You laugh until you cry; you cry until you laugh

[sailorgenerous]

Who: Virgo musicians - Ghost Quest people and their friends
What: When eight musicians go missing, what happens to those left behind? What happens when those eight come back far worse for the wear?
When: Feb 1st-3rd and after
Where: Virgo HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, violence, brainwashing, etc. It's ugly in here, folks.

The past three days have not been kind. The hauntings were odd, yes, but when your friends went missing without warning or a trace - well.

How have you been coping? Have you been coping?

And then they came back just as suddenly, and...it looks like your worries were not unfounded.

This isn't good, is it.

Comments

[giglio_madonna]

Maybe it's...

[She doesn't finish her answer, instead making just a faint gesture instead.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He smiles weakly, something clicking faintly like he had a dream like this before. ]

It's like a puzzle I don't have all the pieces for. Just like for "heroes."

[giglio_madonna]

Everything is a puzzle... But when you try to connect the pieces-

[A grimace, again. The brainwashing doesn't want her starting to think again. That's the big problem.]

[sponsorigami]

[ Seeing that grimace but not understanding it fully, he tries to change back to the more neutral subject: folding the rhododendron. ]

Are you ready for the next step?

[giglio_madonna]

[Shaking her head as if that will get rid of the feeling there, she tries to smile to Ivan again.]

I think so. We're at the easy parts still, right?

[sponsorigami]

Yeah, we're setting up the creases that will make up the bulk of the folds later.

[ Actually, this part depends on creating a good foundation to build upon, most likely, but still not having to worry about folding order. ]

[giglio_madonna]

Oh? That's how you do it?

[The more you know. She hadn't thought that creases themselves would be important.]

[sponsorigami]

[ Very important. He points to a set of folds. ]

Do you see these folds? These will eventually be folded in the other direction, but the only way to get these folds and have the paper work with us later is to do them now.

[giglio_madonna]

Setting things up for the future, right? I suppose we do all of that already in daily life.

[sponsorigami]

The neater we do these, the easier it'll be later, but if there are any mistakes, we can fix them. Every flower is unique, right?

[ He restates something he said earlier. If it doesn't look perfect, that's okay. ]

[giglio_madonna]

I can't argue with that.

[And maybe, in a way, she can think of those terms for Ar- no, the brainwashing doesn't like that, and Luce shakes her head again.]

So creases for later, and next?

[She'll follow through patiently with every instruction, eager for a distraction.]

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan nods. The origami starts to collapse against itself a little like an accordion. It's easy to lose the order at first, but then it just repeating the same fold sequence over and over to make the individual petal blossoms. ]

[giglio_madonna]

[Repetition is soothing, a white noise she doesn't have to worry about. Eventually, after a few petals-]

How many more, do you think?

[sponsorigami]

Not too many. We can start putting the flower together in a moment.

[ He inspects his origami piece from a few angles and compares it to the diagram. Yes, they can put together the flower soon. ]

[giglio_madonna]

Good... [As she gets to work on the last few petals, Luce hums.] Thank you again, Ivan.

[sponsorigami]

Anytime.

[ It feels better to say than "You're welcome." He'll do whatever he can for her. ]

You can add my origami flower to yours. It could have company.

[giglio_madonna]

I can put them around my room. It'd be nice, I think.

[sponsorigami]

[ With the flower done, Ivan nibbles on some of the snacks he brought over. ]

Would you like me to show you how to fold some other flowers?

[giglio_madonna]

Oh? [She glances back up to him again, twirling one of the flowers in her hand.] How many do you know?

[sponsorigami]

I don't know. The more I fold, the more I seem to remember and want to fold more.

Is it possible to be addicted to origami?

[giglio_madonna]

I think that's what we normally call "passionate about a hobby", Ivan.

[sponsorigami]

[ He hasn't paid too much attention to what he's doing with his hands, just folding a sheet without much thought, but when he looks down, he's folded a cherry blossom. Well, then. ]

What do you think? Should I fold some to put in my hair and change up my style?

[ He holds it up to his hair. ]

[giglio_madonna]

I can do it up for you right now, if you'd like.

[Leaning back, she tilts her head to the side curiously.]

That shade of pink does fit you so well, after all.

[sponsorigami]

Do you have a way to do so without a clip or something?

[ Moms are so resourceful. ]

[giglio_madonna]

Well, if you don't mind me fiddling with your hair a little... I think I could work something out.

[And it'd be more focused work to keep her mind clear.]