Week 7

[airlockedmods]

[Well that weekend sucked. The Champions are down a dad and a bean and shrinking their numbers smaller and smaller, less and less.

There's no sign of life in the spaceport aside from PAL's omnipresent voice and SIS, the helpful asSIStant who has some control over certain heres and theres in the spaceport. She (and PAL) are available at all times and can appear anywhere if called. There is, however, a new floor to explore. Just hop in the elevator and pchoo.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

(( Don't forget to check in, check your memory regains! and put in for item regains))

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[cyan_maid]

...I'm coming in.

[And come in she does, closing the door behind her. Jane is quiet when she looks over to wherever Xander is. What's going on in here?]

[kingshaming]

[You find a body- okay no. He is still in bed though, and if not for the tension of his back and shuddering shoulders he'd look asleep.

He's not asleep.]

[cyan_maid]

[Don't fucking do that to her not again

Jane knows she heard him - can tell he's awake, and...can imagine what it is he might be doing, if he's awake and remembered what she remembered. Still, she scuffs her feet audibly and clears her throat before taking a seat on the foot of the bed.]

...Look, I. I know...you probably don't want to be bothered. But. If it's not too much to ask...for a little while, let me stay here with you. Okay? Is...

[She pauses, swallows thickly. Remembers the other thing that came back to her, the happier time, where they were still hurting inside but things were beginning to heal, like a gruesome scar one carries within them.]

Is that okay, Dad?

[kingshaming]

[he stops shuddering, as if caught, and clenches tighter- it'd be funny, seeing such a large man try to look small, if it wasn't so awful]

Very... very well.

[There it is again, her calling him that. He vaguely remembers it from his own memory of the time outside the experiment, though his attention in the memory had been so much more focused on Jamie.]

[cyan_maid]

[She makes a soft, pained sound when she sees him do that - like he's trying to curl up into nothing, like that would make the hurt go away. And it's not like she didn't want to do that either. Instead, though, she's quick to scramble up into the bed and hug him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. She opens her mouth to speak...but the only words that want to come out are "I miss her, too", and her eyes prickle painfully with hot, hot tears.]

I'm here. I...I'm right here. Okay? A-And if I can help it, I'm not going anywhere and I will always be here for you.

[kingshaming]

You can't promise that, Jane.

[cyan_maid]

I can promise what I like, buster. As long as you don't forget me, or...you eventually remember me, I'll always - I'm always going to be with you.

[Her voice is on the edge of cracking, but...no. She's staying strong. She's holding out for him. He needs it.]

I'll be there. In your heart. Just like...just like...

[kingshaming]

[He unclenches a little, his voice gummy]

I know. I'm sorry... you call me that, yet you are the one coming to comfort me.

[cyan_maid]

...I remembered calling you that. On top of everything else. And...so much still doesn't make sense, but...I certainly wouldn't dare call myself anyone's daughter if I couldn't care for them somehow.

[This is her comfort - comforting the only family she has left from that first time. Don't think she's not going to make sure Yurika is okay, too. Her arms tighten slightly around him, but not enough to hurt, never enough to hurt.]

A-And besides...she would want me to be here for you. I can't...I'm not letting Mom down.

[kingshaming]

[He gives a startled laugh that's more of a sob]

Neither Light or myself are old enough to be your parent, you realize? Still... know, I will do everything I can to protect you, Jane. No matter what happens. Even though I am so weak.

[cyan_maid]

...I know. But...in my memories, it felt right to call you that. So, age doesn't have anything to do with it - it's how you feel about someone, and...how much you look to them. Even if they think they're weak.

[She sniffs. Finally, tears are starting to come. If Light could see them now, she'd tell them to stop crying in bed like this. Get up. Face the world.]

Geez...I've been so dumb all these weeks. You were all my family, and it's taken...so long for me to figure it out.

[kingshaming]

It's not only you, Jane. They took that feeling from all of us. If you had killed during those early weeks I would have urged you just like I did Thomasin.

[cyan_maid]

...

[Okay now her hug hurts a little. For like, an instant.]

I'd wait for you. In the wherever-they-are. I think...even if you did that, I'd be dumb enough to forgive you.

[kingshaming]

It is never foolish to forgive. To not learn from it, to be careful with the person, yes. But I think... I've learned that forgiveness is a very powerful thing.

[Nari forgave him, Clarith forgave him, Choromatsu called them even.

Elise had, in that strange dream while he was Gone. He's learned something important]

[cyan_maid]

[She's quiet for a little bit after he says that. Tears are soaking through to reach him by now, Jane can't keep them in forever. She sniffs, and nods, and her hold slackens a bit until her arms retreat, and she's just. Against him, next to him, and feeling small herself. Like she'd had a nightmare and ran to her father's room with all of her blankets, and he woke when she opened the door and smiled and let her into bed and pet her head until she could fall asleep again.

Things weren't that simple. They would never and could never be that simple again. But at least she can contextualize this feeling, put a name to it, liken it to other things and see where it had been connected to others during the times where everything was muddied and dark.]

I wonder...if the sword you had knew, that...that I decided you were my Dad. I wonder if that's why it let me pick it up in the mall. Even if it wasn't the real one...

[kingshaming]

[When she let go he turned to face her, eyes red and wide]

Siegfried? It did that while I was out of the sim?

[cyan_maid]

[...Oh. Oops.]

I mean...y-you were kind of unconscious? And we didn't know if you were going to wake up, but we figured it'd be a bad idea if you were freaking out and had a sword nearby, and Yurika could barely lift it, so I just...picked it up and put it somewhere safe? I-It was warm, and...you know, not...like trying to pry something off the ground that's been glued there...w-was I not supposed to touch it?

[kingshaming]

No, it's fine- I'm just surprised. It can be carried, of course, but only my bloodline can wield it fully. If it was warm for you... then yes, you're correct. It was acknowledging you. Or the copy of it was at least.

...though if it was just a fake, then it shouldn't have been able to decide anything I would think. But I suppose if ghosts can enter the sim, dragon magic isn't such a stretch....

[cyan_maid]

...Oh...

[The magic dragon sword is cool with her. Okay. That's a thing that happened, isn't it.]

W-Well...I can't use swords anyway, so, it's probably better off with...I don't know, a little brother or sister? I'm not about to assume I've got a claim on something like that.

[kingshaming]

...honestly, in the best scenario, I would return it to Nohr.

[cyan_maid]

...Could I come with you, in that best scenario?