theairlock | Week 5

Entry tags:

!round 2,
!week 5

Week 5

[As with the weeks before, life in the Fantasy Sweet returns to something resembling normalcy with shocking efficiency. The second floor rest area and ~~Adventure Zone~~ Death Orb Room are spotless again, the demon glitter has been vacuumed, the deflated orbs have been replaced. It's like none of it ever happened, like three more friends aren't dead and stored away in the guest house morgue.

There's a new floor to explore, their "reward" for a job well done.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your activity for week 4, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

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[ To start with, Clarith with lay out a golden key. Heart will definitely recognize it. ]

I... Didn't know what this was when I first found it waiting for me. But I understand it now. There's... A story to go with it. Arianna and Nari will know more of the details, I only know what I've read of my own autobiography. Ardyn knows some things, too, but...

[ She takes a deep breath, as if she's a bit unsure. ]

...After I fled to Aceid, I know Mikaela and I were employed by Lord Freezis and his family as maids. There, Mikaela met King Kyle Marlon. He... Fell in love with her, and eventually broke off his engagement to the ruler of Elphegort's neighbor: Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche.

[ Those from Earth who know history would recognize that last bit, because that's exactly Marie Antoinette d'Autriche. ]

She was the ruling princess, and... She was very, very angry. Nari and Arianna read about it. She... Committed genocide upon Elphegort, ordering the deaths of all Elphe women. And her army was strong. I read how we hid Mikaela, but she was... Still found. I was apparently captured at some point and held prisoner.

[ She is quiet for a bit. ]

...The Green Hunting, as it was called, was ended with Mikaela's confirmed death. Soon after, revolution sparked in Lucifenia and the princess was beheaded by her own guillotine. Or... So the story went. I know my autobiography cut off talking about a girl who was just as lonely as I was, but... I didn't realize until last night what that meant. There is still a sizable gap in my memory, but...

[ ...She's nervous and she fidgets a bit, staring down and boring a hole in the floor. ]

...I remember being on a beach at night. There's a girl with long, golden hair kneeling, sobbing, with her back turned. She threw a bottle into the water, and I recall Mikaela's voice demanding I take revenge. The feelings I know then... There's pain and anger and despair. The girl is... Riliane. A fallen princess who somehow survived a revolution. I nearly killed her, and then there was... A boy who looked like her before me. And he smiled sadly at me. I was thrown off, so I looked to Mikaela for help, only to realize she wasn't Mikaela. She was a demon wearing her face, tempting me. Riliane--Rin--turned to me and begged me to kill her. She had razed my home, my country, and purposely killed numerous people to kill the woman I loved, after all.

[ Clarith is quiet. A bit uncomfortable. ]

...I couldn't do it. I cut her hair, but I couldn't kill her. The knife became silent, and turned into this key. I... Don't know if it can still do that. I'm scare that they sent me a potentially demon-possessed object. Don't touch it. Don't listen to it. Please. And I felt you all should know... What happened. So I don't have something to hide.

...

You should probably get rid of that thing somehow.

...I don't exactly have anywhere to throw it where it won't be found and potentially used by someone here.

[ Otherwise she would have. ]

If you put it in the oven at a really, really high temperature, do you think it'd melt?

...It's a demon-possessed object, do you think it can?

[ EXCEPT IT'S... Not possessed, not that she knows that. ]

What's the worst that can happen? Honestly. What's the worst that can happen, I feel like that's important to know before I recommend trying it.

...The entire place catches on fire?

Okay, that's pretty bad. I'm no longer in favor of that plan, that plan can fuck off.

If my powers weren't being limited, I could try and melt it... for now, why not give it to someone you trust to keep it hidden?

...I could do that.

[ ...That'd probably be Arianna. ]

Make sure it's someone who won't give it up under duress.

[Arianna just... takes her arm.]

[ Gonna lean on you, girlfriend. ]

You lived... through all of that and you still...

[She is in awe. We don't deserve you Clarith.]

Forgave her?

...I have been the victim of hatred all of my life. Rocks thrown at me, threatened with crucifixion and being burned alive, taken advantage of, framed for murder... ...If I do not believe that people can change for the better... If I do not give them the chance that Mikaela gave me, someone branded a demon's child for existing... If I do not believe that they can get better... What does that say about me?

[ All she's known is hatred and scorn. ]

Twenty-one years of pain and hatred and anger. ...I can't live like that, Queenie. To give in to that... I don't think I could live with myself. To become so hateful as the people who cased these.

[ She'll roll up a sleeve and show off the scars she has. ]

Does that... Make sense?

[She nods, quiet for a long moment. She can understand that, moving past the pain, above it all. She doesn't know if she could do it but she understands the logic.]

Clarith... gosh I don't think I've ever met anyone as strong as you.

I wish I could be- [She shakes her head, looks back at Ardyn, moves closer to Clarith so that they're less likely to be actively overheard.]

I could... make it different. If I can ever get my wand, some basic potions ingredients. I might be able to... help. [And maybe that's what all of these friendship speeches were more about. Less "accept you for you" and more "help you be the better person". It's hard to wrap her head around, not when what he's talking about is so damn terrifying.]

[ EXACTLY, QUEENIE. Help him be a better person! But she's quiet, a whisper. ]

I was wondering, actually... The Key gave me an idea. ...Would it be possible for your magic to move what's in him into a new vessel, even if piece by piece? Something that can't move or speak normally.

[ARE YOU ASKING HER TO MAKE A HORCRUX!?]

I dunno? But if it's a plague of some sort... I might be able to do somethin? Something magics from his world couldn't do.

[ ...Is a horcrux made from removing the demons plaguing someone and sealing them elsewhere? ]

Mhm. I know... There's a good, but hurt, person in there. And that's who I want to save...

[Removing parts of oneself and sealing them elsewhere. Depends on how much those demons are "him".]

Everyone's been hurt. It's what you do in the face of that pain that defines who you are. I truly believe that...

Plague aside, I... I honestly don't know if I can have as much faith in him as you and Leonard do.

...I think... There's someone in there worth saving. The karaoke thing we did last week... He seemed to be enjoying himself, and... I think that person is still in there. Somewhere. He's just... Got a few demons he needs help with, is all. Like I did.

[ Like with the key. ]

[She sighs, thinking back on his date with Chruch too. He couldn't be all bad, somehow, somewhere, she knew that.

He still unsettled her. It was like being in the room with Grin-

Mr. Graves

She has this awful epiphany and completely derails their conversation, sorry Clarith.]

I think my sister's boss is an imposter! [She's been trying to piece this together for two weeks. Apparently she just needed to be in the same room as another sociopath.]

Eh?

[ WHAT IS GOING ON QUEENIE SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. ]

My memories... everythin's been so balled up. Mr. Graves hidin things, demoting her... last week. She- she was just doin her job and he was gonna have her and Newt executed. He's been so-

[She's torn between absolute horror and awe at the man's skill.]

He ain' Mr. Graves... He can't be. He's-

He's gotta.... be....

Grindelwald!?

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Week 5

Meeting Sharesies Time

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CW: Abuse

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