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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:07 pm
Day after day of exerted energy was catching up to Tsetsiliya. Even though the sun was shining bright, her spirits were nothing short of low, and she was now shuffling slowly along the campus. Anybody who may have noticed her, or anyone she may have recognized did not register - they were merely blurred images to her tired, sleepless mind.
The island, more importantly, was catching up to her. She had been running around endlessly since returning. At some point she had stopped eating. There was simply no time for food nor sleep when she had so much to do. Training with West was eating up some time, practicing her shifting, studying of course, planting, checking on friends, walks, taking care of her minipets, cleaning, learning to bake.. so much to do! It was the only way she managed to keep her thoughts from lingering back to that fog, and that terrible island that waited on the edge of her mind.
But now, nearly a week later, she was at her limit. Ever since crying so readily in front of the others while on that horrid field trip, she felt on the edge of tears so often in recent days (although never actually crying, thank Jack). Tsetsiliya could barely pick up her feet, and even now she had no idea where she was going. She was merely wandering around campus aimlessly, without a goal in her mind for the first time in days.
A dislodged rock in the path came up to meet her, and te ghoul tripped, her lips whispered a soft, "Oh," as she tumbled to the ground. She was done. What was she thinking, trying to handle all of this at once? Her vision swam and the world dimmed, before she fainted cold on the ground.
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:24 pm
It was hard for Jareth to say how he felt one way or another about.. well, events. The trip had been a bit boring.. or baffling, he didn't know. He couldn't really recall a lot of it, but that most likely had something to do with the fact he had been playing his game for the majority. The foggy mess was... well, he didn't think about it much, if at all. The only thing that seemed important to him was that it was over and that he was back home. Though the noise of his minis could be done without, being around his things made the anxiety he had been trying to hide since getting on the boat disappear as if it never had been.
In the time since then, he did as he usually did; avoided everyone as much as possible. Not that it was hard; everyone seemed on edge. Tense and uneasy and seemed to be either trying to forget the trip or pushing themselves to distraction. Hard to say whether he blamed them or not. Seemed school trips were more mind shattering than something meant to be fun. Today was an odd day, especially for him, as he was not in his room. Maybe it was because he wanted to do something for the gamers club or maybe... he didn't know. He just felt like moving, maybe?
Regardless, outside he was, his gameboy on and active as he played, looking up every now and then to make sure he didn't make the mistake of bumping into someone. Hat hung low over his vision, as always, he was turning a random corner when a sudden shift of movement caught his attention. Before him, a ghoul tripped on something and fell onto the ground, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of it. That... that wasn't normal, right? Ghouls didn't just.. fall... unless they were the clumsy stereotype, then they fell all the time. Least in games that held true. Biting his bottom lip a bit, his head turned from side to side to see if anyone else was around. Surely there had to be someone there...
No.
Just him... and a ghoul. The thought to leave her alone was never a thought that crossed his mind but.. but.. it's a GHOUL! Color brightened his pale face as the sheer thought of touching her sent him into a mode of panic. But she could be hurt and... and...! AND! Uggggh what to do, what to do!? Pacing in a tight circle for a bit, he forced himself to make up his mind and he hurried to do it before he lost what tiny bit of nerve he had currently. Putting the handheld toy away, he shifted the ghoul carefully to her front and picked her up, his body not used to such things so he almost dropped her until he found a good grip. Have to bring her somewhere safe! Check... check for injuries! Yes! That's the master plan!
Oh dear Jack, I'm touching a ghoul! Please don't let her wake up and hit me!! After more mental panicking, he decided that bringing her back to his room was probably the best idea. There were pillows there and water and he could keep her safe there. And since he was acting more than thinking, he didn't think that it might be bad. Exhausted by the time he returned, he carried her over to one of his favorite pillows and then carefully set her down and shyly tapped her cheek, hoping for a response. "Mi-mi-miss? Please... please be-be okay. I.. I.. I dun-dunno where the nur-nurse's office is... Mi-Miss?" Water... water, water. Get her water, yeah?
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:41 pm
Tsetsiliya's mind was drifting in a white, hazy fog, but as she wandered through it, she had a vague sense of movement. The feeling of the hard ground beneath, although very distant, was tugged away and she felt as though she were floating. Up and down, up and down, and then softness.
It felt nice to rest and not do anything for a change. What had she been doing, thinking she could handle all of that? What was she really trying to accomplish? It was as though she had been running from something, but as to what..
A soft tapping on her cheek, and someone's voice brought her back. It was one that she didn't recognize, and it sounded so unsure, so nervous. Her weary eyes cracked open and everything was blurred and bright. She could vaguely make out the shape before her, and a couple of blinks solidified it into a face. It was a boil she had not yet met, and her own face blushed rosy pink and she sat up with a sharp intake of breath. As startled as she was, her breath coming in quiet pants, she tried to stay calm for the sake of her rescuer (she had actually needed a rescuer - was she that weak?). A pale hand clutching her chest as she slowed her breaths, the poludnica looked at the boil's shadowed face and tried to stammer out a thank you.
"I-I.. a-ah.." Guilt shot through her with every quickened heartbeat. This nice boil had carried her all the way to his dorm room in order to help her recover (and if there had been any other warning signs about such a situation, she would not have known them, given that her contact with the opposite gender had been rather limited before she had started at Amityville). The sense of embarrassment she felt was overwhelming, and it colored her cheeks darker. With gaze averted, she fumbled with her hands. "I-I am b-being sorry.. i-it is being so much trouble to be bringing me.." So much trouble for a failure who couldn't even keep up with her own schedule!
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:57 pm
It was hard to see the worry in his eyes but his hands were ringing together firmly as his mind tried to figure something to help the ghoul. For him, it wasn't too bad of a thing that he didn't know who she was; he had yet to meet anyone really... the main thing that caused his brain to fail was the fact that there was a ghoul.. a GHOUL in his room!! AHH! It had to be a mess to her! His room did look cluttered, but it wasn't, filled with notebooks, games, figures and an entertainment area. The screen was on, paused in the midst of his Final Nightmare 3 he had been playing before he left his room. But such things weren't on his mind as he waited for her to do something, anything, to let him know that she was all right.
She had been on the ground and that could have been caused by anything. What if she had some deeper injury that he couldn't see? He didn't want her to be hurt badly?? Why wasn't she... her body suddenly jerking upright made him squeak and flail a bit, covering his face with a hand. That had been.. unexpected! She seemed as freaked out and nervous as he was and all it did was make his own anxiety kick up a notch. "Wh-hat? Oh no no! You... um.. you did-didn't do any-anything wrong! I.. I are.. you.. you okay?" His face was a very dark hue indeed and he rubbed the back of his neck in worry.
"It's.. it's no trouble, miss... I mean.. I mean, I couldn't leave you there and.. and. Um...I'm... I'm Jareth. This.. this is my space.. obviously aheh." Gods he could barely talk right but she could tell he was focused on her face, which was the only safe area he could look at when it came to ghouls. " I.. Uh... brought you water?" Trying to calm the shaking of his hands, he lifted up a cup shaped like a tetris L to show her. "Make you.. feel better?" Hopefully... hopefully she didn't think him a stalker!
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 7:43 pm
"O-oh.. t-thank you." Tsetsiliya took the cup with equally shaky hands, turning it this way and that. It was definitely unusual looking; she had never seen one like it. "T-this is being a very interesting cup.." In admiring it, she had forgotten that the water was the important feature until a few drops spilled onto her hand. She raised it quickly to her lips and took a long sip, which seemed to be what her body was hoping for. It helped her feel a little more fortified again.
This boil, Jareth, had done so much for her.. a complete stranger. After the incidents on the island and the rush of activity that had followed upon her return, she had not felt worthy of much of anything. The one promise that the ghoul had clung to she had broken, and fainting had showed her that she was not cut out for this lifestyle.
She watched the boil out of the corner of her eye, and felt a surge of sympathy and appreciation towards him in his timid movements. Taking another sip, the poludnica resolved not to be a complete downer for the whole of this meeting. Freeing a still shaky hand, she extended it towards him. "I-I am Tsetsiliya." She smiled timidly, and as color flooded into her cheeks anew, she added, "B-but i-if it is being too long, y-you are c-calling me something shorter.. i-if you are liking." While she liked that she had so many nicknames (it certainly made her feel fond of), she felt a residual feeling of guilt that her name was so difficult for others to grasp and secretly wanted someone to call her by her full name.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:09 pm
It seemed like quite a relief when she took the cup and held it. "oh.. ye-yeah, I found it.. at a shop rece-recently. I couldn't resist get-getting it.. cause.. cause I like Tetris things.. and.. and um yeah..." It was hard for him to understand, or even fathom, how so many people didn't know basic video games or games at all. But he was slowly beginning to see it here.. very, very slowly. Setting down on his bottom as she took a good sip of the water, he forced his hands to settle into his lap and try to relax.
It was also difficult to not panic, as ghoul in room, ghoul in room, ghoul in room! was parading through his mind with a force of a bullet train. He was ever so nervous being around anyone and now that he fully realized what he had truly done, he was trying not to sweat. It was good to help others, right? yes.. yes it was. Very good. And.. and.. well, she wasn't smacking him or yelling at him. So that was.. good yes yes? Yes, it had to be.
Her hand extending towards him made him shift a bit backwards out of sheer nerves alone. She... was... oh! Name! Yes! "Tsetsiliya?" It was indeed a mouthful but he kept repeating it under his breath to get used to it as he shyly took her hand and shook it. He prayed his hand didn't feel clammy or anything. "It's a very nice... nice.. name. Tsetsiliya. Defini.. um.. definitely different.... but.. but it's pretty." Jareth wasn't the type for nicknames or shortening of someone's name. "I like.. I like your name. Tsetsiliya... Are you... okay, though? You.. you fell... I.. I dunno if.. you have.. bruises or.. if you hit yo-your.. hea-head.. how do you feel?" Remembering that he needed to take his hat off before ghouls, he quickly ripped it off, his bright blond locks puffing out a bit before they settled, showing that they capped dark roots. His eyes were still hard to see as the shadows seemed to cover his eyes regardless of hat or no. "I.. I brou-brought you here.. ca-cause I.. I didn't know.. where else to go... hop-hope it's oka-okay...."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:53 pm
"T-thank you." Even though there was no way that Jareth could have realized it, Tsetsiliya's heart skipped a beat when he complimented her name and she ducked her head a little to hide the blush that crept further on her face. Compliments were something she did not hear much of, and with her name being the subject (much less calling her name pretty).. it was as though he had read her mind. Once he took her hand, she gave it a gentle shake; his nervousness was fairly obvious to her (perhaps because she was just as nervous herself) and his hand was a little clammy, but she did not mind. How could she fault him on things she had done herself?
"I-I am being alright," she replied, fingers tracing the glass. "I-it.." Now that there was a moment to properly sort things out, she was still uncertain as to how to even phrase what she had been feeling. Perhaps it was because she really didn't have words for those feelings yet.. there was still a lingering sense of fear about confronting them just yet, and even then she wanted to do so in privacy. "I-I am being overwhelmed lately.. a little bit, is all." That was the best way to describe it. But she was no less grateful to Jareth for helping her out in her pitiful state, and she turned her gaze to him as he sat on the floor. The boil had removed his hat, and again she felt touched by the gesture. "I-I.. i-it is fine! T-thank you for bringing me." Embarrassed once again by someone else's kindness and her own weakness, she averted her gaze, but she could not fight the smile.
Tsetsiliya's eyes did not stay interested in the water remaining in the glass for long, and began to wander around his room. It was a very intriguing dorm, with many colorful figures and posters; compared to this, her room was rather plain. It was then that she noticed the glowing skeevee screen, and the image paused on it. She swallowed anxiously, fingers tapping on the edge of the cup. Had she interrupted his movie?
"W-what are you watching.. ?" she ventured, eyes moving from the screen back to his face. It was a most unusual movie, if that was what it was.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:12 pm
"Welco...welcome." Sometimes he had to stop talking, clear his throat and try again. It was hard to explain his nerves, it felt like he was overheating and it was odd to feel that way. But it always happened around people. Thankfully she hadn't said anything about his clammy hand, so he was slowly relaxing more, getting the gist that he wasn't offending her. Which was a huge relief to him. Tsetsiliya seemed so nice, now that she was awake and able to talk to him, and he really hated to offend anyone.
"I'm glad... I'm glad yo-you're okay..." And he really was. Despite his often-times overwhelming fear of close personal contact, he still could worry about the well being of said others, even people he didn't know at all. And such was the case right now. "Overwhelmed? You mean.. from.. from that hor-horrid fieldtrip....? It.. it wasn't overly fun.." Though he hadn't gone as far as many others had. He had never left the beach. "Ever-everyone... is so... tense..." But he wasn't going to pursue this conversation if it would cause her any discomfort. If she was running herself to the point of harm to forget, she must have had a hard time with it.
"Wat-watching?" What... what did she mean.. oh! His head whipped around to look at his skeevee, remembering just then that he had forgotten to save and turn off his system. "Play-playing Final.. Ni-Nigh-Nightmare 3. It's... not like a mo-movie.. it's a vi-video gam-game." It felt odd not wearing his hat and he scratched as the top of his head a bit before he looked back at her. "Its.. uh.. paused."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:28 pm
"V-Video game?" Tsetsiliya blinked softly at the paused screen, taking another sip of water. "I-I like games.. b-but I am never playing a video game myself. My cousins are telling me they are fun." The memory of huge family get-togethers were haunted by her older male cousins gathering around their skeevee and playing on their video game systems. For her part, she was immediately whisked away towards the adults where her mother would compare her to her female cousins and invite their parents to her horrid piano recitals (another skill that never flowered).
Finishing off the water, she adjusted her position to face both Jareth and the screen a little better. She sat cross-legged on the cushions, nursing the empty cup in both hands.
"W-what do you do..?" She was curious, now that she had spotted it. It wasn't like her mother was waiting to scold her and drag her off to do some meaningless thing in order to keep her away this time. Who knew when the opportunity would next present itself? Not to mention it allowed her to put off the topic of the island for a short while. "T-to be playing, I mean."
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:36 pm
"They... they are! Really fun!" His face lit up excitedly at the very thought of them. It was the one constant of his life and maybe, since she seemed curious, she wouldn't mind hearing about it? That'd be nice. "Have yo-you wanted to? Pl-play I.. I mean. It's... not difficult... re-really. It.. kin-kinda depends on... the game and st-stuff." He didn't know her cup was empty but if he did, he would have gotten her some more water... or at least asked if that was what she wanted. It did occur to him that something to eat would be quite profound, so before he explained, he went to the opposite side of his room and found his bag of preztels. "I.. I dunn-dunno... if this is okay.. but.. but food? Maybe?"
Setting the bag close to her in case she did wish to nibble on it, he went to get the controller for his system. He had every system he could possibly think of; not an easy feat, by any means and some were on loan until he could buy it completely. The wireless controller was light in his hands as he waved it a bit. "You.. you use this.. to move the story alo-along. Fi-final Nigh-nightmare is.. a role playing ga-game... which means the buttons are... si-simple and easy-easy to remember. RPS... are basically for st-story.. and.. and looks." He still sounded really shy to speak but he settled down close by her and unpaused the game, showing her what he meant.
:It's... it's really... easy... especi-especially for beg-beginners.. If you'd like.. um.. we... we can start a new game? You.. can try.. try it?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:53 pm
Tsetsiliya nodded slowly as Jareth explained the concept of video games to her, trying to digest all of the new information. They seemed like something she would enjoy; the vague impression she was getting as he told her about the game he was currently playing, Final Nightmare, was that of some peculiar combination of game and novel. Just like playing round robin story games (which she always found preferable to reading books, anyway)! The boil made the offer for food and got up to retrieve a bag of pretzels, to which she nodded gratefully. It had been a while since she had properly eaten.
"Y-yes, thank you," the poludnica replied, and she timidly reached a hand forward to pluck a pretzel from the bag and chew it thoughtfully. Watching him, another smile tugged at her lips; it seems he was right in his element when it came to these video games, and the way he had practically glowed when she had asked about them, as well as his easing anxiety.. it helped her relax a little as well. Some of the tension of the past few days was pushed to the back of her mind not by her own enforced distraction, but rather something else. He moved to sit in closer proximity and made the offer for a fresh game. Eyes widening just a little, she spoke perhaps a little too loudly in her excitement.
"I-I will be honored!" The words weren't shouted but they were a little overly enthusiastic. Her face reddened. "A-although y-you may need to be showing me a-again a few things.. so I am understanding." She gave him a slow but eager smile, setting her cup to the side and joining him by scooting closer to the screen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:31 am
Games were safe for him, familiar territory. He knew them better than he knew, or understood, himself. Something he couldn't say for sure was a good or bad thing. All he knew for sure was that they didn't judge. Didn't glare, didn't hurt you by calling you weak, useless or stupid. Games were always there for you and though sure, systems could break and discs can scratch, they can be replaced and still, they wouldn't judge. But it did make him feel a bit hopeful, that she seemed truly interested. After all, he knew that there were people who played but they could be rather.. hard to deal with at times. A smile crossed his face as she ate some and he focused on the controller in his hands, saving his game and then exiting to the main menu.
Thankfully, she wouldn't get confused, story-wise, even though it was the third installment, so he didn't mind starting a new game for her. Once it started to the naming screen, he handed it to her and showed her how to hold it, though his hands shook from touching hers and once it was in her grip he let go. "The direction pa-pads here... they control... mov-movement and.. 'x' is for oka-okaying a choice... 'o' is for.. um.. canc-cancelling that choice... triangle is for men-menu and.. and square is for summo-summoning... but.. but it'll go over that with.. with you too. So.. if you get.. conf-confused, you can.. always ask.."
Nodding to himself a bit, he settled back down and let her mess with it a bit. "When..w hen you're ready.. go.. go ahead.. and pick a na-name. You.. You can use.. your own iffn ya wanna..."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:32 am
"A-alright," Tsetsiliya replied as Jareth handed her the controller. The way the boil's hands shook as he placed the object in her hands stirred a rush of sympathy within her; she really hoped she wasn't putting him that on edge. Then again, she could understand being uncomfortable around those you didn't know. The controller felt very strange in her hands, and she tilted it this way and that, trying to get a good feel for it. Her head inclined in Jareth's direction as he pointed out the different buttons and what purpose they served. Gaze drifting back toward her hands, she looked at each button and nodded.
"Arrows for moving, X for selecting, O for cancelling, triangle for menu, square for summoning," she repeated, mostly under her breath and a few times over for good measure. Repetition was her best method for learning (it was what she utilized most when it came to studying), and after three times of repeating Jareth's instructions to herself, she turned back to the boil with a small smile.
"T-thank you, I-I am being sure to ask many questions." Her cheeks went a happy rosy color, and she turned her attention to the screen as Jareth explained the selection screen. A pixellated form stood center stage, and a box was blinking underneath it, displaying a feminine name and different letters for selection. "O-oh, this is being the main character, yes.. ?" The name was rather pretty. "M-Malia is a lovely name.. I am thinking I should keep it." Another glance down, and she pressed the arrow keys and the X to hit the "Confirm". The screen went black, and the poludnica gasped in surprise. Had she done something wrong? But soon the screen faded into a scene, with rather nice graphics (surely this wasn't a live action movie), and the surprise faded from her face as she became entranced by the opening credits with a lovely orchestral piece playing as background music. What is this character's story? What could their life be like?
And in tossing around these questions in her mind, it occured to her that for the first time in the past week or so, she was having fun. She was not overdoing things and running herself ragged, and it was all thanks to this nice boil she had just happened to meet. Not that Tsetsiliya thought much of concepts such as destiny, but either way, she was happy that their paths had crossed like this. It was a sentimentality she normally kept to herself or frowned upon (it gave others too much ammunition to tease her), but given the circumstances.. she turned to Jareth and gave him an open, bright smile. If only he'd known what this had done for her.
"T-thank you v-very much, for showing me," she said, and she meant every word.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:12 pm
I touched her hands... oh jack, she has soft hands... are all ghouls this soft or.. wait.. wait what?! Trying not to panic in front of her, though in truth, his panic had nothing to do with her and everything to do with himself, he managed a shaky smile to show her that he was slowly getting used to her, he let her adjust at her own pace. One can never be rushed in learning something new and some games could be complex and confusing for the first time around. A nod was given when she repeated the use of each function, smiling to show she had caught on quickly.
Her smile, however, made his face turn red and he almost shoved his hat back on to cover his features, but he managed not to. "You.. um.. you're welcome. I... I don.. don't mind help-helping out... so.. asking is the best way to le-learn." He watched her carefully, trying to push aside his own nervousness to help her focus, though it was difficult. Not many were allowed in his area, well that he was aware of, and he didn't recall a time when he had allowed another being in his room since he had arrived. Like he still had no idea how that boil Mac knew of him, he never had imagined that there'd ever be a person next to him like this. Especially not a ghoul.
No, never a ghoul. Why would a ghoul want to share space with a loser? He was still expecting her to run out screaming soon, though why she'd do that he wasn't sure. All he was sure of was that this had to be some kind of odd dream... so he snuck glances at her as she left the name and started the game. The surprise he saw made him curious but then it changed and she seemed to like what she was seeing. That.. made him rather happy. To see the same look of curiosity and joy that he himself got from it made him feel.. good inside. What an odd concept...
Though all sense of thought flew out of his head as she smiled at him and he felt way too warm. "You... you're welcome... It.. it's not a problem... I'm.. um.. um.. happy to show you... something that can be.. re-really fun." uh.. was that right to say? What do you say to a thank you, anyway!? Um.. um.. uh she has a pretty smile.. why is she smiling? That's a good thing, yes? Yes... yes, it had to be.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 6:37 pm
Tsetsiliya's light mood continued to hold as she turned, still smiling, towards the screen, where she gave a small start at having missed some of the introduction, but the text box told her enough. Oh no! It seemed that Malia's family had been killed!
"O-Oh my.." she said, reading the words on screen quickly, eyes following the small pixellated ghoul as she moved around her destroyed home. "Poor Malia.." And to think, what did Tsetsiliya have to complain about? Even if her parents were sometimes hard on her (alright, perhaps more than sometimes) and the Island had been an experience (a rather bad experience), at least she still had her family. But to her surprise, black forms surrounded Malia on all corners and closed in.
"S-she is being attacked!" The poludnica cried in surprise, and the screen faded as the music abruptly changed into something faster. A new menu popped up and her eyes went wide. "W-wait --" The enemy laughed and shot an attack at poor Malia, and the small gauge in the corner blinked as it went down. "A-ah!" She stared at her hands, unsure of what to do now.. why was everything going so fast?
Was Malia going to die because she had not been there, just like she had let Ren die? The thought hit her like a brick. She wasn't supposed to think of that.. this was only just a game. But still..
"H-How am I to do this.. ?!" she asked Jareth, holding up the controller with a sort of panic in her eyes. The anxiety she had felt remembering that one moment from the field trip was quickly brushed away - it was foolish to think about it like that, this was only a game. Still, she didn't want Malia to die because of her negligence.
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