souls have been lost and the panic grows

[phototraces]

[That... that was hell, actually. Wendy didn't like that at all. After the trial she... has to head to the kitchen and hopefully not find clay shit everywhere. She needs to do something to keep things under control. To keep things going.

She's not a great cook but she knows the basics. Meat. Bread. Cheese. Something warm for the belly to drink. She's nervous when she works but she's relentless. There's no asking for help from her as she makes a spread for everyone. Then... she's moving all of it not to the eatery but the bonfire.

Making makeshift tables around it and placing trays of food and drink. Even setting up a chair for Alex a good distance away from the fire but close enough that he can be part of things if he wants to.

Wendy, with her careful writing, writes up some notes and hands them out to everyone if she can find them or if not under their door.

Food at the bonfire and the area around it. Attendance not mandatory but it's probably better for all of us if we stick together. Bring more food and drink if you want.

Wendy

...She can't control other people but she can try to suggest.]

Comments

[yourheroine]

Aoi's been eating cheese.

[She sits down with Ai, since the vibes are off all over and Aoi isn't sure what else to do. There were a lot of things Ai said that Aoi doesn't know how she's supposed to feel about.]

Boop boop...are people from Ai's world bad?

[She's really just. Coming right out and saying it.]

[liedol]

[ She avoids the question for a few seconds by taking a hearty bite out of her food - she's realizing now that she's hungry even if her appetite is totally shot and the bread and cheese together are soft enough that they're easy to eat even if she really doesn't want to. But she can only chew for so long before it becomes obvious that she's using it as an excuse not to speak. ]

... It's not that they're bad. It's just that they're... normal.

[ Another bite of her food. ]

So when they run into something that's not normal... they don't really know what else to do but chase it away.

[yourheroine]

[Aoi's quiet, waiting stare probably does not help the awkward feeling.]

Normal...?

[She processes the word for a moment, before nodding.]

So were Aoi's classmates. That must be why they stayed away from me in most routes. Because Aoi's not normal.