It's not like I'm walking alone into the valley of the shadow of death--

[sageprincess]

Characters: Enoch, Zelda, and their ragtag bunch of immortals (Lucifel, Naoya, Solas, Saber Lily, and Ruler)
Setting: Admin levels; night of April 9th
Format: Any, though action might be faster?
Summary: With Jason apparently busy examining the "malfunctioning" worker units, it's the perfect time to strike and retrieve the information Dax left behind.
Warnings: It's a break in. These do not have a history of going well. Character injury and death is possible.

It is a dark and stormy night, as cliche as it sounds. Most of the Tower residents should be asleep by now, or wandering the more interesting floors in search of monsters to fight.

Not these ones, though. A small group quietly begins to gather around the administrator elevator after the sun is well and truly down, several of them armed. Jason's announcement over the intercom yesterday had been just the tell they were looking for - one that informed them he was distracted - and despite some of the distressing disappearances that followed, they had to jump on this rare opportunity while it was within their grasp.

Dax trusted them with the information he had collected, and one way or another, they were going to find it.

Comments

[animusnpcs]

[If they move quickly, they should be able to make it to the door. It's much too small for the hellhound to go through, and leads to a large, neatly made bedroom.]

[repeatingsun]

I got it wrong..I'm sorry...

[She doesn't know why, just that her attempt failed. She failed she failed it's just like Meridian she guessed wrong it was all wrong everything is wrong.

She's supposed to take care of people. Not kill them.]

[no_longer_a_king]

She will be well.

[Awaking in her room screaming and forced into paralysis, but alive. Able to talk at all.]

Just remember that: death is not permanent in this place. When we get out of here we can see for ourselves that she is well and find a way to make it up to her. She will be angry if any of us gave up because of one mistake.

[Or so she thinks. Again, Arturia does not know her very well.]

[warriorscribe]

She's right. Let's focus on right now... *Just. Guiding her along now, quickly.* ...We need you to tell us what you see, Sola.

[animusnpcs]

[There's a box on the bed. It's sealed. There's a note on top, unsealed.]

[repeatingsun]

I keep telling you guys, I can't see it. Whatever it was you guys were fighting, I couldn--

[...

S C R E A M.]

It was an illusion too, wasn't it?! I... [She's going to clap her hands to the sides of her head for a moment, trying to focus. Right. Death isn't permanent. It doesn't hurt less but right now they need to concentrate right? Right. Oh god.]

Umm...We're in a bedroom. There's a box on the bed, but it's sealed - there's a note on the box, not sealed.

[warriorscribe]

So we're seeing the same things... this is real. *Enoch is going to break away from Sola and go straight to it. This is exactly what Dax called them for! These could be his last words to them all...

He picks up the note.*

[animusnpcs]

I'm glad you're reading this--it means you've found this as I believed you would. Inside is something that is going to help all of you, and it's taken me a long time to make, so please be careful with it. You should have spoken with R-037; as I'm not here, I have left it to her to decide when this box should be used. If she has asked you to bring it to her unopened, please do so, but if not, you may take it back with you as long as you don't open it until you're somewhere safe.

I can't tell you what's inside yet--there are instructions inside, for when it's safe. However, this is not my research; I've hidden that in the residential areas. This box is what's going to open the path for you.

Remember this: There will come a time when everything around you seems to be not what you thought it was, and you won't know what to believe about anything at all. At that time, look for something that is still true.

I hope that makes sense to you when the time comes. Please do with this box what is best.

Regards,
Dax

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch reads the note aloud for the others, his voice cracking as it slowly comes to him that these are indeed his last words to them. That this room will never be occupied, that this area will stand mostly silent.

That this was all for them. This silence, this stillness, was for them.

Enoch is quiet after reading it aloud, looking down at the floor, the hand with the note falling to his side.*

PLACEHOLDER

[no_longer_a_king]

General placeholder for taggers not present to post their reactions in, should they choose to. (Looking at Jamie, mainly)

Everyone currently present please thread as normal from Enoch's post.

[brbtalkingtogod]

... So symbolically it's really like Pandora's box.

[Lucifel looks at the box and places his free hand on Enoch's shoulder.]

The original story says that when Pandora opened the box she was given to by the gods diseases and disasters spread over the world. The only thing that remained inside of it was hope.

[sageprincess]

[Zelda is not doing well.

Seeing Ruler - her best friend - burn is not an image that is going to leave her mind any time soon. Neither is the feeling of being helpless to stop it. She promised her she wouldn't have to use her noble phantasm. She promised it wasn't going to be necessary for her to re-enact her death to protect them.

And yet she did so anyway, and it wasn't even her choice to.

Zelda is not doing well, but she listens to Enoch dutifully, memorizing every word like it's an ancient legend.]

... This was all a preview, hm. A practice in truth and illusion.

[With a tired look in her eyes that hardly fits the youngest member of this rag-tag group, she steps forward, picks up the box, and holds it protectively to her chest.

Like hell is she going to let anyone open this thing after Ruler's death.]

Let us pray hope has wings, and our Pandora lets it fly when the time is right, then. Let's get this to R.

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya holds back his comment that Zelda has it a bit wrong, but just nods.]

We should move quickly. We don't know who's watching what at this moment, or what time it is. We wouldn't want to run into someone down here.

[Like Jason, for example.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch looks at the hand on his shoulder for a moment as if trying to comprehend why it's there, before he reaches his hand up to squeeze Lucifel's in thanks for the attempt.

And then he reaches it out to Zelda as she picks up the box, to put a hand on her shoulder. It's little comfort, he knows, but...he can't just stand there.*

[sageprincess]

[There is very little reaction to Enoch's attempt at comforting. A slight glance, a new tenseness to her shoulders, but nothing more. Still, for what it's worth, she doesn't shrug him away.]

... I do not know how much we need to worry about encountering the other administrators, now. Presumably, they would not be able to navigate the illusions without the device R gave us. And R herself said retrieval units would not be able to get here, either. Though I suppose the longer we are out of their sight, the more suspicious they might be.

[Perhaps it's presumptuous, but she can't bring herself to care right now.]

Solas. Can you see us back out of here, or do you need a moment to rest?

[repeatingsun]

[Solas is just looking blankly at the floor for a moment, blinking. Now that things have calmed down -

The illusions - included her vines. Limbs. Part of her was faked. She doesn't want to see what that implies, not now. She may be the worst "helper" ever, but at least she can do as Zelda says and see them out.

But maybe, right before handing the device back to R. Maybe a quick look at her own hands-]

I, um, right. I'll do that.

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch wants to lean on Lucifel and cry, to comfort everyone around him who needs it. He wants to stay here a while, learn about the life that was ended for their sakes, in their defense.

...But they can't. Because the longer they wait, the longer Ruler has to wait.*

If retrieval units can't reach this place...we'll need to bring her with us.

[sageprincess]

[...

Fuck.

Zelda lets out a long, pained sigh at that realization, for working in what amounts to heroic safe mode doesn't allow for thinking too deeply on things.]

Then we will do what needs to be done. [Sealed box still safely in her arms, she once again starts shepherding the group out.] We should not disturb this place any longer.

[warriorscribe]

...I wish I had an offering to leave.

*It's as good as a grave site, in the lack of one.

Enoch lets his hand fall as Zelda moves away from it, and once again gives the pale hand on his shoulder an appreciative squeeze before moving away from its comfort, himself. But he reaches back to take Lucifel's arm anyway, still seeking the contact as he follows Zelda from the room.*

[animusnpcs]

[They'll find the hellhound is no longer in the room when they exit, although Ruler's body is. The path back is much easier than the path here--there are less twists and turns now.]

[crouching_sin]

Leave her. They doubtlessly know we're here anyway, and taking her body will just slow us down.

[Heading off the stupidity at the pass, yep.]

[repeatingsun]

[This is Solas.

This is Solas storming over and smacking Naoya upside the head. Plantbane status can go straight to hell.]

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya lashes out at her, grabbing her by the neck.]

Don't be an idiot. Her body would be gone soon anyway, since they need to transplant her soul. It's just a shell after that.

[Solas may feel a very uncomfortable sensation soon...]

[repeatingsun]

[Yeah, her hand was already starting to sting. But.]

Even so, s-

[...
...

She stops speaking, her eyes going wide as she starts trying to get away. Her hand actually looks wilted, and her neck isn't doing much better...]

[crouching_sin]

[He lets go of her, taking a few steps back. His point has been made. Multiple points, actually.]