WEEK 3

[umbralant]

WEEK 3

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Another week, another set of bodies to add to the pile. Two lured in by The Lady's machinations, and another two done in by misfortune; six of your number are dead already. Who knows who it will be the next time? And for what reason? Nevertheless, there’s no choice but to keep pushing on in your own way; whether that means barricading yourself inside your room for the rest of your stay, leaving artwork of your fellow Survivors around the housing area, or eating all the raw meat in the vicinity… well, everyone deals with things differently.

Either way, you understand the drill by now, yes? Another portion of the city reveals itself as the fog retreats yet again, lampposts lighting the way to the new areas as usual. The full moon wanes to half this week too, so make the most of it.

[[Welcome to Week 3! Note that new areas have been added, and can be found under the Week 3 tab on our Locations page. Once again, feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. You can also privately contact The Lady or Rembrandt.]]

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Comments

[inordertobelieve]

I have yet to test out my doppelganger in any meaningful capacity, I suppose it will be able to provide us with an extra pair of hands if push comes to shove.

[ The idea of summoning it still grosses him out and even more to use it for anything, but there's only so much they can do now... ]

Let's try.

[reanbeans]

Right, let's hope for the best.

Also questioning first.

[ Rean wanted to give the other a chance to answer even if he was leaning towards the other being culpable.

Time to begin to head to Zan's? ]

[moonfang]

[Zan's room! The door is unlocked and the room is... kind of a mess. Clothes everywhere, his sheet ripped into long shreds, rat and pigeon bones sucked clean... A teenage boy's room except 500x worse.

There's a literal box made of ice in one corner that has what little is left of the food he stole from McDonalds, which isn't much. There's also a few empty toilet paper rolls and a bible that has half its pages torn out. There's a bucket from the supply closet with some sort of... white wet sludge in it.

Zangetsu himself is Sir Not Appearing In This Room]

[inordertobelieve]

Eugh.

[ That's it, that's the commentary. This place is disgusting and Mikami would be living a happier life if he'd never seen it. But also, that sludge intrigues him, despite his visceral repulsion. He steps closer. ]

What could this be, though?

[moonfang]

[It's... gross!

Well, it doesn't smell or anything at least... On closer inspection, the sludge isn't totally homogenous -- it's lumpy and some parts of it are more grey than white.

A clue to what it actually is stuck to the inside of the bucket -- a few torn-up pieces of bible verse are adhered to the side because they're soaking wet. So maybe that's what happened to the toilet paper, too...]

[reanbeans]

I'm...not sure. Muddy paint?

[ Seriously ew. He'll come closer as well and glance over at what the other was looking at as well. ]

...Or not.

Maybe we should start looking elsewhere.

[inordertobelieve]

[ This makes it slightly less mysterious, but no less disgusting. ]

Paper-maché? What did he even... Well, it doesn't matter. We don't have time for this.

[ Time to head for the door. ]

Let's try the clocktower next.

[moonfang]

[Paper maché!! Weird.

The clocktower is about how it always is -- empty. Ulquiorra lives the spartan life, and there's almost no traces he's been here. Or Zangetsu, for that matter. It's bone dry and free of blood. No clues here... except for the fact that Ulquiorra isn't here]

[reanbeans]

[ ...No Ulqui? ]

It doesn't look like he's around here either. Or anyone else who might be.

[ ... ]

Should we head to the Square and then milk bar?

[inordertobelieve]

Sounds good to me. We'll find him sooner or later.

[ Time to leave the spookily empty clock tower and set forth to new adventures! ]

[p_q]

[But wait! While the clock tower is empty as death, the streets you can see from it might not be...!

In the distance over by McDonald’s, you can see two or so figures making their way very slowly out from behind the tram station. Indistinctly, because fog is unhelpful, but one of them definitely has at least one horn if you squint hard enough.

> Head in that direction?]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami nudges Rean and points in the appropriate direction. Ulquoirra is the person who knows Zangetsu the best, even though the two of them don't get along, so if this is him, he might still have a hint.

Worth talking to him anyway. Maybe the second figure even is Zangetsu? ]

[p_q]

[And off they go, to see the Wizard of Oss(uaries).

The closer they get to the hotel the wetter it gets -- the streets aren't running like rivers anymore, but there's certainly still puddles and smatterings of blood thereabouts; some of them seem to run into side streets, but nothing especially fresh or decisive. However, if our intrepid investigators are paying attention to their feet...

They'll notice a little blood mixed in with the water heading off towards the other side of town. It's drying off by now, but there's also a small, clearer trail heading into the opera house. Hmm.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ The one that's clear seems like the more obvious choice to follow immediately, even if only to briefly check where it leads before heading down the other path before it dillutes.

It's closer and if they find somebody here, all the better.

So what awaits in the house of music? ]

[p_q]

[The helpful little water trail leads all the way over to the backstage area deep in the opera, so it's probably a good thing they have electricity here now; at some points it seems in danger of fading entirely, but luckily there's still wet scuffs on the floor to lead the way! Speaking of wet, they're going to find...

One (1) somewhat damp Ulquiorra making himself at home amidst the racks of clothes -- probably somewhere between the really frilly ones and the homely ones for bit parts or whatever. Why he's there is immediately evident: the top of his ubiquitous white uniform is pretty much shredded, and brightly decorated in both red and blue. Some ripped off bits have been used as impromptu bandaging, but there's still enough slashes, claw marks and bites(??) showing (and there's a good few) to notice that the most severe ones have been frozen shut.

The Arrancar himself is nonchalantly staring at what looks like a waistcoat of some sort. He's holding himself a little more stiffly than usual, but he only glances up briefly when disturbed.]

That took much longer than I was expecting.

[Time to face the music.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Oh.

For a moment, Mikami is glued to the doorframe, unsure how to proceed. He'd spend the last hour in the full belief that Zangetsu is their culprit only to find Ulquiorra has the same ability - and likely enough, the same reasons to want to regain his power. It feels like a personal failing that he'd never as much as considered him, but that's an issue he can confront later. ]

You. Explain yourself.

[p_q]

[That gets him another look, a touch more disdainful this time.]

Not very good at interrogation, are you?

I see no reason to explain myself.

[inordertobelieve]

I was being courteous. It's more than obvious you were involved in Pizza's death. You can't be allowed to run free anymore.

[ Unless he has a VERY good defense, but given none was forthcoming, Mikami does not believe there will ever be any. ]

[p_q]

Empty courtesy is a waste of both our time.

[He's still patiently perusing the classier sections of the opera costuming. The waistcoat is apparently a 'maybe'; hats are passed up in favor of digging for gloves, or possibly pants. His hakama has fared a bit better than the top of the outfit, but it definitely needs a good wash and a mending at this point.

Apart from all of that, and the definitely-blood all over the place, you'd think he was on a Sunday afternoon shopping trip.]

We are all here to be involved in death. Whether or not we kill or die on orders or due to circumstance doesn't matter.

Do you still think you can impose your own order here?

[reanbeans]

[ As he listened, Rean couldn't help but be upset.

To think he hadn't anticipated this at all. ]

And you think that somehow justifies what you did?! What were you thinking?!

[p_q]

I have no need to justify myself.

[To you, goes unsaid, but the scorn is clear in the way he regards them, finally putting down his selection and giving them his proper attention. His voice is cold and matter-of-fact.]

I assume this is about the death of that creature called Pizza, though all you've done is go on and on without coming to the point. [like seriously, does he have to do everything around here??] What would you like me to say, then? That it was an accident? That it was somehow regrettable?

He was in the way, has always been in the way, and has reaped the consequences of that. Frankly, if he had to die in such an unsightly manner, he could have at least died a useful death.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami can hear the blood rush in his ears, anger floating in his veins. He's seen many unrepentant criminals in his time, but he'd gotten so used to being able to convict them. He'd gotten so used to them just dying, as they should. But Ulquiorra...? They can't kill him without triggering another trial and none of them are really executioners to start with. They can only contain, they can only....

It's just not enough. It's not enough to subdue the hatred he feels at the casual way Ulquiorra dismisses Pizza's whole humanity. ]

The only creature here is you. Come with us.

[reanbeans]

[ ...

It's been awhile since he had seen such a callous disregard for someone's life. He was taking in a few deep breaths himself, and honestly he didn't consider himself hotheaded, but dear Aidios.

He's just kind of standing there, quietly, watching Ulquiorra. To see if he refused, because Rean didn't trust himself to say anything right now. ]

[p_q]

[There's no real reaction to the first part of Mikami's statement. Every Hollow is simply a creature, or a conglomeration of creatures and features with no particular name or meaning until they're given one, or stumble across one. Just things, existing in the void until they stop.

It's interesting, though, to see the way these two wear their anger and indignation -- the creature who called himself a Food Soul had been a loud one, easy to approach, easy for humans to fathom and relate to. Something simple for simple palates and still not particularly human at all.

But that's neither here nor there.]

And what will that accomplish?

[inordertobelieve]

The group will need to confine you.

[ And in front of the suspect- no, culprit-- Mikami can't let himself show any uncertainty that others would cooperate. ]

Your willingness to act on the motive is a hazard to all of us. You can't be allowed to roam free.