fracturarpg | [mingle] the space (january).

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[mingle] the space (january).

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

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[ Wait, what? There's a lot happening at once all of a sudden. She blinks in surprise at the other, like she's trying to figure out what to unpack here first.

.. apparently it's the last part. Since it's so sudden and random. ]

Gloomy? Why?

I'm gloomy.

[ Very helpful with how she says it with little inflection.

That's all the answer Minako gets. ]

That's exactly what you said just now!

[ It takes a lot to out-quirk Minako, but somehow she's being forced into the straight man role in this comedy duo here regardless.. ]

Or.. wait, am I supposed to help you feel less gloomy before you give me answers? Are you like one of those wise sages who live on mountain tops like in the stories?

[ ....

That's the first time anyone's thought that about me. Her thought is flung into ether (well, for Minako to hear) from her surprise, not that it shows too much on her face. ]

I'm gloomy.

You really have to be a wiseman if you can use telepathy. [ Also, yes, Minako is taking the fact she can hear the other's thoughts rather calmly. She's seen a lot of weird things back home, okay, and with how weird this place is finding someone she can hear double feels almost appropriate. ]

Sorry though, I don't know what I can do about that gloomy thing. This doesn't exactly look like the kind of place with an arcade or a concert hall right around the corner.

[ She shakes her head. She can't use telepathy, and she doesn't need an arcade or concert hall.

It's just something she has a habit of saying, but it's not something she tells people. She's weird enough, and even if she's better at handling how people think of her lately, ]

I'm Utsutsu.

[ "I'm gloomy" is a pun off her name. ]

[ Minako is quiet for a moment.

But then it finally seems to hit her. Considering Minako loves dumb puns, she probably should have figured it out earlier, but suddenly being thrown into a weird situation like this doesn't exactly prime your brains to pick up on these things.. ]

.. Oh.

[ Another quiet moment. Why are things suddenly so awkward! ]

Then.. do you know anything about this place?

[ She points to the marble slab. She knows as much as Minako knows.

Outside of weird time shenanigans.... ??? ]

Seems like we're both lost, then.

[ If her pointing at the slab means what Minako thinks it means. ]

I wonder if we could find something if we'd just look around here.. The person who wrote this has got to be around here somewhere, don't you think?

[ Lost is a good word for it. Utsutsu can't say that person isn't around, so she doesn't say no. ]

... Let's look.

[ She starts walking some random direction. If they don't know anything, any place is a good start, right? ]

[ It's true that Minako doesn't have much of a better plan in this situation. So off she goes, walking right after Utsutsu like a duckling. ]

What were you doing before you turned up here?

[ The other doesn't seem to be too wordy, but Minako figures that's the kind of question you could give a simple answer to. And maybe it'd give them a clue as to why they're here, or why they're supposedly 'broken'. ]

I was...

[ She trails off, and her eyes lower as she thinks. It's almost as if... she's forgetting something, but she's not...? ]

We went against the atmosphere and told the world to stop and think.

Against.. the atmosphere? [ She sounds kind of confused.

Minako has gone up against a lot of weird things herself, but what the other is saying still doesn't make much sense to her regardless. ]

And did that work? [ ??? Whatever she was doing, anyway? ]

Yes. We hung in there.

[ Their walking... their exploring... is getting them somewhere, not that Utsutsu knows where.

It's a pretty place, but it doesn't help much.

She hesitates before she asks: ]

What... about you?

Ah, well..

[ Her voice trails off for a moment. It almost seems like she needs a moment to remember it, but it's more just that Minako is deciding just how honest to be about this. ]

Nothing special. I was just going to school with my friends. [ It's not a full on lie, but she's definitely leaving out the part where they just defeated a literal destroyer of planets. ] So all of this is pretty weird to me. I mean, it sure beats having math class first thing in the morning, but still!

[ So... a normal high school student...? She's taking this all in stride almost like.... ? Utsutsu can't describe it.

School isn't the happiest place on Earth for Utsutsu, but... ]

We know school.

[ Minako glances at her, a clear - though very exaggerated - look of sympathy in her eyes.

Dramatically: ] I'm so sorry.

[ School isn't even that terrible for Minako, she's just lazy and hates having to work for it.. ]

At least it seems like there's no school here. But if there was, then I'd know for sure this was just a nightmare.

[ That's a little funny, and it gets a small smile out of Utsutsu. ]

It would be okay.

Hey, this is the point where you're supposed to agree with me. [ She doesn't seem genuinely upset by it though. If not just because Utsutsu is smiling, and Minako is weak. So very weak.

So she just pouts in a way that's just obviously playfully going along with it. ] And then we bond, and we become life-long friends over this really, really weird experience of being dragged to this place. Something like that.

[ She perks up. She can't tell how much of that is a joke or not, how much she should believe in that, but the thought is nice. It's very nice. ]

Really....?

[ Kidding or not, Minako would want to be friends...? ]

[ Not quite the response Minako expected. Then again, nothing about Utsutsu is quite like anything Minako expected.

But no matter how unexpected the reaction is.. it's kind of cute. And of course Minako is super flattered by someone seeming so happy about being friends with her. ]

Of course! [ She smiles, easily answering. ] We have to stick together in these kinds of confusing situations, don't you think?

[ Stick together... She's not someone who usually goes along with the crowd or a mood, but there is something about Minako... Her cheerfulness is almost infectious.

She nods.

The train is coming from the distance, and Utsutsu looks in its direction. ]

Do we get on?

[ Is it something they can trust? ]

[ She's not so sure about the trusting part, considering everything here is still super weird and suspicious to Minako. But.. ]

Sure, let's try it out. If anything happens, just leave it to me, okay? [ She flexes an arm. There's not really much noticable muscle going on there, but-- ] I'll protect you if anything happens! I'm stronger than I look, you know.

... I feel gloomy.

[ There isn't any inflection in her voice, but there is a sense that there's some doubt there. Maybe it's in the way that Utsutsu's subtly side eyes Minako.

The train comes to a halt at the train stop near them, and the doors open. ]

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[mingle] the space (january).

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