Week 0 - March 31st

[cartesio]

Week 0: Investigation

The deadline is fast approaching and the one thing that should be on everyone’s minds is, “what’s going to happen now?” Last night there was a strong thunderstorm, and thanks to it the air still feels cold, moist, and even a little murky. Droplets of water cover many surfaces outside, and there are few clouds hanging in the sky. It’s rather fitting weather given, in just a few hours, all of your lives will be claimed. Have you made peace with this seemingly unavoidable outcome?

Whether you have or haven’t, it would appear your musings are doomed to be interrupted. Outside the motel sirens can be heard as a patrol car zooms by. Maybe nothing’s wrong, and maybe it’s something unrelated to everyone’s current situation.

...but, even if it is, how many of you can really sit around and do nothing? The events of the 30th proved how eager to help some of you are—enough so to put even your own lives in danger.

Abruptly, the patrol car makes a sharp turn and disappears out of sight.

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March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[semperperatus]

[Aaaand Shepard freezes when he sees that head.]

No...

[The freezing up is only momentary, but it's clear Shepard isn't exactly...taking this well. Or processing the identity of the person's head. He's walking forward now, shouting the name April.

Someone stop him from taking the head please.]

[alfin]

[ Alfin lifted her head out of her hands to see who was shouting now. ]

April...?

[ She isn't really processing what's going on. She probably won't realize what he's trying to do until he raises his hands. ]

[semperperatus]

No...!

[He's reaching out to try and grab that head now. Get it out. Get it free. He's not here, but in Egypt, the floodwaters have receded and...and...

No. She's not fully human, maybe someone can fix her maybe--]

[alfin]

[ Alfin watches him numbly until his hands are almost on the head. Then her eyes widen and she jumps forward, rushing to cling to Shepard's back. ]

You musn't!

[ She tries to pull him back. ]

If you disturb her... We... We won't be able to...!

[ She's sobbing again. ]

[semperperatus]

Wh--

[Where did this come from? A shark--no. A survivor. He's pretty strong and struggles like he's drowning, tears forming in his eyes as he hyperventilates.]

Get off me! I need--she can be saved, she overloaded her energy but she can be---she has to be--

[He pulls away as hard as he can.]

Let me go!!

[alfin]

[ He breaks free from Alfin's grasp. She's only a young girl, after all. ]

She's...!

[ She hiccups and then shouts: ]

She's dead!! You can't... You can't save her...!

[ Alfin's knees start to wobble and she brings her hands up to her face again. ]

None of us can...!

[semperperatus]

I---no---

[He shakes his head.]

She's not dead, it should have been--

[He chokes on his breath and falls to his knees.]

God no.

April...this is all my fault.

[alfin]

[ Alfin takes a step forward before falling to her knees as well. She places her hands on Shepard's back and rests her head against him. ]

It-- It's not your fault.

[ She doesn't know what he's talking about, and she'll probably ask him once he calms down. But right now? Right now she'll just comfort him. ]

You did the best you could. We all did.

[ She starts rubbing circles on his back. ]

I'm so sorry.

[semperperatus]

...

[God, no. He didn't believe that. He couldn't. The years when they were separated, the times he hurt her, abandoned her, only to get back together with her, and only then to...

He buries his face into his hands and sobs.

It should have been him, damnit.]