WEEK 4

[bathymetric]

Another trial, another week, and still you're probably running lower on answers than you'd like. And on people - you lost three since last Sunday. By the end of this week, you'll have been here for nearly a full month, yet still the days crawl on.

You wake up Sunday, again with no memory of Saturday, but this time with a simple message on your devices: You may resume requesting items, if you like. Enjoy. Guess it really was just a stealth motive after all, but at least it's being communicated that it's over! That's something, at least.

And when you leave your rooms on Sunday, there's another new area to explore! This one is... certainly more ambitious in its construction than the last one, to say the least. But hey, you have a pretty neat place to host parties, if you feel so inclined! That's... fun...

Hey, you gotta find the fun in situations like this where you can! Silver linings, right?



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to Week 4! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! ]

Comments

[philoxenia]

[ Then Della's in luck, because she's laughing again, just softly. ]

Well, I suppose someone has to be. [ She smiles, though. ] But those are good names. Very refined.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Score, again! She smiles, fond. ]

That's probably what he was thinking. The kind of names that'd get jobs to look at them, or something. Donald's always been the fore-thinking type like that.

[philoxenia]

It sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders.

[ She smiles softly. ]

Brothers usually do, don't they?

[nothingcanstop]

...Yeah. Without him, I don't know what would've...

[ She trails off, wistful. If he hadn't been around to take care of the boys...

She turns her attention to Mira again. ]

Yours too?

[philoxenia]

... Mm. I know what you mean.

[ She touches her necklace and nods. ]

Mine too. He was-- he's always been there for me. He's kept us together. Working, going to school, taking care of me... he w-- he's amazing.

[nothingcanstop]

It sure sounds like it.

[ Della's voice is very gentle in her reply. ]

You must really love him.

[philoxenia]

[ She hesitates before she nods. ]

For as long as I can remember, he was the only one I had. I-- I miss him a lot.

[nothingcanstop]

...It was just the two of you? No other relatives?

[philoxenia]

Um...

[ ... well, you know what, if she'd tell anyone about this it'd be Della or Rhea. She hesitates, though, fiddling with the hem of our shirt. ]

Our family situation is a bit... complicated, to be honest.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Hoo boy. Della glances from Mira to her portraits and back again. ]

You...know you don't have to answer this question, right? Only if you feel alright with it.

[philoxenia]

I know.

[ She pauses. ]

... But for the first time, I want to. [ And the way she says that... it sounds like she's not sure how to take that? ] If-- you don't mind listening.

[nothingcanstop]

[ She smiles, warm and open. ]

I never mind listening. Remember, I'm pretty good at it.

[philoxenia]

[ She seems more at ease with that smile, at least... And she realizes just how much she trusts Della. Mira takes in a breath. ]

It has to do with what I said to Alice-- before. I'm not sure if you heard, but... I'm an empath. Or, I was, before coming here. Honestly... I'm glad I don't anymore. This place--it would be hell for me, feeling what everyone else feels. And usually I can sort of block a lot of it out, but...

[ Whoof. ]

Anyway... normally, having powers wouldn't be a problem, I think--my world is... different, though. Noah told me that it was sort of a-- a "defense mechanism" against people with powers. I'm not sure why, but-- those with powers, like him, Aiden, and me... At best, we're shunned by those without. [ She touches her necklace. ] He made this for me, actually, to sort of... dampen the effects somehow.

It's not perfect, though. And he finished it far too late. Our parents, they-- don't have any sort of abilities. I-it wasn't that they... mistreated us, it was just... [ She hesitates. ] They just weren't there, really. So when I was thirteen, we moved far, far away. It's been just us, from when I was thirteen... so for about six years.

[ She gives Della a nervous smile. ]

The first week I was here, I was terrified it'd be the same.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Honestly what Della was expecting was more along the lines of...well, death. That was how it worked with her, the whole...lack of parental involvement thing. But, this is...a bit much, isn't it? A bit more. Mistreated, Mira says, and Della reaches over and places a feathered hand on her elbow.

A physical reminder that she's here. ]

I don't know how a parent...how a mother could ever reject her child. [ A little squeeze. ] I'm sorry, Mira. You...and your brother both, you deserved so much better.

[philoxenia]

[ It helps, at least, and Mira places a hand over Della's. However she expected Della to react... she isn't sure, actually, but her eyes start to sting a little. ]

I don't... blame anyone for it. It's far from their faults.

[ But... god, does she wish she'd had more.

Then again... maybe she does, here. ]

[nothingcanstop]

I don't care about any...defense-mechanism thing, or whatever it is, they just... [ She shakes her head, aghast. ] You're a good girl, Mira. A good person. You've got such a wonderful heart, you're sweet and funny, and talented... Some...supernatural whatever-it-is aside, there is no reason why anyone should have treated you that way.

[philoxenia]

[ And that-- that gets those tears to spill over. She presses a hand to her eyes, and the other doesn't leave Della's. Truthfully... she isn't sure how to respond to the praise. But she squeezes Della's hand, even as she bows her head a bit. ]

Th-thank you, Della...

[ It's something she didn't realize she needed to here. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Well, Della's going to go a step farther. She leans over and wraps her other arm around Mira. A nice half-hug. ]

I'm just talking truth, Mira. Nothing more.

[philoxenia]

[ Keep giving her hugs, and she's going to get used to them. Mira hugs her back, sniffling a little. ]

Even so-- I.... I want to thank you.

[nothingcanstop]

[ A little tighter. Just a little. ]

Then you're welcome...and thank away. However much you need to. But...for me, this is just natural. It's easy to see that you're a good person. Everyone should be able to.

[philoxenia]

[ As if she'll complain about that. ]

Even if they don't... that you do, it-- it means a lot. [ She pulls back, just slightly. ] ... You must be an amazing mom, Della.

[nothingcanstop]

[ The timing of it all... Mira can see the expression on Della's face freeze, for a moment. ]

I... [ And with a pained wince of a smile, she continues: ] I'm still learning. There was... I couldn't...be there for my boys, the way I wanted to, for a long while. But, I'm doing what I can.

[philoxenia]

[ Ah. Yeah, she can't miss that. ]

I'm sorry, Della. [ And being away from them now, too.... ] I think that's all you can do... just-- your best. And... I'm here to listen, if you ever want to talk about it, too.

[nothingcanstop]

[ The smile softens; it's more genuine. ]

Thank you, Mira. Maybe... Sometime, yeah. It was rough, when I first...met them, but now...all I want is to just get back to them. Give my sons back their mother. [ Because...it's true, she misses them for her own sake, oh so much. But she knows what it's like to grow up with parents, without a mom. To do that to them...

She doesn't want to, not anymore. ]

[philoxenia]

... Mm. I really hope you can.

[ She can't say what the future holds here. But god, does she hope there doesn't have to be any more death. It had been bad enough the first time, but if it keeps happening...

There are so many good people here. People she's come to care deeply for. ]

Your family needs you, after all.

[ Her voice is soft, her throat a little tight as she speaks. Almost as much as it terrifies her to return to her own world after this--having people to depend on, and having them depend on her, having people who seem to care about her as much as she does them--it scares her to death, the thought of finding Della on a Friday morning, all that vibrant life stolen away from her. ]