Week 7.

[trustfellows]

WEEK 7 Orihime Inoue, Estellise Sidos Heurassein, and Kirei Kotomine all died this past week. One of your Coordinators died as well, leaving you with a new face but still no end to this. Several of you are finding yourselves at a crossroads: either keep moving forward, or accept the inevitability of fate. It's your own choice, your own decision; no one's going to make it for you. Over half of you are gone now. Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; come Sunday morning, the clock chimes the hour at seven o'clock and there are no dead bodies to be found, so it can be assumed that all of you are safe for the time being. That said, you'll be feeling a little groggy when you wake up; it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost... Once again, a new floor has been opened to you; unfortunately, either this is a particularly strange reward or Jericho is starting to get downright sarcastic. Perhaps there's something in it for you despite the setup; who knows, though there's really only one way to find out. PARTICIPANTS REMAINING: 16

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[OOC: Welcome to week seven of Trustfell! Feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget to save those threads for coins and the activity check!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Coordinators, you can do so through private meetings with Hilda!]

Comments

[destage]

...It's a long story. You probably don't want to hear it.

[Sayaka's gaze seems to avert, a bit, if Rin looks at her face. It's a bit awkward. She'll hold still, though--it's just eye movement.]

[heritrix]

...Mm. It's up to you. I'd feel bad, having talked about myself so much, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable.

[This braid is going to take a while, though. It's a fishbone braid.]

[destage]

...I wouldn't want to make you, either, you know.

[But...well, Sayaka sighs a bit.]

Neither of my parents were around all that much, honestly. My mom divorced my dad when I was young, and my dad worked so much...I was pretty much a latchkey kid, if you've heard of the term before.

[heritrix]

Mm. [There's an appreciative hum here, like this wasn't as awkward as she worried it would be.] It got bandied about when I was younger, with some of my classmates. Everyone knew a few kids like that.

[She herself was often mistaken for one.]

[destage]

...Yeah.

[The awkwardness is kind of slowly easing away from her, as she holds still.]

It's just something I really...saw, but never experienced myself. Having a family like yours, I mean. I was so used to being at home with nothing but the TV to keep me company, and I usually went to sleep before Dad came home--the only time I really saw him was when I woke up early, a little bit before Dad went to work.

[heritrix]

["Having a family like yours..."

Sayaka says it like it's such a blessing. The thing is, Rin knows she was lucky to have the happiness she did for even that long. The comment stings, but she sees no reason to correct her.]

Ah, I get it now. [She smiles gently.] That's why you took such cheer from the idols you saw on television.

[destage]

...Yeah. It's honestly why I aspired to become one, too. Because...there's probably so many other people in the world, who feel so alone as well. If I could serve as some sort of light in someone else's life...well, that'd be wonderful.

[...]

But yeah. They were always wonderful to watch. They always seemed happy.

[heritrix]

They make it look so easy, huh?

[It goes unsaid here, the obvious truth both of them would know, Sayaka more so than her. So much of that happiness is manufactured. It's harder to maintain than most people would ever be able to understand.]

If we get out of here, do you think you'd still want to be an idol?

[destage]

...Yeah. They really do.

[...]

I don't think I want to go back to that, though. It's such a competitive place, and it...really wears on a person, you know? And I think if I did, they'd...um...

[Sayaka pauses a bit. She doesn't know if this is public knowledge, but...]

They'd...take issue with what's happened here. What I've done while I've been gone, mostly.

[heritrix]

Oh, I just figured you'd be starting over fresh no matter what you did, you know? Probably in Alex's world.

[destage]

...I'm actually not entirely sure where I'm going, if you want me to be honest with you. Elda's already offered me a place to live, and...

[Sayaka pauses for a moment, before waving the subject away with her hand.]

If I can be honest, I hope we can find a way to travel between these places.

[heritrix]

[Briefly, her fingers slow in their work there. Elda offered that? Rin's smile doesn't break. With all of her hang-ups, she decided to embrace her feelings whole-heartedly.

She picks up the pace again, sliding a thin strand of Sayaka's hair to the center of the braid. It's short, so it'll be done fairly quickly.]

Even in my world, the ability to do would be considered a miracle. A True Magic we couldn't hope to replicate, even if I know it can be done.

It still boggles me these people can pull it off well enough to bring us here. I definitely plan to steal the secret before I escape.

[destage]

...If you do, and there's a way...do you think I could ask for your assistance in the matter?

[Sayaka bites her lip a bit.]

I don't know what you would need in return, but...Alex wants to see her family, and if all else fails, I...don't want to take that from her. I just...I don't want to leave either of them alone, you know?

[It's a hard decision to make, really, between the woman who's become her mother figure and the girl who's...well, become her girlfriend. It's a Lot.]

I-If it's at all possible, of course.

[heritrix]

[There's no hesitation in her response.]

It's something I plan to figure out for myself. I might as well help you out at the same time, if I manage it.

[...No, that's putting it too mildly. There's a short pause, and she adds on:] It's for everyone's benefit, after all.

[destage]

[...Sayaka's smile is warmer, whether she can see it or not.]

Thank you, Tohsaka-san. You're absolutely wonderful.

[heritrix]

[Rin's cheeks pink a little.] W-We're just about done here, so hold still.

[It's not like she likes you or anything Sayaka, gosh. Alright, maybe it's a little of that, given she's only gently flustered by the compliment and not straight out tsunning. She's not nice, Sayaka, geez. You'll ruin her reputation.

In any case, Rin pins the nearly finished braid in place for a moment, so she can tousle the locks around it better, then find a ribbon to tie it off.]

[destage]

[oh my god you giant tsundere

Kidding, of course, but Sayaka will stay perfectly still to allow Rin to finish up over there. Just kind of humming a bit in the process, but...the idea of that does make her happy as a clam.]

[heritrix]

[What color to pick... Keeping one finger pinned to Sayaka's braid while she sorts through her collection, Rin eventually decides on a smaller, teal-colored one.

Bringing it back over, she ties it into place and observes her own handiwork before placing one hand on her hip, smiling wide.]

There we have it. What do you think?

[She'll pick up a mirror she found in the infirmary, holding it out so Sayaka can check out her new hairdo. It's a slightly shorter version of this style.]

[destage]

[...Well, if the way Sayaka's face utterly lights up is any indication, Rin might have her answer before Sayaka even responds. That's...so pretty, and Sayaka just beams.]

It's...it's beautiful, Tohsaka-san! I absolutely adore it, thank you so much!

[She's never really done this style before, but it looks so pretty?! ...And the teal ribbon, ugh, that's so cute and it makes her even happier.]

1/2

[heritrix]

[Fufufu, Rin's smirking over here with a cat got the cream grin.]

I thought you'd like the color~

[heritrix]

[Honestly though, it delights her to see Sayaka so happy about it. It's a small thing, but it's an effort she can take pride in. Rin beams.]

If you want to keep that style, just let me know. It's really easy to do; you'd get the hang of it quickly.

[destage]

I'd love to! I think it's super pretty...I like the way it looks, too, and I never usually do much with my hair unless it's time for a show. I think it'd be perfect!

[... ... ...

That's when the comment about the color finally hits, and Sayaka jolts a bit at the realization, cheeks turning pink.]

Well--well, yeah, I mean, of course. Blues go well with blues!

[heritrix]

[Hehehehe... If she'd been thinking earlier, she never would have given Alex a choice in colors.]

Naturally, naturally~! And blue and red are well known for playing off each other, so it works on both scales!

[destage]

[...the obvious quip doesn't really come to mind at this, Sayaka just kind of turns away feeling like a dolt.]

...The most I've done in the past is blue with pink, so I'll take your word for it, there. It...just looks really nice.

[heritrix]

[Rin's counting on that, tbh. She wishes she could be around when Sayaka sees the red ribbon in Alex's hair and gets the joke, that would make her day. MAYBE SHE'LL BUG ALEX LATER.]

Sorry, did I take my teasing too far?

[Rin waves a hand as if to say "let's just move past that then".]

I'm really glad you like it. I wanted to do a good job, as a thank you for humoring me, but it came out better than I expected. You look really pretty, and I'm happy you think so too.