FINAL WEEK

[strangerpeople]

FINAL WEEK

[Well. What else can be said? The Little Courtesy is over. You have all survived. You are now going to your final destination-with invitations to boot. And Charlotte will be getting that private audience, as promised.

But it's not over. Everyone knows it. Confrontation is inevitable. The question is what, exactly, will happen when that confrontation happens-or if anyone will in fact be able to go with Charlotte when it happens. But you've gone this far. There's no turning back. There has to be a way.

Nothing has been certain, or simple. Whatever happens will be no different from the horrors of the Little Courtesy. Perhaps the saying might still hold. Will all be well? Will it?

It must. God help everyone if it isn't.

Seven is the Number, but there are nine strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[biddentodance]

[Well... Things are a bit awkward now, aren't they? The observant may have noticed, Minato hasn't been going to meals since the trial - or if he has, hasn't had more than water. And today, at least for the first half of the day (unless someone makes him leave), he can be found sitting seiza style to the side in the dining car - near the path to the front of the train. He....wants to give the rats an opportunity to get some vengeance, but also doubts they want him anywhere near the armaments or locomotive cars. And there isn't really room, in the luggage car. So here he is.

A bit later you can catch him carrying his haul back toward his room! Feel free to grab him for a chat as he passes through the dining hall again. Dining haul?

It's as he's entering the apartments car, headed for his own, that disaster strikes. See, most of the things he got are inconvenient to carry all as once. He's managed! But it's a different story when Yarnball, asshole cat that he is, gets quite literally underfoot. See Minato. See Minato trip and fall and the things he was carrying fly from his arms, scattering on the floor. Yarnball, for his part, runs yowling for the lounge - not in a "help my human he fell" way, in more of a "HOW DARE STARTLE ME" way.

Unfortunately for said human? When he tries to push himself up, his hand lands on the business end of that purple knitting needle. It's not much of an injury, but the thing is sharp, and it does break the skin. That's probably fine.]

[katzenpfote]

[A bowl of soup gets placed in front of Minato.]

Eat something. Please.

[biddentodance]

[He blinks. His stomach growls. He is hungry, it's just that....every time he tries...]

Haven't...been able to eat more than a bite or two....

[katzenpfote]

Fortunately for you, soup is more sipping than anything else.

[biddentodance]

....

[He...still feels so guilty... But he lifts the bowl. He'll try. He gets about two and a half mouthfuls, before guilt rises to choke him, leaving him coughing.]

[katzenpfote]

[He quickly helps Minato lower the bowl, putting an arm around him to steady him.]

I am here. I only want to help you to survive.

[biddentodance]

[It helps, and fortunately he stops coughing pretty quickly.]

I-I know. Thank you. [He's....still trying to get used to the idea of people actually actively wanting him to be alive, and not just because he's useful.]

...Ironic, that his name was Orpheus...

[katzenpfote]

... Is it? Why is that?

[biddentodance]

....Power I have, in my own world. Called Persona. Most don't have it at all, most of those who do only have one... Power to summon figures of legend, history, and folklore that resonate well with your personality. Mine's a bit different, but...

My first Persona was Orpheus. Master of Strings.

[katzenpfote]

... I see. Well... that must have made it harder for you...

[biddentodance]

Sorry...forgetting how much I explained to who.

Orpheus - the legend - was a master bard. Greatest in the world, learned to play lyre from Apollo himself - god of art and the sun. Bet-known story is when his lover Eurydice died, Orpheus went into Hades - land of the dead, ruled by a god of the same name - after her. Played his lyre so well he charmed Hades the god into allowing him to bring Eurydice back out, to live again, on the condition that until they were out of the underworld he couldn't look back at her. Almost made it out, but he was anxious and looked back to make sure she was following - but she hadn't made it out yet, so she was lost to the underworld forever.

Not...sure what that says about me. Futilely fighting against death, I guess.

[katzenpfote]

... I do not know. I think that is something most of us do...

[Carefully, he lifts the soup bowl again.]

This one is... half family recipe, half of Cadeuceus' recipe. I was not sure if there was anyone opposed to eating meat, so I used some heartier mushrooms. He doesn't eat meat... I suppose it might be a Wildmother thing. Or perhaps a firbolg thing...

[biddentodance]

Usually less literally, but...guess you're right.

...Eat just about anything. [Yes, Minato, probably everyone has noticed. Odd Morsels. Why.] Wildmother....firbolg?

[1/2]

[strangerpeople]

[The first thing he will feel is pain.

The second thing he will feel is agony.

The third is-]

[2/2]

[strangerpeople]

[Sorrow.

It is not your sorrow, but it courses through you so strongly, for the moment you think it is. It is a sorrow of a lost planet. A beautiful planet, of blue waters and lush green. A city of skyscrapers with gleaming steel piercing the sky. It is so like Earth it is uncanny. Almost like it could, indeed, be Earth.

A man with kind eyes, holding you, promising that everything will be all right.

Your hands intertwine.

"I love you. No matter what happens."

It is all gone. All those moments, all of those wonderful things that had made you so happy.

The sky turned red. The countless lights descended. The lights were concepts born, and they howled in a language you did not yet know. The other Earth loomed. Your Earth cried.

If only you could have done something, beforehand. If only you had been warned.

If only you had been strong enough.

If only all could at last, after all manner of thing, be well-]

[biddentodance]

[I guess we're just going to lie on the floor reeling for a bit then!]

[eternaldivide]

[ ...... as awkward as thing probably are between them he probably shouldn't leave him like that especially since that ... doesn't look good.

That and if anyone comes by they'll probably think all that wine is blood and Mithos does not want anyone to think the same thing he did last week. Not after what... happened last week.

So he'll go over and kneel down and .... hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. ]

Hey... Minato?

[biddentodance]

[There's a longer-than-comfortable moment when he doesn't respond. He does seem to be alive, the whole time, at least.

But then he does, with a quiet groan and shifting to get his hand off that needle.]

...Might...need to...

[eternaldivide]

[ that ... is worrying and a bit uncomfortable. But Mithos waits quietly until Minato eventually gives him some sort of movement. ]

Don't push yourself ... You don't look well.

[ something happened but Mithos will wait until Minato looks like he can even speak in full sentences before asking. ]

[biddentodance]

[Another several seconds or so, then, to re-orient himself. Okay.]

...Should probably rename that cat. Call him Disaster.

[We are okay enough to make jokes! That said, he will carefully pick that needle up by the non-pointy end, examining it carefully.]

[eternaldivide]

[ Oh good, jokes! That's always a good sign! ]

... Disaster is a good name if your cat caused all this.

[ Though he glances at the needle as Minato examines it ]

Did you injure yourself on that needle?

[ Does he need to go and get Nurse Ris ]

[biddentodance]

Tripped on him, yeah. Likes to scratch, too.

[He'll show his hand - the palm is bleeding a little, nothing that would need more than cleaning and a bandaid.] Nothing serious, just a scratch, but...something happened.

[eternaldivide]

Sounds like... quite the rowdy cat you received.

[ Minato of all cats .... but good that his hand doesn't look that bad. Definitely a simply cleaning and a band-aid. However-- ]

What happened?

[biddentodance]

Not sure if he hates me or likes me.

[Yarnball was always an angel around Eliza, but apparently we just cannot have nice things.]

Not sure if it was a hallucination, or a vision. [One of those is much worse than the other.] Definitely...sad, though. And maybe relevant.

[eternaldivide]

Mm. Hard to say. I'd like to believe he likes you if he didn't just leave you.

[ Even if it's... just because Minato feeds it or something. ]

Relevant? What was it about... if you don't mind my asking.

[ Sounds like it... might be important. Ignoring the fact that Minato doesn't know which one it was (and yes one of those is ... definitely worse than the other). ]