[0] WEEKS WITHOUT MURDER

[maladied]

BONJOUR.

Another morning greets you in [ setting ], and it greets you loudly. A commotion erupts somewhere ahead: voices raised, someone screaming, another shouting for help. If you're unlucky enough to be passing near the infirmary, you have a front-row seat to the chaos.

Fran and Y'shtola are flung from the infirmary like ragdolls, hitting the ground in a tangle of limbs and dust. Something inside is on a rampage— something feral, unbound, and unwilling to be tamed.

The speakers crackle to life, Lobelia's voice far too cheerful for the circumstances.

❝ Bonjour, mes amis. If you happen to be wandering near the infirmary this fine morning, do take care... there appears to be a rather spirited beast expressing its displeasure. Fran and Y'shtola have already demonstrated the consequences of getting too close... quite spectacularly, I might add.

So, unless you wish to go flying before breakfast, I suggest maintaining a respectful distance. C'est simple.

Thank you for your attention, and do enjoy the rest of your morning... preferably from afar. ❞

OOC NOTE: A temporary barrier formed around the battlefield during the fight. Only characters already inside the epicenter were able to participate. Anyone who attempts to cross the boundary will be met with a sharp electric shock and forcibly bounced back several feet.

Comments

[heartofcorundum]

[...

Silently, he abandons his post and slowly advances on Siffrin.

Gonna keep yelling, kid?]

[divineth]

[Urianger watches this happen, and...doesn't stop him.

He just lowers his head sorrowfully as he keeps tending to Y'shtola.]

1/2

[siriuspuns]

[ Siffrin sees Thancred approaching and they

finally fall silent. ]

2/2 cw derealization hours real babeyy

[siriuspuns]

[ And instead

pull out their knife.

Come at him, monster. ]

[heartofcorundum]

[He doesn't pull out his own knife until there is little room between them. Blade held defensive, not offensive, as he immediately jerks forward in an attempt to disarm them with a blow to the wrist. [7] ]

[siriuspuns]

[ The knife is knocked out with ease (4), but they don’t even wince. Hundreds of loops have taught them how to fight to the point that they can smoothly reach back and pull out another knife— the one that they woke up with, and try to disarm Thancred in return. (16)

They smile. ]

Come on, is this all you’ve got? Or do you think going easy on me will save you?

[heartofcorundum]

[It's a trading of blades, with Thancred's equally being lost [5]. Perhaps not a surprise, given that he is newly missing an eye and arm both. But it doesn't stop his efforts.]

I am not here to be saved.

[Someone like him? No.]

Everyone is doing as much as they can. Everyone. They are exhausting themselves. You are exhausting yourself.

Giving into our despair now is only going to give her more wishes of despair to pluck. It will not save anyone.

[He's barehanded now. But he will still attempt to disarm them again [3].]

[siriuspuns]

I’m fine!

[ Siffrin doesn’t fare much better, but just good enough to keep a handle on their knife (6). It’s difficult when they can’t feel any of the hits coming their way, but they do their best to rely only on their admittedly dulled instinct.

(it’s so hard to breathe. one stop and you’ll be killed by him and the others, for sure! just like shinjiro! just like mcgillis!)

There’s a part of Siffrin that urges them to attack, but they find themselves reluctant too. Even if it’s not Thancred, it looks and talks like him— can they attack something so human like?

They swipe their knife upwards in a diagonal slash— not intending to actually hit Thancred, but more as a warning for him to get away. (10) ]

[0202]

[Hmm.

He suddenly walks off towards whichever restaurant is closest. Any will have the secret tool he will need for this.]

[robopriest]

[...]

[He watches him with a widened eye, but he's not moving.]

[0202]

[He will be coming back with two kitchen knives lol]

[robopriest]

Blade.

[He's actually going to step in front of him.]

Blade, look at me.

[atouts]

[ Sure hope rogue #4 has better rolls than rogue #1, #2, and #3.... ]

[fetteredwings]

[Oh. She sure threw her knife away. Hm]

[hymned]

[ Honestly, maybe he should have brought more things back to their room too... ]

[physalia]

[While she is rather certain of Thancred's intentions, she's not sure of their effectiveness.

Seemingly impervious (or is she?) to the barrage she's receiving, she repositions herself between them again. It's fine.]

[anaxagoreia]

[ Why are you all like this? ]

[physalia]

[Because she can take it.]

[anaxagoreia]

[ That's nice, but people being like that is also why Anaxagoras is watching closely to make sure no one else feels like waltzing into the path of danger.

(not that he can do anything himself rn but it's the thought that counts) ]

[heartofcorundum]

[Sorry, Cantarella, he can and will be shouldering you aside. He has to do something.]

[physalia]

...

[avocations]

[ She simply watches Cantarella. ]

[physalia]

[She's cutscene locked for the second time today, so there's not much to see, but Cantarella keeps her back turned, her one empty hand flexing open and closed though the rest of her body is as straight as ever.]

[avocations]

[ She can see the motion, combined with the way Cantarella stays still, and she closes her eyes. ]

As full of resolve as ever.

[physalia]

[Well, that's over now.

Cantarella takes a moment to gather herself, then looks back at everyone spread out around the infirmary green. It seems Victor's stepped away, but Y'shtola is still here. Cantarella's eyebrows lower, the shadow of a thought. She opens her umbrella against the rain.]

...Make sure it's not just your sense of touch obscuring things. [In case the injuries are worse than they feel.]