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]

[ As they walk, he looks at them over his shoulder. Ange and Alex will start to feel sleepy, but they don't fall asleep. ]

You said you're protecting people? What will happen if you fail? What would you do?

[ The older Rabbit is headed outside, towards where the baseball field is. ]

... that I don't know. The other me doesn't, so I can't. [ ... ] But you'll probably be fine.

[ she doesn't answer Jeanne's question though. ]

[chanteuser]

[ alex blinks, shaking her head slightly. ]

We don't really know. It won't be good though. We lost people, and without her we can't get them back. None of us want that to happen - we've all lost people that mean a lot to us.

[ she... can't not get chiron and ochako back. yona, kano, dorothy, there are so many people she refuses to leave behind. ]

[lecarre]

[... Ange glances between him and Alex, before she simply shakes her head.]

We won't fail. [Simply, firmly.] There is nothing we cannot do, when it comes down to it. [Not with such a wide spread of skills.

Not when she's there, and she's always believed that where there's a will, there's a way. "Nothing is impossible for a spy", after all.]

[axecessory]

[ hilda is a realist, not an optimist. when rabbit does not pose much hope to them, she takes it in stride—this is how it's gone this entire time. there is no real guarantee they'll find bunny and save her and, subsequently, everyone else.

but they walk out to this baseball field with no real idea of what to do, because it's worked so far. they'll manage this, or at least... try to. ]

The Rabbit we know would always say that too. That things will be fine.

So I'm sure they will be. Let's see what the situation is like when we get there, Jeanne.

[discernments]

[ For as much hope as Jeanne has and for as much hope as she symbolizes and wants to give, it's hard to say how much of an optimist she is at times when she's no stranger to pragmatism.

Still, Jeanne smiles. It's not like they all haven't done work. It's not like they all haven't made their own efforts, and those things are not based solely on hope. ]

We can only move forward with what's in front of us.

[ Which is a baseball field? What's up here? ]

[retellers]

... I'm glad that she's doing something that matters then.

[ well, he is also taking them... towards the football field. The same girl from the clubroom joins them, and doesn't speak to either of them as they go.

The baseball field is, well, a baseball field. But they will also notice that it's now suddenly nighttime as they step outside and all the other students are gone. The older Rabbit pauses when they get to the edge of it. ]

... Hilda, you once told someone that you didn't think you would be able to sacrifice yourselves for other people. You only have one life, so why waste it? Do you still think that?

[chanteuser]

[ alex looks around the football field as she goes. ]

Yes. All of them have done a lot.

[ can see anything of note on the football field? ]

[lecarre]

[Yeah, Ange too is looking around, though she fell silent after her piece.

Alex pretty much had it covered, after all. The Leaders have done a lot for all of them.]

[axecessory]

[ it's dark out, and hilda shoots rabbit a curious look. where's this coming from? ]

I do, yeah.

[ she answers easily enough. to her, it's the truth. ]

I'm pretty attached to being alive... and I don't think it's worthwhile to die for someone. A life is a life, you know? You're not adding something to the world by dying for somebody else—you're losing someone either way. It's not a waste to want to survive.

[ in the end, hilda has always been someone more likely to kill for someone than to die for them. (but is it really true that she wouldn't take a bullet for someone? maybe not, but no one needs to know that.) ]

I guess I'd just rather think of an outcome where we all turn out alive. But what's with the sudden philosophical questions? Sounds a little ominous.

[discernments]

[ More time traveling, it seems.

Jeanne stays silent because it's not a question posed at her, and this seems to be something meant for Hilda.

She has her own views and her own approaches to doing things, and she has always meant for people to be who they are. She watches to see where this goes next because it does seem very ominous. ]

[retellers]

[ As we have oocly established because I don't know words, they're all at the baseball field, but on different sides of it I guess. It's fine. But the young man who is Kyon I don't care anymore, falls quiet. This time, the girl with him (Yuki) speaks. ]

The one known as-- [ she pauses, looking at the two of them. ] It would displease Suzumiya Haruhi if she's not returned to us.

[ kyon just makes a face like "why do you have to say it like that"

The older Rabbit tilts her head. ]

I think it's just something to think about, after everything you have all been through. I'm not sure what I would do either. Am I brave? Would I find the strength to step forward and do something that I really rather not? How can we really know how we have all changed, even in a place like this where so many things aren't real.

[chanteuser]

It would make us pretty unhappy too. We want to get her back, and then she can come home too, for real this time -- to you guys and your club, I guess?

[ IS THE BUN HERE? IS SHE? WHERE'S THE BUN FRANCY. ]

[lecarre]

[... Ange just nods quietly at that, casting her eye over the baseball field.

Can she even see Hilda and Jeanne? Hello rest of the squad.]

... The goal was always to go home. For us... and for her as well. It is time to bring her home.

We will do whatever it takes to make that happen. [Because Princess, too, is waiting for her at home.]

[axecessory]

If it's you, I think you'd be able to do it.

[ hilda is selfish—whether or not she could risk her life for someone is arguable. but rabbit has always been kind to her, supportive and hard-working even if she cried at every other thing. ]

Even if the circumstances aren't real, the things we go through—our experiences are genuine to us.

[ the growth they have as people, the losses they feel, their victories. it's real enough. ]

[discernments]

Haven't you, week after week here? Cycle after cycle that we've been here, haven't all of us shown some bravery at one point?

I think all of us has done one thing we'd rather not, and I think we all have changed in our own way. It's a part of being with others. So long as you are not alone, as long as you are not completely alone, there can be change.

Even if this place isn't real, we are. And isn't that enough?

[ That's something she believes in.

why did you make me protag adjacent speech at the last fucking hour ]

[retellers]

[ They can see the others. Kyon and Yuki start heading to the other group, and the wave of sleepiness hits them again, a little more heavily, but still not enough to knock them out completely. Yuki falls quiet, but Kyon speaks again. ]

You know, ever since I got caught up in this crazy club, my life hasn't known peace. It's just been aliens, and time travelers, and espers, and the end of the world, and how Haruhi may or may not be god. And then you guys show up, and saying even more outlandish things... I just want a normal life, you know?

[ Meanwhile, older Rabbit listens to them speak, and she just smiles. Whether or not she agrees with them is hard to say, especially since at that moment, the other group joins them. Jeanne and Hilda get to listen in on the second half of Kyon complaining via speech. ]

But I'm starting to get the idea that there isn't anything that's actually normal anymore. What is normal? Going to school? Being a secretary for a questionable group? Being a spy? Is your normal any different than mine? Is me accepting that the cute girl who wears maid outfits and brews tea, who's from the future, and is also apparently caught up in something much bigger with you guys, something that's normal?

[ a pause. ]

Let's get her back, while Itsuki is distracting Haruhi.

[ he's looking at the four girls. ]

[chanteuser]

Normal depends on the individual, I think. My normal is very different to other people's but... it's mine. And that makes it precious to me, and everything that makes it what it is.

[ and she nods. ]

Yes. Let's go.

[lecarre]

[I'm going to be totally real here, Ange is just kind of like "who is this guy and why should we care", but. Ange is bad. Ange is useless and does not belong in this big damn heroes moment.

Anyway what matters is... they're making some sort of progress. And progress is what they really, really need.]

What do we have to do? [She's pretty sure all four of them are ready to do whatever it takes.]

[axecessory]

[ ange be nice to kyon, he's doing his best. they all are, despite the situation. it's nice to feel like they're a little closer to their goal, even if she doesn't know how they'll get there in the end.

at least kyon understands the chaos of their latest, jamjar life. she gives him a slightly sympathetic smile as she grabs her ridiculous, bloodied guitar in case they're in for a fight. ]

Well, at least it's not boring.

[ she could do with a little less excitement, though. hopefully they'll be done soon. ]

[discernments]

Normal is relative, you know.

[ She says that cheerfully enough. Normal and ordinary are two different things to her. ]

I'm ready to get her back.

[ Let's do this, whatever it is. ]

[retellers]

[ Yuki raises her hand and starts speaking, extremely quickly to the point where it's impossible to actually understand anything she's saying. It's hard, at first, to get what's going on, but then they'll realize it fairly soon: their memories are coming back. Things that they've forgotten can now be remembered, people or names or events, suddenly back within their grasps. And as this happens, they will finally fall to sleep again.

And then they'll wake up in a baseball field at night. But it's a different one--there's still a school there, but it's not the same one as before. Yuki and the older Rabbit is gone, but if they look, they can see a younger version of Haruhi and Kyon on the field talking.

There's also another figure sitting on the ground, leaning against a fence. ]

[chanteuser]

[ this sleeping thing is getting very, very old. alex sits up, rubbing at her eyes and seems to remember, little by little what was going on -- ]

Ah--!

[ who is that figure? over by the fence?! ]

[lecarre]

[Yeah Ange is so over it.

But like.

What else is new. She gets up immediately without a word, dusts herself off, and heads to check out that figure!!]

[axecessory]

[ the first thing hilda does when she wakes up is look around—like maybe she could see the professor again. remembering her again is sudden and strange, just as disorienting as being back on her feet after another dizzy, sleepy spell.

but there's someone else who she needs to find, so it's time to walk onward! ]

Rabbit—? You there?

[discernments]

[ More time travel. She slots away what she can now remember to ponder over another time.

Jeanne keeps somewhat of an eye and ear on the younger Haruhi and Kyon, but most of her attention and focus is on that figure against the fence. She goes to see.

Is it who they're looking for? ]