theafflicted | 07 - the final week

FINAL WEEK

You returned safely from the island, with fresh fruit and plenty of seafood, and your Saturday comes to an end. There was much less betrayal, much less turmoil, this past lesson… but does that mean you’ll have time to relax?

The fog has pulled back, revealing the rest of the university’s campus. ... Actually, the fog is completely gone. Interesting, that. You'll also notice that at night, there are no orbs to be found. It looks like Lorelei was true to her word regarding Saturday's activity being the final orb.

There are also, occasionally, other figures that come into view when you look around. Other figures that look like...people. People you haven't seen before, roaming the streets. Some of them look like they're seeing Estelline for the first time in a long while. Others look like they're exhausted and seem to be making their way towards the Residential Area, presumably to rest. There aren't many of them, come Sunday...but they're here.

The end is finally near – and Lorelei confirms that with another 8am announcement on Sunday. She is also, notably, wearing a more visible set of earrings.

"Good morning, students. I would like to formally congratulate you on surviving these last few weeks. This week should be your last, and I will be dedicating it to your evaluations. I'm aware that you know the nature of this "course" by now, but you will be able to return home soon. Regardless, I thank you for your participation.

You are free to contact me through the phone booth for the next few days. Thank you."

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

FLORENCE / LORELEI

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( by the time the raid team #2 returns, shizuku is waiting- so when madara opens the door to their room, she's waiting with her sparrow, a fresh cup of tea waiting on his desk, still steaming. the moment shizuku sees him, she perks up and jumps to her feet. )

I felt that you were angry earlier- so... I thought, this might help a little?

( she's... waiting, almost, for permission to hug. )

[She doesn't need to wait for permission. He definitely doesn't. He goes right to her without a word, stooping just enough that he can lift her up a little and hug her for a moment. He puts her immediately back down, but the hug lingers.]

Thought I was going to have to kill somebody, that's all. Still might have to. Somebody else might beat me to it.

[That's one hell of a way to start a conversation with your girlfriend.]

( wh- her eyes widen for a moment and she looks up at him in shock before immediately wrapping her arms around his neck. )

What happened? --Ah, the tea is for you, by the way...

( not that she's letting go for him to go get it, but still. )

[He sighs, ignoring the tea in action, but:]

Thanks for the tea. I probably need it.

[But he just holds her tighter.]

They had a file on Kohaku. And Leo, Kanata, Chiaki... Airi, too. We destroyed the files, but they've been seriously looking into everyone in our worlds.

[Running a hand down her back.]

We found the device they used to bring us here, too. It was broken, overloaded from something. We fixed it. I think we can go home soon, like they said. But...

( shizuku can feel herself going cold as he speaks, as everything sinks in more and more- and her grip tightens too, clutching the fabric of his shirt as she has to remember to breathe for a moment. )

No...

( she wishes the reassurance that the files were destroyed held more comfort but she finds herself still struggling to calm herself down. thankfully, that's what being held by your boyfriend is for.

she doesn't think she'll stop anyone, if they go for violence. not for this. )

I- thank goodness you destroyed them...

I might've said a couple of bad words. Sorry.

[Just to try to lighten things up. Because he can't hurt her like this.]

Aaaanyway, I think I'm going to try to kill the guy that's responsible. Which, you know, will either radicalize them or stop this horrible experiment.

[Sighing.]

I don't want to hurt the innocent people here, but he's not innocent. He's a monster, treating us like our worlds aren't just as important. [A beat.] Like every life he meddles with isn't just as precious as the next.

Oh... I should have gotten the swear jar instead of tea, I see.

( tsk tsk! ... shizuku sighs, all but melting against him. she hates the idea of it, honestly. she did outright tell him she doesn't get it. but... even she's not so foolishly naive to not think that if it came down to it, someone had to go for the sake of the others.

she just... really hopes it doesn't. but she doesn't say this outloud- madara knows her, he probably knows she can't truly approve despite it all. )

Just... promise me you'll be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you. ... I don't understand how people could think like that.

That swear jar would have doubled in the past week.

[He's resigned himself to myriad possibilities. To taking the guy out. To going down with him. He's not sure he's ready, necessarily, but if it's how it goes, it's how it goes.]

I don't understand, either. I get being desperate, but it doesn't mean you have to turn into a despot, you know?

[There's no promise.]

I'm grateful that I was able to meet you. That much I can't get mad at them for. But we can go ahead and let, I don't know, Florence have that one or something. As a proxy.

( no promise. shizuku frowns and maybe madara can feel her creeping anxiety - how it twists in her stomach and weighs heavily by the minute. still, she gives him a smile. )

... Yes, Florence can take that. Madara... you mean so much to me. If there's a way... ... I love you.

[He smiles at her, brushing her hair back gently. He can feel it. And he's sorry.]

I will do everything I can.

[Leaning down, tipping her chin up, he kisses her softly. The kiss lingers, warm and a little melancholy.]

I don't want to leave you. I want to be with you for as long as I can. Hell, give me a couple of years, and I'd even give up being an idol for you. This is like our own Tanabata, isn't it? So I'll find a way to meet you again. It's as simple as that.

[He thinks, somehow, that even if he can't find her in this life, if he's able to be someone better in his next life, he'll find her again. He's not sure he believes in things like that--in fact, he's pretty sure he doesn't--but it'll keep him from giving up.]

I love you, Shizuku. I do. I always will.

Edited 2022-07-09 06:15 (UTC)

( shizuku sighs into the kiss softly, and her hold tightens for a moment. there's a bittersweet fluttering in her chest at being compared to orihime and hikoboshi... but. they have their meetings. so they'll work hard for their own- preferably far, far more frequent than the seventh day of the seventh month. )

I'm holding you to that.

( her voice is quiet, but no less full- of longing, love and somehow? a full confidence that they can do it. )

I won't make you do all the work, though... I'm already scared of how long it could take.

( thankfully, hien and fai might be able to help. but... )

[He's quiet for a while, almost too long. There's a thought that occurs to him, one he needs to mull over for a long time. He doesn't have a long time, he thinks... But it's a thought he needs to carefully consider. A distinct feeling of peace comes over him, then he seems to snap back to normal with a grin.]

We'll see what we find out. Maybe there's more to all of this. Maybe all this world-hopping isn't so hard!

Fai says it takes a great amount of magic. But otherwise...

( there could be other options. right? especially since they brought thirty people here. hm... after a moment, shizuku glances up at him. ... what is he thinking? but... he's also trying to be optimistic, isn't he?

quietly, she cups one of his cheeks and smiles softly. )

We'll figure it out.

07 - the final week

FRIDAY

closed to madara

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cw: assassination mention

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sneaks this in during endgame

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