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

>:(

[sicklysweet]

You lied to me.

[Owen's face is decidedly neutral as he looks over at Gentaro, finding him much more interesting.]

Didn't you say you only lied to the people you care for? Do you care about me? Or was that a lie, too?

[And now he looks quite pleased.]

[catarou]

Did I say that?

[ Sue him if he's a little distracted. Gentaro's eyes rest completely on the trio, and when Ramuda screams that he's fine-- He draws in a sharp breath. It's more than enough to catch their attention, and Gentaro doesn't want to deal with this now. Not ever. Not with Owen, of all people, here.

Their faces are seared into his mind, though. Ramuda's shock and anger; Dice's confusion and alarm; the memory-Gentaro furious and stunned.

Present Gentaro grabs Owen by the wrist and drags him out of Ramuda's place. He doesn't stop until they're a fair distance away. The whole time, he says nothing. ]

[sicklysweet]

Something about that, and how you know they'll forgive you for your lies.

[Something like that, at least. Owen's memory isn't really something that should be relied on on a good day, but he's not really concerned about that.

He lets Gentaro drag him away, taking in the sighs and sounds of Tokyo. He's... never seen a city quite like it. It's much larger than Estelline, and there's no fog to block his view, so it's something to focus on as he gets pulled along when he can finally stop someone.]

[catarou]

[ He releases Owen's wrist as if he's been burned. He takes a deep breath, then levels a stern gaze at him. Even being back in Shibuya, though it's nothing but a memory, does nothing to quell his anger.

When he addresses Owen, though, his voice is steady. ]

Explain how you are here.

[sicklysweet]

I saw a portal on campus, and it looked like you were in it. So I stepped through, and now I'm... here.

[Wherever "here" happens to be.]

[catarou]

[ .....

His expression turns colder. ]

I see. Do you often enter suspicious portals when you see someone you recognize on the other side?

[sicklysweet]

Yes? Dimensional travel isn't all that strange.

[He's gone through Mithra's door a lot, so, like. There's that.]

Don't usually end up in something that seems like a memory, though.

[catarou]

I wonder if there is a reason for that.

[ It's bitter and harsh, and Gentaro takes a deep breath. ]

What did you hope to achieve here?

[sicklysweet]

I wasn't hoping for anything.

[He shrugs.]

I was curious about what was happening here. That's all.

[catarou]

[ He lets out a quiet sigh. He's exhausted by this all, which is strange, considering they're in a memory. Then again, they are still themselves here. He imagines they'll remember this when they leave.

He folds his arms over his chest, glancing away. ]

I hesitate to ask your verdict, but I'm certain you'd give it regardless.

[ There's really no bite in his voice; if he were a different person, more the person he was before bonding with Dice and Ramuda, he would give it, too. ]

[sicklysweet]

[Owen watches Gentaro for a moment, before turning and looking out at Shibuya.]

I think you're from a very strange place.

[Which is, perhaps, not what Gentaro was expecting to hear from Owen.]

I'm not sure I understand exactly what's wrong with it.

[catarou]

[ It's definitely not what he expected. In fact, he's thrown so much that he isn't sure what to say just yet.

... What's wrong with it, huh. Despite himself, he lets out a low, sardonic laugh. ]

Ah, if I were to tell you everything that is wrong with it, we would be here for a depressingly long time.

[ In spite of that, though, there's a quietly fond look as Gentaro looks out at Shibuya. ]

[sicklysweet]

[Owen notices the fond look, but he won’t point it out just yet.]

Well, who knows how long we’re going to be here.

[He looks down the street, adjusting his hat.]

You can tell me all about it as you treat me to some cake and tea.

[because there has to be cake somewhere he and it’s absolutely gentaro’s treat]

[catarou]

My, all the years of your existence, and you truly have no manners. Very well.

[ This is... really fucking weird, actually. Gentaro and Owen, having a relatively normal conversation? Surreal as hell.

Anyway, the cafe. Gentaro takes him to his usual place, and once they've been seated, one of the waitresses hurries over to give them each a menu. ]

Yumeno-sensei! Introducing a new friend?

Hmm. Of a sort. [ To Owen-- ] Feel free to order whatever you would like.

[sicklysweet]

[He doesn't need manners!

Still, he follows, looking very much like a tourist with the fascination on his face as he takes in Shibuya.]

We're not friends.

[He says, barely paying attention to the waitress as he stares at the menu.

There's... quite a few things he doesn't recognize, because it's not like Estelline had much in the way of fresh produce...]

Gentaro. What's a strawberry?

[He's familiar with the rouge berries that grow in the North and how bitter they usually are, but. Strawberries are new.]

[catarou]

[ The poor waitress looks confused, then even more confused. Meanwhile, Gentaro's caught between bafflement, amusement, and annoyance. It's also the first time he's used his actual name, and his first name at that. Huh. ]

It's a red berry that is generally sweet. You may get the occasional less sweet one, but luckily for us, the strawberry items here are nothing less than perfection.

[ He considers the menu for a moment. ]

If you're interested, there is an option to order a plate of several different desserts, so we may sample a variety.

[sicklysweet]

[: )]

A sweet berry?

[Sounds super duper fake. But... interesting, nonetheless.]

Let's do that, then. And I'll have tea. Whatever kind it is doesn't matter.

[Because it's not like he recognizes any of the options for that, either!]

[catarou]

[ :thinking:

Gentaro gives their order: a large sampler of cakes, vanilla tea for himself, and a chocolate cream tea for Owen. The waitress takes it, then lets them know it'll be out shortly. ]

Have you never had a sweet berry before, Owen?

[sicklysweet]

Northern rouge berries are very bitter, and the rouge berries that grow in the West are very sour. Sometimes Northern rouge berries are sweet, but that's very rare.

[Is that weird? That's just what it's like out there in the world.]

[catarou]

[ ...... To his credit, Gentaro shows no sign that he finds this pretty weird! A quirk of another world, and who is he to actually judge? ]

Interesting. The food at Estelline--is any of it very strange to you?

[sicklysweet]

I don't recognize a lot of it, and a lot of the things that are familiar are still kind of different.

[Hums.]

Like the eggs. There's only one yolk in all of them. Small differences like that.

[catarou]

[ ... well, that prompts a question. ]

Now I'm quite curious about the state of your chickens.

[sicklysweet]

[looks into the middle distance why do you do this to me]

They're normal chickens?

[...]

Well, except for the ones that lay silver eggs. That's not what most of them are like, though.