[Well she WAS coming out here to retrace her steps with Virid in some attempt to steady her swirling mind... but it looks like someone else is already out here, taking a steady pace against the treeline. It gets Hikaru to stop in her tracks awkwardly, her outburst at him still fresh on her tongue.]
[IF Hikaru doesn't wake up before Raven, she'll probably wake up right after him thanks to the loud thunking noise followed by a couple softer expletives as Raven maneuvers his way out of this space age pod bed.]
They really oughta warn us they're gonna pull a stunt like this, don't ya think- As he peeks into the next pod, expecting Shiro, but instead;]
Hikaru!? [For some reason, Raven's still just wearing his same clothes to sleep, though he's taken off his jackets and belt, and his hair is down. Still, that voice and pink shirt's pretty unmistakeable.]
[She doesn't answer at first, comfortably buried in the blankets with her hair unbraided in a messy fan, cuddled up and surrounded by her giant dog plush, a stuffed fish with weird blue plastic pieces pinned to its back, and a small plush of a person of some sort in her arms.
Hearing her name gets her to stir and sit up, her pajamas not much more than bright pink pajama pants and an oversized tshirt with a puppy plastered on the front.]
Hnwha-- Hilda-chan, wh-
[......
Oh that's a man?? This isn't her bed?? HELLO??
Face going red, she shrieks and throws her pillow at his face.]
wee 1 sounds like a sad clown horn which is fitting... I am a sad clown
[Yeah Raven has about 3 seconds to think to himself that Hikaru has a lot of hair and also plush toys before he is pillowed in the face, which, he guesses is a fair response.
Rather than trying to verbally convince her that this is fine because in many ways it is not, he's just going to move out of her line of sight/projectiles, and see if his stuff is in this... weird pod. specifically his hair tie. Maybe his visage first thing in the morning will be easier to process if he gets his hair tied back? Maybe.]
Y'know, I just woke up here all of a sudden same as you.
[Well, to be honest, the first thing Raven does when he wakes up is get something to eat. But then he makes enough to also bring breakfast up for Hikaru!! So don't judge him.
He's actually a bit alarmed when he finds the door not locked but clearly blocked by something, and lo it's exactly what he expected, Hikaru's unconscious body. He practically drops the tray of food on the floor when he manages to get the door open, setting it down heavily as he crouches down to try and shake her awake.]
Hey, hey, Hikaru, rise and shine darling- [Trying to sound nonchalant but there's the edge of anxiety as the phrase "Please don't be dead" plays on repeat in his head.]
[whispers raven people might be dead what are you doing
She is, somehow, looking worse, all that harder to rouse. But she's still warm, still breathing, her color still perfectly fine even for how much of a tired ragdoll she currently is curled up near the door.
It takes a minute, so rip Raven's heart rate, but her eyes will eventually flutter, face screwing up at the light from the inn hallway.]
[Well at least he gets to be relieved for a moment as she does finally rouse, but oh god now emotions are happening. He’s not prepared for this!!?? Patting her back a little awkwardly. It’s ok you’re ok please do not cry.]
Sorry, old Raven lost track of time and the door locked on me... Why were ya sleepin’ on the floor?
[Welp. Hikaru's not that hard to spot considering she beelines for the planetarium immediately after Kano is taken away, and then straight to her bedroom, where she slams the door shut.
UNLIKE literally everyone else, Raven has the key for the door. Congratulations! You still live here.
Whenever he gets back to the room, Hikaru has shut the privacy door to her pod, though the lights are still on inside. It is. Very obvious that she is crying into a pillow, from the sound of it.
[Well walking back to this sure isn't making him feel great!!!
He honestly does stand there for a solid like five minutes at least just sorta frozen with indecision since it's not like she probably really knows he's there??? Should he leave her alone?? Say something??? He's terrible at this. Why did the Realm put him in this situation??
Well, he supposes he can just leave it to Hikaru to decide. So he knocks on her pod.]
[Her crying stills, almost abruptly, as though she didn't want to be heard. She doesn't, honestly. She'd been so tired up until this afternoon, whatever tears had been forced out by pure exhaustion, wringing out any emotion that floated across her mind. Though half a trial's worth of distance has definitely helped... Hikaru still feels so deeply drained.
There's the rustling of bedcovers, her sniffing as she tries to wipe off her face and recollect herself.]
N-no.
No, I'm fine, Raven-san. Thank you.
[Obviously, she's tired. She's sad. But if anything, she just sounds so vividly angry.]
[She'd spent most of Monday keeping an eye out for Raven, wanting to see if he would help her with her project. But he's nowhere to be found, even though his name is still very much present on the PHS, still in front of one of the doors in the inn...
So where in the world is he?
Curiosity quickly turns to concern as Hikaru starts to explore more thoroughly on Tuesday. He's not in any of the spots that she usually can find him in town, so she moves to the docks. No luck in the pub, and not anywhere on the ship. The fort's such a big place, and just thinking about having to run around the whole thing is exhausting... but she starts on the ground floor, poking her head in wherever she can, wherever hasn't been totally ravaged by whatever came through and destroyed this place.
When she finally spots someone in the jail, the relief she emits is overwhelming.]
Ahh --- Raven-san! I've been looking everywhere for you--!!
[Figures, he think, that Hikaru would wind up finding him anyway, despite his slowly increasing efforts to not be found. He's just lying on a cot in one of the cells, a bottle of wine next to him though he's not drinking it at the moment. His jaunty pirate outfit looks fairly disheveled. He doesn't even raise his head when Hikaru comes over. It's fine.]
Jus' havin' a little lie down. [If he says he was hiding she'll scold him probably.]
[She huffs, though it's a sound of aggravated concern as she slips her way into the cell.]
Way out here??? I was starting to get scared when I couldn't find you yesterday, you know...
[Still, this seems more... weird than normal Raven weird. She's quiet as she crouches next to the cot, eyes flicking to the bottle nearby. She reaches out, just for a moment, for the edge of his coatsleeve, her only emotion a clear, pure concern.]
... Are.. you okay--??
[... well, and then they both immediately will get zapped, so that concern quickly vanishes as she yelps and pulls her hand away, falling backwards onto the floor from the motion.]
[It's late in the afternoon when she resolves to go find Raven. She checks all his usual spots - the jails, the pub, where she had yelled at him at the train station.
Only when the sun is just starting to color the sky with dusk does she walk to where she'd first met him, slowing with hesitation when she sees him sitting there, the same body but a different man.
[He sure doesn't seem to be busy. He seems to have gathered up some flowers? But now he's just sitting, holding them loosely in his hands, seemingly deep in thought.
But he looks up when Hikaru approaches.]
If you wish. I can't promise to have the answers you want, though.
And yet, Hikaru sits and watches the entire investigation as soon as they wake up, taking only a moment to run outside to grab something before kneeling right back down with her fists tight against her skirt, her face growing more pained with every body that's found.
It's only when it's over, when the announcement rings out on their PHS, that she carefully picks up four white wildflowers from a pile she'd just brought in from the woods outside, holding them tightly against her chest as she closes her eyes. She doesn't bend herself prostrate to the floor. But prayer is prayer, nonetheless, and her daemon stays quiet nearby, flame completely extinguished.]
[Raven hadn't been watching the investigation, to be honest, but he happens to come looking for Hikaru, and eventually wanders in here, his daemon on his heels, wandering in ahead of him to sniff at Hikaru's]
Hey now, you're gonna wear yourself out watching all this when we've got the trial ta watch tomorrow. [Hikaru, please!!!]
[Raven was just trotting into the sitting area to have a nice comfy sit down with his favorite niece! And then comes that PHS ping with the team rankings. But that's not important. What is important is what comes with it. A memory, flooding back. A memory he couldn't have, shouldn't have forgotten.
It should have been his responsibility. It shouldn't have happened at all. He only existed for this to happen. He wasn't needed anymore.
Raven is halfway across the room to sit with Hikaru when his eyes just go wide with shock and he crumples to the floor, as if stricken.]
[She's relieved that the execution had been peaceful, though a little burnt out on her own exhaustion. So when she sees Raven approaching from across the room, she's perking up with a tired smile, just as the PHS notifications go off--
Hers hits subtly, like the startle of a strong wind against your back, a noticeable change even if she can't place it anymore. But it means her eyes are fully forward to see Raven pitch forward onto the floor.]
--Oji-san?!
[She doesn't give it a second thought. Hikaru scrambles from her seat immediately, jumping over the arm of the couch and dropping to his side, a hand on his arm while the other hovers, unsure if he's going to pass out completely.]
Oji-san! Oji-san, what-- what happened, are you okay???
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WEEK ZERO, SATURDAY, POST-TRIAL
...
Raven-san...
Can we talk?
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Of course. We had a rough day, huh.
[He's just gonna sit himself down on the grass here, she's free to join him.]
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...Why did you say what you said, Raven-san? About sacrificing yourself.
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cw: suicidal ideation for the rest of this thread?????? damn idk what to tag this with
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this thread is now hilarious in retrospect
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Wee 1 Monday morning
They really oughta warn us they're gonna pull a stunt like this, don't ya think-
As he peeks into the next pod, expecting Shiro, but instead;]
Hikaru!?
[For some reason, Raven's still just wearing his same clothes to sleep, though he's taken off his jackets and belt, and his hair is down. Still, that voice and pink shirt's pretty unmistakeable.]
Haha Wee 1... immortalizes it so u cannot edit
Hearing her name gets her to stir and sit up, her pajamas not much more than bright pink pajama pants and an oversized tshirt with a puppy plastered on the front.]
Hnwha-- Hilda-chan, wh-
[......
Oh that's a man?? This isn't her bed?? HELLO??
Face going red, she shrieks and throws her pillow at his face.]
wee 1 sounds like a sad clown horn which is fitting... I am a sad clown
Rather than trying to verbally convince her that this is fine because in many ways it is not, he's just going to move out of her line of sight/projectiles, and see if his stuff is in this... weird pod. specifically his hair tie. Maybe his visage first thing in the morning will be easier to process if he gets his hair tied back? Maybe.]
Y'know, I just woke up here all of a sudden same as you.
from a distance, tiny and sad: honk.....
:pensive:
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god.... the start of the week when she was still fucking happy
A SIMPLER TIME....
week 1 friday morning
He's actually a bit alarmed when he finds the door not locked but clearly blocked by something, and lo it's exactly what he expected, Hikaru's unconscious body. He practically drops the tray of food on the floor when he manages to get the door open, setting it down heavily as he crouches down to try and shake her awake.]
Hey, hey, Hikaru, rise and shine darling-
[Trying to sound nonchalant but there's the edge of anxiety as the phrase "Please don't be dead" plays on repeat in his head.]
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She is, somehow, looking worse, all that harder to rouse. But she's still warm, still breathing, her color still perfectly fine even for how much of a tired ragdoll she currently is curled up near the door.
It takes a minute, so rip Raven's heart rate, but her eyes will eventually flutter, face screwing up at the light from the inn hallway.]
...Nn...R... Raven...?
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The door is open.
The door is open.
Hikaru's eyes suddenly widen, filling with tears as she collapses onto Raven's lap.]
Raven-san! Y-you're... you're really okay, you're....
[Time to cry.]
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Sorry, old Raven lost track of time and the door locked on me... Why were ya sleepin’ on the floor?
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WEEK ONE - SATURDAY - POST-TRIAL
UNLIKE literally everyone else, Raven has the key for the door. Congratulations! You still live here.
Whenever he gets back to the room, Hikaru has shut the privacy door to her pod, though the lights are still on inside. It is. Very obvious that she is crying into a pillow, from the sound of it.
anyway how you doin dad]
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He honestly does stand there for a solid like five minutes at least just sorta frozen with indecision since it's not like she probably really knows he's there??? Should he leave her alone?? Say something??? He's terrible at this. Why did the Realm put him in this situation??
Well, he supposes he can just leave it to Hikaru to decide. So he knocks on her pod.]
Hikaru? Ya want me ta get you anything?
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There's the rustling of bedcovers, her sniffing as she tries to wipe off her face and recollect herself.]
N-no.
No, I'm fine, Raven-san. Thank you.
[Obviously, she's tired. She's sad. But if anything, she just sounds so vividly angry.]
You were arguing with a lot of people at the end.
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winks
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WEEK TWO - TUESDAY MORNING
So where in the world is he?
Curiosity quickly turns to concern as Hikaru starts to explore more thoroughly on Tuesday. He's not in any of the spots that she usually can find him in town, so she moves to the docks. No luck in the pub, and not anywhere on the ship. The fort's such a big place, and just thinking about having to run around the whole thing is exhausting... but she starts on the ground floor, poking her head in wherever she can, wherever hasn't been totally ravaged by whatever came through and destroyed this place.
When she finally spots someone in the jail, the relief she emits is overwhelming.]
Ahh --- Raven-san! I've been looking everywhere for you--!!
What are you doing in here?
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Jus' havin' a little lie down.
[If he says he was hiding she'll scold him probably.]
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Way out here??? I was starting to get scared when I couldn't find you yesterday, you know...
[Still, this seems more... weird than normal Raven weird. She's quiet as she crouches next to the cot, eyes flicking to the bottle nearby. She reaches out, just for a moment, for the edge of his coatsleeve, her only emotion a clear, pure concern.]
... Are.. you okay--??
[... well, and then they both immediately will get zapped, so that concern quickly vanishes as she yelps and pulls her hand away, falling backwards onto the floor from the motion.]
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WEEK TWO - THURSDAY
Only when the sun is just starting to color the sky with dusk does she walk to where she'd first met him, slowing with hesitation when she sees him sitting there, the same body but a different man.
...]
Schwann-san.
Can... I speak with you?
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But he looks up when Hikaru approaches.]
If you wish. I can't promise to have the answers you want, though.
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Can I sit with you?
If you're mad at me for yelling, or for calling you the wrong thing, or for being upset... I can go. I just...
I... want to figure out what happened.
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WEEK FIVE - FRIDAY
And yet, Hikaru sits and watches the entire investigation as soon as they wake up, taking only a moment to run outside to grab something before kneeling right back down with her fists tight against her skirt, her face growing more pained with every body that's found.
It's only when it's over, when the announcement rings out on their PHS, that she carefully picks up four white wildflowers from a pile she'd just brought in from the woods outside, holding them tightly against her chest as she closes her eyes. She doesn't bend herself prostrate to the floor. But prayer is prayer, nonetheless, and her daemon stays quiet nearby, flame completely extinguished.]
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Hey now, you're gonna wear yourself out watching all this when we've got the trial ta watch tomorrow.
[Hikaru, please!!!]
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week five, sunday
It should have been his responsibility. It shouldn't have happened at all. He only existed for this to happen. He wasn't needed anymore.
Raven is halfway across the room to sit with Hikaru when his eyes just go wide with shock and he crumples to the floor, as if stricken.]
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Hers hits subtly, like the startle of a strong wind against your back, a noticeable change even if she can't place it anymore. But it means her eyes are fully forward to see Raven pitch forward onto the floor.]
--Oji-san?!
[She doesn't give it a second thought. Hikaru scrambles from her seat immediately, jumping over the arm of the couch and dropping to his side, a hand on his arm while the other hovers, unsure if he's going to pass out completely.]
Oji-san! Oji-san, what-- what happened, are you okay???
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WEEK SEVEN - FRIDAY
Oji-san? Um... can we talk?
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Sure. What's up?
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