15S R6 Vision Catchall
Feb. 5th, 2020 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
This is like a PC but exclusively for visions of your characters' pasts and futures. Whether we've discussed him actively prying, or decided one's out of the blue, here's where to do it.
Please mark visions with week and day he gets them for the sake of a slightly more coherent timeline! Replies are screened. Any actual related threads we want to do will be either on-comm or their own PCs. Bring it on!
Please mark visions with week and day he gets them for the sake of a slightly more coherent timeline! Replies are screened. Any actual related threads we want to do will be either on-comm or their own PCs. Bring it on!
Before Going to Bed, on Wednesday Night (CW: Child abuse and Malnourished Animals)
Date: 2020-02-06 04:26 am (UTC)He’s on the ground. He’s scared and it hurts and he doesn’t know what to do because they were his friends-they’re supposed to be his friends, so why were they doing this to him? Why? Why?!]
Get up.
[It’s not Arthur talking-not who he is right now anyway. It’s someone else.
He looks up from the concrete ground-only a little bit-to see dog’s paws. Like King, they’re standing on two feet, but these ones are bigger than King, and covered in black fur.
He’s afraid, because he knows what’s coming. If he gets up, he’s just going to be kicked down again. If he stays down, he’ll get scratched or bitten again. They’re going to hurt him again and he doesn’t know what to do.
A foot comes down on his right arm, and while it doesn’t break, the pressure starts building and he’s quickly in pain.]
I said Get. Up.
[He tries to get up, but the foot on his arm doesn’t let up. He tries to suppress his cries, but they come out as choked sobs. He wanted to help them before-why were they doing this to him?!
Then, a second voice.]
I told you we should’ve dumped him in the river.
[He looks to his right, and there’s a white-furred, clearly malnourished cat. On two legs and only a couple inches shorter than him. His yellow eyes glare down at him, before turning away.]
It would’ve ended things much sooner.
SHUT UP!
[The cat doesn’t even flinch at the large dog’s yelling.]
We’re not letting ‘em find him! We’re makin’ sure they never find him, got it?!
[The cat sighs before giving a sarcastic reply.]
Whatever you say, Boss.
[Just like that, the pressure on his arm is gone, but it’s quickly replaced with two big paws grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. He’s face to face with the dog, now. The dog’s green eyes are boring into him. The scratches over the dog’s eye makes the dog more intimidating than sympathetic now. And despite that the dog, too, seems to be starving, the snarl on the dog’s face makes the dog scarier than he’s ever thought of before.]
When I tell you to do something, you do it. Got it?
[He doesn’t say anything. He’s trying to blink away the tears. He wants to go home-]
I SAID GOT IT?!
[He nods rapidly, and the dog drops him to the ground. He’s on his hands and knees, and there’s blood coming out from under one of his hands-his human hands-and the dog grumbles something, but he’s not thinking about that. He’s thinking about his mom and his dad, and his house, and his bed, and every nice thing he had in his life before.
Joel Robinson wants to go home.
And then Arthur’s back. Back by his bed. Back in his small house. Back in the town with fifteen strangers.]
Week 2, Sunday maybe? Any day works though - Family training, Hexen Style
Date: 2020-02-06 04:46 am (UTC)Nearby Emma is a black cat that Arthur will recognize as Celine, Emma's familiar. There's also a young blonde haired woman with red eyes that he only recognizes as a creator witch. She looks to be in her early 20s at most, possibly even late teens. She's sitting nearby at a table looking on with only a bit of interest in what's happening.
Young Emma is still trying to get the hang of a basic fire spell. He can see a few tries where she can make fire appear in her hands, but it fizzles out quickly. Finally she makes it leave her hands, but it falls to the ground.
Vita quickly casts an ice spell to prevent it from doing any damage. Emma looks downcast at the fact that Vita can do a harder spell without any effort at all. He can see Vita kneel down by Emma and tell her "It's okay, it took me a lot of tries to get it down too. You're making great progress."
The cat snorts at this. "Stop lying Vita, everyone knows you did it on your first try."
The older witch just waves an arm dismissively to Celine. "Who cares? Emma will come into it on her own, even if she takes more time."
Emma looks like she's holding back tears. "I'm sorry, grandmother. I'll practice more."
Arthur can then hear himself chirp and can feel himself flying out of the room. He just really wants to go outside. Then the vision ends.]
Week 2 Thursday Morning [Critical Role 2x89 Spoilers]
Date: 2020-02-06 06:18 am (UTC)"I'm glad to see you too, Bren. I mean, it's been well over a decade that... And still often I've talked about and wondered where you were, if you were okay."
How did I... [You clear your throat and feel yourself breaking into a cold sweat.] How did I get to the Sanatorium?
"We took you there. You had a breaking point and understandably... began to lash out. Part of that same spark that was seen in you could create a lot of sparks everywhere else." [She reaches up and scratches a bit, and you can see there's burn scars on the side of her neck.] "But for your own good. We took care of you. And we brought you there. But we had to subdue you first. You were too dangerous to us and to yourself."
I was there a long time.
"And we always hoped that you'd... that you'd improve, and at times you did, and... I mean, to be honest, even looking at you now and hearing some of the things that you are doing... I mean, you've defied all of our expectations. And if you feel like you've failed, then know that everyone's path goes at different paces. You've certainly proven now that you are in no way or shape a failure."
[She's wrong. She's totally wrong in multiple ways, but you'll always be a failure.]
What are you doing these days?
"I'm doing a bit of tutelage. I'm... doing what we were meant to do, which is keep our people safe."
[It feels like the sweat is freezing on your skin.] Is it difficult for you?
"At times. But I take pride in my work. And I've stopped some terrible things from happening. And I have seen some of the possibilities of what can be done... with the right application with the right minds."
Had you heard, that my, uh, friends and I were here?
[More than friends. Family. Not the same as the one you went and fucked up, that'll never be the same, but you're more comfortable calling them that than anything else, now. Not to other people, but still.]
"And it was rather rapid chatter once Trent had notified us of the return of a lost pup."
[Even though you know he's here, even though you've seen him, even the sound of his name makes your blood run cold. You feel like you can't breathe for a moment, and open your mouth to say something else -]
[Well, whoever this is does. Arthur, on the other hand, comes back to himself.]
birbvision, 1/?, at some point during or just after Trial 1
Date: 2020-02-14 05:33 pm (UTC)He's lying on the floor, the world spinning and growing dark around the edges, before it grows dark in front of him as well.
The darkness sprouts eyes, two pinpricks of light in the void. And yet, somehow, this presence isn't upsetting at all to the man Arthur's seeing through.
He'll feel his - Nanaki's - mouth draw into a smile, the last seconds and gasps of effort of a dying man.]
...I'm... sorry, Nageki. I... I failed... you... again.
[The void does not blink. Its response comes in the voice of a young boy, unfamiliar to Arthur but the only voice in the world that mattered to Nanaki in the end.
"I knew you would."
The eyes fade, the world goes truly dark, and Nanaki breathes his last. So ends the vision.]
birbvision, 2/?, at some point during the afterparty or the sunday after Trial 1
Date: 2020-02-14 05:47 pm (UTC)Wait. Wings?
Oh, god damn it, it's murderbirb time, isn't it.
But murderbirb seems happy today - happy, and different, if Arthur looks down to his wings. He's a mottled mix of black, brown, and tiny splotches of white feathers. It's hard to imagine how a bird like this would have turned into a bleach blonde like Nanaki.
The bird begins to check through his bag of groceries, thinking aloud about dinner plans. He certainly sounds like Nanaki, if slightly more awake, as he starts planning when to start what and who he can ask to help him with what steps.
He's halfway through a thought when he looks up and Arthur can feel his heart stop.
There's a burning building in front of him. It's not a complete inferno, not yet, but without help it certainly will be soon. A human staggers out from behind the fence, dropping to their knees and then just to the pavement as they gasp for air and their life leaves them.
The burning building has a sign: "Hatoful House." And Arthur knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this place is home.
He drops the bag and runs toward the building without thinking, past the dead and dying bodies of the humans scattered about the lawn. It's not until he gets inside that he freezes.
Not only are there human bodies here, but small bird bodies, as well. The place is a massacre. Arthur might not know who he's looking at, but Nanaki certainly does, and for Arthur it's an unmistakable feeling.
These birds were friends. Family. The only family he's ever had, even. A room scattered with various copies of Simon's corpse wouldn't be far off from this feeling.
The only thing that gets Nanaki to move, instead of just dropping down and letting the fire claim him and this grief, is that he can hear a small coo of pain, a small cry for help from a room in the back.
He runs there with all the strength his little birdy legs have left.
There's a small grey bird in the back room, a mourning dove. He looks weak, but unharmed. There's a sense that the bird was always weak like this.
"Hitori," the mourning dove whimpers, and Nanaki scoops him up in his wings without question, as if that were the right name to call.
Because it is. "Nanaki" is not Nanaki, was never truly Nanaki. "Nanaki" is Hitori Uzune, an orphan from the Hatoful House, and the bird in his wings is Nageki Fujishiro. He's always been weak, always been ill, but he's all Hitori has left now.
Hitori is all Nageki has left now.
Hitori takes him from the building, and the two of them go until they're probably far enough away that the fire won't get them before help arrives and just collapse, numbly.
They don't know what else they can do, from here.]
birbvision 3/?, monday or tuesday week 3
Date: 2020-02-14 05:54 pm (UTC)He's in a small apartment, and the little mourning dove from before is here, too. The two of them are looking over a letter that Nageki has laid out on the kitchen table.]
This is great, Nageki! We'll finally be able to get you some help... some real education...
[Nageki isn't so sure. He looks worriedly up at Hitori.]
You might actually be able to strike out on your own!
[Nageki lowers his head.
"If it means I won't be a burden..."]
Oh, Nageki... don't talk like that. You've never been a burden to me. [Hitori pulls Nageki close, wrapping him up in dark wings.] I just want to see you happy, that's all.
["...I'm happy here with you, Hitori." But Nageki sounds defeated, now.
The letter on the table is marked as being from St. Pigeonation's.]
birbvision 4/?, wednesdayish week 3. CW: IMMOLATION, SUICIDE
Date: 2020-02-14 06:47 pm (UTC)Arthur-as-Hitori is making his way down a hallway. The decorations are not unlike some kind of high-tech laboratory, but the place reeks of gasoline, and there's an unsettled feeling in Hitori's stomach.
He presses forward. There's someone here he needs to find, someone here he needs to talk to.
He hears a faint sound up ahead, and calls out.]
...Nageki?
[There's a faint gasp, but then a response comes.
"...Hitori."
Hitori rushes forward to find Nageki standing in a room, next to a plastic container and clutching a single lit match in his wing.]
Nageki! What are you doing—
[Nagki lifts a feather to his beak as if to tell Hitori to be quiet. All Hitori can do is stare on in horror.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I didn't want to worry you. But there's no other way, now.
Get out of here, Hitori. Be safe. And whatever's left of me after this, make sure they don't get a hold of it.
Goodbye. I love you."
Hitori doesn't get a word in edgewise before Nageki drops the match and lights up. He heard alarms blaring, the sounds of people yelling and of footsteps pounding closer.
His body runs for it, but Hitori stays behind. For all it matters now, Hitori Uzune died in the flames with Nageki.
That's really how it should have been.]
birbvision 5/?, wednesdayish week 3. CW: SUICIDAL IDEATION AND PLANNING
Date: 2020-02-14 06:52 pm (UTC)"I hate it, Hitori. I hate feeling like this all the time. I don't want to do this anymore. I wish I wasn't such a coward..."]
I hate this, too, Kazuaki. I understand. ...Would it be better if you didn't go alone? [Kazuaki Nanaki, the real Kazuaki Nanaki, looks up at Hitori, eyes glassy with tears.] I'll go with you, Kazuaki. You won't have to be alone anymore.
[It's too easy to lie, especially when the lie is laced with the truth. But Kazuaki Nanaki looks hopeful.
"Promise?"]
It's a promise.
birbvision 6/7, thursdayish week 3. CW: SUICIDE/MURDER
Date: 2020-02-14 07:02 pm (UTC)"W-why? You... you promised..."]
I lied.
["Why?" He's begging for any sort of answer. Hitori looks on without numbly, knowing there's nothing he can say that will placate him.
What's another lie? He's about to live one. More than he's already been living, anyway.]
Because it's useful to me. [It's easy to lie, if he laces it with the truth.] You didn't want to be here anymore, anyway. You told me so yourself. You were useless here. So why are you crying now?
["Hi...to..."]
Don't be such a coward. If you can't make use of your life, then I will.
And once I'm done, once I've fulfilled my promise...
[His voice is gentle again, in this last moment of honesty. He can offer the crybaby at least this much.]
I'll be joining you, Kazuaki. Just like I promised. You'll just have to wait a bit for me.
[Kazuaki Nanaki is dead.
Hitori Uzune heads to his closet, pulls some of his clothes down from the rack, and leaves. On the way to where he's staying, he picks up a bottle of bleach.
Hitori Uzune is dead. "Kazuaki Nanaki" is alive.]
birbvision 7/7, thursday/friday morning week 3. CW: SURVIVOR'S GUILT
Date: 2020-02-14 07:06 pm (UTC)Except this time, the darkness does not surround him. The darkness is a shadow, a shadow in the shape of a small bird.
A mourning dove.
"You killed me," the shadow of Nageki hisses, and "Nanaki" can't respond. He can't move, he can't speak. It's fine, though. They both know it's true. "I never wanted to leave, and you forced me out. You killed me."
He's so sorry, Nageki.
"Don't even think about apologizing. I asked you to do one thing for me, and you can't even do that?"
He's trying, Nageki. He's sorry. It's taken a while to prepare...
"Just bring me home, Hitori. Do something right for once in your life. Bring me home."
He will. He will. He promises, Nageki.
He's sorry. He's so, so sorry.
He loves you.]
Week 3 Saturday Night/Week 4 Sunday Morning [CW: Parental Murder]
Date: 2020-02-16 06:22 am (UTC)[Fire, fire, always fire, so much fire, but you look up at the small farmhouse and you feel nothing but pride. These were traitors - disgusting traitors, horrible people, that man had been a soldier so how dare he?]
[There is no regret, and as you look to the larger young man on your left and the young woman on your right, you nod. This is what you are supposed to do. This is how you keep your Empire safe.]
[The horse cart against the door has almost entirely burnt out, but the house still has too much flammable material to stop. You pause, and you listen, and you hear screaming -]
[But Mother and Father were traitors, weren't they? You had heard them, plotting disgusting revolution, and so they had to be killed.]
[But there is still screaming, and you can feel your certainty break - but they are traitors - and you know how long it takes a human to burn and it's -]
[No, by the time you get in there it'll be too late, and even if they were traitors they were -]
[You scream, agonized and furious and feeling all of the rage and despair in the world and you struggle to hold on, but you can feel your mind cracking, your mind everyone has praised you for, and you see the dark rushing in even as you see new flames sprng up around you and feel the heat on your skin and -]
[And darkness.]
IT'S EDDIE!!!!!!!!! don't mind the sock I'm not a mod anymore. After Trial 3 I guess
Date: 2020-02-23 05:04 am (UTC)Ahoyyyyyy, Captain...!
[The “Captain” squints his eyes indignantly while he turns toward the voice, thinking please, this greeting is more for a sailing captain. He refuses to dignify it with a response, but the Approach keeps talking.]
You must have heard we're having a meeting soon. Want an invitation? ….Because, too bad.
[He has no intention of leaving the cockpit to go to the rest of the plane that he has enthusiastically filled with snakes. But the iPad is here and he can easily find this guy. There he is sitting on a barstool talking to him on his smartphone when he thinks he’s alone. Is that a perrier he’s drinking? He’s such a little bitch. The Captain clicks his tongue.]
Oh yeah? What's your plan for hiding it, huh?
Oh, no plan~ What's your plan for hiding from us that you have a gun? Same idea. Information is power, but only one type.
[This makes him laugh. Right, the gun… it’s nearby, as Arthur can see as he glances at it. But Eddie Kim (that’s his name, he’s thinking in the third person) has so much more up his sleeve than that. This is just… well. It’s just a little fun. Just a little something he’s using to start up that enjoyable game those arrogant-yet-whiny people kept going on about. Well, not like he’d never heard of it in passing. The witch he’s working with, to do this whole titles-and-powers experiment in exchange for the deadliest snakes known to the world, MIGHT have dropped in something about killing. It just seemed like typical witch shit, especially with The Outcast calling him a Witch of Aviation as soon as he decided to go on with it. In any case, The Approach is someone he can have plenty of fun with too, casually zooming in the iPad to watch his reaction. Honestly, messing with people like this is the entire reason he gave anyone the option to call him at all. Certainly not because he was planning to be reasoned with.]
Sure. Just like I'm sure you know I'm only using a gun so you all can know the exact moment your friends and loved ones bite the dust…
[The noise the naive brat makes is priceless. So is his scared look, the way his jaw drops almost to the floor. Gotcha! Well, not that he’s joking at all. He banters with him a bit more, before deciding to drop him some bait. After all, the Approach - Hiyori? Whatever - he used to be some kind of normal guy. Not even born a weapon like Eddie. Compared to all these outlandish strangers, wouldn’t it be fun to see them go down instead? This guy with a superior fucking attitude despite how powerless he is has even made a couple enemies.]
Anyway, what can I do for you? You looking for some tips on how to kill? Since you're so interested in my weapon and all.
[The boy seems a lot more faltering now. C’mon, don’t pussy out once he’s deciding to be generous.]
W-well—
I do kinda wanna ask you for a... I don't wanna call it a favor and be in debt to someone like you, but I figured... waiting for us to kill each other, you must be getting bored, so, won't you hear out my request?
[Someone like him, huh? This fucker would have no right to ask a favor if he doesn’t have the sense to have some manners around him. ...He got the nail on the head with his boredom though. Flying the plane for this long is pretty goddamn tedious, and no one’s even trying to save their stupid hostages yet. So much for on-flight entertainment! But he could always go shoot some of them himself to watch them cry. Depending on how bad this guy’s request is, his friends could be next.]
Oh, trust me, I've got plenty more ideas on how to keep it spicy up here. But why not? Shoot.
[There’s some kind of mixture of hope and nerves on Hiyori’s suddenly smiling face now. Must be glad he’s actually getting some kind of chance, the poor bastard.]
Alright!
So.
So...!
Ikuya is with you, right?
[That isn’t precisely the case at the moment he’s speaking to him. The hostages are on another plane with Rachel - not another airplane of course, but a plane of existence overlapped with the one they’re on. He can only go there when she alters his frequency for him. It’s part of the experiment, but not too much of a pain. There’s a black snake at his heels that’s a part of her alternate form, and it does the job. He never knew how complex magic was until he met this particular witch. But it’s not too important, he can just tell The Approach a technical truth. There’s a hmph from him, a puff of air from his nose as he feels smug at how he thinks to word it.]
Everyone on that list is there. I can promise you that.
Okay! Great!
[Hiyori is looking confident for a second before his expression thoroughly melts. It looks completely pitiful.]
Can I... Can I hear his voice one last time again?
Please.
[Just a voice? Seriously? Eddie is stunned by the exploitability of it all. Wouldn’t he think the Captain would love to go find this Ikuya putz and make him scream with his electricity over the phone? It would be so easy… too easy, really, he’d get bored with that in an instant. But it’s such a human request isn’t it. Not something so presumptuous like ‘spare my friends’ or whatever. It even sounds like he accepted his fate. He said ‘please.’ Hmmm….but even if he’s got some appreciation for this, that’s no reason to go soft. None of these fucking strangers are special enough to get a favor, no matter if Eddie decides he likes them or not. But…. what if he could earn it? And earn it in the way he wants to see from someone like this kid? After a moment of thought, Arthur can feel a nasty grin pull across his face. A murder with no consequences in exchange for the prize would be good, right? He’ll even be fair and offer it to everyone. He’ll even let him see Ikuya, since he’s raising the stakes. Isn’t he just so nice? But the kid has his little meeting to run, might as well throw in the monkey wrench to the plans after they all think they’re getting organized. So he stays in his seat, looking down at the snake he can send to play with the lucky winner as he teases his newest inspiration.]
Well, doesn't that just touch your heart. Maaaybe I can arrange a little something like that... but as a privilege? Nah. I'm not a charity worker here!
You hold your meeting and I'll hold my tongue for it. You'll be hearing from me soon after.
[With that, the Captain hangs up on the call without giving the boy another moment to react… the vision begins to swirl out of focus, although in the mist he might hear the excited noises of a dog and smell a chocolate bar, a voice that sounds just like Akira’s encouraging him.]
Week 4, Post-Trial
Date: 2020-02-23 05:11 pm (UTC)"Link... you are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you."
[Suddenly, you open your eyes, staring up at a huge tree in a forest, the sword stuck into a pedestal. You stumble back as you hear a yawn. The tree's 'face' starts to move.]
'Who is that... ? Did I doze off again?' [You get the sense that the tree, somehow, is looking at you.] 'Well, well... it's you. You finally decided to return. Better late than never.'
[You get the distinct feeling that you are being slightly sassed by plantlife.] 'After one hundred years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even my patience has limits, you know...' [Small creatures move in the tree's branches.] 'That look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however.' [It's not wrong.]
'I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree.' [It 'looks' down at the sword.] 'That is the weapon created by the ancient Goddess. The sword that seals the darkness - that only the chosen knight can wield against the Calamity Ganon.' [The small creatures descend on twirling leaves.] 'Believe it or not... it was actually you who wielded that sword one hundred years ago. But I must warn you to take extreme caution. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not... if you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand.' [The Tree chuckles deeply.] 'Best of luck, young one...' [The Tree stills.]
[You look down at the sword, swallowing hard. You hear the Tree's voice echo through your mind.] 'If you hope to pull the sword from its resting place, you must use your true strength. Let us see whether or not you currently possess said power.' [You grasp the sword, attempting to pull it free. You can feel an immense wave of pain rock through you, blurring your vision, but you keep going. You need to stop it. You need this sword to fight. And besides - the tree said it was yours. Finally the pain stops as you pull the sword free in a slight flash of blue light. You hold it up, the blade glinting in the sun and you close your eyes for a moment as you hold it upwards. A feeling of peace flows through you. Yes... this is right.]
[Suddenly, you're yanked into a vision.]
[You see a dirt-stained Zelda kneeling before the pedestal, the sword lying flat in front of her, covered in blood.] "Your master will come for you. Until then, you shall rest safely here. Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories, please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again." [The Deku Tree speaks, and she stands.]
'If I may be so bold... what is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?' [She looks down at the sword.] "The Master Sword... I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do." [She looks up at the Tree, determination in her expression.]
'I sense there is great strength in your dedication.' [She steps forward.] "Great Deku Tree, I ask of you, when he returns, can you please relay this message... tell him I -" [The Tree interrupts her.]
'Now, then... words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don’t you think?' [She nods and smiles up at it.]
"Yes."
[And just like that, the vision is over. Both of them.]
Final Week, Wednesday night [cw: emeto, hallucinations]
Date: 2020-02-27 05:54 am (UTC)['I have to kill... everyone on this planet.' You came to the realization just seconds ago, and it already feels like it's been a hundred years. Dung Beetle teleports in a map of this world, and the two officers talk about what to do. Dung Beetle floats near you.]
'Well, what will you do? It might be violent but there are other ways to destroy this planet. But will you really do it? Will you really kill every last person by aiming at them individually, one by one?'
[You lift your head and speak up.]
"I just want to end their lives, with the least amount of suffering." 'Well, I suppose that would kill them instantly so they wouldn't suffer as much but... I wonder if we'll make it in time?'
[Forty-eight hours. A little less. That's all you have.]
'According to our rough calculations, you need to kill at least sixty thousand people per second. Also, taking into account the speed of Zearth's projectiles, which travel at a speed of one thousand kilometers per hour, it would take approximately forty hours to kill every last person on Earth.' 'It would be best if we could just aim for where the pilot is hiding but since we have no clue as to where his location is, we have no choice but to launch an indiscriminate attack on all parts of the world. ... Ushiro. There's no need to push yourself so hard... you don't necessarily need to end this as fast as possible...'
[No. No, that's almost laughable. You clench your fist.] "Please let me do it this way. This is... my responsibility. ... Mr. Tokosumi, please leave the camera like that." [You know it's pointed right at you.]
"But..." [You bow your head.] "Alright... I'll keep on filming." "Thank you."
'At the very least, I'm glad that this happened on an away battle. If this was back on our world, we wouldn't have been able to do anything.' 'Perhaps. We were quite fortunate to have the army's assistance during Komoda's battle.'
[Dung Beetle floats near your head. His grin is everpresent, but he sounds... almost sad.] 'You know, I'm not surprised you couldn't trust me when I warned you. ... It's not your fault. You reap what you sow. Because of that, I've just caused you further grief. I'm sorry. ... Now then, are you ready?'
[Are you? No. Of course you're not.]'Once you start, no matter how many hours it takes, you won't be able to stop. For food, I'll bring you some from your home world. Well, that is if you have the appetite to eat... you can still go to the restroom within Zearth. Don't worry about that. ... Then, shall we start?'
[You pause and look over the city, and then over the sea. All of these kinds of places you'll never see again... and neither will the people of this planet. You take a deep breath, steady yourself, warm up Zearth's lasers... and start to fire.]
[You watch them lance out, homing in on the first life signs you tracked.]"Guh..." [You put a hand to your mouth.] 'Ushiro, don't stop now. You need to continue. There are still so many people who are only half dead. If you want to end their suffering quickly, there's no time to rest.' 'This is... madness.' [You fire again. And again. And again. Over and over and over.]
[Fighter jets come for you, but poof out as you hit their pilots in a surge of energy not native to either of your worlds. The cameras roll, and everyone looks horrified already. You've barely started.]
[And then... you hear them. Hundreds, thousands, millions of screams. Your face twists in horror.] "I can hear... I can hear the screams..." [Dung Beetle sighs.] 'You idiot. You're probably just imagining it. And even if you could really hear it, you have no choice but to block it all out. Just like how I'm doing it too, right now.' [Wait, does that mean that he -]
[An image of Kana flashes through your mind.] 'You're just like Kana. Allowing yourself to be hurt because of understanding how painful hurting others is a much harder thing to do. That's what Kana did.' [You can feel yourself breaking out into a cold sweat as you fire again, and again, and again. The screams keep coming, different genders and ages and from all over the world. You don't know how long you've been fighting. Two hours? Twenty? Time has no meaning right now. Everything is blurred. You feel your stomach heave and you vomit, some of it spraying on your clothes.] 'A-are you all right?'
[What a stupid question. But you stand, shaking as you cough hard.] 'Ushiro, you should change your clothes.' "I'm fine... like this." 'Here.' [A plain brown shopping bag appears in front of you.] 'These clothes are yours, right?' [You reach out and pull out your uniform, slip it on, and look at the empty chairs around you.]
[You close your eyes, open them again, and keep firing over and over and over and over and over and o -]
[You feel Zearth - and yourself - shutting down. The adults shout something, but you can't hear them. You see something in the distance... is that -]
[And then you feel a rough yank, the sight of two familiar cloaked figures swimming into view as the vision ends.]
no subject
Date: 2020-02-27 07:57 pm (UTC)Mira's pov!
Final Investigation, on the train
Date: 2020-03-01 05:17 pm (UTC)[It's the room that's been your bedroom nearly the entire time you've been here. And indeed, you look down and you see... yourself. Sleeping as calmly as is normal for you.]
[The you that is Caleb - because who else could it be? - sets a glass of water down on the side table and retreats quietly to the back bedroom, Frumpkin padding along behind you. You both go inside and close the door, sitting down on the mass of blankets you've made your bed. The floor's more comfortable for you now.]
[Frumpkin stares at you from the end of the 'bed', and you sigh. You know that look.]
Ja, I know. I know that it seems a bit stupid. [You take a deep breath and hold an arm over your stomach as you watch Frumpkin knead the blanket.]
It's been over seventeen years now. ... I don't know if he'd take the question well.
[Frumpkin fixes you with a stern stare in between your eyes.]
He's a child, though. ... Admittedly a child that has been through a lot and come out swinging.
[Frumpkin trills and you roll your eyes.]
Ja, the name is made up. So is the entire family. It's... it's not who I was. It's a new start, isn't it?
[The cat finally walks up into your lap and nuzzles your chest. You smile slightly.]
I know that you were just trying to make sure I was sure. ... It seems like we may have something to deal with soon. I will ask him after. I do not want to distract him in the middle of this.
[Frumpkin purrs, and you pull the covers over you both.]
Guten nacht, Mieze.
Just pick a time that fits after Vita died - Also CS2 ending spoilers ahoy!
Date: 2020-03-02 01:24 am (UTC)He and the other one seem to be winning the fight and he's confident Vita will do her part to keep everyone safe while they handle this. Then all of a sudden he sees the red knight preparing an attack. He shoves the other one away and instead takes the hit. It's definitely fatal, he got stabbed right in the heart.
The other one seems worried and he shouts back that it was just a scratch and to not worry about him and tries to keep on fighting. The other knight, Valimar, reaches the red knight and then pulls out the cockpit.
With that, they have won and everyone will be safe. Well, except him.
He ends up coming out of his own robot and everyone rushes to him. It's clear he's dying. He can see Emma rushing and saying the words to a healing spell, though everyone says it won't do anything. He's glad because it eases the pain a bit and lets him talk.
Arthur will obviously recognize Emma and Vita, but not the others. He'll just know they are his former classmates. He says some final things to them and urges them to keep moving forward, relentlessly. Then he dies.
However, Arthur will get a sense that this isn't an ending and that there is more to see beyond his reach for now.]
final week, maybe tuesday night? sometime after their cigar room chat! cw for bludgeoning, gruesome
Date: 2020-03-02 01:42 am (UTC)"Can you do it?" one person asks. "Can you kill someone?"
"Yeah," you answer. there is no hesitation in your voice. another person asks you if you need help learning how to shoot a gun. another person, still, begs you not to go through with it. but it's fine. you've made up your mind. justice must be served. the wrongs must be righted, that's your creed, apparently.
you want everyone to believe you're doing this for her, but you're not, of course. you're doing this for yourself, for your own warped sense of justice. someone crossed you, lied to you, and they are not going to get away with it.
time passes faster, until you're in the execution room. looking at his face makes you angry, even as your hand grips the mallet. he's a dirty liar, you think. you've told everyone, including him, you'll end his life quickly, that you'll be merciful.
but that is also a lie.
"Tell Shaun I love him," the voice says quietly. it's a familiar voice. actually, the person in front of you should be very familiar, even with his upset expression. you don't answer him, but you do turn and look to the side to see someone else nearby. that person does not have a face, just a swirling black-hole for a head? that's not quite right, but that's what it looks like.
as you raise the club, you tip sideways, because it's heavy. you're not very strong, or tall. the other person turns away, kneeling on the ground in his near pristine white suit. then, he shouts something, maybe another last-minute plea, but your ears are clogged. you swing the club.
the impact is sickening, surprising, but death does not come quickly for the young man. so you beat him again. and again. getting faster the more used to the weapon you get.
"You shouldn't have brought Sakura-chan into this!"
your own voice sounds weird. probably because you're tired and upset, wavering. eventually, the other person stops moving. they are dead, but you don't stop beating them until you've completely exhausted yourself. you drop the club, panting, trembling, realizing what you've done. and then you leave the execution room in a hurry. you're ill, you have his blood on you. you'll never be able to wash it off...]