Week 2

[airlockedmods]

[Other than the reappearance of the Overseer, there's no real change in the routine. PAL still makes the morning and night time announcements through the PIP on each Champion's arm, and still the Champion unitards are freshly laundered and re-hung each morning in their closets.

No other floors unlock, but Cece and Kip will still be appearing randomly to chit-chat.

All you know is... something has to change soon.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your AC for week 1 and submit your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

Dining room

[goteachother]

[It seems like everyone got some sort of adorable stuffed animal and... well, she's jealous. So when she sees two cats in the assortment of "junk" that Junpei got she offers him a faint smile, dull by her usual standards, and plucks up the weird squiggly cat thing.

And realizes it had 8 "legs".

And she might actually tear up and squish it to her chest.]

This is the oddest lookin' Wampus but he's so cute...

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Oh no. Oh--shit, is she crying?]

Uh... you can have it, if you want. I've got my own little, ah. Friend. Back in my room.

[Junpei hovers awkwardly for a second before he lowers his voice and asks:]

...Are you okay?

[goteachother]

Last thing I expected to find was a Wampus stuffed animal. [Which reminds her of school and friends and her sister and all the things she's missing.

She rubs at her eyes and nods, feeling ridiculous but she can't help it.]

Just homesick, 's all

[misanthropicprinciple]

...Here, sit down.

[Far be it from Junpei to play the gentleman, but he pulls a chair out from the little table and offers it to her.]

It's okay. Uh, I'm sure we all are. Some more than others, maybe.

[Junpei hasn't seen his own home in... who knows how long, now?]

Do you... want to talk about it?

[goteachother]

[She smiles but takes the offered seat, drawing one leg up under her and snuggling into her new Wampus kitty. No one tell her it's not a Wampus.]

I'm sorry, sweetie. [She's supposed to be cheering people up, not letting herself wallow like this.]

Just can't help thinkin how much better Tina'd be at all this mess. You'd like her. She's an auror- a detective. Like you... only magical.

[misanthropicprinciple]

You're assuming I'd like anybody.

[But he doesn't say it like a challenge, for once. He's still, well, trying to be kind. He pulls a chair up for himself as well, slouching forward and linking his hands together.]

And for what it's worth, it's not like I've been all that useful as a detective here, either. Nobody is. Nobody's expected to be; we're all in the same boat, as far as that goes.

[goteachother]

I miss her.

[Barely above a whisper. It's not that Tina'd be better so much as it is that she wants her sister here. It's always been just the two of them, for almost as long as Queenie can remember. Now that things have become this miserable trainwreck she just... wants her big sister to come save the day, like always.

It's not fair but it's what she wants.]

Y-yeah, I know. You're right, honey, I'm just... rattled from yesterday, I suppose.

[misanthropicprinciple]

It was a pretty rattling experience.

[He presses the pads of his thumbs together, then apart, trying to think of what to say.]

The whole thing is. I mean, you've been... really awesome this whole time. Keeping everyone's spirits up and all. [He lets his hands go still.] Not everyone can do that.

[goteachother]

[She offers him a smile, weak but not as sad as she had been when she sat down. See, you're not bad at this whole cheering up thing, Junpei.]

Awww, thank you, sweetie. I... gosh I'm just trying to keep up with all of this. I can't really help much with the getting out or anything. So keeping everyone fed is about the best I can manage.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Can I just say, as a walking male stereotype, that "your best" is just as necessary to our survival as seeking a way out of here? Shit, if you girls weren't here, half of us would have already starved. Or burned down the mansion. Or something.

[Queenie may have noticed that Junpei has not cooked anything in the entire week and a half he's been here. Unless making a sandwich out of leftovers counts as "cooking."]

[goteachother]

[That actually gets a laugh that she buries in the Wampus plush's head.]

Leonard already tried. [And had scared the hell out of her.]

I guess I hadn't really thought about it like that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah. When--

[He stops himself, then very obviously rewords whatever it was he was about to say.]

I've... always heard that, in situations like these, everyone finds a way to step up. You know, doing whatever it is they do best. So, uh. Keep... doing your Pukwudgie thing, all right?

[goteachother]

[She notes the reword but she's hardly in a place to push for answers on that front. Not right now.

Later, Junpei. Later.]

Mmm... just because I'm not a Horned Serpent doesn't mean I can't do my part, yeah?

[misanthropicprinciple]

Horned Serpent?

[????]

[goteachother]

Yeah!

[This is like drunk magic Q&A right now. Junpei you're not going to remember any of these definitions are you?]

Pukwudgies are the heart, Horned Serpents are the mind... smarty pants, like you.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Hey, he's not drunk! ...Today. Currently.]

...I guess the snakes I've met do have a certain air of cleverness about them, huh? Though I'm not sure where you get the idea I'm that smart.

[goteachother]

[Does no one here have any self worth?!?]

Sweetie, you are one of the smartest folks here.

[misanthropicprinciple]

I'm a college drop-out.

[Self worth, what is that, can you microwave it in less than three minutes?]

[goteachother]

Most folks I know ain' never been to college.

Besides, school don't have nothing to do with how smart ya are.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Well, no, but leaving school for detective work wasn't my most brilliant decision ever, either. Still, I guess I'm just, uh. Surprised.

[goteachother]

One bad decision, especially tryin ta predict what's gonna happen in the future? That don' mean ya ain' smart, honey.

[misanthropicprinciple]

I'm used to being around people who read theoretical physics books for kicks, is all. I'm generally pretty average in comparison.

[goteachother]

Read... what now?

[Stop arguing with her Junpei, you'll never win out over her optimism.]

I don' even know what that is.

[misanthropicprinciple]

It's... science. Honestly, I don't really get it, either, so... we're in the same boat, at least?

[goteachother]

[Okay that just makes her giggle.]

I'll give ya that.