Let's Play 20 Questions

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 30, afternoon
Where: the Aurora

[Though the sun should be high in the air, just after noon the sky clouds over, and a steady drizzle begins. While gloomy, it's not particularly harsh, and the warm weather means you might even enjoy being out in it! In fact, the relatively thin and patchy clouds mean you may seem rainbows here and there. It's quite nice, really -- except, that is, that there are now tiny frogs everywhere. Near the train they're safe, but closer to the corrupt areas they're toxic.

At the same time, you hear the jingle associated with an official message from your Chain -- the usual "newbie time" balloon animation and text:]

WELCOME NEW HEROES

[This round's new blood are waking up in their rooms, in the usual nondescript undies or team pyjamas.

For the first hour or so, it seems that'll all that'll happen today. But then there's that all too familiar Trial feeling...

...Aaaand a flashy pink convertible has arrived in the clearing. It's followed up by another message:]

Hello, everyone. Your ever-grateful Prince speaking. It's been awhile and we've got some new faces, so I'm here to answer a few questions.

Buut to spare myself a little, I'm limiting it to one question per hero. I'll tell the truth, no matter what you ask, as long as it's at all reasonable! After that though, I reserve the right to cut you off -- but I won't, probably, if you play nice.

Sooo, how about you come outside and see me?

[Message sent, Cardamom gets out of his car and unfurls a big, incredibly sparkly silver umbrella. It looks like the most intensely holographic nail polish you can buy, and the raindrops only make it worse.]

[[OOC NOTES: As the monthly prompts, the rain and frogs will continue until next month's placements. You can find more info on them in the announcements over here!

If you want to tag Cardamom, there's a toplevel here. If you have any questions, please ping the mods via the q&a. Thank you!]]

Comments

[voreaciously]

[It's a deceptively warm, grey afternoon, and even if it seems dreary outside, inside could not be further from the truth. The car is beautiful and a pleasing blend of aromas wafts throughout the Jasmine car as 80H makes lunch for her team, oblivious, for the moment, that that number has increased by one.]

[bondkeeper]

[ follows the smell and pads down the stairs ]

'Scuse me, where do I get-

[bondkeeper]

80H?

[voreaciously]

[She is keeping it simple, today. Sound and sandwiches, easy comfort food.

"Simple".

She's baking the bread herself, the loaves rising nicely in the oven and is in the midst of slicing roa--]

80H?

[The knife slips and she cuts into her finger. It stings far less than it should, the sensation relegated to the back of her mind as she whirls around and stares, silently.

Her blood drips onto the floor. One beat, two beats.]

You...you...[know who I am?]

Breeze-san?

[She draws it out a little, speaking nearly as airily as the name she utters. She cannot hold onto her voice. She has not spoken it in...over a month now.]

[bondkeeper]

Holy shit, you're bleeding, dumbass. You keep bandages anywhere around here-?

[voreaciously]

You said my name.

[She hears and processes the words, immediately files them away as unimportant. It's not a serious wound, and even if it were.

Well. It is not like she's alive anyway.]

Do you remember me, then?

[She never thought she'd hear Breeze call her a dumbass and be glad of it.]

[bondkeeper]

Uh, yeah?

[ like 2 seconds around 80H and she is immediately antsy. it's even more annoying to realize how fast her composure is going, and she just strides the rest of the way across the room to her ]

Seriously, give me your hand if you're just gonna leave it like that.

[voreaciously]

It is a minor laceration, I can mend it myself.

[But she makes no move to. If Breeze can touch her, maybe then she can know she is real.]

[bondkeeper]

[ just

grabbing for the nearest towel. kitchens have towels right.

and reaching out to take her hand to hold the towel to the cut ]

So mend it. You haven't changed at all.

[voreaciously]

In a moment.

[She touches the hand Breeze is using with her free, undamaged one, tracing the contours a little before settling atop it.

Her fingers have begun to tremble, you see.]

[bondkeeper]

[ oh

holy shit

just. stops. stops everything and stays perfectly still right where she is ]

[voreaciously]

[80H seems conscious of her actions after a few moments, her brow knitting over covered eyes, but she forces herself to smooth it out and lets Breeze's hand go to heal her cut with her water magic.]

...My apologies.

[It is difficult to tell what she is apologising for, but she sounds sincere.]

[bondkeeper]

[ but in fact it was I who wa shindeiru

after a while, finally belatedly drops her own hands with a metallic rustle, propping one on a hip and letting the other dangle at her side ]

Uh, sure.

[voreaciously]

There is something different about you. You feel...more...

[alive.]

[bondkeeper]

Um. I got my memories back?

[ fuck wait maybe not that topic ]

You... seemed really surprised to see me.

[voreaciously]

You as well, is it? You are properly alive, then.

[everyone is getting their shit back and she's still stuck, broken and corrupted and incomplete. hideous wretchedness filling the gaps where her memories and self should be.

Oh well, that is not exactly new now, is it?

She shrugs it all off, washing the towel with her magic as well.]

I have been here a little while, I suppose.

[bondkeeper]

Really? How long?

[voreaciously]

Thirty days.

[bondkeeper]

Thirty days, huhn.

[ I don’t know if I should say this is after she got dressed and stuff now or if they are having this whole conversation with Breeze in her underwear. shifts her weight from one foot to the other, gone awkward now that the irritation spurning her on before has bled out completely ]

You, uh. You like it here okay?

[voreaciously]

...Perhaps you should get settled, first.

[bondkeeper]

I’ve moved around a lot, you get used to it. The most unsettling thing I’ve seen so far has been your face.

‘Sides, they already told me right out the gate that I’m here to fight a war again.

so rude!!

[voreaciously]

My apologies.

[This still does not feel real.]

love

[bondkeeper]

It’s not like it’s anything to apologize about...

[ rubs the back of her neck ]

‘S been hard on you, huh?

[voreaciously]

Being conscripted into fighting a war to save the universe is a little worth apologising for.

[But Breeze brings her back into the equation and she doesn't want that.]

I am fine.

1/2

[bondkeeper]

Hah, right. ‘Course you are.