Hijinks Mingle

[potentite]

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.]

Comments

[talim]

[ 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.

[precedents]

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?

[talim]

... 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.

[precedents]

[ 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?

[talim]

[ 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.

[precedents]

But that's what you believe in, isn't it?

[ pascal believed in peace. 2B, 9S, herself -- they believed in the glory of mankind. none of them got what they wanted in the end. but that doesn't mean the same would happen for jude.

humans have always been capable of achieving greatness, striving to accomplish the impossible, to fulfill their dreams no matter what they may be, even if they were met with failure in the end. but that's what set them apart: they learned, they grew, they adapted.

"i mean, after all--" ]

... We all need something to fight for.

[talim]

It is.

[ he nods, clear resolution smoothing out the forlorn look that had been on his face. it never takes long for jude to bounce back. not when he has the help to do so; not when he has friends by his side to support him. that includes a2. ]

There are goals that I have. Lofty ones, but real ones. Milla is on her mission, but I have my own mission, too, and I owe it to her to see it through. My own goals; my own hopes and dreams.

And those aren't the only things I'm fighting for.

I don't know where I'd be without the people in my life. I need to fight for them, too. Even you, A2. I want to be strong enough to protect everyone I care about, with my own two hands.

[ he stares down at those hands, at the calluses covering them. ]