Week 5.

[trustfellowship]

WEEK 5 Another week has passed; another two people have died. Tsubasa Hanekawa and Nachetanya Loei Piena Augustra have joined the ranks of the deceased. Whatever you may have thought about them in the end, one thing hovers heavy over the group: the fact that neither their compassion nor their ambition was enough to keep them alive in here. Is yours? Saturday is given to regrouping and rest; the static blares out early on Sunday, but at least there are no bodies to find today - it seems you're safe for now. The night before wasn't necessarily a peaceful one, however; you'll probably feel a bit groggy when you wake up, and it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost... And of course, with another successful trial comes a new addition to the building, another corridor opening up on the west side of the building. The doors leading to it branch off of the hallways leading to the second and fourth sections of the building; have those doors always been there? You can't remember... It's a new week. Of course, that means you've been here for over a month, and your stay doesn't seem to be coming to a close yet. PATIENTS REMAINING: 22

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[OOC: Welcome to week five of Trustfell! Feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget to save those threads for coins and the activity check!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Transmitter, you can do so through text or the phone in your room!]

Comments

INCENTIVE.

[transmittable]

[ Another week, another burst of static just after noon. Another clear announcement from the Risen, with a- a whistling sound? It might be a little hard to tell over the feedback but yes, it does indeed sound like they're whistling a jolly tune. Amazingly on-key, too, considering all that distortion? Huh. ]

You know what time it is, Patients! Meet in the media room. We're sure you'll find this very important.

[ They...actually keep whistling it, a happy song, one that plays softly from the monitors, which are predictably not doing too hot. The screens are just...all over the place today, honestly, and they seem to be out of sync with each other? Like there's a ten second delay on each.

Almost abruptly, the whistling stops. ]

You know...that song might be a little before most of your time. Let's try switching it up, shall we?

[ As if someone turned the dial on a radio, the song changes, and the Risen hum lightly. ]

Better. We'll keep at it, though! Now, where were we- oh right! This week's little instruction for you dear dollies.

[ ...As they speak, the channel's going to change again, and it will keep changing, each song not quite at the beginning, each track a little more distorted. When they reach their last song, they just start over at the beginning. None of them play for more than a few seconds. ]

We've been listening. We've been watching. And of course, we know your lives. There's a common thread, wrapped about each finger and reaching back to where you came from. It's time we...pulled a little, on those threads.

[ You may hear something else from the monitors, or maybe over the PA system? Something familiar. It's...you, or someone you've talked to in the past several weeks. Just a snippet, a little tidbit of a conversation. You may not even remember it fully, but you can really only hear it for a few moments. Then it jumps to someone else in the room, or maybe one of the dearly departed. Whatever you're saying, they all have something in common:

They're about the people you've left behind in your worlds.

The music is too distorted to tell what track it's on now, drowning in static. It makes for an eerie backing to your own words, and an even more disturbing companion to what's on the screens now.

Each one holds a different scene. Unlike usual, they are very clear. In front of you is a person you know, sitting or standing or whatnot in some kind of rundown building, not entirely unlike Beacon General. What kind of building it is beyond that you can't tell. There's no identifying information. Regardless, those sure are the people you care about, one or two for each Patient. ]

We think we've been accommodating. We've been patient with you Patients. But, we know that our incentives can only do so much, in the end. Assertive wasn't even really tempted by last week. So it's time to enact the backup plan.

Here are those you care for, in our grasp. What will happen to them? That, dears, depends on you.

[ The scenes stick on each monitor. There's no indication that those you watch can see you, or any awareness that they're being filmed. Maybe some are interacting with each other. The scene loops. It's only about a minute of footage. ]

We're not quite sure just what we'll do with them. There's...an infinite amount of opportunities. Should one of you fulfill Rule 7, nothing will happen to them. In fact, maybe we'll let all of them free. If no one does, well...

We can't guarantee ANY of their safety. It won't be good for them.

[ That set of songs that's been playing, it's devolved into simple static. With...breathing? It sounds like breathing. ]

For time and time and time again, you struggle and you persevere and you hold up your hands grasping another's, but when that hand sinks beneath the surf will you breathe deep and grasp for it? Or will you let it burn away in the abyss?

We eagerly await what flowers will bloom this Friday. Be they yours...or your loved ones.

[ The Risen's echoed voice drops to just the Transmitter's then. She lets out a startled gasp and breathes quickly for a few seconds, before even that cuts out.

There's been no playing with the lights this incentive, so it all just kind of ends. It's only when the PA system's ever-present static cuts out that you know, however, because the video on the monitors remain.

They will remain for the rest of the week. Consider it a reminder. ]

[dangerousfool]

...I'm not sure if this is really bad for them or for her.

[There's an athletic looking woman in the video, dressed with a white top branded with 'Aperture Laboratories' in rather visible letters. Yeah, guess whose hostage she is. After a moment of consideration, Wheatley shakes his head]

No, this is bad. Without my help she's doomed. She got as far as she did because of me. She's doomed.

[Wheatley does have a certain amount of care towards her, but...would he go as far as to kill someone for her sake? He looks very uncertain about that]

[journalname]

[It is fairly clear which of the hostages onscreen is meant for Asgore. There's only one, at least, that he's paying any real attention to.

He stands, cape wrapped around himself like a cloak, and watches the video loop even after the Risen have gone quiet.]

[crywiththesaints]

[Sakura stares for a second, then just laughs.]

Loved ones? That was a long time ago, Risen.

[Her eyes linger on this perfectly nice-looking person before she scoffs and leaves the room.]

[cadmiums]

[ Oh.

He doesn't need to look to see who it is, there's no doubt on who they would choose. The dark haired boy doesn't interact with anyone else in the feed, but Ryoji expects nothing less. For a few moments Ryoji watches him, a name falling from his lips. ]

Makoto... [ For all the emotion he has (or hasn't shown) since Sunday, the name sounds incredibly heartfelt. But then he closes his eyes and walks away, his gaze hard and inscrutable. ]

[gymasstics]

[Out of the two people on one monitor, the girl is certainly the one that bears the most resemblance to Nozomi, but either way it doesn't take long for her to park right in front of the screen. She's silent for a moment, then another, then-]

Leave them out of this! Making our own bad choices is one thing, but none of them have anything to do with this!

[Angry butt girl yells at clouds.]

[doctorize]

[Even though Danny has done a few sketches of faces belonging to people back home, there is one person that he hasn't drawn. A sketch could never compare to the real thing, after all.

There's a girl that can't be any older than 13 on the screen, with eyes that seem to be devoid of emotion from where she is sitting alone, not interacting with anyone else in the feed. She just seems to be staring straight ahead at nothing, or occasionally tilts her head to look at the floor instead.

Normally, Danny could (and likely will at some point) sit here and just watch her for hours, but the moment she leaves the screen and it switches to someone else, Danny turns and makes to leave as quickly as possible.]

[torrentialroar]

[ "Elise?! You came as well?"
"Heehee, of course! That's what sisters are for, right?"

Corrin's heart plummets when she hears that all-too-familiar giggle. No, it couldn't be; there's no way she wouldn't be safe, especially after she herself was taken. But when the face of cheerful-looking girl appears before her, her fears are all but confirmed.

As the Risen speak, however, that fear soon becomes anger. Once the static cuts out, she takes out her anger on an innocent, nearby table by slamming her fist onto it. With slitted pupils befitting her dragonic nature, she glares at the PA system. ]

If you harm Elise in anyway, I won't hesitate to paint this place with your blood!

[ ...Needless to say, Corrin isn't take this incentive well. ]

[heritrix]

[Have a hand on your shoulder, Corrin. The uncharacteristic anger doesn't keep Rin from coming close enough for it.]

[carnivorously]

Aka--.

[He almost blurts out a name. Almost, but he stops.

Maybe it's not obvious who Kogami's hostage is, but for some, maybe it is, given the dress code he follows. The man can be seen shaking just a bit. He's obviously pissed off, but it's not like week two where he yells in anger. However, like week two, he's lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag of it.

This is not okay. It's not okay for anyone in this room. First his recent memory she scares the piss out of him, now it's being done again.]

I hope they're not being forced to play the same game we are.

[There's no doubt that Tsunemori would be privvy in investigations and trials-- however... she refuses to kill. Twice, she had the chance to kill Makishima. Once, he would have been just as easy as smashing his head in with no problem. But she refused. She had a motive. She had a way to kill him. But she refused to act.

This is why he's terrified.]

[heritrix]

There's too many hostages for that; if your theory is correct this footage would be too old, in which case you have nothing to worry about. The Risen never intended to keep their word in the first place.

[yourpiecenow]

[just.

stares at the screen.]

... Why does everyone else get completely unimportant people but I have to be personally responsible for Stevie fucking Nicks dying?

[enhancements]

[It's...likely immediately obvious that one of these people is here because of Wesker, probably on several levels; she's tall and dark-haired, and also dressed like she's late to the fetish ball, and anyone who's aware of the logo on her chest's association with Umbrella (or if you just...happen to have seen how Wesker tends to dress, let's be real) will recognize that she's...probably his.

...She's also apparently not taking this well, given that she's currently standing near a door and angrily banging on it like she wants to talk to life's manager.

But then the feed angle changes, just briefly, long enough for someone else to appear - he's decidedly more sanely dressed, and he's distinguished-looking in a very Bond villain sort of way, and he's just kind of...pacing around a bit near one of the walls like he just thinks better that way.

Wesker just...watches them for a moment before straightening up and letting the Risen finish doing their thing.]

"Loved ones." Please.

I'd be more concerned about those two finishing each other off before you even move to touch them, were I you.

[georgeous]

[ Well, he can't say it's unexpected. He's been dreading it for weeks, he knew it was coming. He's thought it over in his head a million times since the mention of 'sister' on his profile... He knows there's nothing he can do, he knows....

Ah, damn it. George is shaking visibly, though his expression is one of twisted fury. ]

Bastards....

[ He spends a long time watching his looping video of a blonde British woman in her 40s. She seems scared, yet in her features there is a desperate composure that makes her not seem unlike George. ]

[heritrix]

[Compared to the others, Rin's reaction to this incentive, to the faces on the screen is... muted. Does she really care at all about these people? Her face is alarmingly impassive, and she deliberately watches everyone else's initial reactions before she gives more than a passing glance at the monitors.

For anyone who doesn't flee the room immediately, when Rin does turn her full attention on the hostages the dispassion on her face remains. Those who know her well might be able to read something deeper there; her eyes are bluer than usual, with a sharpness indicating the wheels in her mind are turning. And sometimes, just before the footage on the monitors loop, something she sees makes her flinch.

There are two hostages here specific to her. The first is a man in a red mantle. With dark skin and light hair, he has both the armor and build of a warrior, and can be seen speaking with another competent looking person among the hostages, whom Rin does not recognize. Eerily, just before the footage loops he looks right into the camera (right at her). Was that luck, or supernatural skill?

The second person is a boy with red hair, and warm amber eyes. Normally, Rin would expect to see him arguing with the other man, or perhaps joining the woman who's banging on the door, but it seems he's a little preoccupied. Rin can't begrudge him for that; she's staring too. That's because the boy is facing a near perfect doppelgänger of himself, eyes round with shock. The two speak seriously, but whatever vexation they're feeling at this moment has clearly taken a backseat to bewilderment.

Yeah, Rin's looking at the doppelgänger just as intensely, clocking the differences between the two, but her eyes always stray back to the white-haired man.]

[ossifragant]

[Greed stares at the monitor. His gaze is fixed on one person in particular.]

She doesn't need my help. She's completely capable of getting out on her own. Really, I'm more interested in how the hell she was captured in the first place.

[armamenta]

[Loved ones? That's a laugh. Who could they have even kidnapped for Krauser anyway—

A girl in an unfortunately bloody dress, apparently. His expression tightens a bit when she's shown on screen, but the second person he recognizes just makes things weird.

It's Leon fucking Kennedy.]

Why the hell is Leon here?

[HE STILL DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE SUPPOSEDLY LIKES AND HATES LEON]

[relieable]

[it was one thing to bring him into this whole mess, to kidnap him, to try and get him to kill other people.

but to bring in his little brother, his Choromatsu into it... Osomatsu has flung himself at the screen, fingers pressed against it as he watches the scene. this was hell, it truly was hell.

now they want him to kill to save his brother? well, they might have finally found an incentive that works on him. he's there in the media room for a long time, either until someone pulls him away, or after a while, and then Osomatsu sinks to his knees and presses his face into his hands. he doesn't cry, but he is upset. he's shaking with rage]

[imaginex]

[Tight-lipped and trembling in her seat, Sakura would have been one of the Patients pleading at the Risen under normal circumstances. There's only one reason she isn't.

For anyone who might notice, there are two identical people in the room. Twins, perhaps? Though as they interact on the screen, there seems to be a great deal of confusion crossing their faces, both guys pointing and gesturing at each other. One in particular has his left arm completely bandaged in red, all the way up to the shoulder]

Sen... pai...?

[But perhaps worse for Sakura is a blue haired boy who isn't taking this well, going as far as to gesture and scream at the other captives. It isn't long before one of the orange-haired youths goes over to firmly console him, and a fight nearly breaks out after that]

Nii-san, stop it...

[It'd be wiser for her to leave, but she's stuck staring blankly at the screen]

[barehands]

[While everyone else speaks, Rose stands still and silent. Her eyes are trained on two children in the room. One is a girl, around six or seven, with dark brown hair pulled into pigtails with ribbons, and the other is a boy with blonde hair who looks several years older - around ten.

She doesn't say anything as it goes on, her hands pressed over her mouth in horror as she stares at the monitor. It's clear that she's crying after a certain point. Once she realizes the Risen don't have any more to say, she steps forward to put a hand on the monitor.]

P-Paul... Carrie...

[aspiringly]

[It was bound to come up eventually. Threatening loved ones as a method of coercion was generally an effective tactic, so it's not unexpected to McGillis when the footage of a young girl flashes onto the screen. In the few moments that she's shown talking with a tear-filled expression, his eyes narrow but that's all the reaction it gets.

...That is, were it not for the camera panning to a man who looks to be the girl's older brother, anyways. That actually elicits something more; with disbelief written all over his face, McGillis can only stare rather pointedly at the other man on the screen. He doesn't know how long he stands there just watching the footage, but he stays transfixed for a little while longer even after it cuts to another feed. It isn't until few moments after that when he manages to regain his composure somewhat. And even then, he can't help what he lets slip under his breath--]

Gaelio Bauduin...

[And without further ado, he'll turn on his heels to walk straight out of the room.]

[cthulwho]

[Oh, well this...certainly complicates things, doesn't it?

Lovecraft watches with a bit of trepidation when it becomes clear that this incentive involves captives, and like everyone else with their respective "loved ones" Lovecraft perks up a little bit when he spots a certain man on the video. In the video he seems to have a cheerful enough demeanor, but every so often it flickers into something more serious as he investigates the space and speaks with the others.

Lovecraft watches this for a little while before mumbling to himself, but loud enough to overhear.]

So...that's where he ended up...

[Since day one, Lovecraft had wondered why Steinbeck didn't end up in this building with him. They were together at the time, or so he thought... He still didn't have the full picture of what happened, but apparently both of them were taken in the end.

He knows Steinbeck can take care of himself over there (much, much better than Lovecraft ever could), but he can't help but feel a twinge of uneasiness about this whole thing. When he glances around the room, he knows that he isn't the only one who feels that way either.]

[preciousking]

[ Curiosity brings him here more than anything else. For the most part, none of the motives have interested him—save possibly the previous one. This one appears to have little effect as well given how blank his expression is (though the clips of the patients talking amongst themselves earn a glare). Even so, he continues watching the monitors, searching for a face he already expects to see.

Sure enough, eventually a young girl with white hair and doll-like eyes appears. She's not alone either, which comes as no surprise to him. There's a blond man with her who's gently holding her hand. While she looks impassive, he looks calm and collected. Enough so to interact with the other hostages with ease.

The young girl points to a rather confused looking green-haired boy, who the man then immediately approaches. There's not much to see there. The man smiles reassuringly, gestures to the girl, and then points at some of the other kids around. It's a short interaction, but it should leave you with the impression that he's trying to get the kid to help him look after the other children. While the boy does nod, his expression is a little blank.

Even after Izumo and Anna move on, Mikoto continues watching the monitors and gazing at the other hostages. ]

[positivespin]

[ For some reason or another, QQ's obviously-a-mage hostage doesn't seem to perturbed over his current situation. Hell, he even seems to be chilling and reading. If it weren't for this being a hostage motive video, there'd be no reason to think he's remotely in trouble. In fact, QQ's pretty sure he's there to observe. Jerk he may be, but he can take care of himself just fine. Why would she need to interfere? ]

...Uum, don't mind? Would run him through if QQ still had a spear.

[ The only problem she has here is that she isn't being allowed to kill him herself, sheesh. (No, she doesn't like him even a little, what are you talking about??? That would be lies and slander, you know!) ]

[arebetter]

[ "Stormer would probably like you a lot."

That gets broadcast, and Pizzazz freezes. And then she sees the hostage here for her. And uh, well. She's managed to not be super angry so far!!

Time to be super angry. ]

If you hurt one hair on her fucking head I will personally take your shoes and feed them to you through whatever teeth you have left after I KICK THEM IN MYSELF!