week 7

[vicedirector]

seven vices week 7 24 players remaining ♫ monday - thursday Monday morning begins just like the rest, slow and uneasy. At 12pm, every television will go off with its usual bout of static, followed by Katerina's calm, albeit disinterested, voice. "Please gather in the hotel lobby within the next hour." That's all that it says before the televisions turn off. Anyone not in their rooms will hear the voice echoing around them as if through a speaker system, although there are (still) no speakers present. After hearing the motive, characters who choose to explore will find that the void around the town has retracted a bit, and there is now a park and playground next to the clinic. >Mingle? This is Week 7's mingle log, covering Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Investigations will go up on Friday. When posting toplevels, specify the time and location. If you plan on having any private conversations between characters, remember to let us know in the post linked below. More plot elements will be introduced this week. Mod comments will be occasionally distributed to open toplevels, accordingly. cast setting rulebook profiles private conversations

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[princessantly]

[ Hands require a squeeze, every now and then; Alisha happens to like that little bit of pressure. And walking beside him, close enough for their shoulders to brush on occasion, is an additional thing she can appreciate. ]

You don't have to do anything that you haven't already done.

[symbologic]

Mmm...then I will continue to act in the same manner.

[He'll just keep doing what he's doing! Faize lapses into a comfortable sort of silence after that. The shoulder brushing is pretty nice...he actually does it a few times on purpose after the second or third accident. Just a few though.]

...can you imagine what it must have been like to do something like this when this town was...less deserted?

[Not that he's complaining of anything but consider: lights in the windows. No weirdass void obscuring half the town. Maybe other people out for romantic late night snow strolls??? It must have been really nice? In a quaintly sort of charming way.]

[princessantly]

I imagine it would only make the ambiance more cozy.

[ She looks at the buildings as they pass, the playground, imagining what Faize is speaking of. People around, talking and laughing, signs of a peaceful life all around them... Alisha slows then, lowering her head as the thought once again echos strongly in her mind: she doesn't want things to stay like this. ]

I wish there was more we could do, to try and make things right.

[symbologic]

Mmm...that was my thought as well. As is, it's...just as sad as it is beautiful.

[Because, really, it is kind f a pretty scene? Just...also very dead. Faize sighs.]

Helping would require us to know what went wrong in the first place. Something which both Miata and Katerina do not seem very inclined to do.

[What had she said when someone asked why the bodies were cut up? because they DID SOMETHING BAD? Something like that. How vague and infuriating.]

Miata, at least, did say that we would find out eventually, when I asked her. Granted, that was several weeks ago, now.

[princessantly]

"Eventually" could mean any given stretch of time... but I believe her. So then it's just a matter of waiting and learning what we can on our own...

[ Alisha states this with a worn-out sigh, though. Really, she dislikes not knowing how to solve a problem, and this one sure is a doozy. ]

[symbologic]

Yes, of course. But I had hoped "eventually" would be sooner, rather than later. After all, it would be rather disappointing if, by the time we do piece everything together, there are too few of us to do anything about this mess.

[FRUSTRATED SIGH.]

I simply do not see what they have to gain by being so cagey.

[princessantly]

I can't say I understand either, but-- [ She'll move, to place herself in front of him. Look at her and her determined self, dammit. ]

Let's not try to think of what could be disappointing, or what should happen if we fail. We can perhaps try to persuade Miata to be more forthcoming with us, and so long as we don't give up, I believe we will bring an end to all of this.

[symbologic]

......

[UGH, so inspiring. Why is he surrounded by so many inspiring people basically all the time? Edge... Alisha... Hinata...]

[Why are you all so good? And how can he be more like you?]

I was a bit pessimistic just now, wasn't I? You re right, of course. That's hardly the proper attitude to have. Make no mistake though, I have no intention of giving up, no matter how frustrating I find the situation.

[princessantly]

[ Achieve resolution! Good resolution!!

This seems to satisfy her, though, and she offers him a nod and a hand-squeeze, because she can do that too!! ]

I never thought that you would give up. That's one of the things that... ah, drew me to you in the first place.

[symbologic]

[Faize suddenly looks a little sheepish. A flatter sort of sheepish! But sheepish nonetheless.]

Was it? I'm flattered. [He gives her hand a slight tug. There are still more places to wander to, after all.] Though...I hope you are prepared to deal with the...less endearing side of that particular trait. I can be quite stubborn, you know.

[Look, there's a reason one of his elements is earth...]

[princessantly]

That's more than fine. I'm also stubborn.

[ To the dismay of the Council. But right, back to walking! There's still more to wander by. ]

[symbologic]

How fortunate for us both.

[It's hard to believe that this town was three buildings and a bonfire when they first arrived. That seems so long ago. But despite how much the town has grown, there are still only so many places to go. Wandering aimlessly may prolong the process, but eventually they'll find themselves back at the school.]

Well, here we are again. Back where we started. [He comes to a stop in the yard, staring contemplatively at the roof for a second before turning his attention back to Alisha, looking her over with a similar look of contemplation. He is...still holding her hand, because, speaking of stubborn, he's still going along with this ransom thing. Even if he has yet to get back to hostage negotiations.]

Would you still like to join me on the roof, or would you prefer to return to the hotel? You're not too cold, are you? [They've probably been wandering around for a pretty decent length of time at this point, after all. She may be dressed more warmly, but he thinks(???) normal people still get cold after a point, even if they're wearing extra layers. Maybe?? Is that how it works?]

[princessantly]

[ Truthfully, she's feeling the cold in her face, cheeks pink for proper weather reasons and not because Silver-Tongued Faize struck again. But she's not shivering and things seem more intimate out here.

Besides, he hasn't stated ransom conditions yet. ]

I'm fine... I interrupted your gazing earlier... I'd be happy to join you and let you continue.

[symbologic]

[Hm...short stargazing session since weather. That or maybe, just maybe they can cuddle a little on the roof.]

[Y'know. For warmth. Good ol' body heat. That's it, nothing else.]

Alright, then I suppose that brings us to this earlier matter... [He holds up their still-joined hands, grinning a little. And maybe ever so slightly nervously.] You will presumably need your hand to reach the rooftop. Bearing that in mind...are you prepared to listen to my terms for its release?

[princessantly]

Yes, of course. [ Promptly. Why do you look nervous, Faize? You're supposed to be a ruthless villain, right? ]

Please feel free to continue.

1/2

[symbologic]

[Even ruthless villains can be a little nervous about their ruthless plans! What if they don't work out quite as evilly as they intended? No matter how much evil scheming you do, it's not easy to account for every outcome!]

[Which is why he inhales deeply before taking the metaphorical plunge. Okay. nervousness contained and locked up. Only impassive seriousness now. He locks his eyes with Alisha.]

For the release of your fair and noble hand, I demand only one thing in return.

[...]

2/2

[symbologic]

[Nope, okay. Despite his best attempts at complete, total, and absolute seriousness, a very faint pink hue manages to creep onto his cheeks. Because for as much as he's tried to mentally steel himself for this while they were walking, he can't help but be nervous still.]

[Which is also probably why there's such a borderline dramatic pause here...]

...please allow me to kiss you.

[Faize, do you even know what the word DEMAND means?]

[princessantly]

[ That... was unexpected, and okay, now her flush can't be blamed on the weather. In fact, Alisha's pretty sure she's never felt warmer.

Also Faize, you're supposed to be demanding, not asking for permission! Some villain you are.

Still. A deep breath of her own, and then she nods. She could leave it at that, but he may need additional reassurance, so-- ]

I was... hoping you would, actually.

[symbologic]

[Demanding a kiss would be so rude though? What if she does not want to kiss him. Then he would just feel bad. Permission is an absolute necessity! It's important!]

[Even if, yeah, it kinda ruins the dastardly villain vibe a little a lot completely. And the way his eyes widen and his cheeks flush slightly pinker at the extra reassurance probably ruins it doubly completely.]

[Faize says nothing, just nods once before bringing his free hand up to Alisha's cheek and leaning forward, letting his eyes slowly close as he does so. And this time, this time he actually does it. No last minute cop outs, just a gentle press of his lips against hers. No pulling back after only a few seconds, either. This is not a drill, we're doing this kiss thing for real, this time.]

[princessantly]

[ ... Well, if he kisses this sweetly, she's kind of disappointed that he didn't go through with it at the slumber party. But then again, as she'd thought... a kiss like this didn't need to be witnessed by anyone else, just the two of them. And that it isn't inspired by the spin of a bottle makes it all the more precious to Alisha, because now she knows that this is what Faize wants.

Her free hand rises, to curl her fingers over his shoulder, and she leans in a little more. Her eyes have already closed, around the same time that his did, and that kiss is definitely being returned-- just as gently. ]

[symbologic]

[Make no mistake, he'd wanted to do it back then, too. Almost desperately so. But...it hadn't felt right. The circumstances, the atmosphere, just...everything about that moment had been all wrong. But here, now...everything feels right.]

[Well, almost everything, anyway. He's not entirely certain that "creepy abandoned schoolyard" is the best location he could have picked but...that can be overlooked in favor of everything else, right? Surely, if Alisha is kissing him back, that means it can. Which, speaking of, is the most right-feeling thing about this whole situation. Even if it makes his heart feel like it's too big for his chest. That's a good thing? It's a warm, happy feeling...the best feeling, in spite of the swollen weirdness.]

[We'll never know though, just how accurate Inaba's cherry stem test was. Faize is far too chaste to bring tongues into the equation, especially the first time. So after a few moments, when something in his head seems to suggest that they've reached a natural stopping point for this sort of thing, Faize pulls his head back. Just far enough away that he can see her face once he opens his eyes again, smiling and gazing at her with a hazy sort of fondness, hand still on her cheek.]

[He's pretty sure if he opens his mouth, he'll ruin the moment. Because his mind is a fuzzy sort of blank right now, and somehow saying anything in that state seems like a terrible idea. So he simply raises heir joined hands again, high enough for Alisha to see, and opens his hand so that their fingers are no longer laced together. You're free to go! Just like he promised.]

[princessantly]

[ She didn't really want him to let go, even though she's very much aware that climbing onto the schoolhouse roof isn't going to be easy with only one hand at her disposal. But his hand had been comforting, and that kiss had been... well, she doesn't have other kisses to compare it to, admittedly, but from the way she's mirroring Faize's dazed sense of happy affection, it's safe to say she doesn't regret the interaction at all.

It's a brief touch of her palm to his, before she lowers it, and Alisha's smile won't go away, no matter how silly she must look. ]

Your hand... I'll be taking that back once we're up there.

[ Simply a promise. ]