Infighting Week Two

[animusmods]

Characters: any character participating in the Infighting event
Setting: pods, week two of the event
Format: any
Summary: All week two Infighting event threads should go in here, to keep things organized.
Warnings: horror, trauma, experiment results, impossible geometry, cabin fever

[Week Two Information]
[Week One]
Dax's Pod
Riki's Pod
Jason's Pod
End of Week Two

Comments

END OF WEEK TWO

[animusmods]

[animusnpcs]

Again everyone is escorted out of their pods after having their powers disabled--Jason's set is cut down or otherwise carried, if necessary--and out into the center stage. Ruana again stands above the crowd. It seems like she's gone retro today, in bobby socks and a pink poodle skirt. Jason, Riki, and Dax stand at the foot of the platform, watching their groups. Once everyone is assembled, Ruana wastes no time in starting.

"Welcome back, everyone! Having fun? I know I am. Anyway, I'm sure you guys want to hear the results. This time you guys had challenges you got to participate in directly, so I'm sure you really want to know who was the best at that, but that's why we're going to save those for last. First, the challenges in cooperation, physical health, and mental health!"

She spins, maybe just so her skirt will whirl around her, before continuing. "For cooperation, no one worked together quite like Jason's pod! Even if it was--well, very unorthodox cooperation. As for the loser, sorry Riki, but your pod just wasn't as into it as the other two. Next up, physical health! Dax, I've never seen so many people working out of their own free will, so the point goes to you! Riki, sorry, but you've lost again--Jason at least was willing to do his best to try to improve everyone. As for mental health, Dax, I'm sure everyone can see your group is the most put-together of any of them. Another point! Riki--" Ruana pauses, sighing theatrically. "Are you even trying? You lost this one, too."

There's a pause as she presses a button that lowers the light level a bit--while keeping a spotlight on her towering platform, anyway.

"And now, the treadmill, balance, and food challenges! Let's start with balance. It was a close race between Dax and Jason, but Jason's alterations managed to win the day there--Jason wins balance! Riki, unfortunately, lagged behind both groups. Treadmill goes to Dax--Jason tried hard, but I think Dax just got a pod of champion runners, or something, because wow! Riki, of course, loses that one, too." She giggles. "Anyway, food challenge. There's no way anyone could have beaten Jason on this, I bet--I mean, I guess that's one way to get rid of surgical waste? So Dax, Riki, don't feel too bad about losing this one. And speaking of losing, it looks like Dax ate just a few less gross things than Riki. Don't worry, though, that's only one loss, right?"

The scoreboard switches behind Ruana: Jason now has four points, Dax five, and Riki remains at zero.

"Now, of course, the punishment. Jason may not have won everything, but he didn't lose anything really! So you all get to stick around for the third week, isn't that great? Clap clap clap!" She pauses to clap as appropriate. "Dax, your group loses one this week, so you guys will be voting like last week. As for Riki..." Ruana laughs, and there's something amused and cruel in it. "You lost five out of six competitions. Your group will be eliminating five people from your team. Maybe your group will actually vote this time?"

[miseris_socios]

[Ken just stares, not saying anything. He can't believe this. He'd be angrier if he could manage it. But this is just ridiculous, and combined with seeing Minato lobotomized and what happened to Yu, he's starting to just lose it.]

[His mouth twitches, like he's trying to smile, and he's shaking. He's scared, he's angry, he's upset, and he's in pain, and even through his muted emotions he can still feel like he's stewing in his own feelings. When he speaks his voice is warped and cracked, as if he hasn't had water in a very long time.]

No...

[pitiedthefool]

[> ...]
[> You can't say a word in your current state, but there are others who need your help.]
[> Shaking, you force yourself back to your feet and begin searching the crowd.]
[> ...]
[> There find Ken staring at them.]
[> He looks to be in the same emotional state, despite his being considerably muted.]
[> ...]
[> You place a hand on his shoulder, trying to show some sign of comforting regardless of your own suffering.]
[> ... ... ...]
[> It's hard, and your head is still aching, but you try to say something.]
[> All you can manage is-]

Ken...

[morituramfides]

Calm down.

[His hands were in his pockets, and the bags under his eyes had grown worse and worse with fatigue over the week. But even though his sight wasn't tired, and it was somehow less distant that it was normally, he still seemed off.]

You need to conserve your energy.

[hardknoxlife]

[ Now that he knows what Jason's been doing, he doesn't waste a second this time. The minute he's been ushered out, Ronald makes a mad dash to break from the others and any bots that might get in his way. He's pushing through the crowd and making his way toward Jason's group.

William. Where the hell was William. What did they do to him this time? Where was he? Was he still alive? His mind is racing and he's blinking back whatever hint of moisture comes to his eyes, not once pausing even to lift his glasses and rub at them with his sleeve. At least Grell was away from all this. She would be alright. When this was all over, they'd head back and-- and what? Would they even be able to make it back? What of Grell when she saw them again? If she sa-- no. He had to stay positive. He'd survived, just like his boss ordered. He'd survived like a good rookie. William had to be alright. He had to. Death always had the last word. Always. This tower was no exception.

So the minute he gets there, he's standing there and trying to catch his breath. His eyes are busy scanning the crowd and blinking back any tears that threatened to spring. But he speaks, loud enough for whoever he approached to hear him. His voice is near desperate, almost pleading. Britney cracks will be met with a confused look. ]

Mister Spears. Have... have you seen him? William, I mean? I need to talk to him.

[sageprincess]

[Damn it. She had hoped so desperately that they wouldn't lose, that Dax's group wouldn't need to vote anyone to... go back to the Tower. Not only because that would mean they were one step closer to winning this ridiculous farce of a competition, but also because she had been asked to make one of the most difficult decisions of her life.

Tara wants to go back. She said it would best for both herself and everyone in the group that she go back. But... can she really order someone to die?

Zelda can be found along the outer edges of the crowd, a hand at her forehead, the opposite arm crossed over her body, and looking white as a sheet. Distantly, she's aware that she should be talking to the others, gathering as much information as she can while she can, but she's just... too wrapped up in her own thoughts to try at the moment.]

hey mami hey time for plot

[beknightedheroine]

The last two days could only charitably be described as a blur. If she'd emerged from it a bit more lucid than she felt right now, Sayaka could likely have provided a multitude of more fitting descriptions - as it is, the normally talkative girl has been very outwardly sedate since she was cut down and led out here.

There's a large hole in the back of her skull, and countless twisted, wiry strings that have been fed through her skin like someone tried to sew, then gave up on each string after making a single stitch. A lot of them are long enough to drag on the floor.

She definitely, uh, looks the worse for wear - though she's stalwartly ignoring most people, looking for a single person -

She has to save Mami. That thought had been what woke her up, time and again when Sayaka wanted to just mentally slip away after getting strung up. She doesn't have time to despair that her many attempts at disobedience barely dented Jason's rising score, or maybe even fed into it - she has to do this, before they're all back in cells and she can't do anything at all.

Interrupt her?

[moontothetide]

Only one...

[Tara lets out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though a weight is off her chest. Only one. And that one can be her, and everyone else can be safe, and she can go back to the tower and not...not hunger for any of them anymore. The news that they'd apparently been being monitored in physical and mental health also steadies her a bit. Even if they'd won those...well, Tara knows she dragged her team down there. She's never been in great shape, even with assistance on all fronts this week, and as for mental health...if she's right, that won't be lasting long.

At the news of Riki's group, she does panic a bit. Mostly for Taro, because...well, it hadn't been as bad as Jason's pod, but she wouldn't forget the sight of last week's unfortunate exploding into chunks in a hurry. God, she hopes he's behaved himself...

She still can't manage a smile, not out here, not faced with everyone else. But she will go into the voting booth and come out sixty seconds later, apparently unaffected and composed. And, beyond that, Tara will be seeking out others of Dax's pod that she hasn't approached from before, touching them lightly on the arm to get their attention, bringing what might generously be called good news - here is a scapegoat, offering herself up so that they can vote out without a weight on their consciences.

Or so it seems to her.

Other's, especially those from Jason's pod, might catch her staring. She tries not to, she really does, but she's seen the worst of what goes on there, and heard truly unfortunate news from Taro last week, and the pain she feels on your behalf is almost tangible, pain mixed with guilt over their situation at Dax's pod. But, given time to steady herself, especially if she knows or recognizes you, Tara might actually approach and ask in a timorous voice:]

H-Hey. Um...y-you okay?

[pitiedthefool]

[Yu stares forward as the results are announced, almost as pale as a ghost as they continue on. Had all they'd done to stop Jason's chances of winning... Had it all amounted to nothing? If they factored in the prices they were forced to pay, then...?

He and Sayaka had paid a terrible price for their sabotage, and it amounted next to nothing.... He knew he should have attacked the balance beams as well. Yet he hadn't... Why hadn't he when he had the chance!? Maybe then they would have lost something and lowered this monster's chances even more...

The Personaless leader could not move, rooted to the spot as he watches the administrators in shock. No, shock was too kind of a word for it. More like horror. It's rare that an emotion breaks his mask so strongly, but with hearing murderous Personas instead of his- ...

'No.... How... How did this happen?'

For a brief moment, he can't hear the others' Personas, just- just like...

...

Yu fell to one knee, a hand moving to his forehead while the other falls limp against the floor. With his hair gone, it's obvious that they'd done something involving his mind. Hadn't been thinking clearly for a while, but now... Now he's no longer sure if he can manage to stay himself should he be subjected to watching this all-too-real nightmare of events transpire. Naoto was growing worse, Kanji couldn't even speak... Ken could barely breathe and Arisato-san...

The white-hot anger burning in the void left behind where the multitude of masks once resided was crushing him from the inside, and if he could... he would more than likely lose himself to his hidden self, yet he didn't even have the energy for that.]

...Damn.

[pengeen]

[The first thing on Kidou's mind was to find Sakuma. After hearing that his friend's group had to lose five people, he was extremely worried.

Nevermind the fact that he looks like a complete mess despite staying in the less harmful group. His hair is down rather then up in it's normal ponytail and he has a bruise/scrape on his left cheek.

You can go ahead and talk to him, and he'll talk back fine but he might seem a bit eager to end the conversation until he can speak to his friend. He's really worried, okay.]

[notagiraffe]

Taiki had tried his best, he had eaten all of the rotton fruit and other foods put in front of him, ran as much as he could and balanced the best he could. Even though he knew that if they won some other group would die. The knowledge of that, that whoever out of the other groups died it would be because of something Taiki had done... Taiki hadn't really stopped crying over the last few days.

He was still crying in the courtyard, as he saw what had been done to those of Jason's group, some of whome couldn't even walk. He didn't vote, wouldn't, couldn't but still five of Riki's group would die.

And he would hold the blame, to make it even worse Jason hadn't lost at all, and wasn't even that far behind his own group...

Taiki stood at the edge of the crowd crying silently.

[fractus_animus]

[ He... just sort of glides into the room like a zombie.

There are no words, no expression, no anything. Where he would normally feel anger at this, there is simply... nothing.

So he hangs here, watching the others in semi-distraction, unable to process large thoughts.

... After all, it's a bit hard to when you've had a lobotomy. Anyone who approaches Minato will find he has a vacant stare, and seems to be having vague trouble moving. There is no life behind his eyes, not anymore. ]

[sacred_flamer]

[He can hear again, at least, something different from the hymn over and over again, but it's still not pleasant. The relief from his fellow teammates is more than a little loud; they don't have to worry about seeing anyone be destroyed on their side this time. The despair from the other teams -- especially Riki's team -- is loud, however. Luke gripped at his headphone ears, wishing they would just choose someone already so he could stop hearing how upset everyone was.]

[animusnpcs]

Once everyone has voted Ruana's voice rings out over the chaos, by virtue of a microphone: "It's results time!" This time the cards pop out in a spray of streamers; Ruana catches each card deftly. "Let's not waste time, okay? This time people from both pods voted! Yay! I'm glad you're all participating a bit more. To mix things up, I'm keeping the votes anonymous this time!

"Let's start with Dax, just like before. It looks like Tara Maclay is getting eliminated today. Sorry, Tara! Thanks for playing, though!"

Two retrieval units escort Tara to a clear plastic tube. Dax, stepping down from his spot to stand beside the tube, again presses a button on his watch; Tara will drop immediately and bloodlessly.

"Good, that was quick. Next, the five from Riki's pod! First, the ones we definitely know--Ciel, Tatsuya, Jun, and Eikichi are all being eliminated! As for the fifth, a few of you got the same number of votes, so we picked one of you who got voted for at random and the results are..." Ruana pauses for another blast of streamers producing a final card. "Karkat! Alright, round 'em up."

Two retrieval units per person are used for this, and the group is escorted to a tube large enough to fit all of them at once. Riki waits until everyone is inside and then touches the tube, which begins pinching off at the top as if it were suddenly melting. The tube narrows out closer and closer to those trapped within it until they are crushed by it. Ruana seems quite delighted with this, as she was with Riki's display last week.

"Okay, we're all set for this week! Behave, everybody! Try to win! Remember, it's still anybody's game!"

The lights in Ruana's booth snap off.

[viditlibertas]

...

Oh.

The name he'd chosen for himself in the Tower had been Suha. Saiduq meant 'true' and 'test', whereas his latest name meant 'forgotten' and 'dim'. It had been chosen because of his steady decline, past his previous levels of anguish. Alcor had thought he was at his low point.

No, that wasn't so. Watching the deaths this round...it hurt. He'd actively tried to prevent this, he'd purposefully gone out of his way, and he'd failed. His actions didn't matter. Alcor had no impact, no glow, and no guidance. He moved and existed, but for the time being, he was no longer a thinking or feeling being. His last traces of light had been extinguished, and it would take him quite some time to build up the hope that kept it lit.

Maybe jumyouboshi was a more apt name.

[hardknoxlife]

[ This can't be happening. He knew Ciel was going to die, he knew he was going to get voted off but he didn't think it would be like this. However, he decided to make this count. ]

Bloody bastards.

[ But he pushed his way over, trying to call over the cacophony as the retrieval units begin to haul the Earl off. Maybe it would be enough. Maybe the boy would emerge in the tower alright. It was the only chance he had. ]

CIEL!

[ And another for good measure. ]

Ciel! If you get back, find Grell! Tell him we'll be alright!

[ He's chasing after as he calls this out but can only stop as the boy's brought into the tube. 'Better there than here'. That's all he can think. Between him and William, he was the only one left sane enough for all of them. But there's the impending feeling he could have done something else. Something to save them.

Better there than here.

It was all he could think of as he watched that tube almost limply.No matter how many deaths he'd seen over the course of his job, this was different. It was always different when you weren't backstage and orchestrating the show. ]

[notagiraffe]

Taiki hadn't voted of course, but he knew that no matter what people were going to die. He hadn't stopped crying... When the first name was called out he cried out in grief. "No. Tara!" He knew he couldn't get to her and in moments the woman who had been so kind to him the last two weeks was dead and Taiki's sobs shook him so much that he had fallen to the ground.

The next five names he didn't know, but they were still people and they were still going to die and Taiki wept for each of them. Curled in a ball once more, the blood sickness not as bad as last week but still there. It was so cruel and there was nothing they could do. They had caused this...

[chainsawn]

[ She doesn't recognize any of Riki's people. But by the time they're brought towards the tubes she isn't even really paying attention anymore either way - she's just staring blankly, her eyes wide and half-spaced out as if she's not even really there anymore. Even if she knew Tara would probably be the one to be eliminated since she told her, she still couldn't really accept the fact. And to see it happening now like this, no matter how painless it looks..

She wants to scream or even say something, but nothing wants to come out - everytime she opens her mouth she seems more like a goldfish trying to catch air outside of its bowl.

This is all wrong, so wrong, it can't be happening, especially not to people she knows, to someone who was nice to her..

She can't do more than stand and stare like a lost young girl. ]

[myblueskies]

Romeo watched with tears in his eyes. He had no idea what they could do, they had to stop this but they had tried so hard to lose and still won some. They would just have to try harder! They couldn't let mister Jason win they just couldn't!

Though that girl was just as bad, acting like it was fun to watch people die. Romeo stared ahead tears rolling down from his eyes.

[keeps_count]

He hated himself. His stomach twisted and although the names of the voters weren't announced, he still hated himself more and more. Tara had asked him, told him that voting for her would help her. He hoped that she would alright when she woke again. Hoped that she'd be able to find enough food to survive.

He watched her go up silently, then bowed his head in respect to her as he crossed his fist over his chest and muttered an elvish prayer. It was the least that Legolas could do from where he stood for a woman he had sent to her death.

[sageprincess]

[Hah. Ahahaha. Well played, Ruana, well played. Keep the votes anonymous so they can tear each other apart while being consumed by suspicion. That would certainly be sure to "mix things up."

If Tara didn't ask for it. Thanks to her sacrifice, Dax's pod may have some relative peace of mind for the next week, she supposes.

The display is still gruesome, and it still hurts to feel that sense of loss that always accompanies death, but Zelda refuses to let her emotions get the better of her this time. Even if Tara said she didn't mind her showing weakness, she doesn't think she would want to see her cry.

So instead, she clasps her hands together, lets her eyes slip closed, and prays.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya hadn't voted. She has nothing against the people in her pod, and no one had approached her asking her to vote for them. So she had silently waited out the minute in the voting booth.

And now, it seemed, there would be payment for her inaction.

Her blood pusher drops into her stomach when she hears the name of her moirail. No. No no no. Not Karkat. No no no she is not letting this Tower kill him right in front of her eyes a third time!

Rationally, she should have stayed put and remembered that death wasn't permanent here and that Karkat would wake up just fine back in the Tower (supposedly). But watching the life of someone you hold dear be taken from you never stops hurting -- especially when they're one of the last people you have left.

Rage boils up in her blood, and soon she's blindly shoving her way through the crowd, acquaintances and strangers alike.] Karkat! Karkat!

[Kanaya isn't shy about making sure she's heard, screaming for him at the top of her lungs. She's beyond the point of being able to see him; she's fallen so deeply into her own anger that all she's seeing is red (though maybe the cause of that is actually the tears that are gathering along her eyelashes, it's hard to say).] You can't take him, I won't let you--!

[When she's finally reached the front of the crowd, she's caught by two retrieval units. All the air leaves her in a choked sob as she's jerked back and away from the execution area. Fury and nausea settle in her gut at the blurred sight of the tube gradually pinching itself to crush those within. She can barely distinguish the individual figures through the candy red streaming down her face, but the smears of cerulean left inside tell her all she needs to know.

Despite the futility, she begins thrashing anew within the grasps of the retrieval units. She's knocked out not long after, to be brought back to Riki's pod without a fuss.]

[caliginous]

Fuck.

[Karkat instantly begins to pale and wastes no time in barreling away from the group to try and avoid the retrieval drones, though they chase him down without much difficulty. He fights and flails like a rabid cat, biting, scratching and clawing anything he can the sharper points of his body on. Unfortunately, he is mostly weak in the physical realm of things, and his powers continue to fizzle on the drones dragging him toward the tube. They disable him without much trouble, though not enough to knock him out.

He hadn't voted, and it seemed he was now being punished for his inaction. While under normal circumstances, he would have agreed that it was better him than someone else, now that he was actually facing death yet again, he would've begged for any other option. He screeches, he yells incoherently, he claws and fights and struggles even after he's in the tube. Thanks to the treatment in Riki's pod, most of his sanity had left the building.

Whoever is unfortunate enough to be stuffed around him will feel the brunt of his utter insanity as he struggles until his skin is rubbed raw, long before the tube even begins to pinch them. In fact, he shamelessly uses the other people he's stuffed in with to try and climb out, survival instinct supremely winning out over common sense. Only when he is finally forced still by the compression does he stop moving and proceed to hyperventilate before cerulean is finally splattered messily in the glass and Karkat is put to rest.]

[moontothetide]

Tara doesn't struggle - much. She does drag her feet a bit, just to buy herself a bit more time because, in the way of people who suddenly find they have no time left, she suddenly has a lot to say.

"I-I'll be okay! I asked for this, I w-wanted this, so I-I'll be okay!"

"Do your best and, a-and take care of each other! Y-You're a team!"

"M-Make sure Dax wins!"

"I-I believe in all of you!"

"I'll find you all later! I'll get better, a-and I'll find you all!"

But then, finally, she's shoved in the tube and the way out is sealed. Tara looks up at Dax, folds her hands in front of her as though in prayer, and waits.

Blessedly, it really is as painless as it had looked. Just a jolt like a fuse shorting out, and then nothing.