Week 2

[airlockedmods]

[Other than the reappearance of the Overseer, there's no real change in the routine. PAL still makes the morning and night time announcements through the PIP on each Champion's arm, and still the Champion unitards are freshly laundered and re-hung each morning in their closets.

No other floors unlock, but Cece and Kip will still be appearing randomly to chit-chat.

All you know is... something has to change soon.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your AC for week 1 and submit your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

[scourgingstars]

I am absolutely certain that is something I need not hear the details of.

[misanthropicprinciple]

What, you don't have Christmas where you come from? Sucks to be you, man.

[scourgingstars]

...I've no idea what that is.

[junpei you don't want to know what happened to eos' version of christ.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

It's a holiday celebrated in most parts of my world. People give gifts, kiss under mistletoe, spend money... the works. In the original religious context, it's supposed to celebrate the birth of the world's savior, but, eh.

[Shrug. Sip.]

[scourgingstars]

[And, not missing a beat when it came to an opportunity to be sarcastic:]

I haven't been around long enough to inspire a holiday yet, Junpei.

[misanthropicprinciple]

You are supposedly two thousand years old.

[COINCIDENCE???]

[scourgingstars]

[I THINK NOT]

Supposedly. I'm still not convinced.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Yeah, yeah, but it's still funny.]

What's your secret? Herbal tea, diet, and exercise?

[scourgingstars]

Who knows? Maybe I'm simply so good at what I do that even the Draconian sought to keep me around a bit longer.

[see, it's funny because he's terrified of the alternative!]

I must say I look fairly good after apparently having been reigning for eons.

[misanthropicprinciple]

You'd expect more grey hairs, yeah.

[Junpei lifts his drink in a toast.]

To your health, Your Majesty.

[scourgingstars]

[Laughing, Ardyn swept into a highly overdramatic bow with no small amount of dramatic flourish to it.]

How truly grateful I am, to be a ruler of such caring subjects.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Long live the King.

[At least getting hydrated's doing him some good, here.]

So did I miss anything while I was, ah, driving under the influence, among my other various drunken misdemeanors?

[scourgingstars]

Nothing that I've noticed. This place is ever the same as it has been since we arrived.

[...]

I have my doubts that will last forever.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei looks up and grunts. Elaborate, my dude?]

[scourgingstars]

Think about it. Nothing's changed; even trying to unlock or otherwise open those doors comes with an unnamed punishment I've little doubt might be as harsh as death, and at the moment our singular lead on how to get out of here is that pesky little rule about murder.

I've quite a lot at stake to return to, and I've no doubt the others can say much the same. While I want to trust those of us here--should desperation set in, things may get very difficult very quickly.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...

Yeah.

If it goes on like this... "difficult" is the best we can hope for. I've seen people break faster, for worse reasons.

[He sighs and pushes a hand up beneath the floppy mess of his hair, concealing his eyes for a moment.]

Fuck.

[scourgingstars]

I'm worried as well. If it comes to that and someone should get hurt or even worse, there's not even so much as basic medical equipment around here.

[Ardyn sighed as he leaned back against the kitchen counter; he looked to his hand in slight uncertainty as that same light from their first encounter appeared and quickly sparked out like a short circuit.]

...I've never been so incapable of helping the people right in front of me. Should something actually happen, I find myself completely at a loss for what the results could be.

[misanthropicprinciple]

They did send me some bandages along with the toys and underwear, but patch-up work's only going to do so much if someone's got a serious intent to kill.

[And they don't have any Phoenix Downs.]

At least there aren't a lot of places someone could even do it. Not if they want to get away with it, anyway. There's pretty much just the garden--or maybe the pool, if no one else is around.

[scourgingstars]

But it's far from impossible. All it would take is a mere few unguarded moments in reasonable seclusion, and considering how we already seem to have come to trust one another, 'unguarded moments' are in abundance. As for the seclusion, even those two locations are too many.

Even if they should fail to get away with it, the damage will have been done regardless.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah. Dammit. I keep telling people to keep their eyes open...

[Says the guy who passed out drunk in the rest area. Might as well have gift-wrapped himself.]

[scourgingstars]

...

[no you know what he's gonna say it]

You would do better not to pull anything like yesterday's little escapade again. Considering the state you're in, were I not standing here you would make an easy target even now.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Heh. Right. Thanks, Dad.

[Oh boy, here we go.]

I'm a detective in the goddamned underworld, Ardyn. I don't get police armor, I don't have a badge. I've been an easy target every day of my life since I started this job.

[He takes another swig of his drink.]

At least if they got me yesterday, maybe I would've died halfway fuckin' happy.

[scourgingstars]

Yes, and I fight daemons every night. Combat experience and exposure to danger doesn't mean that one is immune to making mistakes.

[like getting blasted and drunk driving a tiny pedal car]

Don't take your own life so lightly just because of a dire situation. I don't doubt for an instant that there are those who would be upset if you adopted such an outlook, or worse, just gave up and died entirely.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Snort.]

Chyeah. Sure. You can believe that if you want.

[A theory: People with lots of friends and involved family members don't often become underground detectives at age 22.]

[scourgingstars]

[i mean. fair.]

I'll believe what I like, as will you. You've no reason to think me honest, but if something were to happen to you I would find myself quite upset at the very least.