Week 5: April 29th - May 3rd

[cartesio]

Fifth Week

Everything's getting worse. Rose Nylund and Frasier Crane murdered Jughead Jones during the event Jughead worked so hard to organize. Given some of the townspeople were in attendance, it didn't give a good impression -- if the visitors did this when trying to be good people and get along with Cartesio, then how will they behave once they get into destroying everything? The cruel method of Jughead's death also left everyone quite horrified, too.

That may be why it's no surprise the town's quiet unrest is slowly turning into real, tangible fury.

During the week, from time to time stones break some of the windows of the motel, looking outside shows a random passerby running away. Graffiti is left on the walls: 'SEE IF YOU LIKE THIS' 'MURDERERS' 'YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY US ALL', and other similar messages. Some of the store owners hesitate when the visitors approach, but they don't refuse service because money is always nice.

The Sergeant's pervasive influence is starting to cover not only you, but also the entire town of Cartesio. After all, everything that's happening to you and the motel? It's the result of what you and the other visitors have done.

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again.

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

[Welcome to the fifth week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Comments

[integratedsoul]

[ Cian's never really breathed much nicotine before, but... ]

Everything I do here is unhealthy by my world's standards, what's one more blow to my lungs?

[ She smiles. There's a joke here, an attempt of one, but it's a bit too true. Though she is still a very healthy woman, she can still feel her body changing with the shifting lifestyle. She's aware of it now every moment of the day. Living can be like that. Living can mean feeling every moment of it. Cian knows many people in her world will never find out about that. Odd. ]

[amburere]

[ That earns her a lazy grin and equally lazy gesture to the space beside him. Sit if you want. ]

Good point. Next thing you know you'll have dyed hair and piercings. Maybe even a tattoo.

[integratedsoul]

[ A bit clumsily, she climbs up the car as well and sits down. Cigarette smoke smells really unpleasant up close, but she is firmly determined to not actually care. ]

Who knows? Anything can happen here. Actually, thinking about it, it doesn't even make sense for tattoos to be condemned in my world when we literally put a computer software into our bodies... Seems like that's way more modification.

[ She's oddly proud of herself for recognizing a contradiction all on her own. ]

[amburere]

[ Now that she's up here, he makes a modicum of effort to not blow the smoke in her direction. Don't call him out on that, though.

He nods at her recognition when she's done, he obviously agrees. ]

What would you get done?

[integratedsoul]

Hmmh... you know the symbol I put up on my door? That.

Which is a little morbid, I suppose, being the sign of a group that broke up 13 years ago due to... well, presumed death... but ah well.

[ A statement followed by short awkward laughter. ]

[amburere]

[ He looks up at the sky, pressing the cigarette to his lips as he breathes in. One long exhale later, he speaks up. ]

Can't erase the past no matter how shitty it is.

[integratedsoul]

That's true. Not from reality and not from memory.

[ Cian's been looking down at the junkyard before but now she turns her head to glance at Dabi. That was a suspiciously long pause for something simply said without personal reason. ]

[amburere]

Yeah. [ It takes him a second, but he realizes that she's looking directly at him. ]

What? Got somethin' on my face?

[integratedsoul]

Ah! Sorry, sorry! You just looked so lost in thought, I was wondering why.

[ Definitely looking back away now and onto her hands in her lap. ]

[amburere]

Then ask why. [ Back to his cigarette again. ]

[integratedsoul]

[ Cian almost protests that she just didn't want to pry, but then again... He's basically offering now. So. Deep breath. ]

Okay then... Why? Did you think of something specific?

[amburere]

[ Despite his offer, he takes a while to reply. His attention is focused on the wafting smoke as he does. ]

Heard of autumn bellflowers?

[integratedsoul]

[ She thinks a moment, then nods. ]

I know them, yes. Though if there's a flower language meaning associated, I don't know that one...

[amburere]

[ He shakes his head no—there's probably a meaning but it has nothing to do with this. Again there's a long pause, but this time he lets the cigarette burn without taking a drag. ]

Send 'em to someone every year.

[integratedsoul]

... you don't see this person anymore.

[ Otherwise this wouldn't be a painful memory of past. You don't need to send flowers to people you can still meet, whom you can still touch and hand over presents to in person. ]

[amburere]

Yeah. [ ............ ]

I could, but I don't.

[integratedsoul]

[ Cian pauses as well, unsure if she should be asking any more, but... well, she doesn't need to anticipate every negative reaction before it happens, here. If she's out of line, Dabi will tell her. If not... well, he did tell her to just ask her questions. ]

Why is that?

[amburere]

[ His replies are coming faster now, quicker than he normally speaks even. And while his tone is the same disinterested, bored affect, he's smiling. Not smirking or grinning, just a small smile hangs on his lips. ]

She doesn't need another nightmare haunting her.

[integratedsoul]

[ It shouldn't be surprising that Dabi would refer to himself as a nightmare. Every negative label, he wears with pride. Signs he isn't acceptable to a society he hates, Cian thinks. She can understand that.

But between two people, it just feels different. ]

It's pretty hard not to be haunted even as the one being left behind though...

[amburere]

Not when she's got the rest of them. [ Some of the ash from the cigarette falls to the ground, though Dabi doesn't seem to notice. His mind isn't really here, right now. ]

[integratedsoul]

People aren't exchangeable like that, Dabi-san.

[ Even though she's found new friends her, new people to love and admire, there won't be a day of her life in which Miach's absence isn't felt. Won't be a day she isn't thinking of Tuan. Time hasn't healed any wounds. Or maybe Cian has refused to let it. ]

[amburere]

They are when you're just a failed project. [ A beat. ] Or a reminder of a monster you can't escape.