sponsoredby | alisaie catchall

[ It looks like his injuries are a bit better managed than yesterday, but he sure is sore.

Anyway, he's walking out on the streets, keeping his eye out for any of the missing persons. He squints a little and leans forward some. Is that someone running toward this area...? Hm. Who could it be? ]

[Does anybody else sprint around the city at top speed like Alisaie does? Answer unclear. But anyways, here she is, Miss Eorzea, running toward a building that seems to have suffered a little more than its neighbors over time. One of its pillars has fallen, tipped into the building, and it's clear after a moment that she's headed straight for it to jump up and use the pillar as a ramp up to the top.

Wanna come with? :) Or maybe this is a bad idea? It's his call, really.]

[ Normally, he might have been crawling up after her, but right now he's staring up. The limp and injuries and.... well, there are two people that would strangle him. So, that's not and option.

He does, however, wave up at her and yell. ]

Hey! I have a question for you!

[honestly valid. When he shouts, Alisaie pauses on the pillar, looking back down at him. Torn...

But then she'll come back down toward him, her daemon slinking along after her in his black-footed cat form.]

Yes? What is it?

I'm sorry to bother you while you're on your search... But I had a question. About your missing brother.

[Her expression goes a little bit tense.]

What about him?

How long has he been missing...?

[ He looks Worried. ]

[That definitely makes two of them!]

Alphinaud has been missing since Thursday morning. I spoke to him Wednesday ere we both went to bed, but when van Zieks suggested we make plans not to be alone the coming evening I realized I'd not seen him yet that day.

[ His face darkens a bit more, for multiple reasons. ]

Where'd you last see him, if you don't mind me asking?

In the solar. We make it a habit to check in with one another occasionally--at least once a day, if not more often.

[ He frowns at that. ]

Do you want help looking around the city? We could spread out and make sure we cover more ground.

[There's a little bit of relief that spreads across her face--not much, she's still beyond worried, but... she appreciates how many people are jumping in to help so quickly.]

I would be in your debt. I've covered a lot of ground myself between yesterday and now, but the more people we have looking, the easier it will be to find them.

[As long as they're in the city to be found.

But that actually brings up another question--Alisaie frowns, lifting a hand to her chin in thought.]

Actually, you left the city yesterday, did you not? Tell me what happened. It's possible that something similar happened to the others.

I do my fair share of rounds here. I'll make sure to keep an eye out.

[ And at that question, he nods. ]

We all arrived in a strange candy shop out of nowhere. It sounds weird, but we had to go through a castle and find out way back here. Other than some bruises, we were all okay. Here's hoping that's the same for your brother and the other missing people.

[canned laughter]

That sounds like something more akin to a dream than reality. [Not that she's questioning him; she did see how the group of them came back.] Let us pray it is something similar. If not...

[Her expression goes distant for a moment, as though remembering something.]

Well. If he dies on me, I will never let him hear the end of it.

It does. If I wasn't there, it'd be hard to believe.

[ He is curious about that look, but doesn't press it. Not his place. ]

We'll hope for the best. That and keep looking are the most important things, right?

[ This tiger with his tiger are taking a much needed break in his walks today. He sits at the fountain's edge, looking at in thought. He also appears to be holding something in his hand. At least it looks like he's mostly taking care of himself and seems pretty relaxed.

It may even trigger if she approaches. ]

Edited 2021-10-12 22:26 (UTC)

[Alisaie isn't expecting to be blindsided by a sudden memory as she's walking through the streets. She comes to a halt, lost in another place entirely... and as it ends, her head whips around, looking for the culprit.]

Watch what you're doing with that! I might have walked into one of the canals.

[ He looks sheepish as she whips around. ]

It wasn't anything intentional.

[She lifts a hand to her forehead--this week is only just beginning and already she's over this--but when she lowers it, her annoyance is gone.]

It rarely is... but I suppose I can hardly blame you. These damned shards seem keen to trigger as soon as someone but looks in your direction.

[She's just going to come and join him. Have some company, Kotetsu!]

I'm glad yours had a happy ending.

It's almost like they have a mind of their own...

[ But he smiles and nods at her joining him. ]

It did. I was so grateful to find her.

I can understand that feeling. [She rests her hands on the edge of the fountain, staring out into space.] When my brother came out of that cave last week, I was so relieved to see him that I could barely stand.

[It kind of makes her think... that maybe she's been too hard on him this entire time.]

Will you tell me about her?

I bet.

[ That makes him smile. ]

Sure... Don't know if you could hear with the sound, but her name's Kaede. She's a fiery 11 year old. Very headstrong and a little rebellious. Even so, she's got a really good heart.

[Well, it's going to be up to Kotetsu to come and find Alisaie tonight, because after what happened in the throne room she's not going to be fit to seek people out! He'll be able to find her in the manor or just outside of it easily enough, though, and he'll notice at once that her body language is a lot more subdued than normal.]

[ After everything that happened, he is going to seek her out at some point of the night. He needs to know why... ]

How are you holding up after that?

Kotetsu? [She glances up toward him, then away again.]

I'm breathing, aren't I? Which is more than I can say for some.

I know, but... what happened. Why did you vote for yourself?

I had to. I couldn't vote for anybody else, not when things were so unclear.

I thought the self-sacrificing thing was my deal. But I get it... I get that feeling painfully clear. I can't risk doing the same, though. As awful as it is.

[That gets her to glance up toward him sharply!]

It wasn't meant to be self-sacrificing! How were we meant to know such a thing would happen?

But I'm glad to hear you won't be following in my footsteps. I haven't the energy for a lecture tonight.

Did you really think this place would play fair?

[ But he shakes his head, he doesn't feel like arguing. He didn't come here for that. ]

You know, I had more than one person think I did the same thing as you last week.

[She's. Not gonna respond to that first one.]

Then you understand how many people are asking the same of me now.

I confess, I thought you'd voted for yourself too. It played no part in why I chose to do so tonight, but I thought you the type of person to do such a thing.

Was it Bertolt who voted for you?

[ He nods at that. Not that surprised she thought so, too. ]

I don't know who voted for me. He never said anything, if it was. It could be almost anyone.

[Yeah, that makes sense. It's not like their votes are public knowledge.]

...It isn't that I thought this place would play fair. Nothing about this is fair. But I mislike the idea that we must needs play by their rules or be punished.

I thought that there had to be some way we might outwit them...

We have to play by some of the rules while we figure out how to end this. They're obviously going to try to stop us, but we need to figure it out while not throwing our lives away in the meantime.

I hate it, but it's what we've got.

[ Well... he promised Alisaie he would meet up some bit after the others were done meeting and he motions to her before the roles fully leave their area. ]

Why don't we find somewhere to talk about this now?

Certainly. It sounds as though we have much and more to discuss.

But I would ask that we remain indoors. The sun on snow has been... difficult, to say the least.

[ No one has told Kotetsu that she's blind... ]

Yeah, of course. It's a lot warmer in here, too. We could even take one of the seats here, since everyone is leaving.

[I legit don't know who knows and who doesn't; thankfully she's almost back to 50% vision!! But the snow-blindness after a week of complete darkness and a second week of almost complete darkness... yikes.]

That's fine by me. [She'll go ahead and claim one of the seats for herself!]

I would ask that you begin. Much and more of what information I have will be reliant on the details of your explanation.

I didn't mention my role before, but part of it is is that I'm responsible for the new world each week. At this last meeting, I was told that there would two more choices I had to make, not including the world we're in.

So... two worlds left. The Watchers-- at least the Celestials-- said they were done being pawns in this war. I'm betting the Temporals are on the same page, especially factoring in what happened today. We don't have much time left.

You choose where we go? I thought it was at random.

[Alisaie frowns, touching her hand to her chin.]

Is there aught that guides your choices? Suriel and I had wondered if we were drawn to certain worlds due to the presence of specific items that could be obtained from them.

I'm given three choices a week and I need to decide which to pick. They're vague feelings, so I don't know exactly what I'm choosing, but have some hints of where we're going, at least.

They're all worlds that have windows that need to be closed. I know that much.

[Oh shit.]

And are these "windows" the other places we visit while we are there? Such as the venture van Zieks, Akira, Rin, and I took to the Kiln while in Ahnkeen?

No, not at all. They're not related. They're windows to other worlds. The note I'd received on my first trip talked about them that the windows were left open and the spectres were punishment. There are a number of them that I have to find throughout each place we visit.

[You know, it's kind of amazing that the ice bar lets her in given her height? Maybe they're reading all the anger in her soul and that's what does it, who knows, I don't. At any rate though, she's sitting with a mug in front of her, expression a combination of frustration and resignation as she stares down at it.

When she notices Kotetsu, she'll nod toward him. It is absolutely an invitation if he'd like it to be one; come on over!]

[ At least it's better than the hookah bar, yeah.

But at the nod, he does come over and sit with her. He wasn't in the room when she was getting emotional at the end, but he heard it when Xie Lian and him where heading back. The entire thing... was such a mess. ]

You going to be okay?

[That's always the question, isn't it...]

I will be, given time.

I simply... cannot understand it. How can you be so close with someone and then turn on them in such a way? She'd given him no reason to do so.

[ He looks down, brow furrowing. ]

I don't think that's completely true. And I'm not trying to start an argument or hurt you by saying that. The whole thing is complicated and Rochalizo is hurting from this, too.

[ He debates how to phrase things, since he's not always the greatest with words. ]

He believes this choice... is the one that would be... the most understanding. Maybe not to the rest of us, but something between them.

alisaie catchall

[week 1 ; friday ; after check-in, before cyoa arrival]

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[week 2 ; tueday]

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[week 2 ; post-trial]

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[week 5 ; friday ; after anon meeting]

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[week 5 ; post-trial]

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