pc catchall for cinnabar (globs)

[foodbin]

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week one, sunday.

[foodbin]

[It's about halfway through the afternoon when Cinnabar gets a knock on their door. The voice they hear isn't one that's spoken to them recently, but she sounds less displeased than the last time they spoke.]

Hey. Cinnabar? It's Emma.

[globs]

[ they recognize her voice, if only because there's only so many people they've ever heard talk in the first place. However, there's no sound of them getting up to answer the door - instead, they just shout their answer from inside. ]

What do you need?

[ i'm sorry they're like this ]

[foodbin]

I wanted to talk to you.

[She pauses for a moment, hesitating, then:]

...I get it if you don't want to talk to anyone, though.

[globs]

You want to talk to me?

[ they sound puzzled, genuinely, and wary, even through the door. ]

... What?

[foodbin]

I wanted to see how you were doing. That was a lot for all of us, but...

[Her tone implies that she thinks it was probably worse for them than most.]

[globs]

[ Oh. This again. Are all humans like this? They're always coming to check on Cinnabar - even before they knew the poison was ineffective. ]

It's fine. We "won." There's no reason I wouldn't be okay.

[ they learned that humans really have a lot of fluid in them today... ]

[foodbin]

[There's another pause, before:]

This is kind of a weird conversation to have through a door, you know.

[globs]

[ an exasperated sigh... then the heavy sound of Cinnabar's footsteps as they drag themself to their feet and open the door, giving her a flat look.

Nana's house is basically exactly the way she left it, but evidence of Cinnabar recently taking up residence there is clear to see: puddles of viscous silvery mercury dot the floor, and there's a dark stain against one of the walls where the puddles are a bit more numerous. Where they were sitting before this, most likely. ]

[foodbin]

[It'd be a lie to say her eyes didn't catch on the puddles and the stain for a moment, but she doesn't comment on it all the same.]

Thanks. [...] Do you really think we won?

week 5, saturday

[globs]

[ long time no see, catch-all

Cinnabar is absolutely spent; they hate socializing in the first place, and today, it was their duty to actually announce things to people, like they're Jade or something. They're not cut out for it. They still don't feel like they made up for what happened with the shark, either. Still, they're wide awake now, and they know they'll probably stay that way for the rest of the night. Perhaps surprisingly, they don't stumble across Emma by accident; they seek her out on purpose after the trial. ]

... You better not have been lying.

[ it sounds like it was supposed to be accusatory, but it's more tired than anything. ]

[foodbin]

[She looks over at them, sighing, and shakes her head.]

...It's not like I have a way to prove it, but considering he almost killed Shirasu in the middle of the trial before this one, do you really think he would have been so calm about someone he cared so much about being killed?

[globs]

[ and they shake their head back in response to that. ]

Not that. [ they believe her about that. ] ... I defended you from the others because I decided to believe that was all you were hiding. A lie there would make me a fool.

[foodbin]

[A beat, as understanding sinks in, and then:]

It stopped making that noise after I told North, didn't it? Is there some reason in particular you think I'm hiding something else?

[globs]

I didn't say I thought that you were. I just said you better not be.

[ they're not good at being direct with their feelings, which are actually "thank you for trusting me." rip. ]

... I don't think it was you.

[foodbin]

[She nods, glancing their way.]

I don't think it was, either. I guess I could have put on bigger shoes, but... I don't think I would have gone after Minato, and I would have been hurt if I targeted Shirasu, especially if his legs were healed and he had that scroll.

[None of them can say for certain whether they've been corrupted, but it wouldn't make sense to her.]

[globs]

[ they nod. ]

Mm.

[ although the mention of Minato makes them frown. ]

... We didn't solve anything, in the end.

[foodbin]

...We've narrowed it down to two people, at least.

[Given how the top wouldn't stop screaming at either Julius or Akane.]

week six, monday.

[foodbin]

[She comes across Cinnabar when they're at the docks, and she looks between them and the boats a few times before saying anything.]

Are you thinking of getting in? These boats look pretty big. They might be able to hold your weight.

[globs]

[ shaking their head. ]

... There's no way a piece of wood wouldn't sink with me in it.

[ they've never seen a boat before this... but Minato previously told them what they are, so at least they're not totally clueless. ]

[foodbin]

Maybe if you—

[Whatever she was about to say is lost, because as she walks past them to take a closer look at the boat, she brushes against their arm accidentally. All at once, they'll experience a memory; the most notable thing is probably the excruciating pain in her leg, as well as in her abdomen. There's a definite sense of worry throughout the memory.]

[globs]

[ as is their nature, they try to jerk away from the contact, but it's too late; in return, Emma will get this vision, loaded to the brim with Cinnabar's shame and bitterness. Enjoy the feeling of being really heavy and overflowing with poison...

Although, judging by Cinnabar's reaction, that might be better than having your leg impaled. They immediately gasp, stumbling back a few steps on the boardwalk (and narrowly avoiding a plunge into the water) while staring down at their leg. It's in one piece, but they can still remember that horrible pain - and how long it lasted. A break for a gem is a stinging instance of discomfort and nothing more. That, though... ]

Wh -- what they hell was that?

[foodbin]

[She's looking down at her arms after all that is over, taking a few breaths. Given everything she just experienced, though, she doesn't sound too calm when she asks:]

Shouldn't I be asking that? What were those things?

[globs]

... Lunarians. They come from the moon and kidnap us.

[ they answer straightforwardly, understanding quickly that the same thing must have just happened to her - some glimpse into their life. They can guess at what she's talking about. ]

[foodbin]

Why was your friend just wandering around if they were there?

[She sounds like she's calming down, at least, even if there's still a note of tension and confusion in her voice.]

[globs]

We're not friends, [ they say flatly. ] And they're a fool. That's why.

[ remembering Phos as they were just makes them feel bitter inside. ]

Why were you in some exploding house?

[ they don't know what a plane is ]