05 - week five

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FIVE

Come Sunday morning, the portals around Estelline fade away, but not all of the oddities hanging around disappear so quickly. The recreations of your dreams and memories are still around, ever changing and shifting. Whatever it is that brought these things here hasn’t ended, not yet.

You don’t have time to worry about all of that, though, even if you know you should exercise caution once two of you found yourselves on the bad end of a monster’s claws. The course still isn’t over, though, even if the portals changed lesson plans. Everything continues on, with new places to explore as the fog pushes back once again. This week still feels a little more like what you’re familiar with, though, after Saturday’s lack of lessons.

...For now.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

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Due Saturday at 8pm EST

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(CODE)

Comments

[afflictionmods]

[shizuku please save him when the interrogation starts

But it's just a stranger, poking around campus! Before he gets hogtied, at least,]

[cheerfuldays]

( yeah she can provide some respite probably. but for now, she's mostly just confused because hello? )

Ah... hello...?

( absolutely prepared to yell for mama to come if needed. but for now she'll be friendly. if not uneasy. )

[afflictionmods]

Are you one of the students here?

[cheerfuldays]

Um- yes, I suppose I am. And you are...?

[afflictionmods]

I'm just a researcher from Camellia. I'm doing a survey on the students here to check on how this program is going.

[cheerfuldays]

Ah... excuse me?

( WELL SHE WASN'T EXPECTING THAT? after a moment, she frowns. )

I wasn't aware there was other staff involved. ... Well, I'll answer your questions.

[festiverogue]

Hey, Shizuku!

[Jogging up.]

Who's the new guy?

[afflictionmods]

I-I'm a researcher with Camellia... That's all. I'm here to ask a few questions.

the much more polite and gentle interrogation!

[cheerfuldays]

Yes, and I've decided to answer.

( sit with her!!! anyways. kyle. hi. )

Is it okay if I ask some things myself...?

[festiverogue]

From Camellia? The big research place, right? I didn't know there were still people hanging around here. Is it even safe for you to be out and about?

[He's sitting. He's behaving. For now.]

[afflictionmods]

W-why would it be dangerous?

[poor kyle. so innocent, so naive...]

But, sure, you can ask something if you want...

[cheerfuldays]

How did we get here...? And do you believe it would be possible for those from different universes to stay in contact, once all of this is over?

( granted, whatever answer he gives, she's taking with a grain of salt. the man's an intern. )

[festiverogue]

[He just looks at Shizuku, not like that's a dumb question or anything, but... because he kind of can't see a way where that's possible.

He reaches over and takes one of Shizuku's hands a bit obviously.]

That'd be good to know about.

[afflictionmods]

I don't know? This isn't something I had any first hand experience with, so I'm not sure what the possibilities of that would be?

[He's not very helpful.]

But that's something you're concerned with? I see.

[cheerfuldays]

Yes, I've met many people I treasure here. I'd hate to lose them.

( unsubtle hand squeeze for mama... )

Ehe, sorry. You had something you wanted to ask too, right?

[festiverogue]

[He's exaggerating a little just for this guy's benefit--play it up, see what happens. He does truly care about Shizuku. Just... this guy's gotta be kidding.]

Yeah, what was it you wanted to ask us?

[afflictionmods]

Do you feel like this bond has made it easier for you to connect with others and regulate your emotional outbursts?

[cheerfuldays]

Oh... hm. I don't think I've ever really been prone to outbursts?

( and she'd put her difficulty connecting with others more on her status as a celebrity more than anything to be honest. )

... I don't believe I've been acting any differently.

[festiverogue]

Truthfully, I think this place just made me more upset.

[He laughs.]

Well, I did meet some interesting people, but it's not really fun. There's no incentive to regulate your emotions, just being put through the wringer doesn't do that. And that's all we've been through.

[afflictionmods]

So you don’t believe somebody else facing repercussions for your potential actions made you more cautious? I see…

[Hm.]

It was more detrimental than helpful.

[cheerfuldays]

( aw, mama... shizuku holds his arm lightly, frowning a little before returning her attention to kyle. )

Of course I've tried to avoid getting hurt for my partner's sake, but I also try not to do anything like that already. I've always tried to be aware of my place in the world and how it effects others, to be honest.

( more in the case of not disappointing others, and her role as an idol, but like... yeah. )

[festiverogue]

I don't feel like we've been anything but unilaterally, disproportionately put through things. Nothing of it feels like consequences, or like it has anything to do with us.

[Hmmm.]

I mean, it'd make more sense for us to have trust exercises or something, rather than all this nonsense with throwing us into orb-buses on the weekend and taking us off to scare the people who don't really deserve it.

[afflictionmods]

[uhhhh]

Do you think there are people here who deserve to be scared...?

[sweating]

[festiverogue]

I feel like maybe some people are more used to it than others. What person is getting a kick out of scaring Shizuku?

[Is it you, Kyle?]

[afflictionmods]

I don't think the intention of this is to enjoy the s-suffering or fear of another person...?