(Mingle Log/Open Prompts) found

[holidaygirl1225]

WHO: Noelle, clinic staff, and you!
WHAT: Mingle logs after the rescue & opportunities to visit Noelle while she's recovering
WHEN: After the conclusion of the 'Flight and Freeze' quest, through late October
WHERE: Bottlecap Bay Clinic
WARNINGS: Hospitalization/emergency departments, recovery from severe injury, comas, themes of depression & disassociation. Any spoilers for Deltarune will be marked.

After being found, Noelle was thawed by resident Fire-types and teleported by a helpful Abra to the clinic in Bottlecap Bay. An expert in emergency medicine- an Audino referred to as Dr. Dino- and her team immediately took Noelle into the back of the clinic and didn't come out for what seemed to be hours.

and your future lost its rights

When Dr. Dino finally emerges into the general waiting room, she announces tiredly that Noelle is likely to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, the Deerling in question is comatose doesn't seem likely to wake up for a while. She might be ready to visit soon, but for now, she needs careful monitoring.

1. Shortly Thereafter (Open; Mingle Log)

A. A nurse Chansey prepares some hot drinks for anyone who was waiting to hear if Noelle would be okay-- especially those who were in Icefall Lake. Feel free to rest here and decompress a bit before returning home.

B. Dr. Dino offers to take a look at any characters who were injured during the rescue operation. If your character works at the Clinic, maybe you're the one treating the injured instead to give Dr. Dino a break.

[ooc; Feel free to interact with each other in either prompt. The only limitation is that Dr. Dino requests you avoid Noelle's room for now.]

2. A Few Weeks Later (Open)

Noelle remains asleep, but Dr. Dino has declared her able to receive visitors. If you enter the room where she's resting, you'll find her curled up on a little cot and heavily bandaged. It seems she sustained several injuries from her rampage, both from being attacked and using high-power moves to attack others without training properly first. Every so often, Chansey will check her vitals and/or change her bandages.

In the corner, some gifts and 'get well soon' notes have piled up for her. If you want, you may leave something for her as well. You can also sit by her bedside and keep her company. If you talk to her, maybe she'll hear you?

At the moment you're visiting, Noelle looks...

A. Serene. Angelic, even. If it weren't for the bandaging, you might think she's just having an afternoon nap. She emits a faint peppermint scent, as always-- is that from the flower on her head, or is it just her?

B. Troubled. Her ears are down, pressed flat against her head. The flower on her head looks like it's trying to close up. Every so often, she makes a whimper or gives a faint kick to her leg as if she's trying to run. If you listen closely- very, very closely- you might hear her mutter something in her sleep. Maybe it's 'Dess'... maybe it's 'Kris'... maybe it's your name, if you were very close.

[ooc; Noelle will not wake up during threads responding to this prompt. If your character talks to her, she may or may not remember what's said to her. You can also leave a gift or a letter for Noelle if you'd like. Two or more people can visit Noelle in the same thread if you'd like this to be a mingle log as well.]

3. Approaching All Hallows' Eve (set in late October; Open unless marked)

Noelle awakened on her own. It's almost as if she waited for everyone to leave before opening her eyes. The rumor is that she sat straight up, staring intently at something nobody else could see.

Soon, word gets out that Noelle is awake. Dr. Dino wants to keep her in the clinic a bit longer to keep an eye on her, and as it turns out, Noelle struggles to walk on her own. When Dr. Dino isn't helping other patients, she helps Noelle walk around her room so she can stretch, sometimes. Chansey guards her room, both to protect her from anyone who would wish her harm (there are quite a few she fought with, after all) and to stop her from running away again.

Despite the fact that Noelle is awake, she's less accessible than before. Apparently, she doesn't want to see anyone. She seems deeply ashamed of her outburst, and aside from that, there's a fog of melancholy that weighs her down.

A. Whether you sneak in, muscle your way past Chansey, or find some other method, you get into Noelle's room without permission. She's visibly shocked to see you, but doesn't try to call for help or kick you out-- just blithely accepting whatever you plan to do.

B. (Closed except for Bigby, Kinger, Tenna, Umemiya, and Ren. NOT mandatory-- just the approved list.) If you wish to visit her and Noelle considered you a friend, she'll let you in. Sorry, Shoka and Kris, neither of you are on the list for some reason...?

With that said, she's quiet when you enter, almost giving the vibe of a broken doll. The curtains are drawn and she's still curled in on herself, only glancing at you furitively from the corner of her eye.

C. (Closed except for medical staff/helpers at the clinic.) Chansey allows you in, but you're being watched, just in case. Noelle doesn't regard you, allowing you to do whatever you came here to do.

4. Wildcard

[Feel free to discuss another prompt with me at friendlyflower, ask me for my Discord, or inbox me here. Additionally, feel free to flip me to brackets style for any of these and I'll match you.]

Comments

[telewarped]

It's not that I don't want to... [Her gaze drifts away as she lets out a harsh sigh.] Whatever. Forget I asked.

[Regrettably, only too late does she notice that that's an exact echo of what she told them before. With an inward cringe, she focuses her attention ahead again, shuffling miserably onward.

She considers taking the opportunity to say that apology she's been sitting on, if for no other reason than to fill the awkward silence that hangs over them then. On its way from her brain to her mouth, it snags on a different thought.]

... Y'know, you don't have to walk with me. You've been here long enough, so it's not like you need an escort back to home base. [A pause.] Unless you're really that helpless.

[heartonachain]

[They snicker, barely making any effort to hide it. At this rate they won't be allowed to remember any of their conversations...

But they don't say anything more, and they're content to walk in comfortable silence. She could stay quiet the whole way back and they wouldn't mind it all. Unfortunately, that seems to be something they disagree on. They glance up when she speaks again, a small frown finding its way back onto their blank expression.]

... Do you want me to follow at a distance such that no one can tell we're associated? [They say each word with precision and intent, but the whole thing is dripping with sarcasm. Shoka. They are going the same way.]

[telewarped]

Ugh... You know what I mean.

[Even if Kris was going the same way, they could have waited until she was gone or decided to change their plans. Should have, because they should be angry with her—avoiding her, the same way Noelle is. Unless... they don't know what she means.

Regardless, she slows, not meeting their eyes when she speaks up again.]

... Look, I'm... sorry for how I was back at the meetup. It wasn't a good look.

[heartonachain]

[... In a way, she is the reason they were able to leave at all. If she hadn't left the clinic when she did... most likely, they'd still be stuck back there, still fighting with their own body. It's only because someone more interesting passed by that they were permitted to turn and leave. Out of everyone it could've been, Shoka seems like one of the better options, honestly.

But that's not something they can explain. Even if they could, it probably wouldn't make much sense to her.

They slow to match her pace, tilting their gaze a little higher at the apology. Their expression remains impossible to get a proper read on, but their shadowed gaze seems a touch softer before they look away again.]

S'fine. You were just worried.

[telewarped]

It's really not. [Fine, that is.] I shouldn't've come at you like that. But... [Another sigh.] Yeah.

[She was worried—panicked, desperate.]

I'm... still worried, to be honest.

[heartonachain]

[They shrug. Did it get under their skin at the time? Yeah. They're still not keen on discussing that topic, either. But if they can be friends with Susie...]

Could've gone worse. Didn't threaten to eat my face. [They say it in an almost wistful way. Missing you like crazy, bestie.]

... she's tougher than she looks. She'll be okay. [That part, they wish they could sound more certain of. She is tougher than she looks, but when so much has already happened... it's more a reassurance for themselves, at this point. They just have to believe she'll be okay.]

[telewarped]

Maybe not to your face.

[She's (mostly) joking, though her dry, tired tone makes it difficult to tell.]

Anyway, I know she's tough. That's... sort of what I'm worried about. [She had glimpsed sides of Noelle in the past few weeks that were almost frighteningly strong, brutal and cold as winter. She said she'd killed people, and Shoka believed her.] Maybe it is better to push people away sometimes. But I'm not so sure it's better for her right now...

[Or for Kris, for that matter.

Then again, it's not as if Noelle is pushing everyone away. She was allowing other visitors in, after all—just not Shoka. And what right does she even have to decide what's better for Noelle? It's not like any of her attempts to help had done anyone any good. It's not like she really knows Noelle at all.

Maybe it really is better like this. Maybe she deserves it.]

... But what the hell do I know? Guess I'm not her friend either.

[heartonachain]

[... did it help, to push Noelle away?

Their head sinks a little lower. They should know this answer. They should be confident in it. She said she didn't want them to try anymore, didn't she? They already screwed everything up too much. They can't just go back and pretend it's all fine.

... but then they think of walking through city streets, listening to her ramble on and on about something stupid from their childhood. Noelle pretending to bribe them with dog treats. Laughing and screaming over a cheese maze. Moments where they almost felt like themselves, like nothing had changed at all.

Was she having fun, back then? Were they?]

Did something happen between you two?

[Their own voice startles them from their thoughts, flat and emotionless, a little too forceful and definitely lacking in tact. Fuckkkkkk this stupid fucking nosy-ass bitch in their chest—]

... don't have to answer. Forget it. [They have to strain to get the words out, mumbled and raspy.]

[telewarped]

[Shoka flinches—and then steels herself. It's mortifying, and something about that phrasing makes her want to scream, but after the strategy meeting, she figures Kris has a right to ask their own questions.

There's a stretch of silence, and then:]

... You got a taste of what I'm like. [Aggressive and stubborn, with a knack for getting on people's nerves.] Guess she figured out that I'd only drag her down. Took her long enough.

[heartonachain]

[It's mortifying for both of them. They don't need to know this. They hate that it is getting what it wants, pretending that Kris is the one that wanted to ask. They feel gross for even thinking of it.

But they can't take back what's already been said. They bite back a sigh, listening to her confession like they're supposed to.

What are they supposed to say to that? They're no good at comforting anyone. There's a long silence after she speaks, as if even their Soul is struggling to find a good answer in them.]

... she likes mean girls. Can't be that.

[She likes Susie. She used to like Kris, too. So it definitely can't be because she's rude and pushy. Those are S-rank Noelle friendship boosting traits.]

[telewarped]

[Shoka isn't sure what she expects to hear as a response to that either. The thought of being comforted by this near-stranger is even more mortifying—infuriating, really, not to mention downright pathetic. Maybe she's hoping for an awkward silence and a premature end to the conversation. Better to push people away, after all.

When Kris eventually does reply anyway, it takes her so off guard she nearly sputters aloud. A number of less-than-compelling arguments occur to her (well, I'm worse than mean, so—; not sure I even count as a girl anymore; can you shut the hell up) before, feeling a little too exposed, she hisses back:]

How would you know? I thought you weren't even friends.

[heartonachain]

Friend of a friend. [They answer easily this time. Even if their own relationship with Noelle is complicated, they wouldn't dream of belittling what she and Susie had. They were definitely friends. Maybe they could've been more than that.

... and Susie was their friend, even if it only lasted a handful of days. They try not to wilt at the reminder.]

Don't have to be friends to know her type.

[telewarped]

[Her type... Shoka feels a twinge—and lets it pass.]

Whatever. Point is, she decided she's had enough of my crap and doesn't want me sticking around. She told me as much to my face. Does that satisfy your curiosity?

[heartonachain]

[Does it?

...]

Still haven't said what happened. [Nope, they're still talking. They've already resigned themselves to this awkward conversation, so they decide to just ride it out calmly. She can yell at them if she wants, they're past the point of caring.] Must've been real bad. She loves getting pushed around.

[telewarped]

[She's about to lob a retort at them, but that last sentence stops her. Something about it sends a jagged shiver down her back; the fabric there squirms.]

Oh. Does she now?

[heartonachain]

[They shrug. It's certainly not wrong.]

Got bullied a lot. Sometimes she'd watch. Kept asking to switch seats. S'not hard to figure out.

[They know she wanted to help them, too, but Noelle is anything but subtle when it comes to her affections. She was down bad. Kris could tell.]

[telewarped]

[Froslass pushed Noelle around, too—but that's clearly not what Kris is referring to. Slowly, the squirming stops; Shoka droops a little, feeling foolish. What happened to feeling sorry about getting on Kris' case?]

... Well. I already told you what happened between us. [Except for the kiss, and the river, and...] Sorry the answer isn't tantalizing enough for you, I guess.

[There's a pause, and then:]

What do you even care anyway?

[heartonachain]

[They pause, considering this question very seriously. After a moment passes, they turn to her with a completely straight face.]

I don't. [and they sound weirdly proud to admit it. They do not give a single fuck about her personal drama, actually.]

[telewarped]

[She scoffs.]

Then why the hell did you ask?

[heartonachain]

Bad at conversation.

[This is also true.]

[telewarped]

[Ugh.] It's like you want your face to get eaten.

[But also: relatable.]

[heartonachain]

[They snicker, their blank expression twisting into a grin for once.]

Worked out last time.

[telewarped]

Bold words for someone with a four times weakness to Fairy.

[One Draining Kiss might actually take their face clean off, but she doesn't dare make the suggestion even as a joke when Kris would almost definitely be into that.

The Spire looms before them. Shoka tries to think of something to do with herself next and pathetically can only think of finding a secluded cavern somewhere to hide and rot in.]

... So what're you gonna do now?

[It's impossible to tell if she's asking about right now or just in general. Maybe it's both (not that she cares).]

[heartonachain]

[they would 100% be into that yeah.

The question makes their smile fade back into neutrality. What are they gonna do... it's not something they try to think about. But they're almost at their destination, and her question demands an answer, so...]

Bother people
	Aimless wandering			Sleep
♥︎   Doesn't matter

... Doesn't matter. [There's a bitter edge to their tone, but it's an honest answer. They don't get to decide what they do. No reason to get worked up over it.

As they come up on the entrance to the Spire, Kris slows to a stop. It's the end of the line. Here, they'll go their separate ways, and Shoka won't have a reason to talk to them again.

It makes them feel a little sad. After getting past all the awkward parts... they were starting to actually enjoy her company.

...]

Wanna lick algae off the walls?

[telewarped]

[Shoka stops, too, and squints at them, as if trying to figure out if they're serious. Eventually, upon determining that they are, she answers:]

Hard pass.

[... But still she doesn't move, her gaze still settled on them, almost expectant.]