Infighting Week Four

[animusmods]

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

[Week Four Information]
[Week Three]
[Week Two]
[Week One]
Dax's Pod
Riki's Pod
Jason's Pod
Event End

Comments

POD ONE: DAX

[animusmods]

[pengeen]

[Thanks to Kidou's goggles, his vision was narrowed and cut off, making it a bit easier to handle the never ending whiteness in front of him. Sure, he got a little jumpy whenever someone would pass in his line of vision because he couldn't see them coming, but really, he found himself at a bit of an advantage.

He is hesitant when he first walks into the pod though, but he tries to walk straight, and it seems like a never ending space.

That is, until he smacks face-first into a wall. Though his nose hurt like hell now, he was glad that happened, because he knew where the wall was. And now, he had his hands pressed up against it and was using it to make his way around the room, getting used to his surroundings.]

[It might look a little odd, considering the fact that it just looks like he has his hands flat out in the middle of nothing but empty space as he inches his way sideways.]

[notagiraffe]

[Eventually he would come across Taiki who is curled up in a corner; and it had taken him an awful long time to find a corner. Sanshi wasn't with him because he figured if she could remain in his shadow and not have to be in this room that was better for her. He blinked at the boy coming closer to him, even knowing there was a wall their it looked weird and disorienting, making Taiki feel slightly sick.]

[pengeen]

[Kidou stops just a few feet away from Taiki after noticing the other looking at him. He also noticed how Taiki looked a little sick and that made him a bit concerned, even if he didn't really know him.]

...are you feeling okay?

[notagiraffe]

[Taiki blinked at him and nodded sadly] Yes... it's just strange...

[pengeen]

Ah, I agree. It is a bit strange. [He's going to sit on the floor a few feet away from Taiki, resting his back against the wall.]

At least this is the last week, right? [And he's going to offer a smile]

[sageprincess]

[They had lost.

The once proud and determined Princess of Hyrule wanders the pod in a disoriented daze, reaching out whenever she thinks a wall might be near and stumbling whenever she finds that, no, it isn't. She hardly reacts to these pitfalls, however, a stoic mask more indicative of melancholy than resolution a constant fixture upon her features.

They had failed.

So many people had been counting on them, so many she had promised to fight for, and it was all for naught. Should she take comfort in that the result is not permanent, or despair in that there was so much suffering for so little time? Or maybe she should concern herself with the fact that this awful cycle may very well start anew after this next month.

She couldn't keep her promise.

She... can't find it in herself to do any of the above. Like the room that is their accommodations for this week, she feels utterly empty, as though the fire that had kept her going this far has been completely snuffed out. And so instead of trying to discuss the situation with her podmates or attempt to get started on the challenges as she has done in the past, she simply searches for purchase in the form of a wall, and when she's finally, finally found it, she sits, legs curled up to her chest, and stares blankly at the floor.

It's over.]

[keeps_count]

[Legolas happens to be sitting against that very wall, just several feet away. And he watches her quietly. His own heart is aching with the knowledge of their failure to win and he's sure that this will probably kill him.

After all, Zelda wasn't the only one that made promises to win, to make it worth doing what Tara had asked him. A request that was still haunting him over a week later.

So the elf stood from his spot, keeping one hand on the wall and moved to sit beside Zelda. He wasn't one for sudden physical contact but this was far from any normal circumstances. And he just wrapped his arm around Zelda's shoulder in a half-hug.

A prince telling a princess that it would be okay, without any words words.]

[sageprincess]

[The lack of words is appreciated, in a way, deep down. In her current state, she barely knows if she can bring herself to speak.

And just as Legolas is not one for physical contact, neither is Zelda, really. But at the same time, there's still a part of her that's desperate to feel something besides a soul-crushing void where hope once was.

And so she leans into the hug, just a bit. Trusting him, without saying so.]

[keeps_count]

[And he'll just sit there with her for as long as she needs or wants the contact. He doesn't need to sleep at all here, and probably wouldn't if he did so he could act as a pillow if she wanted to rest awhile. He wasn't going anywhere.]

[sageprincess]

[If he isn't going to move, she may very well allow herself to fall asleep on him, retreating into the relative safety of her dreamworld, to a place that isn't here.

It's not as though she cares much about her dignity anymore. She's a failure of a princess and a leader.]

[notagiraffe]

[Moving was hard with no points of references but Taiki slowly moved his way over to Zelda, bashing into the wall before he managed to curl up next to her. He liked her; she had been very kind to him these last few weeks, and he wanted to help her.

But there wasn't anything he could say because they had failed. They had lost and things were really bad for the others and now that evil evil woman was in charge and who knew what was going to happen.]

[sageprincess]

[Dulled eyes slowly cut towards Taiki as he takes his seat next to her, her reactions always delayed and sluggish. Distantly, the quiet voice of her conscience tells her that there are still people she needs to be strong for, even if they've lost this battle, but... it just doesn't connect. She's far too numb to listen.

After a bit of time sitting in silence, however, she reaches out to gently pat the kirin's head, petting his hair ever so slightly. Instinct is a powerful thing, and somewhere deep down, despite the emptiness, she still has a flickering desire to comfort and nurture.]

[notagiraffe]

[Taiki looked up at her when she stroked his hair but didn't speak. He was too sad to speak and was fine just lying here. He felt safe near Zelda and closed his eyes, it was better when he couldn't see the room.]

[colonial]

[America hadn't done much the past few weeks--he felt sluggish and distracted ever since England had--Gone back to the Tower. He would see England again. He would.

He does realize that the girl sitting by the wall is one who had seemed nice, and that she's sad now. He pads over unsteadily in the strange new surroundings.]

Are you okay? Are you hurt?

[sageprincess]

[It takes a moment - everything feels so slow now - but she does eventually lift her head at the sound of a child's voice. Dimly, she recalls this is the boy who had cried so loudly at the end of the first week, and that memory stirs something within her, though it's buried deep under everything else.

She shakes her head once.]

No, I... I am not hurt. Merely... tired

[A half-truth.]

[colonial]

There's not really any place to take a nap, huh? [America sits down beside her.] I mean I guess there's the floor but it's not like being in the forest where there's soft spots.

[ocariness]

[ She, too, had fallen to silence. Everything she had worked for had been for naught. But where Zelda had become less resolute, Link had become even more.

Perhaps it was merely the fact she was Farore's Chosen. Perhaps it was the Triforce of Courage.

But in this moment, Link silently fumbles her way over to Zelda, sits down next to her, and then pulls her into a hug quietly, despite them being around the same height, she just doesn't care how it looks. To be honest, she cares too much about Zelda's state right not to leave her be.

Her thoughts at the moment are if anyone has some crayons or something they could mark off the walls? It would be... easier. ]

[sageprincess]

[If anyone could reach her right now - truly reach her, in the core of her being - it would be Link. Which is why when she feels that familiar presence, that warm and comfortable embrace, she instinctively latches onto that feeling with everything she has. If Link just doesn't care how it looks then Zelda is so far beyond caring that they might as well be in space.

The hug is returned, and she leans into Link, the full weight of... everything crashing in all at once.

But... at least she feels safe, here. It's a pleasant change from being numb.]

[ocariness]

[ She won't let go, Zelda.

If only because she wants to be there for you when she felt like she ought to have been those seven long years. When she was stuck, asleep.

She won't say anything. She won't tell Zelda how to feel. That is not something she is responsible for. But... ]

One more week.

[ That is all. Then they can... go back to the others. Everything will go back to normal. They won't fight amongst each other anymore... that was what she hated about this the most, to be honest. How much it had made them all be repulsed and afraid of each other, how angry they had gotten at one another.

Link had remained stoic. Even when Arthur died and she was near tears, she did not blame anyone responsible, for she knows the people at fault, Yu especially... weren't bad people.

No, the bad people were the ones doing this. Ruana, Jason, Riki. ... The only relatively nice person she believes might be Dax. And it's beginning to upset her to see how poorly he gets treated.

But for now, she keeps this all to herself, and lays her head on the other girl, letting her know she isn't going to disappear. No, she won't let that happen. She won't let this place separate them like it had been doing to others... ]

[chainsawn]

[ On one hand, they had lost. On the other.. at least nobody had to die this time around, right? It had already been bad enough to watch the people die the last times around, especially Tara. But.. it was just as Kidou had told her. One more week and they could see everyone again.. despite losing, she just had to try her best for one more week. If she just could manage that, then it'd be okay, so..

The girl doesn't even care if she's sitting near a wall or not, she's just plopping herself down on the middle of the floor. If you don't watch where you're going, you might end up accidentally tripping over her - she isn't too big, after all, and she's lying flat on the floor with her eyes closed as if she's trying to sleep. ]

[pengeen]

[Kidou was walking around the room some more, this time he wasn't using the wall to get around, he was trying to get used to it. And when he walked by, he noticed Urotsuki curled up on the floor asleep(?). Quietly, he slips off his jacket and crouches down next to her, gently setting it on her like a small blanket.]

[chainsawn]

[ She's not entirely asleep yet-- she's trying to sleep, but sometimes she wakes up again and just lies there with her eyes closed for a while too. And this happens to be one of those times, so when she can feel something on her she opens her eyes lightly, blinking blearily at the boy. ]

... Kidou-kun?

[pengeen]

Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. [He frowns slightly]

Wednesday/Thursday

[keeps_count]

[Legolas has spent half a week simply sitting against one of the walls, basically letting people know that it's there by leaning against it. His head is tilted back, eyes shut, but singing very softly for himself to hear.

He seems much more tired than he has in the entire month and he's not making much effort to move or to do anything.]


Uich gwennen na 'wanath ah na dhín.
An uich gwennen na ringyrn ambar hen.
Boe naid bain gwannathar,
Boe cuil ban firitha.

Boe naer gwannathach.

[His chest, his heart, is literally aching. And he's almost frightened of what it means but not quite. Even if he's never experienced it, he knows the meaning but it won't happen here. Certainly not as long as he can keep himself conscious.]