forum i dare u to stalk this so u can see what your're missing out on because u refused to let it continue

Started June 19, 2018 by @AloeVera groupMentallyImInACottage

tune

ur a back
"Why did you pick pink?" Yuki hit the question with a tennis racket.
I inhaled, realizing I didn't have as cool of a reason as he did. "Light pink is just such a soft and calming color. And it looks good on my skin color. Pink and blue go well together, don't you think?" Internally, I realized Yuki was most likely not the one to look for a relationship, but I wasn't supposed to be either. Goals are hard.

ratatouille
What do I think? I don't know, Roger, that's a good ass question. What do I think? I didn't have much of an opinion on Meredith. I only accepted the job because it sounded interesting, and I didn't want to live a boring life here. That's what I think. I kicked up a rock, trying to structure my words. Roger seemed so prestige. "I don't really know. I'm just here for the fun of it, and however Meredith wants to do this, I'm up for it. For the most part anyways, I still have my boundaries," I concluded with a smile.

i can hear ur singing and i enjoy
I raised my eyebrows, interested in Myst's opinion on Meredith. "Did you know she doesn't even have a throne? She says it's because she's too busy to just be sitting around, but I think I know the real reason."
"What's the real reason, Myst?" I stuck my hands in my pocket as the sun finally faded away from the water. I forgot how wonderfully different the city looked at night, and I realized I haven't truly looked at this place since I first got here.

I FORGOT ABOUT THE TENNIS RACKET I'M LAUGHING
"Pink and blue go well together, don't you think?"
Upon hearing her suggestive remark, I stiffen my muscles, but continue walking in hopes that she wouldn't notice. Whether or not she actually intended for her underlying message to communicate such a thing, I suddenly turned cold and looked away from her, gently huffing.
"I don't like purple."
I retort, knowing that would probably instigate many moments of silence, but I didn't want to instigate more conversation out of a friendly response.

she siad gogogo i donwanna tak e i t sl o w
"I don't really know. I'm just here for the fun of it, and however Meredith wants to do this, I'm up for it. For the most part anyways, I still have my boundaries," Rai responded with a confident smile. I nod at her response, smiling at her innocence.
"That's a good reason," I began, furrowing my brow when I started to remember my sister. "That's how my sister was, or is, I'm not sure how much time has passed." A gentle smile slowly appears on my face.
"She was in it for the adventure. She never sought self-benefit, only adventure. She'd turn everything into an adventure, even simple things like morning walks."
I pause, allowing the memories to flood back into me.
"I suppose she was looking for small reasons to continue being happy. I know she struggled with that."
It suddenly occurred to me that Rai didn't ask for this.
"I apologize, I rambled." I say, looking down to the ground.

stamp on the gorund jUpm jump jUMpJUMP
"What's the real reason, Myst?"
I tilt my head to one side as we reach the park. The street lamps started to flicker on as the park grew dimly lit.
"I think it's because she fears putting herself up on a pedestal. I can't fact check Meredith's story, but she says that she discovered this kingdom when it was abandoned. Why would there be a whole castle and no throne? I think she got rid of it."
I smirk at Wyatt as we head towards the forest near the park, looking around for any sign of the kids Raz talked about.

aboslute fuckibg bitch
Yuki inhaled sharply, and firmly denied me. I mentally slapped myself as a repressed feeling of not fitting in bubbled up. I came to the conclusion Yuki did not like me one bit and to continue this stupid mission professionally. "I- I meant that in a platonic way. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." I stepped slightly farther away from him.
The library finally appeared in vision. I had no hope for any information to lie within that building, but it wasn't like we had any better choices.

the good one
I watched as he smiled on about his sister. He looks like he's in a different universe. I wonder how much he misses his family.
"I apologize, I rambled." I ignored his silly apology. I ramble all the time, Roger.
"I feel like your sister and I would get along. Adventure is what keeps me alive after being locked away in a house for so long. My parents were always so strict. Gotta make up for the lost childhood. What's your sis's name?"

dad
I frowned. "Well that indicates she wasn't the first one here. And if she wasn't than who was? Who built the castles? Are we really dead?" We strolled into the forest of vines and seaweed. The plants towered over us, forcing me to pull out a flashlight on my keys. We walked aimlessly for awhile, until I heard sounds of voices to the right of us. I waved Myst over and awaited a response to my questions, if there were any possible answer.

"um um um um

MAP OF EUROPE"

"I- I meant that in a platonic way. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." I shrug my shoulders as we enter the library.
"You start on one end and make your way to the middle, look for things about this place's history, the government, the civilians, and other things that could help us. Try to talk to people you pass, too."
I begin walking in the opposite direction that I directed Marina to go to as I start skimming through book titles, occasionally pulling one out, going through the table of contents, and placing it back.

crying but not really
"I feel like your sister and I would get along. Adventure is what keeps me alive after being locked away in a house for so long. My parents were always so strict. Gotta make up for the lost childhood. What's your sis's name?"
I smile as she spoke, enjoying the fact that we're getting to know each other.
"Her name's Astrid. She liked it because it was the name of a Greek goddess. She liked to think of herself as a Greek goddess."

ur a F R E A K bowser
"Well that indicates she wasn't the first one here. And if she wasn't than who was? Who built the castles? Are we really dead?"
His questions caused me to tilt my head sideways. I suppose he's right. I know we're not in Heaven, and this isn't hell, so where are we?
Wyatt motioned towards a group of people talking. I nod at him and gently make my way closer to them, immediately imposing on their fun.
"I suppose you witty bunch have something to say for yourselves."

honestly fuck you but go off
I sighed, a bit irritated at his unforgiving nature. Out of spite, I decided to wander upstairs instead.
There were all types of people sitting in corners, reading through stacks of books. A young male with a goth look huddled into a chair, thin book in between his fingers. Next to him, was an old fat lady flipping through a magazine. In the opposite side, a couple of teenage girls were slumping over textbooks, making me wonder if there was an education system here, or if they were just curious to learn. I stepped towards a librarian, an old man who had large eyes and thick rimmed glasses settled on his nose.
"Hello, sir! I was wondering if there were any records that depicted, oh, I don't know, violence per se, in this city? I'm just curious about the history of this place, you know?"

s=chchchchchchc chia
A goddess… how unique and fancy and absolutely gorgeous.. "Astrid… I like that! Isn't that Norse, though? My name just means lightning. My parents were meteorologists, so I can see why they chose it. What does your name mean, Roger? Do you know?" As I awaited a reply, I took the chance to take in a conscious breath, feeling the air rid the dusty crevices of my lungs.

im fucking itchy whatever

wyatt
Myst, arms akimbo, began to call them out. "I suppose you witty bunch have something to say for yourselves."
The group was huddled around a singular cell phone that lit up the dark forest. Their heads lifted simultaneously. "We aren't hurting anybody," the boy who seemed like the leader of the group claimed.
I shook my head. "Chill, we just have some questions for you."

what up im jared ,im 19, and i never fukcing learned how to m o u r n m y f a m i l y i n a h e a l t h y w a y
I flip through the pages in a history book. The fact that it seemed all too familiar only meant that it wasn't history about this place. Rather, it happened to be a history from the life before us that somehow managed to find it's way here. Though, I heard a few history majors that died here wrote as much as they could remember into a book for here.
I placed the next book in the shelf and sighed, going down the stack that I held in my arms.
Unearthed Knowledge of Paradise was the name of this book. I suppose I should have opened it immediately after taking it off the shelf, but I thought it would be faster to hold a bunch at once. Plus, I've been fooled by the phrase "paradise" before. Some people meant it in the religious sense.
Upon scanning through, I caught a word out of the corner of my eye.
Meredith Amser. So that's her last name, huh?

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu @ librarian
He slowly pulled himself from the book, processing her question and gradually forming a sentence to ricochet.
"Violence?" I ask roughly, in a raspy voice, immediately revealing my age-old smoking habit as I stand up to go through the files.
"In this city?"

shut the hell your mouth
I shrug my shoulders and stretch my arms back behind me.
"I think it's German. Something about a famous spear, I suppose. I also had a brother, his name is Jesse. I don't know what it means, though." I look down after remembering how irresponsible Jesse used to act. I knew he had a leader in his heart, though, so I hoped he let out the gold in his heart after I died.
"I hope he's taking care of Astrid." I mutter, wondering if they're even still alive.

chill dudue,,,,,,we just hav som questionsdf 4 u,,,,,,,
Wyatt muttered defensively at the boys. They exchange guilty looks as one sighs and hangs up the phone.
"What?" He says in a demanding tone, as if to say 'What do you want?'. I roll my eyes and shrug off their fake tough act.
"Do you have any reasoning behind these pranks? What do you hope to accomplish?"
The boys frowned, a bit confused by the question, but answered nonetheless, one at a time.
"Because it's fun."
"It's funny to watch people clean up after our own messes."
"Jennifer dumped me."
"I've got nothing better to do."
I sigh and listen to each response, eyeing the second boy, who's silver curly hair helped him stand out from everyone else. I studied his face. His eyes were thin, but it was hard to tell in the dark. I turn my head to Wyatt, then back to the boys.
"Alright, whatever. We'll leave you alone for now, but if I catch you vandalizing another building we'll definitely have to take forceful action."
"We'll see." The silver boy muttered under his breath, almost as if he hoped I didn't hear him.
I nudge Wyatt away from the boys and turn to him.
"Keep an eye on the boy with silver hair, alright?"

Melatonin for u r sleep
I pulled a confused face. "Apologies if I got something wrong, I'm new here and I want to make sure I'm living in a safe place." The irritated man rolled his eyes and sighed. I chose to ignore it, as I was already pissed off.
"I do have some things on how kingdom grew, if that's helpful. No wars or violence - we're the only kingdom underwater." He pulled out a couple books and handed them to me. "This is all I have."
"No civil wars?" I questioned, taking the books into my arms.

rabid dogs
I placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I bet they're doing just fine. I've never had siblings, but I know how important family is." The market arrived faster than I expected, but here we are. Time to explore this creepy ass place again. With their creepy foods. And creepy everything.
The place was clearly run down. A sign hung above the place, letters missing with dirt to indicate what they were. The colors of the building were all faded and there was mold in every crevice. I took a deep breath, hoping to find something worthwhile in this place.

wake me up inside
I nodded my head, bothered by the feeling of familiarity from the silver-haired boy. Have I seen him before?
Myst and I headed out the forest. Missions like this one dragged on forever. I never learned to be patient from them, but I managed to convince myself it was better than sitting around waiting for something bad to happen to these people. "Okay, so what now?"

• idk add another question
• we should be done by now
• tell me my blood type
• finish already

sorry u had to watch someone's toe get chopped off go chop some carrots
"No civil wars?"
He shakes his head, coughing as he forces a response.
"No one knows anything so we have nothing to fight about."

im not aggressively typing
Meredith Amser is the oldest known person of Araxie, but she claims she did not build the town; she found it. Many people have questioned Amser's claims, but no one has been able to disprove anything.
I wonder who was the second to find Araxie.
Amser's rule has remained a monarchy due to the fact that she 'fears a tyranny', but many have speculated that lkaj;dfssssssssssss her friends and mentor's influence leans into the rule of a bureaucracy.
I wonder how long Mr. Burdin has been here.

actually im gonna do marina
I follow Rai as we creep around the area, the uneasy feeling weighing on both of our shoulders.
"Is it just me or do you think something is about to jump out at us at any given moment?"
I whisper to Rai as we peek around every corner before walking there.

what do boys really smell like
"Okay, so what now?"
I look down to the ground once faced with Wyatt's question.
"Have you ever met someone who you might think was suspicious? Or at least seemed to be holding some sort of grudge to the queen? Maybe even deliberately avoided talking about her?"

fuck u you key
I cock my head at his strange response. "No one knows anything? What do you mean by that, sir?" I doubt the librarian will say anything worthwhile, but I decide to at least try to drill him a little further. The thought that I probably would have been better off listening to Yuki's instructions irked me.

echidnas?
"Is it just me or do you think something is about to jump out at us at any given moment?" Roger said uneasily. I chuckle, enjoying the sight of the big scary man being scared. If he thinks outside the store is tense, wait until he sees what it's like inside.
I stay silent for a moment. I wonder if he is easily pranked? "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
I hold my breath, looking around, before I proceed to shake Roger, yelling, "Boo!" as loudly as I could.

mister mistter nistst mitsm temtilr mitersr msiter mister
I racked my brain for anyone that might fit Myst's description. Unfortunately, even though I have been here for quite some time, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to anyone here. Perhaps I was stuck in denial over my so-called death. I missed my life above the surface.
"Not exactly. Maybe we could try cryign in an abyss???????????????????????????????????? Do you know anybody?"

my throat HURTS
"No one knows anything? What do you mean by that, sir?"
He holds up a pausing hand as he uses his other hand to cover his mouth as he coughs once again.
"Listen, kid, I have some organizing to do, could you come back later?"

i'm supposed to be doing homework right now haha
As I scan through the book, it goes on to the growth of Araxie, but only speaks praise to Meredith. As it turns out, she's made sacrifices in order to better the kingdom. Once Myst showed up, she hardened her rule slightly, but it seemed to have improved the economy anyway. I sigh and close the book, the pages all clapping into place as the cover of the book creates a satisfying sound. I set the book back onto the shelf and go to the next book, and the next, and the next. It was at this point I had come to the conclusion that there is likely no books that critique Meredith's rule. I sigh and look up, walking out of the aisle and scanning the area for Marina.
She was talking to the clerk.
Did she even look through any books?

omg
My skin crawls as Rai remains silent for a few moments. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge as I silently wait for something to happen.
"Boo!" Rai grabs me and yells, causing me to jump and my heart to drop.
"Fuck, I thought I just died again." I say through a heavy breath as I try to calm down my racing heart. Rai is already laughing as I start to feel less uneasy after the scare.

stomach be growlin
I shake my head at Wyatt's question.
"Meredith is the social butterfly. And no one would trash talk the queen to her face." I freeze as we approach Cornelia's bar.
"Wyatt…do you know if that was there before?" I point to the wall of Cornelia's building. On it had yellow paint sprayed letters that spelled out,
"QUEEN = LYING WHORE"

so as it turns out there isn't another character to write about but i added this asterisk anyway

shes ilterally holding a pile of books in her arms yuki

😎

I keep a content face. "Of course, thank you for your time, sir!" When he turns around, I roll my eyes in irritation. I head back to the meeting point only to find Yuki standing at the end of the aisle. I stroll towards him, avoiding eye contact.
"I haven't looked through these, but the librarian seems to know something," I explain, remembering how Roger told me how much you can learn about a person from their choice of words and tone. "Just the way he talked. What did you find?"

master of pranks🐱‍🐉
That was so funny. I love scaring people ❤ After my fit of laughter, I pat Roger's back. "Let's go in, shall we?"
We hesitantly stepped inside the store. The tension rose exponentially as we looked around. I wasn't one to feel anxious, but the atmosphere the place brought on was unbelievably scary. It was mostly filled with empty shelves covered in mold, some having boxes of probably expired food. A funky smell lingered in the air and the florescent lights, strangely, were on despite the absence of people.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
Roger seemed to notice the person too, as he lifted his arm in front of me. It looks like a kid, a little boy maybe? I doubt he's dangerous. Proceed cautiously anyways, Rai, come on.

big fucking AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 🥚
Myst stopped abruptly. "What is it?" I said, turning my head towards the direction she was looking.
"Wyatt…do you know if that was there before?" I look to see graffiti on the walls of the bar, clearly a hate symbol towards Meredith. Finally, progress. Sort of.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Well, let's find out who bought yellow spray paint. And see if anyone in the bar saw a suspicious character. I'm sure we can just cover by saying we don't tolerate vandalism."

dying!
"I haven't looked through these, but the librarian seems to know something, just the way he talked. What did you find?"
I exchange looks from Marina to the books as I formulate a sentence in my head, hoping that what I had researched was enough to compile a conclusion.
"The history of this place is severely incomplete. Meredith isn't the first, so someone built this kingdom before she did. Do you think that's where the organization has gathered their arguments? Meredith seems sensitive, but the fact that Myst is concerned as well has me wondering that Myst knows about the firm motivation of the organization. It's not just a bunch of kids that need attention, like the group of pranksters that she mentioned earlier. The kids know something, and want everyone else to know it and use it against the queen. Did Meredith ever specify how they've made themselves known yet?"

enlarged

yell

Rai and I approach the boy slowly, who seemed to be crouched on the ground, with his back to us. He had to have heard our commotion right outside the store, but maybe he's distracted and decided to ignore us in hopes that we'd pass. I turn my head to Rai, quietly returning my gaze on the boy, wondering if I should risk giving away our presence, but I suppose we don't have a choice.
"What's your name?" I call out, causing him to jump back and stumble on the things he was messing with, and falling backwards into the wall. I look down at the floor to see what he was doing; all I could see was a pile of bandannas of various colors. What was he doing?
"Are you going to kill me?"
Confused, I look at Rai.

super super sports more cartoons and books
I was listening to Wyatt, but I was too angry to respond, not even to respond in anger. Instead, I stormed into the bar and approached Cornelia, hoping Wyatt would follow me.
"Did you see what's on your outside wall?" I ask her my tone full of irritation and my eyes flared, causing Cornelia's concern to spill out as she rushes out of the building, turning to see the wall.Her eyes widen in shock as she reads the words on her wall, covering her mouth and shaking her head as she mutters, "My God."

hello darkness my old FRIEnd
I nod my head, listening carefully to Yuki's report. "Did Meredith ever specify how they've made themselves known yet?"
We make our way to a table in the library to read the books that the librarian had given me. "Not that I know of. There do seem to be a lot of holes in this mission. Meredith isn't exactly the most transparent person." I dust off the first book, which is more of an archive of events in 'Araxie' which I concluded was the city name. I wonder what the name means.
"Hopefully," I continue as I flip to the first page, "these books might have something. They weren't exactly on the shelves, and they don't seem to have ever been read. According to the librarian, there's no violence, but perhaps the books hint at something. Here, you read this one." I slid a random book to Yuki and together we flipped and scanned through the pages.

demo, large licking noises
"Are you going to kill me?" The boy asks in a panicked voice. Kill you? What the hell has this boy been through? Who is trying to kill him?
I shake my head. "No, no, we were just here to, well, explore! We just didn't expect to find someone here, usually it's empty." Please believe us, silver boy, I swear we won't hurt you.

weekened alchool party
Myst stormed off into the bar in a blaze of fury. It wasn't until now that I realized how passionate she was about this mission, but I suppose it was about her close friend. I sighed and went towards the paint, guessing that she would eventually come out with Cornelia.
The paint was carefully chosen, as the bright sun-like yellow stood aglow on the brown brick wall. I felt the paint with two fingers to find that it was still wet. I heard the door open and Myst, followed by Cornelia came next to me.
Upon witnessing their reactions, a faint headache knocked on my brain. Flashes of stunned families and crying children came and went in an instant. I held my head, trying to focus. hah fucking emo war boy anyways.
"I promise we'll help you clean it up, Cornelia, but first we have to catch the culprit. This is clearly new. I'm going on a hunch that whoever did this probably bought the spray paint today," I felt bad for not being able to comfort Cornelia more, but as long as she was safe, we needed to continue our mission.

i just ate a chocolate so i'm p sure my dream tonight gon be WILD
I open the book and look through the pages, scanning for any sort of information of value. I silently hope that Jenny doesn't realize that I'm lengthening the time it takes to find the history of Araxie bc i haven't come up with anything as I my eyes catch a word: worry. I go back a few paragraphs and read the sentences.
"Though Meredith hasn't answered the question herself, a few philosophers have brought up the question of how we're here in Araxie, why we can breathe underwater, if this is even an afterlife, and even the question of whether or not we are dead. The fact that no one has been able to answer this question has caused a slight tension to arise in the town and a few people have started to worry about their current state.

ur bones need to be wet and i know just how to wet them
"No, no, we were just here to, well, explore! We just didn't expect to find someone here, usually it's empty." Rai reassured the boy, causing his internal anxiety to soften.
"What's your name?" I repeat, holding a hand out for him to take, hoping he'd take it.
"Bruno." He mutters out, but doesn't take my hand.
"Bruno," I echo, "What makes you think we were going to kill you?"

im currently v itchy
"I promise we'll help you clean it up, Cornelia, but first we have to catch the culprit. This is clearly new. I'm going on a hunch that whoever did this probably bought the spray paint today,"
I put a hand on Cornelia's shoulder as Cornelia turns to apologizing profusely for not knowing about it sooner or being able to stop whoever did this. I reassure her that she's not at fault as the anger builds up inside me.
"Raz has done some graffiti. I think we should talk to him first." I mutter to Wyatt as the surrounding area starts to grow darker.
"For now, we should go back to the castle."

song: holding hands,,,,,, me: literally im about to cry
Yuki reads me a paragraph, but it wasn't nearly enough information to go off of. I sigh, shutting my book. "Maybe we should give up for today and try again tomorrow. I'm exhausted and there's nothing worthwhile in these books."
I let my fingers glide over the hard cover, feeling each groove of the images. "Unless… there is something in a book. Maybe there's some kind of censorship thing going on?" I looked to Yuki, hoping it wasn't a stupid idea.

please don't ever say wet bones it just makes me think of boners
I have a feeling we shouldn't be messing with this kid, but curiosity am I right? "Bruno, what makes you think we were going to kill you?" Roger asks, slinking his rejected hand back. This kid has issues, that's for sure.
Bruno eyes Roger warily. In a small voice he says, "Because you're scary looking." I attempt to hold back my laugh as Roger glances at me with a look of annoyance. Oh, poor Roger.
I sit down with Bruno, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're right. He's frightening, even to me." I wink at Roger.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hld on … hold on to me
Myst looked around us, noticing the darkened city. "For now, we should go back to the castle."
I frowned. I wasn't tired yet nor did I think it was plausible to just leave the case here. Nonetheless, I could feel Myst's dampened mood and figured she might not want to handle more things. I wondered if I could go off alone, or with another member.
"If you say so."

communism
"Unless… there is something in a book. Maybe there's some kind of censorship thing going on?"
I scratch my chin in deep thought as Marina huffs a sigh of defeat.
"Something's not adding up, though." I reach over to grab Marina's books as I place them on a pile on top of mine and pick them up.
"People have been arriving here for what, a millennia now? And no one has been able to answer the question of death? Has no one died here?"
I stand up, making an attempt to balance the books while walking to a nearby car.
"Furthermore, if the organization wanted to know what happens when someone dies here, wouldn't they have already killed by now?"

wee snaw
Roger's feelings are hurt so he shoots both of u then leaves.
"Well, haven't you ever been told not to judge a book by it's cover? I promise, you're not in any danger. In fact, I promise I'll keep you safe."
Bruno looks from Rai to me, with almost a derogatory expression.
"That's my brother's job."
okay NOW my feelings are hurt:(

is he dead
I silently and coldly walk to the castle. I feel bad for being so cold in front of Wyatt, but I was frustrated beyond compare and I wanted whoever did this to be put to justice. I paused and huffed, turning back to Wyatt.
"Have you ever loved someone that people told you not to love?"
I knew I was throwing him off with such an on-the-spot question, but I needed to vent.

TELLL ME IS THIS FREEDOME BABY
I frowned, pondering over Yuki's words as he attempts to carry the large stack of books. I can help you know… I wanted to say, but he was too busy analyzing the situation.
"Furthermore, if the organization wanted to know what happens when someone dies here, wouldn't they have already killed by now?" Yuki inquired. He headed outside the library with me following close behind, but to where I wasn't sure.
"I would suggest testing it, but if death ends up a real thing here that's covered up, I rather not take that chance (total lie, you would marina in another universe). But if there is death here, then what stage of life are we at now?" I rubbed my temples. So much thinking.

aaahhhh eeee ohhh aahahah ooh ahaaa hyaahhhhh ayah oohohohoh
I glared at Roger, hoping it would signal for him to stop talking. You're giving off the wrong vibe, you're gonna scare the kid away! Put your ego in your pocket!
"That's my brother's job." Bruno had replied. Trying to keep a friendly demeanor, I cross my legs like a child. A brother you say?
"Yeah, Roger, that's his brother's job." I turned my focus back to Bruno. "What's your brother's name?" I asked.
His fingers tangled around a blue bandanna, trying to fold it perfectly. "Simon."

lights they bling to me transmitting things to me one and zeroes ergo this symphony is anybody listening oNES AND ZEROES COUNT TO INFINITIY O N ES AN D ZZ ER OES
I could feel Myst's mood weighing heavily in the air. I opened my mouth to speak words of comfort, but she blurted something out instead.
"Have you ever loved someone that people told you not to love?"
I thought about the question. "In a way, yeah, I can understand your pain. It gets hard to differentiate where the truth is." I kicked a rock in the streets. When was the last time I had a heart-to-heart with someone? "Would you like to talk about it?"

pizza time
"I would suggest testing it, but if death ends up a real thing here that's covered up, I rather not take that chance. But if there is death here, then what stage of life are we at now?"
I place the books on a cart and begin walking out, Marina following behind with her questions.
"On the question of stages of life, there's really no way to tell until the oldest person here dies. No one knows exactly how old Meredith is, but if she's the first to die, then we'll know. The problem with age is that once you arrive here, your physical body doesn't age, so there are the unlucky small children that remain a child their whole lives, and the unlucky old people that have to struggle with back pains and losing sight. It's fortunate that the youthful population is stronger than that of the weak population."
I realize I've been rambling and immediately stop myself, habitually freezing in my steps as well. I look down in shame, upon the realization that I didn't even know where I planned on going after the library. Maybe Marina and I should sit down and discuss this matter. Without a word, I continue walking to the park.

op this post is a big yeet
I realized I probably look very threatening, and decide to remain quiet and let Rai do the rest of the calming of the child.
"What's your brother's name?" Rai said in a friendly and curious voice.
"Simon." He responded.
"mY bRoTheR's nAmE is JeSsE"
"Get the fuck out of my face." Rai said for some reason making the child cry and explode
"That's a wonderful name," Rai breathed, trying to sound as gentle as possible. I breathe quietly, hoping Rai does a good job at helping the kid.

my entire mouth hur ts
"Would you like to talk about it?" Wyatt muttered, the edge starting to rise in the air. I huff, a bit aware of the situation, but continue anyway.
"I don't know, not only do I have to ignore the reckless voices of people who don't understand me or who I love, I have to hear the voices of people I respect and admire tell me that I'm making a mistake in something that I can't seem to control."
I look to the ground in a huff, twiddling my thumbs.
"It's frustrating, you know?"

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Yuki went on a tangent of age. I listened intently, corners of my mouth tilting up. I could tell he had good intentions and morals.
"It's fortunate that the youthful population is stronger than that of the weak population." He suddenly stopped in his tracks for a moment,, but then continued walking. I raised an eyebrow as he led the way.
After moments of silence, and me thinking about our situation, I theorized, "What if you can die, but it has to be like murder or something intense instead of old age or disease, since we can't age? I mean, that's such a stretch of an idea, maybe I'm just stupid, but nothing makes sense."

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"That's a wonderful name," I chimed. The boy nodded. He's silent, and I kind of hate it. What do we say? He's not cooperating, and Roger is already on bad terms with him.
I try again. "Where did you get these bandannas? I've always wanted one."

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We arrived at the doorway of the castle. I stopped in my tracks as Myst vented her heart out. "It's frustrating, you know?"
"It is hard, you're right. But life knows you're strong enough to be able to handle all of the world's bullshit. Plus," I smiled, Myst looking up from the ground. "all of us? We got your back. Or at least, I do, and Meredith does."

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I shrug my shoulders, sitting on a bench, giving Marina enough room to sit next to me. "That would bring on the philosophical question of whether or not time and illness are killers. Of course you could categorize them into 'natural causes', but either way, the body failed to fight whatever caused it to die in the first place."
I look down in frustration with all the thoughts and theories. Maybe Marina could help me work this out, but I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be working out.

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Simon lifts his chin proudly but doesn't smile. "My brother made them. He said it would help us find each other in the dark."
He pauses himself and looks at me, which I try my best to look as friendly as possible as I begrudgingly remain silent. Rai should handle this one.

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"what"

"It is hard, you're right. But life knows you're strong enough to be able to handle all of the world's bullshit." I sigh gently, feeling a bit better from Wyatt's comforting. "Plus," I look up from the ground as he added, "all of us? We got your back. Or at least, I do, and Meredith does."
I smile at his words and nod, opening the door to enter the castle, greeted by silence.
"Meredith?" I call out, causing none other than Brent to emerge from a hall, looking slightly confused at our presence.
"Brent?"
"Myst! From the looks of it, I'd say you're following me."
I chuckle at his comment but return to the task at hand.
"What are you doing here?"
Brent shrugged and gestured behind him.
"Oh, I was just dropping something off for Meredith. You know her, she loves her flowers." I smile and nod, turning back to Wyatt.
"This is Wyatt, one of Meredith's recruits."
Brent smiles and nods at Wyatt.
"Ah, yes, I was on duty when he arrived. From a…helicopter, right? Nice to see you again, Wyatt."

i shrug his shoulders
I settled on the bench next to Yuki. I take this moment to straighten out my hair and my clothes, suddenly feeling the exhaust in my body. I was ready for a bath. With roses.
Crossing my legs, I turned to Yuki as he spilled his thoughts. "Maybe there's just nothing here for the body to fight." I pursed my lips. "We aren't aging, we're breathing water, maybe our bodies had some weird immune system upgrade. What if death is possible, but it's just super difficult to achieve?"

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"My brother made them. He said it would help us find each other in the dark." Simon held up a black one.
"Can I see?" I asked. Find each other in the dark? That's rather ominous.
Simon handed me the one in his hand. I accepted the soft bandanna. It's just solid black. Interesting. "Where is your brother?" I wrapped it around my head and smiled to the two boys. "How do I look?"

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"Ah, yes, I was on duty when he arrived. From a… helicopter, right? Nice to see you again, Wyatt," Brent said, nodding his head to me.
I cleared my throat, a small memory of the crash hidden in my head. "You too." Following Brent was Meredith with her long golden hair.
"Myst! Wyatt!" she said, greeting us with smiles. She must have noticed Myst's mood, because he smile quickly turned to worry. "Did something happen?" I glanced at Myst, letting her explain.

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I stare at the ground, silent, as my struggling mind made every effort to reconstruct the pieces of this broken world's logic.
"It's hard to answer questions when the basis on asking them is thrown out the window." I mutter, shaking my head dismissively. After a few silent moments, I stand up and sigh heavily.
"We should head back to the castle now. I'm ready to go to sleep."

"black glow in the dark" "fcuking gneius"
I grin at Rai's bandanna, "Badass." I mutter out, tilting my head as Simon fails to resist a smile as well. "Why does your brother need to find you in the dark?" I try asking Simon, hoping the tension between him and me has settled somewhat. "Are you two playing hide and seek?" Simon shakes his head.
"He told me to come here and get a few things that he thinks he could use."

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I lower my head a bit, knowing there was no way I could lie myself out of this one, as I shrug my shoulders.
"We found some graffiti on the wall of Cornelia's Liquor."
I muttered, hearing Meredith's exhale as she knew I'd be more upset over it than she would.
"Myst…" She spoke with a soft voice, but I didn't like to be seen as vulnerable in front of people like Wyatt and Brent, so I shrug her off.
"It's fine, but I'll be the first to bring justice to whoever did it."

TWENTY ONE GUNS
I stand up solemnly in agreement. We don't have nearly enough evidence to answer these questions anyways. I straighten out my clothes and my hair before running to catch up to Yuki as we walk in silence to the castle. I want to start a conversation, but I knew it would go sour, so I keep my lips closed and my head turned to the city, away from Yuki.

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Simon replied positively to Roger, which means Roger did good and Simon probably hates him a little less. Except did he really just swear in front of a kid? God damn it, Roger, I swear.
"He told me to come here and get a few things that he thinks he could use," Simon says LOL WOW I JUST REALIZED HAHAH SIMON S A YS AGGHA. Use for what?
I lean in, intrigued. "What does he need? Maybe we can help," I suggest, eyes flickering to Roger.

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I put a comforting hand on Myst's shoulder, knowing it was clearly not as fine as she said it was. I didn't understand what Myst was feeling because all my waking life I had been the one to agree with government-related vandalism. But, Meredith was her friend and hopefully had good intentions. Of course, even after death I'd still get caught up in politics and trying so hard to help people.
"We'll figure it out," I chimed. "For now, let's wait for the others and report to them. They should be back by now, it's getting late."

mmmmhungy
My long steps are rhythmic as I gaze at the path ahead of me, contemplating deeply about this world and it's endless enigmas. I know I shouldn't reflect on the past and my life before this place, but dammit I sure as hell miss it. Though, I suppose this was the only option for me; after all that transpired, I found this lake and I couldn't help myself. Then again, I didn't expect to find this place in this lake. The odds of that…
We reached the castle, with Myst and Wyatt waiting near the front entrances.

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Simon's eyes flickered back to the shy boy he was when we first met him. He looked down at the ground and rocked back and forth on his feet.
"I don't know…" He utters, but his body language implied the opposite. "I have to get back, it's almost bedtime." He whispers before rushing out of the store with his bags. I turn to Rai with a defeated glance. "Well, he's not wrong. I'm growing tired."

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I sigh heavily, trying to find a way out of this comfort, which was anything but comforting for me. My eyes fall on Yuki and Marina making their way back, so I take that opportunity and change the subject.
"Yuki and Marina are here, let's go talk to them."
Brent nods and announces, "Well, I should get going. See you guys around."
As we approach the two, Brent goes his own way.

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I waved cheerfully to Myst and Wyatt. "Did you guys get anything? We tried to find stuff in books, but nothing of importance yet. We still have to read the rest of the books."

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Simon scurried out of the store, leaving Roger and I alone. "Well, he's not wrong. I'm growing tired," Roger says, which caused me to yawn. But, when I yawned, Oh fuck, I still have the bandanna on! I never gave it back!
I scrambled up in an attempt to call for Simon, but he's far gone when I get to the door of the grocery store. I swiveled around to the confused Roger. His eyes widen when he sees me pointing to my head. "Well, now we have an excuse to find him again. Or his brother. Let's go back to the castle."
When we get back, Myst, Wyatt, Yuki, and Marina are all talking.

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I nod slightly to Marina, furrowing my brow. "We found vandalism strictly towards Meredith. We're gonna find out who did it in the morning. But, that's about it. Oh, there was also this kid-" I pause when I see two familiar figures hurrying up the steps. It was Roger and Rai, who came back in a bandanna? Everyone moves slightly to let them join the circle.

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I watch as Myst sighs exasperatingly, causing me to curiously eye Wyatt, who's furrowing his eyebrows as he speaks.
"We found vandalism strictly towards Meredith. We're gonna find out who did it in the morning." I nod, thinking deeply about the possibilities of such an act. Who has paint, and where can they get it?

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We reach the others as we listen to Wyatt explain what they found. Everyone questions Rai's bandanna to which I start to explain.
"That's actually essentially the evidence of what-or should I say, who- we found."

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I listen quietly as everyone explains what they discovered, a little too dazed to say anything at the moment. If I started talking about the vandalism again, I'd grow angry again, and I didn't want people to see me like that. Instead I listened carefully as Roger starts to explain Rai's bandanna, looking to her for her to finish.

sry im changing the order so the convo makes more sense

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I must look so silly. I adjust the bandanna as I explain what happened. "… He seemed quite strange, and his hair was silver. He was definitely hiding something." But what, is the real question?

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I rub my fingers together, wondering if I had any cigarettes at the moment. Rai continues recalling her findings, but when she mentions the hair color of the boy, it causes me to raise an eyebrow. "I think Myst and I met his brother." Everybody glances at us in curiosity. "He was with the whole prankster gang."

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The group discussed silver-haired brothers. It irked me that they had discovered so much, while Yuki and I had almost nothing. My mind wandered over the words in the books we read, wondering if there was something hidden, something between the lines. What is wrong with this town?

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"His brother?" I repeat, looking at Rai with curiosity. Is the little kid involved in the gang? Are they planning on evolving to become more of a threat?

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I nod my head, putting my hands on my hips. Oddly enough, the graffiti completely dominated my thoughts until Wyatt mentioned the pranksters.
"That's right," I add, working off of his words. "Was he wearing a bandanna too?"

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big words and probably something snarky to make him look smart

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"As a matter of fact, I think he was wearing a bandanna. Pale blue? Or something?" I wasn't sure how these brothers had anything to do with the rebels, but I suppose it is possible with their shadiness.

rai?
interesting………………………………………………………………

Marina
,, nohthing is said bc i am quiet like the moon in the sky on a froday night.