audience: naminé

[cyclists]

Comments

Week 1, Friday

[cyclists]

[It's the garden today and Sol is tucked away in a very back corner, curled up with his knees pulled to his chest and on a bench. The cookie in their hand and they're staring very intently at a bush of yellow roses. As Naminé approaches, they don't quite look up but they scoot just a hair so she can sit down.]

...we really have to stop meeting like this. [An attempt at a joke, but the tone sounds a little more than upset.]

[whitewalls]

[ she sits down next to them, folding her hands in her lap as she looks them over. ]

I promise I'll see you earlier in the week next time. We'll go to the beach.

[cyclists]

...it's a deal. [The beach would be nice. Nobody's died there yet, probably.] Whenever you want, I can be there.

[They hold up the cookie.] Want half? [They're not exactly hungry at the moment, but sharing seems fine.]

[whitewalls]

[ she'll nod. ]

Half is good. Sorry if it doesn't taste very good.

[cyclists]

[Hm?] Did you make it yourself? [It's broken in half and part of it is given to Naminé then.] I'm sure it tastes fine.

[whitewalls]

I've been practicing.

[ like, starting today.

this is one of the few ones that don't look terrible. ]

[cyclists]

It looks pretty okay. [Holding it up, they examine the cookie before being polite and taking a bite. How bad is it really?]

[whitewalls]

[ it's not... bad, but it's very bland, like there isn't nearly enough sugar in it and it's not as soft as it could be

but she's staring at expectantly ]

[cyclists]

[...this is the worst because Sol has no spine when it comes to Naminé.]

Pretty good for a first attempt. [Crunching...sadly...] They're really crunchy.

[whitewalls]

[ she looks very relieved? bless you, sol. ]

I'll try to make it less crunchy next time.

[cyclists]

I think adding more butter is supposed to make them softer? [The fuck does Sol know about baking.] I found a cook book but I didn't get all of it.

[A pause.] Nana would know. She was really good at this kind of thing. [And now this got sad again.]

[whitewalls]

... she was going to teach me.

[ she sighs, and then takes a bite of her cookie piece. ]

But we never got to.

[cyclists]

...I don't like how time moves so fast here. [It's shitty, really.] It was bad enough when it was one person we couldn't save. Why did it have to be three? Nana didn't deserve that.

[Junna didn't either, and Toki was a lot but even so.]

[whitewalls]

[ time moves in the normal amount, sol

but she nods her head. ]

Tomorrow is going to be so much... it took us so long to figure out it was Mary last time. What if more than one person killed?

[cyclists]

[Bold of you to assume Sol can actually tell time, Naminé.]

...then you're going to have to break it into groups. There's three bodies, and nine hours. Three hours each, but...getting everybody to cooperate is going to be the biggest problem.

[whitewalls]

[ she nods her head. ]

We're definitely going to argue. But as long as it's towards figuring something else, instead of distracting us...

[cyclists]

...then I'm going to ask you to help me with something. [They turn to face her.] Naminé. If people start arguing, you need to stand up to them and keep them all on track. Defend what's right and don't let them lose sight of what's important.

[whitewalls]

[ this is funny now ]

... okay. [ and then, a little more firmly, ] I'll do my best, Sol.

[cyclists]

Thanks Naminé. [This is actually very funny now but it's fine.] Lune's gonna be the one answering questions tomorrow. So hopefully people will be able to ask the right ones.

[whitewalls]

That's good. Maybe less people will yell at you.

[ she has... noticed a trend... ]

[cyclists]

[There's...a tired, sort of bitter laugh.] Somehow I doubt it. But as long as they're not yelling at Lune and they'll listen to him, I can handle it.

[Narrator voice: "he could not really handle it."]

...I don't care. As long as we get through this and get back to where we came from and fix this place, it'll be okay.

[whitewalls]

... it's not very fair. In a way, your position is more unfortunate than ours.

[ she and the others can at least do things without being silenced any time they try to help. ]

[cyclists]

Maybe...it's pretty frustrating because everything I could do to even try to help, I can't have anymore. [It's a quiet kind of admittance.] So I don't know what I'm really supposed to do but try to find answers on our own.

[...] My friends are counting on me though. So I can't stop.

[whitewalls]

[ ... she smiles a little. ]

Your friends are your power?

[cyclists]

[...INTERNAL SCREAMING.]

Yeah. Something like that. [AHAH.] They're...very important to me. So I have to do my best even if it means doing things I don't know if they'll be able to forgive me for later.