CHAPTER 2 ; MINGLE

[themodsgrimm]

The Story Continues... CHAPTER 233 Narrators Remain ; There’s nothing to shake up the feeling of helplessness and betrayal quite like some renovations. Residents in the castle will find a gentle rumble stirring them out of their sleep on Monday morning, and if they choose to find the source of the noise, they’ll notice a newly constructed staircase on the second floor. It stretches up, up, up and will guide the Narrators to a third floor with all types of new installments to the castle. Go ahead, crack open a book, try your hand at some potion mixing. What could possibly go wrong? Just as last week, the morning that the dining hall opens, the tapestries of Ann Takamaki, Soo-won, and Dave Strider will all suddenly catch flame from the bottom, burning up and up until the entire tapestry is gone. Anyone who ventures outside will also find that the scenery has warmed up considerably. Snow no longer dusts the ground, but rather the warm sun and pleasant chirping of birds greet you to the castle grounds. The area has also been expanded, a new jousting grounds available for play and recreation. A set of stables stands next to the grounds, but anyone who ventures inside will find only hear the occasional, phantom whinny of a horse and – find some rather large feathers? Interesting. Finally, partners will find themselves unable to rest peacefully yet another week. While no paranoia creeps over anyone’s shoulders, when night falls and they find themselves sleeping, they’ll instead see dreams – or rather, some memories of their partner. Apparently the Crafters would rather that you all get to know each other sooner, rather than later. Hopefully you don’t see anything you’re not meant to. Welcome to Week 2, everyone! Today we've introduce new castle locations and brought a new round of partner effects, so please review those, including the Outside section on the Locations page. If you'd like to have your characters interact with the laboratory, please feel free to PP the mods! We would also like to remind players to submit all of their Prologue PCs and new PCs at the Private Conversations page and review the weekly ooc notes for important details in the castle. Something exciting will be arriving on Wednesday, June 20th so keep your eyes peeled for that as well. full navigation. locations taken (statuses) stories (profiles) info & faq wishing well private conversations

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[fonlines]

They're the same, as it turns out...

[ he says this like he wasn't actually aware of this either, but isn't surprised at all this happened to be the case. Still, he blinks thoughtfully over before smiling a little in chagrined sheepishness. ]

It was a private joke, I apologize. It isn't fair to him, after all, even if we do share a role, name, and position.

[randori]

[ Natsuo/I still don't know which is the original and which is the replica but!! hmm. ]

...All that stuff that's the same- your names and your jobs and what you look like- that's not a coincidence, right? It's 'cause somebody made it that way?

[fonlines]

[ guess you'll just have to guess! or uh, maybe cheat by checking out some of the other characters' cr chart entries for them, if you know who has relations to who.

His smile, still sweet, turns a little faint. ]

It isn't. You are correct.

It is absolutely because someone wanted it to be that way.

[randori]

[ he can understand it if they were actually twins, or even siblings with parents who are too lazy to think of different names and encourage their kids down different career paths, but he has a feeling Ion's not going to say that's the reason ]

Can you tell me why? Or is it something I won't understand?

[fonlines]

Hmm.

[ how. to word this in a way that won't ruin the meal... ]

One of us was to fill in for the other, in the case that one of us could no longer perform our duties.

[ whether it was because of illness, or otherwise. ]

[randori]

So there's no point in being the same until something happens to one of you. If one of you wants a vacation, then the other steps in to cover a shift, but there's no reason to keep it up all the time?

[ Which one's covering for which? He/I have no clue. ]

[fonlines]

That's why we haven't been, here.

[ it is a mystery. if you really want an answer, though, push this one harder. ]

If we still act similar, well... it's by accident, rather than on purpose.

[randori]

I couldn't tell you apart for two weeks. [ He/I still can't. ] Please try harder to be different.

[fonlines]

... We were asking some of the others here their opinion on that, about a week ago...

[ it's joint posts all the way down with ions ]

Most of them only suggested something like one of us cutting our hair.

[ apparently personality trait differences are too hard for Grimm. ]

[randori]

[ Even changing their hair is too hard when their icons don't reflect it and their usernames start with the same letter and half the time I can't remember who plays which username. I will manage!! somehow. Natsuo, though, misses those simple days where he thought there were just one. ]

Yeah, I was asked that too. [ By which Ion... The other one? If this one is bringing it up as a new thing. ] But I like both of you! So I don't want you to act different from that!

[fonlines]

[ I'm so, so sorry, and Dani is too. Such is the life when it comes to Ions. ]

... So you want us to act more different from each other, but not act differently from how we do already?

[ That's uh, more specific of an answer than they'd managed to get out of most people, but also. Hm. ]

[randori]

Yes, exactly!

[ ...He'll leave it to the two of them to figure it out.

But it makes sense, he thinks- find things that are unique to each of them and enjoy those differences a little. It's what he had hoped to encourage when asking about things like favorite foods, those little preferences that make each person their own. ]

[fonlines]

[ Unfortunately this is the kind of thing they wanted to ask people for, except most everyone just said 'wear different things' or 'change your hair.' ]

I see. Well...

What do you think some of the differences between the two of us are? Just going by instinct, or feeling.

[ Please give him something to work with that isn't just 'acting harsher than the other Ion,' because that's about the only thing he can think of off the top of his head. ]

[randori]

[ If he could pick out any differences, do you think he would have this hard a time telling them apart? ... ]

I guess I'd say... You smile a lot, but you don't laugh when you're happy?

[fonlines]

Ah... Do I really laugh that little?

[ Yes, you do Ion. In fact you rarely ever have any very strong positive emotion. ]

[randori]

Yeah, you do! So tell me what makes you happy!! I want to make you laugh!

[fonlines]

I...

[ he looks. a little troubled, something passing over his expression before he schools it away. ]

I'm not really sure, off the top of my head?

[randori]

...Then, what do you do for fun? In your free time! With friends!

[fonlines]

... I've never had such things, Natsuo.

[randori]

[ no!!! ]

You do! You have them here! Lots of free time, and I'm your friend!!

[fonlines]

I still don't know what to do with those, Natsuo. I'm flattered that you'd call me a friend, but... I'm afraid I've never known what to do with time to myself.

[randori]

There are lots of things to do! It's not just running around and doing things- you can talk with people- sit and talk and eat and something like that is fun and makes me really happy!

[fonlines]

[ gently, almost apologetically: ] I don't have a reference point for any of that. Not in the way that you say it, just for fun.

From when I was very young, my time has just been spent either studying or fulfilling my duties. I'm not sure what I should be doing, if not trying to ease people's concerns or to keep us all even slightly peaceful.

[randori]

...Have you not had any fun here? The entire time you've been here?

[ people are DYING LEFT AND RIGHT but Natsuo still managed to have fun ]