04 - week four

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FOUR

Saturday comes to a close, and it’s time for some rest and recovery. Perhaps the TLC you deserve will come this week, or perhaps the nightmare will continue. It’s hard to say with things being so strange around you, from Wei Wuxian’s disappearance to the sudden addition of objects and places and creatures from your homes. Who knows what this week will bring? Nothing ordinary, that’s for sure.

You wake up on Sunday to an increase in those little glimpses you saw yesterday. What were snippets of songs, locations that might’ve seemed familiar, and creatures that were dormant, are now all alive and whole. When you go to the karaoke bar, the songs you once knew are there. Monsters and animals are alive and sentient. New business are abound. Vehicles are operable, and perhaps some of your old belongings are back, too.

However, some of these things aren’t even things that should exist outside of your dreams. They may be far too strange and unusual to be real, or just things you don't remember ever seeing. The only thing you remember about these things in particular is that they were, quite literally, in your dreams this week.

That being said, every few hours, all of these things from your homes and dreams fade out and get replaced by new sounds, places, beasts….only to maybe come back again at another time.

Well. At least there's one constant here: You’ve got a handful of new locations to look at, with the fog having spread once more, and they aren't going anywhere. There aren’t as many new places that are native to Estelline this time around, but that may be for the best, considering everything going on.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

NEWSPAPER SUBMISSIONS + EDITION #1

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

MEM SHARE DETAILS

OOC NOTE

OOC: Details on this week can be found here!

Also, we have a lot of participants for the news activity from last week. Neat! Everyone who participated in some capacity will have a small polaroid camera delivered to their doorstep. There's limited film, though - 10 photos per camera. It doesn't seem like there's any extra film at this time, either.

Finally, there will not be any weekly tasks this week. You guys are going to be busy with memshare and dreamscape stuff; instead, enjoy the Estelline University Newspaper!

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

Cafe eclair

[selfconcept]

[ Hien got out of the tent in the courtyard to take a walk. Fresh air. At some point, he ends up near Cafe Eclair and then spots the Frog Man in a waitress costume. He squints.

... ... ...

??????? ]

The fuck is this.

[unsinksyourship]

Hawawa-- Ah-- A-A-A customer!!!

[It's almost a shriek, but in that weird high school girl register with a hint of croak(???); Frog Man attempts to shrink reflexively, gets lost in the folds of the costume and ends up just kind of looking like a smaller frog in a waitress costume.


He rolls sideways a bit sadly, all tangled.]

Tamamori-san... This really is a little embarrassing... [Tamamori looks over with his eyebrows raised, spots the frog and the interloper both looking like somebody just died and/or paraded a frog out in pleats, and snickers slightly] Well, you're just going to have to get used to people seeing you any which way. If you're not embarrassed about being naked, you shouldn't be embarrassed in any costume!

[...... He's apparently just going to treat this like a normal occurrence.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien squints at Tamamori, then at the Frog Man... then back at Tamamori. He has... well, he would have a lot of questions if his head was clearer, but he doesn't. Instead, he walks over to the Frog Man and tries to pick him up like he's picking up a longcat nya. ]

Is this your pet, Tamatama?

[unsinksyourship]

[The tiniest Thank yoouuu, Hien-san! comes from somewhere in all the fabric and apron; so at least it seems to be a rather polite longfrog of some sort. Frog Man grows a little bigger, though not big enough again to make him hard to carry, and peeks out at him with shy huge frog eyes.

His frog skin is all cool and shiny, like a mushroom.]

I don't have such weird taste in pets, you know! [Tamamori replies immediately, at the same time that Frog Man opens his mouth and attempts to introduce himself, so they end up talking over each other--] I'm not a pet! I'm Frog Man, and I was born from Tamamori-san's stories!! It's nice to serve you!

[selfconcept]

[ Hien tries to fix up Frog Man's waitress outfit back on him and looks over to Tamamori while doing so. ]

You're a creator?? You?

[unsinksyourship]

H-Hien-san, that tickles...!

[Due to his current (somewhat awkward) size, it probably feels a little like he's dressing up a weird frog doll. The dress is still way too big, though. Frog Man extends his arms out like noodles, and they grow like noodles, too. Now he's a frog coat hanger(??) this is going great.

He's helping!!

Tamamori, meanwhile, has bristled instantly like a cat meeting aluminum foil, which might be what Hien sounds like.]

W-What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm a creator! I've always been a creator!! I even bothered to contribute to the newspaper for this week, busy as I am...

[selfconcept]

Just bear with it a little more.

[ Frog coat hanger... cute. Hien still tries to help Frog Man with the outfit and when he thinks he's done, he gently sets him down on the ground. ]

Oh, right. You wrote those, huh? What are you busy with anyway?

[ ... ]

So it wasn't you who wrote the story with me and Idia, huh.

[unsinksyourship]

[Once he's set down, Frog Man cheerfully but carefully grows back to his original humanoid size, so all the fixing means he looks like a proper waitress now. He does a little bow that's supposed to be cute but looks very silly paired with his frog self and the waitress ruffles.]

Thank you!! Hien-san!! I'm supposed to be helping with the coffee today, so if there's anything you wanted...!

Oi, Frog Man! When did I say you were going to be serving anybody else? It's nice to meet you for him. Maybe. [Tamamori is still huffy about before, or maybe Hien just raises his hackles in general, is it really surprising; the aroma of coffee is starting to waft from over there, though] I'm very busy figuring out how everything works, obviously, and dealing with hauntings! And doppelgangers!! And you people!! They keep adding new things... and even more things this week... and now this guy won't stop being a pain in the neck.

Ehhh, but I'm just doing what you said, and I'm being nice to the guests...

[Well, now you have a blubbering Frog Man on your hands.....]

[unsinksyourship]

Neither of us even work here... And why would I write a story about you and Idia?? Not to mention, that thing was total nonsense?

[He sounds vaguely insulted on top of his already-insulted. If Hien wasn't getting coffee before he definitely isn't getting coffee now.]

[selfconcept]

You make it sound like it's personally your problem.

[ Hien seems lax about it and gently pats Frog Man's head. ]

Can you get me a cup of coffee? Black, please.

[unsinksyourship]

If it wasn't personally my problem would I be dealing with it?!

Tamamori-san, it's not good to vent on guests! It's not Hien-san's fault the university doesn't know how to behave like a university...

Did I ask???

[Is this comedy routine going to keep going all through the week (and change), stay tuned! Frog Man is inescapable. Frog Man is inevitable. He seems pleased with the pats, bobbing up and down (Yes, sir, right away, sir!), so Hien has probably got himself an ally in here (of some sort). Tamamori looks a little sulky about it, even as he's then accosted by Frog Waitress.]

Didn't I say not to serve him? People who drink their coffee black by and large can't be trusted, anyway. No taste buds, no taste in general... [Frog Waitress tries to crowd into the tiny kitchen some more and he yelps] It's not ready, anyway! Get out! Get out!

[selfconcept]

Dunno. I thought you'd let everyone else figure it out.

[ Hien watches the interaction between Tamamori and Frog Man. If he was feeling normal, he'd laugh, but he doesn't even crack a chuckle. ]

I like coffees how I like my souls: dark and bitter.

[unsinksyourship]

I would if I could, you know. [that sounds like it's a grumble to himself, beneath the ruckus in the kitchen and the persistent strains of jazz and low drumming of the rain still waiting at the windows] Each of us has a purpose in life! Things we're best at! Which, for me, are not at all dealing with some sort of messed up elimination circus or ghouls or anything. I really have had just about enough of that.

What's your excuse? Surely you're not just waiting for everyone to become bitter?

[Hard to say what he's asking, since it's not like he's successfully excused himself from anything, but Tamamori is currently busy chivvying Frog Man back out of the kitchen. The amphibian timidly sidles back over, possibly mistaking Hien's personal stormcloud for disappointment.]

Umm, don't be too mad at Tamamori-san, he hasn't made coffee in a while! Usually Kawase-san is the one who makes it! [he presents Hien, for now, with what looks like... a cup of cool water, sure; Tamamori gives his charge the evil eye for a moment] That doesn't have anything to do with anything, hey!

[BONK, Frog Waitress gets hit with what looks like a whole spoon thrown with the assistance of spite.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien isn't sure how to answer Tamamori's question, so he thinks about it while watching the two. The glass of cool water is fine though, so he drinks that up. ]

You two sure are like a comedy duo...

[ But he still hasn't laughed. ]

You and... Eiichi, was it? He makes coffee for you too?

[unsinksyourship]

[It's hard to say whether he's even waiting for an answer to his question at this point, Frog Waitress is distracting enough and a lot of what comes out of Tamamori's mouth comes out in spur of the moment fits of frustration or pique. There is definitely coffee happening now, though, sharp and fragrant; Tamamori gestures imperiously at his frog assistant.]

Would you bring that spoon back over here already? And we're not a comedy duo, a comedy duo would need an audience, first of all, and it's not like anyone can see this guy unless someone's really messing with things. And!

[Frog Man does bring back the spoon, dutifully; Tamamori at least washes it before putting it to work again.]

There's no reason for me to do such things with bits and pieces of myself!

[unsinksyourship]

Tamamori-san, I can share a coffee with Hien-san! I don't mind! It feels wrong to let a guest just sit there, doesn't it? Doesn't it?

[Frog Man adds this in a very loud whisper, to which Tamamori grumbles very loudly, something about having made too much coffee anyway; so it ends in: 1 coffee for Tamamori, and 1 coffee for... Hien and Frog Man????]

Please drink up! Hien-san! Even though Tamamori-san isn't good at coffee! [Frog Man carefully pushes him the cup... Tamamori yanks it back in a moment] If you say that, I'm just going to take it back. The only reason Kawase has so much practice is because he drinks it like water himself, anyway.

[selfconcept]

"Bits and pieces of yourself"?

[ Hien is now very intrigued and looks over at Frog Man with great interest before shifting his gaze to Tamamori. ]

Why do you fight so much with yourself? Also, if you wanna learn how to make coffee, I can help you...