...we came in?

[strangerpeople]

POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS


[There's no doubt that those who wake up will vaguely remember a dream.

In that dream, at least for most people, there are two figures, informing them each that they had a Title. With that title came a power. More than that, they were being given rooms, as if they were meant to stay in the dark and gloomy place where their dreams placed them. The Strangers might have found this to be a ridiculous proposition. Unless they have been through this before, then were probably not surprised in the least.

All of this, of course, ended with a sense of inexplicable dread for everyone. Especially when they woke up to find themselves in long, thin, cramped rooms, with only candlelight to give them any illumination.

Yes. Unfortunately, that dream had not been a dream at all, much as you might have hoped. You are here, now, inside an old, decrepit house where you have been given what appears to be a permanent residency. While you apparently have a power to aid you, it's no comfort. You have no option to leave, you have no way to escape, and the rules hammered to your door doesn't help the creeping sense of doom pooling in your stomach.

...

Now.

Where are those two figures that had greeted you to begin with?]

((OOC: Please remember to comment on the Mansion Guests and the Guest Profiles pages if you haven't yet!))

Comments

[hexposition]

Ah... careful, there!

[Emma pushes herself to her feet first, offering her hands to help him up.]

[icanhearscreams]

[He shoves her hands away, even though it means that he wobbles a little more.]

I don't need help.

[hexposition]

[She pulls back, looking shocked and a little hurt.]

I... I see. I'm sorry for offending you.

[Wow, she folds like a house of cards, doesn't she.]

Please, be careful, though. You seem unbalanced.

[icanhearscreams]

[For a brief moment, he thinks of Kana. It's the same sort of look.]

[... For fuck's sake. No. He has no idea who this girl even is.]

It was a long battle.

[He manages to find his way to his feet, tugging a little at his uniform.]

[hexposition]

All the more reason for you to take care of yourself. Pushing yourself can only hinder your recovery.

[She opens her mouth again, wanting to offer further assistance, but...]

I imagine there should be some sort of drinking glasses in the dining room downstairs, although I haven't looked too closely. I know there's a well in the garden.

[icanhearscreams]

... Haven't really been up and about. And there weren't plans for recovery. For any of us.

For -

[Of course. He lifts his head and calls out.]

Dung Beetle! [...] Dung Beetle!

[...]

If I'm alive I still should be the current pilot. If he can't hear me...

[He. Doesn't like the options.]

[hexposition]

[To herself, more than anything:] That... is certainly a name...

[She shakes her head.]

Perhaps there weren't plans for it, but it does seem like plans have changed, doesn't it? So until we have a better grasp of what's going on, please... don't put too much strain on yourself.

[icanhearscreams]

[Shrug. He didn't pick it, but it's a weird name for a weird thing.]

... Mm. I guess. It's... I should try to walk around a little. Sleeping more won't help...

[hexposition]

I agree. Still, you don't seem to be that well. I... listen, I realize you hardly need my help. But as a favor to me... would you at least let me accompany you downstairs to get some water?

It would make me feel better.

[If she tries to paint it as him helping HER out, will she fare any better?]

[icanhearscreams]

[He's quiet for a few moments. He shouldn't care. He really shouldn't give a shit.]

[... But the look she's giving him is so much like Kana it hurts.]

... Fine. Whatever. As long as you leave me alone after that.

[hexposition]

[Success!]

I will, I promise.

[icanhearscreams]

... Let's go, then. I don't know the layout of this place yet.

[So, you know. Lead on.]

[hexposition]

[Emma nods once, then heads toward the staircase. She takes it slowly – Jun is shorter than she is, and not the most steady on his feet, so it won't do well for her to speed ahead.

From there, it's a slow descent down the staircase, then off toward the dining room.

Emma goes over to one of the cupboards that she investigated with Osomatsu earlier, pulling down a drinking glass. She pauses, looking down at the glass with a sigh before looking back up to Jun.]

...Sorry. You're about to think I'm insane, but we haven't tested if the well water is safe yet. So...

[She holds one hand above the glass, closing her eyes to concentrate. She whispers, and it's as if two words come off her tongue at once.]

Aqua.
Water.

[And just like magic, the glass is full!

She sets it down on the massive dining room table, so Jun can pick it up for himself like a big adult man who don't need no help.]

[icanhearscreams]

[He jerks back and stares at her for a few moments, before looking back down at the water.]

[... She looked like she was doing some kind of magic shit, but then again... Dung Beetle could teleport them and their things, not to mention Zearth's teleportation.]

[It's just... quantum physics stuff. Yeah. He approaches the glass and inspects it for a moment, taking a sniff to see if he can tell if there's something weird and then just drinking it.]

[His hand immediately goes to his stomach as he winces in pain.]

[hexposition]

[Definitely just quantum physics stuff. Man, Jun should be happy all of her ACTUAL magic is gone...

His wincing in pain immediately causes her to panic, as such a thing is wont to do.]

I— are you all right?! I didn't hurt you, did I?!

[It's perhaps not surprising that someone like her is quick to blame herself, but...]

[icanhearscreams]

[He glares at her for a moment, but it's more apparent that it's a pain glare than an anger one.]

It's... fff... been... two days. Since I... could keep anything down...

[hexposition]

[She clasps her hands up in front of her mouth. She's going to be sick herself soon from worry...]

Ah... I had no idea... a-and there's no food in the mansion that we could find...

[Crying isn't going to help anyone, and she knows it, so she's trying her best to blink it back. But...]

[icanhearscreams]

It's not like it's your fault. The battle wasn't pretty, so it wasn't the easiest to keep things down.

Don't cry over me. It's not like I'm even from your world.

[hexposition]

I know it's not, it's just...

[Does she really?]

...You're too young for something like this. [They're too young for what they're going through, and they have yet to even see blood.] It doesn't matter if you're not from my world or not. You're still a person.

[icanhearscreams]

[He huffs in bitter amusement.]

I wasn't even close to being the youngest. I mean, all but one of us who actually piloted were the same age, but she was ten. And the younger the pilot, the stronger the robot becomes.

[hexposition]

That still doesn't make it okay! That makes it worse!

[...She's getting pretty worked up about this. Might just want to drink your water and suffer quietly, Jun.]

[icanhearscreams]

The alternative was letting our version of Earth get destroyed. If we had to die, at least we won.

[hexposition]

[The worst thing is that Emma understands. She'd do exactly the same thing.

She might not quite know what Earth is, but she understands wanting to protect the world. She wanted it badly enough to go through with her duty as a witch, even though that meant...

Between Jun's tales of horror and everything else, yeah, Emma's crying now.]

...I'm sorry.

[She is actually apologizing to this boy for crying for him. This is what she's been reduced to. Jun Ushiro look what you've done]

[icanhearscreams]

[Ah, fuck. He looks taken aback at the actual tears. Why would anyone cry for him? Kana did, but Kana is Kana. ... Fuck. He can feel a weird pit in his stomach, and his fist tightens. It's tempting to shove her, but that'll just make things worse, right?]

[He just stares at her, expression slightly panicked as he tries to figure out what to do.]

[hexposition]

[It absolutely will make things worse.

For now, she's just dabbing at her eyes with her sleeves, removing her glasses as not to get them too dirty.]

...I'm sorry. I'm just making you more upset, and... I promised I'd leave you alone, so.

[So she's just going to. Do that, shoving her glasses back on to hide her eyes and slipping by him. She pauses a couple of steps behind him, with their backs to one another.]

Even if it hurts... y-you should probably try to hydrate, though. Until we can get food in you, it's the only way you're going to stay alive.

[She won't hear the rest of it, if he tries to argue, because she's heading back to her room/coffin.]