IN THE FOREST OF THE LOST

[beathollow]

it's all too perfect.

Comments

[beathollow]

...

The room is full of broken things.

Old toys storybooks. Dolls that look like people (old friends, old classmates). Warm blankets that are too small.

Manga and novels and wrapped presents that were opened preemptively, by hands that they weren't meant for.

A soaking wet cellphone.

A juice-stained laptop.

All the while, a gentle voice asks-

You don't need these anymore, right, Mafuyu?

[strawsandals]

[ Screw that, he's digging through all the broken things, pushing whatever he can to the center of the room so they're not just discarded like they're nothing. ]

Be quiet. They aren't yours.

[ How...how broken are these things, exactly... ]

[beathollow]

Some are torn to shreds, and some are just a little dirty.

...

The gentle voice speaks again-

Please understand. I just want what's best for my daughter. These dalliances will only hurt her- and so will you. Won't you go back? For her sake?

One of the dolls seems to be crying.

[strawsandals]

The only one hurting her is you. You're oblivious if you can't sense that.

[ He knows he's just talking to something purely cognitive, but he can't help it. This place makes him angry.

He's going to keep bringing the items over. To the others: ]

Here. We can take a look at these, some of these are repairable.

[fullmoonmutt]

How you going to fix a crying doll?

[ That's creepy? ]

[strawsandals]

I have no idea.

[ Whoops... Does it look like Mafuyu? ]

[beathollow]

No.

It looks like a normal student, wearing the same school uniform that Mafuyu wears.

You get the feeling that the voice isn't just talking to you.

[strawsandals]

....

I see. So her mother chased off Mafuyu's friends...

[ Gods. ]

This represents someone at her school, I think.

[privatedomicile]

Give it a tissue?

[He's actually serious.]

[fullmoonmutt]

Oh! That could work! Maybe use your shirt instead? I didn't bring a tissue or handkerchief with me.

[privatedomicile]

I woulda brought a pack if I knew we'd have cryin' to deal with...

[Jesse is going to find a non-dirty spot on his shirt to dab at the crying doll's damp cheeks.]

Chin up, yo, it's gonna work out. We're gettin' you outta the dump. [...he's talking to the doll now.]

[privatedomicile]

Think we could fix this? [Jesse holds up the phone.] I dunno, Mafu's friends sound chill, so she'd probably be bummed not being able to call 'em.

[strawsandals]

I think it's worth trying. She'll be grateful to have contact with them again.

[ He has no idea how to do it but! He approves! ]

[privatedomicile]

I mean, probably easier to fix the phone than the laptop, unless we get like...a really big crate of rice? Do you use rice to fix wet computers too?

[strawsandals]

I don't know. I don't even really know what computers are.

[ SORRY, JESSE. ]

[privatedomicile]

[Jesse looks up trying to find the source of the voice.]

Hey, shut your cakehole, lady!

[He picks up the cell phone.] Maybe we can find some rice or whatever in the palace kitchen to try and fix her stuff.

[beathollow]

Jesse's shirt gets a smear of dirt across his chest.

[privatedomicile]

...oh, what, you got a problem with that? Cry about it, why don't'cha?

[Jesse is taking the phone with him.]

[idealitas]

... That's the one I fixed for her back in the real world.

[ Jesse can have this one though. ]

[privatedomicile]

For real? How'd you do it? Could you do it again?

[idealitas]

[ He shakes his head. ]

I had to dry out the waterwhen I took it apart and replace some parts. That's not something I can do here easily and in a prompt manner.

[ Still, he casts a Diarama for the phone, even if it'll redirect to Jesse. To that voice, or perhaps Mafuyu if she can hear. ]

I'd be happy to fix it again, though. Over and over. Because it contains so many things that are precious to Mafuyu.

[beathollow]

...

The crimson light flickers, and seems to be in this room now. But it's too far away to see what it is... It's calling.

[fullmoonmutt]

Should we just take everything?

[ Is there any one item that stands out? ]

[beathollow]

Not particularly, but there's a heavy feeling of grief.

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Oh. Sad dog instead... ]