[WOW HE REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO DO THIS BECAUSE *AWKWARDNESS*, but at the same time he knows it's something he SHOULD do.
Okay, deep breath. You can do this!]
Hey IV. I...just wanted to say I'm sorry about last time. And thanks, for helping me.
[Okay, he may have not been initially happy about Yuto being called, but it turned out to be for the greater good. Still not being too happy about being yelled at, but he sort of gets that IV was trying to keep him from running off. Sort of. He doesn't exactly approve of his method.]
[Who does? IV questions his own method a fair number of times, enough that he's a while to answer, but calm and neutral when he does. He can't claim to deserve the thanks, but he won't put Yuya in a tough spot by saying so.]
[You can't really be surprised by the fact that she's actually following through here. Either way, here's Ruby giving him a call, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed despite everything that had happened.]
Heyyyyy, IV! Juuust...checking in! Are you doing okay?
[It's been a long night. So long, in fact, that checking her CereVice reveals it's already the new year, and she can't help but wonder whether she slept away a few days. She doesn't feel that way, though, and there certainly aren't any frantic messages waiting for her to suggest it... so it's probably fine, right?
At some point, she fell asleep. She doesn't feel rested at all, and her lack of memory spanning the 29th to the 31st makes her uneasy, but she does remember one thing. The sight of IV venturing out into the snow on his own, and the determination to eventually find him again.
She shakes her head as she sits up on her couch with considerable effort. Instinctively, she'll grab her CereVice, which thankfully now has clear signal. She hadn't even made it to her bed, but she will drag herself to the window now, where she tugs open her curtain out of curiosity. It's still dark outside... everything is completely covered in white. But the storm is gone.]
[...Leia sighs, turning so her back faces the window, and she'll slump to the ground like her legs just stopped working. Her fingers move quickly enough, though--
She'll send IV a message after rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.]
looks like im a little late... but it's over (=^-ω-^=)
I need to talk to you. It's important. Please respond when you have time.
[She's still trying to gather her courage to tell him what she's learned, after all; she needs all the mental capacity she has to spare. Therefore, a succinct text is safer than a voice message.]
[It takes several minutes for IV to check his inbox after being notified of a new message. He can make time if he's in need, so it takes just another second for him to flip open the directory and ring for Rio while he excuse himself.
He hasn't a clue as to what she needs to talk to him about, but important is important. A call is more efficient than a message back.]
For some reason, Leia doesn't remember anything about how she got here. She's sore, like she's been fighting; it's dark, and the only thing she can see is a table in the middle of the room, illuminated by two masks that sit there, still and undisturbed. Naturally, she approaches to see what it's all about--and that's when things get strange.
Pick one.|
At first she doesn't understand the writing in red (which appeared out of nowhere, she might add), but then the masks reveal their true forms.
"Mom...?" she chokes slowly. She hasn't said the word in so long. "Dad?"
...No. Something's wrong here. Both start to call out to her--pick me pick me pick me--and she has to take a step back as their tones become respectively more urgent and desperate. Her eyes are wide with confusion and indecisiveness; but she doesn't have to endure it much longer.
"Why--Why do I have to--?"
Their faces glitch, and their voices warp into something unrecognizable until two more familiars appear. She jumps.
"J... Jude! Milla..."
But it's more of the same. No--it's worse.
"I love you, Leia. Please; you've got to pick me."
"He's lying. He's only had eyes for me, and you've noticed, haven't you? You're a smart girl. I'm the one you should choose."
"No--! I would never--"
Leia can't stand the bickering for long. Tears start to form in her eyes and her hands cover her ears to try to block them out. She comes to the realization that she isn't going to be able to choose either one of them.
"Stop it, stop it!"
It isn't right, it isn't right at all. But it doesn't stop the counting timer, hanging ominously above both of victims (when did that get there?), and it doesn't stop her hand from shaking or glowing an ominous red.
Her eyes open wide again upon noticing this, and the hand forcibly and slowly reaches out towards the masks as a clock continuously ticks with the countdown.
When it reaches zero, her arm feels like it's nearly pulled out of its socket as she's drawn suddenly towards Milla. The masks glitches and her mom is shown one final time, before it reverts back to Milla: two ladies who've both inspired her to be a better person, both important to her in their own ways. Her hand grabs at the mask now in front of her and places it over her face, despite her resistance.
It's too late.
Jude and her father appear before her, terrified, looking at her as if she were a monster for what she's done. She doesn't know what to say, what to do, or why things happened the way they did. Guilt weighs on her heavier than ever... but it isn't really her they're afraid of.
Seconds later, a shadow figure dashes past her from behind, charging towards them. She barely has time to react or stop whoever it is before she notices the shine of his sword, which promptly slices through the air in a silver arc right through Jude's neck, then her father's.
Everything is quiet. Leia's heart races like it's about to burst, and for a moment, she's numb as their heads land on what must be the ground. Their lifeless bodies crumble and follow soon after, and she can only watch as blood oozes everywhere.
It's on her hands most of all, and she feels like they may never be clean again.
"No... No, no, no, no, no. NO!!"
She protests and falls to her knees as the figure turns to look at her. Now she knows what happened to the mask that went unchosen, she thinks, spotting it instead of a face... but it doesn't matter anymore.
Nothing does.
Not even now, as the figure looms towards her. Surely she'll be subjected to the same fate. All she has to do is close her eyes...
* * *
[When Leia wakes up, it's with a start, despite the overwhelming sense of calm and acceptance. Her face is warm and full of sweat as her eyes narrow; her breaths are heavy and difficult, but she struggles. She has to sit up. It's dark, just like in the dream. Unlike the dream, however, she eventually does recognize where she is.
The Game Center. The break room... not the apartment she's come to call home.
She looks around as best she can, tracing her hand across her neck for reasons she doesn't know. Why is she at the Game Center, she wonders, when she doesn't see anyone else here...? But then she remembers. The blackout, the accident on the metro... the walk.
IV.
She stands and wipes at her eyes when she notices they're still wet, but then loses her balance, plopping right back down on the couch where she'd made herself comfortable. She sniffles, rubbing at her nose next; but otherwise takes a deep breath and seems ready to try again.]
Just a nightmare...
[She whispers quietly to herself; but when has it "just" been anything here? She's back on her wobbly feet, mulling it over. She wishes she could forget this dream as quickly as all the others.]
[The shout, so loud and clear in the otherwise silent Game Center, throws him. He frowns and snaps his attention back to the CereVice.]
Fine, do that. If we're lucky, we'll be hearing about it soon.
[IV hangs up and strides down to throw the break room door open, pocketing the CereVice the while. His eyes have adjusted enough in his brief time awake to let him know that Leia isn't anywhere near the front, which leads him to assume that she's where he left her. He turns his head in the direction of the couch.]
Okay, no, it doesn't start quite like that--though anyone who knows Leia and reads this would probably assume that what follows could easily fill an entry. A short time after Leia hangs up with Yuzu and Yuya and skims over her notes, she sends a text to IV.]
today i saw what duel monsters looks like!! ー( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
[ Well, everything seems to have died down now, and that mess with the new people taking control just caused Yuma a lot of troubles that he can't even catch a breather when it's fully over.
That's why he's checking up on everyone right now. ]
[With a lot of the major repairs out of the way, Leia's been focusing on more minor, personal touches. Her apartment is livable again, which she appreciates; but it's still small and honestly in no shape to survive a party.
She'll worry about that later, though. After her trip to the roof for some peace and quiet, she sits in her favorite chair where she once watch the sun rise with a certain someone, and she pulls out her CereVice.]
[IV stares at the text message, racking his brain for what to which she might be referring. Whatever it is, he already feels the validation of being right, but clarification never hurt.]
[Waking up in a bed she could call her own was both a relief and yet jarring at the same time. There was really no describing the whiplash she felt, and when she sprang up in a gasp, eyes wide, she immediately regretted it and wanted to lie back down again. She would have, in fact, had it not been for the overly friendly bot offering her a breakfast that looked about as appetizing as her own cooking on a bad day--but it definitely refused to take no for an answer.
Desperation and hunger had led her to eat what was on the plate, grimacing at how horribly burned it was . . . but luckily, the misery doesn't last long. It's only after she eats that she spots her CereVice on the nightstand: something that she hasn't put to use in quite a while. Predictably, there are certain names she starts to look for, but one stands out as she puts her now empty plate aside.]
. . . Hello? [She gasps upon seeing IV's face. Of course, now that they're back in the colony, there's no reason for the call not to go through when she initiates it.] Hey! Oh my gosh, it works again!
[She looks disheveled, tired, but otherwise . . . in one piece.]
[After snatching the plate of the wretched breakfast from the bot's grip and all but cursing at the hunk of metal to leave, IV whirls his head toward the reacting CereVice on his own nightstand. Glancing at his door to ensure the bot has left, he swipes the CereVice to answer the call. A blessedly familiar face appears in video form and his eyes widen, eyebrows raised.]
Leia? Did you wake up in bed, too?
[She looks disheveled, but the fact that she seems lively and well stays IV's concerns. While his unruly hair doesn't suffer much during sleep, he can't guarantee that he looks his best, either – not when his last memories are hazy, distorted by an unquenchable thirst for air at the time.]
[It's the middle of the night, and Leia shivers beneath her covers. Every time she feels like she's finally drifting off, she finds herself jerking awake again for some reason or another, be it an odd, distant noise she can't make out, or odd chills that run down her spine, even though she's sweating.
She didn't think much of it at first. She's still been going to work, playing ViViD, but for the first time, she actually feels frustrated.]
[IV has yet to turn in for the night, so he receives the message right away. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be such a big deal if not for the fact that Leia had been a little funny at the Game Center – well, funny by his standards, and he's her boyfriend.
He's already in the hallway by the time he types a message back.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Audio] A few days after the meltdown
Okay, deep breath. You can do this!]
Hey IV. I...just wanted to say I'm sorry about last time. And thanks, for helping me.
[Okay, he may have not been initially happy about Yuto being called, but it turned out to be for the greater good. Still not being too happy about being yelled at, but he sort of gets that IV was trying to keep him from running off. Sort of. He doesn't exactly approve of his method.]
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You sound calmer now. So talking to Yuto helped?
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voice. backdated to post-event
Heyyyyy, IV! Juuust...checking in! Are you doing okay?
voice.
[Well, she's consistent. He'll give her credit for that.]
I'm fine. So? Did you manage to do something about that sleigh?
voice.
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voice; backdated to some time after the event
[However the thanks seem to be a little... cold. He doesn't appreciate that you yelled at Yuya.]
voice;
How is he?
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(ic: early 1/1)
At some point, she fell asleep. She doesn't feel rested at all, and her lack of memory spanning the 29th to the 31st makes her uneasy, but she does remember one thing. The sight of IV venturing out into the snow on his own, and the determination to eventually find him again.
She shakes her head as she sits up on her couch with considerable effort. Instinctively, she'll grab her CereVice, which thankfully now has clear signal. She hadn't even made it to her bed, but she will drag herself to the window now, where she tugs open her curtain out of curiosity. It's still dark outside... everything is completely covered in white. But the storm is gone.]
Thank goodness.
text; 1/2
She'll send IV a message after rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.]
looks like im a little late... but it's over (=^-ω-^=)
text; 2/2
text;
1/4
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text
[She's still trying to gather her courage to tell him what she's learned, after all; she needs all the mental capacity she has to spare. Therefore, a succinct text is safer than a voice message.]
audio
He hasn't a clue as to what she needs to talk to him about, but important is important. A call is more efficient than a message back.]
Rio?
text -> action
action
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ic: 1/20-21 (late night/early morning; at the game center)
At first she doesn't understand the writing in red (which appeared out of nowhere, she might add), but then the masks reveal their true forms.
"Mom...?" she chokes slowly. She hasn't said the word in so long. "Dad?"
...No. Something's wrong here. Both start to call out to her--pick me pick me pick me--and she has to take a step back as their tones become respectively more urgent and desperate. Her eyes are wide with confusion and indecisiveness; but she doesn't have to endure it much longer.
"Why--Why do I have to--?"
Their faces glitch, and their voices warp into something unrecognizable until two more familiars appear. She jumps.
"J... Jude! Milla..."
But it's more of the same. No--it's worse.
"I love you, Leia. Please; you've got to pick me."
"He's lying. He's only had eyes for me, and you've noticed, haven't you? You're a smart girl. I'm the one you should choose."
"No--! I would never--"
Leia can't stand the bickering for long. Tears start to form in her eyes and her hands cover her ears to try to block them out. She comes to the realization that she isn't going to be able to choose either one of them.
"Stop it, stop it!"
It isn't right, it isn't right at all. But it doesn't stop the counting timer, hanging ominously above both of victims (when did that get there?), and it doesn't stop her hand from shaking or glowing an ominous red.
Her eyes open wide again upon noticing this, and the hand forcibly and slowly reaches out towards the masks as a clock continuously ticks with the countdown.
When it reaches zero, her arm feels like it's nearly pulled out of its socket as she's drawn suddenly towards Milla. The masks glitches and her mom is shown one final time, before it reverts back to Milla: two ladies who've both inspired her to be a better person, both important to her in their own ways. Her hand grabs at the mask now in front of her and places it over her face, despite her resistance.
It's too late.
Jude and her father appear before her, terrified, looking at her as if she were a monster for what she's done. She doesn't know what to say, what to do, or why things happened the way they did. Guilt weighs on her heavier than ever... but it isn't really her they're afraid of.
Seconds later, a shadow figure dashes past her from behind, charging towards them. She barely has time to react or stop whoever it is before she notices the shine of his sword, which promptly slices through the air in a silver arc right through Jude's neck, then her father's.
Everything is quiet. Leia's heart races like it's about to burst, and for a moment, she's numb as their heads land on what must be the ground. Their lifeless bodies crumble and follow soon after, and she can only watch as blood oozes everywhere.
It's on her hands most of all, and she feels like they may never be clean again.
"No... No, no, no, no, no. NO!!"
She protests and falls to her knees as the figure turns to look at her. Now she knows what happened to the mask that went unchosen, she thinks, spotting it instead of a face... but it doesn't matter anymore.
Nothing does.
Not even now, as the figure looms towards her. Surely she'll be subjected to the same fate. All she has to do is close her eyes...
[When Leia wakes up, it's with a start, despite the overwhelming sense of calm and acceptance. Her face is warm and full of sweat as her eyes narrow; her breaths are heavy and difficult, but she struggles. She has to sit up. It's dark, just like in the dream. Unlike the dream, however, she eventually does recognize where she is.
The Game Center. The break room... not the apartment she's come to call home.
She looks around as best she can, tracing her hand across her neck for reasons she doesn't know. Why is she at the Game Center, she wonders, when she doesn't see anyone else here...? But then she remembers. The blackout, the accident on the metro... the walk.
IV.
She stands and wipes at her eyes when she notices they're still wet, but then loses her balance, plopping right back down on the couch where she'd made herself comfortable. She sniffles, rubbing at her nose next; but otherwise takes a deep breath and seems ready to try again.]
Just a nightmare...
[She whispers quietly to herself; but when has it "just" been anything here? She's back on her wobbly feet, mulling it over. She wishes she could forget this dream as quickly as all the others.]
no subject
Fine, do that. If we're lucky, we'll be hearing about it soon.
[IV hangs up and strides down to throw the break room door open, pocketing the CereVice the while. His eyes have adjusted enough in his brief time awake to let him know that Leia isn't anywhere near the front, which leads him to assume that she's where he left her. He turns his head in the direction of the couch.]
Leia! Are you awake?
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text;
Okay, no, it doesn't start quite like that--though anyone who knows Leia and reads this would probably assume that what follows could easily fill an entry. A short time after Leia hangs up with Yuzu and Yuya and skims over her notes, she sends a text to IV.]
today i saw what duel monsters looks like!! ー( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
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You watched those three's tutorial, huh? What did you think?
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text; before yuya's post and after event.
[ Well, everything seems to have died down now, and that mess with the new people taking control just caused Yuma a lot of troubles that he can't even catch a breather when it's fully over.
That's why he's checking up on everyone right now. ]
text;
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voice / private
Vector's voice is impatient as he leaves a message. It's short. Pressed. None of his usual games.]
Arclight. News.
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What?
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ic: 3/04 | text;
She'll worry about that later, though. After her trip to the roof for some peace and quiet, she sits in her favorite chair where she once watch the sun rise with a certain someone, and she pulls out her CereVice.]
you were right ☆
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About what?
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text;
oh and um, are you ok?
text; he has these cards he bets you'd really like, ruby
And I'm fine.
you should've heard the noise i made
i was going to say, "hockey noise," but that doesn't make sense
jae................
cal . . .
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ic: 3/27 | video;
Desperation and hunger had led her to eat what was on the plate, grimacing at how horribly burned it was . . . but luckily, the misery doesn't last long. It's only after she eats that she spots her CereVice on the nightstand: something that she hasn't put to use in quite a while. Predictably, there are certain names she starts to look for, but one stands out as she puts her now empty plate aside.]
. . . Hello? [She gasps upon seeing IV's face. Of course, now that they're back in the colony, there's no reason for the call not to go through when she initiates it.] Hey! Oh my gosh, it works again!
[She looks disheveled, tired, but otherwise . . . in one piece.]
no subject
Leia? Did you wake up in bed, too?
[She looks disheveled, but the fact that she seems lively and well stays IV's concerns. While his unruly hair doesn't suffer much during sleep, he can't guarantee that he looks his best, either – not when his last memories are hazy, distorted by an unquenchable thirst for air at the time.]
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💌 text
She didn't think much of it at first. She's still been going to work, playing ViViD, but for the first time, she actually feels frustrated.]
can't sleep :(
[She hates being sick. Not again.]
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He's already in the hallway by the time he types a message back.]
I'm coming over. Are you hungry?
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IMPULSIVE (2/2)
you ninjamm
(1/2) NOT NINJA ENOUGH LOL
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