jamcat "WHHAAAAT?!!"

...you've been through worse. Weirder, at least, in the last little while... You can tough it out mentally. But physically? That's another story. With the way geometry and collision have stopped making sense, one wrong step is one wrong step too many. But you weren't leaving her alone. 》

《 @urpinkette.bsky.social 》 “Natsuki? Nats-” Oh. Oh, no. Not this stuff again... you have to find her. Fast. You start jogging through the mess that is your reality, trying to catch up with Natsuki, or at least find a clearer indication of where she went...

You suddenly get the feeling you should check up on Natsuki-

You rummage through your bag and find your water bottle, passing it over to Monika. “Here. Take it slow. Don't need you choking out of panic or whatever.” You sigh. Admittedly, you never saw yourself in this situation. Usually Monika or Sayori were the ones holding others together.

“Haha, whoa, climate damage.”

jamcat Literally one of the best writers on here, one of the best people on here, super nice and super fun to be around. Probably one of my best friends in the last while, honestly. We appreciate you, Bean!

...yeesh, something was really wrong here... you weren't sure how to handle this. Monika was usually so... together. In control. Hell, some might even say she appeared perfect from a distance. So just what was going on with her, here? “Do you... need a drink? I've got water somewhere here...”

"Things have been getting worse since.....Sayori, what did you do?" Maybe another trip into Sayori's mind was in order...It did seem like she was asleep, after all. Give her a few minutes.

Okay, something was... definitely wrong. You reach out, tentatively, hesitating just shy of Monika's(?) shoulder. “Hey. Hey, stay with me, okay? Let's sit down for a bit. We don't have any club activities for a little while.” You push two desks together, motioning for Monika to sit at one. 》

“..? Are you alright? Since when was I ever able to get you by surprise? Also, how did you... do that with your mouth?” You gesture vaguely, referring to that weird auto-censor you just heard. Saw? Both. “MC. You know- your classmate? Maddox? Been that way since elementary?” 》

Things felt hazy today. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but something was different. You made your way to the club room, like usual. “...oh, sorry. Have we met? I was looking for-” ĩŏĀ¢½ØåùœóİóåƯãĘĴĵĸŢŗĺċŁĂĬÿŖ³Ðij “Hey, Monika. Here early as always, huh?”

You weren't aware that deities needed cash every now and then... Good for him, being a good citizen(?).

[ the club president ##### ] -- The player meeting fate -- ----- worse than death -----

Something's wrong. You can feel it.

You just give her a hug, and some head pats. “Don't think too hard about it, okay?”

“If it makes you feel any better, it's because you joined that everyone is staring... probably for similar reasons to me.”

“...I think this is the first time I've seen you dress up like this for anything.”

You clear your throat, prying your eyes away. “Sorry, it just... looks really cute on you.” Ah, jeez, so much for subtlety.

“...of course.” You mutter, a little too taken aback to hug her back right away... but you get there in the end, giving her a pat on the back. “I mean, thank you for letting me. You're really cool.”

Oh, thank good- wait... it takes a moment to register. She must really like baking already if she made that many. “A- alright. Thanks, Nat.” You roll the top of the bag shut, before... offering a handshake? You're not exactly sure where you stand yet, despite being given a bag of great cookies-

Aw, well. You wouldn't have minded at all. You're actually somewhat used to it, thanks to a certain coralette... “Well, I say keep at it. You're a natural at this. You're sure I can take the bag, though? What about the others?” You'd share. But still, if this is all there was, you'd feel guilty...

You gulp the cookie down once your finished, eyes lighting up a bit. Definitely noticeable given your usual stoicism. “...like. A lot. These are really good.” You pop the rest of the first cookie in your mouth. “You jush star'ed baking?”

“...I suddenly feel perceived.”

Oh! Cookies! You're definitely not about to say no, here, taking the bag with a little smile. “Your secret is safe with me, don't worry.” Once you get into the package, you pluck up one of the cookies, and take a bite, chewing as you wait for the flavor to set in...

You smile. If you recall correctly, she had some trouble last time... but practice makes perfect. “That's all great to hear. Honestly, I'm just glad you seem to be moving around alright...” “Oh, I'd definitely like to try some of the results, then. If that's alright. I'm a sucker for sweets...”

That smile was worth it. “Nice to see you, too. How are you holding up lately?”

...you're not going to say anything specific. You are, however, going to give head pats and some reassurance. “Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

You wouldn't repost this would you? Who would want a NEET in their home?

(‘Note to self: Gym Leader politics might not be worth the position or pay...’)

...you're suddenly very, very glad you haven't looked into being a gym leader beyond surface level...

You're still completely out cold... guess everything really took it out of you yesterday. And considering the absolute rollercoaster it ended up being... You think being able to just- nap the day away with your girlfriend is an entirely fair decision to make.

“All the time in the world... good.” You smile softly, letting your eyes flutter shut as you stare at the ceiling. There were still all kinds of possibilities swirling around in your head... But with Sayori at your side, a lot of them were looking a lot more positive. “...night, Sayori.”

“...there's so much I want to do right now, you have no idea...” You pull Sayori back down to your chest, finally relaxing against the pillow. “But... we can make time for all that, now. Right?”

“I- well, I'm not about to complain about that...” You say, looking off to the side in slight embarrassment... but you look back to lock eyes with Sayori again pretty quickly. “...I really do love you, Sayori.”

You curl a finger beneath Sayori's chin, angling her face a bit more towards your own. “...I could have done this- what- how many weeks ago, now? I should have...” You're mostly thinking aloud, there. But after a moment of hesitation, you lean in and peck Sayori on the lips. “...heh.”

“Yeah,” You mutter, trying to put on a smile. ...not a very convincing one, but, that was probably the tears. “Yeah, I'd, uh... I'd like that. I love you, too, Sayori.” Your heartrate was still way higher than normal. Just... for a different reason, now.

You pinch her without even thinking. Just on the shoulder. “You're not dreaming, dumdum.” And neither are you. Thank goodness for that. “Sorry, I just- I don't want to not have a chance to say that, you know?” God, the tears were flowing, now. For a reason you just... can't remember.

You're really trying to be there for her, but... just where exactly you are in processing things is still pretty confusing. You're trying to focus on her, pushing a lock of her hair out of the way. “I am worried. About you. About us. I'm honestly a little... scared?” You chuckle nervously- 》

“...heh. Define 'okay'.” You jest, trying to bring some of the tension down. But the world was still this... sickening swirl to look at for too long. It's hard to tell if it's just the physical exertion or the panic, honestly... “...could you... could you look up at me, for a second?”

You wrap your arms around Sayori without a second thought, pulling her close with a gentle squeeze. “Guess so.” You mumble, shutting your eyes, and taking a deep breath in. “...” Your heart was hammering. Certainly loud enough for Sayori to hear, let alone feel.

“...look, this- might be a weird request coming from me, but... could we just... lay down for a bit?” You clear your throat, shuffling up onto the bed. “Please..?”

You lean your forehead to Sayori's collarbone, trying to steady your breathing a bit. “...nothing but ourselves.”

“...that doesn't change what we've been through. For better and worse.” You manage to blink away the haze momentarily. Not for long, but, long enough to get an idea of where on the blob that resembled Sayori her face would be. “And I wouldn't have that much any other way.”

You don't really register the next few seconds... but, you've maneuvered your way over to kneel down in front of Sayori, grabbing one of her hands like a lifeline. ...perhaps a mutual one. “Yeah. We need to.” Your eyes can't focus. Everything is just a blur. Sayori, the Pokemon, the room...

“Yeah, I... I don't really know. But... there's two of us. And- and we know. We know for a fact that something's happening. So neither of us are crazy, at least.” You smile at Sayori, glancing at the two Pokemon soon after. “...things are... different. Is that really what's bothering her..?”

“I... I don't know how to answer that, yet. But... Monika said something about my memories. It... made me feel all sorts of- wrong.” “She said they were 'real'... and- it just- something snapped in me...” You look at your hand- too briefly to even register, opting to focus on Sayori instead. 》

...you close, and once again lock, the door, turning back to Sayori as you place one hand on your head, unsure of how exactly to continue this other than gesture at Chespin. “We met before your 'dream'. That's how I knew it'd come running for berries.”

It's your best shot. You gesture for Sayori and Pancake to be quiet, slowly making your way over to the doorway... Once you've got the handle, you open it slowly, allowing who or whatever was outside, in, holding your breath in anticipation...