WEEK 3

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 3

[It has begun. With the death of the Spinner and the execution of the Indulgent, they remaining Titled will be plagued once more by vivid dreams. And just as last week, they are awoken by the sounds of doors creaking open.

Just like last week. But no one had died last week. Right? No one had been subjected to that...thing.

And yet the strange, cold feeling of foreboding remains. And it is certainly most worrisome to those living in rooms 3, 4, 6, and 15. Those who pass by room 7 and 8 will feel that same, worrisome feeling of foreboding as well.

What will they wake up to find? Who knows, now. If dragons are real, anything is possible.

There are thirteen strangers in this place.]

Comments

SUNDAY

[strangerpeople]

[The Intercessor is back in the Conservatex.

Their demeanor is thoughtful, but worried.]

MONDAY

[strangerpeople]

TUESDAY

[strangerpeople]

WEDNESDAY

[strangerpeople]

Time slows.

THURSDAY

[strangerpeople]

They are uniquely attuned to the flow of time.

CW: child soldiers, child death, survivor's guilt/suicide ideation, messed up stuff

[carries_war]

[Barracks...?]

[His dream doesn't quite pick up where his memory left off, but it's close. He can tell there's a time gap. Gaignun the cat is gone...and they're going for U-DO. It seemed so simple at first, just do what they'd been training for and they'd come home proud.

They were naive. They'd been told U-DO and their powers were waves, but they were really more like particles. Matter and antimatter. Yuriev had known that, and he'd sent them out to die, along with the entire rest of the planet. Maybe they should have. It would've been kinder...kinder than what had happened to the Standards, to Albedo. Why had he been the one to escape unharmed? He was the leader. He was the one who'd broke the link. If anyone should have suffered the full brunt of the consequences, it should have been him.

Fortunately for those in the rooms next to his, the stone walls block most sound. They don't have to hear the shouting, swearing and throwing of objects that comes after he wakes up, or the choked sobs that follow. They might, however, notice that he's a bit later than usual in leaving his room in search of food...]

[Kitchen]

[Even when he finally does head for the kitchen, he doesn't seem focused on food. Instead he's drawn his daggers and is viciously going to town on the biggest carcass he can reach, huffing angry swears through the exertion. He doesn't even seem to care that he's getting blood all over himself.]

That bastard...who the hell does he think he is...just because he made us...we're not his damn pawns!

[Conservatex]

[Once he's calmed down from his violent rage, Rubedo ends up at he place that's made him feel most comfortable. He notices the Intercessor, but doesn't greet them like usual. Instead, he finds himself sitting at the base of the large tree, legs pulled up against his chest and face buried in his knees. He's silent, but it's evident he's seen better days. Maybe a bit too evident, since his clothes are still heavily stained with blood from the poor animal carcass he vented his anger on earlier.]

[kiddefender]

Barracks
[Her fur was on end again.

The dream wasn't all surprising, probably because it had happened. Like the fight and her seal being removed. It was almost uncanny, the timing. The smell of rotting flesh from the creature so much larger than her. No wonder people were getting ill from it being here. It's why they'd been sent to destroy the thing.

None of them expected the dragon that had been left dead and rotting from weeks to attack. It didn't have scales to protect it anymore, but nothing seemed to hurt it.

Then she saw a few feathers fall. And the scaled legs poking out from the dragons fangs.

When she wakes, her ears are still flat, and she buries into the hay covering the stone. Anything there?]

Conservatex

[lightnen]

[ Considering the regular intervals that he came here, it shouldn't be surprised to find his friend in such a place like this. He had a lot on his mind after the odd dream he had; it was like last week but this time was different because it involved his dad being supportive of him having a friend and they talked about all this apparent 'time' he'd spent during the Hunter Exam.

Stuff he didn't remember at ALL, but the way he'd spoken with his dad had been so... happy and he was laughing as he told him those things. It left a strange pang in his heart that he couldn't describe, trying to get his mind off of that when he came into the Conservatex, blinking a bit when he approached and spotted the shock of red smattering Rubedo's clothes once he got close enough.

Blood. Huh. It didn't deter him any, hands in his pockets and head canted to the side rather curiously. ]

...Hey. Did you remember something really bad this time?

[ To which he easily just plops down next to him without hesitation. ]

I'll listen if you wanna tell me about it.

[carries_war]

[He stays still and silent right up until Killua sits next to him. When he lifts his head, just barely enough to look at his new companion, his eyes are red. Even his voice sounds a little rough from shouting and crying.]

That bastard...he knew...he knew what would happen. And now I've lost Albedo...I was too scared to save him...no wonder I couldn't save Yusuke, I'm too much of a damn coward to...to even save my own other half...

[strangerpeople]

[ She'll feel the corner of an object flexing as it pokes into her shoulder. Perhaps she should dig further and try to bring it out? ]

[kiddefender]

[What the hell?

Is there actually something sticking in her shoulder or??? She's going to touch it? ]

investigation... and shit

[zephyranthe]

Barracks

[That dream... well, it wasn't bad, that's for sure. It only really confirmed what McBurn told her earlier last week, and as crappy as yesterday was because of the trial and execution, she can't help but feel a sense of relief at what she remembered.

He'd found them again.

Fie's ready to get breakfast when she gets an ominous feeling that threatens to engulf her upon exiting her room. #7... was one of the locked rooms, right? Is it still locked?]

Library

[It's probably odd enough to see Fie anywhere near the library let alone sticking her head in some books. As a matter of fact, she actually has a large number of tomes stacked near her and if one was curious enough they would notice that they're all about botany.

Of course, there's probably something else that may distract from reading the book titles - namely, that Fie is very shamelessly putting blade to page and crudely cutting out some pictures. How many has she gone through already, anyways?]

[strangerpeople]

[ No, it's only touching her and gently at that. It feels like a bunch of paper with a spine. ]

[kiddefender]

[What is it a book? She's going to try and pull it in front of her if she can.]

[lightnen]

[ Barracks ]

[ This time, the dream took a completely different direction, and nowhere are the people who had come to 'save' him. His dad is with him and he's in a dark room, speaking with him of a time he doesn't remember? The hunter exam?! He'd been there to take it but hadn't gotten the chance to do so, but the words from his own mouth spoke of these amusing times where he watched this boy 'Gon' and traveled with him and those other two people.

It... sounded fun. Like he was friends with them. Honestly friends with them... and it made sense to why they'd come to see him then if that was the case.

Why these people would come to see him... and one thing stood out among the dream that he couldn't displace. 'Do you want to see your friends?' and a promise to not ever betray them. They were very significant words, only spoken as he made this promise to his dad, but beyond that was when he suddenly woke with his senses on edge and a cold sense of dread and foreboding that clutched at his heart.

Sitting up upright sharply in his bed, he's quick to take a look around his room, to see if anything is at all amiss or what was causing this feeling. ]


[ Conservatex ]

[ With everything that'd happened with him already so far, and the added dream had left a lot on his mind and he was feeling all worked up. So this meant taking a dagger into the conservatex, initially sitting against the base of the tree and tossing a dagger up into the air and catching it with ease for a few moments before abruptly digging it into the ground with a mildly frustrated groan. ]

Ugh... so bored...

[ Then there's the whole issue of just feeling really gross and it just bothers him because usually he can fix it but can't. So at one point, he just walks over to the little waterfall and sticks his head under the water without any hesitation.

Even bringing his hands up and meticulously running them through his hair. So he's not liable to hear it if anyone comes up behind him right now. ]

[strangerpeople]

[ She may notice that something is on the floor of her own room while departing. However, the aforementioned Door #7 is definitely unlocked. ]

[zephyranthe]

[Huh. Well okay sure. Let's take a look at what this dubious item is. Incidentally, where exactly is it in her room, right in the middle or near the walls or something?]

Cw: mentions of witnessed suicide also burn injuries

[bythewaves]

Barracks

He dreams of Lothlann, of the breaking of the Seige (it is an old dream). He dreams of screams and dragonfire and Glaurung laughing. He dreams of air so hot that breathing hurts, that his armor is burning against his skin. His horse throws him, his faithful grey mare who has borne him for so long, unable to stand in the face of this terror. He dreams of his people dying.

Nelyo, Nelyo, forgive me, we could not hold the Gap!

The flames are so hot, so hot, but no, they are cold, merciless and pure. He holds Light in his hands and it is so beautiful it is everything they fought for, sacrificed for and it burns.

Nelyo it burns, brother what are we to do?

In that cold light Maedhros is beautiful, but his eyes are so, so empty, and there is nothing in them but fire.

No. Nelyo no, please!

Maedhros looks at him, but he doesn't seem to see him, looking down at the flame that is consuming him, that he cannot release, and then he turns and begins to walk.

Nelyo, please! Where are you going? Don't leave me!

Maedhros walks and Maglor follows, but it burns, it burns, and there is fire ahead of them, a crack in the earth, and Maedhros turns and when he smiles at him it is Maitimo, young and free, and then he simply....steps back. And falls.

Goodbye

"NELYO!"

Maglor wakes reaching for the brother long gone, weeping.

Conservatrex

The minute he sees the Intercessor he makes a beeline for him, grey eyes flashing and face set. There is nothing of the gentle bard in him now.

"A dragon." He hisses, furiously cold. "Your masters would send these children against a dragon!"

[lightnen]

[ This was the first time he'd ever seen Rubedo seem so distraught, a look of mild shock crossing Killua's features once he saw the look on his friend's face and heard how rough around the edges his voice was. ]

To be fair... I don't think anyone could have saved Yusuke..

[ He shakes his head and sighs, a touch of something unreadable in his voice. ]

You said something about your other half... this Albedo? What happened?

[strangerpeople]

[ It's a journal! It's bound with a dark purple softcover which is scratched up from the hay. There are no other distinguishing marks. Care to look inside? ]

[carries_war]

Albedo is my twin brother, number 667. We were conjoined twins, and he trusted me to look after him. But on our final mission...we were sent to destroy U-DO, but I saw what was gonna happen...it would've destroyed all of Miltia. I was so scared, I just cut the link, and...Albedo, and all of the Standards...they got infected. Once a URTV's infected with U-DO, you have to save them quick or there's no coming back, and I was too much of a damn coward to do anything! I'm the leader, but I...I let all of them down...

[strangerpeople]

[ Near the walls. It seems to be a set of hair chopsticks. One has blue ornaments, and the other red. ]

[bythewaves]

Killua?

[ as ever, Maglor makes no sound when he walks, but he looks up at where he sits in the tree ]

I know that look. Too much energy, hm?

[zephyranthe]

[Fie's seen something like these before, even if she herself has never had a reason to use them. She'll pick those up, then. Is there anything else particular about the chopsticks, like any kind of pattern on them? And to be more specific, what exactly do the ornaments look like?]

[intercessing]

[They turn, their own glowing eyes looking at Maglor. Their response is quiet. Sad. Almost disbelieving.]

...I swear by the--I knew nothing of that creature's existence.

I would not have believed it yesterday, that dragons had still existed, had it not happened in front of my own eyes.