towerofanimus | Endgame: This is the Way the World Ends

Isn't it... haa... isn't it obvious? I need to speak to her! She knows... she must know, but maybe... there's a way...

[He's not entirely coherent right now, nope.]

Naoya, focus.

[Sometimes it was useful that Waver was an expert at emotional repression. Now was one of those times.]

You can't run off like this. Even you have to know how suicidal that is.

[He turns and reaches out to grab Waver by the shirt, his eyes glimmering with madness.]

And out of all people, you think that matters to me exactly... why? I can't die either. Physically, yes. But I'll come back. I... I have been around for well over five thousand years. Death holds no fear, no punishment for me anymore.

She is the only person who might... might somehow understand.

Yeah, I kind of figured that out.

[Waver hardly even blinked at the sudden reaction or implied threat of violence.]

But you really think that shit's going to apply here? You'll end up dying and probably fucking stay that way. If you're out to kill yourself permanently, fine. But it'd be pretty fucking pathetic if all those years ended because you let your temper get to your head and did something goddamn insane.

You really think there's anything left of her that can 'understand' much of anything? It's a crying goddamn shame, but she's probably still going to rip us all apart given the chance.

[He's right. He knows Waver's right, but it's so difficult to keep himself calm. Slowly, very slowly, he uncurls his fingers and steps away.]

Then what... then what am I supposed to do about this?

We keep to the fucking plan, because it's too late to back out or change it now. Christ, I want their blood almost as much as you do, but we can't start getting distracted now. If we do that none of us are getting out of here.

... I know.

[He adjusts his haori, and tries to stop shaking.]

Just... we'll... I don't know.

[He takes a few more steps away. He's not sure what to do right now. He has to get control of his emotions, he has to think logically, but his anger is still threatening to gain control over him.]

Naoya...I do have a thought, if I may?

[While Naoya was working with the terminal, Diarmuid had noticed some very familiar markings on the man's hand. What servant had contracted with him was a question for another time then. Now...seems to be that time.]

You are bound to a servant who is fighting above, are you not? If you cannot go to her, perhaps your servant can go in your place. You should be able to connect to him through your bond and deliver a message to him.

... Right.

[He tries to take a deep breath and sends a thought to Gilgamesh. 'Ruana is old - much older than you would think. She's around my age. The scientists were trying to achieve immortality. Be very careful. We saw a video of her trying to destroy herself and she failed. I don't know yet what it would take to destroy her.']

[He runs a hand through his hair as he glances back at Lancer.]

At least Gilgamesh knows, now.

[The sent thought doesn't interrupt Gilgamesh in anything particularly important; with so many throwing themselves at Ruana, he had taken to observe the struggle -- not unlike how he might have watched things back in his world.

His eyes narrow at the revelation. 'The age-old search. What idiocy humans commit themselves to repeating.

She may not be able to kill herself, but we have yet to properly measure our true powers against hers.']

['Exactly. Let me know if you need more mana. There's not much to be done here right now but wait and stay in reserve.']

[He just shakes his head, and lets out an annoyed breath. Why anyone would want to live forever is beyond him.]

['Yes, yes. If need be, I am sure there is something in my treasury that will be useful.'

His thought conveys some agitation over this news, but it doesn't completely rid him of that normal tinge of boredom.

'She is irritated that we have Zo with us. If she will attack us with full force, it will not be long now.']

['We'll stay on the defensive here. I have a few of my own tricks... and I might see if I can find some materials to build a barrier that might at least give us a few extra seconds.']

[Gilgamesh? Really? Well, Diarmuid supposes it could be worse. It could be the Gilgamesh from his version of the war, instead of the one from his brother's. He starts to speak, but stops when he notices the look of concentration on the man's face. It's obvious that he is actually having a conversation with his servant, so Diarmuid waits until the conversation seems to be finished before speaking.]

What did he have to say?

[He shrugs a bit. ]

He suspects she may attack full force soon. She wants Zo, from the sound of it.

[Diarmuid nods.]

I can't say I am surprised. Especially after what we just saw. Saying he is important to her is the greatest of understatements.

True. We might want to see if we can move things to start making more of a barrier...

Not a bad idea and it sounds like you have a plan. How can I help?

Grab everything you can and start piling it against the entrances. It's that simple. If we need to make a fast entrance we can always just blow it up.

Ah! An actual physical barrier and not a magical one like you did before. I can handle that. Let us know if Gilgamesh sends you any updates, all right?

[He bows his head to Naoya and then sets off to work on the barrier as requested.]

I will.

[He'll just leave Diarmuid to do the heavy lifting. He's strong, but not Servant strong.]

Well... that was educational. Shion frowned at the machine and looked around at the others. He wished he had his notes, but they were glamour and no use anymore. It wasn't like he didn't have everything memorized anyways, it just felt... better to write it all down.

"So... the immortal soul... that's what they wanted?" And what seemed to have been achieved, a soul that did not die when the body did, so much suffering because people wanted to live forever.

He looked around at Diarmuid who had begun moving things, a barrier. That made him worried.

"We need to work quick." He went over to help drag furniture, he was much less effective than Diarmuid.

"Does anyone have any ideas of what can be done at all?"

"They did. I'm interested in figuring out how to break this for personal reasons, but this... we need to figure something out."

He moves to carry some of the lighter things. "We might get a few extra seconds with a barrier."

Marty had been sitting back, watching the security footage and keeping quiet. Observing, mostly. He had no idea how to help, and the situation just seemed so impossible, but they had to keep going. Knowing Ruana's fate, Marty could sympathize. He had been stuck for, what, a year? And he had been afraid he had been going insane, especially when he thought he started hearing voices. But while the others were discussing the barrier, something stuck in his mind that wouldn't let go.

"Look, guys. Uh... Jesus..." Marty rubbed both hands over his head briefly, looking helpless. "They were looking for immortality so they were focused on humans, but it isn't just sentient souls she's... uh..." He swallowed, his mouth feeling suddenly very, very dry, but he started to help move things to make the barrier. "It's every life form in every universe she's... visited that got sucked." He paused. "Where'd they all go? We aren't even a fraction of what that machine's brought here. If we figure that out maybe we'll be closer to fixing everything."

Another thought struck him. "What about a reverse procedure? Or another failsafe? I mean they had Zo but... there's gotta be something more." Marty kept working on the barrier, the physical activity helping process some thoughts.

Edited 2014-08-28 09:16 (UTC)

[Elena, like Marty, had taken on more of a passive observer as the details unfolded. At some point arms had folded over her chest, her hands gripping at the cloth of her sleeve. As each new piece is discovered, the horrors of what work had been conducted, her grip tightened. When the last bits of information are digested, she gave a slow, hissing breath.]

And here I thought Hojo's ethics were bottom of the barrel. But this...

[Her head shakes, looking to each person as they speak.]

Okay, so lets walk through this for a second.... She wants Zo. But why? Does she see Zo as the boy from the feed - who I'm horrified to think was maybe her son - and has implanted a maternal sort of connection to him? If that's the case, we've made ourselves the enemy a mother trying to get to her cub. But, at the same time, giving Zo to Ruana isn't an option.

I don't suppose having Zo try and talk to her isn't an option. If she's too far gone, it wouldn't serve a purpose. But if that connection between Ruana and Zo - even if it is one-sided - is strong enough, maybe he can break her out of her rage just long enough for...something. I don't know what...

[She's rubbing at her temples now, eyes moving to those helping build the barrier then back to the brain-tank group.]

If there was a reverse procedure, wouldn't it entail having Ruana sit on that throne? She barely looked like a willing participant in the video. I think getting her to go through that again would be more than difficult.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

mind if we merge?

no subject

no subject

no subject