guiltrip | WEEK SIX

WEEK SIX

16 Vacationers

Throughout your time on the island, there's been a steady rhythm; the murders, the trials, the executions, the clean-up afterwards that leave just up remnants for you to remember what was lost. This Monday morning though, things are different. The debris and any biohazards are cleared, but no effort has been made to repair the games at the arcade, or to restock the chemicals and damaged equipment at the laboratory.

Odd.

If you cast your eyes to the sky, you'll also notice that the distortion is also lingering—there's certainly less of it at least, a haze still lingering over the go-karts, one whirlpool lingering out in the sea. It could be worse, surely.

Though there's no new locations for you to take your mind off of all these oddities either. In fact, looking at your device to access the resort map area and scrolling past Kakapo's Nest triggers an error.

There’s one more, slightly more eclectic change: the kittybots, instead of having cute kitty ears and faces, are now without exception round-headed. This would make them look like ordinary robots, but their heads actually now look like a bowl of fish swimming, which occasionally form up into expressions. A change of pace for everything, it seems.

!
WEATHER ALERT:

Bulletin:
The current barometric pressure is 29.90 inHg, and is expected to steadily decline over the coming days. Rain and storms are likely in the latter half of the week.

(( OOC: Welcome to endgame week everyone. We'll be running an endgame investigation Friday during our typical investigation timeslot, and Saturday will be endgame proper.

This week your admins can be contacted Monday and Tuesday only, after that they'll be incommunicado. ))

MONDAY • TUESDAY • WEDNESDAY • THURSDAY

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[ A bad batch. That's all it is, is it.

...

He took her from you. He could have taken your brother away from you, too. And Psyche–

No. Do not. This is what they want. You understand loss, you know grief. This isn't you, Xiao–

He wants silence. He wants peace. But everyone keeps going, Billy has been aiding the birds, his thoughts are completely muddled now.

There's a moment in which Xiao appears to be wrestling himself, as he has been for the past few days.

But, at some point, his glare turns sharp. His teeth are clenched. His hand very shakily lifts itself, holding his spear, and his grip tightens around the hilt. The dark aura surrounding him seems to pick up.

He's very clearly trying to hold himself back, but another force at play seems to be wanting to break free. ]

[Oh?

Temenos turns his head away from the interrogation playing out and looks toward the direction of the sudden ominous spike in the air.]

...Xiao?

[ Sorry, Xiao can't come to the phone right now.

He's slowly, shakily pulling himself into an offensive stance. ]

[Well, that's not good. Temenos raises his staff in response and begins to advance on Xiao. He doesn't know what's going on, but he knows that oppressive aura anywhere.]

Everyone, stay back.

...

[ There's a slow, almost twisted turn of his head when he looks at Temenos. His eyes are wide. His expression is flickering between that of rage and fear. ]

[ And then, between gritted teeth, Xiao manages to speak. It's strained and comes out as more of a low growl than anything else: ]

...You know what to do. I trust you.

[ And with that, he lunges forth, spear aimed at Billy's throat– ]

Edited 2023-06-19 20:38 (UTC)

[...So that's it. He can't help himself.

Temenos nods.]

Fear not.

[He reassures Xiao, then holds his now glowing staff forward.

Before Xiao can reach Billy, he'll feel himself pushed back with an opposing light aura. This isn't intended to cause pain, only subdue. But it is most certainly bright and hot.]

Edited 2023-06-19 20:41 (UTC)

[Why can’t we go one goddamned day without everything going to hell, now? It’s bad enough Billy wants to kill everyone with powers - guess Haruka was right, when he told Wei Wuxian that injecting him would be a waste of resources. He’d be the last person Billy would target.

That revelation - that he was the one behind Xiao’s transformation and death, and seems to be tangled in something he shouldn’t be surprised by - is pushed to the back-burner, though. When it rains, it pours, and Xiao was already holding on by a thread.]

Xiao! Ah, goddammit—

[He’s running, but he skids to a halt behind Temenos. He’s only human - if he gets too close… (What effect will his karmic debt have on Billy? Will this just continue to get worse?)

He doesn’t want to distract Temenos, but.]

Temenos-san, can you - do you know how to purify things?

[In the back of his mind, he thinks of the story Xiao told him, of when he almost lost control of himself, but - it’s impossible for someone like Haruka to manage that, just with his voice? Right?]

[ It is, and Xiao snarls from both the pain and from something he'd been fearing all along. The monster within him, feeding off of his anguish for the past few days, is surfacing. It's almost here. The end of Xiao, the end of the Five Yakshas' legacy.

This was always how it was supposed to end. He can't even say he's remotely surprised.

There's a part of him, though, still present, but it's not as obvious, given how he's trying to claw his way back onto his feet. He's getting there, but there's still time. ]

It's- [Whew, Xiao is certainly putting up a fight. It's taking all he has to hold him down.] It's not part of my usual repertoire, but I'll see what I can do.

[It's true that he's never really trained in exorcism and the like, but all clerics are at least educated in warding off evil. He might not be able to purify Xiao, but he can do his best to suppress whatever is trying to claw its way out of him.

He advances once more, staff held high and increasing the pressure of light on him.]

Listen to me, Xiao! Listen closely! There are many here waiting for your return!

[He looks back at Haruka with a strained smile.]

Do you think this normal for me?!

[Haruka will allow himself just that one moment of hysteria, because losing his mind right now isn’t going to be any help to anyone. Negativity is just going to make everything worse for everyone.

He takes a deep breath, still on Temenos’ heels, and forces himself to be calm. It’s hard for him, and it’s usually been the other way around, with Xiao patiently waiting through Haruka’s fits and emotional outbursts.]

Xiao, look at me, okay? Not Billy, because he’s just going to piss you off even more.

[Which. Is probably deserved, honestly! More then deserved!

He tamps down on the embarrassment, because between the story and their night on the beach before they departed for the own cabanas…

It feels like something Lacus would do freely, and that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth that he ignores, because he’s still an idol, too, and idols need to sing.]

[ Temenos, Haruka – their words reach him. Haruka's voice is clear as day, like a warm ray of sunlight piercing through the storm Psyche caused earlier. They are trying, out of care.

...

Don't hide yourself away. You have people who love you.

Who said those words again?

Ah, right.

Beel did.

The revelation hits, a moment after Xiao looks at them both with another fearful expression, and suddenly, Xiao lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

The darkness overwhelms him. His blood boils. He looks at Temenos, and moves to lunge at him, breathing heavy.

This isn't Xiao anymore.

This is the hatred of the fallen gods. Teyvat is a wild ride, indeed. ]

[ And what a wild ride today has been.

Haruka's song echoes over the gathering, the notes reaching everyone's ears even if only in background beats, between the truths revealed, void spilling over, the hurt, and the resolutions. But when the Yaksha lunges another sound joins the fray, discordant, a high pitched note that cuts through everything just for a moment.

It's not pleasant, especially when it feels like it's coming from inside each and every one of you.

Like that, the darkness enveloping Xiao snaps out of existence, much like a candle that's been smothered between two fingers. ]

[ The darkness is gone.

And along with it, the gods' hatred.

Xiao stands in front of Temenos, eyes wide, spear just inches away from piercing through his chest.

He glances over at Haruka, drops his spear. Then at Billy.

Then at the ground beneath him. ]

I – I am sorry – I...I don't...

[SORRY TEMENOS, HE DOESN'T CARE YOU ALMOST GOT STABBED.

Time to pull Xiao into a hug, because if the darkness is gone then it is? Probably fine? Who knows what that fucking sound was, and it's definitely not good news, but! Hey! Xiao isn't on a murderous rampage anymore!]

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[Temenos had been so concentrated on pinning Xiao that he didn't have an opportunity to try to block that incoming attack. The last thing he remembers before that sound hits him is apologizing to Beel for putting himself in harm's way yet again.

He flinches, but it's all over when his eyes flutter back open. Xiao's safe. He's safe.

He lets out a long exhale and laughs. Whatever happened, it sure worked.]

Welcome back, Xiao.

[With that, he'll withdraw to leave Xiao and Haruka to it. He'll just...find a nice spot in the grass to sit down and gather himself.]

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[Ouch. Well, whatever the fuck that was is taken care of.

Which Billy can't help but be relieved about because he was definitely target number one if Xiao got out.]