Catch-All for North

[specialdog]

Comments

Week 1 | Post Death

[specialdog]

[ It's not like Akane and North really talked much at all up until now? Even in the escape room, they mostly got separated, but... At the same time... At the same time, they did work together. They had just been with Nana, together, and - Akane's been a little weirdly unaffected by the deaths up until now, but this time she actually looks visibly upset.

She and North are both in the residential area, but before Akane heads straight for her home she stops to talk to her. ]

What's the point of putting us through stuff like that if it doesn't help anyone?

[televised]

[Oh. That's a mood.

Death is something that happens A Lot, but it feels... different when it's someone you had recently spoken to. It's always jarring to think that a person could be here one moment, and gone the next. Which is why, similarly to Akane, North looks noticeably upset in comparison to her reaction to Tsurumaru's death last week.]

Could be they just enjoy watching us squirm. [BITTERLY...] They say getting rid of the darkness will help us, but this week is worse than the last.

[specialdog]

The longer this goes on and the better we all get to know each other, the worse it's going to get. [ Not that she cares!!!! She doesn't care!!!! She's not emotional or anything!! ]

It's like--is it always going to spread this fast? Did we slow it down at all? Would it have been even worse than this?

[ she is... aggravated. ]

[televised]

[She's not going to deign the first bit with a response because, hm. Let's not think about getting attached to people. It's bad.]

Nana was going to ask Sol about that, but she never got back to me with their answer. [So. Who knows if she even got to ask?] ... We're not going to last very long if the darkness keeps multiplying more quickly than we can kill its hosts, anyway. There weren't that many of us to begin with.

[specialdog]

Maybe Sol-san and Lune-san are already corrupted, and it's all just one big lie to sacrifice the group of us, one by one.

[ a morbid joke, but a joke none-the-less: ]

... Just kidding.

Week 1 | Post-Trial

[televised]

[AGAIN, IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA... North offers her a nod of acknowledgement when she sees her, curt.]

Hey.

[specialdog]

Hey. Good job, today.

[ Was that a compliment? Yes! Was it based on anything other than 'Akane saw North talking to people and not saying dumb shit?' No. But that's still an accomplishment. ]

... Have you thought about what to do with the talisman?

[televised]

Hm.

[It didn't feel like a good job, so she won't say anything. But.]

Of course I have. Why? Did you want to make a suggestion?

[specialdog]

I do!

[ You're so smart! ]

I want to make sure Valvatorez-san is okay.

Week 2 | Thursday

[televised]

[After a whole ass day of avoiding human contact, North is running into Akane in the residential area. After giving her a cursory look—]

Did everyone get stabbed?

[... Well. Everyone but North, apparently. She looks relatively unharmed, if not extremely tense. There's an itty bitty white dot on her neck, too.]

[specialdog]

[ Akane laughs, a bit nervously. ]

Not everyone, apparently!

[ And she is... Leeeaaaning closer to look at that dot? She's curious and also rude??? ]

[televised]

[As Akane leans closer, North leans back and away from her.]

Hey— [TERSELY.] Back off.




[... It looks a teeny bit plastic.]

[specialdog]

[ She draws back obediently, hands raised in surrender. ]

What is it? A zit?

[ ... Obviously not. ]

Week 2 | Friday

[specialdog]

[ In the evening, Akane is in the boutique, looking through the racks for an acceptable hoodie to wear in place of her usual one. Since this place is magic, she can have anything she wants--even something identical.

But she's also just here to clear her head and stretch her legs, so she's just. Sifting through hoodies until she notices North. ]

... I don't regret saving Valvatorez-san, but I wish we had another talisman.

[televised]

... Another talisman wouldn't be enough to save them with the number of partnerless we have.

[So that is... fine. It's fine. It's super fine.]

Did you go through with your idea?

[specialdog]

But some would be better than none, wouldn't it.

[ when you care about very specific people...

Akane nods, but. Well, people still died, so clearly it didn't have much of an impact. ]

[televised]

Maybe for another week.

[There's no use thinking about it, though, when there won't be enough partnerless to pair up everyone in the end.]

I take it you didn't see anything after curfew.

Week 3 | Post Trial

[specialdog]

[ Akane doesn't like the Fire area much. It's hoooot... But still, she saw North head off that way and felt like chatting, so. Looks like she followed! And she approaches North. ]

So there's another item to purify the corruption. Thank goodness.

[televised]

[It looks like she was going to train, but she'll pause once Akane approached her.]

So it seems. I can't believe our luck hasn't run out.

[specialdog]

Maybe not on that front.

But people are still dying.

[televised]

I know.

But this... It's a war of attrition. Everything we can do to minimize the damages buys us more time.

Weel 6 | Friday

[televised]

[HI.............. HELLO.........................

North is knocking on the door first because she's not a philistine.]

Akane— Are you there?

[specialdog]

[ There's a silence long enough that North might start to think Akane isn't even home, but then ]

... Yeah, come in.

[televised]

[Ah.

Well, then. Once she has permission to do so, she opens the door and steps inside.]

... Hey.

[What's the state of the Akane?]

[specialdog]

[ Well, she's just. Sitting on her bed, propped up against the wall. Playing on her phone, in theory, but really that just means holding her phone and staring off into space.

She has two kitties curled up with her, napping, so clearly no one here has moved in. Some time. ]