The Seventh Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: heroes (?)
When: Day 16, early morning
Where: the party zone

[Late in the night, the train jostles again. It feels like a Trial, but this time there's a strange, oppressive feeling in the air, and the call forth has changed. And yet it's a voice that's been heard before -- the resonant young man's voice that accompanied a military tent surrounded in white feathers.

What is a hero?

That tent is here now, imposing with its black flag and spatters of mud and blood, but the edges are tattered and the feathers strewn about are beginning to turn black. From them rises a smoke with a dark glow, sending a chill through anyone it touches.

As you enter the voice is raised again. Though still strong, it's no longer clear -- it sounds hoarse and a little distorted.]

What is your worth? What do you stand for? What... is the right thing to do?

What is Justice?

SIGNUPS ☆ RULES ☆ ROOMS ☆ WINNERS & ENDGAME

Comments

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

[The first thing Rufus is doing is pulling his sweater off and throwing it on the ground. Better to get rid of it before it gets fibers in the lash wounds...]

...Well. Maybe it was the right decision after all.

[voreaciously]

...Do you require assistance?

[hey murderfriend]

[ruinatings]

Just a bit. If you don't mind.

[voreaciously]

Not at all, Sir. Soyez béni et bien.

[Her voice is oddly layered as she casts her spell. Glowing blue water gathers around her hand and she walks around him to lay her hands across his back. The touch is cool, calming, refreshing. The pain fades to nothing very quickly.]

I will be as quick as I am able to.

[ruinatings]

[That's a big relief frankly!]

Thank you very much.

[voreaciously]

...It is not a problem.

[Blood is washed away, redness fades and skin knits itself back together. It takes a couple of minutes, but everything heals up quite nicely.]

The back of your clothes is in tatters, but there should be enough to repair it properly.

[ruinatings]

It'll be replaced. I'd be more concerned about yourself.

[voreaciously]

[what was that, rufus? fix your stuff immediately?

certainly.

She is just going to touch his back and there is a cool sort of energy and a blue glow as his clothes stitch themselves back together like nothing happened.]

It is done.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

....

What did you do?

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

Exactly what you thought I was going to. It worked.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

Worked for what? What, exactly, was the goal to you?

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

We were attacked by smoke in other teams' colours. Randy's sacrifice repelled it. Presumably, we'd have been affected if I hadn't done it, and may even have exacerbated the issue for other teams.

My goal was to preempt that kind of turn.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

[Goddess he hates everything.]

...

It is not as if I don't understand your angle. But fundamentally I cannot agree with it.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

I didn't ask you to agree.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

Nor could I go along with it.

But there's no point in saying so now. Are you all right?

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

I'm fine. A little annoyed, but otherwise sound.

[Amane will help him and Randy's not mad so--]

Are you?

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

....You just--

[Killed someone you like? You're dating someone? This is new shit and you killed someone you're dating when you've never dated RUFUS??]

...Brother. Are you really fine with this?

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

Should I not be? We're all safe in the end, and you're hurt less than you would've been.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

......

[It's not like protecting Rufus wasn't also a priority to him but... Protecting people is complicated and he's tired. He bites his tongue, he should have bitten his tongue long ago when he told Randy he was planning to.]

Yes. And I'm grateful that you are minimally harmed as well. It's about the only thing I'm happy for.

[So Rufus doesn't want to talk about emotions and he doesn't know how to make him or if he even should at this point.]

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

[That face...

Rufus is in trouble again. Or he should be. One of these days he's going to figure out how not to be a jerk to Jusis but today apparently isn't one.

At least he's noticing it more.]

...I really am alright, Jusis. I'm not content with the way it went, but I've been prepared for worse. I think you're genuinely quite a bit more upset than I am.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

...I see.

[What more is there to say? He has no wish to impose his own upset if it turns out he's the only one... upset like this.]

Very well. My apologies for the trouble.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

Don't apologize for behaving according to your ideals.

[Here have the warm but stern big brother voice.]

Keep your head high and have pride. I'm the one who ought to apologize.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[saddleclub]

[Ugh why this. Why now.]

I don't see why.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[potestatem]

Simple and effective.

Re: WINNERS & ENDGAME

[ruinatings]

I like efficiency. I don't, however, like being put in that position.