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.

NAVIGATION locations ₓ˚. statuses *+:｡ ic profiles :ₓo ic rules ･ﾟﾟ･｡ audience requests murder proposals ｡✧o private conversations ･ﾟo｡ curfew ･ﾟ✧ memories

Comments

[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...

[robopriest]

[Yeah, having Jester here? Its the best damn motivation a young strapping man-soon-to-be-cyborg could have. Hansa stops to give the baton to Emet-Selch, grinning at him.]

Go on. Show them your stuff. Haha, don't mind me, just need to handle this-!

[He gives a quick peck to Emet's cheek for luck before he just takes off after Jester on the track, not even looking that tired because this is the most fun he's had in AGES. IT'S VAMPIRE HUNTING TIME: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION]

[arkitect]

Hansa, what in the worlds do you think you are doing-!

[WHY IS HE STUCK WITH THESE JOCKS. GOD. zodiark give him fucking strength.

he spares a sidelong glance to azem as he sets off-- he is, by all rights, probably going to kick emet's ass at this. emet-selch is Not a runner. but this is not really his old best friend, and if this place is pulling from their memories...

he is doing his best but he is also thinking very hard about how azem definitely was not more physically capable, hey remember that time he definitely tripped on the capitol stairs, it was very real and not a fake memory he's making up on the spot. definitely not that.]

[papasha]

[Emet out here using his superior muscle.

Blanca gets ready, but keeps looking back to wait for Emet. He stretches his hand out. Hansa is full of competitive energy, Emet is full of cunning willpower, and he's full of...

Well, confidence. He had been the one to teach Ash, after all. He thinks he can still teach Ash who may be a better runner.]

There you go! Come on!

[I was going to say put it in his hand, but you'd yell at me. Anyway, hurry up and put the long, hard thing it in his hand.]

[retellers]

[ WHY IS ANNA LIKE THIS.

Jester laughs obnoxiously as he runs. Why? I don't know, I just assume this is something he would do. At some point, he probably stops so that he can fight Hansa. This is happening right now. ]

Should... Should someone stop them...?

[ Azem... trips! Congrats on successfully warping reality, Emet. Can't believe that of all things you used this for in the Realm, it's to cheat at a relay race.

But he picks himself back up and eventually passes the baton onto Ash. The blond-haired boy on the third team is still running very, very slowly. ]

[robopriest]

[permission to insert anna into this cyoa so i can fight her,]

[And yeah, sorry, Emet! Sorry Blanca! Hansa is in full on vampire-fighting mode now. He's just going to tackle this country golf club Edward Cullen bitch and just put him in a headlock as they wrestle on the field.]

[Carry on, runners! Please ignore this idiot Spanish jock doing his thing. It's fine.]]

[arkitect]

[i can't believe that fucking worked.

emet-selch looks very satisfied, though, but by the time he gets to blanca he is absolutely feeling the exertion. 'teej would this specific body not have been in good shape at 17' i do what i want and emet's actual self was way more likely to be a fucking nerd. he shoves the baton into blanca's hand.]

Go. Just-- just go.

[his nerd ass is too out of breath to say more, waving him on with one hand while the other's braced on his knee, leaning over and trying to catch his breath again. have i said enough times that he hates this!

hansa just gets an annoyed look because he flat out does not have the energy right now to go deal with this.]

[papasha]

[Luckily, Blanca is pretty much already gone by the time Emet says to go.

And he is stupid fast? He might even be faster considering he has to usually move almost two hundred and forty pounds of muscle, and now he doesn't.]

Come on, kitten! You can't beat me in last place!

[That poor blonde dude. Please give him a boost.]

[retellers]

[ Jester and Hansa wrestle intensely. ]

Can someone please break them up...!?

[ But does anyone want to get near them, really.

Ash nyooms off, shooting Blanca a glare. Gasping for breath, the non-Ash blond makes his way to his red-haired team member, before collapsing. With the fury of someone who really fucking hates losing, the red-haired girl takes off. No one but Emet-Selch will hear this, but the guy also says something that probably sounds like, "Wow, my girlfriend is so cool" as he lies there on the ground. ]

Ooh, it's cutting it close! Class 3, do your best to catch up! But right now, it looks like it might be down to Class 1 vs. Class 2! Teacher vs. Student! Actually, wait, shouldn't they both be students...

[robopriest]

[No need to break them up, they're both having fun! At least, Hansa is. With the chokehold that Hansa's put Jester in, maybe Jester isn't having too much fun. It's fine!]

[Hansa pauses to raise his voice as his teammate passes.]

Go, go, Blanca!

[Okay, back to your regular vampire-fighting program.]

[arkitect]

[at least emet is better off than that guy, geez.

but he is also here for moral support, possibly!]

Just get this over with, would you-!

[that counts as support. free them from this race, blanca, let's go.]

[papasha]

[Hansa just stopping to rally a teammate before returning to strangling vampire Hisoka is everything.

Also, sometimes you have to teach a boy by making him work for it. So Ash is going to have to work for it if he wants to win because Blanca isn't cutting him any slack by waiting.

It is a little strange being pretty much the same age as Ash, but it's fine.

Nyoooooom.]

[retellers]

[ Nyoom! ]

Close! It's close! Aaaaand... Class 1 wins!

[ As Blanca dashes to the finish line ahead of Ash, and Hansa continues to wrestle Jester.

The red-haired girl looks peeved, but cheers up a little when her teammates make their way over to her (or rather, the brown-haired girl has to carry the blond boy). Yaaaay, team spirit.

The glasses-wearing girl from before approaches Blanca, holding a few water bottles. Emet-Selch and Hansa are going to have to come over here if they want any, but she holds one out to Blanca. ]

Congratulations on your win! ♥

[robopriest]

[At this point, Hansa is just now sitting on Jester's back, sort of leaning his hand on the other's neck.]

Ah... [He looks like a very pleased wild cat that managed to fight and win against a swan.] What a pity that I can't decapitate you here and now. Hm.

[Yeah, he's not coming over...yet. Let him enjoy his supremacy over vampirekind.]

[arkitect]

[he will in fact come over for this conversation, especially because there's water, thanks. he's still dying a little bit. emet-selch is no longer sure he cares if anything happens.]

Well, with that out of the way, what ought we expect to--

[...hold on. why is their other jock not here. he turns to face hansa, gesturing for him to get over here, and folds his arms.]

[papasha]

[GOD. He has to bend over and put both hands on his thighs while he tries to get his breath back. Look, he's fit, but sheesh. He hadn't expected to run a relay.]

Thanks...

[He chugs a little of the water as Emet-Selch comes over. Hansa is missing, though, and he glances back toward the field. Ah.]

Hansa! Leave him, he's toast! [You did it, dude. You got the nasty high school vampire.] Come on!

[Please don't drag Jester over here by the neck like a cat bringing back a dead bird.]

[retellers]

[ Well.

Is Hansa doing just that. ]