#loop 53

Help! Help, I'm in OVERKILL!!!

What? What are you-

Oh stars, you got Theater Cursed?!

The Theater Curse isn't real, Loop! I think I had an accident, my brain's confused and I'm-? I'm so-?!

Okay, okay, calm down. Let's start simple. What's your name?

Dawn Paige. He/Thy. Age 23. I am a dedicated butler who adores my master above all else.

Okaaay, butler role! Got it! Good to know.

Okay, Mx. Paige. Breathe with me, breathe iiiiin.

(You and Loop breathe in and out together.) (In... and out... In... and...)

Hahhh... Loop, Loop! I'm terrified. Am I losing sense of reality? What happened to me?

(What's real anymore?) (Overkill isn't real the director isn't real) (The mansion was fake, there wasn't a dinner.)

(None of it!) (Everything!) (All fake!)

Take it easy, just breathe, keep with me now. Don't think about everything all at once.

(Okay, okay.) (Disregard the world.) (You're here right now.)

You're at the well. You're with me. We're both here. We're real.

(You're not dead.) (Even though you felt the knife in your back.) (Even when you couldn't breathe or when you burned and melted and-!)

Stars, stop thinking about it. Just listen to me, would that be okay?

(Loop begins to explain the daily routine of a boulanger.) (How he'd wake up early to bake bread.) (When his daughter awakens, they'd share a meal together.)

Ahh... what about talking? Lupus doesn't seem... to want to talk to me.

You should give them space right now. I could talk with them a little?

(But then you'd be handing your problems to her.)

…But afterward, I'd like to oversee you talk with Lupus. I don't know your parenting style.

But! I can be your mediator! I'll help!

(That's... better.) (Actually, you'd like that.)

Thank you, Mira.

You're welcome, Siffrin. And when everything's over with, I can recommend you some books and classes within the House.

(...When it's all over?)

(You want to believe there will be an "over".) (This has to be the final outer loop.)

(Mirabelle messes with her hair bow before heading out.)

(You fiddle with the edge of your cloak.) (Out of all the OVERKILL characters, why'd you have to be SIFFRIN of all characters?)

(Clueless, stupid, inexperienced...) (You know nothing about being a parent.)

Come here, Lulu~!

(You feel so rusty!!!) (You need to hug your Lupus more!)

Hrggghh!!! Stop it!

Lulu, please-

CHOMP!!!

(OWWW!!!!)

(LUPUS BIT YOU!?!?!?!?)

I don't want your crummy hugs! Go away!

(What?!!! What is with them!?!!!)

Augh!!!!!!!!!

(Lupus storms off.)

Dude, your kid's a monster.

...What did you learn in those classes?

I'm kind of going into this blind.

Um. It started with health classes, because you need to understand health to perform effective Healing Craft.

Pregnancy is actually like??? Super scary? And weird?! It's kind of horrifying!

(Uhm!!!) (Mirabelle goes on a rant about the different ways the body changes during pregnancy.)

(You begin to feel woozy...)

I mean, um. This isn't relevant to you right now. Obviously.

(You didn't understand half of what she was talking about but you're certain of this.) (You're NEVER doing that.)

The next class I took taught me emotional behavior and psychology. But I'm sorry. I didn't get to get far into those classes. I only took one semester.

(You feel so inadequate.) (When you got your memories back after being Theater Cursed, you expected to remember more.)

(Like your own childhood.) (What were you doing before 6 months ago?)

(Why did the Director choose to give you those?) (They're YOUR memories too.)

So... I don't know how much help I can be, Siffrin.

Did you think I was zoning out?

Um. Because you're never around no more.

Aw… Lupus missed you so much.

(You feel your chest get tight.) (Lupus still cares about you after all.)

Lupus... I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere.

...

It's not nice to lie, Siffrent.

(Ah???????) But I'm not??? Leaving?

AUGH!!! You're being stupid. You're always SO stupid.

(What's happening?) (Why are they angry again?)

Lupus, what's wrong?

You're what's wrong!

Captain! Can you finish dinner? I'm bored!

Wh-What? Lupus, I'm cooking right now!

Lupus, talk to me.

(Lupus runs out of the room.) (They're??! Ignoring you?!) (Again?!!)

(You didn't go to the Boulangerie this loop with him.) (Was he like this before you started going together?) (Was it always this bad?)

(How much did he DRINK?) (You think you can still smell it, even through the door.)

(Stars, you screwed up.) (Getting bakery goods doesn't just help Lupus get some variety, it cheers him up too.)

(Stupid, stupid stupid-!)

Um. Can we go to the stream for a bath now? He's taking too long.

(It's... a little late into the evening for that.)

(But you were told to bathe Lupus.) (You can't go empty handed.)

...Okay, Lulu. We'll have to make do without soap.

Aw... but that's not a bath. That's just getting wet.

It's the best we can do right now.

(The two of you walk out, following the stream up into the woods.) (It's dark out, but you can hear the water flowing.)

Ohh! What's that over there?

Lupus, wait, don't run, you'll-

AUWAH-!

(...Slip.)

(Lupus hates you, they have to!) (Everyone wants nothing to do with you.)

(First sunrise, then dusk, and now your lupus...)

Siffrin, are you okay? How bad was that bite?

(It's nothing compared to how your heart aches.)

Oh... you should sit down, come here.

(She leads you to the dining table.)

I don't... want to overstep but, you really shouldn't try to hug an upset child.

I shouldn't? But hugging usually makes them happy.

You can't... force happiness. You need to let them be upset.

(When Lupus was crying, Mirabelle said something similar.) (You've got to let them cry it out.)

(But... how can you let them stay angry?) (You're really not meant to do anything to help?)

I mean, just for a little while! You still need to address their anger, but they're not going to be able to when they're this upset.