[Rosamund has sat herself once again at the observation deck. She's set out a deck of cards, but seems at loss for how to deal them, much less invite anyone to play. She's looking studiously at each suit and setting them down one by one, as if she might reverse engineer something on sight.
It's a searing loneliness that guides her. And the stray thought that might drift over the air:
[Oh, someone is trying to figure out gin rummy. Sora heard that stray thought, her curiosity piqued]
Ah. Are you attempting to figure out the rules by staring at the cards?
[Just poking a little bit of fun there. Sora might be, well, a serious scholar and what not, but she does have a tendency to say things for her own amusement, really]
[Looks up to find the lovely woman from before. The educator, yes?]
Ahaha, sort of? I don't know. Maybe I'm just reminiscing too hard. My dear friend used to talk about this game she played with her grandmother all the time, gin rummy?
It's a simple game. The goal, to put it simply, is to make groups in your hand, groups being...
[Sora proceeds to show the kinds of groups, and durin her explanation, well, it all is leaning more towards traditional rummy than gin rummy, but the good thing is that the general rules are similar enough a jump from one to the other wouldn't be too jarring!
gosh now i want to play gin rummy
During her explanation it's pretty clear this woman is very used to teaching. The diction is crystal clear, the instructions leave no room for ambiguity, and she seems to enjoy herself imparting what she knows]
[Sora kind of wishes the food court was open, because the hunger sure doesn't stop because someone died. Instead, she is near the stasis pod rooms, having obtained a handwich, munching on it while musing about how there's once another incident to deal with]
...Ms. Du Prix? A word with you, if I may?
[She calls for Rosamund once she sees her]
I wanted to check on you to be sure you're fine. I did notice you were quite furious last time, although that was righteous in every way.
[Sora kind of thinks that yeah, there's around 50% Rosamund will again grab the culprit to yell at them, if they're caught]
I'm glad. You can count on the rest of us. Don't forget that, will you?
[Just a gentle reminder. Despite how harsh Sora can be towards anyone who isn't younger than 19, she at least gives Rosamund a kinder word on that regard]
Of course. I know I made a fool of myself last week, but that was...that was different.
[She hasn't resolved to bolster someone like she did last time, only to discover he was the culprit. And no one's confused her in the same heart-twisting way since.]
I know better now. And I know that there's likely to be more going on than any of us can hope to understand.
Now, I didn't say you made a fool out of yourself. Those are words I never said.
[She still thinks it's righteous of Rosamund to have done that. She can't begrudge it, although she still thinks it wasn't all that smart to get so close to a killer...but other than that, Rosamund was fine, in Sora's opinion]
[All they'd done was pass each other in the halls.
And suddenly the world around them closes in. Sora finds herself in a bed, in darkness, absolute silence. There's a prickling sensation all around. And she might become aware of just how dire the situation is, once she tries to move.
Sora, when she finds herself there, her breathing does accelerate. This is the most bizarre and unnerving sensation she has felt in a while, and it doesn't help her already fraying sanity in general. Her instinct is to try to take a deep breath, but she stops herself, because what if it hurts her?
Okay, calm down. First...she must...try to figure out a cause. Thorns inside you don't happen just because! Something must be causing them. A foe's power, perhaps? Magic gone wrong?
Is there anything that hints the reason why this is happening?
Also hella, I got so distracted watching Dimension 20 content. I'm sucked in]
[haha wow that's crazy maybe you should watch more idk /toes ground shyly
There's not a ton of context clues here. There's a lot of thorns, and that means they've had the time to grow. The bed underneath is soft, royal and plush, but also time has made it lumpy and the indentation of her body makes a permanent stamp on the mattress.
Though there are the whispers of the briars.
Princess...
Keep her safe
Put them all to sleep....
She could maybe get her hands loose. There's just enough give, if she's careful, to pull it between the gaps and towards herself.]
[Will I have to make a roll for sleight of hand, I wonder.
The whispers awaken something in Sora: the decision there's no way she'll just stay here if that's what anyone is trying to do. Not that she was planning to! But it sure lights up urgency. This is a dream, and therefore what happens won't have permanent consequence -- she hopes -- so she decides to throw caution to the wind.
[Sora is currently at the lab-bar with the chemical name, working on her Todo-chia. She seems to be in relatively okay mood, despite having been in a CYOA.
She won't lie to herself: of all the people in the Helly Belly, Sora is both the most unknown and most unnerving of the bunch. Rosamund's refrained from making too friendly, but they are in this together. No time like the present to figure this arrangement out. Right?
She takes the seat next to her with a drink of her own, eying up the strangely familiar potted plant.]
It really is the spitting image of Totty, isn't it?
[It's more than justifiable for people to keep their distance and Sora knows it, especially since it came to the light that Sora died from someone defending themselves from her attack -- and it didn't help that throughout the entire week when she died many saw her innermost secrets. The twisted reality of Sora Jingu, unveiled.
And despite that, now that it's been a while, Sora seems...pretty lighthearted. There's something about her that wasn't there any other time Rosamund talked to her. Truthfully, most of the time Sora's vibes were always kind of off, but that seems to have cleared up. She greets Rosamund with much less formality than ever before. The wise-seeming woman from before isn't so present anymore, even though the physical appearance is the same]
He didn't seem to like it when I bought it. He said it was more like one of his brothers, one 'Choromatsu'.
So this is...a chiaromatsu.
[It's very unlikely anyone in the living side would have heard Sora say a pun earnestly. Truthfully she still wouldn't often, but that one is one she appreciated, so she's holding onto it]
To be quite fair, she doesn't know Sora well enough to judge how far this sudden cheer lies outside of her usual demeanour. But it is striking. The formal stiffness has cleared away, and she sounds positively cheeky presenting her little plant friend. Rosamund smiles, if a bit shyly.]
Well, they're all identical, but I suppose he'd know best? Chiaromatsu it is.
[She takes a sip of her drink, giving the pet one last glance. She can't say the sight of his little face, even a subpar rendering in clay, doesn't tug at her heart. She's ecstatic to see the dead again, but now she pines for the living. There's no peace on either side.]
So if I'm understanding correctly, you were abducted into some kind of...swimming practice? [She looks to her, curious.] I have to say that was one of the oddest arrivals yet.
[Because no one was bleeding out and nobody seemed to care.]
Not precisely. It was some sort of prison school. We were trying to escape and stumbled into some sort of labyrinth of trials. I was the one those other two pushed into doing the swimming one.
[Even though she didn't know to swim. Thanks, Nero, Scien]
The part about having to hug each other was perhaps the worst one.
I may have been making it sound silly, but it was anything but. Do you know those places where the real purpose is to keep you under control and perhaps brainwash you?
I believe that's what would have happened to us, if we hadn't escaped.
[There were a couple details that made Sora think it was all more sinister than just 'reforming' the students. She may be wrong, she may be right, who knows -- not her]
That orb, for example...Scien was hit by an attack from the school dean's last line of defense. It transported him there. If Nero and I had been hit as well, we'd have ended the same way.
...perhaps he made this place up. We do can influence new locations.
[She crosses her arms]
It's so daring of him to put his...interests so out in the open.
[Sora is a tad timid when it comes to this kind of thing, so she can't help but frown a little. Maybe even have somewhat of a blush upon knowing this is a Shibari corner]
[Rosamund looks at the picture again, distinctly uncomfortable and unsure why.]
This seems...a little too exposed for a guy who can't bear to let anyone know anything about himself. [She clears her throat.] If we can influence these things, have you got any that you think were inspired by you?
Truthfully, even though I'm probably older than any of you by several centuries-- [Probably] --I don't know all that much about humans...but I did catch onto a few things during the brief decades I was among you all.
One of those things is that so many humans lack timidity when it's about what...turns them on. Luke just might be one of those.
[Humans are complicated, is the huge truth she knows now]
I think the bar with the chemical name is mine. I was...missing the bar on the living side, and I had noticed there were too many laboratories around here. I think both concepts got mixed together.
[And didn't give her what she wanted because nothing can go nicely]
[Her dazed wandering brings her to the 666 Night Market. Rosamund flips through the clothing racks, paying attention to nothing, leaving each stall empty-handed. She only looks alert when she spots Sora from the corner of her eye.]
Sora! [She halts.] Or — sorry, do you still want to be called that?
[No matter what form she's in, she should be able to choose who she is.]
[Funny to be so okay with giving her real name around, given how hard she clung to being 'Sora Jingu' until the moment of her death. It's libetaring, in a way]
But I'm fine with either name. After all...it's who I was for a long time.
...I suppose it's not too complicated now. I'm Tristia. It's not like I have a reason to be Sora Jingu anymore. That was just the identity I was meant to have for Yugo -- my...former husband -- according to the pact we had.
[Oh, the question of what she is. Sora nods]
I'm a Daemon -- a Monark, to be exact. The most powerful kind. Surely you know the cardinal sins, no? I'm...I represent one of the lesser known ones, woe and despair.
Generally speaking, Monarks are entities that make pacts with human beings with a desire that fits a sin and a strong strength of will. In exchange we gain limited access to the human realm and sustenance from their soul. Classic, hm? The Pactbearer gains powers and we serve as their...assistant, in fulfilling their wish.
[Sora puts a hand on her chest]
'Sora Jingu' was...a real woman who once existed. Upon she dying, the widowed husband got in touch with me and tried to get her resurrected. We didn't find a way to achieve that, so...he sank in despair and asked to be submerged into a happy existence for the rest of his life. I granted that and took Sora Jingu's duties, including being the dean of Shin Mikado Academy and protecting the human world from Daemons.
[And this simple wish is the cause of everything bad that happened both in canon and in the Eudora -- the Sora-related parts, at least. Really, when it comes to Daemons, even the most sympathetic pacts can cause great havoc]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
WEEK 0: First Monday
It's a searing loneliness that guides her. And the stray thought that might drift over the air:
She never said how gin rummy was played...]
no subject
Ah. Are you attempting to figure out the rules by staring at the cards?
[Just poking a little bit of fun there. Sora might be, well, a serious scholar and what not, but she does have a tendency to say things for her own amusement, really]
no subject
[Looks up to find the lovely woman from before. The educator, yes?]
Ahaha, sort of? I don't know. Maybe I'm just reminiscing too hard. My dear friend used to talk about this game she played with her grandmother all the time, gin rummy?
no subject
[She's not entirely certain because she doesn't play card games all often, but she's pretty sure she recalls most of the details]
no subject
[Hands her the deck at once.]
I'd like to be prepared if I see her again.
no subject
[Sora proceeds to show the kinds of groups, and durin her explanation, well, it all is leaning more towards traditional rummy than gin rummy, but the good thing is that the general rules are similar enough a jump from one to the other wouldn't be too jarring!
gosh now i want to play gin rummy
During her explanation it's pretty clear this woman is very used to teaching. The diction is crystal clear, the instructions leave no room for ambiguity, and she seems to enjoy herself imparting what she knows]
...any questions, Ms. Du Prix?
Week 1 --- Friday
...Ms. Du Prix? A word with you, if I may?
[She calls for Rosamund once she sees her]
I wanted to check on you to be sure you're fine. I did notice you were quite furious last time, although that was righteous in every way.
[Sora kind of thinks that yeah, there's around 50% Rosamund will again grab the culprit to yell at them, if they're caught]
no subject
[She had come politely when called by the older woman, but the question takes her aback. Rosamund's still for a moment.]
No. I — yes, it was very upsetting, but I'm going to be all right. I promise. Really!
[Just when she'd thought people had forgotten all about it. Her cheeks heat a little, and she finds herself grateful for the dim lighting.]
no subject
[Just a gentle reminder. Despite how harsh Sora can be towards anyone who isn't younger than 19, she at least gives Rosamund a kinder word on that regard]
no subject
[She hasn't resolved to bolster someone like she did last time, only to discover he was the culprit.
And no one's confused her in the same heart-twisting way since.]
I know better now. And I know that there's likely to be more going on than any of us can hope to understand.
no subject
[She still thinks it's righteous of Rosamund to have done that. She can't begrudge it, although she still thinks it wasn't all that smart to get so close to a killer...but other than that, Rosamund was fine, in Sora's opinion]
WEEK 3: Monday
And suddenly the world around them closes in. Sora finds herself in a bed, in darkness, absolute silence. There's a prickling sensation all around. And she might become aware of just how dire the situation is, once she tries to move.
There are thorns swaddling her from every side. From inside.
And no one is coming to help.]
((Watch from 8:55-22:25 latest, you can stop any point between.))
no subject
Sora, when she finds herself there, her breathing does accelerate. This is the most bizarre and unnerving sensation she has felt in a while, and it doesn't help her already fraying sanity in general. Her instinct is to try to take a deep breath, but she stops herself, because what if it hurts her?
Okay, calm down. First...she must...try to figure out a cause. Thorns inside you don't happen just because! Something must be causing them. A foe's power, perhaps? Magic gone wrong?
Is there anything that hints the reason why this is happening?
Also hella, I got so distracted watching Dimension 20 content. I'm sucked in]
no subject
There's not a ton of context clues here. There's a lot of thorns, and that means they've had the time to grow. The bed underneath is soft, royal and plush, but also time has made it lumpy and the indentation of her body makes a permanent stamp on the mattress.
Though there are the whispers of the briars.
Princess...
Keep her safe
Put them all to sleep....
She could maybe get her hands loose. There's just enough give, if she's careful, to pull it between the gaps and towards herself.]
no subject
The whispers awaken something in Sora: the decision there's no way she'll just stay here if that's what anyone is trying to do. Not that she was planning to! But it sure lights up urgency. This is a dream, and therefore what happens won't have permanent consequence -- she hopes -- so she decides to throw caution to the wind.
A little bit.
Better try to get just one hand loose, to test]
Week 5 -- Post CYOA
Hey, Rosamund, what's uuuuuup]
no subject
She won't lie to herself: of all the people in the Helly Belly, Sora is both the most unknown and most unnerving of the bunch. Rosamund's refrained from making too friendly, but they are in this together. No time like the present to figure this arrangement out. Right?
She takes the seat next to her with a drink of her own, eying up the strangely familiar potted plant.]
It really is the spitting image of Totty, isn't it?
no subject
And despite that, now that it's been a while, Sora seems...pretty lighthearted. There's something about her that wasn't there any other time Rosamund talked to her. Truthfully, most of the time Sora's vibes were always kind of off, but that seems to have cleared up. She greets Rosamund with much less formality than ever before. The wise-seeming woman from before isn't so present anymore, even though the physical appearance is the same]
He didn't seem to like it when I bought it. He said it was more like one of his brothers, one 'Choromatsu'.
So this is...a chiaromatsu.
[It's very unlikely anyone in the living side would have heard Sora say a pun earnestly. Truthfully she still wouldn't often, but that one is one she appreciated, so she's holding onto it]
no subject
To be quite fair, she doesn't know Sora well enough to judge how far this sudden cheer lies outside of her usual demeanour. But it is striking. The formal stiffness has cleared away, and she sounds positively cheeky presenting her little plant friend. Rosamund smiles, if a bit shyly.]
Well, they're all identical, but I suppose he'd know best? Chiaromatsu it is.
[She takes a sip of her drink, giving the pet one last glance. She can't say the sight of his little face, even a subpar rendering in clay, doesn't tug at her heart. She's ecstatic to see the dead again, but now she pines for the living. There's no peace on either side.]
So if I'm understanding correctly, you were abducted into some kind of...swimming practice? [She looks to her, curious.] I have to say that was one of the oddest arrivals yet.
[Because no one was bleeding out and nobody seemed to care.]
no subject
[Even though she didn't know to swim. Thanks, Nero, Scien]
The part about having to hug each other was perhaps the worst one.
[This wasn’t exactly a cuddly bunch, you know!]
no subject
[Damn y'all. Rosamund looks mildly perplexed, though she can see why this particular group may have struggled with it.]
That just — sorry, that does seem to be a much sillier theme than usual. How did Scien end up in an orb?
no subject
I believe that's what would have happened to us, if we hadn't escaped.
[There were a couple details that made Sora think it was all more sinister than just 'reforming' the students. She may be wrong, she may be right, who knows -- not her]
That orb, for example...Scien was hit by an attack from the school dean's last line of defense. It transported him there. If Nero and I had been hit as well, we'd have ended the same way.
WEEK 6: Monday
...Why is there a picture of Luke here?
[And why is only half of this place decently furnished?]
no subject
[She crosses her arms]
It's so daring of him to put his...interests so out in the open.
[Sora is a tad timid when it comes to this kind of thing, so she can't help but frown a little. Maybe even have somewhat of a blush upon knowing this is a Shibari corner]
no subject
[Rosamund looks at the picture again, distinctly uncomfortable and unsure why.]
This seems...a little too exposed for a guy who can't bear to let anyone know anything about himself. [She clears her throat.] If we can influence these things, have you got any that you think were inspired by you?
no subject
One of those things is that so many humans lack timidity when it's about what...turns them on. Luke just might be one of those.
[Humans are complicated, is the huge truth she knows now]
I think the bar with the chemical name is mine. I was...missing the bar on the living side, and I had noticed there were too many laboratories around here. I think both concepts got mixed together.
[And didn't give her what she wanted because nothing can go nicely]
WEEK 6: FRIDAY
Sora! [She halts.] Or — sorry, do you still want to be called that?
[No matter what form she's in, she should be able to choose who she is.]
no subject
[Funny to be so okay with giving her real name around, given how hard she clung to being 'Sora Jingu' until the moment of her death. It's libetaring, in a way]
But I'm fine with either name. After all...it's who I was for a long time.
no subject
[Her head tilts, curious.]
Actually, if you don't care to get too personal about it, that's fine. I understand. But I am curious. What exactly...are you...?
no subject
[Oh, the question of what she is. Sora nods]
I'm a Daemon -- a Monark, to be exact. The most powerful kind. Surely you know the cardinal sins, no? I'm...I represent one of the lesser known ones, woe and despair.
Generally speaking, Monarks are entities that make pacts with human beings with a desire that fits a sin and a strong strength of will. In exchange we gain limited access to the human realm and sustenance from their soul. Classic, hm? The Pactbearer gains powers and we serve as their...assistant, in fulfilling their wish.
[Sora puts a hand on her chest]
'Sora Jingu' was...a real woman who once existed. Upon she dying, the widowed husband got in touch with me and tried to get her resurrected. We didn't find a way to achieve that, so...he sank in despair and asked to be submerged into a happy existence for the rest of his life. I granted that and took Sora Jingu's duties, including being the dean of Shin Mikado Academy and protecting the human world from Daemons.
[And this simple wish is the cause of everything bad that happened both in canon and in the Eudora -- the Sora-related parts, at least. Really, when it comes to Daemons, even the most sympathetic pacts can cause great havoc]