murder game #6

[shinsengumi]

Five teams: only two will survive. Destroy the other team's * Flag * while protecting your own to survive.

✣ ELEMENTAL ✣
Drael .s
Fenton
Griffith .s
Hassan .s
Helene
Kristopher
Leonel .s
Odette .s
Reece
Vox
* Yvain *

❖ OTHER 1 ❖
Aeva
Alexiel
Ellias
* Indra *
Jasper
Joss
Luce
Rehn
Shryke
Tristram
Vaughn
Wolf

✶ OTHER 2 ✶
Aubrey
Fila
Gil
Laurence
Mori
Malis
Nessa
* Oberin *
Rhad
Shai
Shanar
Yasu

♡ MENTAL ♡
Cyrel
Hollingworth
Lisette
* Olivia *
Astor
Tir
Qalam-Qir
Roswell
Siegfried
Sohma
Thane
Tsing
Uilliam
Visvaldis
Xian
Zach

⌇ PHYSICAL ⌇
Ashleigh
Brigitte
Cabel
D'Ivann
Kevlahn
Kieran
Kin
Koh
Kol
Larsen
Laurel
* Solus *
Talbot

Comments

ELEMENTAL

[favoured]

[There are a few people he recognises here—most jarringly, Helene—but they're all united by their purple armbands and the information they just received.

Solus isn't here...]

Do you know each other?

[He's not trying to be leader, but someone has to start this.]

[contagion]

Yeah, some of us do.

[Drael takes note of the purple band on his arm, then points out the participants he knows as he takes stock of them: Fenton, Griffith, Hassan, and Kristopher. That means Fila, Malis, and Shryke are somewhere else. All told, could be worse.

Drael rubs the back of his head, rolling one shoulder.]

So we all okay on how this works?

[royalwarden]

It seems clear enough. [Oberin has to be protected. It might be too soon to share that information with her new teammates, but it's always the truth.]

The longer we wait, the more time our enemies will have to prepare. Those of us who are combat-ready should head out immediately.

[beautifuldeath]

Well if you don't mind very much, I'll be staying right here. If anyone makes an effort to attack me, it'll simply be the last thing they do.

[Yvain lifts his chin, then sits himself down rather primly on then nearest not-quite-destroyed wall. In response to any funny looks thrown his way, he lifts his chin even higher and retorts.]

You think it's good military tactics to send your most valuable person out into the field? Tch, wars were only ever lost that way.

[costofpeace]

[Hassan doesn't say anything, but he is fuming. Visibly fuming. This was never going to be easy.]

[royalwarden]

[She actually knows this man. He was a war hero, before he disappeared into a strange nomadic life. There have always been strange rumours about him, but nothing outright treasonous.

Now he's speaking to her as though she's a fool. Odette's used to that.]

If you stay with us, it won't be as obvious that they should be targeting you. But if you want to stay behind, we have to at least conceal you. And you shouldn't stay here alone.

[contagion]

[Once it's all decided who's going where and it's apparent they're going to part ways for a while, Drael makes his way over to Kris's side and touches his shoulder, gently drawing him away from the others for a quiet word.

Only it isn't a word: it's an embrace, full and strong. Drael holds Kris tightly to him and says nothing.]

[cordiality]

[Kris is biting his lip, all prepared for a stern talk about everything he has to do to stay alive and keep the others safe. Instead he finds himself clasped tightly, and Kristopher clings to Drael like a man about to be thrown overboard.]

I don't want you to go.

[He knows he shouldn't say it. He knows he shouldn't put all the weight on Drael's shoulders, but...]

[contagion]

I know.

[And, truthfully, he doesn't much want to go either. He's pulled in two directions at once, a part of him certain he'd be the best defense that stupid man could have and a part of him confident that his particular skills and knowledge will be more than useful elsewhere. Plus, the way things are shaping up, the scouting party looks to be more than a little law-abiding, and that's never the way to survive bullshit like this so-called game. Plus plus, he needs to find out where the other kids are.

So he takes his moment to hold Kris, and says softly.]

I don't trust anyone else to keep us alive. All of us. Every single one. I need you— [He swallows loudly, discomfitted.] I need you to hold up here, okay? There'll be other people to help too, so you need to... do what you can. I know you can do it.

[cordiality]

Mm.

[That's all he can manage for a moment, nodding as firmly as he's able and blinking rapidly. It's not fair for him to be weak, not now. People already think little enough of him as it is.

Shoring up what strength he has, Kris steps back from Drael—a bare half-step, his fingers still curled against Drael's chest, but far enough away that he feels like he's standing on his own two feet.]

If we could find any metal, I could maybe build a barrier. It might... it might help? But...

[All the materials he need might be in that building right across the street. Or that might not even exist in this horrible unknown place. Can he risk that search...? Kris shakes his head.]

If you see anything, tell me about it, okay? When you come back?

OTHER 1

[kingofnearmisses]

Well then...

[This isn't his idea of a fun team activity.]

We have to keep this one safe?

[That's you, Indra.]

[darkvision]

What, really? You're kidding, right?

[A quick survey. No Zach, no Xian (that he can see anyway)—what's the point? Okay, fine, so a quicker survey of the people around him. He rolls his eyes, dramatic:]

Half of you are kids! I'm fucking doomed. What can any of you do to keep me alive before one of them gets me?

[lichlike]

We're hardly all children.

[His words are dry, his fingers flicking through the pages of his diary. No Rehn here, but no matter—he'll have someone useful soon enough, one way or another.]

[impetus]

If we're kids then you are too, dumbass.

[He looks like he is older than her, but not by much. And she's a soldier, even if she doesn't want to be.]

And if you're doomed then we're doomed too, so you better get useful or get used to it. Idiot.

OTHER 2

[reyasurrance]

Um...

[Far from evaluating his current team members, Yasu is turning around and apparently look desperately for someone—someone who proves not to be in this division of the... horrible game. His shoulders slump, and he mumbles.]

What am I s'posed to do if Sohma's not with us... ?

[daughterofsand]

[Shai goes to the nearest window and tries to get a read on their situation. There are some tall buildings, but not anything tall enough to help her get a real sense of the lay of the land. Oh well...]

Anyone got any bright ideas about this?

[phasedoor]

Well, I think firstly we should find a way to keep him—[He indicates Oberin, who is studying his own knuckles.]—safe. Does anyone have any ideas?

[fideles]

[Somewhere along the line he's gotten himself a reputation for being an Ideas Guy, but this isn't exactly the kind of situation where you can come up with a plan on the spot. Laurence is muttering to himself without really realising it, looking around the environment and over the group surrounding him as he does.]

I mean, it's not like Cap'n Vis ever prepared us for this...

[But they might not have much time to waste. Laurence raises his eyebrows at their designated Flag—of course—but starts talking.]

We want... we want to keep the Flag some place with a choke point. One entrance and exit. If we can force other teams to come forward one at a time, or all lined up? We can keep him safe.

[Shrug.] But that depends on if we can find a place like that. And whether or not other teams are gonna risk coming looking. I know I wouldn't.

MENTAL

[peerless]

[There's a lot to think about, and most of it is horrifying, so Lisette starts with the thing that feels most important to her. She crosses to Olivia's side and places hands on her upper arms, the promise of an embrace if Olivia desires it.

To be marked a target can be no easy thing. Lisette smiles - she doesn't have much more to offer.]

Are you okay?

[faeriefire]

[Olivia's pale, a hand over her own heart, but the moment Lisette speaks, she brightens visibly, placing a smile on her face and giving a nod.]

Yes, yes dear, I'm all right. This is, well... certainly something.

[Her hands, gripped together, are shaking.]

[heterodox]

Oh, truly spoken, young lady! Completely barbaric, nigh on indefensible from any objective standpoint, but is it not fascinating? I should love to meet the gentleman responsible for bringing us here.

[Hollingworth claps his hands cheerfully. Is he oblivious to the mood, or trying to raise morale? Who even knows with him.]

[spiritwalk]

Or woman.

[Tir says it dismissively; the man's already proven himself an idiot, blabbing on about whatever it was, and she places a hand on her chin, turning to examine their surroundings.]

What are you all able to do?

PHYSICAL

[bloodbath]

[The rest of the team may be slightly concerned to see their Flag crouched down and rhythmically punching a heap of rubble, his knuckles growing more bloody and ragged by the second. Should anyone go near enough, it'll become apparent that he's chewing the inside of his cheek as well.]

[denmother]

[The rest of the team is concerned. Kin can see that plainly. The humans are taut, and growing moreso at the sight of their Flag fraying. If Talbot asks for him then Kin will answer the call, but until then...

He approaches with his usual lumbering gait, and doesn't announce his presence any more than that. He's not the sort of person you don't see coming. When he crouches down next to their Flag he makes sure he isn't too close, but he's close enough to keep their conversation between the two of them.]

You shouldn't. The others won't hesitate to restrain you. I wouldn't like to see that, for their sakes and for yours.

[bloodbath]

I shouldn't.

[He agrees, barely able to hear his own voice. I shouldn't. He knows it's true; he wants to know it's true. He looks around as though that will somehow make Leonel appear, like Leonel's the one who can resolve this sickened feeling in the back of his throat. Instead, there are only strangers, men and woman who are staring at him with revulsion in their gazes. One of them, he thinks he might recognise.

He punches once more, harder than before, and then pulls his hand back sharply, holding it to himself. Only then does he actually look at the person beside him—he's surprised, but not as repelled as he could be. There's kindness in this person. He doesn't understand why, but there is.

He isn't able to say anything else.]