[It's towards the evening that Serenity receives a text. Ren had been recovering in the dorm and felt worried over Bad End once she regained herself a bit more.]
Hikage: Serenity, right? It's Ren from Pep. Hikage: Sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to check on Bad End, but I wasn't able to visit everyone. Hikage: Are you doing better now that you're back in your dorm? I heard what happened to Bad End after we died.
[It feels so strange to say that they died when they're all alive and well now. She felt miserable just thinking about it.]
SUPERNOVA: No, not at all. I'm glad you did. SUPERNOVA: We're all doing a little better now, but that was... particularly brutal. SUPERNOVA: I was worried about your unit too. How are you holding up?
Hikage: I don't know that I could call it "holding up". Everyone is trying to bear it in their own ways. Hikage: I promised Lumen that if something happened to him or Bad End I would help you guys, but I didn't. Hikage: I failed everyone because I couldn't control myself after coming back. I'm sorry.
SUPERNOVA: Please don't say that. SUPERNOVA: After everything you went through, you needed to take care of yourself and the others. SUPERNOVA: You deserved that as much as anyone. It's more than enough just to know that you wanted to.
Hikage: I know, but I can't help wanting to protect the people I care about. Hikage: I may not know everyone on Bad End, but you and Hope and Lumen and Silk are all good people.
[... typing another message after a few seconds]
Hikage: Is it alright if I come see you? I don't really feel like spending time in Pep's dorm. I feel restless.
SUPERNOVA: I know that feeling. SUPERNOVA: Of course you can. SUPERNOVA: I’m sure Hope and Lu would be happy to see you too. We’re all just trying to take it easy right now. SUPERNOVA: And I’d love to get to know you better.
Hikage: I'd like that too. Hikage: I'm glad you're willing to see me. Hikage: I've been here a while, but I've only died twice in my time here and certainly never anything as brutal as that. Hikage: I'm just sorry you had to experience something horrible like that.
SUPERNOVA: Honestly, at least for me, the company helps a little. SUPERNOVA: I'm kind of glad to know that even most people seemed shocked by this level of brutality. SUPERNOVA: I never want something like that to become some kind of "normal".
Hikage: Only a crazy person would be unaffected by what happened to everyone. Hikage: There will be more of those, but that doesn't mean we stop being who we are. Hikage: I'm going to head out so I'll see you soon?
[Ren will arrive at Bad End not long after that, hanging out by the door. She's let go of Cloud Nine for now and is letting herself feel things again for a minute. It feels like surfacing from under water. Instead of letting herself get swept up in it, she texts Serenity again to let her know she's outside.]
[Ah. She should have definitely left Cloud Nine on. Immediately moving in to hug her! She was still getting to know her but this occasion definitely called for hugs.]
[She hadn't been expecting to be hugged back! It was really nice, even if it makes her blush a bit.]
Me too. [And sad, and anxious, but also relieved that Serenity seems to be doing okay.]
I just- I stopped using Cloud Nine for a little bit because I didn't want you to see that side of me. I want to be seen as I normally am in times like these.
[Though Cloud Nine is really nice, she has to say. 10/10 recommended by all 8 peps most likely.]
I just didn't want to seem inconsiderate if you were feeling down. Cloud Nine takes away all negative emotions and makes it so you can't feel things like fear or anxiety.
Well... it just makes me really, really giddy. I didn't want to show up giggling like a crazy person.
[Which would have been highly likely.]
But you're probably right.
[Taking her hand, because she doesn't want to be without the human contact despite feeling embarrassed for hugging her. It made her feel like she was really here in the moment instead of back there, the smell of her unitmates burning beside her filling her nostrils.]
[Oh. She probably meant that giggling because of Cloud Nine sounded cute and not that she sounded cute, right? Still, she can't help but reflexively giggle a little out of nerves. It was always a little hard to relax when getting to know someone new.]
You think so?
[She follows her through Bad End's dorm, taking it all in. The last time she was here had been to apologize to Sashay for shooting her. Twice.]
[It's a little messy because Sashay was full of nerves while they were gone and guzzled some ramune but-- it's still mostly in one piece. There are a few scratch marks though.]
Great! It's right over here.
[She leads Ren into a room that at first glance seems completely dark. But as they step inside, the night sky comes into view, projected across the entire ceiling as though they were looking at the real thing.]
[It certainly looks like someone made a mess since the last time she was here, but it's fine! No judgement whatsoever. At least it distracts her from the compliment about her laugh.]
Oh!
[Her eyes widen as she looks up at the stars. It was nice having a piece of something so peaceful at your fingertips.]
This is amazing.
[She really is in awe of it. The fact that they're in the dark also made it a little easier to hide the blush that still colors her cheeks.]
[It's really cute, watching Ren's expression for a moment as she took it all in. After a moment though, she followed her gaze to the sky, looking at it with her.]
Stargazing is actually a hobby of mine. Or, I remembered it was a little while ago. So I thought that having something like this for the dorm might be really nice.
[Seeing this has actually lifted her mood considerably. Thank you for the gift you didn't know you just gave her, Serenity.]
I don't know if I've ever been to one or not. At least nothing I can remember.
[Smiling a little shyly-]
Do you want to sit a while and we can look at them? Maybe you can tell me what each of them means. I know stars and constellations have names right? Though, I'm not sure how well that holds up here. We're all from different places after all.
Edited (Oops spotted a typo) 2020-10-19 07:17 (UTC)
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Hikage: Serenity, right? It's Ren from Pep.
Hikage: Sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to check on Bad End, but I wasn't able to visit everyone.
Hikage: Are you doing better now that you're back in your dorm? I heard what happened to Bad End after we died.
[It feels so strange to say that they died when they're all alive and well now. She felt miserable just thinking about it.]
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SUPERNOVA: We're all doing a little better now, but that was... particularly brutal.
SUPERNOVA: I was worried about your unit too. How are you holding up?
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Hikage: I promised Lumen that if something happened to him or Bad End I would help you guys, but I didn't.
Hikage: I failed everyone because I couldn't control myself after coming back. I'm sorry.
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SUPERNOVA: After everything you went through, you needed to take care of yourself and the others.
SUPERNOVA: You deserved that as much as anyone. It's more than enough just to know that you wanted to.
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Hikage: I may not know everyone on Bad End, but you and Hope and Lumen and Silk are all good people.
[... typing another message after a few seconds]
Hikage: Is it alright if I come see you? I don't really feel like spending time in Pep's dorm. I feel restless.
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SUPERNOVA: Of course you can.
SUPERNOVA: I’m sure Hope and Lu would be happy to see you too. We’re all just trying to take it easy right now.
SUPERNOVA: And I’d love to get to know you better.
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Hikage: I'm glad you're willing to see me.
Hikage: I've been here a while, but I've only died twice in my time here and certainly never anything as brutal as that.
Hikage: I'm just sorry you had to experience something horrible like that.
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SUPERNOVA: I'm kind of glad to know that even most people seemed shocked by this level of brutality.
SUPERNOVA: I never want something like that to become some kind of "normal".
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Hikage: There will be more of those, but that doesn't mean we stop being who we are.
Hikage: I'm going to head out so I'll see you soon?
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SUPERNOVA: Yeah, I'll be waiting!
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Hey-- come on in.
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Oh- [Letting her go after a moment, eyes wide.]
Sorry, I didn't even- I should have asked.
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No, no-- please don't apologize.
[Serenity will reach out and pull her back in for a proper hug.]
I was honestly really happy.
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Me too. [And sad, and anxious, but also relieved that Serenity seems to be doing okay.]
I just- I stopped using Cloud Nine for a little bit because I didn't want you to see that side of me. I want to be seen as I normally am in times like these.
[Though Cloud Nine is really nice, she has to say. 10/10 recommended by all 8 peps most likely.]
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[Serenity gently pets Ren's hair.]
If it helps, you don't have to stop using it on my account. We're all doing our best to cope in our own individual ways. That's "you" too.
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[Which would have been highly likely.]
But you're probably right.
[Taking her hand, because she doesn't want to be without the human contact despite feeling embarrassed for hugging her. It made her feel like she was really here in the moment instead of back there, the smell of her unitmates burning beside her filling her nostrils.]
What were you up to before I got here?
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[She gently takes her hand and leads her through the common area towards the conservatory.]
Actually, I was just showing off the dorm upgrade I bought. Do you want to see it?
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You think so?
[She follows her through Bad End's dorm, taking it all in. The last time she was here had been to apologize to Sashay for shooting her. Twice.]
Yes! I'd love to see it.
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[It's a little messy because Sashay was full of nerves while they were gone and guzzled some ramune but-- it's still mostly in one piece. There are a few scratch marks though.]
Great! It's right over here.
[She leads Ren into a room that at first glance seems completely dark. But as they step inside, the night sky comes into view, projected across the entire ceiling as though they were looking at the real thing.]
This... is our observatory.
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Oh!
[Her eyes widen as she looks up at the stars. It was nice having a piece of something so peaceful at your fingertips.]
This is amazing.
[She really is in awe of it. The fact that they're in the dark also made it a little easier to hide the blush that still colors her cheeks.]
What made you want one of these?
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Stargazing is actually a hobby of mine. Or, I remembered it was a little while ago. So I thought that having something like this for the dorm might be really nice.
I'm really glad you like it.
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I don't know if I've ever been to one or not. At least nothing I can remember.
[Smiling a little shyly-]
Do you want to sit a while and we can look at them? Maybe you can tell me what each of them means. I know stars and constellations have names right? Though, I'm not sure how well that holds up here. We're all from different places after all.
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