15strangers | after trial;

[Caleb is sitting in the lounge, having actually eaten dinner, and sips on some of the absinthe, watered down like he watched Beatrice do. He doesn't have Frumpkin on his lap, but he does have the very grumpy-looking cat on his lap. She's purring gently.]

[His gaze is a bit distant, but he looks up when people enter.]

[When the note comes under her door, Towa's relieved. She wasn't sure what people would be doing after that. The fact that it was Caleb that decided to call everyone together just makes her smile more. So when she arrives, she makes sure to find him.]

Thank you for putting this together.

It's nice to be together after... all that.

[He jerks back, seemingly startled by the words and blinking in confusion.]

Ah... it is... not a problem. I thought people may want to discuss things, and I know many were shocked by what they saw.

I have... seen many things that some here seem to think are strange, so I am a bit... insulated from the shock, I suppose. But I recognize that some people tend to feel better with company, even if I am not one of them, so... here we are.

That's right, you mentioned that before. That's why I'm really grateful. You went through a lot during that trial as well, so I wouldn't have blamed you if you would have rather not.

But it was really thoughtful.

It wouldn't be the first time I was accused of things I did not do.

[He rubs at his arms before petting the cat, who mews.]

... It's best to keep everyone's spirits up, ja?

[Oh great, of course she's here. Drinking. Watching.

The pangolin is in her lap, looking around at everything.]

Oh. Um. Hello.

[Towa isn’t sure what brought her here, but she isn’t going to ignore her.]

Since you’re here, I was meaning to tell you— Tali found another symbol the other day. The Correspondence, you called it. It was by the Ferris Wheel. I thought you’d like to know.

[She perks up at this.]

Oh! Did you, now? I would love for you to show me. Or perhaps I shall simply go see it shortly.

Edited 2019-07-28 05:26 (UTC)

I made a copy of it for my own personal notes if you'd like to see it.

[Towa never goes anywhere without something to take notes anymore. So she can pull out her notebook and show the latest symbol to her.]

Excellent.

[She examines the glyph. After a moment, she frowns, and looks...troubled.]

"An epistle of condemnation cloaked within a fallacious message."

Edited 2019-07-28 17:41 (UTC)

You said something like that last time as well.

[And that it was "Law". She doesn't understand, but something about it reads like a warning.]

But you seem troubled.

[Want to talk about it?]

Are these... pieces of something that go together? It almost seems like parts of a prophecy or some sort of warning.

[He's here. Frumpkin is with him. His own orange demon of a cat has left some scratches on him, but they're not, at present, bleeding.

He's just kind of staring into space, fiddling with the ribbon tied around one wrist.]

[Eliza comes over to sit next to him.] Are...are you feeling okay?

[Of all the people that Towa wants to check up on, Minato is one of the most important. What happened back there... she can only imagine how difficult it was for him.]

Do you mind if I sit with you?

[Tali managed to eat dinner, or at least a few bites of it, in a table that was about as far away as possible from Caleb. She remembered what he said during the trial, and... look, conversations are difficult.

After he leaves, she waits a while before coming into the lounge, shrinking herself as much as possible as she manages to grab a glass of wine for herself.]

[He looks over at her and stands, heading towards her.]

... You have not attacked me, nor have you tried to make some kind of deal from what I have seen, so you are not like the Abyssal creatures in my world that I know of.

The name's... a bit of a long story, really.

... I think we have time, here.

The Abyssal Realm was named that way for the roaring maw that whirled deep beyond the ocean underworld, in the center of the Dragonmouth Sea.

The land itself was a world I'd imagine would be not unlike those of most people here, but the maw... was not without its effects.

... What sort of effects?

It's... hard to say. One of the other girls I traveled with - she was our mage, so perhaps she knew more about the matter than I would - would go on about things like how you could talk to people by standing in front of them and "pressing A", and... constantly reminding us to "save".

Save what, I'm not sure.

I... have no idea what that means.

Nor do I! I don't know if she'd gone mad, or if these were some sort of secrets of the arcane that she happened to be privy to...ugh. How important things and names were always in pink.

...most of us seemed to be content to just let her talk about these things.

... Sometimes it is easier to do that, yes. She sounds a bit ill, but I am glad she at least has a group who helps her.

[ It's shortly after arriving and getting something to drink, that Atsushi cautiously approaches her with a light smile on his face. ]

Ah... Miss... Tali, was it?

[ Hopefully she doesn't think he's being informal or anything. ]

Are you feeling alright?

...as much as anyone else is, I suppose.

Fair enough. I just... noticed you've been kind of avoiding Caleb?

[ Even he could pick up that much from how she's been acting. ]

Did he say something during trial that upset you?

I don't think he intended to, but... of a fashion, yes.

[Towa is surprisingly not responsible for this-- and she's actually a bit late to the meeting. But the reason for that is something that she carries in with her. In the center of one of the tables, Towa sits a pile of rose petals. She had gone back to the theater to retrieve a handful of them after the proceedings earlier.]

It's not much, but it feels like the most fitting. I hope she likes them.

[ Honestly, he could care less.

But hey, food and drink, so he's here for a short while. The sight's kind of curious enough for him to stop a little, though. ]

What's all of this supposed to be? Some kind of memorial?

Something like that, yes. It's not much, but Beatrice always liked things to be done properly, so I thought she'd appreciate a formal offering.

[ That makes sense - though he doesn't understand why people liked her so much. That being said... ]

Nothing for the other guy, then?

Of course. I just... need to figure out what would be most appropriate. He was very kind, but I'm not sure what kind of memento he'd like. Maybe someone else would know better. But I should try to think of something...

[Being made to think of it, though, maybe there is one thing.]

Oh! He'd been interested in my ARCUS... maybe I'll leave it here in the meantime, since I never got a chance to show it to him.

[ That's an interesting choice. ]

Might as well.

[ Speaking of which, though...he's not interested in just having a bunch of stuff hanging around in his room, so- ]

I'll probably leave something too.

Edited 2019-07-28 18:28 (UTC)

[Beatrice had several items of inventory lying around in her, now presumably unlocked, compartment. During the trial, she officially gave Caleb all the liquor and Ris everything else, but she's not exactly around to enforce that, and it's clear there are several things in here that belong to other people, that she hadn't gotten around to distributing yet:]

42. Goat - This is no mere goat. This is an ubergoat of some kind. It is a goat so terrifying, so oozing with evil, that it will sleep in your bed and eat your food in spates of sevens, and you will let it. You have no choice. The Goat Is. Wait, how did it get back into her room?

12. Bottle of Wine - It’s a bottle of fine wine. However, upon drinking it, you will find this isn’t grape wine. It’s made or mushrooms. Mushrooms! According to the label, it was bottled in the year 1872. Unopened.

Daedric Lava Whiskey (WARNING: To drink this is to drink liquid fire. Drinking this will cause brief paralysis. Also, your tongue will hate you forever.) Unopened.

Sword - This is one nasty-looking sword. It’s got a red edge that’s sharp as the blade it adorns, along with a sharp-looking, lightning-shaped hilt and pommel. The fuller is black with gold accents. Seriously, this weapon is dangerous.

Axe - A heavy and wicked-looking weapon, as if straight out of a medieval execution.

Stakes - A set of seven iron stakes covered in occult symbols. They may or may not be novelty souvenir ice picks in reality. It seems Beatrice put all seven back and went to trial unarmed. Can't split up the Sisters.

Alcohol - A bottle of absinthe. It’s from the 1980s. Partially drunk, much like its owner.

Several books stolen from the Victoria's Chasm Library - various novels that predate 1861, and a Shakespeare play or two.

[ Coming right by to yoink that sword. ]

[All of that booze is going in his room, thank you very much.]

[At some point, probably not immediately after the trial because tbh the blonde kids probably just got put to bed afterward, Ris will be by to collect the stakes and the books.

She seems to consider the axe for a moment, but after a couple cursory attempts to remove it, leaves it behind.

As for the goat... the goat can just. Stay here. For a while.]

[Going to take that axe. ]

[Upon closer inspection of the walls, it seems Beatrice also traded for one of the paintings in the Victoria's Chasm Gallery:]

Artwork #3

[If anyone cares to remove that. It may be best to leave it for now.]

[Proto Man also had some things that he would rather not see go to waste, as well as a few possessions that he never had a chance to return to their proper owners. If you would be so kind?]

61. Feather - A soft black feather. It seems to have come from a bird of some kind. Maybe a raven? Maye a crow? It’s not entirely clear. (Proto converted it into a quill pen.)

51. Poster - A poster advertising Satin Records’ 20th anniversary re-release of the album Tender Years. There is absolutely no other context provided to explain what any of that means.

Dog - This dog has no name or any discernible gender, but that’s nothing compared to the fact that it’s a robot. A robot that can breathe fire. Wow. Much heat. (Well, had no name. This is Friender. He is a good boy.)

Can - It’s a big blue can with an E stamped on it. It looks like there’s liquid inside, but something about it makes you wonder if this is actually something humans could-or should-drink. (It's actually empty, but Proto didn't want to be careless about disposing of it. Maybe it can be upcycled somehow?)

Collar - It’s a small It’s a small pet collar made from twisted bandages fashioned into a cord necklace. Two glow-in-the-dark keys marked 21 and 30 hang off this cord, but don’t expect them to open any gates or doors. After all, they’re only replicas.

Book - It is a book, titled I Fell in Love with the Majesty of Colors. It’s about the main heroine’s journey through a place called the void; said heroine seems very familiar for some reason.

Journals - A pair of notebooks: one full, one only partially filled. The first journal is a recollection of Proto Man's life up until his arrival on the train as a form of insurance against further memory loss. The second is a log of his experiences during this journey. The final entry ends mid-sentence, as though he were called away all of a sudden.

((OOC: The journals are still very much a work in progress, sorry!))

[ Mithos is 100% taking Friender don't worry Proto he will take good care of robodog. ]

[That pen is going with Caleb, thank you.]

[Oh, that's her book! Eliza's grabbing it, looking kind of happy. Finally, some good fucking reading material.]

[Because RGB is a creature of habit who can't resist the promise of things to unlock, he's just going to nab that collar. Then, when he spots the journals he pauses, flips one open, and... oh.]

...It's a shame that your story ended so soon. I suppose I can at least keep it out of the hands that would destroy it.

[And with that, he carefully stores those away and leaves the room.]

after trial;

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The Golden Loot (please keep away from The Conductor)

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UPDATE SORRY

Made you from parts of me

Re: Made you from parts of me

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