Week 2.

[trustfelling]

WEEK 2 With the deaths of Sayaka Maizono and Mallick Scott the first week draws to a close. While you all have varying opinions on what happened and who was to blame, one thing's for sure: the Adjudicator isn't messing around. Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; on Sunday morning the clock chimes as it always has, but at least there are no bodies to find today. It seems you're safe for now. The night before wasn't necessarily a peaceful one, however; you'll probably feel a bit groggy when you wake up, and it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost... However, those weird dreams aren't the only new thing around here; those massive double doors on the southern wall of the foyer have opened up, leading down another hallway and ending in what looks like another corridor to the west. Go ahead and explore as much as you like; consider it your reward for a job well done. Or perhaps for just playing the game. COMPETITORS REMAINING: 28

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[OOC: Welcome to week two of Trustfell! Don't forget to save your threads for coins and the activity check, and don't forget to submit this week's activity check and memory regains!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Adjudicator, you can do so here!]

Comments

Infirmary

[fortunatedetective]

Are you feeling alright, McDougal-san?

[Naoto had arrived to take her own inventory, but here's a grown man staring at space, so...may as well make sure he's okay]

[glaciates]

...I'm not sick or anything, if that's what you're asking.

[He's pretty sure that's not what she's asking, but he is sitting on the floor in the infirmary, so it makes sense to clarify that.]

I'm... I don't know. I'll be okay.

[He does believe that, though it sounds sort of hollow anyway.]

[fortunatedetective]

I know it's tough, but nothing will be achieved by thinking too long about what happened.

[That applies to both the murder and to the dreams, she's supposing she isn't the only one having dreams]

[glaciates]

Yeah. I know. Keep moving forward, get out. Do what you have to do to survive.

[The words sound hollow. He's trying, but it's hard to accept all of this, especially after finding the doors open, like Mallick said they would be.

The words that were such a comfort to him back home feel so far away now.]

I'll keep moving forward because I said I would and I don't want to give up. I've just been shaken up by everything that's happened, I guess.

[fortunatedetective]

I'd be pretty worried if you weren't shaken up by all this.

[...]

You should look for a way to keep yourself busy. That'll distract you.

[glaciates]

Yeah. I know. I'll figure out something to do with myself.

[...]

And uh, sorry. About getting kind of weird here.

[The last thing he wants is to have any of the kids worried about him! He can absolutely handle himself. Probably.]

[fortunatedetective]

Please don't apologize for that. The least we can do in this place is watch out for each other. That should help.

[Geez, what's a social skill and how do you eat it. Naoto does have the good will to check on other people, but she isn't sure what to say. How does one socially talk with an adult like Isaac? She can't even talk that well with people of her age!]

Not that I'm sure how to do it. I have never been the sociable type.

[glaciates]

[That actually gets him to laugh, but the sound is short and sort of harsh. He doesn't look bothered by Naoto's words though.]

Tell me about it. I have no idea how to talk to most of the people here. It feels like I'm always about to make some kind of mistake.

[...punching Mallick over a disagreement was absolutely not a mistake, however!!]

I'd like to say it gets easier, but if you're anything like me you'll still be struggling with it when you're in your thirties. So hopefully you're nothing like me.

[...was that even an attempt, isaac come on]

[fortunatedetective]

[Good news! She's nothing like you. Hopefully]

I'm sure you're not doing so bad in the social skills area.

[Right?]

...right?

[glaciates]

Um.

[ummmmmmmmmmmm.]

Well, I'm sure I could probably be doing a lot worse. Maybe.

[hahahahahaha...........]

[fortunatedetective]

My grandfather used to say the best way to deal with one's weaknesses is facing them directly. This lodge isn't the best place to do it, but it's a good place to start as any.

[MAYBE WE NEED MORE OF ALIGULA'S PARTIES TO HEAL THESE WALLFLOWER SYNDROMES, BUDDY]

[glaciates]

Uh, yeah, I've heard something like that too. But it's kind of... different when it's social stuff.

[LOOK HE WILL TOTALLY BE FINE IN WAR when he goes back BUT SOCIAL SITUATIONS? NO THANKS. FACING THAT DIRECTLY ISN'T HAPPENING!!]

[fortunatedetective]

[Okay, if you say so! Naoto figures that, with your adult wisdom you know something she doesn't, and she isn't going to force the issue either way. In fact, she sympathizes with you about it]

Well it doesn't matter. Lacking skill in an aspect of life often means one's better at another aspect.

[glaciates]

["Adult wisdom" hahaha oh my god he still doesn't know what he's doing and he's 39 32!!]

Yeah. Equivalent Exchange. Most alchemists are really intelligent, so it's not exactly surprising I had to take a hit somewhere else.

["i'm hella smart but no one can tell because my social skills suck so badly" -isaac, probably]

[fortunatedetective]

I must have gotten the same equivalent exchange, then.

[does that mean naoto could be an alchemist???]

What matters is to do what one can with the cards one got dealt. What do you do for a living with alchemy, by the way?

[glaciates]

Oh, I uh, I work for the military. I'm a researcher.

[That's technically true! Very technically true. He looks pretty awkward about it though.]

[fortunatedetective]

[You look pretty awkward about everything, man]

Researching? Is alchemy something that isn't widespread in your world?

[That's the first explanation she can think for why alchemy would be researched, yeah. Nevermind the 'military' part. She'll realize it in a moment]

[glaciates]

[True. Isaac is always awkward!!]

Well, no, it is, but it's difficult to use. It requires a lot of research and study. Even then, that's only to focus on one array. There are a lot of different ones that can be used for all sorts of things. State Alchemists are employed to research unique kinds of alchemy. So the array I use is one I designed and created. My alchemy's completely unique.

[you'd think other people would specialize in turning water into ice and freezing all the blood in someone's body but nah apparently not]

[fortunatedetective]

Really? Can I take a look at your array?

[Wow, this is so cool, she thinks! Naoto manages to hide her admiration, more or less, but you definitely have her interest]

[glaciates]

Yeah, of course.

[Isaac's kind of smiling when he holds out his left hand, palm up. The array is tattooed in black ink in his palm and it looks to be in good condition. It's completely healed so the tattooing wasn't done recently.]

The design's simpler than some of my colleagues' but I'm pretty proud of it.

[fortunatedetective]

...oh!

[Intereeeeesting]

It's curious...back in my world there's a sigil I see often, and that reminds me of this...

[Naoto takes out a piece of paper and pen and draws the sigil she sees when she uses Mudo skills. Maybe her magic and alchemy really do are more similar than she could have ever guessed? Somehow? and much less blurry than this. I couldn't find anything better

]

This is it. I think it reminds me of this because of the tendency to have circles and curves.

[glaciates]

Oh, hey, that does look like it could be an array! The symbols aren't anything I'm familiar with as far as alchemy goes, but the design itself would probably work.

[He looks absolutely fascinated by this! If he studied it for awhile he could probably work out what that design itself would involve for a proper transmutation.]

So what's this for where you're from?

[fortunatedetective]

Hmmm...

[Naoto seems a bit nervous to reveal it. She knows the name of the skill class itself isn't really...inviting, so to say]

It's the sigil that appears on foes when Darkness spells are used.

[There. She didn't reveal she uses it. That's good enough]

Light spells have a distinctive sigil too, but it focuses more on squares and straight lines.

[glaciates]

Manipulating darkness and light... that sort of thing isn't possible with alchemy, but if they're spells then... It sounds pretty cool.

[He has zero problems with using darkness! In fact, that sounds hella rad.]

There are some arrays that are more rigid than the one I've created. I can't draw the exact ones out since I don't know them all, but I've got a pretty good idea of what some of the other State Alchemists' arrays look like, if you want to see them.

[fortunatedetective]

It would be a pleasure to see the extent of your knowledge, McDougal-san.

[Naoto is actually enjoying the conversation! In a way it's kind of helping her understand those new powers her dream showed her. Mental note: find something to give to Isaac as thank you for this all]