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[ the others will probably make their own but here we are.
anyway, the door to the principal's office is kind of closed, but it's not that hard to realize someone is in there? for one thing there's music at a low volume playing. for another, there's the sound of someone typing. so if he is nosy enough to peek, he will find kiraman seated at the desk and hunched over his laptop as usual.
he doesn't seem that involved in whatever he's doing though, because he pauses and looks up when he hears the door open. ]
Jing Yuan. [ a little nod of greeting, and then he's staring for a moment to see if he's actually needed or if the guy's just wandering around. also a quick once-over to make sure he's in one piece, actually. ]
anyway, the door to the principal's office is kind of closed, but it's not that hard to realize someone is in there? for one thing there's music at a low volume playing. for another, there's the sound of someone typing. so if he is nosy enough to peek, he will find kiraman seated at the desk and hunched over his laptop as usual.
he doesn't seem that involved in whatever he's doing though, because he pauses and looks up when he hears the door open. ]
Jing Yuan. [ a little nod of greeting, and then he's staring for a moment to see if he's actually needed or if the guy's just wandering around. also a quick once-over to make sure he's in one piece, actually. ]
[ oh, how groovy...! ]
...Principal.
[ said with a wry smile. ]
If you'll allow the interruption, I'd like to ask a few questions.
[ also jing yuan looks fine for the most part. still his younger version. he's got some mild burns that have been bandaged over, but most of it is hidden under his clothes. (i have no idea what ectoblasts do to fabric.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]
...Principal.
[ said with a wry smile. ]
If you'll allow the interruption, I'd like to ask a few questions.
[ also jing yuan looks fine for the most part. still his younger version. he's got some mild burns that have been bandaged over, but most of it is hidden under his clothes. (i have no idea what ectoblasts do to fabric.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]
[ lailah is in the church after trial (surprise surprise) just sitting in the otherwise empty pews. she notices jing yuan enter, but remains quiet until he's closer, perhaps finishing a silent prayer.
but then she'll offer him a weak smile. ]
Not that I would be much help in a trial like that, but I do wish we could at least try.
but then she'll offer him a weak smile. ]
Not that I would be much help in a trial like that, but I do wish we could at least try.
[ yeah sometimes for some ungodly known reason your character gets a canonic playlist/band assigned to them. also the way our trial went unhinged, but he probably would've let jy defend himself from brimstone anyway, so he's mostly making sure he's not, like, double-dying. there's a soft huff with the principal joke, but he waves a hand. ]
Yeah. Pull up a chair from... somewhere. [ one of the baby chairs? whatever, actually, he just concentrates for a moment before creating one out of thin air for him to have a seat. ]
What kind of questions?
Yeah. Pull up a chair from... somewhere. [ one of the baby chairs? whatever, actually, he just concentrates for a moment before creating one out of thin air for him to have a seat. ]
What kind of questions?
[ TRIAL WAS SO FUNNY TO WATCH... popcorns furiously. and jing yuan has taken worse hits tbh, though he does seat himself carefully as to not to make things hurt more than necessary. ]
My thanks.
[ ah, where even to start. ]
About our circumstances, and about yourself. There's much I still don't know.
...Most pressing, is that there has been an undeniable pattern in these incidents. [ kind of an oblique way to say, whatever is happening to compel people to kill. ] Have you found the reason for it, yet...?
My thanks.
[ ah, where even to start. ]
About our circumstances, and about yourself. There's much I still don't know.
...Most pressing, is that there has been an undeniable pattern in these incidents. [ kind of an oblique way to say, whatever is happening to compel people to kill. ] Have you found the reason for it, yet...?
[ well SOMEONE only hangs out in the graveyard or the dark chao garden so choose your poison, either way she's hanging out near things that look like tombstones.
jing yuan is up there in the list of people who are allowed to talk to her so she does greet him with a nod ]
Looking for respite?
[ no one goes in the dark and dreary areas... she'd know... ]
jing yuan is up there in the list of people who are allowed to talk to her so she does greet him with a nod ]
Looking for respite?
[ no one goes in the dark and dreary areas... she'd know... ]
[ this is all very fair. it's not like kiraman wouldn't ask these same questions himself, so he doesn't seem particularly bothered. granted, some of these are also easier to answer than others. ]
I've been checking what I can on our end of things. The other angels are right that it's outside interference, but I've been running some crossreferences to see if anything comes up. [ a glance to a pair of glasses on the table next to his computer, but nothing lingering. ] It would be easier if I could talk to God and get some idea of what they're already trying, but I'm flying blind here. The obvious answer is behavioral manipulation. But how that's occurring is still unseen.
... but the other angels are working on figuring it out, too. They might have more resources if they know where to look. [ he has not spoken to them, but he does know this anyway. ]
I've been checking what I can on our end of things. The other angels are right that it's outside interference, but I've been running some crossreferences to see if anything comes up. [ a glance to a pair of glasses on the table next to his computer, but nothing lingering. ] It would be easier if I could talk to God and get some idea of what they're already trying, but I'm flying blind here. The obvious answer is behavioral manipulation. But how that's occurring is still unseen.
... but the other angels are working on figuring it out, too. They might have more resources if they know where to look. [ he has not spoken to them, but he does know this anyway. ]
[ ANYTHING FOR YOU MISS LAILAH!!! it's totally fine he can (literally) walk off the minor injuries. ]
It does feel frustrating, not to be able to lend them our help. But I think they would appreciate the sentiment, if they knew.
[ (he is going to be haunted by 'horse' forever... jk.) jing yuan smiles softly in return, and sits down carefully beside her. ]
...Not that last week's trial was easy to witness, but today's felt especially... [ gruesome. BRITT! ELI!! ] arduous.
[ but also, he's curious... ] Did you have a religious upbringing, Miss Lailah?
It does feel frustrating, not to be able to lend them our help. But I think they would appreciate the sentiment, if they knew.
[ (he is going to be haunted by 'horse' forever... jk.) jing yuan smiles softly in return, and sits down carefully beside her. ]
...Not that last week's trial was easy to witness, but today's felt especially... [ gruesome. BRITT! ELI!! ] arduous.
[ but also, he's curious... ] Did you have a religious upbringing, Miss Lailah?
[ YOU ALL REALLY SAID (haru voice) LEAVE HOSPITAL GRAMPA... he can stop by the cemetery after visiting the church, since at least those two are pretty close together... though ngl he would just soldier onto the dark chao garden if needed.
he gives her a nod in return, and a lopsided smile. ]
It depends. Is there any to be found here?
he gives her a nod in return, and a lopsided smile. ]
It depends. Is there any to be found here?
So no way to prevent it, then. [ not yet at least... and that is troubling. ]
And no idea how long this condition might last for, either...? That is to say, I worry for Miss Firefly. I did not truly return to my senses until after my expulsion.
[ hawke is already here, and he can only assume neverah is on the way. ]
And no idea how long this condition might last for, either...? That is to say, I worry for Miss Firefly. I did not truly return to my senses until after my expulsion.
[ hawke is already here, and he can only assume neverah is on the way. ]
If you lie down in an open grave, hardly anyone will think to look.
[ which is to say she won't tell if he wants to hide in the dirt, ]
[ which is to say she won't tell if he wants to hide in the dirt, ]
[ he's fine... he's tough....... ]
I could be another set of hands, if nothing else.
[ but she gives him a little nod, welcoming him to sit and stay as long as he likes. and also kind of just a 'yeah' at the thing about today's trial. yeah. YEAH. ]
Ah, yes. I'm with the Sisterhood back home. At Trinity. [ this clarification means nothing to him. ]
I could be another set of hands, if nothing else.
[ but she gives him a little nod, welcoming him to sit and stay as long as he likes. and also kind of just a 'yeah' at the thing about today's trial. yeah. YEAH. ]
Ah, yes. I'm with the Sisterhood back home. At Trinity. [ this clarification means nothing to him. ]
[ he immediately looks around, as if seeking out an open grave. ]
Given my age, I believe at least one or two may try. [ haha. his terrible old man jokes. ] But it is a good suggestion, regardless.
[ curiously, ] Does this place remind you of home?
[ finding a nun in a church, and then a goth in a cemetery... the math is mathing ]
Given my age, I believe at least one or two may try. [ haha. his terrible old man jokes. ] But it is a good suggestion, regardless.
[ curiously, ] Does this place remind you of home?
[ finding a nun in a church, and then a goth in a cemetery... the math is mathing ]
Even if it's dormant... [ a shake of his head. ] There's no guarantee it's officially gone from Firefly. Even if something's been removed, there are still traces that could be left behind without a full reset.
[ which. he sort of has complicated feelings on this, judging by the sudden frown, but he ignores that. ]
And the thing about it is depending on her next actions, it could accelerate and take over again. It's another reason I need to get us back online, I have to make sure they know that's a possibility. [ it's an assumption, but. ] To be honest, I'm a little surprised someone didn't decide to take care of the problem with her themselves this week.
[ not that he condones murdering, but there are some cases you might have to. ]
[ which. he sort of has complicated feelings on this, judging by the sudden frown, but he ignores that. ]
And the thing about it is depending on her next actions, it could accelerate and take over again. It's another reason I need to get us back online, I have to make sure they know that's a possibility. [ it's an assumption, but. ] To be honest, I'm a little surprised someone didn't decide to take care of the problem with her themselves this week.
[ not that he condones murdering, but there are some cases you might have to. ]
Sometimes. Our family cemetery wasn't anywhere near a church, of course, but I've always enjoyed crashing funerals. Open caskets were my favorite.
[ she says this like that's normal. ]
Though this place is nothing but aesthetics. I do miss the corpses.
[ she says this like that's normal. ]
Though this place is nothing but aesthetics. I do miss the corpses.
[ given their dwindling numbers... they really could use the extra set of hands. but he doesn't say that part out loud. ]
I believe you would offer additional insight as well.
[ and honestly, in a way he's seeking that insight from her presently. ]
...Trinity? Is that the name of an establishment?
I believe you would offer additional insight as well.
[ and honestly, in a way he's seeking that insight from her presently. ]
...Trinity? Is that the name of an establishment?
I don't know about that. I'm good at organizing information, but I've never really been faced with these kinds of... puzzles before.
[ putting what is happening here very mildly. ]
Oh, yes. It's my school.
[ putting what is happening here very mildly. ]
Oh, yes. It's my school.
...Mhm. I imagine they wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. [ honestly, given the difference in temperaments between the victim and the killer... ]
I fear my own incident may have left some confusion. Some thought I was under the influence of mara [ honkai bs ], but it was not so. ...The apple tree also introduced an external motive, possibly making external influence more difficult to parse.
[ at least, those are the reasons why he thiiiinks things went the way they did. ]
Regardless... I was expecting the same. [ for someone to nip the problem at the bud. ]
...Have you experienced a full reset before, Kiraman?
[ he did see the sudden frown. ]
I fear my own incident may have left some confusion. Some thought I was under the influence of mara [ honkai bs ], but it was not so. ...The apple tree also introduced an external motive, possibly making external influence more difficult to parse.
[ at least, those are the reasons why he thiiiinks things went the way they did. ]
Regardless... I was expecting the same. [ for someone to nip the problem at the bud. ]
...Have you experienced a full reset before, Kiraman?
[ he did see the sudden frown. ]
Don't be absurd. Your beating heart would ruin the picture.
Considering how many people believed her story about it being self-defense, I don't doubt that's the case. It's easy for us to say it was obvious she wasn't being truthful, but we're over here and we have more information. [ a pause. ] I don't think it's entirely bad for them to be angry they were killed. But I do think there's a disconnect they're forgetting once they're here.
[ that is to say, he's not entirely a fan of them assuming the living side should be figuring out the answers so easily when they're obviously working with something complex. maybe he's a little biased. ]
Mara being a disease, I'm guessing. It's easy to write it off as a one-off, but when the pattern starts to repeat, you have to start looking at the script and find where it's looping. It'll keep repeating until you give it another problem to access and work on. From that the angels were saying, that tree wasn't supposed to have those weird apples. More outside influence, but on a smaller scale. If it remains there, it won't be long before it becomes a bigger problem. People are going to ge scared and what reassurance they'll get what they want even if they die for it.
[ but. ah. well. ]
The first time I died I knew what I was getting into. And when I woke up twenty years later, they told me they weren't able to remove everything even after that. So I corroded a second time. It's why I'm wondering how deep this thing goes.
[ that is to say, he's not entirely a fan of them assuming the living side should be figuring out the answers so easily when they're obviously working with something complex. maybe he's a little biased. ]
Mara being a disease, I'm guessing. It's easy to write it off as a one-off, but when the pattern starts to repeat, you have to start looking at the script and find where it's looping. It'll keep repeating until you give it another problem to access and work on. From that the angels were saying, that tree wasn't supposed to have those weird apples. More outside influence, but on a smaller scale. If it remains there, it won't be long before it becomes a bigger problem. People are going to ge scared and what reassurance they'll get what they want even if they die for it.
[ but. ah. well. ]
The first time I died I knew what I was getting into. And when I woke up twenty years later, they told me they weren't able to remove everything even after that. So I corroded a second time. It's why I'm wondering how deep this thing goes.
[ lailah: our weekly enrichment... (IM JK!!!!)
jing yuan smiles in understanding. ]
Information and organization are the basis for solving those kinds of puzzles. [ he loves a mental exercise though unfortunately... not ones quite like these... ] Your skills would be indispensable, I'm sure.
[ ... ]
Is this school where you also learned [ ... ] long-ranged combat?
jing yuan smiles in understanding. ]
Information and organization are the basis for solving those kinds of puzzles. [ he loves a mental exercise though unfortunately... not ones quite like these... ] Your skills would be indispensable, I'm sure.
[ ... ]
Is this school where you also learned [ ... ] long-ranged combat?
[ yeah she just locks in on the puzzle and does nothing else. (no) ]
Thank you for saying so. I wonder if we're lucky or not that we won't find out until transport is restored.
[ which surely will happen much sooner than just before the end of the game. surely. ]
That's right. It's part of the standard curriculum blu-rays that we watch in class. Though I'll admit, we all still do much better when Sensei is around. [ she does pause for a second though because she HAS actually had some months around other people to acclimate to what is and is not normal in other worlds. or at least. a few details. ] It may be worth mentioning that where I'm from, every girl carries a firearm and combat is very common. And nonlethal.
Thank you for saying so. I wonder if we're lucky or not that we won't find out until transport is restored.
[ which surely will happen much sooner than just before the end of the game. surely. ]
That's right. It's part of the standard curriculum blu-rays that we watch in class. Though I'll admit, we all still do much better when Sensei is around. [ she does pause for a second though because she HAS actually had some months around other people to acclimate to what is and is not normal in other worlds. or at least. a few details. ] It may be worth mentioning that where I'm from, every girl carries a firearm and combat is very common. And nonlethal.
[ he nods. ] It seems this influence doesn't manifest quite the same way in each killer, either. Myself included. [ which, makes sense, if it is based on behavior. ] ...And for the most part, we are all strangers to each other. We cannot truly know what is on each other's minds, given the short time we've spent together.
[ he doesn't even know firefly is from his world. but he does know his own circumstances have been as fortunate as they could possibly be, with charlie being as forgiving as she is, and jiaoqiu there to vouch for his character. (a little adjacent to the topic, but while he doesn't fault anyone for being angry, he of course has sympathy for those afflicted.) ]
...Mara could be called a disease, yes, or a curse. [ wryly, ] It originated, alongside my people's immortality, from the fruit of the Ambrosial Arbor. It is difficult not to draw comparison to a sinful apple tree.
...So this outside influence means to sow discord, and to hinder us from reaching redemption.
[ another pause. ]
This corrosion you speak of... How did it happen in the first place? What is it?
[ he doesn't even know firefly is from his world. but he does know his own circumstances have been as fortunate as they could possibly be, with charlie being as forgiving as she is, and jiaoqiu there to vouch for his character. (a little adjacent to the topic, but while he doesn't fault anyone for being angry, he of course has sympathy for those afflicted.) ]
...Mara could be called a disease, yes, or a curse. [ wryly, ] It originated, alongside my people's immortality, from the fruit of the Ambrosial Arbor. It is difficult not to draw comparison to a sinful apple tree.
...So this outside influence means to sow discord, and to hinder us from reaching redemption.
[ another pause. ]
This corrosion you speak of... How did it happen in the first place? What is it?
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