trust you've got a game plan

[isawallflower]

[ At noon on Wednesday, Riley's standing ready in the dining hall, with a clipboard and a big smile to anyone who shows up. She's set blank stacks of paper on the table, but we'll get to that. As promised, there's some basic snacks as well as some tasty banana bread. Snacks for everyone! ]

Welcome everyoooone~! Thank you so much for showing up. This is a new and confusing experience for all of us, but I'm sure if we strive to stick together and cooperate, it'll help us foster the most productive environment that we can. [ Bright, bright smile. ] So! I've gathered all of you so we can share any discoveries and compare basic information that might give us any idea of why we've been brought here. Good? Okaaaay!

[ That smile never leaves her face. She sets something down from her clipboard and starts passing out that blank paper. ]

Sooo, following my example, if you could fill this out, that...can be a good starting discussion!

[ Her example is essentially a survey. Wonderful penmanship, again. ]

Comments

[musacal]

Huh? [ wait what ] We aren’t from the same time? [ she hasn’t looked at the individual survey responses. ]

[isawallflower]

[ She shakes her head. ]

Claudine put down September, and you put down May.

[etincelledefierte]

...how is that even possible?

[isawallflower]

[ A vague shrug?? ]

I have no idea, honestly. I was hoping maybe you two had some insight into it, but...

[musacal]

[ Nana’s assumption is September 2017, in which case she might have an idea of why that’s the case... but when she tries to look over and sees the 2018... her blood runs cold.

She stares at it blankly and silently, eventually mumbling under her breath: ]

No... that can’t be right...

[etincelledefierte]

Unless the calendar in my room was a whole year off, it’s right.

[Claudine’s clearly pretty shaken up by the situation. May to September 2018 just doesn’t make sense, not unless something happened that she can’t remember.]

I don’t like this, not one bit.

[isawallflower]

[ With a quick swallow, Riley tries to put on a reassuring smile. ]

Maybe... Some people said they wrote to the Phantom, maybe he'd actually...have a helpful response, if we asked about this?

1/2

[musacal]

[ Nana’s face gets dark as she keeps looking down at the surveys, trying to work out in her head how this could possibly have happened... how they could have gone past May...

She takes a deep breath. Calm down Nana, there’s got to be an explanation that ISN’T the one you’re afraid of. There’s tons of weird stuff going on in this place. It might not mean anything!

Your Starlight might still be safe. ]

[musacal]

[ She looks back up with her regular cheerful smile. ]

Oh, that’s a good idea! I’ve been meaning to write to him anyway!

I’m sure there’s some reason for it! It’s probably all fine!

[ Yep. Fine. Definitely fine. ]

[isawallflower]

[ Yes! Good! There is nothing to worry about here, and if there was anything to worry about, Riley's certainly not the person to point it out!! Her shaky smile recovers. ]

Okay. Okay, good. If he says anything halfway to helpful, let me know?

[musacal]

[ Yep! Nothing to worry about!! ]

Of course!

[etincelledefierte]

Nana...

[Claudine thinks a second, then takes a deep breath. If nothing else, she can put how she feels into lyrics. Probably better that she does, because her own words might be too harsh. And so, she sings:]

I'd like to show myself from back then
What it is like in the place where I am now
Even if I knew the future, even if I did not,
What's certain is that this is the path I chose.

We’ll figure this out. I’ll write, too.

[musacal]

[ Nana's smile drops for a moment and her eyes widen just somewhat in surprise. ]

Clau-chan...

[ But then she smiles right back with relief. ]

Yeah... we definitely will.

[ And sings back: ]

Let's dash through the stage that will become memories someday,
Until the very end.

[etincelledefierte]

All we can do is take it a step at a time, till we get home safely.