figlia_morbida | Ryslig

A-- mmm... I don't think I've had one... I'm not sure how I'd know...

[ And she's moving. Well, looks like she doesn't have much say in the matter. That's fine! She half-lays down in Trish's hands; her head and body do still hurt, and they'd like the rest after all, it seems. ]

There was that one time when we all went skiing... and then sometimes Nidai-kun's practices got pretty intense...

[ Trish has definitely already moved on and it takes Nanami a moment to realize that. ] Oh!! Um-- yes, yes that's fine! I'll show you!

[Trish has never had a concussion either, surprisingly. However:]

I knew a boy who went ass over tea kettle trying to impress us with his bike tricks. He assured everyone he was fine, then threw up all over the shared hallway after he tried to stagger to class.

[Unspoken but true: she only remembers this incident because of the vomit part. Vile.]

So unless you want to fly like you're drunk, you'll stay put until you feel somewhere closer to normal.

[Any amount of a persistent headache means you are banned, young lady. Harumph!!

Anyways, she has Nanami's agreement, and debates grabbing her purse before deciding it's not necessary. Instead, she adjusts her hold so the tiny faerie is held securely to her still-fuzzy chest. Annoying that her new form didn't banish the fluff entirely, but it's a small tuft compared to the usual mane she's got going on.

And then they're off! Toni is polite and jogs to the door, opening it and offering them a curtsy as Trish steps out.]

Who is Nidai, by the way? I don't think I've heard that name before.

Was he okay??

[ Nanami would much rather not throw up again. But Trish's chest is fuzzy, and she leans against it. Her pink friend is very soft and cozy after all. ]

Oh-- he's a friend! We went to school together. He was... [ And at this, Nanami feels a pang of longing for him. ] The Ultimate Team Manager. So he tried to bring everyone together with training, and things like that... he was very kind.

[ A gentle giant, in fact, much like Trish herself in night mode. ]

After some proper rest and hydration? Yes, he was.

[Heed the tale of the unfortunate daredevil, Nanami. Say no to flying while concussed.

Trish continues her promenade to the arcade meanwhile, listening to Nanami talk about someone from her home. The shady school, the place where Hinata learned to be so many things he walked away feeling like nothing. There's something to be said about pursuits for the sake of having them, rather than being passionate for them, and Hinata exemplified the emptiness of the achievement. But it seems like some people were specialized after all!

And Nanami, true to herself, made easy friends. Trish never got close to her peers that way, and she wonders about it. Not enough to be saddened or anything, but the general wonderment at how different Nanami's approach to people is.]

You have to be kind and motivated to be the heart of a group. It's like herding cats otherwise, I'd think.

[It strikes Trish that Nanami doesn't talk about home often, does she? Hm.]

...Did everyone at your school have a title?

[ There's something to that. For now, Nanami doesn't bring up how she was the one bringing together so much of the class, so much of the time - anyway, it wasn't just her; everybody had a hand in it, especially her teacher; even Komaeda played his own part.

So she's quiet for a little bit, not immediately answering Trish's question, as she reminisces. But eventually the question gets thru the faerie's head, and she looks up, squinting at the sunlight - when did they get outside? ]

Yeah. Well, sort of. Everyone in the main course had one. The reserve course didn't - so, Hinata-kun didn't have one. But all of my classmates did. Me too.

[ And, because she knows the question's coming, to get on top of it-- ]

I was the Ultimate Gamer. It was kind of silly, really...

[They've been outside for a few minutes, but Trish has been mindful of staying in the shade as much as possible. In fact she's missing her sunglasses about now, because the sun is awful on her tired eyes. Being a werebear is stupid.

Anyways, she continues their trek without pause, listening to Nanami explain. She remembers bits and pieces of what Hinata told her. She remembers being told someone died and the school officials covered it up. Nanami doesn't mention that, though, and frankly, unless she does, Trish won't. It's a sordid conversation about a place that seemed to have good students at the least. Hinata and Nanami are testaments to that.

Although Trish will admit she finds it weird that someone as stunningly intelligent as Hinata was on a "reserve" anything. For someone as driven as him, she'd expect him to be a class president at least. Not that he would nominate himself, but they'd vote for him anyway, if they had any good sense.

So Nanami's answer is interesting. Trish hums a vague noise of confusion.]

I'm surprised they'd have a title for something that isn't necessarily academic. You must've excelled in a way they couldn't have anticipated for them to grant you that.

Unless the titles don't have any particular weight other than as a vague honor system.

I can picture that too.

... It wasn't a normal school.

[ Hoo boy. How does she even begin talking about this. But frankly, Trish deserves to know. They've known each other long enough - they're close friends enough - somehow, Trish must have missed this from the stages, or from all of her other classmates talking about it.

It's not her business to tell their story. There's also only so much of it that she feels up for talking about, herself. But the faerie truthtelling hits, and hard - there's stuff she does want to tell Trish. ]

It was a school for cultivating talent. Everyone had a different one. They were studying us. We didn't have normal classes, we just had to improve our talent, and sometimes we had exams.

[ She curls up in Trish's hand, not looking at her now, just remembering. The campus, her memories... her friends. ]

Our sensei... she brought us together, for a little while. And I tried to keep us all together, after that... that's what made it special, really.

[ The best of a bad situation. ]

[Hinata is the only one to speak to Trish about HPA in any detail, and even he was conservative in what details he shared and what details he held close to his chest. Which was enough to tank Trish's estimation of the school. It sounded like a vanity project, an establishment without honor or appreciation for what it's student body had to offer.

Grim, in that they covered up crimes.

But Hinata was trained in anything and everything, and as a reserve course student, he seemed to be dragged from one skillset to the next when he didn't show particular acumen for whatever they put him on. Trish did wonder what happened to the people who showed natural talent, and now she's getting her answer. For the people who were stellar performers at a single thing, they were meant to cultivate that thing. Which seems agonizing, actually, if only because no matter what you do, there's a skill ceiling, isn't there? There's no such thing as eternal growth.

Not to mention they were being studied and that's proof positive it wasn't a normal school. It was a research project. To what end?

Nanami seems distant and sad in a way Trish doesn't often see from her, and she glances down at the faerie in her palm.]

I see. It sounds like your sensei was very kind.

[That word is odd on her tongue, but there's no mistaking the respect it conveys.

And while she's thinking about it:]

How did they measure the improvement they expected from you, Nanami?

... She was.

[ For a while. There's another part to that story. But one she's not ready to think about yet, not even to herself.

It's been months, and she still doesn't want to think about it.

Trish doesn't linger, and she's grateful. ] Oh-- exams, actually. They were televised. It was a way to show them how far you'd come since the last one.

[ A nostalgic little smile. ] One of my classmates actually... got them postponed, one year. Because we were all having a hard time.

[ She wonders if she'll ever see him again. She wonders if he's okay, floating out in the Sea of Stars. ]

Televised?

[Trish repeats, more than a little surprised. That seems...weird. Not to mention the pressure all of the students must have felt as a dog and pony show for a bunch of faceless entities who were doubtlessly funding the school and its endeavors. Nanami doesn't mention what happens if they don't impress...but the silence may speak for itself on that particular detail.

This school seemed to care little about cultivating happiness, with the way Nanami becomes somber over the details about it. It comes off as dehumanizing, and makes their milquetoast reaction to the murder Hinata mentioned make a terrible amount of sense. Nanami's cemented her estimation of the establishment as a vanity project with no morals to speak of, with that in mind.

No wonder that classmate said "to hell with this" and got the main event cancelled, then.]

That seems a little much. I'm glad he saw the sense in delaying them, for what little good they would do even on the best day possible.

[Hm...

Without thinking, Trish lowers her head to give Nanami a little kiss to her buggy head. She's not even looking at Nanami, ruminating instead while she makes sure not to catch her claws in the gaps of the sidewalk.]

Tell me more about your classmates instead. I think I've heard all I can stomach about the school itself.

[ Nanami's thinking about Komaeda again, missing him, wondering if she'll ever see him again... and is about to go into the details of how the "postponing" involved blowing up an entire auditorium-- when: suddenly, something wet and soft on her forehead.

Oh!

The gesture is kind, and unexpected, and makes Nanami feel warm. Her injured wings flutter in surprise, and then fold back against her. It takes the faerie a few seconds to recover herself. ]

Well... [ There's an easy smile that spreads unconsciously on her face as she thinks of every one of them. ]

I can tell you about all of them... but it might take a while. I love all of them so much, after all.

[Is there any greater comedy routine than Trish just barely missing details about the constant terrorism present within and outside of their school? Signs point to no.

Fortunately, Nanami doesn't call attention to the unconscious gesture, and Trish is able to pretend to be cool and not irrevocably soft like she didn't just do that on reflex. Because Nanami is small and sweet that it's no wonder that her answer is what it is, because there's no way Nanami wouldn't have a world's worth to affection to give out, and there's no way the microcosm of her school wouldn't feel that affection and give it back.

Nanami is easy to adore, and with friends like Hinata, Trish can picture that many of her classmates were just as caring.

Trish hums, then, and keeps her even stride. The arcade isn't too far from Libeccio, relatively, and the main point is for Nanami to rest after getting smashed unduly. Maybe talking will make Nanami sleepy, even...]

Your call. I've got time.

[Or they can listen to the sounds of cars and people going by. Who knows, maybe Nanami finds those sorts of things soothing too.]

[ So Nanami talks.

Slowly at first, hesitantly. At first Trish will get information about Nanami's class in general terms, the times they had together, the parties and sleepovers. But eventually Nanami starts getting more specific.

She talks about Sonia and Ibuki, a princess from a faraway land and a light musician who preferred to play heavy metal. She talks about Peko and Fuyuhiko, two friends from the mafia who tried not to seem close but were clearly bad at hiding it. She talks about Saionji and Mahiru, a dancer and a photographer who seemed to dislike each other, but actually had an odd kind of friendship.

Trish will learn about Gundam and Nekomaru, two boys constantly trying to out-dramatic each other but also fiercely protective of their loved ones, both Gundam's animal pets and Nekomaru's teammates - like Akane, the gymnast who became his most frequent workout partner.

There's Mikan, a nurse who'd had a hard life but clung fiercely to her friends; Teruteru, who cooked for everyone with love and passion; and Mitarai - here Nanami fumbles a bit, trying to peel apart what seem to be two individuals named Mitarai - but eventually she just shrugs her little blue shoulders - whichever one she'd known, he'd been a fierce friend and a wonderful animator.

It takes until Trish reaches the arcade for Nanami to go through everyone, finishing with the classmates that Trish will already know from Ryslig - Souda, Komaeda, and Hinata. All of them are dear to her, and Nanami speaks about them gently. When she's finished, the tired little faerie yawns and leans back against Trish's thumb. ]

That's all of them... I didn't miss any.

Ryslig | IC inbox

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being self indulgent rn dont mind me

pings you with an old tag

catches it like a frisbee

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