[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

[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) ]

[heartofcorundum]

[It's a grazing blow, a thin line of bright red against his fingertips [5] in attempt to withdraw.]

You aren't.

[He shakes his hand free, wincing from the sting.]

It is fine, if you aren't, Siffrin. This is not a problem any of us can solve alone.

But you cannot throw the hurts out onto the rest as blame. You cannot burn yourself to the ground and the rest of the world with it.

You have to live with it. Live with the hurt, and share it. Live, so we can make sure it will be a victory.

[Another lunge towards their knife, just as sloppy as the last. [3]]

cw suicidal ideation

[siriuspuns]

[ With a simple side step, Siffrin is capable of dodging the blow with ease. (13)

But it’s Thancred’s words that truly

make

them

pause.

And it makes them realize that beautiful and bizarre shade that seeps from Thancred’s fingers. Terrifying. Gorgeous. You saw it when you and the King tried to say the name of your forgotten home, right? You both choked on that shade as it bubbled out of your mouth instead of the name of your long-forgotten home. You have no home.

You have no world.

All you have is a nightmare here, and a nightmare to return to.

(that’s right. that’s right that’s right that’s right. even if you come back there will be nothing for you to return to except for those pale copies of your family members. the real ones have abandoned you, left you behind like the trash that you are even though you wished


you


wished


you


WISHED

that you would                                     all stay together.

you wished for that, didn’t you, siffrin? under that favor tree, so long ago?)

In that case, what’s wrong with destroying it all? What worth is there in struggling for any longer than they’ve already done?

With a roar of desperation, grief, hysteria, and anger, Siffrin throws himself at Thancred, using their full body weight to try and knock the man off balance. With his knife bared and ready to strike, this is no longer just a simple fight for Siffrin.

They’ll tear this world apart with their own hands if they have to, even if it costs them everything. ]

[heartofcorundum]

[It's a break he has hoped would be quiet. Perhaps later. Perhaps under better company, better words, better empathy.

Now all that is left is a spiralling storm. One that can't be talked down.

He stumbles as they rush forward with ferocity, jostled enough to be knocked to one knee. Open, just enough. Wide open.

But so is Siffrin, in the ways that matter. And as they advance with blade raised, he sees his opening, like a target plain on their right.

With no further words, Thancred drops his weight to brace, draws his arm back, and swiftly plows a fist directly across Siffrin's face with a hard crack.]

[siriuspuns]

[ The punch connects without problem. Though he can’t feel the pain, they are able to hear a sickening crack as the world around them goes dark. Unconscious, they fall back like a puppet with its strings cut once it has outlasted its usefulness.

With brows knit together and their nose bleeding, even their knocked out expression doesn’t look peaceful. All they can do is continue following the script given to them. ]

[heartofcorundum]

[He shakes his hand loose as he climbs back up to his feet, exhaling.]

Someone get them somewhere safe.

And get those knives out of here.

[robopriest]

[Hansa is immediately turning on his heel and sweeping in to the scene. Of course, he's going to check on Siffrin first, sighing as he bends to scoop them up in his arms, but-]

[He won't forget Thancred, either. His usual carefree expression is gone. He's so, so tired.]

Please. Go to the infirmary right away. You need to be cared for. [His voice is a little hoarse.] Get lanterned or whatever. Okay...?

[physalia]

[ok pretend she said all this to him instead bye]

[heartofcorundum]

[His hand clenches reflexively. The wound burns, and the red is vibrant. But it's shallow. Thank the Twelve, it's shallow.]

Aye. I'll not leave it be.

...Tend to them. My words were not going to reach them, regardless. But I would not sit and watch them spiral so.

[physalia]

[Cantarella free from cutscene jail hooray.]

Whoever takes them, please remain by their side. They'll need it.

[Sheeeee is....leaving? Probably? Well, sooner or later, she'll be gone.]

[heartofcorundum]

[...]

[physalia]

[Well, before she drifts away:]

You weren't hurt, were you, Thancred? [Her hand goes to reach out, but hesitates, remembering Siffrin's recoil.]

Go gently, and seek the comfort of your loved ones.

[heartofcorundum]

I feel I should be asking you that.

[He sees the hesitance, and holds his hand out in return. The slicing wound is vibrant and red, but shallow.]

My treatment was inconsiderate. And perhaps a little overblown. But I would not have forgiven myself if you had been caught in the fray just for your good intentions.

[physalia]

[Cantarella turns his hand over immediately to examine the wound. One she can fix today, at least.]

Hm? But he was right, dear. I carry my blame for the deaths that occurred on my watch, and he judged me for them.

[Her eyes are quite dark, her tone pensive, but even. She lifts her head.] Shall we get this cleaned up?

[heartofcorundum]

...

[His lone eye drifts towards where Shinji's body last laid unmoving and cold.]

We live with the failure of doing everything in our power.

None of us could have stopped it once it began. It is not your fault.