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]

TUESDAY

[strangerpeople]

WEDNESDAY

[strangerpeople]

THURSDAY

[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?

[defriendestration]

NYEH-HEH-HEH! OF COURSE!

[LET'S DO THIS]

[socialhacktivist]

Alright. Together on the count of three--

[Because it seems like the most fun way to go about this.]

One, two-- three!

[Let's pull it and see what happens!]

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. ]

[strangerpeople]

[At first, nothing seems to happen.

Then, steam comes out of the giant construct's neck, and it begins to shudder to life within its holding gantry, as the cage swings open.

The centurion has been activated.]

[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.]

[socialhacktivist]

It's moving!

[Futaba's face lights up. She watches out for the swinging door, but hovers at the entrance, just short of actually entering. It could still be dangerous, but she's far too excited to just ignore it. But she's not foolish enough to run right up to it. She wants to see if it will do anything first.]

[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. ]

[strangerpeople]

[Steam comes from the neck again, and the centurion takes a step out of the cage.

If it notices Futaba or Papyrus, it is not responding.]

[socialhacktivist]

Woah--

[Better make sure to stay out of it's way. Still... she's going to try and stay close enough to try and get a better look at it's make up.

She'll also try talking to it. Because why not? She's already talked to an insane, invisible man. This is probably fine in comparison.]

Helloooo~?! Excuse me?

[Something has to be giving it instructions right? If it's not artificial intelligence then her next guess would be some kind of program. Just to make sure, she's going to glance back in where it was sitting to make sure there's nothing that looks like a control panel or terminal.]

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.]

[defriendestration]

HELLO! UM. HI?

[Is it going to do anything???]

[strangerpeople]

[There are three levers on the wall behind the centurion. All of them are flipped in the down position.

The centurion, meanwhile, keeps walking slowly, but there is something glowing on its back.]

[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.]

[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. ]

[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. ]

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.

[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. ]