voice; un: spiderlily

[higanbana]

WHO: Ris and whoever would like to take pity offer help!
WHERE: Blue Fish Park and the hospital
WHEN: Morning, February 4
WHAT: Ris has woken up feeling a bit... under the weather.
WARNINGS: Health scares specifically related to eyesight, vaguely-gaslighting-adjacent questioning of sanity


U-um. Is this thing on? ...I think it's working. Ah... hello, everyone!

[The voice coming through the speaker is... cheerful, but in a way that sounds fake. Like it's trying too hard, like the edges are just clipped enough to sound wrong.]

So, um, I... have a bit of a predicament, I guess. I woke up today with... with something weird going on, but Dad's acting like I'm crazy? S-so, um, he wants me to come see him at the hospital so he can check me for a concussion.

[There's a little catch in the way she pauses for breath.]

N-not that I couldn't get an Uber or something! But... um... if anyone's free... if anyone... you know, just happens to be near Blue Fish Park...

Would someone be willing to come with me? I'd really... really appreciate it.

[She pauses again, before ending the transmission with one last thought. This time, there's no attempt to hide her vulnerability; her voice is shaking and small and desperate.]

...I really don't want to be alone right now.

Comments

[higanbana]

Yep, that'd be me.

[She definitely sounds more tired than chipper, but it's probably better than it could be?]

I mean... I could definitely be doing a lot better, but I made it downstairs without falling down so I think that has to account for something.

You don't really notice how much your depth perception relies on having two eyes until one doesn't really work anymore, turns out... guess I'll be using the elevator a lot more from now on.

[oathkeeper]

[He wouldn't blame her for sounding tired right now. He would be the same way if he was going through the same thing.]

Well, if they can help you at the hospital maybe it'll work out and you won't have to do that. But for now, you can rely on me to make sure you don't trip over any cracks in the sidewalk, okay?

[Sora is going to help her out, no need to go falling down some stairs!]

Let's get you there.

[higanbana]

[She opens her mouth like she's about to say something— and for a second, she is.

Her stepfather said the cataract wasn't worth operating on, after all. That it was only going to make things worse if they tried. But...

He's trying so hard to be helpful. She really can't find it in herself to tell him all that right now. So, instead, she reaches for her pocket, pulling up her phone and getting the walking directions set up. She knows most of this city pretty well, but she's really not sure she trusts herself to be together enough not to get lost on the way there right now, and she's not going to put that responsibility on Sora, so. With that ready:]

...Okay, I should be good to go. Mind staying a couple steps ahead?

[oathkeeper]

Uh, yeah. You've got it.

[Sora really is a genuine type of person to just want to help. It kind of sucks to see a girl upset like this. The obvious scariness of this situation and all.

He'll start walking and he mostly knows where to go too because he's lived in this city his whole life.]

So, how or when did it all start? Do you know?

[higanbana]

I mean, I went to bed last night and everything was fine. Blue eyes, both worked fine. Woke up, and I couldn't see out of my right eye.

I went over to look in the mirror... I don't know, I guess I thought maybe I'd be able to see what was going on? And I guess in a way, I did, I just... hadn't expected changes like this. I know people on the app have been talking about having their hair or eyes change color, but...

[oathkeeper]

Yeah, you're not wrong about that. I've seen all sorts of weird stuff happening to people lately. Someone with blue hair after they woke up and stuff like that. And all those gates showing up too.

[Sora frowns slightly.]

I don't really know what's going on. It's like a weird black hole has opened up and everything is changing now.

[Is his life becoming a real isekai???]

[higanbana]

I mean... it feels like that because that kind of is what's going on.

Not that I know specifics. [She pauses, and then laughs a little, a shrill and broken little thing.] This would probably be a lot easier if I did know specifics?

But just... all of us are connected to whatever the hell kind of supernatural bullshit the Spirit Realm is, now. And I don't know why, but that's got to be what's causing the changes.

[oathkeeper]

Yeah. And you know what, that's probably why something changed about you. But I don't think we should give up on the hospital at least being able to look at it and help you out somehow.

[He sighs.]

This is like watching some sort of sci-fi movie. What else do you know about the Spirit Realm stuff? Have you seen anything else?