week 3

[vicedirector]

seven vices week 3 31 players remaining ♫ monday - thursday Monday morning begins just like the rest, slow and uneasy. At 12pm, every television will go off with its usual bout of static, followed by a calm, albeit disinterested, voice. "Please gather in the hotel lobby within the next hour." That's all that it says before the televisions turn off. Anyone not in their rooms will hear the voice echoing around them as if through a speaker system, although there are (still) no speakers present. After hearing the motive, characters who choose to explore will find that the void around the town has retracted a bit, and there is now a small school building to the east of the clinic. On the chapel wall near the altar, black and white portraits of Sisuca, Kurisu, and Mikazuki have been hung up. Anyone looking for them will find that Sisuca's hunting knives and Kurisu's....device are nowhere to be found. >Mingle? This is Week 3's mingle log, covering Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Investigations will go up on Friday. When posting toplevels, specify the time and location. If you plan on having any private conversations between characters, remember to let us know in the post linked below. More plot elements will be introduced this week. Mod comments will be occasionally distributed to open toplevels, accordingly. cast setting rulebook profiles private conversations

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[okuri]

Monday Night

[ The past was something he had done his best to forget and bury. Increasingly however, he found that near impossible.

Yoite can be found in the school house Monday night, in the corner of the multipurpose room, surrounded by sheets of discarded paper. A closer look will reveal that he's doing math (trigonometry, algebra) over and over again.]

Thursday night, closed to Dhaos

[ Yesterday had been awful. It had been weeks now since he had seen Miharu, weeks he was unsure if the other was even safe. The overwhelming sense of loneliness he had felt didn't help matters at all, and he had spent all of Wednesday in a haze, flitting from one location to the next. Thursday, that feeling was gone at least. But it was replaced by something worse.

Kira was something Yoite had not only accepted, but also chosen. He knew better than anyone else what the end result of the forbidden arte was, he counted on it, in fact. It was only a matter of time before he would lose all 5 senses and die, that was all there was to it. His sense of taste was the first to go, and his hearing wasn't far behind. Still, he didn't feel regret over his life, but grief. He had never truly lived in the first place, but he had tasted vanilla, and had heard the sound of bells from temple shrines. He missed it.

The thought builds and builds up in him throughout the day, and by the time evening comes around, he's in a panic-- what will he lose next? What if he was blind by the time he saw Miharu again? What if he wouldn't be able to feel his hands again? He couldn't stand it, and he couldn't stand the feelings welled up inside him either.

With a jolt he runs outside the hotel and runs to the nearest mound of snow, and kneels down. In one smooth motion he removes his gloves, throws them to the side, and plunges his hands directly into the snow. It's cold and frigid.]

I can still feel... I can still feel it. [ It's something he needs to repeat to himself, that even though his hands are almost completely black, he can still feel. His body for the time being still works, even if it's broken.]

Thursday night

[dhaosu]

[ Dhaos had been busying himself attempting to distract from the thoughts that eventually interceded due to the motive. However, it seems that looking at some practice sheets he had written up for something would have to wait. Especially when he went to emerge from the hotel, thinking of going into the hotel, only to spot Yoite out in the snow.

At first Dhaos neared, thinking him playing in it, but his lips curled into a deep frown when he noticed that it could not be further from the truth. He is by his side immediately, especially hearing those words repeating now. ]

... Yoite, why don't you come inside? Surely putting your hands into the snow will not warm them up.

[ For now he cannot see the hands, exactly, since they are within the snow, and he doesn't do much physical contact, so that's why he doesn't pull them out. Although he is severely tempted to and will if Yoite doesn't pull them out himself soon. ]

[okuri]

[ It's clear pretty quickly that he's not in the right state of mind, but he still hears what Dhaos says.]

But I can still feel it. [ A beat.] And hear you too. [ He looks up at Dhaos and pulls his hands out from the snow to show him, forgetting why he covers his hands in the first place. They're completely black and it extends up to his arms, even into where his coat begins to cover them.]

[dhaosu]

[ Dhaos' eyes slowly follow upon the sight of the hands, once the black-haired male pull his them out from the snow. Subsequently, he freezes, and his eyes widened as a sense of dread overcomes him. He also feels a cold sweat overtake him noticing the black upon Yoite's hands.

In his mind, a few thoughts, memories, and conversations race ahead in just a moment. When he arrived, the thought of being friendly with a human never crossed his mind, and then one of them showed kindness without being prompted. Hence after that, a promise... one he presumed was 'within reason', and then on after a certain someone's death, decided to watch over him, like he had done so with another human around Yoite's age a long time ago. ]

...You...

[ He could not even utter a word properly for a moment, because he thinks he failed again, and that the poor kid had wound up getting frostbite (what a lovely misunderstanding). He is a bit pale now, although he does his best to school his expression. What do. ]

... I -- let us get you inside first. I... had not known you were outside long enough for you to become afflicted by the cold to this extent.

[ He picks up Yoite's gloves, and tries to get him towards the hotel at least or lead him there. ]

[okuri]

[ His eyes go wide-- first in confusion and then in shock.]

What? I- [ The sight of Dhaos taking his gloves makes him panic as he realizes what exactly he's done. He looks down at his hands, his stained black hands, and then reaches for Dhaos and the gloves.]

Give me them back! [ There's no anger in his words, just pure and utter desperation. He hadn't intended to-- he didn't want anyone to see-- It makes him feel vulnerable, so incredibly vulnerable, and he hates it. He hates the emotion that's welled up inside him, that's begun to fall down his face in a few errant tears.]

[dhaosu]

...

[ Dhaos doesn't know how to respond, but if Yoite is reaching for those gloves, and is still able to move those fingers like there's no frostbite going on, he is just going to let him grab it out of his own hands. Because, yeah, why not let him grab his gloves if he wants them back? ]

.....

[ He is also confused by the reaction and understands little. The tears must be from how much it hurts, but something else is telling him there is not all there is to it. However, despite his ability to read emotions well, he cannot read minds. But, he makes an attempt again. ]

Surely... you have frostbite on your hands? Do you not need assistance?

[okuri]

[ With the gloves back he calms down a bit, though he doesn't put them on just yet, holding them tight in one hand. After a moment he turns away, using his other hand to wipe the tears from his face.]

No.

They're always-- kira. [ The words don't come out properly, which is a blessing and a curse. He always ran away when Hanabusa reached to help, but Dhaos is just standing there.]

[dhaosu]

[ Dhaos is simply watching this all happen, in a way between calculating and consideration as he thinks about the actions as well as those words.

He is able to parse what the boy means, recalling the words when he first met him. At the time, the boy had appeared so sure in his words. 'It was only supposed to be a few months'...

The explanation of 'kira' and him saying he can 'still feel it' with his hands inexplicably shoved deep in the banks of snow. He said he could still hear him too.

The man figured that the boy expected to die from this illness soon, but he wasn't aware of the effects that caused it or whatever may have been linked to kira. The blackened of hands, surely meant that he was 'losing' part of himself, and judging by the words, perhaps the senses.

He spots him wiping away the tears, but once again he doesn't...

... ]

... Very well, then. I recommend we head inside, then. I do not know how long you had your hands exposed to the snow, and therefore...it would simply not be wise to prolong our stay outside. Is that agreeable?

[okuri]

[ To say he's at a loss for words is an understatement. Dhaso wasn't asking any of the things he was sure he would ask, isn't doing any of the things that would make it easy for him to run away. He doesn't get it, he doesn't get it at all.]

You... [ It's hard to fight against someone who isn't fighting back.]

Yea.

[dhaosu]

[ Dhaos is not sure what to ask first, because he doesn't even know where to start. But he does know one thing that needed to be taken care of and that was the simple fact the other required assistance. ]

Then, follow me.

[ The man lead the way to the hotel and he is struck with the mind to say something. ]

...I am glad at the least I was able to catch you when I had, seeing as no one else was out at the time to see, lukily enough.

[okuri]

[ He follows, silent until Dhaos speaks up.]

I didn't want anyone to see. [ His hands, he means. The only thing that's stopping him now from putting them back on is the fact that his hands are soaked, and he only has one pair of gloves he really likes here. For the time being, he makes do with hiding his hands behind his hat, which he's since removed. He wouldn't normally take his hat off either, but his hands came first.]

[dhaosu]

...Understandable.

[ Dhaos is still not over what occured earlier and going over it all in his head, what the boy had surely was still nothing to be scoffed at. It was also something to be concerned over. But, one thing at a time.

The tall blond bounces around some ideas in his head, and... ]

Perhaps as for the gloves, something in that room with the machines could be used to dry them? [ Still not used to the things in the laundry room. He figures if so though, he could nab a towel in there or elsewhere. ] And if you so wish it, if there is anything you would like to discuss, you can say.

[ He doubts it, but he makes the awkward offer anyway. Other people are probably better at this than him. ]

[okuri]

I can use one of the pairs they gave me until they dry. [ He doesn't want to, but the thought of someone else seeing his hands like this isn't worth the risk.

In response to the question he shakes his head, and decides to turn the question on it's head, stopping in his tracks.]

You don't know anything about me, but you keep trying to help me. You don't know who I am or what I've done. [ He knows the counter is also true, but in his view, he isn't someone people should waste their time on. Why waste effort on someone who was already dead.]

I told Takao that he shouldn't talk to me because of things like this. [ To emphasize his point he holds up his blackened hands, in spite of the embarrassment he displayed earlier.]

monday

[vicedirector]

[ Whenever Yoite looks up from his work, he'll see that there's a woman sitting at the teacher's desk. ]

[okuri]

[ The sight of the woman makes him freeze, and he jumps up instantly.]

Hello? [ His right arm is extended in case he needs to fight whoever or whatever this was.]

[vicedirector]

[ She gives a cordial wave, putting her pen down and smiling. Her dark hair is in a frazzled bun, and judging by the bags under her eyes, she hasn't slept in a while, but her expression is no less warm. ]

Goodness me, you're more invested in this work than any of my students--and without even being asked. I didn't want to disturb you.

[okuri]

[ He lowers his arm an inch, and he looks more confused than alarmed at this point.]

I don't-

Who are you?

[vicedirector]

Hmm? [ blinks ] Ah, right, we haven't been introduced.

[ She stands up and gives a polite bow of the head ]

I'm Edita Sabone, the schoolteacher at present.

[okuri]

Yoite. [ And now he's going to bow as any Japanese student would to their teacher, and rests his arms at his sides.]

You live here? [ He doesn't really know what's going on, but he feels like he should keep talking.]

[vicedirector]

For the past couple of years, yes. It's a quaint little village, isn't it?

My pleasure. Are you enjoying your stay? We don't get many tourists, here.

[okuri]

It- yea. [ He nods, at a loss.]

I haven't seen many other townsfolk...

[vicedirector]

[ looking a little surprised ]

Really? Well, I suppose we are a bit busy these days.

[okuri]

Miata is the one I see the most.

[vicedirector]

Miata? [ ... ] Miata, Miata...

[ scratching her cheek in thought ]

I'm afraid the name doesn't ring a bell.

[okuri]

[ His turn to look surprised. But he has a thought.]

There's another one, I don't know her name. She talks plainly and clearly. [ He wants to say monotone, but that would be rude, and he's not too emotional himself.]