Week 2 Post-Trial

[strictura]

[ The trial itself may have been pretty straightforward, but with how high emotional tensions were running afterward, there's probably no one feeling like organizing any kind of gathering right now.

So, go do your thing until a new week starts, and write down those memories you don't want to forget. ]

Comments

[ballooncaged]

Yeah, well, join the club. Maybe that's why I'm not scared of you.

[She crosses her arms. Wishes she had the fancy thumbloops from her coat actually.]

So if you have emotions you feel like you have to hide, you can always just tell me.

[seventhlittlemonster]

...Okay. [He nodded, fixed his posture, and... felt more at ease, even if it wasn't as good as he wished to feel.]

open

[scratchitti]

[He was looking for food to when he walks in and sees Mizuki. He freezes, then tucks his chin down into his collar again, looking awkward]

...hey.

[ballooncaged]

[Runs her hands down her arms to make sure the sleeves aren't getting folded weird.]

...maybe it would be better for you if you didn't care about me either. But I'm glad we're friends.

[strictura]

...A little frustrated, I guess, but fine.

Are you writing down more memories?

[ballooncaged]

Hi.

[Digs the central plus-shape into the pumpkin extra hard.]

You wanna come back when annoying toadies are done existing here? I've got a pretty good internal clock.

[golden_king]

[ Gil will peer his head through the door frame before he came in. Door's open and he's not really too much in the habit of knocking anyway. ]

Allen? What're you doing?

[seventhlittlemonster]

It- [Hm. That distresses him because even after the last time he cared about someone ended terribly how could he even stay sane without someone to care about?]

I- You're the leader. I have to look to you for guidance... [Is there even going to be any leaders after this whole thing...?]

[scratchitti]

Wow. Like, okay I kinda deserve that but woof.

[He winces, fiddling with his lanyard]

You know when I said I agreed with Franzika that didn't mean I was disagreeing with you, right?

Media Room;

[golden_king]

[ He'll come into the room after peering his head in. ]

...There's something I wanted to ask you about.

[imozon]

[AAAAAAAH?

After a moment she kind of... awkwardly wraps arms around her.]

I thought you did really well...

[littlebratziska]

[It takes a couple seconds longer than normal but she manages to pull herself together and pull herself up to sitting again, turning to look behind her.]

What is it?

[littlebratziska]

I'm being pathetic.

[There's a bite of venom for just a moment in the words, but she lingers in Dark Dream's embrace for just a moment longer after she says them before she pulls back and drags her wrist quickly over her eyes.]

None of that should have had to happen. I'm going to make sure none of it has to again. I just... I'm not sure how, yet.

[Her eyes go back to the television, still very close to Dark Dream, but not actively leaning on her any more.]

Have you ever seen this before? I hadn't, but it's nice.

closed

[strictura]

[ Nagisa had already felt like maybe he should talk to Mizuki about things after the meeting on Tuesday, but he hadn't really wanted to bring up anything personal that she didn't want to talk about. It's not like any of them are really close enough to call themselves friends, right?

But after how things had devolved after the trial, it seems like he should at least let her know he's open to listening before things get out of hand. So he stops by her room on the way back to his own, and taps on the door frame. ]

Okiura-san?

[golden_king]

[ There's not really all that much hesitation before he'll respond. ]

...What were you thinking, when you struck him back in the trial?

That's what I want to know. I mean, since we're all supposed to be working together here...

[imozon]

"Deedee..." oh, I get it.

...what are you doing?

[littlebratziska]

We're supposed to be, but clearly we're not.

And what I was thinking was that those who act like fools should be treated as fools as well, and punished accordingly.

He said this was a game. That's what the rules claim it is, but if two people die for it it's not a game, and simply because justice is not available is no reason to call unjust things justice.

Treating any of this like a game is only going to see more people die. Either he doesn't understand that or doesn't care, so I did my best to whip him into shape.

[undershadow]

Writing down the recipe Cori mentioned. It's what she forgot this week.

I mean, I can't cook to begin with and now I never wanna see an oven again, but still.

[ballooncaged]

[Rolls eyes, looks down.]

It makes sense to me by now, yeah. I'm not trying to pull some puppy dog trick, or stand by anything I said, just—I know exactly what's wrong with me and it felt like you must have recognized that too.

[scratchitti]

Look, I'm not in any position to judge anyone for anything- I'm a trash person. But... we don't need to be fighting each other right now.

[ballooncaged]

Oh... Hey.

[It should make her nervous that she's made him blatantly worried about her, that she's weak and vulnerable, but Nagisa has made it possible to trust that he's on her side, helped her believe in the potential of kids. Maybe he's worried about something else anyway so she'll keep the game face on for a second.]

I'm not doing anything weird, you can totally come in. [She turns on the chair to face outward.]

[ballooncaged]

...that explains a lot.

[Not like she's calling Neku scum, it actually puts her at ease somehow.]

But does that mean I have to accept it? That giving the Queen a mental breakdown isn't just right in an emergency, it makes her a beautiful princess better than everyone who won't do it, too?

[strictura]

[ With a nod, he steps inside, then pauses and motions toward the door. ]

Is it all right if I close this? I-I mean, I'm not intending to do anything weird either, of course, but I thought... maybe you'd want to talk about some things without everyone listening.

[scratchitti]

No, of course not. It doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. It's pretty clear Franzika has never really had anyone or anything counter her world view before and she freaked out. We were all freaking out.

I think you BOTH took it too far. But shit, I'm not your dad, I can't lecture you or something.

[ballooncaged]

...I can't just quit now.

[Even though she's SERIOUSLY tempted by it...]

I'm not sure... If attending the sleepover was the right decision. Cori not attending should have been suspicious, but I wanted to protect the rest of you there too.