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

[exofractured]

I should be able to at least stop the bleeding.

[He gives Mileena one more look but then scoots over towards Ix, going a little paler at the sight. He reaches out a hand over the wounds and then...

...pauses.]

Y-you should go back to town and tell someone! There could be more monsters, and Mileena...

[fabulation]

Is she bleeding?

[ He means Mileena. He's just making sure, is all. ]

...I'm afraid I'm not from around here, so I wouldn't be sure where town is. And even if I did, would you be able to protect yourself from anymore monsters?

[ He seems so young... ]

[exofractured]

No, she... she's just unconscious. She took the backlash of bringing Ix's mirristry under control. I should have...

[His voice wobbles a little, and looking on the verge of tears almost certainly doesn't make him look any older. Even though he's not all that much younger than Xingqiu. But he takes a deeper breath and tries to look steadier.]

I can fight! With my protective mirrage broken, I'm more than strong enough! If you head straight south, you'll find the town...

[Or maybe he just really wants Xingqiu to leave?]

[fabulation]

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what that is, but...

[ Not-Phantom does not exactly have the appearance of a fighter, but if mirristry could cause this much mayhem, maybe he'll be fine on his own. ]

I'll leave it to you. Just stay safe until I get back, okay?

[ He'll turn to leave, but he will be taking peeks backwards to check on them as he goes south...

...He might even hide behind a tree and wait a bit to see if anything else happens. ]

[exofractured]

I will. Thank you.

[Not-Phantom gives Xingqiu another nod and takes a shaky little breath. And once Xingqiu is gone he stretches his hand out over Ix's body again and focuses. Light begins to gather and then... gutters out unexpectedly as he lets his hand drop to the side again.

If Xingqiu is close enough, he might see not-Phantom bite his lip as he looks down at Ix, expression a little anguished. The hand that fell to the side curls around a shard of mirror lying in the glass beside him as if moving of its own accord.]

[fabulation]

[ . . .

What in the name of the seven Archons is happening here? Welp, time to put his skills to use and creep quietly closer. He should've gone back to town, but something doesn't seem right. ]

rays arc 3 spoilers live here

[exofractured]

[Maybe what doesn't seem right is the fact that tiny Phantom - Phantom Junior, if you will - is raising the mirror shard high, and bringing it down in a swift arc towards Ix's chest.

And closing his eyes as he does so.]

[fabulation]

[ ...No matter what, Xingqiu can't let injustices be performed in front of him without trying his best to stop or undo them. ]

Stop!

[ Xingqiu breaks out into a run now and he will go in for a full tackle, but perhaps he will be too late? Stay tuned. ]

[exofractured]

[This little guy isn't particularly speedy or athletic. Xingqiu makes it in time; the mirror shard goes flying and the kid hits the grass with a yelp of surprise.

For a second he just stares at Xingqiu in disbelief. And then...

he bursts into tears.]

I-I'm sorry!

[fabulation]

[ He'll immediately stand up, after making sure the shard is far away from them, and neither one of them sustained any injuries? ]

...What were you thinking? Why would you do something like that?

[exofractured]

[One shard is successfully removed from his reach! There are no shortage of others, but it doesn't look like he's going for them, either. He sits back up slowly, still sniffling through his tears, and looks over towards his friend.]

I... I didn't really... If he weren't here, then I...

[He curls in on himself a little more, miserably, and starts crying harder.]

[fabulation]

...Then you'd be without a friend.

[ He'll add, still feeling disapproval at the attempted murder here??

Or maybe he is more of an associate, because Xingqiu should not just assume. But all the same it is incredibly jarring to watch this all pan out.

He's not going to pat his shoulder or anything while the other is crying, because it is right for someone to feel guilt over that, but still disconcerting all the same. ]

[exofractured]

[Apparently, yes, a friend. Because that escalates the crying to hiccup-sob levels. Phantom(?) opens his mouth like he's going to say something to that, then bites his lip and falls silent again. But after a few seconds he scoots closer to Ix and scrubs a hand over his tears before reaching out a hand to start focusing on casting.]

[fabulation]

[ ...This guy is a disaster.

But this time he will try to properly watch over him now as he's starting to try up a healing spell again. Hopefully, anyway.

It IS probably for the best to have someone who can fight stick around for that. ]

[exofractured]

[Boy, Xingqiu, you don't even know. But despite the hiccupping interruptions, there's some mirror glowing and the wounds begin to close. Enough that they're not looking dangerous, anyway.

Then tiny Phantom makes a little pained noise, falling back a bit and putting one hand to his chest. He's quiet for a moment as he holds it there.]

...Are you going to tell anyone?

[fabulation]

I could.

[ Though to be quite honest, he doesn't know who he would. Anyway, he'll kneel down next to Ix to observe more the work, see if there's any remaining that can be patched up. ]

...Friends are precious. They're not people you should toss away, okay? You should know better—that those close to you shouldn't be taken for granted. Otherwise, the day that comes when you've driven them away from you forever will be something you'll regret until the end of your days.

[ And, thinking about what's happened recently, Xingqiu could have lost a dear friend to him. He's not really close to many people, not personally. He doesn't know what a world without Chongyun would look like, and he doesn't want to imagine it. ]

I'm trusting that deep down, you didn't want to see him die no matter how spur of the moment your actions were. So promise me you won't do that again.

[exofractured]

[Ix's injuries are pretty well closed now, if not perfectly exhaustively. And it does seem like tiny Phantom stopped healing because he needed to catch his breath, and not from any malice.]

I didn't! I don't. I just... I just want them to see me, and...

[He bites his lip again, giving a sniffle that sounds awfully like this might slide into more tears.]

...I promise.

[fabulation]

I'm sure they will.

[ Despite the murder attempt, teeny Phantom did his best with the healing. Honestly, he does still have some concerns, but...one thing at a time, he supposes. ]

Thank you. Please also continue to look after them; I know they'll continue to need you, just like you will need them. Friendship goes both ways, after all.

[exofractured]

[Mini Phantom doesn't look so sure about that at all. He gives a little nod of understanding, though, and seems to be winning the battle against crying more.]

Thank you. For... for trying to help. For stopping me.

[fabulation]

[ There we go. Baby steps. ]

Of course. I'm just glad to help out those in need and at the right time too.

[ Everyone makes mistakes, some ... bigger than others, but sometimes people just deserve a second chance. ]

[exofractured]

You're like him. You'd like him.

[Everyone likes Ix. Even Phil. He gives a wobbly little smile, the best he can manage. But... this is better. He's relieved, too.]

[fabulation]

Maybe I would, though I'm not so sure since I don't know him. I'm more sure about you, though.

[ He settles into a proper sitting position. ]

You don't seem to think much of yourself for some reason.

[exofractured]

You don't know me either.

[But it doesn't have any of Phantom's defensive snarkiness. The kid watches Xingqiu earnestly, maybe a little hopeful.]

It's just... They've never needed me. Mileena's brilliant and kind and always knows what to do. And Ix is good at things without even trying. And I'm just...

[Well. Kind of a weenie. Also, he tried to stab his friend.]

[fabulation]

Not all that well yet, either. But still more than him.

[ He listens to what he's saying saying yeah trying to stab an injured friend is super fucked up. There's nothing to change that at all, but it doesn't mean that he can't make up for it. ]

...But don't you see? Right now is when they need you the most.

And you almost made sure that wouldn't happen a moment ago. But, you healed him anyways and you've been watching over then. Do you think they'll easily forget thar?

[exofractured]

It's not like that! They're not like that.

[His friends are good people. Unlike, well. But he frowns like he's trying to seriously listen to Xingqiu.]

I don't need them to remember it. It's enough if they're safe. [Stabbing notwithstanding. Just a little contradictorily:] ...You never feel alone with your friends?