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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 11, 2017 18:23:36 GMT
"Haunted house? I might check that out later... Suzume says as they wander through the exhibits. The potato-powered self-repeating Rube Goldberg machine is an interesting concept too. "Hey btw, you seen the student council president around today?"
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Feb 15, 2022 22:22:17 GMT
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Post by drallore on Sept 12, 2017 0:27:14 GMT
The old red coated coach still seems determined to get Jericha on his team
"Then you'll get experience! Getting a full time teaching position this early? And just think how fast you'll get tenure."
Mother continued to look as though she was interested in the booths and entertainment
"You know, a marriage license never actually came up. I mean, it's not like any aspect of my job needs me to actually be married, so they never had any reason to dive further than surface level details. Though admittedly, I tell everyone Sparrow's my 10 year old son, and I had him when I was 19. Being a wife and mother that managed to do all that AND still get her doctorate? That shit sells. Though I've always just told people my "husband" is a busy man, so he can't show up for every party or drunken affair. It's actually easier than I had originally anticipated"
"I doubt her coworkers really care all that much about it. After all, most seem to despise her"
"Wow, just ripping the band-aid right off there aren't you?"
"It's only because they're jealous of you."
The boy seems to have calmed down a bit. Ciara's smile is very comforting, something her friends have been well aware of for a while now. That's why they opted to not get involved or try and help her. It's better to just let her handle these situations. The boy wipes the tears from his eyes, and sniffles a bit
"Sorry . . . I don't mean to take you away from the festival. I just . . . I just kind of got chewed out by the council president. Heh, it's stupid right? She didn't hurt me or break anything, just . . . said things. She was disappointed with me, said I was worthless. She said there was no way I could survive if I couldn't handle all this, but . . . but I already worked so hard just to help get this stupid festival running! Sleepless nights! Ditching my friends and family! My grades have been dropping! And then she says I'm not working hard enough?! I mean . . . what more can I do?"
The little witch cringes at the mention of the president
"uuuuuuuuugh! Don't even bring her up. I just caught her tearing into one of her poor lackeys earlier. I've never seen someone be so calm and collected, and yet so savage."
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Post by Zephias on Sept 12, 2017 13:11:33 GMT
Ciara frowned and signed to Izumi to run interference and give her a couple minutes alone with the kid.
"The student council president doesn't sound too nice, if you ask me. And saying there's no way you could survive? That's ridiculous. Everyone seems to be enjoying the festival, which means that if you helped organize it you did a great job and you should be proud of it"
She shrugged.
"You don't need her approval, she doesn't get to decide if you've done a good job"
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Post by oddeyes on Sept 14, 2017 5:11:43 GMT
Jericha was still in high school herself, and had no clue what "tenure" even meant! "Hehehe...uh yup. That is something alright. How about I think about it, and I'll get back to you?" Jericha picks up her pace, and starts of towards where she last saw Easter. Anywhere was better than here. "Huh!? What's that!? Sorry Coach! Seems like I'm needed by that crazy kid over there. See ya!"
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Post by drallore on Sept 15, 2017 20:05:37 GMT
Ciara's words were kind. For any other kind of person, they might have been helpful. Unfortunately, this kid wasn't in much of a situation where he could appreciate help. Instead, he was clearly agitated by Ciara's words
"Y-you're just saying it's good enough? People are happy, so why bother trying harder?! Good Enough?!?! T-that's the problem! Everyone's SOOO content with being just GOOD ENOUGH, but that's what ultimately KILLS YOU! I-i may be a failure, but at least I acknowledge it! At least I can maybe get better by being aware of it!! P-people like you are trying to kill me! Trying to keep me simple and stupid so you can take life away from me in the future while you're off growing and tricking me into being content with who I am!!"
Ciara will notice small stutters of numbers around her as the kid starts ranting. It's clearly not enough to cause immediate concern, but the kid's mental state seems to be causing an effect on Mythos. Perhaps others around here are at the same level of stress. Ciara's smart enough to know that if more people like this kid start freaking out like this, then Mythos will start breaching like last time.
The elderly coach waves goodbye as Jericha leaves "Ah-well good luck with that! Let me know if you change your mind!"
Easter cocks her head in confusion as Jericha runs up to her
"Huh? I wasn't calling you"
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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 16, 2017 10:48:47 GMT
"Yeah, that's exactly the kind of shit I wanted to find her for. I'm not about to let this bully go just cause she's got power. That's even more of a reason." Suzume has that look again. That look of fire and brimstone and how-the-fuck-dare-you that Varuna knows and fears. The I'ma-fite-them look that ends well exactly 0% of the time.
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Post by Zephias on Sept 16, 2017 11:27:30 GMT
"I never said your work was good enough. I said it was good, as in above the average and remarkable"
Ciara quickly produced a sketchpad and some pencils from her bag and started drawing as she spoke.
"If you're unaware of the worth of your work, you'll be weak and malleable. Others, like this student council president of yours, will be able to control you. You won't get what you deserve, won't be above the curve even though your work is. That's not being content, it's recognizing that there's a good along with the not-so-great. Otherwise you're just a slave"
A noisy, dark background materialized, with violent straight lines forming screaming faces. A head soon followed, with a frustrated, almost shell-shocked eye seen from profile and a hand clearly covering the other.
"Look around you. What makes a festival good? What purpose does a festival serve?"
Another background, this time much brighter and a lot less violent started materializing on the other half of the page.
"Is it the opinion of a single person? No, it really isn't. One person doesn't get to decide your work is good or not. Many of the greatest works of art and literature have been panned by critics and hated, only to be proven as greats by the people. People are enjoying your festival because it's a great festival, where things are interesting and they're having fun. If this was a company fest, you'd be getting a bonus for a job well done and potentially getting fast-tracked for a promotion. It's not perfect, no. Nothing is. But it's good"
A mirror image came to shape on the other side of the page, except the shadows were less intense and the faces a lot less sharp and angry. The back of the head had another face, this time lighter and with a stern, resolute look and eyes that were kept on the horizon as if ready for the next challenge. A small smirk finished what was a powerful face of resolve.
Ciara quickly signed the bottom with a pen and showed it at the kid. She pointed to the shell-shocked and desperate face.
"This is you right now. You're allowing others to determine what you're worth, and therefore fail to see the value you have. When you do that, you become malleable and enslaved to others. And your fear of being just 'good enough' will become a reality, since if everything's bad then nothing's ever good and therefore you won't ever even be 'good enough', never mind remarkable"
She then pointed to the other side.
"This is what happens when you stop allowing others to direct your life, which is what you're doing right now. You get to see the good, and recognizing it strengthens you. That doesn't mean you ignore the bad-" she circled some frowning faces on the 'light' side of the page. "-but since you also see the good, you now get to work on fixing the problems that are really there and not the problems that someone has manufactured and placed in your mind to keep you weak, afraid and malleable. You also stop dwelling on what you did wrong this time, as I found you, and start thinking about what you can do better"
She handed the drawing to the kid and gave him a questioning look.
"So who do you want to be? A paralyzed, broken slave to caught on the present and your own false fears that you'll never do anything great, or a battered but unbent trailblazer that is always progressing towards the best version of himself achievable? No one else can make this choice for you. So choose"
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Post by eltrou on Sept 16, 2017 11:37:05 GMT
Miguel's eyebrow raised once more at the answer they gave. So San Fransokyo was lax about that thing after all. It made a little more sense as to why his boss sent him here to learn, amongst other things. While it was concerning that her co-workers didn't like her, the fact that paperwork and background checks were lax in a hospital of all places... well. That was something to tell his host, if anything.
"Despise you? That's rather curious, beautiful. You're definitely the competent sort, so is it personality friction with your co-workers?" He was genuinely curious as he looked at her, while also keeping a view of the fair behind her at the same time. He couldn't be lax while they were having such an interesting conversation, as much as he would like to. "Or is this the office culture thing I've been hearing being tossed all around with the professors?"
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Post by drallore on Sept 16, 2017 19:54:49 GMT
Uh oh, Suzume's super seriousness face. The little witch knew this powerful aura all too well
"WHaaaaAaA?! C'mon, we JUST found each other. Can't we just hang out and ignore the ice queen of death and spiders? I still haven't even gone through the paintball course!!!"
The kid's head seemed to be shot. He was clearly mentally strained long before this philosophical debate, and now he's gone from stressed to horridly exhausted. He clutches the drawing to his chest, and curls into himself as he cries.
"I'm just . . . I'm just tired"
Without much needing to be said, it would seem Ciara got through to him
Sparrow is quick to respond to Miguel's comment
"I already said it, they're just jealous of her"
"Dear, you know it's not that simple."
Mother looks back over to Miguel
"It's not that big of a deal really. I don't know if we necessarily clash per-se. Just a bunch of smaller problems that really built up over time. I didn't like how some of the other staff badmouthed their patients, they don't like me sneaking medication to patients that don't have insurance, that kind of stuff. I'm sure they're fine people"
"Dr. Goldstein has incest show up as an auto complete on his google search nearly every time I see him typing. Don't try and humanize those freaks"
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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 16, 2017 19:59:14 GMT
Suzume softened... just a little. "Ok fine, I'll destroy her later. Just lemme know if you spot her when you go back to work." She might have to bide her time a little... plus she's not necessarily lookign for as literal a confrontation as usual... "Are you sure you should do paintball right now, won't that ruin your costume?"
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Post by drallore on Sept 16, 2017 20:03:24 GMT
"Fu fu fu~ that's assuming the opponents can hit me"
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Post by oddeyes on Sept 17, 2017 3:13:29 GMT
Jericha pats Easter on the back, and starts pushing her on. "Hahaha! Of coarse you did! Now come on! Walk walk walk walk...." Once out of sight of everybody suspicious about Jericha, she takes a breather. "Geez man...Just barely got out of that one. No way am I gonna teach kids athletics! I'm still in high school, and I cant stand em now! I don't even know what a 'tenure' is anyway!"
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Post by Zephias on Sept 18, 2017 4:43:58 GMT
Ciara nodded.
"Have some fun, unwind a little. It's your festival, no? Least you should do is enjoy it. Here, you can tag along with my friends and I if you want. I'm sure we can find something interesting to do"
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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 18, 2017 18:27:23 GMT
"Alright then, lets go, we'll see how colourfully you perform!"
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Post by drallore on Sept 19, 2017 7:18:56 GMT
"I think it's the way love's supposed to feel"
She may be thinking of the word "tender".
"But we still have a mission to do right? We need to get our eyes on the council president!"
The boy shakes his head.
"No. I'm sorry, I mean, I really appreciate it, but I just don't feel like being around people right now . . . and I especially don't feel like being around this festival. I think . . . I think I'm just going to go home, and go to bed."
The boy then starts making his way out
As Suzume and witch girl make their way to the paint ball booth, they find an array of weary students covered in various shades of shameful paint making their way out the exit. This is clearly a daunting course, and the leader boards seems to have no victors as of yet. A cheeky girl in a full camo jumpsuit stands up on her pedestal, mocking them with a traditional arrogant school girl laugh that's just cringey beyond compare.
"Surely SOMEBODY here can at least leave a dent against my squad?"
The task seems simple. The hosts have set 5 soldiers in the field for you to hunt down and shoot. If they hit you 5 times, you are out. If you hit any of them once, they are out. Take out all 5, and you'll get a prize, and your name on the leaderboard. Witch girl wasted no time to sign the pair up.
Once she made it through the curtains, armed to the teeth in paint and guns, Suzume found that they had put up plenty of wooden walls down the entirety of the hallway, creating a claustrophobic maze, garnished with camo netting, ammo crates, and pictures of the aforementioned military girl giving you a thumbs up. Witch girl takes the lead, and is far more diligent and serious than Suzume is used to. It's like her personality has suddenly pulled a 180.
For my own sanity, just roll one set of Perception, Focus, and then Athletics or Acrobatics. Also, your battle plan for approaching this mission (feel free to ask for more details if needed)
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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 20, 2017 12:59:53 GMT
"You think we can get a little higher to spot them below? If not lets just be careful on corners. I'll watch your back, you show them your magic. We should probably try to stay small targets too huh..." Suzume was surprised to see Varuna so focused, but she was going to go for it. She'll take the back though, she'd rather not get too messy. Crouching might make it harder for the other guys, hopefully.
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Post by Zephias on Sept 20, 2017 17:20:21 GMT
Ciara watched the boy go with a bit of a smile. At least he seemed to be a little better?
"Well, that's fixed now at least" she told Noriko and Izumi. "What else is there to do around here?"
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Post by drallore on Sept 21, 2017 6:54:05 GMT
Suzume's trust is well put. Witch girl was not joking about not being able to get hit. By herself she managed to storm down the hall, evading easily 40 pellets, and leaving one single pellet right between the eyes of 3 members. Suzume's antics weren't nearly as impressive, but her situational awareness and skill helped her recognize an attack from a senior on the ceiling, and she managed to take him out before he could get the upper hand. The 5th person had immediately surrendered after seeing witch girl's talents. You both received limited edition coffee unicorn plushies and your names and pic on the wall of heroes.
Nori and Izumi seemed to be less than eager to continue on with the festival
"I don't know Ciara. This whole thing feels weird now. I mean, that kid was straight up mental because of all this. It feels, tainted or something now."
"I agree with Nori. I think we should at least tell the principal or something about all this. We can't just ignore all that."
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Post by kagemaru656 on Sept 21, 2017 10:31:13 GMT
"YES! One more unicorn for my mighty army!" Suzume proclaims, still somewhat caught up in the adrenaline. "You were amazing though, I can't believe you actually charged 3 of them without a single shot on you!" She knew Varuna had some, lets say hidden talents but that was something else. Something right out of one of their animes. "I'm pretty hungry after all that, wanna grab some food?"
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Post by oddeyes on Sept 21, 2017 16:41:41 GMT
Jericha scratches her head as it appears Easter, and herself are on two different wavelengths....no surprise. "Ehhh...Anyways, yeah. Let's continue to keep an eye out for that girl. Hmmm...If we were Student Council President, where would we be?"
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