The Fifteen Strangers Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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15strangers2023-06-09 04:05 pm
strangerpeople) wrote in 15strangers2023-06-09 04:05 pm
WEEK 1
[So, once Zero has said his peace, everything is quiet as the week dawns. A new Game. Nonary, Decision, Murder. All three. It doesn't matter. Everyone is here to kill or die. The coin has been tossed, the die is cast. The rules are set; the watches are active.
The question now is, why? Why is this happening? Why you? Surely no one is so desperate to kill on this ship, right? Not when the people onboard are so interesting and varied. Perhaps everyone can get along; perhaps there's a way off the ship without bloodshed. Of course, if there is, it might be be best to be prepared for a long stay-there's no doubt Zero won't make it that easy to escape. Then there's the matter that-apparently-people have new powers they did not possess before, while those the strangers once had are gone. Perhaps it's time to test those out and see what they can do
So, let's see what happens this week. Hopefully it will be a peaceful one.
There are currently 19 strangers on this ship.]
no subject
My, am I that transparent?
[ He exhaled a soft laugh alongside a wry smile, allowing himself to be chastised in this way. ]
You all would not bear as many injuries had me and Alastor not become carried away during the game. I was careless. [ One hand came up to brush against the cross on his rosary. ] I had thought it was fine, inflicting pain upon ourselves and noone else and that the blood loss would not be wrought upon you and the other two with every injury that we inflicted upon those dolls.
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[Still, he listens to the explanation, seeing the touch towards that holy object. For as much as Roland said he was not a priest to others, he certainly had internalized the morals of the Church - including the tendency to self-blame.
Moriarty sighs, shaking his head.]
I had...suspected something...like this. Still, there is - no need to blame yourself. It is....not truly by your hand that...I and the others suffer so.
[Because in his mind, It's zero who did this to them - thus, they need to stop blaming themselves for this, as the mastermind set this up under threat of greater pain.]
no subject
He listened quietly, exhaling a soft breath he hadn't even been aware of holding. This whole time he'd been operating on the logic that he'd harmed the doll so he was responsible for those injuries inflicted on those who'd held off from playing, but Moriarty made a solid point with what he'd said. ]
If... anything, I suppose the blame should be on Zero as they were the one to incite the game to begin with, correct?
[ A bitter laugh sounded from him and it was clear some kind of weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. ]
Going forwards... I will at least try to consult with everyone before doing anything when Zero deigns to try another one of these games.
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[After all, forgetting that and blaming each other would be an easy way to split up the group. Focusing more on their own guilt or perceived insults, instead of the actual mastermind of the whole situation.
He was an awful person, therefore, he knew how to do such a thing easily. But...well, Roland was...Good. And he didn't deserve to hold such guilt over his hand being forced and getting carried away.
So if what he said helped in that regard, then Moriarty's happy about it.]
Consulting...is all well and good, but...there may be situations where that is....impossible.
[Such as Zero just not giving them the time to talk among themselves.]
You have to follow your own...morals and understanding...of the consequences. In that regard....then whatever happens....you can look forward....with no regrets.
[Damn his inability to breathe, he can barely get out what he wants to - and the frustration is obvious on his face. But when he looks at Roland with those knowing, Steely Blue eyes of his...there's not a trace of anger or accusation in them for his current state.]
no subject
He could breathe properly again and just the shift of things had him already standing up a bit more confidently once more. ]
Understood. It would be too easy if we simply had the time to speak amongst ourselves and sort things out properly.
[ This man inherently understood him and enough of how he worked that it struck a chord in a way he couldn't truly explain. ]
As long as I truly stick to my morals and know what the consequences are, going forwards? You're absolutely right. [ Roland exhaled a soft breath and his eyes seemed to have that fiery, spirited light ignited within them once more. It helped that he'd met the older man's gaze and could tell without a doubt that he didn't even remotely fault him whatsoever for his current state. ] Next time there will be no regrets.
[ Now that's been said? One last thing needed to be addressed. ]
Is there anything at all I could perhaps get for you?
no subject
[That's all he says in turn to what Roland says, a smile on his face. Seeing that the young man in front of him let go of his doubts and guilt, and gained the resolve to look forward towards the future...that was more than enough for Moriarty.
(That was what made him so deadly, after all. That he had true understanding of others, of their motives and fears and hopes and regrets, and could twist them, encourage them to his own ends and buy their loyalty in the bargain. Even if he didn't currently remember such a thing, he knew intrinsically that this was something that was part of him, part of why he was a loathsome person in the end.)With that done, he takes a breath...before wincing.]
....This may be....a bit awkward to say....but I do need a bit of help with...changing my dressings.
[There are bandages in the room, of course, but it does smell overwhelmingly of blood, and the bandages on his upper body are already showing signs of being soaked through.]
I seem to...have gotten it worst...on my torso, though...if you wish not to, merely ask...Herbert instead for me.
[Since mostly he'd only ask a man to help with his wounds, and Hubert has mainly been the one overseeing them. Akane has been trying to help, god bless her, but his sensibilities refuse to let her see the extent of his injuries or his naked torso. Given Roland's career, he also assumes the man is used to seeing and patching up grievous injury at the very least.]
no subject
[ He thinks about it, then nods a bit to himself amidst his thoughts. Now that he's overcome what had been plaguing him, there's a lot more spirit to him once again. ]
I will just need to get something to help cleaning things up with, so I will be back in a moment. [ Off he goes, though in a very short time comes back with what appeared to be a towel, dampened by water. Infact he holds it in one hand while going to fetch the bandages before coming back to Moriarty's side once more. ] There. We should be good to go.
[ In his line of work, he most certainly had to be patched up enough and experienced having to change wound dressings to know what it typically entailed. While he was no expert, he could still help and that's what mattered. ]
no subject
[There's a very genuine note to it, as he's very happy to be cleaned after everything that's happened. Blood really does dry out the skin if you let it sit for too long, and he'd rather not have that on top of everything else.
When Roland comes back, he nods - and slowly, painfully, helps take off the bandages currently covering all of his wounds - including some Roland probably remembers inflicting, and quite of few of them seem fatal,, yet somehow not killing him.
As he leans forward, Roland might be able to see scars on his back, with patches of once-flayed skin looking vaguely butterfly-like around two jagged, puncture like scars on his spine.
...If Roland is familiar with the spine, he'll note those old wounds should have made Moriarty into a paraplegic.]
no subject
His gaze fell to the wounds as they were revealed, a couple of notable ones being ones he remembered making on the doll. No person should normally be able to survive having so many injuries and yet here Zero was capable of doing so, though he didn't even know how it was possible.
Then... he saw those.
While his own knowledge of the human body was limited as he was by no means a doctor or anything like that? The placement of such scars suggested that this man shouldn't be able to walk after having received such injuries. ]
I do not suppose you know anything about these scars on your back, do you?
[ Once the bandages were all off, Roland wasted no time to start gently cleaning up the blood the best he was able to. ]
no subject
[As Roland thought, Moriarty had no idea about his own injuries...though his wounds are cleaned (with only a little flinching on his part, as he knows the other man is doing his best) his mood seems to change a bit.]
...Ah. I suppose....those would be from...however I died.
[He says it so...casually. Like it was nothing to worry about.]
I had...been wondering...why the feeling of...being unable to catch...my breath was so...familiar. Now...I see.
[He doesn't, not entirely. Not yet. But he can make assumptions, especially if his death was a large part of his legend, much like other servants could bear the marks of what they suffered in both life and death.]
no subject
Your death... ah... I see. [ Roland chuckled softly and resumed what he was doing, still taking care to dab lightly where he could. ] A very notable reminder I still know very little about how your home world works in comparison to mine.
[ In the sense that when people died? They stayed dead and there were no such things as people coming back in any way or form whatsoever.
Thankfully it doesn't take too long to get the blood cleaned up but the poor towel is definitely not the color it used to be. It's good this place has laundry or the blood might not ever come out of this poor fabric. ]
Do those scars still pain you even now, Moriarty?
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[Sorry, mister towel. Your sacrifice is noted, and will not be in vain.
At the question, he chuckles - though it's more of a pained wheeze than actual laughter.]
I do...suffer from back pain quite...often. I had assumed...it was due to being old. But perhaps...I am merely suffering...from the sensation of...what should be my normal. Of a...broken back, and...all that comes with it.
[Again, he's just...casual. It's nothing to really comment on, in his mind - just a fact of life that he had to deal with.]
no subject
[ Very carefully he set aside the bloody towel where it wasn't going to stain anything and made to reach for the bandages.
That casual tone has begun to not seem normal to him and as such? Doesn't quite come as much of a surprise as it should, one hand unrolling the bandages carefully. Usually he'd have a LOT more spirit but this wasn't something he could go into too energetically or he could end up hurting Moriarty while taking care of him and he didn't want that at all. ]
That is entirely possible... and I am sorry you are left to experience such a thing as I imagine it truly isn't pleasant to deal with.
[ Just like that he's getting to work in beginning to re-bandage the older man as carefully as he can but it's definitely clear he knows what he's doing. ]