[the artificial sun rises, and the first bright, buttery rays of the morning slant through the parted curtains of the bedroom window and fall on the three peacefully-sleeping carapacians huddled together under the blankets. WV is on one edge of the bed, with PM on the other side, the both of them with their arms loosely wrapped around AR, in the middle.]

[WV feels himself rising out of the black half-sleep that follows dreams, and lets himself wake up, opening his eyes a little to look at AR's face. He needs a moment to remember why, exactly, AR is with them, but when he does, he smiles, glad that AR has come out of his self-imposed isolation, if only briefly.]

[ordinarily, he might be nervous of AR's reaction if he were to wake up, but somehow that doesn't seem to bother him this morning. Instead, he closes his eyes and gently leans his head against AR's, simply enjoying being close to his friend.]

[ There is absolutely nothing abnormal about a carapaced man sitting under a light, attempting to read a book from the large stack beside him at an unholy hour of night. Nothing abnormal about that at all, as if it was abnormal, AR would not be doing it. ]

[ AR's a cross between overtired and jittery, eyes coming off of the pages every other moment to see if his surroundings have changed. He doesn't appear to be focusing on the book very often, his foot nervously tapping the ground nervously to a fast beat that only he can hear. ]

[Nasuti wasn't too surprised that the people who signed up for the book club seemed to share similar tastes...perhaps it was due to similar personality types? That's what she liked to think, at least. Even so, it was proving to be a challenge to find just the right book selection to kick off this endeavor. Maybe she was putting too much pressure on herself, but picking the right book could very well make or break the club, after all.

Perusing the aisles, skimming the spines of many books, both worn and some apparently untouched, Nasuti had a difficult time letting any of the titles sink in. Maybe she should've invited Seiji along. He was opinionated enough, and probably one of the more difficult parties to please, as far as those signed-up were concerned.

Well, as far as she knew, anyway...]

...just need to find the right thing to stick out at me...[She muttered beneath her breath tiredly. She hadn't expected so much energy to be put towards this, but she wanted it to be perfect. This was her first impression on quite a few of the people here, after all.]

[ Prepare to be greeted by the carapaced face of a man who looks as if he has not slept in days. In fact, not sleeping is exactly what AR has been doing. From his glazed over expression to his hunched posture, he looks like more of a wreck than he cares to admit. ]

How does one get to sleep when they find themselves unable to?

PACKAGE RECIPIENTS

• Euphemia li Britannia: flowers from Miranda Anonymous.
  
• Kitty Pryde: flowers from Miranda Anonymous.

[PM has opted to do more walking today, though that's at least in part because she's carrying a bit of precious mail cargo--flowers! It would be a shame to spill them.]

[The ring also has the ability to give her tentacles if the pair of them sprouting from either side are any indication. Each is carefully curled around a set of flowers held close to her body for protection.]

[Still, wearing the ring so often is taking its toll, and she takes the occasional break to lean against a tree or a fence. At this point, though, she's really just trying to keep her ring for her route to keep appearances up for Jack--for much of her day, she hasn't worn it much at all. So she can be found in a relatively normal form at the post office!]

[Click here for pen pal signups. Mail submissions for Day 165 go here!]

[The video starts with the sound of squeaking and soon you'll be able to see GIR in his doggy suit, sitting quite obediently in front of his communicator, actually.

The only thing wrong with his picture is that he's sitting in a MOUND OF PIGGIES, but that's besides the point.]

Hellooooooooooooooooo?

[Looks around, left, right, left,right, left, right--

Now in a very mysterious whisper:]

Does Sentience have a birthday~?

[After the excitement of the last little while, Anri is grateful for any quiet day granted to them. Her talk with Sasha still weighing on her mind, she takes the time to go to the library, sequestering herself away toward the back where all the law books are – laws, jurisdictions, technicalities, this world or that one. She’s expecting small print and words she’s unfamiliar with and wading through pages upon pages of unhelpful information.

She’s not expecting the way the floor seems to roil underneath her, causing her footing to slip off the lower shelf’s edge – one of the many hazards of being too short to reach anything – and the few books she was holding to come down with her. It’s loud enough to disturb anyone nearby, her hip colliding against the shelving and her unceremonious drop to the floor.

She’s left in an upright heap, hand pressed over her mouth as the memories flood in; several months’ worth.

It’s too hard to make out what’s important what isn’t – the blonde woman coming to her house, or Akabayashi-san and the Awakusa-kai, or – or Ryuugamine-kun and that boy, and the way she can’t stop thinking she smells smoke.

She doesn’t get up right away, unmoving and eyes dull as she thinks – something made so much more difficult by Saika’s renewed demands.



Eventually she stands. Her head is throbbing and her mouth is incredibly dry, each step protested by pins and needles. Anri ignores it, taking one book from the library before she leaves.

She’s in the shelter’s kitchen when she turns the communicator on, a few hours later. Her hair is tucked out of her face and behind her ears for once.]

Would anyone mind tasting some food? I’m not sure if it’s good enough to serve to people.

[It isn’t.

But her voice bells clear, less uncertainty and tentativeness rather than more.]


((OOC: Anri has been canon updated! From post-anime/volume three to post volume nine. Find her in the library or answer her request for unfortunate test subjects! She wants to feed you, to your incredible misfortune!))

LETTER RECIPIENTS

• Rapunzel: a letter from Snowman.
  
• Anew Returner: a postcard from Hiling Care.

[Today's mail route is a little bit... different.]

[Probably largely because the mail lady is a lot bit different today. It still appears to be PM, though at first glance it may not be easy to tell--what with her sudden sparkledog canine appearance.]

[Despite that, she is going about her business as though nothing is unusual. In a uniform with appropriate holes cut for her wings and ears. A few feet off the ground. And occasionally flickering green. Perfectly normal.]

[... PM will take the magical dog-face-making ring off once she's sure that Noir has gotten the message.]

[Click here for pen pal signups. Mail submissions for Day 163 go here!]

[Anyone walking around Sector 4 today might notice a certain mail lady/queen/freaky alien is seated at the koi pond. Her skirt has been rolled up and her feet are dipped into the water, despite the weather still being a touch too chilly for such things normally. With her dainty claws, she tears apart a crust of bread into small crumbs to toss to the fish. Her sword is laying within arm's reach, acting as the one odd thing out of place in this otherwise nice little moment.]

[Well, maybe the second odd thing. Besides her muttering. Apparently directed at the fish.] Auric Tranquility, no, you have to share. The Duke hasn't gotten any, yet.

There are so many kinds of tea here. [A tiny, somewhat tentative voice wonders aloud as the communicator does indeed fixate on the general store’s rather large tea selection, a bit later in the morning. She had just wanted to stock up for her usual shut-in tendencies and those nights when she can’t sleep very well, but rows upon rows of tea brands and flavours she had never heard of had surprised her a bit.]

Oolong, ginseng, vanilla earl grey, orange pekoe, Satsuma, maple, snow dragon, star of china, spearmint, yerba mate –

[She does stop at that last, perhaps a bit self-consciously. She hadn’t intended to list out so many, but she been caught up in it and hadn’t realised, either. Her tone takes on a good-natured bit of self-consciousness as she steps away from the selection – not far, but pointedly back.]

How is anyone supposed to choose?

LETTER RECIPIENTS

• Sakura Kinomoto: a letter from Shinwoo Han.
  
  PACKAGE RECIPIENTS
  
• Miwako Sakurada: a package from Sanji.

[PM is on the route... though her behavior is a bit more sketchy than usual.]

[She took Miss Iris Rainbowroad (the mail trike) out for a spin, and also because she is on the run. It's not her fault that she's completely sore and sort of wounded today. It's even less her fault that the mail volunteers almost universally ended up joining in the rebellion against Acumen. It's ... okay it actually is her fault that she told WV and AR that she was taking a nap and then climbed out the window because they wouldn't let her leave to do the route.]

[The mail has to be delivered, alright?]

[Click here for pen pal signups. Mail submissions for Day 158 go here!]

[The communicator crackles to life and a voice can be heard, soft at first as the headset is adjusted into place.] I’ve never seen the Eloquois Ocean before. [He sighs and it’s a moment before he speaks again, louder this time, though it's evident he's still fiddling with the device.] Let's see if this works, then.

I suppose there’s no use denying the claims. I certainly am guilty of, what, impersonation, assault, breaking and entering? Though animal cruelty seems a bit extreme. And murder..?

Perhaps the basket should be considered encouragement. And seeing as there’s not been a threat of execution… Tell me, is there anyone I can speak to in regards to my sentence?


[A pause.] Well, I’m in a right mess this time. If anyone happens to be listening.. well. What have I stumbled into exactly?

[Despite the weight of her eyelids and the incredible exhaustion from yesterday's fighting, PM forces herself out of a dazed state. The lights are on, so it seems to be the normal dome. There is no threat of being subdued or possibly killed by robots. Or, at least, no threat that isn't generally present under normal circumstances.]

[PM starts to push herself up, but very quickly thinks better of it and lays back down. She’s very sore, and extremely hungry, and probably needs a bit of tending to.]

WV? [A little louder.] AR?

Alright, I'm stumped, and it's pretty hard to stump me. I get that I'm in prison and there's apparently no escape. If you crack the glass, all the water pours in and even if you manage to get out, the 168.327 times normal gravity will crush you flat. Clever. But this really doesn't look like a prison. I mean, what prison hands out gift baskets? Not exactly the most intimidating first gesture.

So my big question to my fellow "inmates" is: what exactly is going on here? How did they snatch me up and hold a trial that I don't even remember? I doubt they really care about justice, but why lie about me getting a trial?

[A sigh. This is really getting him nowhere.]

The point is that I'd appreciate information besides the info in the pamphlet. Thanks.

[Alright, well. Snowman had spent long enough flipping out and breaking things and trying to get this dumb chain off her ankle. What the hell. Like she was a common criminal, really.

She flips her communicator on and wow hey Marina I hope you like your weird shiny black alien faces, because here's another one. She appears to be in the hospital, if the background is any indication.

There might be something on fire behind her. It's hard to tell because her big glaring face is taking up most of the view.

Gee, she looks mad.]

From what I can surmise, we've all been imprisoned in some kind of idiotic penitentiary. This much is clear. [She sees you all whining about it ...]

But I am meant to be dead. What is the point of imprisoning me if I were nearly dead anyway? I need to speak to whoever is in charge here, it's just ridiculous --

[Vague destructive noises as she kicks something off-camera. Grrr!! She spends a minute fuming in silence after that, pointed fingers tapping rhythmically against her upper arms.]

Additionally. I need cigarettes.

[ AR has spent the majority of the day in the library, burying his head in stacks of books, putting them back after finding nothing of interest, and repeating the same process over and over again. He's worked out a system over time on how to peruse the shelves faster, but this hasn't helped in finding anything he'd particularly care about. ]

[ It has been a tedious experience to say the least. ]



... How does one acquire any perspective on these works without knowing exactly why they were written?! It hardly makes any sense!

[In the morning, residents of Marina will find Ukitake deep in meditation beside the koi pond. He has a slender katana resting across his lap, and his hands are draped lightly over his knees. Sitting perfectly still, he seems almost a statue, save for the faint stirring of his long white hair in concert with the movements of the air.

Later, he can be seen on the network, wearing a contented smile, the same katana sheathed at his side.]

It is always good to see an old friend after a separation. [He leaves unspoken that, for the first time since he arrived in Marina, a part of his soul feels whole again, the shard that was Sogyo no Kotowari no longer missing since the sword was returned to him.]

If there were one thing or person you could ask to be brought to this place, what would you choose?

[ Miwako is up bright and early today~! As the video feed clicks on, you can see her sitting in a rather loud and chaotic bedroom - this, sir, is her new apartment, and she's here to tell you all about it. ]

Good morning~! Miwako has been super busy-busy lately. I moved into a new apartment in Sector 4~! It's my first time living on my own, and I'm really excited. And look-

[ The video shifts to the walls, past a Sex Pistols poster, and to a collection of photographs pinned to the wall. There are photos of Ribbons Almark, Setsuna and his robot statue made of dominoes, photos of Miwako and Nill, photos of Miwako's white kitten Dorian, of koi fish in the pond, and photos of Miwako and Sanji - including an awkward and unflattering picture of the cook, which you're welcome to laugh at. Sorry, Sanji. ]

I got all my photos from the dinner party printed out~ A few days ago, The King and I [ she still doesn't know Tamaki's name... ] were talking about having a photo shoot with cool-looking people - people with killer style. Would any of you guys be interested~? I'm also thinking of throwing a housewarming party soon, too. I'll send out invitations~

If any of you want to drop by sometime, just let me know! Miwako is all moved in and ready to party! [ And with that, she gives a big grin and a peace sign, and shuts off the feed. To those who know her well, this cheerfulness might have seemed kind of... forced; but to others, this is just an especially enthusiastic girl, it seems.]

action;
[ While out and about, Miwako can be found one of two ways today: with a huge (and heavy!) sewing machine box, and without. Acu has delivered her sewing machine, and she's out to retrieve it! Find her taking the scenic route through the park, or elsewhere in the Dome on her way to the kiosk! She's been kind of blue and keeping to herself lately, so she'll be happy to see anyone she knows - or doesn't know! Pucker up, Miwako~ ]

[Lovely day for being in any open, common area of the dome, isn't it? Of course there is a chance of kissing bot, but it's always something in the underwater prison.]

(OOC: Check out the OOC post for details. Pucker up! Edit: Links for those with loading problems!)

[It's been an awkward few days in the carapacian household thanks to PM's horrifically botched attempt to talk to AR about his feelings. She isn't quite ready to try again, but she can't really let the issue lie, either. And despite what WV said on the contrary, she has a nagging feeling that AR must dislike her.]

[When she gets home from her duties at the post office, she spends a little time with Castell, and then, realizing she can't put off going into the kitchen forever because she is getting pretty hungry, she touches the glass of her pet lobster's tank and whispers.] Wish me luck.

[The lobster twitches its antennae, which PM interprets as the appropriate well-wishing. She'll face down a bloodthirsty demi-god without a hint of fear, and yet a very beloved friend who might hate her is a whole different matter entirely. PM peeks into the kitchen.]