Weekend 7

[vellamods]

WEEKEND 7 LOG ♬
Weather: Clear skies all weekend

It’s finally the weekend!

You’ve all been working hard to make sure today is a success. Tom Nook has delivered your fliers, and word has been spread about your island. Maybe your goal is less obvious, or at least, has been less advertised to people outside of beautiful Isla Sonrisa, but it’s that sort of expectation that hangs in the air like the excitement that’s nearly palpable. One thing’s for certain: Hopefully, KK Slider will have taken note of your sunny little island. And by the way the seaplane keeps on coming and going throughout the day, unloading other animal-like passengers, there’s no doubt that others from this world have noticed, too.

The sisters have placed the designs that were submitted for the contest outside their shop. It’s a good thing you have so many creative people inhabiting an island! Tom Nook is also handing out brochures with answers from the island’s residents for people to learn more about its inhabitants. If KK Slider is to be welcomed here, it’s best he knows for sure that he’s come to the right place. For those who are less familiar with KK’s stylings, Tom Nook has set up a display of KK’s singles and CDs. It’s hard to not notice the white dog with floppy ears and soulful eyes on some of the covers and posters.

Wandering around are Audie and Raymond -- among other animals, of course -- who are dressed in their best duds; as inhabitants of this world, they’re pretty darn jazzed about the prospect of KK Slider arriving. Even Tom Nook has broken out his best, most fashionable bowtie. Blathers, too, and he’s taken it upon himself to bring some fish- and dinosaur-themed refreshments. The museum is closed, but (Who knew an owl could bake such delicious treats?) Blathers has a little booth setup outside of the museum with pamphlets and everything you've submitted (oocly highlighted) on display outdoors.

There is another certain someone wandering around who looks a little too worried for this event, though. It's Snake, and he seems somewhat troubled. If he sees you, he's not shy about approaching and asking you if you've seen his belongings.

"Yeah, it's kind of a terrible predicament! I don't know where they went, but I lost them all on the beach! I hope they didn't run away... those running shoes are pretty amazing, after all! You'll know they're mine if you find them, they've got my name written on 'em. I'd look for 'em myself, but you know, I just got done with a KILLER set of reps to make sure my abs and biceps are in tip-top shape for the event, bunyip. I'll be around here, so just come find me if you find my precious things!"

As for the entertainment area... You’ve all been working hard to set it up. It’s hard to miss the sort of passion that almost seems to radiate from the areas the otherworlders have put so much effort into. After all, this is what will hopefully draw KK Slider to your island, to not only perform, but to hear your own performances. Tom Nook might be passionate about making sure this island thrives and becomes a home to many people, but those who have been brought here… well, perhaps their passion outshines even Tom Nook’s. And for those of you who need to take some time to relax, the library and pool are some good options, too.


Should you choose to check the entertainment area in the middle of the day, there sure is a white dog with floppy ears and soulful eyes playing the guitar and singing a cute melody.


Lastly, Gulliver can be found sitting on the beach, taking a breather. But when he's approached he'll come on over--it seems he's just remembered something important!

"Hey there, friend! Were you able to find my communicator parts? Hopefully they didn't go and hop into the water, that would be inconvenient for us all! Especially since I've got something that might help you all get back home that I can send over once I get my watery situation all figured out!"

--

Sunday rolls around. Maybe you're still working on cleanup or relaxing after a long day. KK Slider is sitting in the Resident Services area now, sitting on a stool. There are other stools set up for people to sit around and listen.

He'll take requests based on your mood and genre. He's got a wide variety of tunes to play, so don't be shy!



(OOC: Welcome to your Weekend 7 log! We're going to try things a little differently this time: If you'd like an NPC interaction, ping us and let us know which NPC you're looking for. In terms of the visitors, they're all other villagers from Animal Crossing! Feel free to NPC those guys in your threads on your own!)

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SUNDAY

[vellamods]

[regression]

open

[ With everything going as planned and Gulliver even mentioning they may have a way home, a break seems like a good idea. Joonghyuk has decided to give K.K. Slider a chance with the music bit, though he's noticed a good portion of natives is sitting around him, leaving few chairs empty. He takes a seat and Slider begins his song—it is K.K. Metal.

Things are going well until the tongue twister part hits and somehow all the natives can do it. Joonghyuk is left in confusion as this demonic chant goes without a breath. They expect the same from him, but when he doesn't follow, they pause and ask? Do you not know the lyrics? ]

I didn't understand anything they said.

[ It was extremely fast? Someone?? Help him understand this demon summoning? Even if Slider says it's cool, now he wants to show them he can do this, too. ]

closed to dokja

[ Joonghyuk isn't too sure if he should believe the seagull about the solution, but just the thought is enough for him to ask Dokja what he had always wanted to do... If there was a wish he can grant here before they head home, then he would like to at least make that a memory for the other man to hold when they return. When Dokja will have to wait days, weeks, possibly years for them, he would at least have more memories to hold onto.

So there's a spot prepared at the top of the cliffs, blanket sprawled with two sleeping bags in case they get cold and a picnic basket filled with dinner goodies. The space is lit with a dim lamp, not that they need it with the clear skies showing glistening stars.

He's basically waiting by the ledge in his tracksuit, scouting for a familiar idiot. ]

WILDCARD

[conceptualize]

[ Laurent has been pretty busy these days doing... things, often in his house though he still does go outside every now and then, but less than before. It occurred to him that people can get worried about him not being outside, so he made sure to keep that in mind.

But he decided to drop by the house for a visit. He needs a break.

He knocks to the rhythm of twinkle twinkle little star on the door. ]

[regression]

[ Good. Joonghyuk is no longer that confused dog over a certain thing being gone in his routine. Laurent gets no visits from him over his well-being now. However, it doesn't seem like Joonghyuk is free of him...

In a minute, he opens the door. ]

What do you want?

[ Yeah. ]

[conceptualize]

[ He'll never be truly free until Vella is over, unfortunately. The curt "greeting" only makes Laurent smile even wider. ]

Are you mad about the things I sent you?

[ Since, yeah, there was a garbage bin in it. ]

Anyway, I came because I wanted to see if you've seen this before.

[ He holds out... multicolored gels. They're tales gels, in various colors and flavors. ]

[regression]

[ Joonghyuk is very tempted to just close the door on Laurent, but his eyes narrow on the little gels. If he could use Sage's Eye freely, it wouldn't be easy for him to figure out their properties, but— ]

They look like gummies.

[ Are they not?? ]

[conceptualize]

I dropped one of them in the river and it exploded.

[ Gummies don't usually explode. And yes, Laurent brought an entire jarful of these. He even eats one right in front of Joonghyuk, despite saying it exploded in the river. ]

They taste fruity. I figured you'd know what they're made of since you're pretty well-versed in this sort of thing. Want one?

[ He knows he'll refuse, but he offers anyway. ]

[regression]

[ It would draw too much attention for Laurent to just stay outside with his jar of gels, so he steps aside so the man can enter. ]

... It exploded and you still choose to eat them.

[ Joonghyuk gives Laurent quite a look, choosing not to say yes or no yet until he hears in full the effects it might have had on the other man. ]

[conceptualize]

[ Laurent just smiles his usual smile and walks inside the house. He remembers to take off his shoes. ]

Because they're pretty good. Not overly sweet either. If anything, it feels like I'm eating one of those vitamin candies, but in gel form.

[regression]

[ Good. He would have thrown Laurent out if he didn't. Joonghyuk closes the door once his guest enters. ]

You don't feel any different?

[ Don't mind if he scans for any symptoms. ]

[conceptualize]

[ Laurent doesn't seem to mind as Joonghyuk does so. ]

I feel fine--just eating some snacks. Nothing bad is happening.

[ It doesn't look like Laurent is getting rejuvenated or anything, but he doesn't look sick either. Granted, Laurent is the type of person to be working his jobs through an extremely high fever anyway, but he looks relaxed. ]

[regression]

[ They have different types of immortality and Joonghyuk has the one that lets him be paranoid.

If it exploded, it must have strange properties to them. Curious, he holds out his hand. Give him one. ]

[conceptualize]

[ Laurent looks down at Joonghyuk's hand, surprised that he's asking for one since he isn't one about eating things other people made... or something. Usually, anyway. Despite that, Laurent hands him a pineapple gel. Knock yourself out. ]

i didn't get this tag

[regression]

[ Though Laurent gives him the gel, Joonghyuk doesn't eat it right away. Instead, he checks its properties with Sage's Eye. Out of nowhere, his right eye changes to a bright, shining gold and he scans it. ]

... It's a recovery consummable.

[afterword]

[ Well, the good thing about being able to fly now is he doesn't need to use the ladder and vaulting pole. Which is how he arrives precisely. He drops down from the cover of the dark sky and gleaming stars, wings flared out with quick smaller flaps before folding into his back. And just like that they disappear along with the two horns atop his head.

He's already nearing the amount of energy he's put into his abilities today so he'll refrain from using anything else. Dokja is right beside his partner in no time, wearing a cozy turtleneck sweater tonight as the night gets colder with the rest being comfortable clothes. ]

You really went all out, huh Joonghyuk-ah?

[ Despite the tease, there's underlying affection, admiring the set up with keen eyes. ]

[regression]

[ Sometimes Joonghyuk's practical mind wonders how those wings just sprawl from Dokja's back, past fabric... Even in this island, they seem to manifest like magic was always part of this world. Joonghyuk doesn't bat an eyelash, but he does roll his eyes when the other man arrives in a superfluous way. Any person would wonder if an angel or a devil appeared before them, but he knows better.

Annoying. Kim Dokja wants to be an idol. He lets out a huff, even though his tail slightly wags from the praise. ]

I didn't want any of our groceries to expire.

[ His usual response, dodging and obscuring the truth that he did put a lot into it. This time, no tomatoes. Without saying more, he goes to take a seat on the blanket. It's kind of like his birthday? ]

[afterword]

[ Dokja's own tail wags at sight of Joonghyuk's, lips still quirking high in amusement. He hums a sound to acknowledge his words but doesn't say anything else. He does, however, move to take a seat next to his companion and shifts a bit to get comfortable. Since they have plans to spending the night here. It's been sometime since they actually camped camped like this.

Like back home. The tents at the beginning here weren't the same, they were provided with so much at the start. Nothing like how it was for them before. Memories of them camping in forests, between scenarios come to mind. Dokja raises his knees up to his chest, arms crossing over them as he rests his head onto them with a glance up. ]

It's almost as if we were just here yesterday. [ Of course he shares Joonghyuk's very same thought. He looks over to him with a smile. Ah, that's right. He moves to start rummaging through a little into his pockets and tada! A blanket. That he throws right onto Joonghyuk's shoulder and moves to tuck around like a baby.

Big baby. ] So what do you have for us tonight?

[regression]

It hasn't been long.

[ Much like Dokja, he thinks of the times they needed to sleep with the elements. They would all take turns keeping watch, sleeping in different terrains unfit for lodging. It's stark from now, almost too long ago.

The blanket hangs off his shoulders as he's about to take out the food, but he freezes to the touch. Quickly, he gives his companion a squint before loosening the quilt, then wrapping it around Dokja instead. ]

Seafood jjamppong, tteokbokki, and gimbap.

[ A mix of things, but he thought it would be fine. Of course, he has some tumblers of cold water and lemonade. This kind of camping is nice, though Joonghyuk never had such an experience. Still, he imagined if he and Mia went on a camping trip, it'd be nice like this... Peaceful.

Maybe they would be able to enjoy the night's sky, too. Back to what he intended to do, he takes out the food. ]

[afterword]

[ Excuse you? Dokja huffs at that, pressing his side against his partner as he makes sure the blanket is around them both. His tail is already curling around himself to provide some extra warmth as the chilly night air settles. ]

To think we started with just apples when we arrived.

[ Oh he's clearly excited. It already smells good, watching as Joonghyuk takes everything out and he admires the well made dishes. He's greatly looking forward to trying it all. He's really been spoiled rotten here, if he was honest. Everyday he's been living off of Joonghyuk's cooking.

It'll get some use to going without when he returns home. Suppose that's how it will have to be. He distantly thinks back to Persephone as she treated him to dinner with Fables and told him to eat well. He grows quiet but it's not entirely uncomfortable.

It's still strange. Camping like this, without needing to have their guard up. Even if it's mostly done out of habit anyways. Slowly, he starts to put more and more weight against his companion with a gleam of his eyes. ] Maybe I should tell some stories. Is there anything you wanna hear?

[regression]

[ Joonghyuk's tail also curls around him as they share the blanket like a giant get along shirt, but accidentally brushes against Dokja's. Instantly, the fur bristles, then relaxes as it registers it's something familiar, though larger than itself (by poof).

He can't quite keep the blanket on snug when he's serving the soup into bowls for them to eat? However, he tries. ]

You can tell me whatever you want to tell me.

[ He doesn't want to force Dokja into an uncomfortable spot... To ask him about the past he tried so hard to hide, which sounds strange from someone so assertive. Joonghyuk already knows pieces of Dokja's stories that don't include him or the world they share, but only as much as the introduction he gave during the Great War of Saints and Demons.

Everything else has been told to him by other people. Tales of a Dokja he doesn't know despite how he only cares for the Dokja beside him. Anyway, here you go. This is your bowl. It's warm and there's a soup spoon for ease. ]

[afterword]

[ The white black-tipped fluffy tail stills for a moment until it flicks once to rest over Joonghyuk's own. Ears fold back as he registers the touch distinctively in the back of his mind even as he focuses on the food. Dokja motions for his partner to continue, taking over to hold the blanket over them both with his arm encircling his companion to keep the blanket tucked around. ]

Really? So if I wanted, I can tell you nothing? [ He laughs suddenly. ] I expected more of a "You know everything about me, so you should share everything too."

[ Of course Yoo Joonghyuk already learned somewhat about him. Whether it was from the library, from some other person.. maybe it would be better to hear it from his own mouth. Distantly, he thinks back to when when they met the previous Most Ancient Dream. He thinks of how the others had reacted.. how they welcomed him with open arms. How they even found it in themselves to sympathize.. after everything they had gone through. He finds himself shuddering involuntarily.

He blinks suddenly, murmuring a thanks as he takes the bowl with one hand and when he's sure the blanket is safe to stay does he bring his other hand back to lightly grip the spoon. He's quiet for a moment, considering. Where should he start? From the beginning, probably.

Before he realizes it, he opens his mouth and starts the tale. It's not an exciting tale. It's a story that he strongly believes to be boring and mundane. But the life of Kim Dokja as a child, with a family where he mentions his mother and his father... well, not so much. He mentions his death with vague details, how his life continued even as his mother was sent to jail and he found himself mostly alone. Dokja doesn't express too much during his time growing up. Even if mentions could be gathered from their discovery of a smaller child that became the conclusion for the Secret Plotter and the rest of 999's turn, Dokja himself doesn't say much.

He talks about a story he came across. A story he came to love, including the characters he met and learned through said story. He talks about how he did poorly on his exams, how he got sent to the army, leading to how he eventually found himself as a contracted employee at Minosoft company where he met Yoo Sangah.

Some parts in his tale he would provide some more information than expected, other times not so much, at some points he seems to take a moment before he continues the tale. The hesitance lingering with fear despite how he tried his best to seem unbothered by it all. Time and time again, he's faced the memories, some even long since buried, some he found no strength to face alone but maybe it was the warmth next to him that encouraged him on to share.

Eventually, he finds his breath again as the tale comes to a finish and he tries to laugh it off. ] Doesn't make for a good camping story in hindsight.

[ Were they still back home, would he even have bothered to share anything? Or was it because after everything that's happened here he found himself able to. In the end, Dokja isn't looking for pity or sympathy, and most definitely not forgiveness. However, he finds himself... feeling strange, that Yoo Joonghyuk knows more of the man that Kim Dokja was before the scenarios with this. It's not exactly comforting, that he's certain of for sure. Maybe later he'll regret expressing it all but that's the Kim Dokja of tomorrow to worry about.

Dokja definitely has a weird look on his face now. As though he's thinking way too much about everything. ]

[regression]

If you already know, then I don't need to give you more reminders.

[ Because those reminders become threats and some violence. Does Dokja want that? Joonghyuk, however, has settled with the idea that he only really needs to know Dokja as he wants to present himself now. The past is littered with thorns and scars... To drag it out for the sake of his curiosity would make him no different from the Constellations he deplored. It's a small show of kindness he seldom offers, though to most it may look like apathy instead.

However, he does wonder about what shaped Dokja to the man he is in front of him. Joonghyuk is aware his story played a part in it, so he listens to the sad tale of a boy trying to live in a cruel world. It isn't a world with demons you can see, but there are demons nevertheless. They're seen other people and in one's thoughts. He keeps his gaze averted, instead pointed toward the starry sky, and sips his soup to warm himself up. The night air is a little chilly, then the story isn't heartwarming at all. ]

You were trying to survive.

[ Joonghyuk doesn't know what it's like to have someone's story be the crutch of his life, but thinking back to home... Their world now without Dokja, maybe he understands a little bit. He can see in his comrades what keeps them coveting tomorrow is the story they created together—the story Kim Dokja weaved for them. Even then, they're not satisfied with the ending they were given. They're haunted by memories of him and what should have been.

There's a sliver of silence before he speaks up. ]

The you back then doesn't exist anymore.

[ He hopes Dokja knows that. ]

[afterword]

[ A hand quietly moves the spoon around in his bowl, not having enjoyed too much of it during his storytelling but he takes a sip now. Appreciates the warmth and taste of it. It makes him want to curl up a bit more.

Trying to survive. His eyes close, those are familiar words. His tail quietly thumps against the black tail with thought. There's not much to say that. Rather, Dokja isn't sure what to say. He was a boy trying to survive, certainly.. but because of that they were made to live a life that nobody would want to wish on anyone. Yoo Joonghyuk was forced to live a life, to live through countless regressions.

A man like that had every right to hate him. How jarring it is when he remembers it is quite literally the opposite. How a man like that could love him after everything. When Joonghyuk speaks again he finds himself still, blinking his eyes open before turning his head to look at his companion. His eyes searching a little, before he glances back to his soup with some musing. ]

..No. I suppose not.

[ Just like Yoo Joonghyuk.. how he finds him not how he remembers reading. How he is no longer a character anymore. He helps himself to more of the soup, not wanting it to get any colder. The heat of it is filling but he knows the actual source of comfort. ]

Still, it did lead to the me that exists now.

[regression]

... That isn't wrong.

[ Joonghyuk's tail swishes under Dokja's, but it slows down. Only small thumps here and there as he enjoyed the warmth they share in this space. With a hand, he fixes the blanket to make sure it stays propped over his shoulder as he takes another spoonful of the soup.

This is nice despite everything Dokja has spilled about his past. It shouldn't matter to him, but Joonghyuk does feel that he has a better picture of his companion. A person is not made up of one story of another's perspective, but of the many. He's grateful to hear... This story is one from his heart, from the man himself. Thoughts play in his mind, but he turns to Dokja, unfortunately a second too late to lock his gaze.

What he sees is someone fussing with their soup. While it usually annoys him when the other man plays with his food, he should be glad he has the appetite at all. The past is cruel, the future bleak— ]

What matters to you now? The past or the present.

[afterword]

[ For another moment he stills again, finding the words almost freeze him completely. What matters.... He purposely finishes the rest of his soup first before he responds. Once he does, he sets the bowl down and turns towards his companion.

Arms wind around his waist with careful movements to not jostle his companion and curl closer to the warmth. His tail starts to swish with ears folding back with a following hum. ]

The present. It's always been what's happening now.

[ After all, hasn't he been trying to escape the past all this time? He shifts the blanket some more, allowing Joonghyuk the ease to finish his own soup. ]

And what of you, Yoo Joonghyuk?