EVENT: MELPOMENE ▒ HOME

[ataraxites]

CHARACTERS: Ensemble production!
LOCATION: Corridors in the belly of the Tranquility
WARNINGS: Creepiness, disturbing imagery, violence, etc.
SUMMARY: Characters discover slices of sanctuary deep in the maze.
NOTES: Open to all! Covers Stage Four of the plot & Escape.

You've been running and fighting for what feels like weeks now. Exhausted and desperate, you find another door, stumbling through into— You're home, finally, far away and safe from monsters or spaceships. You're not alone, someone here who's been waiting for you, and they're so happy to see you. Relief overcomes you; you just want to rest, and there's no reason to believe anything here isn't what it seems, is there?

Comments

[darkart]

Currently, you are my problem. [ Ray may not be hostile, but Severus is clearly egging him on at this point. Something is phenomenally not right, which goes without saying, and this stranger is possibly the crux of it. ]

Want to explain to me why he's not capable of speaking for himself? I notice as enthusiastic as you are, you've no answers about anything. Who are you?

[makedo]

Me? [ ray does a good impression of something innocent, even though it crumbles a second later to be replaced by a shit-eating grin. ] I'm Ray Person. Joshua Ray Person, if you gotta know. Brad's RTO.

[ he doesn't step forward, but he does lean in a little, conspiratorially. ] He's kind of an asshole, but as long as you don't sing country music, he's really a softie at heart. Just can't stand cowboy songs, 's a shame.

[darkart]

Fortunately, I do no such thing. [ SURPRISE. ] You aren't a passenger on the Tranquility. Let me speak to him.

[ Or I will make you, is the implication. Severus feels like he's been out here for weeks, or maybe just minutes-- sometimes it's hard to tell, even when he forces his mind to sort itself through Occlumency. He's not inclined to be patient, and this is getting annoying. ]

[makedo]

Anything you wanna say to him, you can say to me. He deserves a break, don't you think? I keep telling him, he works too hard, but all he gives a shit about is shitting, ya feel me? Shitting and gay ass stuff like honor and fighting fucking dragons.

[ ray is not budging, and brad is not moving. ]

[darkart]

No one deserves anything. [ Life isn't fair, and Brad's a soldier. In no way does Severus buy any of that 'just let him take a creepy comatose waking nap for his own good' shit. He wouldn't even if the circumstances were perfectly normal. Severus is not a soldier and their ways of warfare are not remotely the same, but he thinks he can recognize a drive to work when he sees it. This is not right.

And now, he's just. Going to walk around Ray, because surely this is going to go exactly as planned. ] Wake up, Colbert.

[makedo]

[ brad would very much agree with severus, but for all the emphasis in severus' tone, there is still no reaction from brad. the only reaction he gets to walking around ray and addressing brad directly is ray getting in his face, moving with him, blocking his path. ]

No, no, no, homes, you don't get to come up to him, man. Dude's getting some shuteye, that's sacred.

[ doesn't matter that brad's eyes aren't, technically, closed. ray's got one hand on his pistol, now, and his tone may still be light, but his expression is growing more hostile. ]

[darkart]

[ Severus stops and gives Ray a look that's almost pitying. Then he wordlessly casts a stunning spell on him.

Aaaand then steps around him again.

Once he's in front of Brad, he reaches out to grasp the man's shoulder. ] Colbert, wake the hell up!

[makedo]

[ it isn't until severus' hand lands on brad's shoulder that there is any reaction at all — his eyes focus, he tenses but doesn't immediately move.

he doesn't know where he is, but he knows severus, at least, and there is nothing particularly threatening about the beach. and still it's disconcerting that he can't remember how he got here, and it takes a moment until he can force his muscles into a less tense state, until he no longer passes for someone just about to strike and attack. ]

What? [ that question probably about covers everything he actually wants to ask. ]

[darkart]

What do you mean 'what'?!

[ It's more hissed than shouted, because it takes more than this to get Severus to shout, but holy fucking wizard god is he annoyed. He's straightened up and has let go of Brad, and now gestures around them. At the beach. ] We're still on the ship, it's taken you and everyone else on the recon teams and trapped you down here in these illusions. And they are illusions, mind you, I've been arguing with that for twenty minutes.

[ Oh right, Ray. ]

[makedo]

[ so he's going to have to elaborate, and brad's look almost rivals severus' in levels of annoyance. ]

How did I get here? [ still on the ship or no, how did he end up in an illusion?

he looks at the that severus is referring to, and — ] Ray?

[ when and how did ray get here? ] What the fuck?

[darkart]

I am highly skeptical that is a real person, [ he says frostily, but continues: ] We're somewhere in the ship. You sent Petrelli a distress signal - you personally, I heard the bloody thing. How did you get separated from the others?

[ And where the hell are they? ]

[makedo]

Ray's real. Not here, though. [ at least last he knew, ray had never been aboard the tranquility.

and then severus keeps asking, and brad — finds he doesn't know the answers. ] I don't remember.

[ it's said with a frown, not panicked but decidedly unhappy. ]

[darkart]

Certainly not here. You've not been gone over a jump, there's no way anyone else could have been brought on board.

[ Severus is not thrilled to hear that. Colbert, of all of them, he thinks would have tried to pay attention. ] What's the last thing you do remember?

[makedo]

[ trust him, severus — he isn't thrilled to find that he doesn't remember, either, or that he got separated from his team.

he's team leader, he's supposed to look after them. ]

Charting the corridors with William and Thomas.

[ to the side, ray is stirring. ]

[darkart]

Go through it pace by pace since you left. And we need to go.

[ Severus doesn't see any proper doors, but that doesn't mean they won't fall into a ditch or something and end up in another room. But either way they need to keep making progress, he's certain of that. ]

[makedo]

[ there's no immediate protest from brad, mind working at catching up and simultaneously running through tactical scenarios. he's operating with very limited information here. ]

We were charting. Thomas talked about the Glade, [ and not knowing his own birthday, but he's not disclosing that ] nothing irregular until our attempts to check in started to fail. I don't remember anything after that.

[ a beat. ] We can't leave him here. [ with a nod to ray. even if ray might not be real, it's still — ray.

no, it isn't, and maybe that was a nonsensical thing to say, but he still felt the need to point it out. ]

[darkart]

[ Severus wants to press him about it - demand more detail, literally step by step, where did you walk, what did you say, did you take anything in or out of your bag, did you cough, who looked at you-- but now's probably not the time.

Instead: ] It's not a 'him'. Colbert, you know better.

[makedo]

[ now is probably not the time and poking at the edge of his memory when brad tests it doesn't get him anything. everything was normal up until the moment he woke up here with no recollection of how he got here. ]

What's the date?

[ that suddenly seems relevant.

and yeah, he knows. and yet whatever illusion or monster or — whatever this is, it looks like ray.

he squares his jaw and forces himself to look away.

tersely: ] Let's go.

[darkart]

It was [this day] when the rescue parties left. Your distress signals rolled in on [#] after communications had previously gone down. I don't know for sure how long I've been down here.

[ Severus is watching him sharply, but is also keeping peripheral attention on 'Ray', just in case. He's pleased - as much as he can be - when Brad balls up and moves on. Good. Severus walks alongside him, looking for a way out.

All he sees is the beach. ]




(it's 3am i don't remember the days DX)

[makedo]

[ brad nods his acknowledgment of the information, then offers: ] I remember nothing past the 18th. [ or whatever day that was in ship-time also wow go to sleep!!

his m4 is by his side, but while brad's attention is on their surroundings (and on ray, whatever passes for ray), he doesn't have a finger on the trigger now. ]

It's California. In case you were wondering. [ said drily. ]

zzzzzzzzz

[darkart]

[ The 18th. Why then. It's pointless to ask now while they have to focus on getting back, but it's already bothering him in a way that suggests it's going to keep bothering him for a long time. ]

Really. [ Faux-surprise. Mostly exasperation. ] I've never been.

[ Shock of the century, he's sure. ] You happen to know where an exit is?

[makedo]

It's a beach. [ beaches don't usually have exits. there isn't even dunes they'd need to be crossed. ]

I know where the nearest restaurant is supposed to be. [ his tone implies that yeah, he's not sure how helpful that's going to be. worth a try, maybe? ]

[darkart]

All right. That way, then. [ Severus is still not coping fantastically with a beach, but he's not complaining. It's too bright and warm and sandy and he doesn't understand how anyone can find this enjoyable, but whatever. Maybe it's better Brad didn't get found by someone who'd be inclined to ask him heartfelt questions about his homelife. ]

I've left areas through doors, holes in the floor, knots in trees-- it's nonsensical, but there will be a way out one way or another.

[makedo]

[ it smarts, a little, but brad's ego is not so fragile that he can't accept the fact that right now, severus has more intel than brad does and it therefore makes sense to let severus make these kind of decisions.

so he just gives a nod, short and sharp, and starts towards the restaurant. ]

[darkart]

[ Unless something leaps out of the water and tries to each them, or if Ray crawls up and starts shooting, it'll be a brisk walk to the restaurant and the yanking open of a door to get the fuck out.

Hooopefully nothing else insane happens. ]