sevenvirtues | (no subject)

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You awaken to blackness. Frightening, although familiar--this is the same terrible thing you narrowly avoided during your first trip into Lebensbaum. The pain of your death is still real, echoes of the wounds you suffered appearing on your skin. Inspecting your surroundings will tell you that you've woken up inside of the cooled, empty bonfire pit....and the town as it was is nowhere to be seen.

The sky is a whirlwind of blank, dark void. What previously acted as roadblocks on either side of the town seems to have moved upward, blocking out most of the sun's light. The street is barren, filled with piles of broken concrete, shattered glass, and smoking craters where many of the buildings used to be. Old bloodstains dot the pavement, mixing in with overturned cars and crumbling brick walls. Lebensbaum is a dead town, in more ways than one.

Except for the hotel. It stands, as dusty and abandoned as it ever was, but no worse for the wear. Scorch marks can be seen on the ground around it in a clear border, as though it had a barrier protecting it from whatever destroyed the village. If you venture inside, everything is in its place, as though the outside wasn't completely obliterated.

The living can be seen walking around, going about their daily lives, and if you concentrate, you can even see the buildings as they once were--in working order, clean, and in one piece.

As of Monday on Week 10, however, there is a door, seemingly pasted into the middle of the street. As the days tick by, the doors will increase in number, one for each victim.

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[ Break sighs heavily, but his shrug is much lighter. ]

I wouldn't have, but that's just semantics at this point. We were never exempt from this game, but just particularly lucky.

[ Since, I mean, it took until the last week to really make a dent in their numbers, huh... ]

Though I would have preferred that Rhys not have gotten dragged into my mess. Leaving Roxy and Inaba as the ones left is troubling.

Especially considering how everything looks right now. [Roxy can handle herself in a fight, but Himeko... Also, Buddy has access to all those weapons...] Do you think we can just--say what was going on, now...?

[ Break laughs, but it's rather short and sharp instead of being humored. ]

Oh, I wonder~? I've been sharing all of this in far less direct words for a while now. I hardly give a damn at this point, and I've said as much since we learned of that idiotic gamble.

[ If Gilbert is around, he'll gesture towards him to indicate who, but it's probably not much of a surprise. ]

After all, I don't imagine the rest of our living will take this well, do you? At least here, no one can really do anything about it, or so I've been told.

If Rhys spoke to anyone else the way he spoke to Poland... [Please no one go totally crazy, please no one go totally crazy...] The truth is the best option at this point.

It doesn't really matter.

[ Break's voice is calm and cool, because he had actually talked about this before as soon as Astrid had pointed her finger towards the moles, albeit unknowingly. He shrugs casually, but continues his explanation. ]

It's all about perception over information. So long as they perceive the moles to be a threat, then what reason do they have to believe them? Considering the situation, I certainly wouldn't, were the situations reversed. So to say that this isn't the ideal way to share this is also a bit of an understatement. Considering it's Buddy to find them especially, well. That girl has already proven that she's more than willing to kill.

It's not that I disagree, but... [She wants! To do something! Still, eventually she sighs.] We're here now, I suppose. I can just hope not all of them are as paranoid as you are about their intentions. No offense, but it would make things easier, since I'd prefer to not be actually killed.

[OF COURSE GILBERT IS AROUND he too has been sticking to Break like dumb glue, and he also doesn't look surprised by this.]

It should be fine here, yes.

[ Well... Break still has his doubts about that, but he's also rather intensely paranoid. There are still parts that he's not keen to reveal just because of not wanting anything to potentially go wrong, but it's definitely a relief to speak more freely. ]

Then it's no surprise, right? Naturally I'd jump at the chance to get to be able to bring the dead back to life.

[ Though that's a rather casual way of putting it, and considering how well Gilbert knows Break, it was always completely fair that Gilbert would be concerned about just how far he would go to that end. ]

That's more or less all it's ever been. But revealing that too soon, well... It meant the effort could also be stopped.

[There's definitely a sort of gentle appreciation in his expression, because his dumb ass is feeling very touched right now okay, but also?? YEAH??? HE HAS A GOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.

On the other hand at least Alisha was on the same squad and some other pretty responsible people so there's that... He'd trust them not to get too extreme.]

What's the plan now, then?

[ Break sighs, but it's tired in that familiar way that Gilbert has probably been hearing a lot lately. He's smiling, but his expression still looks on the edge of exasperated, but lost, too. ]

...That's the problem. All of this was Miata's plan. We don't know much of anything about this place or the process to stop Katerina or bring people back. It's all things that are in Miata's ability, not ours.

[ By the end there, Break's voice is getting a bit softer, because it's very easy to see why he would have struggled with this so much. Getting Break to trust anyone was a task in itself, but getting Break to put his trust so wholly on one person is truly only something he would do out of desperation. He shakes his head, but he does seem relieved to finally be able to just say this. ]

She's a coward and an idiot. Urashima died, and that was what pushed her over the edge, or something like that. She made a gamble that if she quit, Katerina would make a mistake, but we're still waiting for that. So far as I've seen? She was wrong. She's been locked in a basement out of our reach, and we're on our own.

...And she didn't leave you with any information that we could use to make a good decision.

[WHY DOES IT ALWAYS END UP LIKE THIS. He doesn't seem surprised either, though, if only because he's used to worst case scenario shit at this point. It's always like this?? IT'S ALWAYS LIKE THIS. He can definitely understand Break's uncertainty and hold-ups and why he's always sounding like he wants a 100 year nap...

That said:]

What about Leviathan?

Of course not. She's a child throwing a tantrum, not a leader that could actually manage to push past her own emotions for another week.

[ Break may not be as outwardly angry as Rhys, but he's definitely still angry and bitter. He just tends to express it more quietly and politely. Though he'll at least move on from that into business, though, since that's obviously less salty and more useful. ]

Unknown, honestly. Miata trusts her, but I don't. Leviathan is the one that's allying with Miata, apparently, but based on what I was told about the demons' true intentions here, I do have to wonder even more about that. I don't think she's helping Miata out of the kindness of her heart, because a creature like that doesn't possess it.

[ Break isn't exactly trusting of Chains or anything like them, though, so he's just a little biased. ]

But I will say she has been helpful to us thus far. I don't trust her because of what she is, but not necessarily because of what she's done.

[HE'S BIASED TOO so naturally he immediately agrees with that sentiment. He'd even said so to Leviathan directly.]

That's why she asked me to talk to you. She knew I wouldn't have trusted her word directly. [UGH, DEMONS.]

But if you think her actions can be trusted, then she might be our only key to figuring out how to stop Katerina.

[ Break nods, since this isn't exactly news to him. He would have definitely prefered to just be able to tell Gilbert more directly about why sharing that information was dangerous, but at the time, it was the only option. In fact, thinking of that gets him to laugh, and he shakes his head, but that part is more incredulous than anything else. ]

Unfortunately, there's little option but to trust her. I didn't even trust Miata until she showed how weak her resolve was, but I do at least trust that Miata wants to do the right thing. But she's no strategist, and she's not able to put aside her personal feelings.

[ Which, as Gilbert knows well, is something Break definitely considers important. Ironic, considering he's also a complete hypocrite about that, but he's also rather well aware of it. ]

Technically, we do know how to stop Katerina, but it's easier said than done. The demons are giving her power, so they will have to be taken care of. We've been allying ourselves with Leviathan to give her more power to be able to fight them and also for Miata to pull off the spells she needs. The demons protect Katerina, so they have to be dealt with, but from there, it's as simple as taking a book from Katerina. That's the source of her power. Take it from her, and she can be killed easily.

[ He shrugs ]

But the demons are the problem, obviously. I don't think it's impossible for us to fight them, personally, but it would take thought and strategizing. Leviathan knew their particular strengths and weaknesses, but we didn't make it to the specifics of what they were.

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stupidly - 2016-04-27 11:27 (UTC) - Expand

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crazily - 2016-04-27 16:31 (UTC) - Expand

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stupidly - 2016-04-27 21:59 (UTC) - Expand

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crazily - 2016-04-27 22:21 (UTC) - Expand

I know I'd really appreciate it if you'd do us that kind of huge favor!

[Takao is shaking with anger, lips grimaced apart enough to flash an attempt at a smile, but his typical slight formal language towards adults is all messed up. HE GOT DROPPED OFF A ROOFTOP FOR THIS??? WHAT'S "THIS"???]

Seriously, moles? [He throws out his hands in an exasperated gesture.] How much more reality television bullshit do we need? Where are the cameras?

I'm sorry. [She does sound genuine about this.] We've been trying to make sure you and everyone else gets to come back to life.

What the--???

[His shoulders immediately retract in supplication though his arms are still flung out. Come back to life. They're words that Takao hasn't let himself actually think this whole time - it sort of makes sense that he can't stick around here forever or get murdered for real, he's worked as hard as anyone else to cheer on the living and there's that assumption it'll work out in the end. These people were in some cases friends and all at the very least presented themselves as in control of whether they killed or not (THOUGH NOT ALL OF THEM WOULD NEVER KILL, LOOKING AT YOU, RHYS), these supposed secret agents never had their hands in any murders, and yet they protected their secret at all costs - it's almost immediately obvious that these were arranged by people close to Miata, who has always impressed Takao in her strength to support the villagers and subvert Katerina.

He immediately asks her with reciprocal seriousness, though it doesn't sound as composed, this revelation has shaken him--] How sure are you that it could work? [In Japan just as much as Europe "trying to make sure" is a phrase that a genuine, earnest person does not exactly use to convey complete confidence]

Assuming we can keep Miata alive? I'm completely certain. [But look at how the living are reacting to the mole thing...]

[Takao is thinking the same thing; he grimaces.] With Miata-san locked in the basement, do you think Katerina-san would kill her to keep that from happening? [Because he does understand that the basement locking reason might have actually been their close personal relationship so maybe Katerina is confirmed for not killing Miata...]

I don't think Katerina will kill Miata--at least, not under normal circumstances. I can't speak to how she might react if we can push her into a corner. [Who knows how someone who's doing crazy demon rituals might act in that case?]

Demons and corpses flying around [sometimes literally] doesn't seem like normal circumstances to me in the first place, but I guess my experience is pretty different from life in this world.

[She's seeing how Takao is rapidly approaching freaking the fuck out here and edging closer to him, because she's only mildly surprised about all of this at best and surprise takes a backseat to being her usual angry pink attack chihuahua self.]

Chill! Give them a minute! [DON'T THINK SHE'S NOT READY TO FIGHT AN ATHLETE A FOOT TALLER THAN HER AS HER FRIENDS' DEFENSE SQUAD BARK BARK BARK]

[Takao takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair (it's still long, but he absently thinks to himself that if he were alive it would be annoyingly long after not getting cut this whole time). Look at him. Chilling. That's the thing he's doing.]

I know -- I know, it's fine-- [He waves an open palm at Clover.] Obviously not fine fine or anything, but like -- you know, I just didn't think anything else was going on besides the murders. And the demons. And the international war. [Those pauses have a careful pacing - attempt at comedic. Talking to Clover has grounded Takao enough to at least approach the situation with humor.] Besides those things. Figured we'd covered all the goddamn bases.

[BUT WAIT

THERE'S

MORE]

But I guess not? [Okay, maybe Takao should approach the situation with slightly better humor.]

Edited 2016-04-27 04:45 (UTC)

[Takao trying and being shitty at jokes is better than him not trying the joking thing at all? He's far less fight-able while failing to make jokes and Takao is low on her fight list, so this is good! So Clover settles, for given values of settling considering, you know, Clover. Maybe if she freaks out less so will he!! She's helping.]

Yeah, well. [This boy is too goddamn normal for all this shit.] The trick is learning not to let anything surprise you anymore. [OPTIMISTIC AND HELPFUL] There's always something else going on, dude. Sometimes it's secret revival magic plots.

[ADULT LIFE IS ALREADY SO GODDAMN WEIRD]

What's next, I get home and there's a letter waiting for me like "Yo, we heard about how you missed two months of school and had to drop out. How would you like to attend our secret academy for wizards? Because it's not like magic will always lead to more problems and corpses than we started with!"

[TAKAO wants to learn BLACK HUMOR but TAKAO already knows 4 moves! Should a move be forgotten to make space for BLACK HUMOR?

> yes

1, 2 and... Poof! TAKAO forgot HUMOR... TAKAO learned BLACK HUMOR!]

I mean, of course I'd say no anyway. Shutoku-- [The word feels weird in Takao's mouth; he realizes he hasn't said it out loud for weeks. ] You know? [What a smooth sentence. He really does almost make it work.] All everybody wants is to go home, it's almost impossible to believe it won't happen. [The moles have presented the findings so tentatively, though, that their situation is thrown into more stark relief, and Takao finds himself more seriously thinking about staying dead. He at least knows that they're supposed to be relieved at the news, and he and Clover should be keeping their spirits up.

...spirits, that's a good one, he'll have to tell Izuki-san that if (when) they get out of this.]

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