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[selfconcept]

Congratulations! You survived the first week of Personal Enrichment Class! Or at least, your body did if you feel like astral projecting. It's time to mingle with your fellow students after the Saturday lesson. Maybe get revenge. Or maybe you're going to your room right away. Either way, it's free time! Let loose. Go wild.

Comments

[exofractured]

[Because he needs a keeper and no one has adopted him, next question.

Phantom stirs a little at the leaves, twitching and batting at them with one hand before he opens his eyes and sighs.]

Hien-

[There's only one person here with a history of putting things on his sleeping head.]

[fabulation]

[ Xingqiu is one second from snickering, but he steps from around the tree. ]

Hmm...it's a pity, I don't see him around. Maybe he ran off before you could notice him?

[exofractured]

As if Hien were capable of that.

[Actually, something that would motivate Hien into running is almost an alarming thought. Phantom gives Xingqiu the jaded look that deserves, but sighs. At least this strange child is possibly less dangerous than his partner.]

Is this what you amuse yourself with when you aren't reading books upside down?

[fabulation]

You never know!

[ Xingqiu, please.

Anyway, he'll lean against the tree, looking far too amused to truly be considered an innocent party in any of this. ]

...Oh, you noticed! But, I wasn't reading the book upside down.

Just switched the cover's position, that's all. I was curious if anyone would notice or say anything.

[exofractured]

[Noted, he is revising this one in his mind to 'TROUBLE,' ranked perhaps just under the trombone menace.

...But also, why. He's a little peeved at inadvertently playing right into this inexplicable scheme.]

How ingenious. [This sarcasm might have more weight if he'd. Actually caught on.] And did they, or am I the first?

[fabulation]

[ Xingqiu's middle name (no), don't wear it out! ]

You were the first.

[ Beat. ]

And the only one at this point. That seems to be because you're the type to pay very close attention to your surroundings than most. Though, that can be said about a lot of people, some are simply better at it than others.

[exofractured]

[How does Phantom even process this? Praise?? Mockery?? All irrelevant in the face of leaves being dropped on his head??]

I have ample reason to keep an eye on every one of you. What else have you learned from your observations?

[fabulation]

We are in a serious situation. At least we can count on you to keep an eye on everyone else.

[ He says it like it's a good thing! Clearly Phantom is looking out for the wellbeing of everyone here. ]

Mm...I've learned that we've a broad selection of interesting personalities. So nothing else revolutionary. But, it's interesting, isn't it? It's clear no one has come from the same place, but that's probably on purpose too.

[exofractured]

Or perhaps whatever brought us here was limited in some way. They were less than generous with information about the particulars of that.

[But, alright, this is an inquisitiveness he can almost work with. He relaxes a little after all.]

You and your partner seemed to be from the same place, however. The few cases of that are rather interesting.

[fabulation]

Hmm, them being generous with information would be like them trying to work an unused muscle, I suppose...

[ That's definitely a small dig at their captors. Xingqiu is polite but boy is he not above being passive aggressive when someone has grated his gears! ]

Ah, yes. That's right.

I'd not been the both of us when I should've. But, it is true we are from the same location.

[exofractured]

I'm sure they would insist that was part of this little exercise.

[But Phantom looks amused at the dig. He's not polite at all, but nice people who have the potential to make problems for not-him people have value.]

It must be convenient to have someone you can work with already. It almost seems out of character, for their choices.

[fabulation]

I'm in agreement on that one.

[ Considering how much importance they seem to have placed in completing this exercise in the first place... ]

It is rather convenient. It'd be rather difficult if, say, I'd have a partner who couldn't stand being in the same room as I am. As much as I do wish that neither of us were placed into our current circumstances.

Almost, on the surface maybe. But, considering our group activities last week seemed to place a lot of emphasis on being able to cooperate with one another...it seems they'd prefer if we could all get along.

[exofractured]

Enough to deliver those threats for failure, yes.

[Ugh. Phantom's been avoiding thinking about this because, frankly, he's tired enough and he didn't want to. But it will entirely defeat the purpose if he gets himself killed walking into a situation because of avoidance issues.]

As tempting as it is to take this little arrangement at face value, I suppose we should find out sooner rather than later what they're truly hoping to achieve with this.