audience: ponta

[becomemod]

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Week 1, Monday

[becomemod]

[ ponta may find fox in the dorms with a sketchbook in their lap, but they'll pause to give him a wave. ]

Hey, hey, Ponta! Whatcha up to today?

[bottleking]

[ Ponta has spent the whole first week hunched over into a slouch, but his posture seems to have dramatically improved overnight. He's standing up straight when he comes to talk to Fox this time. He doesn't look as cheerful as usual. ]

Yo. Nothing much, just wondering about those new rules they posted today... Do you know anything about that?

[becomemod]

I thought it might be about that.

[ their smile turns a bit sad. ]

It didn't come from us, I can promise you that. My guess is it came from the same one who ordered the execution yesterday, but we don't have any proof of that, so...

[bottleking]

[ Well, that's about the answer he expected. Ponta sighs and takes a seat across from Fox. ]

The people in the audience said this isn't the first time an execution like this happened - were you around for the last one?

[becomemod]

They said what?

[ they sound genuinely confused. ]

It's never happened before. Not while we've been here.

[bottleking]

They said that "really bad" villains get executed publicly like this. It seemed normal to them.

[ Calling Mika a really bad villain continues to be a joke. ]

Maybe even enjoyable? Given how much attendance there was.

[becomemod]

Yeah, no, that's... that's not something we've ever heard about before? I don't understand why they'd say that... It's definitely not normal.

Week 3, Tuesday

[becomemod]

[ they're bringing in a box of cinnamon rolls and tea from the cafe this morning! ]

Morning, Cici! How's it going?

[bottleking]

Morning! Well, I hope today we'll have no more unforeseen power catastrophes, so... alright?

[ Mmmmhh, this smells good. He's beelining towards the rolls, he wants one. ]

Talk about a tumultuous start to the week.

[becomemod]

Here's hoping! But you guys should have figured out how the new powers work by now, right?

[ they step aside to let him grab one! ]

At least none of you set anything on fire.

[bottleking]

[ He laughs at that. ]

Low bar, but hey. We did it!

[ And after chewing a bite of cinnamon roll: ] Did you figure out what you got yet?

[becomemod]

I'll still take it! I heard some of the other dorms were having a lot more issues with their new powers, you know?

And, yeah, I've got Emmy's power now.

[bottleking]

Nice. Good to know so you won't be surprised by it later.

[ Since that seemed to be the biggest cause of chaotic incidents yesterday. ]

Guess it also helps that none of us have super offensive powers.

Week 4, Tuesday

[becomemod]

[ citrus will be able to find him in the locked room, working on a painting. the night sky is a deep blue, with colorful bursts of fireworks in the background. the foreground is the part he's working on - it's only got a base layer, at the moment, but citrus may recognize their silhouettes as team fox. even norma is there. he's very focused, so at first he doesn't notice. but after a minute, kazunari sets down the brush with a sigh and looks away from the canvas, and starts when he sees citrus there. ] Ah... Cici! Sorry, I didn't hear you.

[bottleking]

[ It's easy not to hear Citrus. He's good at appearing out of nowhere, his steps so controlled and quiet that he doesn't even do it intentionally. When he sees what Kazunari is painting, he also makes no move to interrupt him.

Rather, watching the process is relaxing in a bittersweet way. ]

... it'd be nice if we could all stay like this.

[ The figure are only sketches right now, but he can't take his eyes off them anyway. ]

[becomemod]

[ he glances back at the painting. ] Yeah, it would be. We never even got a chance to see fireworks as a team, and I really wanted to... [ there's a soft smile on his face. ] It's a big thing for us back home, you know? Summer Troupe always celebrates with fireworks.

[bottleking]

They're pretty... The least fireworks display I've seen hasn't been at a great moment, I'd love to overwrite the memory.

[ The last time Citrus stared up at a sky lit by fireworks, he knew that he'd have to give up his freedom and return to being Citrus, the bottle king, sooner or later.

It would be fitting to watch some fireworks again here, to mark a rebirth as Citrus that feels entirely different in tone. The Citrus of Fox dorm who can get silly nicknames, who can be called a friend and a son with ease, is an entity that feels entirely different from the bottle king. He likes it. ]

[becomemod]

[ i'm already tired of embedding icons. anyway. ]

Yeah? Then maybe we can give you a better one sometime.

[ he holds out a hand, palm up, to let a miniature firework take off and burst in midair. ]

Something bigger than this, with all of us there to see it. We could even do some light writing with sparklers.

[bottleking]

[ The small one is already very pretty! It draws a smile out of Citrus. He grabs another stool and sits down close to Kazunari and his work in progress. ]

Yeah, we should try for that. A real nighttime festival just for us.

[ Imagining it is so comforting and yet so sad, after today's announcement. ]

You saw the news, right...?

w5, Tuesday

[becomemod]

[ They can be found in their dorm and typing away on a laptop.

Somehow, even with the mask on, they seem exhausted. ]

[bottleking]

[ Ponta knocks on the doorframe, just to announce his presence and not jumpscare people for once. He's carrying a small package. ]

Hey there. Working hard?

[becomemod]

[ Maybe if I work through it I'll be okay...

They turn to face him when they hear the knock. ]

Hey, Ponta.

Yeah. I figure it's better to do something with my energy, right?

[bottleking]

Mhm. Not that I don't get it, but you need to take breaks every once in a while. Fox is worried about you.

[ You give him a lot to worry about, it seems.. ]

I brought some cookies so you at least have something to snack on. I hope you're eating proper meals too, though.

[becomemod]

[ Looks at the end of this week. He's not wrong, but man. man... ]

I try to. I mean, I'm not lost in the middle of writing anything so I haven't turned into a zombie yet. [ Accompanied by a weak laugh. They're just Going Through It. ]

[bottleking]

"Yet" is not a good word in this context.

[ FROWNING. ]