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!!

[socialhacktivist]

[...you know what. It's a perfect fit.]

Then I guess this is the perfect job for us. Think it'll turn this stuff on?

[Someone's eager to tinker-- this may be the only area where she'll actually be useful after all. That's... something she thought about after everyone had to fight that dragon. She doesn't have any skills in a fight. Even if she had her persona, all she can do is offer support. That's why she hopes that maybe if she can check this thing out, she might be able to offer something of use to the others...]

Wanna give it a try?

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.]

[lightnen]

[ Initially it seemed like he didn't even notice Futaba come in at all, though when she leant against him like that, he cast blue eyes over to her quietly. Mixed in with something painful, his gaze was almost empty; though he was trying to fight against it and it hurt.

Just like his chest did. ]

...Don't... You... shouldn't be near me right now...

[ Killua's afraid. Instincts ingrained into him want him to act after that memory and he doesn't feel very approachable at all. ]

[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.]

[lightnen]

[ In the back of his mind he can't help but take note of the difference in how Rubedo walked, along with the rather expressive look of worry etched into his face. Something was definitely changed about the redhead but with Killua's current state of mind, it wasn't exactly the first thing he was thinking about. ]

...I... It's not wrong for someone like me to have friends... right?

[ Please tell him his brother's word were wrong. He couldn't shake the chill that still clung to his heart, his hands gripping tightly at his knees. ]

[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. ]

[lightnen]

...Do I seem... like I should be allowed to have friends...? Even with what kind of family I came from?

[ Normally he didn't have doubts but that memory he'd regained had shaken him down to his very core, fear and unease gripping his heart like an ice-cold vice. ]

[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.

MEETING

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor looks pale and wan (a light flickers under his skin, in the right light), but he smiles all the same ]

Junior, hm? You have grown very well. I can teach as well, if folk wish it. And I would suggest we consider killing some of the beasts and salting or smoking the meat.

Meeting

[zephyranthe]

[I mean, let's be real: Fie probably pointed out how different he was acting if he knocked on her door to keep her from sleeping in. Either way, she's not particularly perturbed by the change and if he's willing to take charge here, she's willing to go along with it.]

We should keep an eye on the chickens and the cow, too. If we protect 'em, we'll at least be able to get eggs and milk.

[Assuming they don't literally raze the place to the ground but you know.]

I'll also go collect all the flour Papyrus made.

[ALTHOUGH SHE HAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REASONS FOR WANTING THAT STUFF tbh]

Study

[intercessing]

[For a few moments, there is no response.

However, there is movement as, slowly, the sliding door to the Loft opens. Two blearily glowing eyes look over to where Rubedo is.]

...I am.

[They sound weak.]

Meeting

[socialhacktivist]

[As soon as she can, she follows to the cafeteria; a slightly baffled look on her face. After all this time, to hear a change like that in the way that he speaks like that. It's a little jarring at first. But then... fourteen years is a long time. It's so much more than she'd forgotten. She... would have been very different if she'd forgotten her memories of the Phantom Thieves so she can relate.]

...Jr. huh... That works for me.

[As for the plans for things here on... it's smart. She's ready to do all she can to help. But there is one thing...]

I can't say I'm really going to be much help on the fighting front. Although the Phantom Thieves fight-- my job is actually to give support. So I've never used any kind of weapon before. But I'll try to learn if you think it can help.

[poorlovefool]

Yeah? Good for you. [It's obviously ridiculous that a child that still looks like a child could actually have regained enough memories to be older than Eric now, but he seems like a totally different (still annoying) person, so... fine, lah-dee-dah, Eric will just be here with his own horrible memory regain and, somewhat better, a soft fluffy and very old dog that he's got in his lap and is absently petting.

He is probably one of the people who could benefit from weapons training, but hell if he'll admit that.]

Meeting

[kiddefender]

Oh...You're the opposite of me then.

[But that doesn't really matter right now.]

What are we going to do with the food we get? They could just sneak into our rooms and mess with it there. Unless we guard it...I have a sword from here. It's not the best but it'll do if needed.

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?]

[lightnen]

[ Guess who'd been kinda watching her for a bit? This guy.

Killua had come to essentially do what the older girl was doing, but raised an eyebrow when she stopped and seemed to be looking at something that he really couldn't see. ]

...Hey. You gonna be alright?

Armory

[bythewaves]

What is it, pitya?