WEEK THREE MINGLE

[potatomance]

ᯓ⭐ WEEK THREE MINGLE

Happy third week, lovebirds! Here's to hoping you're riding high on the wave of success of one whole pair being correct! Surely you must have an idea by now how to win this thing!

Probably?

The good news is that you're not going to have to find yourselves in any weird clothes this time around, except maybe that just leads to a strange sense of foreboding for a future scenario...? Who knows. You can't quite brace yourself for it this time.

But don't worry, it's not like there's nothing happening. On the contrary!

For the entirety of this week, you'll find yourself feeling... clingy. It's going to start feeling very strange if you're not leaning on someone, holding their hand, cuddling with them, sitting in their lap, stealing a kiss, or engaging in some other form of affectionate physical contact. And if it's someone you're already feeling fond of OR someone you actually can't stand, guess what?

That feeling is doubled!

You may realize this is an unusual feeling, but so what? Trying to ignore it is only going to make it feel stronger and do you really want to make yourselves feel miserable?

Shut up, masochists.

FAQ ⭐ Truth Booth Voting ⭐ Mysterious Thing ⭐ Sex Dungeon ⭐ Perfect Match Voting

Comments

[psychs]

You should ask him about how his treats his family. His "children".

[ Because he sure did see some events transpire in Brenner's memories. ]

[thefinalcontract]

I would like to hear about that... I thought it was more in line with what Miss Xianyun did. But if I were mistaken...

[And if it's being brought up in this context. This could all be very bad...]

[psychs]

[ He can't be sure himself what kind of relationship Xianyun has with her daughters, but given the way she'd reacted to Yoshisawa in his memory, he can't imagine it's anything like how Brenner treats those he calls his children. ]

I saw a memory of his last week in which he was attempting to force a child to overcome her fear of water by submerging her repeatedly in a tank, despite her protests and cries of terror.

[ In his profession, the call that: child abuse. ]

Is that the sort of discipline Xianyun-san would condone?

[mechanideptus]

He did what?

[ No, that is not at all the sort of discipline she would condone. Where she comes from, that's called torture. ]

[thefinalcontract]

[He glances towards his old friend.]

No. She would not condone something like that.

[helmswoman]

[ It takes all of Yukong's self-control to not spit out her drink.

The worst part is that she can't even say she's that surprised, with all that she's picked up on from Dr. Brenner. It doesn't help at all to have it confirmed like this, though. ]

And I thought what I saw was bad enough. That's outright torture, and of a child at that. Why would they even allow him on this show?

[hnl]

[What is this fake news (no)]

It was a sensory deprivation tank in a controlled environment.

[GET IT RIGHT]

Please stop taking one of Four's more difficult days out of context for the sole purpose of character assassination. You're speaking out of turn when you don't even understand the full breadth of what you saw.

[ringsmaster]

... Four?

[ My guy did you give your kids NUMBERS. ]

[helmswoman]

What I experienced was him tattooing a three onto one of them.

[ So... yes. There are four of these kids, at least. ]

[hnl]

[Fun fact: all of you have been designated numbers and letters for the sake of keeping track of pairings more easily in his mind as he plays this stupid game. What would you think of that, A?]

Her designation in the system. Real names are kept classified.

[except that one loser henry, whose name he has been flinging around with abandon]

[mechanideptus]

You're speaking about a child, not a science experiment!

[hnl]

Did I ever say she wasn't a child? I'm very well aware. And I've been taking care of several of them for years now. I know what's best for my children, and unless I want the government taking the initiative to dispose of them like they had originally intended, then we continue to couch it as an experiment. As a project.

[ringsmaster]

[ Nice to be king of the alphabet, he supposes.

Anyway,, ]

Except Henry's?

[hnl]

[See? Be flattered.]

Well. Henry's always a special case. [His favorite One. :)] He was the first, so I always knew him as "Henry" first and foremost. Old habits.

[psychs]

No matter how you dress up the details of your "methods", there's no excuse for how you were treating her. Your actions speak for themselves, and you haven't denied them.

[ He can only hope the others won't be swayed by his gaslighting. They have to be smarter than that. ]

[hnl]

I won't deny what's actually happened. I just refuse to let you dress it up as though you understand what you're even talking about, doctor.

I've done nothing but care for my children. I've helped them grow. I've helped them become confident in what they can do. You, a man too lost in his own guilt to see any path forward, don't get to tell me if what I'm doing is right or wrong.

[ziplash]

"Out of context?"

[ damn BOTH of these bozos need JAIL!!!!!! ]

I'd like to see you try to explain the "full breadth."

[hnl]

[damn why’s everyone all up in his business in this shared sleepover space!!]

Yes. Out of context. One particularly bad day in a string of predominantly positive ones.

And I don’t see the point of explaining the “full breadth” of anything if you can’t set aside the censure you’re suddenly so eager to throw my way.

[ziplash]

I'm no stranger to methods of training escalating to the extreme.

[ Which she says as professionally and evenly as she can. Much as this makes her suspicious, she also didn't become chief by jumping to conclusion. ]

But you can't seriously be surprised that people are concerned over the alleged abuse of a child. If you're convinced of these "predominantly positive" days, then by all means. Right now, it's their word against yours.

[hnl]

[He spreads his arms, a vague indication towards this whole farce.]

That's right. My word against theirs. And nothing else to go on -- for anyone. Doctor Maruki hasn't had the highest opinion of me from the start. Do you think anything I say to reason with him is going to be effective, especially now that he's seemingly intent on tearing apart my reputation?

[bewrightback]

Objection!!

[Phoenix cries out, some pizza bagels dropping from the tray that he had just returned with.]

You're presenting the unsettling description Dr. Maruki just provided as a 'difficult day' for... Miss Four? When we first met, you assured me that the children in your charge were being treated with the utmost care! Dr. Brenner, were you really being truthful?

[He stands garbed in blue footsie pajamas.]

[cosmoid]

[ he's probably eaten all of the popcorn he nabbed from xianyun, so score. yes he's being true to the meme and picking up the pizza bagels that were on the floor and eating them.

this much drama requires snacks. ]

[hnl]

[Is that the cross-examination track playing somewhere in the background...

Also rip the pizza bagels.]

Of course, Mr. Wright. Are you not something of a paternal figure yourself? Then you'd understand that treating children with care also means encouraging them out of their comfort zones for the sake of their own development and growth. There are trials and tribulations involved in this years-long journey. Do you honestly think there won't be a single bad day among the good? Do you think one snippet of a memory is representative of a father's entire relationship with his kids?

[bewrightback]

[Some of them managed to stay on the tray at least! In the wake of his answer, Phoenix pauses and composes himself before continuing.]

I am father. That much is correct. It may be true that a parent's role can involve pushing them out of their comfort zones and making decisions they aren't happy with. But I think you might be a little generous in treating your situation as being justified by that kind of motivation. After all, what you did sounds a bit... extreme. I know that if I pushed Trucy at something to the point where it was starting to hurt her, I would immediately back off.

So if you're trying to downplay an incident like that and sweep it away as a 'bad day' and just a 'snippet of memory', then... well, I'm sorry to say, Dr. Brenner, that it does call the entirety of your relationship with those children into question in my eyes.

[hnl]

[Good god, has this really turned into an interrogation.]

Am I downplaying? Or am I just giving you actual context that no one here seems to be willing to listen to?

[There's a reason the project is top secret. A reason why it doesn't reach public ears. This stifling show of morality without even knowing the full picture is exactly why.]

Let me put it bluntly, Mr. Wright: at this point, it's simply my word against an interpretation of memories that others have seen. You have no proof, you have no evidence, to the contrary. The fact that you're using the idea that I want to defend myself is laughable, too. Who wouldn't, when under attack in this way?