02 - week two

[afflictionmods]

WEEK TWO

When the glitter settles and everyone returns to their dorms - or wherever they intend to sleep for the night, if you’re planning on sleeping at all - your first week of school officially ends. Perhaps it was better than you expected, perhaps it was worse.

Hopefully you learned a bit more about teamwork and school spirit.

Still, this course is going to run for longer than a full week, and come Sunday morning you’re still exactly as you were when you settled down for the night. Still in Estelline, still with that mark on your wrist, still connected to your partner. There are some changes, though. The bookstore has received quite a few books, and those of you who added to the bulletin board and pep rally tasks in the first week will find an envelope taped to their dorm door (or themselves, if they spent the night elsewhere). Inside of the envelope is some kind of voucher! Furthermore, the common area is covered in a bunch of glitter.

Also, there are a ton of eggs in the kitchen – at least 10 dozens.

Florence or Lorelei are still available, should you wish to speak to them.

Finally, you've got some new locations to explore.


SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

TASK LIST

CLUMSINESS AFFECT DETAILS (BEGINS TUESDAY ICLY)

W2 CYOA SIGNUPS
CYOA Signups for Week 2 close Sunday, May 29th at 6pm EST.

THREAD SURVEY
Google form for partner threads, due by Friday, June 3rd at 6pm EST. Optional.

W3 CYOA SIGNUPS
CYOA Signups for Week 3 close Friday, June 3rd at 6pm EST.

OOC NOTE

OOC: Anyone who performed in the Pep Rally (Sabo, Madara, Riku, Shizuku, Herlock, Idia, Flat, Miach) task will be able to redeem a voucher for a prize with one of the NPCs. This can be handwaved, and the prize selection is below.

-Single-serve coffee machine wither a selection of creamer. Comes with packs of coffee beans.
-Popcorn maker and kernels.
-High-quality tea kettle with a selection of just as high-quality tea.
-Carbonation machine (think Sodastream, etc) with flavored syrup.

Any coffee, tea, popcorn, etc. will last characters up to two weeks.

Anyone who participated in the Bulletin Board task will receive a voucher for your choice of two pairs colorful socks with cute animal designs. (Worry frog design available.)

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[selfconcept]

I assume a lot. I also judge a lot. I may not know you, but I know how people generally work. I think you do care to an extent if people like you. You denied Riku during our bomb lesson when he showed you some of that. If you didn't truly care, you would have brushed it off like it was nothing.

[ He takes another bite out of his banana bread. ]

You've lived around long enough, so you should know, princess. Death isn't the worst thing someone can do to you.

[sicklysweet]

People's care is disgusting. Nobody ever means any of it - it's all just a farce, something that put on and fake to make themselves feel better and seem like better people. I don't want to bother with all of that. I would rather people stop pretending and hate me already.

[Hatred is what he knows best, after all. It's the feeling humans default to when dealing with wizards like him, and he'd much prefer it.]

What's the worst thing that's happened to you? You've lived for much, much longer than I have, Hien. How much of your life do you remember? Do you remember every pathetic, miserable moment of it? I'd love to hear all about how you've suffered.

[selfconcept]

By claiming that you don't want to bother with that, you're the one who's trying to make themselves feel better and seem like the better person--the one that's higher on the pedestal and looking down on people.

[ Just. Pointing that out. Better get used to other emotions, Owen. ]

I remember a lot of it and I sure remember most pathetic, miserable moments that's ever happened in my life. I know you want to get off on my suffering, but tell me what happened between you and Riku first. Then I'll tell you one of those moments.

[ His past isn't for free. ]

[sicklysweet]

[Owen takes a long moment to answer, spoon between his lips and face blank. It's like he doesn't know what to say to Hien now that he's on the backfoot, and he needs a moment to sort out his thoughts.

He really doesn't want to get used to other emotions, though.]

He's not good at controlling his emotions. It's annoying. I don't want to be partnered with a brat like him, but I don't have a choice.

[Clearly that's the only reason he's so moody and kicked the door. Nothing deeper to it!!]

[selfconcept]

To be fair, you're not really great at controlling them either. So doesn't that make you two the perfect pair?

[ Let him take this shot at Owen, because he likes doing that. ]

[sicklysweet]

[He's not going to respond to that.

Which is probably telling in and of itself.]

Just tell me what you told me you would. I'm waiting.

[selfconcept]

[ He tries not to laugh at Owen's lack of response to his question, but. Right. Yeah. ]

The worst was being converted into an Overseer. If you don't know what that is, that's fine. If you want more information on that, you'll have to pay up with information yourself... Though I'll say that the secret talent was really interesting in terms of what they could have picked.

[ It may have been the worst thing ever, but Hien doesn't show it on the face. Maybe he's lying with how calm he is, but he's been stupidly sincere with most of his words so far. ]

[sicklysweet]

[The worst part is he doesn't think Hien is lying about it being the worst. Can't he emote a little bit more?

For Owen's sake?]

Of course I don't know what it is.

[Anyways, information...]

I can talk to animals. That's why they come to me.

[Is this enough for more exposition...]

[selfconcept]

[ Fair enough. Hien actually doesn't mind divulging this sort of information, but he wants to know Owen a little better, if not for his own curiosity. ]

Still calling you princess.

[ Anyway. ]

An Overseer is something akin to a god who watches over the omniverse that houses every single world within it.

[ And as a bonus, he'll add something else: ]

Despite that, I'm a world eater.

[ No satisfying emoting for Owen, apparently. If they put "eating worlds" as a secret talent, then :sweat: ]

[sicklysweet]

[Just wait. If they ever get their powers back Owen will show him a real princess.]

A world eater.

[Omniverse and multiple words is, apparently, not something that Owen feels needs explaining.

Isekai setting life ig.]

Will you explain that or do I need to tell you more about myself?

[selfconcept]

[ okay but will the princess be hot ]

I won't have to. It's what it says on the tin.

[ Maybe it's good timing, but he eats the rest of the banana bread whole. Chomp. ]

[sicklysweet]

[of course]

What do you get out of consuming them?

[He pulls his bowl of frosting closer. He's not going to share, and who knows what else Hien will start trying to eat.]

Power? Pleasure?

[selfconcept]

Neither.

[ Does he explain? No.

He also sees Owen pulling the bowl of frosting closer and that almost makes him snort. ]

[sicklysweet]

Then what's the point?

[It's Owen's food, okay.

He doesn't share.]

[selfconcept]

Do you get power or pleasure from eating that frosting?

[sicklysweet]

[LICKS THE SPOON SOME MORE, GOTTA MAKE SURE TO GET ALL THE FROSTING OFF OF IT THAT HE CAN WHILE MAKING DIRECT EYE CONTACT]

It tastes good. I like eating things that taste good.

1/3

[selfconcept]

[ hey Owen

What the fuck.

Hien just raises his eyebrow at him when he does that. Why does he do that. Sure, Hien has done similar things like eyeing the manager when stealing something right from the shelf next to them, but this is. Hm. ]

Food is just something that you eat.

[selfconcept]

Worlds are food. So I eat them.

[ Because he is perpetually hUNgrY▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ]

[selfconcept]

That's all.

[ He's returned to his usual expression. Nothing happened. ]

[sicklysweet]

[Owen opens his mouth to speak, before... something causes him to fall silent. He stares off for a moment, past Hien's shoulder, eyes unfocused.]

...

[He blinks once, twice, before his gaze refocuses returns to Hien. Any malice he has is gone, replaced by something hollow and brittle.]

Hah...

[Seeming to come back into himself, he eats another spoonful of frosting. The bowl's about empty, though, which is unfortunate.]

That's all? It seems like there's more to it than simply being food.

[selfconcept]

[ He eyes Owen and notices the shift for a second. Hm. He's curious, but he thinks he won't get an answer outright. ]

Pay up. The payment has to be more in-depth now.

cw eye scream/eye trauma mentions......

[sicklysweet]

[More in-depth, huh.

Owen thinks for a moment, about the information in his profile, about what he's already said to Hien, and... Well.]

I wasn't born with two differently colored eyes. I took the eye of another wizard, so it's mine now. He said he'd get strong enough to take it back some day, but until then he has my eye and I have his.

[He'll let Hien draw his own conclusions about what his natural eye color is.]

[selfconcept]

[ For that, Owen gets another eyebrow raise. Hm. ]

Is that how you do wedding vows in your world?

[ It sure sounds like it to him. ]

[sicklysweet]

[cat no banana face]

What? No. I would never do something as stupid as a wedding vow.

[Could he provide context for this? Yes. But he's not.]

[selfconcept]

Yeah, I get it. Commitment isn't your thing. Of course. I won't shame you for that, given how much you seem to die. But if you don't tell me why it's stupid, I'm not gonna tell you.

[ He thinks everything he's telling Owen far outweighs the information Owen tells him, but again, it's not really information that he minds being out there, but only to a select few—not to people he trusts, but people who's Seen Enough to not make it such a big deal. ]