jigokulogs | August 2022 Event

August 2022 Event

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Toraguma and Tenkohime were not exaggerating when they said that Sai no Kawara was bound to attract extraordinarily deep pockets. The Celestials are already familiar to the Lost Souls, but among the crowds of customers are humans and yokai of wealth that can only be calculated in the billions, and even trillions. Powerful executives have come out to play, the sort of power brokers that almost exist beyond faction politics, the tier who makes the most money out of the city's dealings.

The event has an air of class that is far beyond what the average Lost Soul will have ever imagined…

1. GAMBLING PROBLEM (1 POINT)

The main event comes in the form of the games. This is where the Shuten Clan shines, as they offer up a plethora of gambling opportunities for the rich and powerful to partake in. There might be a Lost Soul or two at the tables, if they're feeling particularly lucky. Buy-in to a game isn't cheap, but if you're low on cash, you can substitute a handful of stellar Stardust to the pot.

Western games like Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette share space with Eastern standards like Cee-lo and Cho-han. Shuten Clan dealers have been training hard for this moment. They have learned to cheat on behalf of the House to scrape as much from these high rollers as they can. Those Shuten attendants who win big for the House will be duly compensated for their fine efforts.

If you're very clever, or very lucky, you might just be able to secure quite a payout for yourself as a player too. Just don't get caught pulling any funny business. The Shuten Clan bouncers have also been training quite thoroughly for this event. If you're not one of the fabulously wealthy tycoons, the bouncers have little incentive to play nice with you.

Should fighting break out, there is an arena onsite. Bets are flying there, too. Are you willing to wager your own pretty face?

2. PLEASURE PALACE (1 POINT)

Tenkohime wasn't exaggerating when she called her turf in the newly renovated underground a palace. The attendants at the Palace of Sai greet their wealthy clientele warmly, and they have a host of wondrous and rare delights to offer. As a rare treat, the Lost Souls are encouraged to indulge in this decadence. If the prices make you choke, remember that a little bit of Stardust will go a long way this season.

Food and drinks are of the highest quality. Delicacies from across Japan and the world abroad have been prepared, including many dishes not even of the Earth as you might know it. Particular favorites from the drinks menu are:
Side Cars that have been made with cognac from a 300,000 yen bottle.
Platinum Passions that have been made with L’esprit de Courvoisier; 800,000 yen per bottle.
Eightfold Blessing is a captivating and aromatic mix considered to be Tenkohime's very own specialty. It grants the vigor to fulfill any desire; 1,000,000 yen a glass.
The pricey and fabulous drinks are just an encouragement. The Tamamo's best trained consorts are ready to offer their private services, usually in pairs. They have some Tanabata wishes of their own, and want to make them come true through their talents and skills. Not every encounter is sexual, some consorts simply wish to spend time with their clients and make them feel like the most important person in the world today. With the big price tags on their hours, the customer might very well be.

In addition to expensive meals, sex, and company, the Tamamo Clan also offers theater and performances. They have contracted with the highest caliber performers in the city, even those on loan from other factions. Dancers, musicians, and entertainers of all varieties are waiting in the wings to put on a show.

3. GOSSIP (1 POINT)

One of the performances gracing the stage in the Palace of Sai may seem familiar! The band Moonday played at the food truck festival last month. As it turns out, the lead singer -- a wolf girl named Ringo-chan -- is the daughter of one of the wealthiest executives within the Alliance's network of finance kings; Kaberou. She's run away from her restrictive life to rough it with her band. Big money is riding on convincing her to come home. There's another rumor floating around that the pirates attacking the supply lines have been putting pressure on Kaberou. Is he securing buyers for these pirated goods?

Rumors are flying: the kind of rumors that can bring riches or ruin. The Daitengu has commanded their people to keep their ears open. Do they happen upon a juicy lead? Do they find a way to reconnect Kaberou with his estranged daughter? Do they discover more about the pirates? Do tell, do tell!

Even the staff of the Enma Department will find lips much looser than usual around them. When you're this rich, you think you're above the standards of the law. There's plenty of conversation that might be of interest to the Department. In particular, one name does keep coming up...

It comes up when discussing Kaberou's dealings with these pirates, and how much of a wrench his daughter's negligence to the life has been for his business. It's spoken of in hushed tones, even by the Celestials. It is an ominous name: "Iron Bear"

4. TANABATA (2 POINTS)

The grand opening of the underground is the centerpiece of an otherwise familiar Tanabata celebration. Using the accumulated Stardust, the Tamamo Clan's onmyouji have collaborated with Kappa engineers and the Shuten Clan's resident blacksmith to create a truly wonderful spectacle for the festival.

Despite Sai no Kawara existing underground, the overhead sky is full of brilliant stars on display. It is a one-to-one recreation of the cosmic tapestry of the Milky Way streaking through the sky like the astral river from the Tanabata legend.

The stars Vega and Altair, also known as Orihime and Hikoboshi, are highlighted in the tapestry. They take form and dance together above everyone, they encourage the feelings of love to fill the air. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love: it doesn't matter. This is the product of peace, hard work, and cooperation. This is the dream of the Daitengu and their lieutenants. Dance to the music. Drink your fill. This is a celebration of love, and there's so much love here, for everyone.

Attendees are encouraged to write their wishes on the colorful talismans distributed. Bamboo trees decorate the central square, waiting to be draped with wishes. Even if you are not familiar with Tanabata, it will be easy to pick up on the ritual. The magic in the air tonight is incredibly strong, these wishes might even come true.

5. "WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE" (2 POINTS)

Late into the evening, the Daitengu takes to the stage. They welcome everyone and hope that they have had a good night. Toraguma and Tenkohime flank them, and each says a few words to the crowd. Then, Sutoku lieutenant Sakamoto is called up to the stage for the moment of truth.

Toraguma, regretfully, announces that Sakamoto has made good on his promises. The holes in their supply lines have been uncovered found, the black market is becoming less of a bleed on their finances, and the road to finding out who -- or what -- is causing the disruption is becoming clearer. The great oni will always honor a promise kept, and reaches out his hand to shake Sakamoto's in a gesture of gratitude.

The timing, as usual, is a little dramatic.

A group of shadowy figures wearing rough-spun gear storm the stage. Several of them snatch Ringo-chan from where she is waiting to perform and drag her away. Another lunges at Sakamoto with a make-shift sword of crude metal. Just before the blade can cut Sakamoto, the would-be assassin is stopped by Toraguma. With their wrist snatched and broken, the assassin screams out:

"We come on behalf of the Iron Bear, and we know who you are!"

In his rage and fury, Toraguma breaks the assassin's neck, slamming him down to the stage. He dies within moments, while the rest of the attackers flee. They've kidnapped Ringo-chan.

Sai no Kawara is quickly flooded with armed and armored officers of the Enma Department. They instruct everyone to remain calm. No one panic. The Enma himself has arrived, and he is going to start questioning everyone about what just happened. Who is the Iron Bear? What in hell do they want? It's time for some answers.

Well… As far as parties in Jigoku-cho go… this one could have been worse, yeah?

Welcome to the August event!

Art in the final prompt by Yang Tuo
If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
Each prompt is labeled for it's value in terms of qualifying threads for Rewards.
If your character is in the Shuten Clan and cheating on behalf of the house, find out how well they pulled it off by posting here! Those that do well will get a special bonus from Toraguma.
If your character is trying any of the games of chance, find out how they paid out here!
If your character put on a performance at the Palace of Sai's stage, find out how the crowd reacted here! Regardless of clan affiliation, those that do well will be rewarded by Tenkohime!
For results on the gossip floating around the festival, post here!
For Department members, if your character is going to interrogate NPC festival goers, let us know here and we can post some more specific results!
TANABATA WISHES! POST THEM HERE!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

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[ She's heard about worlds and universes and places that seem inconceivable to her. Kim had explained his own home to Aerith, and though she's seen his reminders of it (that Kineema does not look like any car Aerith has ever set her sights on, after all), the surrealist nature of living with people from different worlds from her own does occasionally override what she feels. Monika shares her piece, voice somehow self-deprecating to Aerith's ears, and she shakes her head.

After all, she hasn't exactly told many people of her own origins, her own life. As the last of the Cetra, her secrets are held close. She feels like she's at odds with the entirety of Tamamo sometimes, but then she also knows that she has a great deal more in common with these people, too. ]

Don't worry about it. [ Aerith turns back to her, and then she takes Monika's hands into her own. Gently, like delivering a precious gem into her hands, Aerith places that wish into Monika's palms, and closes her own hands over it. ]

The future might be uncertain, but you can change it. Nothing is set in stone. One small step is taking that into her hands.

[ There's an undecorated branch near the bottom of a tall bamboo tree, it's leaves the perfect, healthy shade of green. After letting got of Monika's hands, Aerith tugs on it, and then, she attempts to squat down. It happens only for a split second, before she realizes her dress won't allow for it. With a huff of mild annoyance, she kneels instead, knees touching the ground. It is grass beneath her, shockingly real, the courtyard beneath the dome of stars a picture perfect recreation of the outdoors. A bamboo garden like she could imagine in Tenkohime's personal gardens. ]

[ Monika looked down at their hands and the wish Aerith had placed into them. Nothing is set in stone... She closed her eyes for a moment. Aerith was so optimistic. In fact, Monika could see herself comforting someone else in a fairly similar manner, should they reveal their own worries to her. Tell them the future is not set in stone, that dreams may come true.

So why was it so hard to believe it when it came to herself? She smiled somewhat sheepishly and nodded, before kneeling down and looking at the branch Aerith was tugging on. ]

When reading a story... Have you ever wondered what would happen if one of the characters was to become alive and realize they exist only inside of a book? [She very delicately hung her wish on the branch.] That's what I am, kinda.

[ It would probably be easier to just say she was an AI. At the end of the day, that was what a video game character like her was and would always be. But she hated thinking of herself as such. She'd had a body and human senses even inside the game, she had vague memories of the past her creator had thought up for her, she'd never had any super-computational abilities... She felt human in every way that mattered.

AI... That word made her feel non-human. It made her feel so fake, so unreal. ]

Thanks, Aerith. [She looked at her with a smile.] But that won't do, you know. I'm the one who's supposed to help and comfort people. [She forced a laugh.] And it's the second time you've been there for me.

[ Why was she such a mess...? She hated how huge the discrepancy was between who she was and who she wanted to be. Thinking to it, Aerith was a lot closer to her idealized self than she'd initially realized. Easily able to slip into the mask of confidence, helpful and graceful, selfless... All the things she wanted and tried to be, but never quite managed to reach, especially since her epiphany. ]

[ Has she wondered something like that? Aerith watches Monika for a moment, waiting for her to place her wish, patiently. The lights fall along the younger girl's face, bringing out that wistful smile on her lips. ] Can't remember. Maybe? [ It's the truth, though she's sure she probably hasn't. It doesn't matter. She listens to Monika's story and though "AI" flies over Aerith's head, it's not like she doesn't get the idea. ]

"Supposed"...? [ That, alone, sticks in her side. She may not be familiar with the term "AI", but she is a girl who had been brought up in a secret test facility. What you're "supposed" to do has never been something she considers. Your future is your own, in Aerith's mind. Monika is still grappling with that— grappling with what? Her own selfishness? ]

Don't be silly. You're supposed to be you. Not what someone else tells you to be. Forget about that. Just be Monika.

Just Monika...

[ She smiled slightly at that, though there was no happiness transpiring behind her smile. It brought back memories of what she had done. The monster she had become in her desperate attempt to write her own happy ending. Sayori. Yuri. Natsuki. She'd hurt them. Tortured them. Killed them. Even if she had restored them in the end... None of it excused the horrors she had put them into.

Why was she here hoping for a future when she was such a monster? She had no right. But even then, she couldn't give up. Not when this world had given her a second chance. She felt... Too selfish for that. ]

You're right. You're absolutely right. [She stood back up and dusted herself up, putting a somewhat more confident smile on her face. Speaking helped so much... But she'd bothered Aerith enough. She had her own problems to deal with. And Monika didn't want her to start thinking she was weak or something.] But I like helping people, you know...?

[ It was true, as ironic as it might sound to anyone knowing of her sins. She didn't want to be that person. Never again. ]

And I like to think I'm pretty good at it. [She put a hand on her hip and closed her eyes, smiling more brightly. She was shifting completely into her usual "confident" self, hopefully that'd be enough top convince Aerith.] Well, not as good as you, ahaha.

[ Giving up is, in Aerith's mind, far more of a selfish option than not taking a second chance, admittedly. She watches Monika stand up, searching for the melancholy in her expression with a careful consideration. Eventually, Aerith stands. She follows Monika's example, but keeps her hands folded before her. ]

That so? [ There's a quirk to her lips, teasing, but she decides not to pursue it for long. The truth is, it reminds her of another person she knows here. A woman who runs the clinic, who isn't asked often enough how she's doing it. Aerith notes this, and will perhaps make a point to text Monika from this point on. "How are you doing?" might not be much, but maybe it's more attention than either of the people she's thinking of have gotten.

She hums. ]

So? How are you really?

How am I...?

[ Gosh... When was the last time someone had asked her that question? She couldn't recall. Well, there had been Sayori... No matter what, she had always helped her. That really was who Aerith was reminding her of right now, huh? Always happy to help, always smiling. And likely hiding a pain greater than any other beneath that smile. ]

I... Honestly, I feel awful. [She smiled weakly.] But I'm getting better.

[ She didn't deserve that kindness. Not a monster like her. She kept on smiling, but she couldn't help but feel like an impostor receiving kindness she didn't deserve. ]

[ Monika may very well feel like an imposter, but Aerith has no idea what is going on in her mind. It's perhaps a small blessing that she's as clueless as she is, right? She watches Monika's expression, kicking one of her feet back and forth idly. She's waiting for some kind of shoe to drop— for it to make sense. Why does a girl so young and with such a long future ahead of her seem so cagey? ]

Hey. What's wrong?

[ Because something is, you know, wrong, obviously. Aerith tilts her head, lips pinching together before she continues. ] It'll be alright. No one's going to be mad at you.

I know. I... [She shook her head after a moment's hesitation.] Sorry, I'm not used to opening up like that, ahaha!

[ She hoped it didn't come off as rude... But she'd kind of reached the limits of what she could tell without breaking down altogether. And there was absolutely no way she would allow herself to appear so weak in front of someone else. ]

I've told you more than I've told anyone in this world so far. [She smiled.] Can I trust you not to tell anyone? I don't want people to start looking at me weirdly or worrying for me all the time.

[ Gosh, that was exactly what Sayori had asked of her once, huh? But she understood better how she'd felt back then. And she was sure Aerith would, too. ]

[ Patience comes to her easily when she sees Monika stumbling like this, and with a shake of her head, she only listens. Aerith lets it come to her naturally, however suits her; what Monika asks of her, in truth, doesn't really surprise her. ]

That's not really going to solve your problem now, is it? [ A beat. ] Tamamo picks people who need freedom in their lives... right now, you're looking for that, aren't you?

[ It's not like she's going to spill the beans, anyway. ]

You should think about talking to other people. You know, making friends aside from me. [ They're totally friends now. ]

Ahaha! I have been making friends you know. [Many, at that. More than she had ever hoped to.] But... It's difficult to allow yourself to be vulnerable in front of other people.

[ You didn't want them to see you as a fragile little things that need to be coddled and protected all the time. You didn't want to overshadow their problems with your own. You didn't want to make things even more painful for them. There were so many reasons to hide your problems from others. And... ]

... I think you know that just as well as I do.

[ It was not an accusation, not by a long shot. But it was... So painfully obvious. Being able to see through someone's mask so easily, sympathize with their plight and empathize with them— You had to have known pain yourself for that. You had to be hiding a lot of suffering beneath the surface.

Just like Sayori. Maybe she was wrong and Aerith did not hide a lot of suffering and pain under her own smile.... But she wouldn't bet on it. ]

[ The thing is that Monika isn't wrong, not really. Aerith's idea of vulnerability is being a damsel in distress, losing control, being wrapped up in someone else's plan. It's true, in that sense, that she has issues with being vulnerable, and it's just as true that she is holding onto a secret, too. ]

Maybe. [ Aerith's expression had gone from surprised to something more neutral, more contemplative. Monika gives her reason to pause and consider her words, and when she does, she gets the story the girl is writing.

But Aerith worries, too, about wrapping Monika up into everything she's doing. Just a bit. ] I don't think you're afraid in the same way, though. Right? I don't want to bum people out. But.. [ A pause. ]

You're not really looking for a kindred spirit, are you? [ She gets the feeling even if she asks again, Monika won't spill. Will she? ] It's okay. I don't mind. If you want to talk about it, I'm here.

[ A kindred spirit... Well, it would be incorrect to say she wasn't looking for that. But that wasn't really her priority either. Ever since she'd arrived in this world, her mind had been stuck on a single track. It was kind of pathetic, really. Even knowing what she had felt before had not been love, even knowing her world had been designed as a romance...

She couldn't help it. ]

I'm looking for... Love, I think. That was my other wish. [She blushed and looked away.] When I am about to give up, the thought of love... [A pause.] It keeps me going. I know it's silly.

[ There were so many reasons why love was so important to her. It would take all night if she started listing them. And she was no closer to finding "love" today than she had been at her arrival.

Rather than elaborate further, she shook her head and smiled at Aerith. ]

You're pretty good at getting people to talk even when they'd decided not to, huh?

Guess I'm just that charming! [ She laughs, smiling again with genuine joy. It is something that she's grateful for, in truth, but she also can't deny that people often just want someone to ask. You find the loneliest of people that way, and Monika only hammers that impression in, like a nail. Aerith looks back to the man-made stars overhead: A joint venture. In some way, they're a complete encapsulation of the love that should be on display tonight. ]

Don't be silly. A lot of people are looking for love.

[ Would you call them silly, Monika? ]

It must have been really lonely.

[ Monika smiled and sat down, back to a tree and looking up at the manufactured sky. Lonely, huh. Yes, it had been painfully lonely. So much so, just thinking back to it was enough to bring back all kind of unpleasant emotions. ]

It was. We were only four "characters" and... The others weren't aware of the truth like me. [She paused.] It didn't matter how often or loudly I screamed for help. There was no one to hear me. [She looked down, voice breaking down.] I... I don't think I would have made it that far without believing in love.

[ How many times had she considered just ending her own existence? That wasn't anything like Sayori, of course. Monika didn't think of herself as suicidal. But when you lived all alone in a lifeless world with only loneliness and misery as your companions... Ending it all sounded like a mercy.

Monika remained silent a bit. She couldn't say more or she was going to burst into tears. So she had to try, just one more time. Something to shift the discussion away from her. ]

We've talked a lot about me, haven't we? That's unfair. [She laughed.] What about that Cloud? It's the second time I've heard you talk of him now. You denied it last time, but that sounds like romance is in the air to me.

[ Surely that would do the trick. Besides she was super interested in seeing people together and happily in love. ]

[ Processing the information Monika offers her takes Aerith a moment. The others weren't aware of the truth like me. Though her expression falls into something akin to surprise, her mind can only come to a single conclusion. Perhaps they aren't very dissimilar, ultimately, and she thinks she understands a bit more. When the Whispers took hold of her, enveloping her in their tornado and pushing her, she lost a little more of herself, every time.

So how much has Monika lost of herself, then? ]

You should keep looking, then. Someone will hear you.

[ Aerith's friends already came back for her, she knows this much, and she knows just as well and trusts that they will always come for her when she needs them. ] That's what your friends would want, you know.

[ At the mention of Cloud, though, Aerith laughs. ]

He's my bodyguard. I need one of those, you know!

[ What her friends would want...

Would they even want her to be happy if they knew the truth? The horrors she had done? Sayori had condemned her as evil as soon as she had gained awareness, after all. Rightfully so, Monika thought. She had every right to hate her. Aerith was totally right. She had lost so much of herself...

It was too painful to think about. So she said nothing. Instead replying to the "bodyguard" comment. She had found a way to avoid continuing to speak of her problems, and she was going to cling on it. ]

Your bodyguard, huh?

[ That was cute. Was he her bodyguard in this world or had they met back home...? Well, it didn't matter. She wasn't about to poke her nose where it didn't belong, curious as she was. ]

You can't tell me to keep looking for love and not do it yourself, you know.

[ Her biggest concerns in Jigoku, in truth, are not love. However, it's impossible for Aerith not to stick her nose in people's business; conversation is simply how she thrives after years of isolation, with only one friend to her name. Similarly, however, she has a fondness for others' determination and drive, and it is the passion with which Monika lays out her concerns and wish for love that makes Aerith smile, above all else. There's many complexities to her own love life that Aerith keeps to her chest; Zack, for one, but the nature of her relationship with Cloud is another. ]

Oh, I wouldn't worry about me in that department.

[ She's really not left wanting here in Hell, frankly. Monika's a cute girl, and she's sure that she'll find what she's looking for. In truth, it's probably not entirely love, but stability. Someone to be a true friend, someone to actually be there for her. Loneliness is all consuming, and when you're given freedom at the end of a long journey, sloughing it off like an old coat is the best possible end. ]

You, on the other hand... Oh, here.

[ From her hair, Aerith plucks two of the red lilies. Later, if Monika decides to go looking, she'll find one of them pinned to the lapel of a man with blond hair, next to his Sutoku officer pin. Now, however, she offers them to Monika. ] I think you'll know what to do with these. Lovers would give them to one another when they reunited...

[ It's a good sales pitch. Forgive her for using it again, please. ]

[ When she heard 'You on the other hand,' Monika couldn't help but smile. Aerith was really a specialist at directing the conversation in whatever way she wanted, huh. And when she handed her the two flowers, Monika looked at them, unable to say anything. ]

I...

[ For a moment, Monika just looked at the flowers without saying anything. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve that kindness. Not someone as monstrous as her. Nobody should be that kind to her. Was that how Sayori had felt this entire time? Whenever people wanted to help her and she felt undeserving of it? There was a key difference though: Monika did want the help. She was grateful and appreciative of it.

And that made her feel all the worse for being so selfish. ]

Thank you.

[ She didn't know if she'd ever find love, in this reality or another. For how important this was to her, she hadn't even really tried so far. She'd considered it with pretty much anyone she'd talked with, she would probably go right in a relationship if someone asked her out of the blue, unhealthy as it was. But there hadn't been any sparks so far. Nothing had made her heart skip a beat. She wasn't even sure what she called "love" really was love.

But she couldn't give up. She brought both flowers close to her chest and smiled. ]

I'll treasure them both until I find the right person.

[ That smile, for Aerith, is enough. It's a hope for the future, to her, something that will lead her where she can find happiness. Though Monika's thoughts run deep and tumultuous, she can only continue on. There is a long, winding path before her, and if taking the flowers and smiling is an agreement to keep going, Aerith thinks it is enough.

A smile hides so much, though. ]

You know... [ She's been tortured enough for one moment, Aerith thinks. ] I was having a normal day once, and then a guy fell through the roof of my church. You never know.

[ She doesn't mention that was Cloud... or Zack. ]

[ Thank goodness Aerith had finally decided to show her 'mercy.' If she'd started asking her about her past in more details, she wasn't sure how she'd have managed to handle that... She needed to learn to say no more firmly. ]

Ahaha!

[ Fell through the roof, huh? She assumed it had to be Cloud. Sure she could be wrong and had misread the hints... But there was just no way. ]

Fate has a way of making things happen. [She paused, tilting her head as she looked at the flowers she had in hand. She wondered if someone would ever fall from the sky just like that for her. Sure it had to be incredibly painful for the person who fell, but that was also super romantic.] Well, destiny is a more fitting word maybe.

[ If Monika keeps hanging out with Aerith, she might start to pick up how to redirect conversation like her. It's hard not to figure it out once you get Aerith's flow. Maybe some day, she'll ever apologize for controlling the conversation. It must be exhausting.

With a puckering of her lips, Aerith thinks to herself that the girl is right. Fate is strange, and it has it's way of moving you. She nods, eventually, gaze falling to the flowers in Monika's hands. ] Follow them.

[ A smile slips back along her features, then. It's not her favorite piece of advice, but the flowers were her part of fate. She found the people she loves because of them. ]

The flowers. They'll tell you something important when you listen.

[ You'll know, then, she thinks. ]

The flowers speak... [Not literally, of course. She smiled.] Maybe I'll write a poem about flowers.

[ Literature was to her what gardening was to Aerith. And flowers were one of the most commonly used thing in poetry. They could be used in so many ways, to describe and explain so many things. Maybe people saw something of themselves in flowers...

There were so many different kind, counting them all would be impossible. And they withered so quickly, dying and returning to the earth... Not unlike people. Monika looked up at Aerith, beaming at her with a genuine smile. ]

Thanks, Aerith. For everything.

[ "Not literally," Monika though, not knowing the flowers were gossiping at this very moment, nonsensical as that was. But it was a simple truth, too, that the flowers would lead her somewhere. When she feels ready to part with it, that's the right choice. Love doesn't always have to work out, Aerith thinks. It just has to be the rush of the risk, the enjoyment of the moment.

Monika may not be the same, admittedly, but she has no reason to doubt it. ]

You should. And when you're done, share it with me, okay? You will, won't you?

[ Monika was indeed very different when it came to love. She wanted the love she found to be the love of her life and to stay with them forever. It was unrealistic and she was aware of it. Why, her experience in the game had proved just how unrealistic such an expectation was.

But sometimes, dreams were all you had. ]

Of course. You can count on it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

August 2022 Event

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cw: suicide

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