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.]

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.]

[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.

[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.]

[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.

[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... ?

[cougar]

[While the others are looking into the more aggressive side of things, Helene moves alongside the man grinding his teeth. She doesn't reach out to him physically, as she usually might—he's a complete stranger to her, but she still worries.

Under her breath, she asks.] Are you all right?

[contagion]

[This woman, she's all right. She seems to have some sense about her. Drael nods in her direction.]

Should we figure out what we can all do? I'm not any good from a distance, but I can kill someone damn quick up close.

[The details aren't really necessary. He gives Kristopher the side-eye, resolute but always worried. A second later, he adds.]

The kids should stay here.

[lightfingers]

Hey! I'm not a kid!!

[Fenton shouts protest, like a child.]

[darkvision]

You're an idiot.

[Indra grumbles in return, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking moody.]

So what are we supposed to do, anyway?

[callmeking]

Well, we attack!!

[This is an opportunity to exercise his right to command. Finally! Vaughn thumps a fist on his chest, then points into the distance.]

The quicker we take them down, the quicker we're declared the winners.

[costofpeace]

[Hassan wouldn't usually speak his emotions so easily.]

That man doesn't deserve to be protected.

[He says it lowly, but there's no chance of mistaking who he means.]

[cougar]

[Yvain is a decorated veteran, and Helene doesn't know this man—it's clear he's from the other side. She places a finger beneath her top lip, refraining from voicing an opinion either way on Yvain's value. Instead, she says.]

But his survival ensures our own, and that of those around us. That blonde man implied to know you—surely there are those here you're willing to protect?

[The words catch in her throat as she finishes the sentence, and suddenly Larsen's absence looms like an open wound.]

[fixations]

[Griffith scoffs, of course, quite haughty and pleased with himself... until he realises that Drael said kids plural, and he doesn't know who else that could mean apart from himself.]

Oh, come on! You think that piss-sucker's more helpful than I am?

[You're welcome, Kristopher.]

[cordiality]

[In such a horrific situation, this isn't exactly the problem Kristopher was expecting. He can't keep from turning pink at being spoken about so crudely in front of so many strangers, but he replies with all the quiet dignity he can manage.]

No one said anything like that.

[thineownself]

[With no apparent care for announcing his presence Rehn suddenly ducks through the nearest window and hops down into the midst of the conversation. It's a good thing he has his coloured armband to mark him as an ally.

He doesn't speak to the group, though. He just spins to look at Alexiel and chatters his feedback as though they're the only two people present.]

There's no one close, Alexei. All the houses have come down and all the shops are empty. I don't like it here.

[longtermlove]

No need to be rude! We're all friends here. Or allies, at least.

[Reece adds the third line after casting a glance in Hassan's direction—that man still looks pretty angry. This woman who's doing a good job of coming off in charge—he's sure he's seen her before, somehow, once maybe—is the person he directs his next words to, cheerful and deferential.]

We're a pretty good-sized group. We can probably half go look for the others and half move around more defensively. We should mix up ranged and melee, but I can do both in a hurry.

[costofpeace]

[She thinks him to be some weak link in their chain. Hassan sighs, and reaches into his coat pocket for a cigarette.]

You have nothing to fear from me. I won't do anything to inhibit your survival—or his.

[lichlike]

[Ahh good, Rehn is here after all. He pats Rehn on the shoulder, equal parts for Rehn's own comfort and for show to the rest of their group. No need for them to know he hadn't requested this behaviour.]

Well done, Rehn. I don't believe anyone is keen on staying here longer than we have to. We were just beginning to formulate a plan. I believe the goal is to identify opposing members like this one? Supposing all other groups work as ours does and they all know who should be the target among them, I believe capturing the weakest member and extracting the information from them would be the most effective method.

[royalwarden]

That's fine. We can set a secure base point for him [She jerks her chin at Yvain] and arrange a rendezvous time. One group can scout for enemy Flags, the other can keep the base point secure—if the scout team doesn't return when they're supposed to the base team will have to take over.

[Should she ask them if they agree? Not this time. This situation needs control, not too many opinions.]

I'll lead the scout team.