[ what a day amirite!!! they're at the stage again, kazunari sitting on the edge and making frantic strokes in his sketchbook. he glances up when kashuu enters, offering a weak smile before continuing to draw. ]
...It just sucks that there wasn't anything we could do to help him, now that we know there're some ways to get the refracted back on their feet again. And if the dead really are refracted too, then it sucks that there's not really a way to help 'em first. But at least they get to die as themselves.
Yeah. That part's gonna be pretty hard to work around... Especially 'cuz you can't use that gum thingy too often.
[That gives him pause for a second, though, simply watching as the figures come into recognizable shape on the paper.]
It's a theory that's getting talked about, at least. We've got what Kazuma said, and what Chang Geng wrote, so that's two. Marie's entire case was kinda weird so I think most people aren't looking too hard at it... We don't know about Chinatsu, and now we can't ask Malik. ...Was it different for 9S?
[ the pencil slows as kashuu speaks, eventually coming to a stop as kazunari takes a deep breath to calm the tremble in his hands. ]
He tried to protect me. So... no. I don't think he was refracting.
[ as he closes his eyes, he sees 9S's face, shadowed with the darkness of night, but no more threatening than he'd ever been. it hurts to remember, but kazunari could never forget, even if he wanted to. ]
He's quiet for a second, thinking about the implications of that. Of what things must have been like after Kazu regained himself, and what they were like for 9S before he was killed. After a second, he just reaches out, briefly and gently touching Kazu's stilled arm.]
...'Kay. I'll make sure to steer people away from thinking that the dead were infected, then. Though I think at most, opinions kinda lean toward "it could be a mix". [...] Glad you made it back to us.
[ he doesn't look up, but doesn't pull away, either. just a simple nod, with a faint smile pulling at the corner of his lips. ]
...Thanks.
I do think we should check with Percy again, though - just in case. He might have still been affected by the refraction after trial, and it... it's hard to think straight, that way.
Oh, yeah. People are keeping an eye on him, trust me.
[The last thing they want is MORE OF THEM TURNING INTO LISA FRANK BAPHOMET... Needless to say, they're keeping an eye on Kazu, too, but he figures the lad knows that much.]
...Can I ask - it started Thursday night for you, right? Or did you start feeling weird before then, d'you remember?
[He just sits close, watching Kazu drawing so he's not just watching Kazu himself.]
Yeah - that's smart. Even if they can't give a solid answer, they can probably give you a better idea of what to expect. [And as for the rest of that, he just nods.] ...Yeah. That checks with how Malik was, too.
[ it's just more people from mankai... he misses home. ]
I want to know if JiuJiu's gumball really worked or not, too. She says it didn't, but... I don't know why else I'd just be normal again, all of a sudden.
I'm pretty sure it did. It probably just wasn't as instant as the curse-breaking, 'cuz refraction's not really the same. ...We'll keep an eye on you, though.
[Said in a way that's meant to be somewhat reassuring. No one wants to see Kazu turn into Lisa Frank Baphomet 2...]
[Kumon and Kazu are really going through it... THE NORMIES IN THIS GAME ARE REALLY GOING THROUGH IT. He just nods at that, though. Makes sense to him.]
Yeah. No one wants to see you go through something like that, either, so...
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w3, sunday
Hey. Were you looking for somewhere quiet, too?
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--Yeah. Just - I was thinking about Chinatsu a little, too.
[Haha! Depressos.]
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I just wish we coulda done more for her. We didn't even get close to finding Malik yesterday.
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...I thought it might have been him. But I didn't have enough to go off of to say anything, so I kept quiet, just in case it was wrong.
[ feels horrible now. ]
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...Yeah. Same. He came back to the room after trial acting super weird. But I at least wanted to wait and see if he had a tattoo, y'know?
[They can feel horrible about their inaction together, wowee.]
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Did he?
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Didn't get the chance to ask. But after this, I'm pretty sure I can say he didn't.
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...I'm sorry. About both of them.
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Kashuu just hums, though, watching Kazu work.]
...It just sucks that there wasn't anything we could do to help him, now that we know there're some ways to get the refracted back on their feet again. And if the dead really are refracted too, then it sucks that there's not really a way to help 'em first. But at least they get to die as themselves.
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It's better than nothing, but even with the gumball, we still have to have enough tokens, and then get lucky enough to receive the right one.
...Does everyone really believe the dead are refracting, too? All we have is someone's word, right?
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[That gives him pause for a second, though, simply watching as the figures come into recognizable shape on the paper.]
It's a theory that's getting talked about, at least. We've got what Kazuma said, and what Chang Geng wrote, so that's two. Marie's entire case was kinda weird so I think most people aren't looking too hard at it... We don't know about Chinatsu, and now we can't ask Malik. ...Was it different for 9S?
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He tried to protect me. So... no. I don't think he was refracting.
[ as he closes his eyes, he sees 9S's face, shadowed with the darkness of night, but no more threatening than he'd ever been. it hurts to remember, but kazunari could never forget, even if he wanted to. ]
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He's quiet for a second, thinking about the implications of that. Of what things must have been like after Kazu regained himself, and what they were like for 9S before he was killed. After a second, he just reaches out, briefly and gently touching Kazu's stilled arm.]
...'Kay. I'll make sure to steer people away from thinking that the dead were infected, then. Though I think at most, opinions kinda lean toward "it could be a mix". [...] Glad you made it back to us.
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...Thanks.
I do think we should check with Percy again, though - just in case. He might have still been affected by the refraction after trial, and it... it's hard to think straight, that way.
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[The last thing they want is MORE OF THEM TURNING INTO LISA FRANK BAPHOMET... Needless to say, they're keeping an eye on Kazu, too, but he figures the lad knows that much.]
...Can I ask - it started Thursday night for you, right? Or did you start feeling weird before then, d'you remember?
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[ a long breath, and he starts to draw again. ]
...Thursday is when it started for me. But after that, everything felt fine. It wasn't until after the trial that I started being... like that.
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Yeah - that's smart. Even if they can't give a solid answer, they can probably give you a better idea of what to expect. [And as for the rest of that, he just nods.] ...Yeah. That checks with how Malik was, too.
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I want to know if JiuJiu's gumball really worked or not, too. She says it didn't, but... I don't know why else I'd just be normal again, all of a sudden.
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[Said in a way that's meant to be somewhat reassuring. No one wants to see Kazu turn into Lisa Frank Baphomet 2...]
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I hope it did. If something else happens to me, then Kumopi... he won't take it well.
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Yeah. No one wants to see you go through something like that, either, so...
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It's... a scary thought. But I'm less worried about me than I am for him, you know?
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[It'd be the same for him, so he gets it.]
The kid's pretty tough, but seeing someone you care about go through that... It'd wreck anyone.
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[ sighs. ]
It's not like I can stop whatever happens, so I probably shouldn't worry too much about it. It would be easier to if it were just me.
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