15strangers | WEEK 4

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.]

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[ Something about the unabashed way the red-head had said that was enough to coax a small smile out of him; even if it was a little shaky initially. He's trying to remember how to breathe and ignore that feeling that what followed that memory probably hadn't been anything good. ]

It was... my brother Illumi.

[ Exhaling a breath, Killua closed his eyes and tried his best to will the wavering tone out from his voice then. ]

Said I... wasn't qualified to make friends... that I don't need them.

Sounds like we've both got some shitty relatives. But I'll tell you something: we're pretty similar, and I've got a bunch of friends back home. Including ones that know what I am, and what I'm capable of.

And we've got each other too, remember? We said we'd help support each other.

[ A lot of friends, huh? A memory surfaced from one of the past weeks; reminding him of those three he'd seen in the one. They came to see him all the way at his home, and were all friends of his from what it'd sounded like, and maybe it meant that they too knew what he was capable of and still wanted to be his friend.

He didn't remember enough to be sure, but it sounded just like what the red-head was talking about. Even going as far as then reminding him of something he was VERY much aware of. ]

Y-Yeah. I promised i'd help you out because you're my friend. That hasn't changed.

[ A little bit of uncertainty remained but seemed to have lessened from what it had been before. ]

Wish you didn't have to see me like this. Kinda look pathetic now, don't i?

We've all got something that can get to us. It's not pathetic to be upset now and then, it's human. No, that's not right...even Realians get down sometimes. It's just part of being a person. Besides, I'd be a hell of a hypocrite if I looked down my nose at you for being a bit of a wreck after a bad memory, considering what happened last week.

...You're right. I really can't argue with that.

[ When he looks back up to the red-head, there's a bit more life to his blue eyes now. ]

If i'm honest... I think my brother did something when he spoke to me. Something didn't feel right, and it takes a fair bit to actually put such fear in me like that.

Hmm...I don't know about where you're from, but in my world, telepathic abilities aren't at all unheard of. URTVs have a lot of ability to interact directly with someone's consciousness, and...I'm telling you this in confidence, but my youngest brother has the power to influence people's thoughts through his voice. I wouldn't be surprised if a power similar to that could alter people's emotional states.

Whoah... really?

[ Then a pause in which he actually considers the possibility of what the other'd said just before now. ]

It'd make sense if it was definitely something like that, especially with how it felt as if what followed that memory was something bad. I didn't see it for myself but now that you mention it, i'm really pissed off because it'd make sense my stupid brother would pull that with me.

And your brother sounds a lot like my father. A manipulative piece of crap that doesn't give a shit about anyone else but is damn good at getting his way regardless.

Yeah. Most of my family's like that, though.

[ A sigh and he moves to withdraw his arms from around his legs so he can stretch them out before him on the grass. ]

My mom's totally psycho... she got so hysterical if I so much as stepped outside with her knowledge, and my other brother's this totally creepy fanboy and sits in his room all the time playing with his computer or "cute" figures he likes so much... I don't regret what I did to them before I ran away from home.

[He leans his head back against the tree, one leg up and the other stretched out.]

Man...at least I had Albedo and Nigredo. And not having a mother at all sounds better than that. Once we're out of here, remind me to help you kick their asses.

[ That comment was definitely enough to have him actually smiling again, a genuine bit of laughter escaping him easily. ]

I think you're the first person who I think has ever offered to help with something like that.

[ His mood seems to have brightened from before, thankfully. ]

I don't mind, though. It'd be really nice having your support in dealing with my crappy family.

Hey, we 'failed weapons' gotta stick together, right?

[He holds up his right hand, distinctly lacking a bandage, in a loose fist.]

And Nigredo already took care of our bastard father without me, so I've got an opening for shooting controlling pieces of shit in the face.

Yeah! Definitely.

[ That's when he picks up on the lack of a bandage, blinking a couple times and narrowing his eyes a touch. ]

I hadn't thought of shooting them but maybe it'd work better than what I did. Long as they get the damn point across that I don't wanna do what the hell they want me to, that'd be fine with me.

[ Raising a hand up to point at the hand missing the bandage now. ]

When did that heal up?

Nigredo shot him in the head before the Miltian Conflict.

[He lowers his hand and opens it, showing a faint scar...with his number tattooed over it.]

I was making a healing potion for Cessy earlier, and I wanted to make sure I got it right before I gave it to them.

[ Whoah. That was REALLY healed up rather well. Looked a lot better than the faint burn scar on his one hand that he'd gotten his first day here. ]

Huh. That sounds kinda like how I stabbed my mom in the face and my brother in the side before I ran away.

[ Spoken as casually as ever and without any regrets whatsoever. ]

Cessy...? You mean the Intercessor? [ That's not what's important here. ] So they're okay then? Because you made one of those potion-things...?

Yeah. They were in pretty bad shape when I found them in their bed, that blade was poisoned. But they had some antitoxins in their cabinet, and healing potions are easy to make. They're already back on their feet.

Oh, good! At least you were able to kinda help them out like that.

[ His stance on Intercessor's changed a lot since his arrival here, hoenstly. Rubedo's had a lot of influence where that's concerned; seeing how much he cares for him, though it wasn't all. Maybe it was also because they were stuck here like the rest of them as well. ]

Want a hand in keeping them safe? I mean it wouldn't hurt, seeing as our captors seem to dislike Cessy and all.

Sure. The more of us looking out for them, the better.

They remembered their name, too.

[ He nods in assent, though a look of complete surprise flashed across his face after. ]

Really? What is it?

Alexis. They're not sure if it's their original name or not, but it's the name they took as ruler of their city.

WEEK 4

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