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

[teidaisei]

[ yw he does his best, always. ]

Tamamori-kun. [ It's weak but still there. He smiles then, like always too. ]

[unsinksyourship]

[I THINK YOU MEAN HE DOES HIS WORST--

In response there's a whole confluence of things, like several weather fronts hitting each other at the same time: relief crashes into adrenaline crashes into a wave of aimless fury and everything waters each other down, pulls things away a little and clears up his mind enough to shakily get up a bit.

At some point his hands went numb but they're tingling back to life as he drags himself the rest of the way and reaches out, heedless of blood and everything else. Who knows what expression is on his face right now.]

You... You. What did you do? What did you--

[teidaisei]

What I've always done. [ That is not anywhere close to a satisfactory or sensical answer and even with the blood loss he might know this, but ah well. ]

...did I say you could touch me? [ One thing the weather can't drown out is echoes. ]

[unsinksyourship]

T-That's not--

[Yeah, that answer sucks and it seems to prickle at something, or maybe ten things, or maybe a hundred things because the fury surges back up and settles down to simmer -- at the same time Tamamori scrubs his face with his sleeve, heedless of his own hands and anything that might be on them.

He mutters something completely unintelligible but definitely annoyed. But when he lowers his hands again there's a peculiar calm that's settled over his face, particularly his eyes, tight in his jaw.]

You didn't say anything, so too bad. I'm going to do what I need to. [...] Frog Man! You know what to do.

[A little ways away, like a new spring sprout, a blob of green pops up and yells, Yes, Tamamori-san!! before rolling towards the streetcar. If anyone wants supplies... this might be a good time to request them. From a frog.]

[teidaisei]

I've said it plenty of times. [ He falls into a bit of a coughing fit but picks up his smile right again. ]

You're just too stupid to understand.

I guess Hashihime spoilers on this one and probably more in the thread sure

[unsinksyourship]

Y-You should know I'm stupid by now!!

[Goodbye to his entire volume control as he yells that, though it's still not terribly loud considering breathing is a trial for both of them at the moment -- it's hard to tell if it's the pain or just everything else, squeezing at his throat and words; either way there's a quaver in there despite all his bravado that turns the words into something else entirely.

Tamamori sniffs, grits his teeth and tightens his grip on Kawase's sleeve, he has the presence of mind to mostly avoid any other potential wounds at least.]

It's not fair. Nothing you say -- is fair. [don't think he doesn't hear you and your stupid death wish] You're not allowed to die again. I told you this is the last chance.

[He probably didn't say that properly in so many words but what's communication to Team #7, can you eat it.]

[teidaisei]

Do I really need to say it? [ A pause, maybe to pull more breath into his lungs. In the end he can't, for all the many reasons he never has. Instead what comes out is: ]

Life isn't fair, Tamamori-kun. He needed help, so I had no choice. [ Not all lives are made equal, something he's known since he was little. And his...

It takes him more time than it should to comprehend Tamamori's plea, really he's so tired and there's really only one thing making him fight for consciousness. ]

...so what are you going to do? If I'm misbehaving then punish me. [ That's more blunt than he usually is too, but that just seems to be the weather right now. ]

saves sweater for later when Kawase isn't RUDE

[unsinksyourship]

I'm saying that if you don't say things, I won't understand! I really won't.

[Tamamori responds so quickly he almost ends up talking over him, even though they're still both in about the same straits when it comes to breathing and talking -- hard to tell if he's trying to keep Kawase talking or if he just can't abide by what he's saying. Shaking his head furiously:]

But I don't care if life isn't fair. If it isn't fair, I'll cheat, and you should too. I told you, I told you--

[He takes a shaky breath, pausing at all of the things Kawase is telling him and not telling him and it's a lot, but hasn't that always been the way of things? (In the end; he refuses to think of this as an end.)]

You're not allowed to go anywhere. [there's a choice, so what about me?] What if -- after this, I just didn't let you out of the room anymore? It would serve you right. Don't think I won't do it, you don't know what I've decided and what I can do!

reaches for sweater /o/

[teidaisei]

[ There's something of a mumble, a thought he hasn't quite finished that spills out just like his blood and maybe some of his insides today. It's unintelligible, but really, he can only say so much. That's why he hadn't only said, but done, too. ]

...is that the kind of relationship you want from me? Are you going to feed me? Entertain me? Take care of my every need? [ By this point he's dragged himself almost to a sitting position, and since they're probably both on the ground for both the same and different reasons, it should give him height advantage even if he can't stand. Even if it doesn't, it's kind of moot since he's tipping over anyway, trying and failing to keep the world in focus. He's still breathing and he's still conscious, but like sakura blossoms, he really was never meant to be more than an ephemeral thing. ]

[unsinksyourship]

... I feel like I already do at least one of those things.

[It's a reflexive mutter of his own, Tamamori shifting his hold and using both hands to keep Kawase from toppling over entirely, winding them together in a bloody and bedraggled mess; he doesn't care. He's close enough to catch words, and breath, and Kawase if he just tries hard enough.]

I'll do whatever it takes to keep you around. Haven't I shown you some of my resolve these past weeks? [... well, it's hard to tell what he's shown him, things here have been so all over the place, but it's not like he hasn't been trying in his own bizarre Tamamori way; but like everything else, what passes between them isn't quite that simple] If you haven't been looking, then that's your own fault, Kawase.

hands you sweater \o\

[unsinksyourship]

[As though to answer Tamamori's efforts(??), this is the moment Frog Man rolls back in, carrying... well, one of those Amazing Bags with a bunch of things stuffed in it, not closed all the way so he's probably trailing random papers or pens along the way. It's fine.]

Tamamori-saan! I brought the... everything! All of the everything! Can we help? Can I help?! Kawase-san, hang in there...!!

[Tamamori jumps a little but nods, drags both frog and bag over without any particular grace as best he can with Kawase in hand as well; Frog Man doesn't seem to mind, rolling through mud and flowers and who knows what else like a very obedient beach ball. Out of the bag comes... a variation of this sweater in cherry blossom pink, soft-knit.]

Now put it on.

[teidaisei]

Tamamori-kun. [ His thoughts are all jumbled up in a way he hates like any mess. He can't finish that sentence in all the ways he wants to, in either direction. ]

Don't tell me that, you don't mean it. [ Don't —this is all he has left in the end. It's almost a pity that he never catches sight of the sweater, but maybe it's for the best. Unconscious as he is, now his body no longer has to fight his mind. And he no longer has any recourse for how ridiculous he will look in that sweater. ]