Week 2

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

It's now been a week since you were all captured. Perhaps you've already settled in. Perhaps you're already confident that you'll make it out of New Rapture alive. How serious about this could Mayor Fontaine possibly be, really?

While there still may not be much to do in your little hotel bubble, you've at least been granted a little more now - some kind of mysterious room and a sizeable library of all things. And in all the places you've looked so far, you've found valuable information, and even learned some of the story of New Rapture along the way.

Make sure to keep talking to the others! You want to keep those regain coins flowing, don't you?




SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the second week of Unknown Seas Round 3! Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

Comments

[withagun]

[ Hodaka is fully ready to respond with a firm but polite denial—except there's food in front oh him. ]

...You're not gonna make me leave?

[ He sounds more than hesitant. He sounds wary. He sounds suspicious. ]

[inaclearing]

...I don't know if it's good for you to stay. But I can't do that.

[Physically, of course, he can't. He's not dragging anyone out of here. But even outside of that...no, no one else can really do that for you.]

[withagun]

[ The only meaning Hodaka reads into that is the physical one. No, it's probably not good, even with people bringing him food. He probably needs more stimulation than that. To him, taking his eyes off Hina for an extended period of time is worse than anything else, emotionally, mentally. How would he be anything but paralyzed with fear?

If Brett isn't going to pull him out... Then Hodaka relaxes a little, and accepts the food. ]

Okay. ...Then, thank you.

[inaclearing]

Sure.

[He'll join Hodaka then, sitting on the ground nearby. He hasn't brought any food for himself; he ate earlier, away from here. After a silent moment or two, he adds:]

...I know it's hard not to...dwell on it. I don't think you should all the time, but...it's impossible to never. [She's not dead, of course. None of them are. But it feels very similar to him.]

[withagun]

[ There's food in front of him...but Hodaka finds it hard to eat. ]

If I don't think about her, who else will?

[inaclearing]

Thinking about other things sometimes isn't the same as forgetting. I don't think anyone ever really forgets, about people they care about.

[Brett doesn't think about his parents daily anymore. There were many years when he did. Even now, there are times of year - or maybe just times in his life - when he does. But it ebbs and flows. It always will.]

[withagun]

...That sounds like she's already dead.

[ His voice shakes, a little. ]

She's not. Hina-san...she's right here. She's in front of me. And I'm not...going to give up, as if she's already gone.

[inaclearing]

...sorry.

[He's probably right. Brett knows his mind works a certain way, on these things.]

But I don't think it's that different. You leaving the room for a minute isn't giving up on her.

[withagun]

It's turning a blind eye. I can't just act like everything's fine, when her safety hangs in the balance.

[inaclearing]

[Sitting here isn't exactly helping her either, is it?]

Hodaka...from everything you've said, she wouldn't want you to suffer for her sake. She wouldn't want it from anyone, right? So especially not you.

[withagun]

But you don't understand, she'd—

[ He cuts himself off. Goes quiet. Bites down on his lower lip. ]

[inaclearing]

[Gently:]

...she'd what?

[withagun]

[ Shakes his head, looking firmly ahead at her talking with another teenager, eyes filling with tears. ]

You're gonna think I'm crazy.

[inaclearing]

...I've already been kidnapped to a city under the ocean in another universe.

[like, try him]

[withagun]

[ That's...a good point, huh? Still. He's quiet for a long minute. ]

Hina-san... She's an amazing person. But... Until recently, she... [ ... ] She's the kind of person who'd...let something horrible happen to her, if it helped everyone else. She's done it before.

[inaclearing]

How so?

[Brett keeps his feelings about that, if he has any, to himself for the moment. It seems like Hodaka might be willing to say more if he just listens.]

[withagun]

She- [ And now, to the unbelievable part. He pauses. ] There's...an urban legend. The 100% Sunshine Girl. That there're girls that just...affect the weather. They pray...and the rain clears up.

[ ... ]

She wanted...to make everyone else happy. A-and she needed...money, so. I thought... We didn't- I didn't know, that...the sunshine girl, her body starts...to...

[ He trails off, staring at her. As if she might disappear. ]

[inaclearing]

...something happens to her, the more she uses that power?

[It is sort of unbelievable, but like he said - what grounds has Brett got for disbelieving anything, anymore?]

cw: suicidal talk

[withagun]

[ He tenses up. Something like a sob is stuck in his throat. ]

...I saved her. It was- my idea... I had to, but... Hina-san. If she's...in a place like this... She's already tried to give herself up once. I... I promised her brother, I'd...

[ He's talking. Just talking. So many things he's wanted to say that he hasn't been able to. ]

[inaclearing]

[That escalated a little quicker than Brett thought it would! His stomach drops, but he keeps his face and voice calm - something he's learned how to do for a lot of reasons.]

It's okay. Just take a deep breath - fill up your chest, hold it, and let it all out. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to.

cw: slight breathing troubles

[withagun]

[ Things escalate very quickly for youths in Makoto Shinkai movies.

Hodaka hears what Brett's saying, but it's hard to follow it. His breath is a slight gasp, not the all-consuming deep one Brett encourages. It keeps catching, because he's looking at Hina, and she always makes it a little hard to breathe, but right now, it's for a different reason than usual. ]

I promised. I promised...

[inaclearing]

[Ooookay, he's gonna...try to step around to block Hodaka's view for a moment.]

Deep breaths. Sit down, if you're having trouble.

[withagun]

[ But the moment Brett tries, Hodaka pushes him away, trying to get Hina in his sight. ]

No...! No, she'll disappear again, I can't-!!

[inaclearing]

Okay!

[Brett shuffles back to the side!]

She's not gonna disappear! She is...very much in there. [They're literally being held hostage?]

[withagun]

She did before, I just- I just... If I'd stayed awake...!

[ No, he knows otherwise. He shakes his head. He tries to take a deep breath. ]

—Sorry. Sorry, Mr. Riebach. I didn't mean to...