WEEK SEVEN: MINGLE

[retellers]

WEEK SEVEN: MINGLE (21 remain) Rise and shine, gremlins. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's the start of a new week. To the participants, yesterday's events may seem distant now—albeit not as distant as their life before this. Whether or not they notice, they will have lost a memory upon waking up. As usual, the participants will find that their lodgings have changed, and should anyone check their PHS, Chiron, Ochako, Soo-won, and Dorothy's profiles have been removed. They may also find that they have difficulty recalling complete details of the past weeks. Furthermore, it looks as though the rules have updated. Not everything is the same as the previous pattern, though. The barrier to the north is back up, and once more, what lies beyond is an empty field. In contrast, however, participants may notice that they can finally access a place they haven't been able to before... Additionally, it looks like the Leaders aren't around. No matter where the participants look, they're nowhere to be found. Should anyone try calling for them in the Planetarium, there will be no response—not even a message telling the participant that they're busy. Finally, everything around the participants begins to... glitch? Buildings may suddenly blink out of existence and then back in, random items like chairs or cups may suddenly distort even while they're being used, and looking at any particular thing for too long may give someone a headache. It's worse than it was that one week, though: participants will find that it's happening to themselves as well. Body parts might suddenly glitch out of existence then back in, and there will be a shot of pain when it occurs. It'll happen randomly, but it also seems to occur more often if they're touching something or another person.

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[retellers]

[ It does in fact look good! And will also taste very good, if they dig in. Apparently, this girl—whose is An Onoya, if they were paying attention to introductions—can cook. ]

They didn't show up. How horrible, don't you think?

[ She sounds more jokingly upset than anything, though, as she takes a few steps to better peer at the skyline. ]

... Isn't this city beautiful? But everything, no matter how beautiful, comes to an end eventually. Hey...

[ She turns back to look at them. ]

Which do you think is more important, the past or the present? Would you sacrifice memories of a painful past so that you could be happier in the present? Or would you give up the pain of the present so that you could return to a time when things were better?

[robopriest]

[Everything comes to an end eventually.]

[He glances over at Emet-Selch, his expression suddenly somber, before he hides it by looking down at his bento. Its delicious, really. A meal in the city of the dead.]

[And what she says...]

[He frowns.]

What kind of questions are those? [He shakes his head. Even after everything, his answer would be...] Haven't you heard the saying? "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there". Which is to say that, I live in the present, and I always will. But that doesn't mean I want to sacrifice my memories, either. They make me who I am. My present couldn't exist without them, even if they were painful.

[arkitect]

[he does have the bento, but he is not eating it because he is forever more cautious than that. it's not like he'll die that fast if he doesn't eat, anyway, it's fine.

her questions, though they don't get him to look away from the city, make his brow furrow, mouth pulled into a thoughtful frown. he doesn't need to be looking to know that hansa likely glances his way; still, he doesn't look back.]

...there are moments when I do wish it were possible to simply return to a better time, and between the two, I would never sacrifice the memories of my own history.

[a brief moment of honesty, at least. it's easier to say so here, looking at a vision of that past.]

But such things are not so easily done, nor is it such a simple thing to undo all which has occurred. To unmake what has been created. For better or worse, the world carries on.

[he has accepted the present and the fact that he will never bring back what was lost-- but while emet-selch won't go back to his old ways, well. especially here, it's hard not to miss what once was.]

[papasha]

[Well, that's some heavy conversation for cute bentos on the rooftop.

Quietly, he glances from Hansa to Emet, and then away while the two of them answer the girl in turn. He's... answered this already, hasn't he? He's answered it here, at the beginning.]

I still agree that your memories make you who you are. They are your experiences, after all, whether good or bad. It's what I would personally choose, too. Continuing to live in the present, trying to be happy in it.

However, I think it is up to each person to decide what's best for them.

If it means forgetting their painful past to live in a happier present, or if it means giving up their painful present to return to a better time in the past. I don't condone living in the past, but... I understand its appeal when your present is a terrible place to exist.

[retellers]

[ That's rude, Emet.

But she smiles at Hansa. ]

... That's a good answer. I know someone who'd probably agree with you... though for many, it's probably easier said than done, huh?

[ Her gaze sweeps over the three of them. ]

Would you say you're content? All of the painful things that happened to you, especially recently... Were any of it worth it, for what you gained? New memories, friends, loved ones... Two of you are totally dating. Oh, though I guess that makes one of you a third wheel here. Awkward.

[robopriest]

...Oh, dating? [He looks directly at Emet, before back to her.] Its not really dating. Its...well, I think we'd be here for a while if we explained it.

[Its just how it is! Hansa nonchalantly shrugs, before chewing down on some rice as he considers his answer.]

And...yes, I'm content with what I have. What I gained. What I'm not happy with knowing that people's lives are being played around with. [A pause. His eyes narrow.] So, little lady, who are you? The Realm? You sure seem to know a lot about us.

[arkitect]

[that last comment absolutely gets a roll of his eyes.]

Do not feel too sorry for him. He has his own partner and they are terrible to put up with.

[do you know, npc, how many times he has just looked away from blupca. many. god.]

I should like to know the reasons behind such questioning, as well, but if you truly must ask--

[hansa has part of this covered, and given the way things tend to work here, he is likely to need to answer so they can keep going? so. he exhales a sigh.]

Had I not been here, I would have ceased to exist. I would not cast aside the time granted to me so easily-- nor would I be asked to lose more, after all that I have already lost.

[papasha]

[Ahhh.......

He has the damn decency to look a bit sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment or two. Haha! He has done no crimes, EMET, PLEASE. Maybe Emet is the third wheel, okay.]

I don't mind exactly.

[The expression slowly fades into something more serious again at Hansa's inquiry.]

It was worth it. I think you always have to go through a little pain to gain things you consider worth it.

[retellers]

[ Glad Emet realizes there's no getting out of talking about Feelings, because if he refuses I can instead put you all into bunny outfits instead and make you a boy band.

At Emet-Selch's blupca comment, she grins and girlishly clasps her hands in delight. ]

Aw, they sound adorable! 𝅘𝅥𝅮 I'm a little jealous, actually... [ She sighs. ] At this rate, senpai's never going to notice me and I'll be single forever...

[ Anyway. Going back to Hansa's question, she looks thoughtful. ]

Though to answer your question... not exactly? I'm no more the Realm than, say, Kaiza was, Hansa Cervantes. [ She smiles, her expression soft. ] Thank you for looking after him, by the way. While he wasn't quite the same person, he's someone that the two of us [ ? ] have only ever wished happiness for.

Buuuut you can just think of me as a phantom. Or, to be more accurate, you could call me someone's heart? Like, not literally, though. In the end... whether you believe it or not, I'm someone who wishes happiness for all of you, too.

[ She pauses. ]

So... I'm really glad to hear that—that you all found something that made it worth it. Despite the long, long nightmare, that alone makes it worth it for me—for him—as well.

Say, do you know the saying about the cobbler's children?

[ Meanwhile, if Blanca was a bad student and didn't silence his phone, a notification goes off! New text message from his lone contact: Ignore her. ]

[robopriest]

...

[At the mention of that name, Hansa stiffens. The look in his dark blue eyes is stern, almost cold, but not quite.]

...Kaiza? [He's put the chopsticks down, staring her down.] I would be careful about talking about him so...nonchalantly, even if you're some phantom.

[It rubs him the wrong way, that he's talked about as if he's just another form of another existing person. Maybe that really is true. But he saw that boy grow up. Raised him.]

[His son belongs to him and Emet-Selch, alone.]

And I don't know about that. What is it, some fairytale?

[arkitect]

If you simply wait to be noticed, then yes, you shall be.

[he no longer has patience for that kind of thing, he is just going to be blunt with her. it's fine.

but then she mentions kaiza, and that, along with hansa's tone, drag his attention away from the city.]

...Hansa.

[a slight shake of his head, his own voice quieter. he understands the feeling, he does, but there's something about the mention of him not quite being the same person-- emet-selch is not unfamiliar, after all, with people existing in various forms. with the concept of someone he once cared about existing in a different way than he knew.

he does know the saying, probably, but he kind of doesn't care about talking about that at the moment.]

Does he yet exist, then, in a different manner?

[that's the important question to him right now, and he thinks hansa might want to know as well.

also boy if this npc knows about the cyoa that's awkward for emet specifically,]

[papasha]

Love is nice, but it doesn't make you who you are as a person.

[Just, for the record.

He doesn't like the text message he gets, though he does pause before replying so he can reach out and put a gentle hand on Hansa's shoulder. He gets it; he decked a guy earlier, too. Still. ]

The cobbler's children who didn't get shoes because he was too busy making them for his customers?

[The text he sends back says, Easy for you to say. What should we do?]

[retellers]

Um...

[ The girl looks nervous, like she's worried Hansa is going to either be very sad or punch her if she says anything more on the topic of Kaiza.

She will also politely ignore the fact that Blanca is being a rude butt who's texting while having a conversation. The response Blanca gets is: Do what you believe in. Just know that she talks too much and can't mind her own business. ]

Yep, that one! You can see the syndrome in other places, can't you? Like how those who can figure out other people's issues can't seem to deal with their own problems?

So, here's a riddle for you. What was it that kid—Sora-kun?—asked once... Who's the support for those who support others?

[robopriest]

...

[To you, they would likely seem much like yourself. Yet they remain naught but fragments without full souls of their own, believing themselves truly alive and their worlds whole. .]

[He looks away, gloomy, though his expression softens at the hand to his shoulder.]

You didn't answer Emet-Selch's question. About whether he exists in another form. Though I guess, the answer is, to you...he does. [He's tired. Being reminded of Kaiza, in this dead world, and...now having to answer a riddle. His mouth twists to the side.] The answer to that is...finding support in others isn't a two-way street. Those who support others should be supported by the ones they support. That's the fact of it. Nobody is just...a generosity machine. Everyone who does good in this world should be supported in turn.

[arkitect]

...whether they should be or not, it is not so simple as that.

[he shakes his head once more, exhales a sigh.]

Such support must also be accepted, and those with the tendency to prop up others are often less willing to take the very same things they give so freely. 'Tis a truly vexing habit, at times, but it means that the answer is often no one-- much as others may try to do so.

[also i hate you for that quote. anyway there's your resident downer's answer.]

[papasha]

Well, [and he seems wryly amused slightly about this,] I'm not sure Sora has very much room to talk. Then again, perhaps he would know best.

[He glances up, first at the other two, and then at the girl.]

But even Sora has friends who care and worry about him, back home and here. You can't really tell them to take care of themselves; they won't. You have to love them. You have to make sure they get the things they overlook giving themselves.

Why? Do you know someone like that, miss?

[retellers]

[ She looks to the side, smiling knowingly, if pained. ]

Well... maybe. I know they appreciate me being there, but after the past few months... going through something they can never speak about might just widen the gap between us.

[ Her eyes flit to Blanca, and then to the others. ]

It can be hard, can't it? To admit that you need help, or to accept it from others. Sometimes, it's even easier to have people dislike you than for them to think you need to be worried over. Even if you know there are other options besides isolation or being a burden... it's easy to lose sight of that.

When everyone else is enjoying themselves, or struggling with their own problems, you feel like you're doing something wrong if you speak up about your own. But talking about it to even just one person... it helped me a lot, at least.

[ She clasps her hands behind her back. ]

I hope you don't lose sight of what you said just now. About helping others, or just being there and letting them know they're loved—and, if you can, about letting them help you. It might be cheesy, but the bonds you've made here are some of your greatest strengths!

[ Then, she claps her hands together. ]

Anyway! Lunch is almost over, so it's time for the relay race!

[ the what now ]

[robopriest]

Yeah. Our bonds.

[What good words. Hansa nods, trying not to think about a Kaiza that exists somewhere. A different Kaiza. But happy nevertheless...probably. Maybe. His curiosity is there, but he doesn't ask more.]

[The last part just makes him gawk, though.]

...Say that again?

[arkitect]

[it is cheesy, thanks. emet-selch is less appreciative of the words than hansa....

but boy does that last bit get a distasteful look.]

I very much hope that participation is not mandatory.

[he doesn't want this, have you ever seen emet run in this game]

[papasha]

[She can't just give them some kind of deep existentialism, and then turn around in the same sentence almost and tell them they're about to do a damn school relay race?

HELLO?

Both of his brows raise, and he glances at both Hansa and Emet briefly.]

I'm not sure we're meant to run on a full stomach. That's how you get cramps. [WOW.] The track field...?

[retellers]

The relay race! And sorry, but it's mandatory! Tee-hee. ♥

[ It's so mandatory, in fact, that they'll find themselves transported to the track field. They're still in their teenage forms, but now they're dressed in... PE outfits? This is definitely not FF aesthetic anymore, even with the city still looming in the background; neither are the high school uniform-dressed people in the bleachers, some of whom will be familiar faces from home for all three of them.

It looks like Hansa is in charge of the first stretch of the race, Emet-Selch second, and Blanca third. It's a sprint relay, so a baton suddenly appears in Hansa's hand.

They're competing against two other teams, it looks like!

The second team's first runner is... someone who looks like Jester? The second runner is Azem, and the third is Ash. This is probably fine.

The third team won't be familiar to any of them: first up is a brown-haired girl, then a blond-haired boy, and then a red-haired girl.

On your marks, get set... go! Jester and the brown-haired girl both nyoom off with their batons, as the people in the bleachers cheer. ]

[robopriest]

-What?

[Oh, no. Why do they have to do this. Hansa lets out a low groan, looking down at his new attire with a frown.]

Do we really have to do this...? This is...

[Wait.]

[Is that.]

[....................It is. Hansa's eyes instantly narrow, a wide, malicious sort of grin opening up on his face as he looks over at Jester, who for all intents and purposes just exudes an air of smugness so potent you can feel it from miles away.]

Haha...hahaha...

[Hey, Hansa, you okay there? His manner from before is gone. He's instantly moving to the starting line. And then...the race starts, and Hansa just flies forward, raising his voice as his attention is on Jester, and Jester alone.]

HEY, CORPSE! BETTER KEEP RUNNING, OR I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!!

[Totally normal things to say for the sake of a friendly sports competition!]

[arkitect]

[oh he fucking hates the uniform SO much. why. why is this their life now--

but, well. even hansa yelling in the background only barely distracts him, with his attention on his own second team counterpart. of course. he really should have expected it, and on some level he did, but...

being faced with him is another thing entirely. even knowing this definitely doesn't seem to be what he considers reality, it's difficult to look away.

give him a minute he'll be paying attention again by the time hansa gets here, probably.]

[papasha]

[GOD. The PE outfits. He probably still has really nice legs even if they aren't thicc. It'd be funny if he still had the rifle just out in broad daylight during a relay. IT'S FINE. We will suspend disbelief.

He thinks he hates the other team, but probably hates Hansa's sudden enthusiasm at the competition more. It's amusing, but he hates this fellow jock. He glances down the track at Emet. Their cyborg is having a great time. So he just cups a hand over his mouth and hollers:] HANSA! [As encouragement. Then:]

You can do it, Aides! The faster you run, the faster it'll be my turn! Think about it!

[Because these two jocks are stupid and are going to take off as soon as they have the damn baton.]

[retellers]

[ The poor innocent third team gives Hansa a weird look. Like, what the fuck? Who let this guy into the school?

The announcer only takes a moment to recover, though. ]

Wow, look at that enthusiasm from Class 1! Do your best, Class 2! You too, Class 3!

[ For someone who's likely a normie, unlike half of the people on this field right now, brown-haired girl runs like the wind, passing on the baton to the blond-haired boy. Unfortunately, he apparently runs out of breath after approximately uno second and, despite the fact that he's clearly doing his best, a turtle could probably outpace him.

Jester makes it to Azem and passes the baton, but because Hansa's threat is presumably very real, he... keeps running... Hm. Is he allowed to do that.

The announcer seems to be at a loss. ]

Um... if you don't have the baton anymore, you're supposed to get off the field, I think...