week four: mingle

[cyclists]

Week Four
22 in Competition

As the sun rises on Monday morning, all participants will find themselves awakening with a sense of purpose. Regardless of where they slept the night before, they’ll find themselves compelled to return to the main meeting hall first thing in the morning.

Approaching the hall, however, they will find a large, swirling mass grey in color looming near the sakura tree. This swirl cannot be approached just yet, but seems to be locked and waiting for something more.

As the last member of the village enters the hall, they will find Lune and Sol at the head of the room. Though they’re together, it’s Sol who speaks up first this time.

"We've been asked to open another gateway for you guys, but...it's funny. It sort of feels like things have calmed down. The corruption's temporarily evened out and the universe is stabilized for now, but that doesn't mean we should stop looking. Take a look and see what you can find on the other side. You might even get to learn something new."

When Sol finishes, they turn to face Lune, allowing for the other to speak for themselves.

"A bit of reprieve of welcome, isn't it? Please take this time to recover, even as you make steps forward to continue your good work. Thank you, thank you."

The moment participants leave the hall, they will find that the gateway has changed from grey to white, the opening widening enough for multiple people to step through. The Signs will soon take their leave, and all will remain peaceful once more.

In addition, as the week goes on, partners will be able to hear each other's thoughts whenever they look at one another! They may not hear every single thought that occurs, but the link will partners to hear thoughts as though their partner is speaking out loud. The more private the thought, the more likely the partner will pick up on it.



Welcome to your week three mingle! As a reminder, this is break week! This means no murders and no trial! Your normal schedule will resume next week. We will still be hosting a laid-back mini-event on Tuesday, however.

In addition, ensure that all of your week three private conversations were reported on the page, and your week four private conversations are reported on that page. If you'll be taking anything from locations, please report that as well.

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Comments

[compendiem]

[ If Lili hadn't said anything, Minato probably would have spent the rest of the thread looking at the wood grain inside the wardrobe and not realize she's being attacked, but unfortunately she does, and Minato turns just in time to see her grappling with the boggart. Something about it seems to darken sucking the light out of the very sky and the field all around them, the boggart feeding off Lili's spike of fear.

Frowning, Minato stoops to pick up his nailbat again, because Lili's loathing for him killing Emma once won't be much different from him killing her twice, so he raises his nailbat and—-

the darkness forms around the boggart's broken face, long red hair spilling out and Futaba's gremlin grin spreading wide across the face that stares up at the two of them. Minato still his hand. The boggart tightens its grip on Lili's wrist. ]

[coastal]

[it's fake.

it's fake, it's fake, it's fake, emma might not really be dead - and lili still somehow manages to find hope in this situation. if anything, that manages to get most of her fears to ebb away, even though she is a bit startled still. when minato finally hesitates, she wonders if maybe there's some decency left in him -

but then she realizes that it's suddenly very useless to them]

Follow through - it's an enemy!

[compendiem]

[ Yeah, he wouldn't have been much of a help if Lili hadn't spoken up again. Just like he always claims, he doesn't feel fear; his heart doesn't pound, his hands don't sweat, and his knees don't shake. But he has different tells— he holds his breath, and he grows quiet, and that's enough fear for the boggart to grow stronger yet.

He wouldn't have swung if Lili wouldn't have spoken, but following orders doesn't require thinking, so he disregards the static in his brain and steps forward to swing the weapon at Futaba's head— it doesn't go flying off like Emma's did, but her glasses crack and shatter on the ground, her face contorting and shifting yet again.

This time, it's Ryoji who stares up at them. Babyfaced Ryoji with his gentle smile and sad blue eyes, and when Minato swings his nailbat this time, lip bleeding with how hard he's biting down on it, the blow doesn't do anything at all. ]

[coastal]

[she doesn't even know this boy - and she wonders why it's not being as affected by minato's strikes anymore. lili settles now that she realizes that it's not as if they've lost one of their number, maybe not really. so she breathes out and recognizes that the most important thing here is victory.

she orders around minato again - ]

Back off.

[because his strikes aren't doing anything, and because he's bleeding, and because she doesn't trust a panicked minato to not take a swing at her along with the monster they're dealing with]

[compendiem]

[ He's bleeding but he's not panicked, puzzlement on his face more than anything— because he knows it's not real, he knows this and can separate himself from it and not be shocked by something like this- but it's not working. Even if he knows exactly why these three people, and what they mean to him.

He backs off, but not before handing Lili the nailbat. Or, like, just setting it on her lap or something. Ryoji's hand is on her wrist, but that just makes it easy for Minato to take Ryoji's wrist in his- a shake of the head instead of saying anything to him, hand on hand on hand starting to smolder with the heat that emanates from Minato's palm. ]

[coastal]

[god this is such a crude weapon - but she'll take it in her hand anyway, if it means that minato's hands are free. she frowns and winces briefly in surprise when the heat starts to emanate from minato's hand and moves herself further away from the creature, looking around to try to find an additional answer for exactly what they're supposed to do here]

You know this boy?

[maybe there's an answer in that?]

[compendiem]

[ Minato nods, but doesn't really want to say anthing more. He knows why it's Ryoji, why it's Futaba, why it's Emma, what these people mean to him and why they're the ones who came out of the wardrobe. ]

He can't be killed.

[ Not by anybody besides Minato, and he wonders if he wants to test that theory out again. ]

Let's just shove him back into the closet...

[ Can't deal with his problems? Just shove them to the side and hide them. Suppression is fine. ]

[coastal]

No, we need a key - and I think this is some hint to it.

[she's rather sure of herself? it seems like this is something that at least elicits a reaction from minato, even if it might not exactly be fear.]

There has to be some other way to deal with these monsters.

[compendiem]

[ Minato is the wrong Persona protag for this. Souji would know what to do. Tatsuya and Maya would know what to do. Minato suspects but really doesn't want to, because doing something like that would be nothing more than an action, it wouldn't mean anything. ]

I'm open for ideas.

[coastal]

That girl said... something about laughing, and not letting yourself be paralyzed.

[even though lili will look down at the figure in front of them and

frown]

... I don't know if it's possible to laugh at this though.

[compendiem]

[ There's no fear anymore, so Ryoji just sorts of sits back and looks at them curiously, like they're some sort of friend group talking about something he doesn't understand and so he just sits back politely and waits it out. He's still smiling his pleasant smile and hasn't stopped this entire time.

"That's a little mean, isn't it...?" When Ryoji speaks, it's similar to Minato's voice, but softer, tinged with humor and sadness all in one. It's somehow a lot more human than Minato's monotone. "Why would you laugh at somebody?"

Minato just sort of gestures to Ryoji. ]

[coastal]

I don't know - it depends.

[lili has absolutely laughed at soo-won's misfortune before, but.

she stares at minato]

Can you even laugh?

[compendiem]

[ Hmmmm... No? Minato shakes his head.

Ryoji pouts up at him. "That's sad..." he says, and yeah, it is. ]

[coastal]

Can you try?

[compendiem]

[ he makes this face ]

I'll try... I guess. Can you tell me a bad joke?

[coastal]

... I don't know any jokes.

[does she look like someone who would know even a single joke]

[compendiem]

Make one up.

[ Minato's told her jokes? How could she just erase them from her mind ]

[coastal]

No, just think of something funny.

[don't order her around]

[compendiem]

[ ...

.......

..................

Give him a bit. ]

[coastal]

[




fine]

[compendiem]

[ ............he's thinking very hard, please believe him.


Ryoji reaches up to tap the back of Lili's hand. "Well, while Minato is busy, why don't you and I go off somewhere fun?" ]

[coastal]

[i'm going to kill you

lili just offers the plainest glare]

Touch me again and you'll lose that hand.

[compendiem]

[ but ilu Dana

Ryoji lets go, clasping his hands behind his back and giving her a small smile, and an apologetic laugh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward! Just your company is enough. I would be honored if you would do nothing more but spend time with me."


Minato looks the other way so he doesn't have to deal with this. You're on your own, Lili. ]

[coastal]

No.

[she looks back to minato]

Have you thought of anything yet?

[compendiem]

[ ... ]

Yes, but it's not enough to make me laugh.