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WHO: Minato and youuuu
WHERE: The town, the woods, everywhere in between
WHEN: June 3 - June 10
WHAT: Lack of sleep does some unfortunate things to people, it really does. ie punishments really, really suck
WARNINGS: A lot of this is just very, very dumb

June 3/4

[At first, he's just miserable. A night or two without sleep is doable, but really, really awful, and so Minato can be found mostly wandering, restless, especially late at night. Which is very, very unusual for him (usually he'd be asleep by now), but don't mind him as he stalks about the town with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets, occasionally stopping to yawn massively and lean against a wall.

He always ends up standing back up pretty promptly, though, no matter how sleepy he looks.

Weird.

Or he might come visit at some obscene hour of the morning if he thinks your character will be awake, almost desperate to talk to someone to get his mind off of this. He will definitely knock on doors at all hours of the night if he thinks your character would sincerely be awake at that time of night.

Please help him.]

June 5/6

[It gets much, much worse. Minato's wanderings are almost desperate now; lying down does nothing, leaning against things does nothing, he cannot sleep no matter what he does and it's starting to take its toll. He's definitely stumbling, staggering occasionally as if drunk, and if you try to stop him he may not even process that you're calling out to him.

Hm.

Worrisome.

It probably comes to a worrisome head when he's crossing one of the bridges in Bluo, feet dragging--and then sways, and topples right off the side, blacking out for a brief moment. Bye, Minato.]

June 8

[At this point he probably shouldn't be outside but he's here anyway, and he seems to be...talking to a tree? He's trying, but he clearly thinks it's someone he knows, and while his voice is low and slurred, he is trying to legitimately have a conversation with this tree.

It's probably a good thing he stopped to talk to the tree instead of wandering into the woods in this state? Maybe you should call out to him...

But he's definitely hallucinating, and only seems to notice if he's not interrupted when he stumbles, and knocks his head against said tree, startling back to himself abruptly with both hands clasped to his forehead.

And then he thumps his forehead against the tree again, this time purposefully and with plain aggravation.]

Anything on from that, forum

[It's a good day to get a private message misfire from #3630FF, right?]

youokfas form the [ifhshment this wkk ?

[... He is not okay, he should not be on his laptop.]

wildcard

[Quests? Other things? Hit me up with anything, here or via PM or

kalisona!]

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[ It's weirdly nice to hear how incredulous he is. She had felt the same way, but it wasn't like there was anyone to be witness to that story except Mr. Dewitt. And he was incredulous about everything. Elizabeth huffs, then nods. ]

For some reason, yes. I don't understand it. I don't want to understand it.

[ She shakes her head, then sits back as she forces herself to relax a little rather than get wound up. ]

That's-- Well, that's why I like it here. Even if it's incredibly strange, it's not Columbia. I'd rather tackle fire-breathing geese than be chased around by Comstock.

I see...

[It makes sense. No matter what horrors might happen here... it's not like that.

No matter what happens--]

In a place like this, you can make your own choices, right? Nobody's telling you what to do, or trying to.

Exactly. I was hoping that I might end up in Paris, but— [ She shakes her head ] It's fine here. Even with everything, um, weird that happens.

[ Elizabeth pauses as she tries to think of what to say, but with a laugh, her smile turns a little wry ]

No matter how many fire-breathing geese I tackle, it's definitely better than Columbia.

[Paris, huh...

He snorts softly in amusement at that comment too, shaking his head. It's better here for him too, but he's not going to elaborate on why.]

... Have you talked to Lupin-san?

[re: Paris...]

[ The wry smile turns softer, and she nods ]

I have. [ Luckily, she can guess why Lupin gets brought up fairly easily, so she continues after a thoughtful pause. ] He's actually one of the first people I talked to here, now that I think about it. We somehow ended up talking about Paris right away.

That's good.

[It makes his next statement make a lot more sense.]

I keep wondering... in a place like this, if it'd be possible when we find a way out to just...

Go wherever we want. I don't see why you couldn't go home with Lupin-san, you know? If he was okay with it, I mean.

[And then she could see Paris.]

[ To be honest, it's a possibility she's already considered. Elizabeth doesn't hate this place, not by any stretch, because even if strange and dangerous things happen, it's still absolutely nothing compared to Columbia. She knows to take this as a blessing, because even if she had made it to Paris, she's fairly sure now it wouldn't have lasted. Comstock would have come for her. She'd have to go much, much farther to be free.

...Like another universe.

However, the prospect of it being with Lupin out of all the friends she's made is just a little different. She laughs, but it's shy. She twirls her thimble around her finger as she explains after a shrug. ]

Oh, I mean— If he were, I'd like that. Paris has always been... It's just beautiful. Out of everywhere I'd seen, it's where I always dreamed of going.

[ And the shy part has nothing to do with Lupin!! nope!!!!! ]

[... Oh. He wasn't expecting her to suddenly go all bashful, and he wonders...

Well, Lupin's a pretty charming guy, right? Maybe that's why--

... He won't say anything about it, not until Elizabeth does. Not yet, anyway.]

I just feel like if we're in a place like this, where so much I didn't think was possible could happen... why not follow our dreams a bit more, right? There has to be a way.

[ It's a warmly optimistic sentiment, and even in sitting here late at night, trying to avoid going "home" again, it feels far away. She can feel a little hope swell in her that's an echo of what she had first felt when Booker had told her he would take her to Paris. The disappointment at it being a lie had tempered that kind of optimism, but here...

She nods. ]

That's what I'd like. If there's somewhere I could follow my dreams, I think it's here.

[ A pause. She considers the scene indoors right now, and she feels resolute in saying: ]

No matter what, I don't want to go home.

[He thinks she's right. If there's ever been a place where believing in dreams coming true is real, it has to be a place like this, right? Full of amazing people, and amazing situations, and so much possibility that he can't believe there's anything but endless possibility.

No matter what hardships there might be here...]

No matter what... I'm sure there's a way. Whether it's with Lupin-san, or someone else entirely, or just on your own... there'll definitely be a way for you to follow your dreams here.

[He has to believe that's possible, when even someone like him is here now.]

[ It's the kind of encouragement that Elizabeth is deeply touched by, and for a few moments, she's not sure what to say. How can she express how grateful she feels to have that kind of hope rekindled? She'd let it start to fade away after Booker's betrayal, so this is something more precious than she knows how to express. ]

Thank you. [ It doesn't seem like enough, so she adds (even if she's a little nervous at being this bold): ] I'm glad we're friends, Minato.

[ Minato is hardly the only person she considers a friend here, but he's the first she's actually used the word for. She sits back with a soft sound of almost relief before she continues. ]

What about you? Do you want to go home? Or somewhere else?

[Oh... that's incredibly sweet of her. Minato smiles a little in response, nodding; it warms his heart to hear her say something like that, and it's altogether too easy to respond:]

I'm glad we're friends too.

[(And in his head, as ever, the chime of a strengthening bond, the whisper of Judgment, Messiah's encouraging warmth.

He wonders, sometimes, at the fact that even after everything, even here, that still remains.)]

... But I have to go home. [He admits that almost... tentatively, but even so, there's a quiet certainty to it too.]

There's still something I need to do. So it's not really an option for me--well, not that it needs to be. [He at least amends that quickly, flashing her a small smile. But he made a choice, a sacrifice, and if he goes elsewhere, will the Great Seal still hold? He doesn't know. He can't risk it.]

[ Having the sentiment returned fosters a warm feeling in her chest, and she feels delighted in a way that would be almost comical if not for the underlying reasons. It's painful now that she had even had to have this dream, but how many times were her daydreams of leaving for Paris full of moments like this? Sitting on a bench with a—well, not a stranger in this case—and a friendship being formed. It felt like a faraway daydream to have friends, yet, here she finally was.

She looks up to the clear sky briefly with a smile. It's partially to hide her quiet glee, but just as much to just see the sky without Columbia in it.

However, it's brief, since she looks down again as he explains. ]

...I understand. [ And she does, because even with that moment of giddy freedom, his words do remind her of her pang going through Columbia at times that it should be stopped. Yet luckily, her pull to that wasn't so strong (yet) that she feels the sort of duty to return. But she can empathize with it easily. ] Well— When we do all go where we want to, maybe I can visit you? It would take practice and probably some study, but I might be able to.

[It's almost comical how that simple suggestion takes his breath away. He wasn't expecting it, and there's surprise on his face for a moment (and a hint, subtle and quiet as it is, of alarm buried beneath that), before his expression smooths out into a quiet smile.

Bittersweet, really.

Because that sort of offer... it really is so warm and sweet. A friend wanting to put in that amount of effort once she reaches her dream in order to find him later, so they can still know each other--it'd be perfect, if he didn't know that his place is as a seal on a door, in a place where living people can't go.

(He wouldn't be much for conversation anyway, dead as he is, he has enough dark humor to think that to himself.)

For a brief, heartstopping moment, he considers saying it right then and there--that he's dead, that she should save her effort and time and try to just accomplish more of her dreams instead... but ultimately, he bites back that urge. He just...doesn't want to be the reason that that warm delight is wiped off of her face.

So instead...? What he says is a quiet:]

I'd really like that. With everything that's possible here... it should really be possible to find a way to keep in touch, huh...?

Nothing's impossible, after all.

[Only him living again after all of this is done--that's the only true impossibility here, and he understands that he made that choice.]

I'm sure of it.

[ Her response is easy and confident, because in the face of her own soft, warm excitement for this moment, she doesn't really see the alarm underneath his expression. She's good at connecting with people and picking out their feelings through her own empathy, but not infallible.

Though for once, it might be for the best. Eventually she might learn that it's a more complicated prospect than it seems, but for now, she'll just bask in the possibility. ]

I'd have to get better at actually controlling where my Tears go, but— [ She drums her fingers against her book lightly ] I feel like I could.

[She's so confident, and basking so warmly in the possibility that he really doesn't have the heart to say anything against it. Not right now. Right now... he wants to let her be happy.

Is that really so wrong?

Right now, he'll keep the problem to himself.]

I feel like you can too. [He shrugs a little, expression lightening.] When you look that determined, it's hard not to believe in what you can do, you know?

Right. And here... Well, here, I can finally try and figure out what I can do.

[ She means her Tears, but that's not quite clear without the context of exactly what they are. Bad news is, she'll definitely learn that before too long when she tries opening one for the Waynes. whoops ]

But in the meantime, there's so much I want to just do. Normal things. I can take my time learning about the rest for that.

[Whoops... IT'S FINE.]

You've got plenty of time to try totally normal things too. It's not like any of us are really going anywhere right now, I think, so...

Why not?

[Embrace it.]

What are some of the normal things you've wanted to try most?

[ She makes an excited little noise, and very rapidly lists off several things ]

Oh, dancing, singing with friends, making crowns out of flowers, picnics, swimming, going to carnivals, and buying things just because they're beautiful.

[ Though as she slows down, she turns thoughtful as she looks down. ]

And... We're close to the same age, I think? So... Whatever it is you would do. I think I'm so abnormal that I probably don't even really know what normal is.

[That's... that's so endearing. What a sweet list of things to want to do? It's also a little sad, though--in that it really hammers home just how little Elizabeth was able to do before with her life.

So... really, he wants to encourage it however he can.]

Honestly, I don't think you're as strange as you think, Elizabeth-san. Those are all things that sound pretty fun to me.

[A contemplative pause, and:]

I guess for me, along with those other things, it's things like...going to the movies, or playing new games with friends. Or trying new drinks at the coffee shop--things like that. But you already listed some of my favorite things anyway.

[Karaoke with his friends is his jam.]

Oh, movies! [ She nods excitedly, since that's definitely something she'd like to do, but she's a little limited there by her time period... But she definitely knows about them. ] I'd love to see one. Have you heard of a movie called— Well, it would translate to "The Jedi's Revenge," or something close to that? I saw it on a marquee recently, and I hadn't seen that one before.

[ Because of course it would be Star Wars... But she's honestly just curious what "Jedi" is, since that's not a word she could translate, so she assumed it was something about the movie itself. ]

[Oh my god.

Minato blinks slowly, and definitely knows that one.]

Yeah, I have... that's a pretty popular one. [Old, to him, of course, but still popular.] It's a whole series, actually.

[ She was hoping that he would know it, since her questions come out quickly-- ]

Oh, is it good? Or, no, what is it about?

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i love this icon bc it's just [laughs nervously]

i love elizabeth so much, she's trying her best

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