spellbinders | Hijinks Mingle

Hijinks Mingle

Who: Everyone!
Where: Anywhere around the hub!
When: Days 103-105
Open/Closed: Open mingle!
Notes: See this post for details on the moon prompt and this one for the telepathy/dream/spirit prompts!

[A | Flower Gleam and Glow]
[The nearby moon is still passing close to the hub island, meaning the effects are still in play. Perhaps now is the time to stop and smell the large lit up sparkling moonflowers that have bloomed? Or be annoyed by the mosquito-like insects that came with them.

Alternatively, the deer seem to draw some sort of energy from the moon's light. Given their size, at least their sudden aggression and proximity to the base camp isn't the worst thing in the world but a kick would still break a rib or other bone so be careful! Possibly help each other deal with these cute but troublesome fauna.]

[B | Eavesdropping]
[For some reason, the telepathy will suddenly get rather wonky. Characters won't know why it's happening, though of course no doubt there will be ponderings, but it means characters won't be in control of their ability to broadcast — or more specifically, not broadcast — their thoughts. Time to find out secrets of an embarrassing nature. Or maybe something sadder is going on in your character's head.

If this wasn't bad enough, the area around the signet might experience burning or tingling. Just try to keep a lid on your brain for the day and distract yourself from any annoying pain.]

[C | Talking In Your Sleep]
[Or maybe your character just doesn't have the most interesting thoughts. Maybe they're busy thinking about pie instead of their upsetting childhood. That's fair. Pie is great.

But surely sometimes it haunts their dreams. With the telepathy running amuck, it's no wonder dreams and nightmares are leaking through, too. Of course, it doesn't have to be an accident. Feel free to grab a friend and share a fanciful dreamscape together on purpose! But for those nuts that are tougher to crack, accidents can and will happen.]

[D | Who You Gonna Call]
[Last but not least, as Friday rolls around, there seems to be something odd going on with the island. If your character is inclined towards the spiritual or supernatural, they'll no doubt notice the strange heavy thickness hanging around. There are whispers in the air and all of new energy just feels solemn. Might be good to give people a heads up and keep an eye on it.]

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[ it's not a place she could ever think up, so it really takes her a moment or two to recognize that this is a dream; not hers, but someone else's. these days, A2 hardly dreams, or even sleeps for that matter, but when she does dream, they're memories. hers, 2B's, sometimes an amalgamation of both. this is something different entirely.

A2 finds herself staring at the sky, and the mirrored ground beneath her, feels the vast expanse of space that leaves a weird sensation behind. a feeling of falling, but not; the ground is solid beneath her despite the emptiness. jude's voice is actually what grabs her attention enough to get her moving, heels clicking softly in her wake. she stands a few feet away from him, barely catching snippets of the conversation before the woman bursts into light, and A2 doesn't need to really understand what happened to recognize the longing in his voice. she doesn't need to know who she is to recognize the way jude curls into himself, the heavy slope of his shoulders. ]

... This is a dream, [ she says, eventually. ] It's not real.

[ SOUNDS GOOD TO ME ]

Madoka... she's been incredibly helpful. I've been teaching her about first aid for awhile now, and she's always working hard, doing her best. You could call her my assistant.

[ he hums, thoughtful. ]

You two are different, but that's not a bad thing. The world needs more people like Madoka. She's something else.

[ jude can't help but think that... if madoka is the sun personified, then homura is the moon. that's the impression he gets, when he thinks of the two side by side. ]

She's too selfless, though. Reckless, even. She needs someone looking after her. A good friend, a person who knows her and cares about her.

[ it's obvious enough, but his expression and tone of voice make it more than clear that he's referring to homura being that person herself. ]

[ jude is startled to hear a2's thoughtful voice echoing behind him, and he turns around to face her, not bothering to force a smile. there's something about a2 that makes him feel like he doesn't have to. not here, and not around her. ]

I know it is. I've had this dream before. More than once.

But regardless... is it okay if it hurts anyway?

Why wouldn't it be?

[ she shifts her weight, one hand resting on her hip as she glances at the sky again, then to the spot where the woman had disappeared. A2 has learned that there are different kinds of pain, physical and emotional; sometimes the former hurts more than the latter, sometimes they both hurt just as much.

"i... i cannot live with this heartbreak inside me--"

"... not right, Number Two. we're all here... chose to be here--"

"-- i need you to delete my memories... and if not, i need you to kill me."

human, android, machine. it doesn't matter what they are; they're all capable of feeling the same. ]

It's your dream. Your memories... your pain. They're yours to bear.

[ so he shouldn't have to feel ashamed for it. these feelings are his, and no one can take them away from him. A2 has carried her own pain long enough; it's not something she'll ever be able to completely let go of. she supposes the same can be said for jude. ]

[ jude nods, slowly, mulling over a2's words and letting them process. ]

You've lost people close to you, too, haven't you.

[ it's not a question. ]

Before I met Milla... I was a different person. I didn't know who I was, or what I wanted, or where I was going. I was lost. Day in and day out, just stumbling through the life I thought I was supposed to have.

But she taught me so much. About myself; about others. We crossed paths, but eventually, those paths diverged. Wanting her back is selfish.

[ ... if they're exchanging little, small stories, then... ]

... She was the class health officer in school. The nurse's aid. It really only meant that if anyone needed to go to the infirmary, she would be the one to guide them there and help them through the small things, always with encouraging words for even the most timid or useless of students.

I'm not surprised... that she'd be the same here.

[ it's a good way to remember the Madoka that was. a normal girl, from before she had the weight of the world on her shoulders that Homura couldn't protect her from, all the despair that ever was and will be. Madoka is here, of course— but Homura has carried and caged away years of memories of Madoka.

telling them as stories sets them free. keeps them alive outside of her and Madoka, even if she's trying not to think of when Madoka might have to— go, again. ]

She has always been this way. [ she agrees, and there's the faintest trace of something wistfully fond in her tone. Homura isn't looking at Jude anymore, thoughts and focus elsewhere in the distant past. ] Madoka is... she's gone to such lengths to save a cat, once. A stray, who'd gotten hurt. She cried over it and tended to it and then took it home, took it in, then asked me not to tell someone else, someone she respected, because she thought it'd seem silly.

[ a little more quietly, then, her gaze flickering low to the ground: ]

I don't know how someone like her ever thought to befriend someone like me. You think much of someone you hardly know, Jude Mathis.

Is being selfish so wrong? Is wanting to see someone you've lost such a bad thing?

[ jude is perceptive; A2 has gathered that much in the brief time she has known him. while she has never shared any of her history with anyone, she knows jude has been through enough to recognize it. the loneliness, the regret, the guilt. there isn't a day that goes by where A2 does not wish to join her squadron, but that wish won't be fulfilled for a while.

wanting to die, yet forcing yourself to live on anyway. saying goodbye, yet longing to reunite again. hating someone, enduring the same death over and over again, yet loving them anyway. what is selfish? what is selfless? ]

She's important to you. She'll always be, even if you won't see her again. Does it really matter if it's selfish?

Edited 2017-10-31 08:13 (UTC)

... Maybe not.

9S has told me I could stand to be a little more selfish, too.

[ there's a flicker of a smile at the mention of him. ]

It sounds like you understand what it means to lose someone important. The thing is, Milla... she isn't gone. I know she's watching over me, from wherever she is. But at the same time... she isn't here, either, and sometimes, I just... wish she'd come back. Just for a little while.

She has things to do, though. She has duties she can't turn her back on, and so do I.

She mentioned it, I think, but she didn't go into detail about what a nurse's aid was, exactly.

[ a beat passes. he can feel the weight of homura's words; he can feel the weight of the burden she's carrying on her shoulders. for such a small and demure girl, it's a weight that jude doesn't think she— or anyone else— should have to carry. he doesn't know the details, but he's perceptive enough to realize that she's fragile. that her heart is heavy. ]

Madoka will befriend anyone, but she's special to you, isn't she?

[ jude can tell. he can tell by the look on her face and the tone of her voice, that overwhelming fondness. ]

Whether you understand it or not, she cares about you. That's not something that I can see changing. Isn't it better to accept that? To grasp that knowledge and hold it close, rather than trap yourself in your own self-doubt?

I... understand. I've been there, myself.

[ too many, she thinks. her entire squadron, pascal, and in some ways, even 2B and 9S. all these people who have sacrificed themselves for her, or ones who have died by her own hand. how many more?

her sword is heavy at her back. ]

He's right. [ something in her expression softens. ] Just because you both have responsibilities doesn't mean you can't let yourself want.

[ she looks away, the hand at her side clenching briefly into a fist. ]

You might not always get it, but wasn't it you who told me about hope? About believing?

[ a small laugh. it's strained, but it's there. ]

I did say that, didn't I?

Maybe I can tend to be sort of a hypocrite. As much as I want to give and give, there are so many things, deep down, that I want with all my heart. Not just Milla. Some of those things are attainable. Some aren't. I suppose that's just how it goes; just how life works. I've always been a little naive.

[ her gaze flickers back up to jude; a side glance. then she's carding her hair behind and ear. 'special,' of course, or whatever right she had to lay claim to such a thing.

but. ]

You misunderstand. I understand that she cares. And regardless of how she may or may not feel about me, there isn't anything that would stop me from trying to protect her... from trying to look after her, as you say.

What I doubt is my ability to be the kind of person capable of doing so properly.

I am selfish, cold, and indifferent, Jude Mathis. I do not trust people. I do not care for them before they have done the same for me; I am not strong enough for that kind of generosity. The day I take Madoka's care for granted will be the day I've finally lost my way.

I wouldn't call this 'coming here.'

[Dirk lingers a moment longer. He strokes back Roxy's hair, and then walks over to Madoka.]

You can go ahead with it, Madoka. I don't dream Derse or my apartment because I like them particularly. They're just familiar places to me. Do what you want to with the dream.

[What is it with humans being so nice and stubborn about friendship???? Truly the greatest mystery about humanity thus far.

But Yuna really is determined about this, isn't she.... There's a soft sigh, confused but just a little amused as well, as 2B gives in.]

Alright, I'll try it out at least. [And finally, she takes the clip.] If it doesn't look good though, you should take your clip back.

[Thank you for sparing her. (but also feel free to ignore my sorry late ass if it's been to long!)]

What the's best way to go about that? [Over-fishing has never been an issue for her, even if she can see why it would be now. But that's why she wants to learn.] I assume we'll have to continue making use of the resources available no matter how much food we gather and preserve.

[This is . . . a tad odd, but it's a little like the duct system. He steps onto the platform with her.]

We have something similar on my world. It transports you?

Different types of foods should have different flavour profiles! If you add everything to anything there wouldn't be a need to have different categories, would there.

That being said though, I do know people add bacon bits as a topping sometimes to some desserts like donuts or cupcakes because the saltiness of it brings out the sweetness of the rest of the dessert. So if you try doing something like that it'll work out better.

Careful about what you offer, there. I'm very curious.

[He says it playfully, though.]

No. I've lived with it this long... [He smiles a bit and glances back at the Garrison. It feels like he's been away for so long. Being in space changed him from what he was. He'll never just be a Garrison Pilot ever again. He sits down on the metal foot of his lion and motions for Gaelio to sit somewhere nearby.] It's fine.

We can't change what you've seen. Some of it I'd have said anyway.

[He doesn't bring up the Lion watching him or the Galra. Those subjects are best left alone. At least for now.]

It doesn't hurt to let your comrades know what you're capable of.

[Shiro grins, his own tone slightly teasing.]

Wouldn't offer if I wasn't ready for that.

All right, then.

[He motions to the moon still hanging up there.]

Well, you mentioned your last mission. What happened there?

The Galra did.

[He'd been prepared for this one. It's the most dreamed about thing he's got. Best to just tell it.] My commander, his son, and I were all captured. We were separated.

[He raps on the panel just as the sound of a crowd roars, putting it back to the moon.] I spent time as their prisoner for a year. I don't remember all of it. It still comes back to me in bits and pieces. Anyway, I escaped and returned to Earth to beat them to the Blue Lion of Voltron sleeping there.

I didn't know much then. Only that we couldn't let them have them.

I don't doubt that. [He lightly touches her extended hand and lets his own fall back to his side. If he thinks about it he can still remember the force of the blow and the pain of the magic tearing up his side. One breath in.]

But I don't want you to get into danger in my dreams. Not if I can help it.

[That was a little more trauma than he was expecting. He opts not to comment on it, other than a,]

I'm sorry to hear that.

Were you at war with the Galra, even then?

[Oh good, he doesn't have to say he doesn't want to discuss the trauma.]

The rest of the universe was. Earth is in the region of space not occupied by their forces. It would have become an occupied planet if we failed.

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Hijinks Mingle

c; comes in 15 mins late w/ no starbucks

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I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LATE THIS IS

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