WEEK 5

[lockdownmods]

[ You're doing well! In fact, there's a nice message in your inboxes on Sunday reminding you about your midterm evaluations, and how those will be coming very soon. Make sure you're studying! And, of course, there will be support services on campus to help you cope with the stress. The message almost looks like it should go on and list what those services are, but it cuts off abruptly, and that's that.

Meanwhile, the wall is more ominous than it has been in the past. What felt oppressive last week feels oddly eerie, and if you let yourself stay near too long, it feels oddly comforting and calling. Your freedom is just on the other side of the wall, after all. But that's okay, someone has posted a warning outside all buildings to not go near the wall.

Oh well. At least there are new locations to explore!]

LOCATIONS | PROFILES | HAN OFFICE HOURS | MEGUMI OFFICE HOURS

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Comments

everything

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

..... Oh god no.

[Poe only walked in here because he was checking out all the new rooms he got. But as soon as he enters this room, he sees Gogol clowning around and tries to leave immediately... only to pause when he sees Gogol land after launching himself off a trapeze. That brief look of pain gets him to hesitate leaving the room... and concern wins out over common sense and he can't help but comment.]

... Your leg still isn't fully healed Clown. You should probably avoid the trapeze for two more weeks.... I'm not stitching up your wounds again if you reopen them.

[sendintheclown]

Don't you know the phrase 'the show must go on'?

[Briefly after saying this, he does stumble back into sitting down on the safety mat.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

I'm aware of it, yes... but there is no show that needs to go on here.

[Poe just... sighs deeply and curses himself for caring about this guy as he goes over to crouch down on the safety mat.]

Let me check your leg.

[He may not plan on stitching it up again... but he might as well check to see if his work is still holding.]

[sendintheclown]

Do you have to?

[He wants to get back to clownery, not waste time on self preservation.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

Yes.

[There is no room for argument in his voice right now.]

Just roll up your pants leg and let me see it. I'll be quick about it.

[sendintheclown]

[Reluctantly, Gogol rolls up his trouser just to where the wound is. The stitches are still in place, and it's healing, though maybe not as much as it should be.]

Seen all you need to?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

[Poe frowns at Gogols leg and huffs.]

It's not as healed as it should be right now... I swear... do you want to worry me to death Nikolai?

[.... It looks like he hasn't realized his slip up in calling Gogol his real first name.]

[sendintheclown]

...

[Gogol just looks at him blankly in surprise for a good, solid moment.]

...Excuse me?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

[Poe pauses at Gogol's look of surprise. He's said he sort of cares about the Clown. Worry comes with that so....]

..... I've told you that I care about you. Worry... unfortunately comes with that.

[He'd turn it off if he could. That's clearly what the Clown is surprised about here, right?]

[sendintheclown]

[It's not like he doesn't have his own gripes with that, but...]

No, no, no.

[He flicks his hand. Rewind.]

What did you just call me?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

I called you-

[Oh. Oh. Poe pauses as he realizes exactly what he called the Clown. A big red blush quickly overtakes his face as he resists the urge to just flee in embarrassment.]

...... That- that didn't happen.

[Kill him. Kill him now.]

[sendintheclown]

[That did happen, whether they like it or not.]

Would you like to explain yourself?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

It- it just slipped out. There's... there's no meaning to it. I just... wasn't thinking.

[He doesn't sort of consider the Clown a friend. Or frenemy. Or something.He does, but admitting that... would complicate things between them, he's sure.]

[sendintheclown]

Really now?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

.......

[..... He can't lie to the clown, can he? He's just inviting pestering by not saying anything. Ugh.]

Okay. Fine. Maybe... maybe it meant something.

[He's not sure he wants to know what though.]

... But... acknowledging it... do we... do we really need to complicate whatever this is any further?

[Admitting the Clown is sort of a friend is... dangerous.]

[sendintheclown]

I think you invited complication in when you set out on this little venture, didn’t you?

[Like anything else, Gogol will face this with a smile.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

..... I suppose.

[It was easy to file Gogol solely into the category of annoying clown before hand. The Clown. But he's gradually become more human the more Poe learned about him. The more he tried to understand. He didn't expect to relate to Gogol in anyway at the beginning of this... but here he is. Worrying over a clown. What has his life come too?]

.... Has whatever this is ever not been complicated?

[sendintheclown]

Shouldn't you be asking yourself that?

[His money's on 'no', though.]

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

...... I think it became complicated before the end of our first conversation.

[Read: As soon as Gogol mentioned Ranpo.]

[sendintheclown]

Haha, there's your answer!

[If Gogol himself weren't enough grounds for making any relationship complicated, the threads that connect them make it doubly so.]

But you still kept going didn't you?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

I did... although I never would have predicted whatever this is coming out of it.

[He was just planning on avoiding Gogol the whole time until the Clown insulted his writing. Then he just had to try and make something good enough to get him to say he liked it. His pride wouldn't allow anything else.]

... if someone told me four weeks ago that I'd actually care if you died... I'd have thought the person insane.

[But he's sort of used to the annoyance now... and arguing with the clown is just sort of part of his routine now.]

[sendintheclown]

[He laughs, though there's something hollow to it.]

Maybe you are.

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

I'd like to think I've edged close enough to it before to recognize it in both myself and others.

[.........]

....... For the record.. that includes you. Despite your actions and you referring to yourself as a clown to try and distance yourself from your own humanity.... there is logic behind your actions. You are completely sane.

[sendintheclown]

Is that so? [He laughs.] That's quite the deduction.

[Instead of confirming or denying it, he leaves it at that. The moment of silence says all it needs to.

His eyes flicker between his leg and Poe, and he grins.]

So...Nikolai, huh?

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

Not quite a super deduction... but it's one I'd stake things on.

[He's throwing that joke Gogol used during the Clown Stabbing Incident right back at him... although Poe actually appears to find it funny this time... until Gogol speaks again and he turns red blushing. Even if he knows Gogol probably doesn't mean it... it's still an unfairly pretty man flirting at him. Still... he's used to it enough that he just grumbles. It's low, but not low enough that Gogol won't be able to hear it.]

And here I thought I'd escaped your attempts at flirting with me... I'd say I'm flattered, but I know you aren't serious. You call yourself a clown... not a fool.

[Because only a fool would fall for a depressed mess.]