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

[heartablaze]

[Someone looks about ready to drop where she stands, sword actively in hand as she stumbles out and accidentally flings the tiny iguanadon on her shoulder across the room.

She'll need a moment to catch her breath... but her sword hits the ground as she straightens up, exhausted eyes glassing over.]

Where...

[...

They did it.

They did it.

Down she sinks to the floor in a daze. She needs a second to catch her breath, but... familiarity is bright in her eyes.]

[moondumplings]

[ oh this one doesn't even need her wailing in agonized tears. usagi just comes by and scoops hikaru into a hug where she sits ]

Welcome back.

[heartablaze]

[BUUUUUUUUU

ONEE CHAAAAN

Hikaru clings, her laughter bubbling and exhausted.]

We did it... w-we did it, we did it--

[moondumplings]

We did. We made it through.

[ she's cradling Hikaru like the most precious of treasures, crying big silent tears through her smile. ]

I'm so proud of you.

[heartablaze]

[She shakes her head against Usagi's grip.] Mn, we did it together! All of us, and all of you -- you worked so hard, we... we saw you and heard you, that you were all doing your best...

I'm... I'm so glad it worked. I-I'm so glad you're all still okay, Onee-chan...!

[moondumplings]

[ they're just gonna be a gross mess on the floor now, it's fine. ]

It was so hard, I was so worried for you all. I didn't know if anything we did was going to help. [ she's just babbling through her tears now ] But I'm so glad that it worked out. I'm glad you're alright.

[heartablaze]

[She backs up, just enough to reach up and gently wipe her battered hands against Usagi's face, trying to help dry her tears.]

I am! I am, see? You can see me and touch me - I'm all better, Onee-chan, I promise!

[moondumplings]

[ she has to run out of them eventually, right? but for now she's just so happy- ]

Hikaru-chan.... Hikaru-chan, I'm so glad.....!

[ cuddle clings her beloved little sister because what else can she do besides this ]

[heartablaze]

[Being cuddled and crying as we do in shojo land]

I'm so sorry... I told you I'd stay alive, and then I left you...

I didn't mean to hurt you, Usagi. I'm so sorry for how much you've had to watch...

[robopriest]

[Look, he might be in gym clothes randomly, but there's a certain happy cyborg who's just striding right on over, bending down, and picking her up to twirl her in place.]

Welcome back, Hikaru!

[heartablaze]

[She yelps as she's suddenly twirled in place, dropping her sword to the ground with a loud CLANG.]

Hansa-san...!

[As soon as she stops spinning, her arms wrap against his waist.]

[robopriest]

Its so good to see you!

[Yeah, he's just going to hold her up like this.]

You're not hurt?

[heartablaze]

[Are her feet just dangling off the floor please say yes]

No! No, I'm all better! I'm okay!

[She looks like she tossed down a rocky cliffside? Girl. But SHE'S ALIVE.]

Did you guys find the Leaders? Are they all okay? Goat tried to come talk to us but he couldn't stay for very long...

[robopriest]

[Yes, yes they are.]

Good. [And he gives her a quizzical look.] Yeah, as far as I can tell? They're all okay. Goat came to talk to you all?

[heartablaze]

[bless]

They're okay... oh god, I'm so glad... [She is trying her best to wipe at her face with one hand uuuuuuu]

Mmn, yeah, Goat was like... a little goat spirit! And he left to go find you guys right after.

[riegan]

(And guess who is making a direct line for Hikaru right now. Without a word, he's going to scoop her right up into his arms and give her a twirl in the air. He'll even laugh for her--)

Hah!

(And as he lowers her, he'll hug her close to him and say quietly,)

Welcome back.

[heartablaze]

[She sees him in the crowd, brightens up like the sun, and she's already crying before he even reaches her.]

Nii-chan... Nii-chan!

[She pushes herself up with just enough energy, practically jumping into that spin and flinging her arms around his neck, keeping her face buried in his chest and gripping him like she'll lose him if she doesn't hold on for dear life.

Her laughter bubbles out of here along with her tears and her words are just incomprehensible mess against his shirt, but she's smiling and she's here and she's alive in his arms.]

[laid]

[Raven was probably right on Hikaru's heels, so he sees when Claude scoops Hikaru up and spins her. Normally it'd be his impulse to err on the side of retraint and aloofness, but maybe it's Hikaru's influence that once she's back on the ground, Raven just comes up and throws his arms around the both of them.

He's not good at sincere emotions, so he doesn't say anything. Just holds on tight, exhausted and relieved.]

[bowfaire]

(Me switching accounts for 2 minute to use this icon. He looks up just in time to see Raven and looks genuinely surprised by the hug. Really, now that he he has his memories, he can say he's not used to being physically close to people like this.

He'd never really been hugged before coming to the Realm. Discount the ones from his own parents and he can probably only count on his hands how often it's happened. And he can count on one hand the number of hugs he's given to others. When you're the kind of person that keeps everyone at arm's length, you really aren't much of a hugger. But this is one for Hikaru.

And he adjusts his hold some, grabbing Raven by his shirt to hug him too. It's just a big ol' group hug now.

That makes two.)

[heartablaze]

[You now cannot see Hikaru she is buried in smelly boys.

The redhead is just still just babbling happy incoherent nonsense for a few more moments before she messily wipes at her face with her fists. She's smiling so hard that it hurts, and to feel Claude's arm around her, to feel him pull Raven along and to be together and to be so deeply loved...]

I missed you so much. I -- [A shaky inhale, raising a hand to Claude's face, seeing his smile and feeling her heart could burst.] D-did you get my messages?? Did they look funny? I didn't cause you lots of trouble or anything, did I?

[laid]

[Excuse you he is a smelly MAN. Anyway yeah they are still hugging. He's not sure he even knows how to stop, he's not good at hugs??? How do you stop without it being awkward??]

Shit, yeah, we both sent ya some, right? Feel like we put a lot on yer shoulders.
[He did lowkey encourage Claude to do a murder.]

[riegan]

Yeah... yeah. (The hug is starting to break and it's fine. It's fine. He'll let Hikaru wipe at her face and with one hand, he tries to help her, dabbing at her eyes gently and looking up at Raven over her,) I got them.

Everything was fine.

(There was nothing wrong with the letters. Even if they weren't the easiest to read. Even if the messages were heavy at times. )

I was glad when you wrote to me. (Both of them.) But I'm glad we can see each other again.

(He's so glad.)

[heartablaze]

I told you we would!

[Bright and immediate, tripping over her own words slightly with the exuberance of someone that's still trying to process a difficult victory. Her hand lifts to find his against her face, her eyes apologetic.]

I told you I'd try. I told you I'd come back to find you. And I promised Oji-san we'd do it together.