kin'un team post

[ratiocinations]

Who: Kin'un and visitors
When: After the fear game
Where: Kin'un dorm
What: Everyone coping, probably
Warnings: Ailing mind/memory mentions. Will add more if needed!

[so DO we feel braver]

Comments

[ratiocinations]

[Definitely holed up in his room and not planning on coming out.]

[velluminous]

[ abject sobbing coming from Severine's room.

she's forgotten to close the door. ]

[tempeyeture]

[ So he's decided to try blindfolding himself so he can't see horrific injuries on other people anymore.

...Instead he instantly runs into the wall. ]

Aww, I really thought that would work...

[threadling]

Why.

[tempeyeture]

'Cause I'm tired of everyone looking like a dead person! Oh, do you think this school has any of those blinders that horses wear?

[ That would be better than a blindfold. Probably. ]

[threadling]

I really, really, really don't.

[tempeyeture]

[ Just. Oozes into a puddle on the floor. ]

Maaaaan. This blows...

[threadling]

Ugh!

Just put the stupid blindfold on, then!

[threadling]

[Starts to walk in. Leaves.]

[Comes back later. Stops in the doorway. Turns around and leaves again.]

[Comes back later again. Actually takes one step into the room. Stands there for a minute. Leaves again.]

[Comes back later again again. Leaves a tray of food from the cafeteria in her room. Leaves again.]

[threadling]

[Girl approaches his door no less than three times, starts to knock or grab the knob and then leaves.]

[Eventually, she leaves a tray of food from the cafeteria outside his door.]

[ratiocinations]

[He can’t stay in his room forever, though the times he emerges are rare. However, this is one such time, and he passes by her room, he hears sobbing, and—

He pauses.

And, subtly, gazes past that open door.]

[ratiocinations]

[At some point, hours later, Holmes is still presumably partitioned in his room.

But the tray is gone.]

[velluminous]

[ the sobbing will continue until morale improves.

she is curled on the bed in the tightest ball possible. her room a mess. every book, every note page, every scrap of paper thrown about, left in that sorry state. spines bent, pages crumpled, edges frayed, stained with ink and droplets of wet.

much of her own writing now beyond recall. ]

[velluminous]

[ each return, much the same: sobbing. sobbing. sobbing.
no room in her for anything else but sobbing. not even able to remember why.

the very sound of it distressing, closing a loop. she hates the sound, she hates the feeling, she hates that her eyes hurt from it. pressed between a wall and it.

Girl comes, Girl goes. the crying does not stop...

but for a moment, at last, when the smell of the food reaches her.

long enough to crawl from the bed and take the tray into the safety of the room with her.

but it resumes again soon enough. ]

[ratiocinations]

[It is good, perhaps, that Holmes does not remember how he might personally approach a circumstance which involves a crying woman: leave her alone, move on.

It is less good that he recalls stepping into this room once, only briefly, something about a plant, barely remembering his classmate’s name — a tiefling, though, he remembers her calling herself. But there was permission once, and surely there might be again? Maybe she might stop sobbing if she can ground herself in something other than what ails her.

Maybe distraction is optimal for both parties.]

Ms… Tiefling. Might I come in?

[velluminous]

[ words are ...
...
as if through mud, from underwater. pressed against that smothering wall.
she doesn't know them; she feels she should.
the knowing was there, but now out of reach.

they mean nothing.
everything means nothing now.

curls up tighter. the crying continues: great, gulping sobs ]

[ratiocinations]

[Though it was hardly an invitation, he takes it as one. Steps into her room, and immediately onto a pile of papers.

Bends down, picks up a handful. Looks them over — are these old notes of hers, or recently abandoned scribblings?]

[velluminous]

[ it doesn't really matter; the writings, whatever they were, have been scribbled over utterly in a harsh and clearly distressed hand. ]

[tempeyeture]

You're giving me some really mixed signals, here...

[ But he's dutifully putting the blindfold back on! ]

[ratiocinations]

[A steadying hand on his shoulder, suddenly. A voice low, but recognizable-]

It would be better to have all your faculties, even so.

[ratiocinations]

[Oh. Why would she do this to her own work, if she cannot recall, in the same way he cannot? At least these papers once held proof of what she could, so then why-

He glances at her crying form again. Maybe she has it even worse. She has not-

She hasn't what?

No, hold onto the notion. Holmes closes his eyes. She hasn't what?]

...You haven't spoken a single word. Please. Say something-?

[velluminous]

[ doesn't say a single word.
she knows he's there; it is clear in the carefulness of her body. an awareness of other creatures in the room.

but it's all just... noise. she misses the quiet. curls up tighter still. sobs, at least, becoming softer, but just as soulful. why can't she stop? what do you call this?
what...
hurts. ]

[ratiocinations]

[Nothing.

Something else must help. It must, and he can find it. Not all puzzles are beyond him, no, he can fight this, his own mind will not fail him so spectacularly—

He doesn’t

know what to look for.

But he DOES look. Around. What stands out? The immediate moment does not require memory. He can focus enough for that, he’s sure.]

[tempeyeture]

[ Ah— ]

Ojisan? [ He slips the blindfold up, but regrets it almost immediately, and glances away towards the wall. ] Ugh...you're right. I just gotta try to...not look at people! Easy peasy. How're you feeling?

[ Enough about him!!! ]

[tempeyeture]

[ Eventually, stopping by and knocking softly on her door: ]

Umm...Fairplay-san? You should get some rest, if you can.