[ nodd has hidden himself away for the moment in the simulation room. he knows how to meditate, how to control his feelings, but everyone else keeps knocking against his carefully built Serenity Walls.
he's set the room to appear as though he's sitting with legs folded on a large lilypad in an endless pond.
when someone walks in, he attempts neutrality. Calm. Even. ]
[Sora wonders if this being a simulation makes the lilypad hold the weight of Nodd. This room truly is a wonder]
Oh dear. Did I interrupt something?
[She's asking politely, having intended to use the simulation room, but seems she came at the wrong time. Her vibes are guarded, she keeping an imperfect lid on them in a manner that suggests she does this all the time]
[ it feels like floor, mostly, given the simulation room's limitations. consequently, nodd adjusted the bar until it was on the floor; all he asked for is less traffic than the mess hall or bathroom.
And look! one person's company? delightful. welcome. ]
[ yesss. look, sora is an adult. nodd is desperate to chill with adults to the point he did go back and look at the profiles for more than a skim. to make her acquaintance is a delight. ]
You can make it almost anything. Even look like your home, if you want it to.
[ a hesitation there. that strikes nodd as spooky. living in a ghost-memory. ]
[Truthfully that's exactly what Sora was planning to do. She makes a gesture, beckoning Nodd to approach to her side while she opens the I.R.I.S to try to figure out how to do this properly]
[Others sure are more...medieval? It's surprising. In matter of times, to a side, a concrete floor forms, with a fence. This is a rooftop, around five stories above the ground, giving a view of several buildings and a surprisingly expansive garden that looks more like a forest. In the distance, there's Tokyo, with its intimidating urbanscape]
This is as close to home as I can make it. Welcome to Shin Mikado Academy, Mr. Nodd. We're currently on the main building.
[ nodd has now gone to his room to grab his keys because he's been sober for far, far too long. he offers sora a weak wave when she passes by his Yes Smoking corner of the evening. ]
...it's difficult to keep anything quiet on this ship.
[Sora sighs]
Shortly before I was brought here, Shin Mikado has been sealed away into a pocket dimension. Breaking the Pactbearers' pacts is the only way to undo it.
Either they do so voluntarily, which they almost never do...or you break the pact yourself by shattering their Ideals. I'm aware it's all a lot to hear about.
[Yeah, Sora Jingu is the one who does the exposition dump for the players' benefit]
[ mushrooms shed, princess hair gone. for the moment, nodd looks normal, for himself. which doesn't change that the aura around him is absolutely unbearable. toxic vibes as he sits on the floor on the observation deck, in one of those carved out smoking areas. not even smoking, as of right now. knees to chest. spacing out, perhaps. get it. ]
[Indeed, there she is. Looking very human right now even though it was revealed to everyone that she's anything but. She's not worried at all everyone hard that -- there are other things she'd have been more concerned about had she been alive]
Oh. Thank you.
[She takes one of the cups, staring at Nodd pretty openly. She's mentally comparing the Nodd she sees now to that portrait from that mission she went to last week]
[Was the backstory premise of it accurate, she wonders. Her theory is that these missions are the worlds trying to insert them into the setting as if it was some sort of strange AU]
I'm pretty sure if Scien, Nero and I hadn't gotten away, we'd have been locked for years. Do they really let students leave, after completing their studies?
[She's not convinced that's what happens, even though it's an academy]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
WEEK 0; MONDAY
he's set the room to appear as though he's sitting with legs folded on a large lilypad in an endless pond.
when someone walks in, he attempts neutrality. Calm. Even. ]
Hello there.
no subject
Oh dear. Did I interrupt something?
[She's asking politely, having intended to use the simulation room, but seems she came at the wrong time. Her vibes are guarded, she keeping an imperfect lid on them in a manner that suggests she does this all the time]
no subject
And look! one person's company? delightful. welcome. ]
Not at all. Did you need the room?
[ can he staaaaay? ]
no subject
[She keeps looking around]
Besides, it'd be a pity to undo this. It's...actually quite peaceful-looking. I'm impressed.
[Definitely stay, Nodd]
no subject
You can make it almost anything. Even look like your home, if you want it to.
[ a hesitation there. that strikes nodd as spooky. living in a ghost-memory. ]
no subject
[Truthfully that's exactly what Sora was planning to do. She makes a gesture, beckoning Nodd to approach to her side while she opens the I.R.I.S to try to figure out how to do this properly]
Are you familiar with large cities, Mr. Nodd?
no subject
[ nodd joins her. ]
Spent a lot of my younger days in one.
no subject
[Others sure are more...medieval? It's surprising. In matter of times, to a side, a concrete floor forms, with a fence. This is a rooftop, around five stories above the ground, giving a view of several buildings and a surprisingly expansive garden that looks more like a forest. In the distance, there's Tokyo, with its intimidating urbanscape]
This is as close to home as I can make it. Welcome to Shin Mikado Academy, Mr. Nodd. We're currently on the main building.
[This is huge, for a high school!]
no subject
Wow.
[ a low whistle. He steps toward the garden, then back again, recalling none of this is real (and he could end up pacing into a wall) ]
And I thought the Palisades were big. This is enormous.
[ slightest ear wiggles. exciting! what large buildings all over! ]
no subject
A lot of this was built thanks to former students' gratitude. Their donations have been quite meaningful.
We wouldn't be able to do so well if it wasn't for them.
no subject
Can I see the inside?
Week 0; Saturday. Post-Trial.
no subject
Ah, perhaps it's unsurprising you need a break right now, Mr. Nodd. It was an unnerving trial.
[Scien and Dahut's incident was such a gruesome one...and the trial's happenings didn't help]
no subject
You don't have to 'mister' me, if you don't want. Seems a bit formal.
[ a hint of humor to the words. she can do what she prefers. ]
no subject
[She says that with a bit of a smile, aware she sounds so formal and a little stiff]
no subject
[ that's not an insult nor necessarily a compliment. the smile accompanying the statement is slim and brief. ]
Anything like this happen at your Academy?
no subject
[There's a vibe that Sora is hiding stuff, really. The incident she might be thinking about must be quite significant]
no subject
I don't want to pry, but--
[ tapping at his own temple. ]
--you're leaking.
no subject
[Sora sighs]
Shortly before I was brought here, Shin Mikado has been sealed away into a pocket dimension. Breaking the Pactbearers' pacts is the only way to undo it.
no subject
How does one do that?
no subject
[Yeah, Sora Jingu is the one who does the exposition dump for the players' benefit]
W2; Saturday, Post-Trial
no subject
Would you like some company, Mr. Nodd? If not, I can always leave you alone.
no subject
[ that reminds him, actually, of how awful he is at that exact task. maybe should let it go. tilts head, cheek on knee. ]
We should have gone along with the two convict plan-- imagine that. That's where we ended up anyway.
w6 ; saturday
where would he find her? the observation deck? he has two cups of tea and will offer her one ]
no subject
Oh. Thank you.
[She takes one of the cups, staring at Nodd pretty openly. She's mentally comparing the Nodd she sees now to that portrait from that mission she went to last week]
How open are you with your past, Nodd?
no subject
anyway, sora stares and nodd stares back. she takes a cup and asks a question. ]
Scien mentioned you saw Sir Friendmore's.
[ begrudgingly, it wasn't mean of him to offer nodd that information. ]
Is there more you want to ask?
no subject
[Was the backstory premise of it accurate, she wonders. Her theory is that these missions are the worlds trying to insert them into the setting as if it was some sort of strange AU]
no subject
[ two crazy people having a totally normal conversation. ]
no subject
no subject
[ rubs back of his neck ]
Back when I went there, anyway. I hear it's changed some in recent years. New management or something.
no subject
[She's not convinced that's what happens, even though it's an academy]
no subject
[ absently. for nodd, that was never an option. ]
Soon as your family can quietly ship you off somewhere else more permanent. Or marry off.
no subject
So, is it accurate you faked your death as the way to escape? How was that plan like?
[She has to wonder that, because it didn't seen like an academy easy to escape from!]