02.50 - week two, saturday

[afflictionmods]

W2 SATURDAY

Like last Saturday, everyone will get an announcement on their tablets; this time, the announcement is preceded with a bell of some sort before Lorelei appears on the screen again.

"Good morning, everyone. This is an announcement to let you know that today's lesson will take place starting at 8:15 tonight. Again, today's lesson will be starting at 8:15. Please meet at the lower campus exit near the lecture by 8:00pm; Florence will be waiting for you there.

If you have a bag for some snacks and, perhaps, an item you can use for self-defense in the case of an emergency, please arrive with those things on you. We will provide you with an overview of what to expect when you arrive at 8pm.

Thank you."

The alert ends.

You have the day to prepare, ask each other what the hell is happening -- Florence and Lorelei do not seem to be available, strangely enough. There's a lot to take in with the information you have now. But before you know it... night falls.

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

1/2

[fabulation]

...!

[ Xingqiu is deffo disoriented! Possession is not necessarily a smooth business either, so down he goes with an undignified yelp that is definitely not befitting a skilled and genius martial artist. But it happened, because alas he is human.

As he lies down there, he's staring up from the ground, not exactly believing in his own skills to put forth any more effort in resisting ... thankfully. ]

2/2

[fabulation]

[ There is a faint image, of something beginning to pull from his body, beginning to climb out. As if being forced from the mortal body this being has invaded.

Indeed, it is evidently the ghost, still trying to cling on...in vain, perhaps. ]

But, the sun may be eclipsed and hidden away from view—you can say the same of the moon.

And a drought can send away the rain long enough that it may never return. But, would you still believe in it even then? Even if that rain will not come back when you wish for it to do so?

[ Even as he says this, the battle is nearing its end. This is the last part of the fight that the ghost is daring to put up. ]

[partymagician]

It feels a little like we’re being exposed, doesn’t it?

[ He laughs, trying not to glance at the photo of himself and Hien practically cuddling on the bench. ]

[iubar]

[ he's not pulling away from that wrist grab.

he does, however, reach out to flick sabo in the forehead. ]

Then why would it matter here?

angriku

[goodfaiths]

[ Riku had gotten possessed in his attempts to try to talk to the ghost following him. Unfortunately this ghost does not listen to reason and completely takes over, and there's suddenly one, singular thing on Riku's mind as he sees red.

Thankfully his choice of self-defense is a goddamn textbook so he can't really lethally hurt anyone, but he is going on a very uncharacteristic rampage of sorts. He's hitting walls, fuming to himself, stomping around and trying to break things in the museum...and he seems to be surprisingly strong for someone with such a sunny personality. Certainly not as strong as a seasoned combatant by far, but tougher than one may think just by looking at him. ]

[ignihidden]

[Nothing lasts forever. Everything will end eventually.]

[Still, what if you could have prevented it? What if it wasn't supposed to end there? In a caring world, in a world that was right, that ending shouldn't have happened for a long, long time. What if you were just the kind of person who could get back up when they fell down?]

[Shizuku speaks to him and as he listens, Idia starts to cry. He's trying not to cry loudly and dramatically. His lips are pursed together in an uncomfortable wiggle to stifle the sound but a few drops are starting to fall from the corners of his eyes. When he blinks, it's only more pronounced drops.]

... Shi- [sniffle] Shizu... ku... is so- someone who deserves to be remembered...

[And that's about all he can get out before the feeling wells up in his throat and he can't really do more than cry about it. There's an unfortunate fact to it, though, that all he's really said was about her- nothing about himself.]

[vivens]

Something else? I don't know what you're talking about.

[ ghoul-to-ghoul communication??? except not really because that's not how things are going to immediately hit it off. instead sabo will be momentarily displeased about how someone else is here writing on his wall.

excuse you?? he'll stop what he's doing and turn to look at tama, a pleasant look on his face despite some edge to it. ]

And something like ink isn't enough. [ looks at the unbroken fountain pen he has there. ] However, I didn't bring something that would leave behind a mark to never be forgotten.

[catarou]

[ It's not at all Fai's fault that Gentaro's eyes narrow. It's not his fault, but even if Gentaro realizes that, all those nasty, messy feelings he tries to choke down have risen to the surface. ]

I think not. [ He spreads his hands in front of him, palms outward. ] The offer is kind, but it will do no good in the end. Forging connections, opening up to people, looking toward a brighter future-- All of that can be broken as if made of brittle glass.

If I were to crack open my chest and bear the weight that presses down upon my heart, it would do no good in the end. You could so very easily reach in and crush it until nothing remains.

[tosa]

(Sabo just wants to know everyone's age, sex, and location. GUYS ONLY WANT ONE THING.)

Hey.

(Time to get his attention.)

What're ya workin' on here?

[goodfaiths]

[ Pre-possession, Riku is making an attempt to help others who seem to be having trouble. He's talked to ghosts before, he's got this, and seeing Gentaro like this is unsettling. But he'd like to help. ]

Gentaro-san...how are you feeling?

[iubar]

It does. I wouldn't mind some of it, but.

[ He also has a picture up there of him and Sabo resting in bed together. ]

[partymagician]

…

[ Fai stares at Hien in silence for a few long seconds. ]

Will it? You’ve had to do it so many times, and you haven’t been successful.

[ He isn’t trying to make a dig at Hien. It’s an honest question. ]

[cloudalike]

[ The difference between how she is now and how she usually is startles him silent. It's a brief pause, as his mind run through possible scenarios. He eventually settles on the most normal one first. ]

Are you scared of ghosts? Here, I'll stay by your side - we can find you a safe spot to hide.

[ That's what he says, but his eyes study her expression carefully. ]

a

[goodfaiths]

Aaaah?!

[ Riku would not yell back if Idia wasn't within his immediate vicinity, because man, that was loud and a little startling. Two yelly boys...

He pauses for a second. Wait, that was... ]

Ah- Idia! Where are you?!

[escardos]

Hey, I'm not just anyone! I'm Flat Escardos, you know. We even had some bonding time in the arcade this week.

[ if you call flat pretending to be a ghost "bonding". well, flat does. ]

Yes, I am a little selfish! More than a little, so thank you for noticing! But it's good that you don't want to die. It'd be very inefficient if you wanted to, besides, that method would probably end in failure. And if you're just going to hurt yourself, then you may end up tearing some tendons, which would be very painful. [ he lists those things off nonchalantly, so clearly it's not idia's well-being that's the real problem here. ] And if Idia wants, he could just ask Florence. Ah, but maybe he's shy, so I'll ask them instead.

[ he puts his hands on his hips. ]

So how come you don't want to be forgotten?

[ignihidden]

[Eh, how mature, how cool (says the guy who didn't see Hien chasing people with a grappling hook).]

... wh- what's there really to say?... [he says, with his shoulders shaking]

No one cares if I get home safely. P- Providing it doesn't hurt him, I don't think... ... Cater probably thinks it's better if I don't make it back.

That's who I am! [he says with some pitiful amount of faked cheer] A useless person who is only needed because of their bloodline.

[kaientai]

Yeah, no kiddin'. Some people have never had training or even been in a fight before, which assumes that the people who have are all automatically going to know how to protect other people...

[ and he hasn't exactly been keeping up with what everyone's skill sets are. ]

oh no

[catarou]

[ Unfortunately, even Riku is not immune to being on the other side of Gentaro's hostility. He studies Riku carefully, almost too carefully. ]

Your kindness and sincerity will only lead to loss and suffering, you know.

[ That's not answering the question... or maybe it is. ]

[cheerfuldays]

... I don't care either way. But it's noisy. Everyone is yelling... it's... bothersome.

( idly, she glances as someone flees past, or maybe they're on a rampage. it doesn't really matter which one it is. as for her expression... it simply doesn't change at all.

and that's bothersome in and of itself, isn't it. )

[fabulation]

[ But it's a way out. Maybe.

Xingqiu will attempt to flag down someone else so that they can see this with him.

In the meanwhile, he will also attempt to continue to hit at the spot surrounding the hole. With the foundation weakened, maybe he can make a bigger hole, and the figures are far enough that he shouldn't have to be concerned about causing too much trouble where they're concerned as of the moment... ]

[goodfaiths]

Chongyun, wait!

[ He shouldn't be running, but he is absolutely running to catch up to him. ]

Let me go with you! I can talk to them-!

[fabulation]

...Shin?

[ Here is (1) martial artist, coming over with some items in his hand from earlier, yep. And after his possession escapades, probably??

Something about him seems odd from what Xingqiu can tell, though. ]

You're going at it rather hard, aren't you?

[ Not that he'd normally blame him and he has been, uh, busy doing something similar of his own... ]

[selfconcept]

It will be okay. I can do it. I can do it this time. This time will be the last time. It will work out. It will be fine.

[ Hien starts walking over to Fai. ]

It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine.

[ He tries to grab him by the collar. ]

I can do it this time. Everyone will be happy.

[ Know your pla▓▓▓▓ ]

[vivens]

[ sabo will just take the flick to the head with a smile. ]

Why not here? It's just myself here. Not the Chief of Staff for the army or anything else.

[ ... ]

I'm just me. I can leave something of myself here.

[undertakings]

[Still kicking, but he's going to try aiming for the door handle to try and break that off in case it is a lock-related issue! If that doesn't work though, then yeah, we'll need to do this with more finesse.]