Week 5

[airlockedmods]

[As with the weeks before, life in the Fantasy Sweet returns to something resembling normalcy with shocking efficiency. The second floor rest area and Adventure Zone Death Orb Room are spotless again, the demon glitter has been vacuumed, the deflated orbs have been replaced. It's like none of it ever happened, like three more friends aren't dead and stored away in the guest house morgue.

There's a new floor to explore, their "reward" for a job well done.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your activity for week 4, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

[misanthropicprinciple]

[After a pause, he lifts his shiny right arm.]

Maybe this way, it'll be easier to look at.

[desperateprayer]

[ She'll nod, and then tie the first ribbon around the arm, making sure it's nice and secure. ]

The second one, too?

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He nods wordlessly, his throat tight for a reason he can't name as he watches her tie the ribbons on, covering dark metal with something more human. He keeps his lips pressed together, blinking quickly.]

[desperateprayer]

[ She'll tie the second one below it, then. And then smile up at him. ]

...There.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He nods again, then swallows and hides his face for a second behind his hand. His other hand. The one he's got left.]

Yeah. Th... thank you, Clarith.

[desperateprayer]

It's no problem. And if you need to talk...

[ It's her job. Let her listen. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He starts to shake his head, but then his breath catches and he sniffles. It seems to startle him, and he presses his hand more firmly against his face and wraps his ribboned robot arm around his chest.]

Uh... I, I'm all right...

[desperateprayer]

...You're almost in tears.

[ Here. Have a hug. It's the least she can do. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Once she pulls him in, she can scratch that 'almost.' Junpei breaks softly, crying like he's ashamed; and if that robot arm stays tucked against his chest where it can't hurt her, after a second or two, his human one slides around her, holding onto her like she could keep him from being lost.]

I--I didn't... I was right there, I-I had him...

[desperateprayer]

...You did your best. You really did. I'm sorry that you couldn't save him.

[ You tried, you tried so hard, and for that she's proud. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

I was such an ass to him, and he didn't... you, you know he didn't even know what love was? Nobody--no one ever...

[He can't stop. He's hurting and needs to lie down for the rest of his life, and he can't stop crying.]

The closest he got was with us and we couldn't even...

[desperateprayer]

[ Just let it all out, Junpei. Let it all out. ]

It's all right. Just let it all out, Junpei. Don't keep it bottled up. It won't... Do anyone any good. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He turns away for a second so he can wipe at his eyes.]

We were--we were joking about putting me in a sexy cop outfit... what the fuck, he didn't deserve--to go like that.

[desperateprayer]

...No. He didn't. No one deserves any of this.

[ No one. Not a single person. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

...I hate this.

[His voice is so small.]

I hate this. There's no--there's no point, it doesn't prove anything, it just hurts good people until they break...

[And at that, he sniffles loudly and holds her a little tighter.]

And I can't... help anybody...

[desperateprayer]

...I'm still standing, aren't I? And Ardyn's keeping his cool. And we can all lean on each other.

[ She'll smile softly, rubbing at his back to try and help him calm down. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He nods, holding on miserably and trying to calm himself down. Eventually, he masters himself enough to pull away and wipe his eyes again, less sobbing and more snuffling.]

God. S-sorry. I... It's been a long week.

[And it's only Wednesday.]

[desperateprayer]

...It really has. I'm sorry.

[ She's glad you depend on her. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

...I can't even write right now...

[He was right there and he failed Kip. He can't do what he's good at, investigating and taking notes. How can he not feel wretched?]

[desperateprayer]

...

[ Getting another hug, Junpei. ]

We'll figure it out.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[After a moment, a last mute nod. At least he managed to get some of it out of his system.]

Thanks... thanks, Clarith. I didn't mean to... you know. [He gestures vaguely at himself as he pulls back.] But thank you for letting me.

[desperateprayer]

...Everyone needs it every once in awhile. It's fine.

[ She just. Doesn't want you holding it in unhealthily. ]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei does a lot of things unhealthily, but really, repressing his feelings isn't one of the top contenders.]

W-well, hopefully it'll be a good long while before I have to do it again. For hydration's sake, if nothing else.

[...He's trying.]