete. The absence of both left her feeling exposed.

Still, this was not the time to dwell on what she lacked.

She took a steadying breath and stepped forward, her voice even, though edged with wariness.

“Do you guys know what happened?”

The words hung in the air, fragile, waiting to be answered.

 

[One of Hearts]

Nathan was about to wake someone when he heard a young girl calling out. He turned with Friday to look at her. The girl comforted her, but before Nathan could react, a strange figure with pink and green hair appeared out of nowhere, speaking as if they had been there all along. Nathan blinked, swearing that person hadn't been there a moment ago. Then another appeared.


He watched in complete confusion as these newcomers started talking to the girl. Was he dreaming? The sheer discontinuity of the situation made it seem more likely. Maybe he was in a coma. Maybe the plane had actually crashed, and he was clinging to life, his mind conjuring up bizarre visions in his final hours.


Friday spoke up.


"I think... I know these characters. They're from anime, right? How are you doing this?"


Nathan shook his head, too lost to keep up. Anime was for nerds and girls. Before he could dwell on it, he heard a quiet voice. He turned to the girl he had been about to wake. She was awake now. He studied her. She looked injured, though he couldn’t immediately tell where.

"Do you guys know what happened?" She asked. Nathan tried to recall again, but only the red haired man came to mind.


"I know the plane crashed," he said. "But we all just woke up as well. I saw some guy with red hair. I think he might know something about what happened, but I haven’t seen him since."


Friday turned back to the group. "I saw him too! He said something to me, but I couldn’t make it out."


Nathan frowned. "That sounds pretty suspicious to me," he muttered. "Let’s make sure everyone is alive and then figure out what to do next." They would need to act soon. Daylight only lasted so long, and there was no telling how many supplies they had.


Elias nodded. Getting out of here wouldn’t be easy, given the state of the wreckage. Exiting through the fuselage would be the smartest move. He let out a breath of relief. At least Johnny was alive. He still felt responsible. No matter how hard they had tried, the fact remained: they had crashed. Opening the cockpit door, he and Johnny stepped out to find a small group of survivors already talking. Another wave of relief washed over him. They had lived, and they didn’t look too worse for wear. He glanced at Johnny, then at the group.


"Um... Hello, passengers. I’m Captain Elias Mercer, and this is my First Officer, Johnathan Simpson. We’re glad to see you all made it."


Nathan frowned. So the pilots had survived. He glanced around the cabin, searching for others. Where were the rest of the passengers? A question for later, he supposed.


Friday, meanwhile, studied the pilots. "Do either of you know what happened?"


Silence fell over the group. No one seemed to have an answer. Friday sighed and dug into her purse, searching for something. Finally, she pulled out a paper plane ticket: something most people rarely used anymore.


"LAX to Fort Lauderdale," she read aloud. "Ring any bells?"


Elias rubbed his temples, his expression dark. He struggled to recall.


"No," he admitted. "But at least we know where we were supposed to land. The only thing I remember is a man with red hair somehow entering the cockpit."

 

[SirPrompto15]

Yuki looked shocked and confused. It seemed both the young man and the girl had noticed Mitsuri.
The young man who was waking another pasanger,a young woman looked confused while the girl she was conforting earlier asked her and the young man how they did that.
" You can see her too right? I...I have absolutely no idea how she got here... When I woke up,I was distressed and confused then Nezuko appeared to lead me to you before to disappear then after conforting you Mitsuri appeared and she..." Yuki turned only to notice Mitsuri was gone.
The other girl,who looked like an explorer,just woke up shortly,asking what happened. She looked injured.
What they mentioned seeing prior to the crash shocked her.

The red haired man.
"You...all saw him too,right?" Yuki asked. "He passed near me...looking at my pendant then said something to me in japanese." She showed them the medalion,which was shaped like a white and red fox curled into a ball. It looked like a relic from the Edo period of japan.

'My mother told me legends from our ancestors as bedtime stories." Yuki started to explain."About fox spirits coming to the distressed during times of crisis in human form and gifting them with part of their powers. I have no idea if it has something to do with that. I might be an otaku,but I don't believe in those legends."

Then the Captain, Elias Mercer,and his first officer Jonathan came out. She was relieved the pilots were alive.
The blonde girl asked them ,the pilots didn't seem to know. She then dug into her purse and showed thrm her ticket.
"LAX to Fort Lauderdale?" Yuki asked.
The pilot didn't even know that they were landing to Florida but were relieved. They then mentioned seeing the red haired guy.

When Yuki first thought about asking them,another familiar figure, another hashira,appeared next to her.
"Save your breath Yuki. I will handle this." said a young man with long spiky black hair and stoic blue eyes,dressed in a military unifrom under a half red and half yellow and green haori. He had a shelthed sword attached to his belt as well.
Yuki still confused only nodded to Giyu Tomioka,the water hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"How did those characters get here? " Yuki said to herself. It seemed like they appeared when she thought of something or was feeling distressed. They looked real yet seemed not.

Giyu then faced Elias and Johnny on Yuki's behalf."Captain Mercer,First Officer Simpson,my name is Giyu Tomioka,Water hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. I speak to you on behalf of Yuki Yokoshiro here present. You seem to know about the red haired man,do you care to explain?" he asked,arms crossed.
One of Hearts Jackson123 Chaotic Poem

 

[Chaotic Poem]

The whole plane seemed to spin. Clio’s pulse pounded in her ears, but her mind remained razor-sharp, dissecting the moment even as reality blurred at the edges. Everyone had seen the red-haired man. She could still hear his voice, crisp and amused.

"You're a loud one."

Then, the deliberate tap of his fingers against his temple. Twice.

Clio turned the words over in her mind, trying to make sense of them. Loud? That didn’t fit. She was articulate when necessary, certainly, but she had spent days at a time on dig sites in complete silence, entirely immersed in her work. Words were tools, used with precision—not thrown about carelessly. So why had he called her that?

Before she could dwell on it further, movement stirred around her. The passengers were filing out, shaken but unharmed, their eyes darting about in confusion. Clio followed, her gaze landing on a girl named Yuki. Something about her was... off. Her movements were almost dreamlike, her expression distant, as if caught between two worlds.

Then Clio saw it—the small medallion resting against Yuki’s collarbone. A fox, curled into a tight, watchful spiral, its red-and-white form unmistakable. Inari.

Clio’s breath caught as recognition surged through her. The piece was distinctly Edo-period, a netsuke, if she had to guess—a finely carved toggle used to fasten a small pouch or inro to a kimono sash. The fox, or kitsune, was a common motif in Edo-era craftsmanship, deeply tied to folklore. Inari’s foxes were said to be messengers of the gods, shapeshifters slipping between worlds, bearers of wisdom—or deception.

Her mind raced through what she knew. Edo-period netsuke were often carved from ivory, boxwood, or stag antler, sometimes lacquered, sometimes inlaid with shell or metal. The fox imagery suggested a connection to Inari shrines, places of worship dedicated to the Shinto deity of rice, prosperity, and transformation. In art from the period, kitsune were often depicted carrying small spheres of light—hoshi no tama, or star jewels—said to hold their supernatural power.

Clio narrowed her eyes. That medallion didn’t look like a mere decorative piece. It had weight, significance. Was it an heirloom? A relic imbued with history? Or something else entirely?

She was so absorbed in thought that she almost didn’t notice the growing tension around her. The other passengers were still milling about, their expressions shifting between fear and disorientation. The crew looked uncertain, exchanging glances as if waiting for orders.

Clio exhaled. They needed leadership. Someone to take control, to organize, to get them help.

But that wasn’t her.

Clio had always resisted the mantle of leadership, not out of fear, but out of preference. Leaders spent too much time managing others, missing the details, the secrets hidden in the periphery. She hated the idea of barking orders when she could be analyzing, discovering, understanding.

Yet, something about this moment unsettled her more than the crash itself. The cryptic man. Yuki’s strange behavior. The Edo-period relic.

The headache that was now thrumming behind her eyes.

Something was deeply, unnervingly wrong.

 

[Jackson123]

Johnny, still feeling the fog of confusion and the ache from the crash, stepped closer to the group of survivors. He took a moment to survey the area around the wreckage. The dense forest surrounded them, trees bent and broken from the impact of their plane. He could see the mangled fuselage, parts of it torn open and exposing the interior. From inside he could even see the General Electric CF34-10E turbofan engines, which had borne the brunt of the impact, all crumpled and torn. The fan blades a tangled mess, twisted and melted in places, some blades bent inward, others snapped off and scattered around. At least it looks like the engines were still working before impacting the ground, then again he was no investigator.

He turned his attention back to the survivors, his gaze lingering on the young girl who had been comforting another. She seemed to be in shock but otherwise unharmed. He then looked at the strange figures who appeared to be from another world entirely. If it weren't for the seriousness of their situation, he might have thought it was some elaborate prank. Cosplayer, maybe? Back in the Navy he remember seeing his XO (executive officer) being very interested in Japanese animes. What was that one called, Kimetsu no Yabai or Jujutsu Kaisen or something like that.

He glanced at the girl with the paper ticket. "LAX to FLL," he repeated softly, trying to jog his memory. Nothing. He couldn't even recall the LAX ATIS info, not to mention any NOTAM. It was as if the past had been wiped clean from his mind, leaving only fragments of the crash.

"We need to take stock of our situation," He said. "See what supplies we can gather in the aircraft and make sure everyone is accounted for, at least there's no sign of fire, at the moment."

Johnny turned to Elias. "Captain, do you think we should try to find some higher ground? Maybe we can get a better idea of where we are and if there's any sign of civilization nearby."

 

[One of Hearts]

Elias looked at everyone, taking everything in. Alive, they were all alive. The rest of the passengers though...where were they? Why couldn't he or Johnny remember much of the flight? Where they were going, when they took off and so on? And who was the red haired man that had to the cockpit? He wasn't a passenger, that much he was sure of. And yet everyone here seemed to know of him. He was pulled back into reality when some slayer boy appeared. He was heavily confused. "I'm not sure I have much information of the red haired man unfortunately. I was kind of hoping you'd know more or had seen something." Was this kid dressed up for a party or something? Wait was he even a passenger? He was not here moments ago. Elias rubbed his temples, trying to decide what was real and what wasn't. Johnny spoke up about gathering supplies and finding higher ground. He was right about moving.
"We should find a water source. Where there is water, there is civilization nearby. Fresh water preferably." He looked at this group. He'd be responsible for them all now. And He was not going to let them down. It was his fault they were in this mess. Not that he had much control over what happened.

Nathan sighed, they were going to have to all stick together now in order to survive. He wasn't much of a fan about that but he rather liked the idea of living. Thus he'd go along with this. He began to think about the group. Two pilots, three girls...and him. Where was everyone else? And why was it so even? Three boys and three girls. Was this planed? He shifted a bit and pondered it. There was no way to tell...not yet.

Friday felt sick all the sudden. She wasn't sure why, she just did. So she say down in an empty seat. Perhaps it was all the stress? She had survived a plane crash. That was nothing to sneeze at. And yet he felt a bit dizzy. She curled up a bit, wishing she was home with her family. She closed her eyes and tried not to puke. It was as if the world was spinning. She felt smaller...lighter. Almost as if she was losing herself. Or Rather her form. She opened her eyes to find the world a bit larger than the last she saw it. Her sense of smell increased. She looked at the group. Nathen looked big eyed. What was he looking at? She opened her mouth but only a small whimper came out. What!?! What was happening? why couldn't she speak? A Squeak and a bark came out but not human words. The entire group looked at the young little fox on the seat, completely lost, scared, and unable to communicate with anyone...well anyone that couldn't read minds that was.

 

[SirPrompto15]

Yuki listened to what Elias was saying. It seemed that he too saw the man in red. He wasn't sure if he was a passanger or something like that.
They were both talking about gathering supplies. Elias mentioned fresh water nearby as well.
"Yuki...I do recall that you have some food in your bag." Giyu said to her.
"How did he know that?" Yuki thought. " How,right, I do have some snacks on me. She handed a few small bags of chips and candy bars to the captain. She kept two for herself.
"That was a wise decision Yuki." Giyu replied before to vanish as well.
She looked at the group The two pilots,the young man and two other girls.
"They'll all strangers I don't know...what am I going to do? I know we have to stick together but..." She shed a tear. "I miss my family..."

"I know you miss your family Yuki..." a familiar young male voice said to her.
Yuki looked surprised as another familiar face apoeared to her. The 15 year old boy with red hair,a scar on his forehead,wearing a haori with a green and bkack checked pattern and those familiar hanafuma hearings.

"I was lost too when my familiy was taken away,but I had still my sister Nezuko,and Zenitsu,Inosuke and the rest of the Demon Slayer Corps. You might not know them yet,but they might become your family Yuki. You need to stick together." Tanjiro Kamado said with a bright reasuring smile.

Yuki nodded. She looked at the rest of the passangers. " Get to know them better." Tanjiro added.
Yuki nodded to Tanjiro then looked toward Nathan and...where's that blond haired girl?
Where she's used to sit was a young fox kit,who was barking and whimping.
'"What happened to that girl?!" Yuki thought worried as she looked at the fox kit not knowing it was her.
"Ahhh!!!! What happened to her? Where did she go?!!!" Another young male voice cried. Yuki regonised that scared voice. A yellow and orange haired teenage boy wearing the same military uniform as the others along with a yellow and orange haori with white triangle patterns hid behind Yuki while checking on Friday in worry.
"It's fine Zenitsu,she 's still nearby." Tanjiro replied. "Oh...then that's a relief." Zenitsu said.
"Yeah...he's right..."Yuki thought.
Yuki stared at her netsuke,the only thing that is left from her family.
One of Hearts Jackson123 Chaotic Poem

 

[Chaotic Poem]

Clio stepped carefully over the uneven ground, her boots sinking slightly into the damp earth as she walked around the wreckage. She knew nothing about planes, but she had to look. The sight before her was unsettling—the massive metal body of the aircraft lay broken, its form twisted and unnatural against the backdrop of towering trees. The dense forest surrounded them, ancient trunks rising like silent sentinels, their branches tangled together to form a thick canopy overhead. The impact had left its mark—some trees were cracked and splintered, their limbs torn away and scattered among the wreckage. Others were bent unnaturally, forced aside by the sheer force of the crash.

Shattered metal gleamed dully beneath the dappled light filtering through the leaves. Parts of the aircraft had been peeled open like a tin can, its innards exposed. A massive, broken engine rested amid the wreckage, its once-powerful blades now a tangled mess of twisted metal. Some were snapped clean off, lying scattered like discarded bones, while others had melted and warped from the heat of the crash. The acrid scent of scorched metal and fuel still lingered in the air, mixing with the damp, earthy aroma of the forest.

She vaguely registered the others talking about freshwater. Yuki, the strange girl, muttered under her breath, her voice an eerie, broken whisper. Clio turned her attention to her and stiffened. Shadows flickered at the edges of her vision, figures appearing and vanishing in the space around Yuki. They moved like whispers given form—half-there, half-not. Clio didn’t like it. It felt like the spirits she had read about in folklore, the ones that whispered on a person’s shoulder, leading them astray.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to turn away. The trees stretched endlessly before her, an emerald maze of life. The undergrowth was thick, brambles and ferns curling around the exposed roots of great oaks and towering pines. The air was warm and humid, but not unbearably so—the kind of climate that promised both challenge and survival. If she needed to find water, she could. But first, she needed her bag.

She turned back toward the wreck, about to ask the pilots where she could search the cargo, when a sharp, startled scream cut through the air.

Clio's head snapped toward Yuki, who stood frozen, staring at something. A small fox perched in one of the torn airplane seats, its bright eyes locked onto them. Clio narrowed her gaze. The animal shouldn’t be here—no creature of the wild should willingly remain so close to humans, let alone near the wreckage of a burning plane.

The fox barked and squeaked—but at them. Not in alarm, but in communication.

Clio took a cautious step closer, studying the creature. There was something unnatural about the way it held itself, something too aware in its gaze. The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled.

And then—

A voice.

Not in the air, but in her mind.

The words ignited like embers, flickering softly before bursting into flame. A presence. A force. A knowing.

The fox was speaking.

No—Friday was speaking. And somehow, impossibly, she was the fox.