onceuponacomm | CHAPTER 5

Almost half of the non-fairy population of Aira Niluc is gone.

Some may be feeling the absence of their fellow participants in this story. Others will stay focused on the wish they want to get. What never changes is that the story goes on, bringing you closer to the end -- and to another chapter. What will it bring this time?

Snow!

Snow as far as the eye can see, a cold blanket covering the new area. Some winter amenities are now available, ready for perusal! But that's not all there's to find: everyone also will find reminders of their homes, of people they know, of happier times.

Of their wishes.

Who will try to reach their wish this time?

[[Welcome to Week 5! Feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. However, please try to keep investigations to Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! You can also privately contact Hamelin at your leisure.

In addition, a reminder that any Murder Proposals for this week are due by Tuesday 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST! However, please note that you have the option of submitting murder proposals for a later week as well.]]

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Well, if you insist~ I certainly don't mind being complimented~!

There we go.

[ Sparkle, sparkle! ]

I hope that helped with improving your mood a little.

It certainly did! Insulting Raven always does~

[Okay that one's clearly a joke, and he'll let it go with a laugh.]

I am glad to hear that I'm not doing a dreadful job, at least!

You two seem to have an interesting relationship.

[ HMMM. ]

How do you guys know each other? You're from the same world, right?

We are, ja! But we really haven't had many chances to interact before arriving here; if I'd known he was this fun, perhaps I would have sought him out for a drink earlier!

[Raven totally would've mooched off him though, so pass!!!]

He works for Altosk, the guild that essentially leads the Guild Union. I do have quite a few dealings with them, but usually I'm dealing with Raven's boss, Don Whitehorse.

Haha. He really does seem like a fun person, doesn't he?

[ But uh, god! All this guild talk is starting to make his head hurt. ]

So you were more like acquaintances, then. I was under the impression you two might've been closer.

Oh? What gave you that idea?

[...is it because they spent all of week three drinking together because that definitely doesn't count!!]

Well, you two are from the same world, right? And yeah, I saw you two drinking together. That's all, though.

[ That is literally all he has. smh ]

It seems we're a bit different from the others who were brought from the same worlds.

[But that second part gets him to laugh!]

He is quite fun to drink with; I suppose I've been missing out! I don't usually spend much time at the bars in Dahngrest, otherwise we likely would have found this out much sooner!

Because you're not as close as, say, Phil and Marcus are?

[ Or he and Riku, Wuxian and Huaisang. ]

Well, I'm glad you two get along here. There's something about this place that does seem to make people from the same worlds get closer, despite everything.

Ja, precisely.

[Yeager inclines his head a bit at the second part, considering.]

Well, this is a very different and difficult situation we've found ourselves in. I'm not surprised that it's brought people closer.

[...For the most part, anyway.]

You, Raven-san, and Alexei-san are also the only people who were brought here as a trio, too.

[ How curious.

Anyway. ]

Yeah. It...did bring Riku and I closer, so I agree with that.

[ His expression doesn't waver when he says that, but it hurts to think about -- ]

Funny how that works, isn't it.

[...on the one hand, he feels like it's insensitive to talk about Riku, but on the other he's been curious this whole time, so...]

If I may ask - and I do apologize if this is rude! - what exactly was going on with you and Riku before you arrived here?

[are you guys friends?? boyfriends??? he has no idea.]

It’s not rude.

[ He doesn’t mind answering, at least!! ]

Riku and I are twins. We decided not to disclose this on our own in case anyone thought to use that against us somehow. But…there’s no reason to hide it anymore.

[...ah.]

Oh, I see. Ja, I can see where that might be used against you in a place like this. This place brought the two of you closer, though?

Yeah. My worst fear was that someone would try to pin the blame on both of us working together during trials.

[ But, you know. That's moot now, so. ]

And yes, it did. ... It's a long story. I won't bore you with it if you don't want to hear it.

[A nod! He's a bit surprised Marcus and Phillip haven't been accused of that more, tbh...]

I would like to, actually. It sounds like the two of you have a... rather difficult history.

[Or at least one that was somehow helped by being away from the situation and shoved in a murdergame, so you know.]

[ A nod. Buckle up Yeager, this is a long one. ]

As you know, Riku’s sick. He’s been sick since he was born. Our parents ran a night club that started struggling financially. Add Riku’s hospital bills to that. It wasn’t a good combination.

A man named Kujo Takamasa said he would assist my family financially if I agreed to let him take me under his wing. I was thirteen — and I agreed to be adopted by Kujo.

I haven’t been a member of the Nanase family since. I’ll start there.

[Oh, we are off to a wild start already. Is this a rich person thing?? Adopting kids from families who need the financial support?? This actually sounds like a rich person thing, he could see some nobles in the Empire doing this shit.]

I see. I'm guessing you felt like it would be a good option to help your brother and your family?

Yes.

[ A nod. ]

Kujo’s dream…is to create an idol that will surpass the legendary idol known as Zero, who disappeared. He sees that in me, and he’s hurt others on his conquest to realize his dream. I’ve learned a lot under him, and I won’t lie — I do care about him. But…I’ve been separated from Riku ever since.

And then Riku joined IDOLiSh7.

[ … ]

I won’t lie. I didn’t think he could do it, at first. His voice is incredible but his motivations weren’t in the right place for it. I… [ He sighs. He’s frustrated. ] I tried to talk him out of it a few times and told him he wasn’t taking it seriously enough.

But…beneath all of that, I just didn’t want to see him get hurt. I had to push him away because Kujo wouldn’t have liked it if we became close like this again. Riku is my competitor, and us getting close again…

It would’ve been tempting for me to go back. I think Kujo realizes that.

[A forced sense of distance because some rich guy wants to shape Tenn into the perfect performer... Wow. He really wasn't expecting the idol business to be so cutthroat...]

I think I can understand that much. You wanted to keep him safe, to protect him from Kujo.

[And maybe even from Tenn himself, though that's not something he'll voice.]

So the two of you haven't really had an opportunity to be close since you were adopted, ja?

[And here... Well, he'll let Tenn continue.]

…Yeah.

[ His expression turns sad. Saying this out loud is really getting him to realize just how much he’s hurt his brother — ]

I gave him a fake reason when we talked about why I left. We got into an argument over it…and — I’ve said things that really hurt him. Saying he was my brother, but that was in the past. And when he said it back to me later — that we weren’t family anymore — I didn’t realize how much I probably hurt him until then.

Being here with Riku, though, showed me what it was like to be family again. I couldn’t push him away anymore. I did what I could to keep him safe…but even then…

[ … He failed. ]

I see.

[It was an attempt to keep distance between them for both their sakes, and ultimately it wasn't one that could possible hold up in a horrid situation like this. It's understandable that they turned to each other when dragged here. That likely is why Hamelin chose them both, after all.]

I truly am sorry. This situation was bad enough to begin with, but...

[Well. Riku's dead now.]

You two were quite good at hiding it - I had no idea you were brothers! I understand why you felt you needed to keep your distance back home, though, and it sounds like it was very difficult to handle there.

It was.

[ Unbelievably difficult, yeah. ]

Riku and I parted on good terms, though. And…he’s still talking to me through his notes.

It’s been helping me carry on.

[Yeah, the notes... Yeager nods at that.]

I'm glad, then. That there's... still a way for the two of you to communicate even after all of this, and that you're still able to keep your head held high.

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