Luceti Land!!

[lucetimods]

Who: luceti
What: Amusement Parking!
When: Today til the end of the month
Where: A veritable pleasure island, east of the Beach Fort.
Summary: An amusement park has popped up in Luceti. It's all over here.
Rating: F is for friends who do stuff together!

Just some notes here not in the mod post -
1) The weather will be bright and partly cloudy for the rest of the month on the beach side of things. A nice cool sea breeze will keep people from melting out there.
2) All the old Luceti Land rides are still available. However, feel free to make up your own attractions and rides as well.
3) Since this is around for two weeks, we may put up another mass log if this one gets too full. So keep an eye on that!
4) Don't forget to tag your character's name on to the log! If you don't have one yet, just let us know and we'll get you hooked up.

As way of explanation for all this, Bil will have written a message on the first page of the journals. It cannot be replied to, it simply states:

"My condolences for all the trouble. You were due for an experiment today, but I thought you might enjoy an amusement park instead. It seemed like the sort of thing the Great One would do."

Comments

[lostinmyway]

[She slips her hand into his and gives him a reassuring smile.]

You're welcome.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[...Grune, at least, would never turn on him if she knew. The persona never received any reaction other than sympathy and love, so surely she would act the same way for the true Dhaos.

...He wouldn't deserve it. He would probably reject her and throw her away, if it ever came to that again. But at least there would be someone still waiting for him...

...

He can't let this get to him. It's just an attraction in a theme park. It doesn't mean anything. Grune will forget about it before long: so should he. He would put it out of his mind, as soon as his hand stopped shaking with the stress.]

...Mm.

[lostinmyway]

[Before they go too far, however, Grune stops. Once again, she looks up at him for a long moment. Then, she hugs him close.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos starts in mild surprise. Grune...

He doesn't return the embrace, but he does lay a hand on her arm, accepting it.]

[lostinmyway]

[For just a moment, she rests her head against his shoulder. Then she pulls back a bit without letting go.]

He made you sad, didn't he?

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Under any other circumstances this would be awkward, but at the moment it only feels natural and comforting.

...Even Grune couldn't fail to notice. There's no use denying it to her.]

...He reminds me of myself.

[lostinmyway]

Why?

[They aren't anything alike. Dhaos isn't sad like that at all.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Possibly because they are physically identical, Grune. But no, it isn't that simple.]

...I used to act much the same way, before coming here.

[lostinmyway]

[She doesn't so much as flinch. Her gaze remains steady on his face, and her arms stay around him.]

You must have been very unhappy.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[He was. But that has absolutely nothing to do with it. Dhaos had not cared what happened to him or his emotional well-being, so it does not matter.]

...I believe I made other people far unhappier than I.

[lostinmyway]

Did you say you were sorry?

[whatdeheckisdat]

...No.

[Aselia will never accept his apologies, and Derris-Kharlan will never hear them. Even if he had the chance, it would be pointless.]

[lostinmyway]

Why not?

[Did he forget?]

[whatdeheckisdat]

...

[His first thought is to answer, "I wasn't sorry." But he had never wanted to cause so much pain to so many people. Even if it was no excuse, he had that, at least...

The only true reason is because apologizing would have been useless. No matter what Grune thought, no one could possibly have forgiven Dhaos, and he didn't need to hear that they might have.]

...There is... no way to apologize for the pain I have caused.

[lostinmyway]

Oh, that isn't true. You can always say you're sorry.

[whatdeheckisdat]

But it would be so hollow in such a case. Meaningless.

[Dhaos looks away.]

...Never mind. You would never understand.

[lostinmyway]

[She pulls him just a little closer.]

If you're sorry with all your heart, it isn't meaningless.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos resists the urge to shake her off out of sheer frustration.

...It doesn't take much effort.]

Such an apology could never be accepted, and is therefore meaningless.

[lostinmyway]

[She continues to look up at him, undeterred, her gaze steady and clear.]

But it's still important to try.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[This is futile. Dhaos shakes his head.]

Then we shall simply say that I am not sorry enough.

[lostinmyway]

Why aren't you?

[whatdeheckisdat]

Put it out of your mind. It no longer matters.

[There's no way Grune would ever understand.]

[lostinmyway]

Hmm.... [Grune studies him for just a moment longer, then says:] ...All right.

[She isn't convinced that everything is all right, which might be why, quite without thinking about it, she reaches up and gently sets her fingertips against his cheek for just a brief moment.

Then, she lets her hand drop, steps back, and takes his hand again.] We should go home so you can have your rest.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos starts and stiffens at the contact-- it's an unusually affectionate gesture, even for Grune, and much more subtle than he's used to for her.

But just like that, the contact is gone, and Dhaos takes a moment to recompose himself.]

...Mm. Yes.

[lostinmyway]

[As if she hadn't just done something significantly out of the ordinary, Grune begins to walk. She takes the lead, although not by much. She very much wants to stay by his side and look after him.

It sounds as though Dhaos had recently had a very difficult time, and thinking about it had made him sad. She never, ever wants him to be sad, and so she's going to do her best to cheer him up.]