☆TRACK V: I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE PT. 2

[interdimanagers]

Who: Everyone in the last part of the log.
What: Everyone has a terrible night.
When: December 7th, 2054
Where: Naomi's ocean side mansion, followed by a secret Pride laboratory.
Warnings: Violence, blood, and at least one murder. Vague gore. NPCs being unhinged in a threatening way, though it's possible to have your character avoid ended up in the ballroom if you don't want to see this mess.

☆I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE The bubble has burst. The chaos of the night’s violence has finally boiled over into something uncontrollable – blood has been spilt, screams have been heard. No matter where you are in the mansion, you know by now that something is acutely wrong. Multiple members of Pride have been hurt – possibly killed – and you may still have no idea why. Some will try to escape. Some will try to fight back. Yet, as any rebellion starts to descend, a piercing note - a melodic cry - will summon you towards the ballroom. It can be resisted, in part - but only as far as you find yourself frozen in place instead of moving forward, at least while this spell holds. It's drawing you to the source...if you follow it, maybe you can stop it. The compulsion is strong for members of both labels. The cry seems to echo long past its termination point, to be heard wherever you are. If followed, it will bring you to Naomi Rivers in the center of the ballroom, her expression creased with strain. Though you may desperately want to strike her, something intangible is holding you back. "No!" she shouts at any Virgo nearby. "It isn't done! You need to...you need to finish this!" She'll point desperately at the nearby Pride, rendered unable to flee. "Get them now!" You don't want to. "Do it!" The compulsion weighs heavily on you - for Virgo, to act, and for Pride to surrender themselves. All subtly has disappeared. This last effort is unconcealed and nearly hysterical. You feel yourself slipping beneath the soundwaves. Power rolls off of her, the energy thick in the air, like something you can taste and smell. You can't do this. "I command-" The fabric of space-time cracks like a peal of thunder. All at once, the spell shatters.

Comments

[wounds]

[Strength like that isn't normal for a person of her size. He's more intrigued than he is afraid.]

I don't. I didn't realize your rivalry was fueled by this.

[Attempted murder, apparently.]

[interstellarnpcs]

It's fueled by winning! [Her fingernails dig against the metal.]

I'm going to win and he can't stop me! Understand? No one can stop me!

[wounds]

[He pauses to digest the information.]

I don't know what the two of you are playing.

[dame_tsuna]

I... I tried to.... I couldn't....

[Tsuna is trying to form a coherent sentence, but it's just not coming together right now. He's also making a mess of her shirt with his gross tears and runny nose. Sorry.]

[trustme]

[SO reassuring! Lesedi could go on a killing spree. Blanche too for revenge! What now? Doctor had several choice things he wanted to say but he held back.]

There isn't a way one of us can learn how to protect ourselves? You can't expect us to write or perform for you of none of us can sleep at night.

[exhumerus]

"Funny, huh...I don't...I don't really remember that being in the contract."

Does he even remember signing a contract? Not really. Oh god. Man. This is fucked up. He needs to go lay down and...sleep or something.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

"Everybody blames the devil when things go to shit-- except him. I may look like I don't care, but that wears anybody down after a while. I'm willing to create publicity fodder for you Lesedi, but I need something that isn't bullshit to take care of me after. We both don't want the next headline to be 'Fuckwit Satan Goes Apeshit in Vista City'. Right?"

G-O-D she hopes she's right.

[dame_tsuna]

Nia...

[Tsuna clings to her just as tightly, as if she's a lifeline.]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[Sorry doesn't really cut it. He knows that. He dragged Nia into attempted murder. There's no real way to apologize for that.]

[loveconservative]

It wasn't just you. I-I...

[She presses her face into his shoulder.]

I hurt other people, too.

[giglio_madonna]

And what's "worse"?

[She may as well get the full knowledge before she picks her poison.]

[dame_tsuna]

[The strange answer takes the edge off of his frustration and anger. An eye for an eye? It almost sounds like Lesedi had killed people from Virgo before this.

Heck, after what he's seen tonight, he'd believe it. But that's still not a reason he can accept.]

I don't want to kill anyone...

[It's all he can think of to say.]

[hanginginthere]

[Naomi? that doesn't make much sense. about as much sense as Celty bothering to speak, really, because she never does that.

what little of Shen is visible seems dubious. maybe it's the frown. maybe it's the way he sighs and tucks his head back in to the blankets, only to repeat his earlier statement;]

I want to go home.

[are they done here. please tell him they're done here.]

GREG, BACK AT VIRGO HQ

[panspermia]

Not long after the worst of it went down at Naomi's, Greg made himself scarce. He needed the time to himself, to process everything. All the way through when they're shipped back to the Virgo Tower, he's too dazed to do much in the way of talking.

Once back though, he's easy to find. All anyone needs to do is follow the sound of music. The gentle, melancholy sound of guitar drifts over the patio of the shared space in Virgo. Maybe some people would think it inappropriate, after all that happened, but it's the best thing he can think of to try and calm himself down. He's scared, confused, and lost, but through his music, he can feel a little bit like a human again.

In turn, anyone who listens to the music may find it calming as well, speaking to something in their hearts; Greg's melodic power is unpracticed and unconscious, but it seeks to soothe some of the damage done to peoples' souls this night.

[loveconservative]

With Tsuna all right and everyone intact, Nia has been trying to get away from everyone. The music draws her, though, and... her hands finally seem to stop shaking. She hasn't really stopped in hours.

When she tracks down the source her eyes widen and she almost bolts, but she feels rooted to the spot at the same time. When her feet do move, it's toward Greg. And she lets the words come out before she stops them.

"You stopped me."

[panspermia]

The music thrums to a halt as Greg looks over. He chews at his cheek, looking Nia up and down, then begins to pick at the strings again.

"Yeah."

What else is there to say on the matter? He gives a small jerk of the head, an invitation to sit with him.

"You holding up okay?"

[loveconservative]

She takes the invitation, sitting down near him. Her eyes are cast down toward his feet. "Thank you. I didn't... want to hurt him. Or anyone."

[panspermia]

"I know." She'd been so close to doing something truly, unspeakably terrible. Something he doubts he could never have come back from, something that would haunt her forever. If he had just been a little later... When Greg focuses on playing the right notes, it keeps his hands from shaking. "The person who did those things wasn't you."

[loveconservative]

She peers up at him through her hair. It's an awful mess. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

Her voice shakes a little. "Do you think they'll all be okay?"

[losingherhead]

Soon.

[They have to let them head home soon.]

[losingherhead]

"Fine print?"

[panspermia]

He doesn't answer, immediately.

"I think that woman will look after them."

Because she doesn't want to give Blanche the satisfaction, and because she wants to make good on her threats, but at this point he'll take what he can get.

[loveconservative]

She nods at him, and rubs an eye. "It's frightening, isn't it?"

[panspermia]

"Mm," he agrees, keeping his eyes on the frets. "I'm really... really scared." He says it so easily. Maybe, if he's open and honest with everything, everything around them will start being that way too. What a nice world that would be. "All I wanted at the start of this was to play music, you know?"

i feel like this is necessary

[wickedlyable]

[ Johanna approaches him after a while. After she's gotten herself under control a little more. God, guilt is really not a good feeling. Now she remembers why she's so stubbornly shameless about who she is.

She sits next to him, keeping a little distance between them, and looks out into the room. It takes a few seconds before she says - ] I was fucked up.

[ Her voice trembles a little on the words, and she can't help but make a disgusted face at herself. She takes a deep breath and tries again. ] Apparently I've... killed people before. Or- I got weird visions of killing people while I was... fucked up. But I don't recommend it, generally.

[ This is Johanna Mason, apologizing. Or, at least, making an attempt. ]

[trustme]

Doctor doesn't expect to sleep tonight and he begins pacing in the halls at headquarters, waiting for signs of the bandmates who had gone elsewhere for the night to arrive home safely. Then he hears Greg playing and his restlessness dissipates for the time. He remembers then his own words earlier that evening. He had said that music was how he escaped bullies all his life. Why not turn to it again, old friend that it is.

A little while later Doctor came walking down the hall to find Greg with his cello and bow in hand. "Hello," he greets him with a tired smile when he finds the man playing his guitar.