WEEK 6

[bathymetric]

Another week, another three lost - and this time all to one murder case. And that's to say nothing of the execution, or whatever went on with that ouija board that still sits in the library... strange things are afoot in the facility, and some of them not even your captor seems fully equipped to explain.

The other of the two doors in the main living area finally opens after another lost Saturday, and what lies beyond is... strange, to say the least. Looks like there's no shortage of changes, even in the architecture. It certainly seems like you should have gotten something like this before the water park at the very least, don't you think?

Angel's still out and about at night, if you want to be found. And who knows what else you might find if you're out alone? Apparently, you might have a ghost on your hands.



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ooc: Welcome to Week 6! If you want Angel or to try your hand at the ouija, please make sure to note in your toplevel, same as an investigation! AC is over here, regains are here, and, well...

You've all got a new app on your devices! Use it wisely. ]

Comments

Fossil room

[bolderfell]

[Of course he wouldn't think to look for her there. It just so happens that he saw her exiting the wood shop. After Nova and that whole kerfuffle with the grappling hook and but who else could have carved it, he's kinda. Well. He's a little sensitive, now, to others pulling from the workshop's stock. Therion follows Rhea as only a thief can and watches her go to town with her sword from the safety of the hall.]

I can go back for more if you need.

[He offers it neutrally. He doesn't really want to get too near Rhea after the Therion Check, but something's gotten under his skin this week. The group's reaction as a whole to the Professor's offer bothers him more than it has in the past.]

[archboxer]

[She probably wouldn't have noticed even if he wasn't a thief. To say she's in her own head might be an understatement. She doesn't seem present.

The sword makes simple work out of the borrowed wood. She doesn't even seem to notice when she misses and the blade goes bouncing off an exihibit or the floor. It's only his words that makes Rhea stop. Her muttering grows silent.

It's a good thing he's in the hallway still. She turns around with a speed he's familiar with, blade raising. Foe? Friend? An agent of the traitorous emperor?

No. This wasn't Fodlan, was it? Recognition comes slowly as she lowers her sword.]

Therion. [She says his name quietly, reminding herself of the present. Yes. Just Therion. A thief but not an agent.] ...Thank you. Yes, I could use more. I apologize. I was... [Rhea glances around at the mess. Ah.]

Distracted.

[bolderfell]

[In the terrible moment before she stops herself, he visibly flinches and takes a half-step back, even as far as he is out of her reach. It's another few heart-pounding moments before he nods, stiff and wary.]

Right. I could see that. Be back soon, then.

[He walks at a slow, meticulously measured pace back the way he came to collect more targets for Rhea's wrath that aren't him, trying to shake old memories out of his eyes.]

[archboxer]

[That was bad. Wasn't that why she was out here in the first place? So she could vent her frustration without causing harm to her fellow prisoners? By the time he returns, she's slipped the sword back into it's holder and is trying to clean up the area a little so she could start once more.]

I did not mean to do so. [She apologizes once more when he returns. She couldn't let her mind wander here. Not when a surprise could end up disastrous for everyone.]

[bolderfell]

I know. It's fine.

[If he sounds somewhat short, still, at least he's not shying away from her. He carries his armload of wood her way.]

Where do you want this?

[archboxer]

[It's a relief he's talking to her at a ll after the... Therion check.]

There should be good, Therion. [She clears her throat. She needs to think of something else to focus on.] Did you find the scroll?

[bolderfell]

[Down goes the wood with satisfying, solid noise. He knows a thing or two about having to stay grounded in the present.]

Yeah. Very fine work. It'd fetch me more than a few leaves at Grandport. [He straightens and brushes his hands off.] You really wanted it gone that badly?

[archboxer]

[They trade in leaves??? Okay you know what, you do you.]

It recounts an old failure of mine. [She tries to focus on moving towards the wood to set up some more training 'dummies'.] No doubt you noticed the white creature on it.

[bolderfell]

[We can't all just find bullion lying around on the corpses of our enemies and trade in pure gold, Rhea!]

The dragon? Of course.

[archboxer]

[Leaves, though?]

That is a drawing of me.

[She did say she was a dragon.] My other form.

[bolderfell]

[It's just the name, gosh.]

...Is it a good likeness?

[archboxer]

Overall? Yes. A little smaller than in reality but artistic license, I suppose.

[It still was huge though.]

[bolderfell]

[It was Huge. Rhea...]

Then it's too bad you can't transform here. Bet you could carry us all to the surface--in one trip, even.

[He steps further back from the wood pile and crosses his arms.]

So it was a failed attempt at that... vessel business, right.

[archboxer]

[She's thicc, Therion. Okay?]

I have often lamented that myself. It would not have been easy but it would have been an option.

[She can't breathe underwater but she probably could have figured out some magic to compensate.]

That was my attempt before... that 'vessel business', yes.

[bolderfell]

What exactly did you do? You said it was already working.

[He doesn't sound sharp or anything. Just curious.]

[archboxer]

I will admit that... my bravado was to taunt Zelos.

[She winces.]

The first attempt was to revive Mother using her remains and a relic called the Chalice of Beginnings. It only created a monster. That was nearly a thousand years ago.

[bolderfell]

Oh.

[That is very unfortunate and Fullmetal Alchemist. Poor Rhea.]

...Were you able to put the monster to rest?

[archboxer]

[The DLC went hard.]

Yes... I realized that way could not work to revive anyone, let alone a goddess. That is why I turned to vessels made out of my own blood.

[bolderfell]

...You mean blood or kin?

[Like, actual "crystallized my blood into horror stones" kind of vessels or "this is my body this is my blood" symbolic kind of vessels?]

[archboxer]

My actual blood; it is a process similar to how Mother formed myself and Seteth.

[... 'I'm a test tube baby, probably'.]

[bolderfell]

['What's a test tube.']

Oh. So. That worked?

[archboxer]

[A big bottle.]

I tried with twelve different... daughters. I was about to try again when I woke up here. [...] Before you ask, no, the failure of the ritual was not in my envelope. Seteth told me; he was from a different point in time from me.

[bolderfell]

Wasn't going to ask.

[He shakes his head and looks away.]

If you think it'd do you good to talk about it, I'll listen. But a good thief knows when not to push his luck... and you have a sword.

[archboxer]

I appreciate that.

[She glances at her sword. Yes... she does, doesn't she? Yet the person she wishes to use it on is far away.]

The archbishop is responsible for an entire continent and yet I am stuck here. It is quite vexing that even as we speak the seeds of war are being sown.

[bolderfell]

Big responsibility to put on one person, isn't it? Stopping a whole war. Even if you are larger than they draw in the records.