WEEK 4

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 4


[It is late in the afternoon when the Titled finally wake up from their long, vivid sleep. What day is it? Maybe it doesn't matter.

They weren't awake when it happened, but the final set of doors have opened. The Intercessor hasn't emerged from their room. There is no sign of the grumpy old man. And, the Titled may notice that nothing has been cleaned up - including the remains of those who prompted the Investigation - since they went into the Debate Hall. No new food has been supplied in the Kitchen, either.

The only replenishing food supply is in the Conservatex - who knows when those'll get ripped out from the ground out of spite, though. Their captors certainly showed themselves to not be above petty revenge, unfortunately.

So many questions now swirl. Is the old man hiding? Is the Intercessor ok? What the hell happened with the dragon? What about that other group which the Titled have come to realize exist? What did their captors have planned? And...really, what the hell else is going to happen now?

Whatever it is, it's not going to be good.

So get ready, Titled.

There are nine (but perhaps only eight?...) strangers in this place.]

Comments

MONDAY

[strangerpeople]

Animunculi

[socialhacktivist]

[Everything that's happened left Futaba in something of a daze. She can't believe she's still alive. She's not even sure if she's really glad that she is other than the fact that Yusuke-- he would have wanted her to keep fighting.

That's why she continues to explore when the doors open.

But something here gives her life. There's a spark in her eyes when she sees the strange steampunk robot. She immediately rushes over to look at it; checking for any signs that the thing works or a source of electricity that might power it.

...that lever sure looks tempting.]

I wonder if it will work if I flip that switch...

[...stop her maybe???]

[defriendestration]

[AND IN COMES.....someone who won't be stopping her....]

W-WOWIE! A LEVER...IT MUST BE PART OF A PUZZLE....! I FEEL BETTER ABOUT TODAY ALREADY!!

Conservatex

[lightnen]

[ The past couple days have just been a blur of events but only the more recent ones stuck out; from the incredibly intense fight against the dragon, the deaths of two more of their own and the inevitable stepping in of their captors. Too many things had been on his mind to start with, but then there'd been the appearance of another unusually vivid dream.

As it stood, the last two memories had been nice - albeit confusing - but this one stood out all on it's own. He was face to face with his brother, the words he spoke driving the utterly icy chill of fear down his spine. It was like he was there in person experiencing every second.

'Remember the lesson I drilled into you? Never go against a superior opponent.'

Fear clutched at his very soul. He couldn't move. He wanted to run, even if this was just a memory. Was this because of what happened with their captors? It wasn't until near the end of the 'dream' that a particular set of words clung to him rather vividly. 'You are simply not qualified to make friends. Not that you need any. You'll keep doing as you've always done. The job dad and I trained you to do.' and that was the last thing that ran through his mind before bolting upright, body trembling and shaking.

He wanted to get away from this feeling so he got up and headed to the Conservatex, blinking when he saw there was still Harley's body there and only briefly moved her to one corner before coming back and just sitting there against the base of the tree, hugging his knees to his chest and bowing his head against them.

For now he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. ]

[socialhacktivist]

[Her own memory hadn't been great. The team she cared about so much was being targeted by someone who was willing and able to rip them apart at the seams. But he played the part of an ally, walked among them... helped them. She'd wanted to clear her head a little too. She didn't want to let these thoughts ruin the bonds she had with the remaining survivors. They needed each other now more than ever. Still... it's impossible not to think about it a little. Even someone like Yusuke had been able to become a murderer because of this stupid game. That's why she can't feel entirely well about all this.

But when her walk takes her here and she sees Killua-- Harley too, though she looks away with a pained look quickly-- and sees the look on his face, she quickly joins him by the tree. This reminds her of the time she cleared things up with Rubedo. This seemed to be a place that people in pain were drawn to. She has this feeling that Killua is no different.

So she sits right next to him, leaning against him and offering a comforting warmth.]

[carries_war]

[After everything, the Conservatex has became even more of a comfort - despite the deaths there. But what draws Rubedo there today is the lack of food in the kitchen. But this...this is familiar sight. Only last week, he'd been on the other side if it.

If Killua is looking, he might notice something odd about the approaching redhead. His movements have lost the cautious stiffness of someone who judges his every step, and somehow he wears his jacket and jewelry more comfortably. Most obviously, his mouth is set into a clear, worried frown as he sits down next to his friend.]

Hey...you alright?

[Even his tone seems softer, more casual than anyone here would have heard it before.]

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor is here too, face wan and pale and drawn

(They made him human, but he is still Eldar, and the light of his being flickers unsteadily, his flesh sometimes almost translucent in the right light)

But Killua...

He walks to Harley's body and gently closes her eyes, picks her up as if she were only sleeping and takes her aside a little. He'll have to bury her later, he supposes. And then he comes and sits next to Killua. ]

[defriendestration]

[Sometime in the day, Papyrus actually comes in, seeing Killua sitting. Oh. He...he needs some cheering up, right?]

HEY! ARE YOU OK??

Some Time Before Robot Fun

[defriendestration]

[Papyrus finds the ashes when he wakes up, upon going back to the Workshop.

It's sad. What happened to...to everyone. The fact it kept happening. It made him feel like his HP was dropping at everything happening around him. It's hard, but...

...even though he didn't know the girl, maybe he could still do something for her.

So, soon enough, Papyrus has the pile of ashes in his hands, small specks of white dust trailing off of spots where his arms were being burnt by the ashes, as he marches from the Workshop to Barrack Room 1.

Yeah, it hurt. But someone had to do it, right?

And...being a monster who knew what to do with ashes and dust, he's just the skeleton to do it.]

[zephyranthe]

[Fie herself appears to be coming back to the Barracks with some flowers she cut from the Conservatex. There had been a lot of deaths in the past week, and while she didn't know Babette well, she still figured she should get a flower too, for everything.

She'll run into Papyrus as she makes her own rounds, with the ashes and the dust catching her attention.]

What're you doing?

[bythewaves]

Conservatrex

[ Maglor wakes retching, and he flees to the Waterfall as soon as he's awake, curling weeping beside it and trying to drown the memory in the sound of water.

My Master bids me tell you that he will return to you your brother, alive, and ... mostly unspoiled, if you but lay down your arms and stand aside

The voice is still so clear, the moment of breathless silence before the storm erupts, his brothers raging, furious, the weight of the crown heavy on his head, the knowledge that tangles in his soul, the brother-bond stretched thin but still intact as he stares at the hunk of hair, as red as fire, still with blood at the roots, and the tip of his brother's ear. The aching, soul-deep knowledge that brings his voice ringing into the crowd, all the power of his birthright brought to bear to silence the opposition.

My brother is dead.

He silences the uproar.

My brother is dead! Your master speaks lies and and we will never yield. Go back and tell him that we will see ourselves avenged threefold now, for grandfather, father and brother.

But Maedhros had been alive. They had all known it. The bond between brothers had held, and held, and held, and Maglor had woken every night knowing his brother was hurting and been unable to do anything, had spent his days fighting to keep his younger brothers safe and not riding out to save their eldest.

And now he curls and weeps, for he cannot do anything here, either.

To evil ends will all things turn his brothers' ghosts whisper. You knew it would end this way. It always does.

Eventually he'll move. He has to bury Harley. Maybe plant a flowerbed on her grave. ]

Workshop

[ He stumbles back here eventually, to busy his hands with weaponry so he does not have to think. He sings, the aching, terrible tale of the Noldolante, the fall of his people to glory and death and madness, as he works.

Hopefully no one who comes in while he's doing it minds tales of kinslaying. ]

MEETING TIME (and checking on Cessy)

[carries_war]

[Study]

[Rubedo is one of the last to wake up, thanks to just how long his dream was, coupled with a week of barely sleeping at all. But when he does leave his room, his first priority is checking on the Intercessor. Even before visiting the kitchen, he darts to the study and knocks loudly on the door.]

Hey, you in there?!

[...That's not how he usually talks, is it? Even the tone has more emotion than usual. But maybe it's just because he's that distraught.]

[Everywhere and then cafeteria]

[No matter where people are, unless it's locked up in their rooms (and even then, they'll get him knocking), everyone will end up with Rubedo walking up to them. Something seems a bit off about the way he carries himself, though...or maybe it's just the way he's been changing over the past week taken to its logical extreme. His expression is still serious, but there's no denying that it's a genuine expression, and his movements seem more natural and less carefully controlled. He looks the same, but somehow he seems both older and younger at the same time.]

Hey, meet up in the cafeteria. We've gotta talk about what he hell we're gonna do from here, and I've got something I wanna tell everyone that I don't wanna explain twice.

[That sure doesn't sound like Rubedo, does it? But he walks off before anyone can ask him about it, and ignores anyone who might call after him.

Once he's talked to everyone, he makes his own way to the cafeteria and hauls himself up to sit on one of the tables, one foot pulled up and arm resting on his knee as he leans forward.]

Alright, listen up. Everyone's probably already noticed, but they've stopped giving us food. Killing their pet got them good and pissed, so they're probably trying to starve us out. I still dunno why they didn't just kill us all while we were in that debate hall, considering they didn't have any problems with running McBurn through, but I can't say I give a damn why they do anything unless we can use it against them.

It looks like there's still food in the Conservatix, but who knows how long it'll be before they wreck that, too. We should harvest as much as we can now and preserve it in whatever ways we have available. It won't last forever, but I don't think any of us are planning on sticking around here any longer than we've gotta. We should also make sure everyone's armed, just in case this turns into another fight. If anyone here doesn't know how to use a weapon, I'll teach you at least enough to be more likely to hurt your enemy than yourself. I don't know if they'll still be trying to give us incentive to kill each other, but I hope at this point we're all on board with the idea of telling them to take their offers or threats and shove 'em up their asses. They caught us off guard the last two times, but like hell we're gonna let them win just 'cause fighting back only got us a Pyrrhic victory down there. For Laslow, Yusuke, Ai, and even Harley and McBurn, it'll be their blood painting the floors next time.

And...one more thing, before everyone jumps in to say their piece. I'm sure you've noticed I'm a lot different from the last time you saw me. That's because of the memories I got back last night. Some of you... [Looking at you, Eric.] might find this a bit hard to believe, but I remembered fourteen years I'd lost. My unique power as a Variant URTV activated after what I remembered last week and froze my body's ageing process. My mind, though...I've changed a lot, in those fourteen years. The kid you knew...I won't say he's completely gone, but I'm not the same person anymore. I've even got a new name...I go by Gaignun Kukai Jr. these days. I'd prefer if you called me Jr. from now on, but I won't get pissed at you if you forget

[His expression softens into a warm smile.]

Most of you are my friends, and you've given me some good memories of the name Rubedo. I wanna thank you for that, all of you.

Armory

[kiddefender]

[From the moment she wakes up she's in the armory testing swords again. It's not organized like before though, but it is more practiced. A slash across.

War? This is not a battlefield. If it were, there would be proud warriors, proud demi-humans.

Then jab.

But I only know of women and children...

Then she lunges forward, clean off the ground, and a few foot across the room.

Of people weaker than you.

She turns and-there she is! Raphtalia tilts her head looking at her double. Then brings a gloved hand to her face...She was crying? Her double was crying. But she moved her hand and the duplicate was gone.

...What just happened?]

TUESDAY

[strangerpeople]

MOTIVE: And The Wheel Turns

[strangerpeople]

[There is no announcement from the Intercessor.

All the Titled feel that tell tale chill, leading back to their barrack rooms. All that they find are two notes.

One is an updated list of rules.

The other is...something else.]

[carries_war]

[Conservatex]

[After spending a while cursing at an unseen force, Jr. heads to the Conservatex with clear purpose. There he spends a while gathering plants, but not for eating. Anyone paying close attention will notice he's collecting wheat and Mountain Flower...two ingredients mentioned in the alchemy book.]

[Laboratory]

[If anyone stops by the laboratory after Jr. is done collecting materials, they'll find him hard at work making...quite a lot of potions. More than he can carry, and more than he hopes he needs. Between the look of the potions and the ingredients he's using, certain people might be able to tell he's cooking up a stock of health restoratives.

He's also cooking up quite a bit of goop, while he's at it. Out of curiosity, he decides to see what happens if he mixes something in with the goop. The result is an even grosser, goopier goop. Encouraged by this, he mixes that in with something, for even grosser goop. This continues until he has in front of him a bucket full of the absolute grossest goop one could imagine. For some reason, he seems to think this is funny.]

Damn that's gross. This is gonna be great.

WEDNESDAY

[strangerpeople]

Kitchen

[zephyranthe]

[Eeeeey looks like Fie's in the kitchen again, albeit with a lot less alcohol being involved. There's actually a mess of plants, most of which seem to be inedible to begin with, and she appears to be drying the material as best she can by keeping it near the fire pit.

Later on, it looks like she's trying to grind the stuff up to be as fine as possible. Help her? Question her? It's all good.

(Maglor might have a pretty good idea of what's going on, though.)]

let's do a ton of shit to keep distracted + investigations

[poorlovefool]

Lettered Doors

[The giant robot and the wall are the most distracting thing on the new floor so it took him a while to even notice these were here.]

Think anyone left behind a snack stash, Gab? [Let's find out! He's poking his head in there to search the rooms more thoroughly to loot their stuff. Dog is old and tired so he puts him on the bed to start before glancing around.]

Workshop

[He doesn't go in, but... as this room comes into view, he stops, spins on his heel so he doesn't have to look at it. Once he's rounded a corner so it's out of view, he presses his back to the wall and slides into a seated position, hugging himself tight.

Is. Is he crying.]

Conservatex

[Okay, obviously the hunger is getting to him, so he's here after that in an attempt to lift his spirits, munching grapes and eyeing the moths suspiciously.]

Clothier

[Now to take out frustration on some hapless garments! Sewing an entire outfit requires more focus than his still-hungry body can muster, but these medieval clothes are right here. He pulls one out that catches his interest, and sits down to modify it. Maybe he can make this look more modern somehow.]

Workshop - investigation

[kiddefender]

[If they're going to be spending more time here. Raphtalia is going to learn something useful. So she's sitting in the workshop reading a book on forging.

Occasionally she puts some materials together in a pile. Then nearly starts something before running back to the book and reading some more. There might be a learning curve, but she was going to be prepared.

Are the ingots still being replaced?]

[carries_war]

[Barracks]

[When people first leave their rooms this morning, they'll find five identical potions sitting on top of a letter. The handwriting is a bit messier than they'll remember, but still reminiscent of Rubedo's handwriting:

'After what happened in the debate hall, I thought it might not be a bad idea for everyone to keep healing potions on hand, especially if we're going to be planning an escape. There's more in the laboratory, but hopefully we won't need them.

-Jr.'

Alexia's are sitting right outside the door to their loft. Eric will also find that opening his door pulls a string that upends a bucket of goop exponentially grosser than what McBurn threw at him...albeit still nonstick and harmless.]

[Hallway]

[During the morning, people will be able to see Jr. at Yusuke's mural, paintbrush in hand. His strokes are slow and careful, and even so he can't come close to matching Yusuke's skill, but eventually he manages to make a reasonable reproduction of a hyssop among the other flowers, with brown, dead looking leaves contrasting the vibrant petals. The petals themselves are a deep, midnight blue edged with red, almost like they're traced with blood. He won't pay much attention to anyone passing during this process, but he won't ignore them if someone tries to approach him. A keen eye may also notice that the dagger he gave to Babette has been replaced by a distinctive knife]

[Kitchen]

[Since Diet Darth Maul was nice enough to give him a tea set, Jr.'s decided to go ahead and make himself up some tea. Unfortunately, he couldn't find much in the way of caffeinated leaves, but what he has put together does smell good, so long as one likes mint. He's parked himself at a table with a cup in hand, but there's several others sitting out for anyone who happens by.

Under the table, Sisi is gnawing contentedly on a bone...one of several sitting in a box next to Jr.]

[socialhacktivist]

Daytime

[Learning how to fight, waiting to see what is going to happen next and trying to keep her courage up... there's one place she's drawn to.

It's still there... Yusuke's mural. At first she'd both loved and hated it. Seeing it brought conflicting emotions. But the longer she's been here without him, the more important that small piece of him became. Today she sits by it for a long time; staring at the vibrant colors, all so different and yet somehow still coming together in a very beautiful, compelling way. Her fingers trace coppery, golden flowers with neon green stems and leaves. Those... those are hers. She can tell, somehow, even though he never told her that much.

From there her fingers find their way to the white, pale blue, and indigo foxglove. She still feels the sting of tears welling up. But she closes them and pushes them down.]

I don't have any way to take a picture... or take you with me... but the feeling I'm getting right now-- I won't ever forget that.

Evening

[Later she can be found in the Workshop, putting together a basic quiver to hold arrows with wood from the Conservetex and metals. It's not pretty but it looks like she's managing for the most part.

...she could probably use a little more strength though, honestly.]

THURSDAY

[strangerpeople]

Conservatex

[socialhacktivist]

[Futaba looks ready for a fight. Literally. But it's not just the change into her Phantom Thief gear-- she's also got a makeshift quiver full of bolts and a pretty sweet looking crossbow that she's eagerly training with. No matter what happens at this point... she's not going to let herself get caught unaware.

The target she's made goes on the trunk of a tree. This isn't her first day at it. Although she's still a little shaky at times, her patience results in good aim. But that's why she's working on trying to get her speed up and lessen her reaction time.

She'd be happy to share what she's learned so far or work with another person looking to train. Although honestly a break might not be terrible either.]

Strange Wall investigation

[bythewaves]

[ It has taken him all of the week to pull himself out of his grief - but Maedhros would have wanted him to keep going, for the young ones, if nothing else. So he's trying.

Once, a long time ago, his father invented a whole alphabet, to better capture the words that spun in his mind. Even today, Maglor suspects, they still hold the exams to join the Lambengolmor the same way that Feanor began. He himself once stood before them, reciting passages and arguing meaning and comprehension.

(They are the Eldar, the People of the Stars. But they are the Quendi too - the Speakers, the first to invent language, the first to argue over words, for the very joy of their sound)

He runs his hands over the letters and frowns thoughtfully, looking for anything obvious that might stand out. ]