Week 6: May 6th - 10th

[cartesio]

Sixth Week

Killers and victims, killers and victims. Three of your own have fallen prey to murderous intent last week. Your numbers keep shrinking. Azura has fallen prey to Franciscus in the same night that Olympia betrayed her friend Millium and killed Cian who wound up in the crossfire. At this rate, is there anyone you can trust?

The townspeople's anger burns hotter than ever. Wherever they go, must they live in fear of stumbling on a corpse? They can't live like this. More than ever, the visitors are being shown that they are unwelcome.

Walking outdoors, cold looks are the norm. Shouted profanity isn't unexpected. Barely anybody is willing to still hold a conversation with any visitors.

Even within the motel, there is no feeling of safety any longer. Not only have two people died in this very place, no, now the townspeople also lost their fear of coming inside. While they don't enter private rooms, the daring among them vent their hatred of you by vandalizing the common rooms.

Cartesio has become a menacing place.

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again. Don't mind that some of them have been damaged in one of the attacks on the motel.

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

[Welcome to the sixth week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Comments

cw: suicidal thoughts

[pursuitofdeath]

[After the execution, Dazai wakes up-- in his room. It's been a long time since he's seen this particular motel room. And it feels like salt on his wounds to see it now, even if realistically he's not sure that returning to... his room would be any better.

Of the people he'd cared for the most... there's no one left now. He... had...

Dazai lays on the bed for what could be days, months, years... he doesn't move. Not to eat, drink or... anything. He'll be here for a while. Failure is a bitter pill to swallow. But how fitting that he would be the only one unable to succeed in a betrayal ending in death. Again... he's forced to live a life who's end is all he seeks.

He won't be leaving his motel room at all today.]

[quickpersuader]

[For once, Kino actually looked... visibly disturbed when Oda was brought out instead of Olympia. The fact that it took longer than usual makes enough sense at least; it's been plain as day to see how close the men are even without Millium's cajoling, and now...

First, she goes to the bakery to collect breakfast, ignoring the profanities thrown her way as she orders. Next, she takes the extra she collected - a sandwich and water and some cookies - and brings them to Dazai's room.

Knock knock.]

[pursuitofdeath]

[No way to know who’s knocking— so ultimately he just ignores it.

But if you’re feeling persistant, you may notice the door is not locked. Or you could try announcing yourself.]

[quickpersuader]

[She'll just let herself in then, looking over to see what kind of state Dazai's in as she shuts the door behind her. She's got all three guns on her person as usual, but very little intent to use any of them.]

You need to eat.

[pursuitofdeath]

[He could be worse. It’s obvious he’s cried, but he isn’t now; staring up at the ceiling from atop his bed. Not even tucked into it, just laid atop the comforter, sheets and all. He looks relaxed but the reality is more that he hasn’t moved a muscle in a really long time. He’s just... there. He’s still... here. But the voice is easily recognizeable.]

...starvation is highly unpleasant...

[...still no movement.]

[quickpersuader]

It is.

[She sets down the bag for now, walking over to him to offer the water first.]

Dehydrating isn't good, either. I've nearly died that way before. I wouldn't recommend it.

[pursuitofdeath]

[Water... drinking that would just prolong his life, even if it saves him from a horrible, drawn out death. He hates pain and suffering. But...

He doesn’t take it.]

...I shouldn’t be here. That thing... he stopped me. I had no intention of leaving that room alive.

[quickpersuader]

[She just moves it even closer, the straw practically touching his lips.]

We can't afford to lose more people now. So I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to die right now.

[pursuitofdeath]

...do you think I can help you in some way?

[He’s not adverse to what she’s saying. If he’s going to be forced to drink well then he’ll drink. But— what can he do? What is he capable of at this point? What... does he want? He doesn’t... he doesn’t know. It all contradicts inside of his head.]

Cw: suicide

[quickpersuader]

You have many useful skills. It will be helpful to have those on our side for as long as possible.

[She will wait until he gets a good drink of that water before she moves again.]

You can join them after, if you want. But not now.

[pursuitofdeath]

[....he can’t argue that. Not only is it correct— he doesn’t have much energy to argue. So he keeps drinking with a subtle nod.]

...right. Not yet...

[quickpersuader]

[She waits until he's drank enough for her approval before returning to the bag for the sandwich.]

Sit up. Choking to death isn't fun, either.

[She will feed him this damned thing by hand if need be.]

[robitussin]

[It’s halfway through the morning that she comes to talk to him. She still doesn’t know what’s happened; this check in because she thinks Olympia must have been a tough opponent to beat, and she wants to confirm he isn’t hurt.

So, there’s a knock on the door, and she speaks.]

Dazai? It’s Natalie. Can I come in?

[pursuitofdeath]

[Ah. Natalie’s back. He’s torn but ultimately he decides he should see how everything worked out. He... said... he’d help... them...]

The door is open.

[...inside he’s laying on top of the bed. It’s still made— he’s just there laying at the ceiling.]

...still in one piece? Sorry I couldn’t give you as much time as I’d hoped...

[Yet he still doesn’t look at her. Just... at the ceiling.]

[robitussin]

[She opens the door, then, giving him a nod.]

Still in one piece. Thanks for doing that. You gave us plenty of time, and I bet she didn’t make it easy.

[Haha!!]

[pursuitofdeath]

[He sits up, swinging his legs to the side of the bed— all very mechanical movements, but at least he’s sitting.]

...I never got to see her. By the time I was meant to perform my duty she was already dead. So I was asked to execute her murderer instead.

[Natalie has probably seen enough of his better days and worse days to know that though he says the words, there’s no life in them.]

But at least I was still able to give you the time you needed to get out safely.

[robitussin]

[It takes a moment for her to really register that, but it's visible when she does just from the slowly dawning look of horror on her face.]

What? Who - Dazai, who killed her?

[She's taking note of everything else, the dull way he talks and the stiff way he moves, but that can wait.]

[pursuitofdeath]

[She’s always been a smart girl. He had a feeling she’d figure it out. But for the things she couldn’t possibly know— he’ll tell her. Though it brings him no joy to say it. It brings him... nothing.]

The culprit was Oda Sakunosuke. It seems he made quick work of her during the night. The Sergeant never even bothered to mention it to me.

[Oh yeah, surely that’s. Mmmmmmfine. It’s mmfine.]

[robitussin]

[He says it so plainly that she almost relaxes slightly, before the name that he's said processes. The horror stays there, clear on her face, and a hand comes up to her mouth to cement it. It's not that she was particularly close to him herself, but the idea of Dazai coming there and seeing who it was instead of the girl he expected, knowing that he'd have to draw it out to protect them—

They didn't even find anything she would consider useful. After a moment, her words come out in a rush.]

You didn't have to... If we knew, we would never have asked you to do that!

[pursuitofdeath]

[Ah-- he hadn't considered that aspect. That she'd feel guilty for what was, in all, just a very small part of what took place in that room.]

Oh Nattie.

[He shakes his head.]

I didn't do anything unnecessary. There is more than one way to draw out a sentence. But I'm sure it was a much less entertaining spectacle than the Sergeant anticipated. What I would have done to her, I simply could not have done to her replacement.

[Dazai doesn't want any mistakes. Neither her nor Keith bore any guilt here. The Sergeant, Olympia, Dazai... and Oda himself, were responsible for this mess, and only them.]

[robitussin]

[That takes some of the tension out of her expression, though it's less that the guilt has dissipated and more that she doesn't want to put one more thing on her shoulders right now.]

Why would he... She was going to die either way, so why would he—?

[Through the confusion and shock, there's some anger breaking through - for Dazai, not for herself.]

You shouldn't have had to do that. That's not... That's fucked up!

[pursuitofdeath]

...he only wanted one thing. Revenge.

Odasaku knew the consequences and he did it anyway.

[Somehow this is even more painful the second time.]

...this is the second time... he’s faced this kind of loss. He simply... couldn’t find... something to live for when it was done.

[To say it just... makes him feel more lost right now.]

[marmoron]

[Later in the day, some time after Natalie has already visited, Keith's stopping by Dazai's room himself. Having caught up with the newspaper, he's aware that something may have been awry at the jail cell last night, but the consequences are still a mystery to him. It's not something he's really had much time to dwell on, considering where his mind's been all morning.

If he knew, his approach would be a little different. As it is, he knocks twice on the door, tone as straight to business as ever.]

Hey. It's me, Keith. Open up.

[pursuitofdeath]

[Congratulations Keith, you're the first to actually make him get up and open the door on his own. It takes a minute, but he does so. He's had some time to pull himself together. It's certainly an improvement from the lifeless lump of a form he was in earlier.]

Come to share your report from earlier?

[marmoron]

Wish there was more to report.

[Stated with just a trace of regret there, as his eyes move away from Dazai to the door frame.[

Looks like getting through the double doors isn't much of a problem, but --

[A pause. From behind him, one of the bolder people in town shouts a few choice profanities at them. Keith merely looks back up at Dazai.]

Mind if I come in?