RECORDING 14: THE FIFTH MURDER.

[foundationmods]

A fifth week, and this is now definitely routine. Waking on friday, with the knowledge deep down that your number has yet again decreased.

You must still pull yourself from your bed, and discover who is now forever gone.

The Miasma is choking, almost triumphant as you search the hallways -

looking for the ones that have had their lives cut short so cruelly...

((OOC: 2 people max under a heading, please! Just to keep things easy on the mods. You can switch out with someone else during an investigation if needed.))

Comments

[sageking]

[ We can say Gil's still investigating and all here, but some time after he's done, he'll come to see if Romani's still in the living room... ]

[finalring]

[ oh he’s there, still curled up pitifully. ]

[sageking]

[ And what a pitiful sight he was.

He's not going to leave you in the living room to wallow in your self-pity for too long here. He did at least give Romani an hour or more to be appropriately sad due to investigating thoroughly, but the red head would stay here hours on end if he didn't do something about it. ]

You need to get up, gather yourself together, and get on another set of pants. If I have to drag you to your feet to make it happen, I will.

[finalring]

[ gilgamesh’s voice brings little comfort to romani this time. not when battler died—battler, who everyone at least appeared to care about. battler, who had been ambushed, who he couldn’t protect because he was too useless—

but he can pick himself up. shakily, he pulls himself up to a standing position, but still not looking at gilgamesh in the eye. ]

[sageking]

[ He'll frown. If he left this as-is, Romani will go into trial, wafflowering and acting like a mere sack of potatoes. At this point in time, that was unacceptable.

He'll also fold his arms. ]

Look at me. Your avoidance in doing so seems to suggest that you're blaming yourself foolishly for this, aren't you?

[finalring]

Is it foolish if there was something I could have done?

[ perhaps it is. in fact, it probably is foolish. romani, with a broken shoulder and unable to use any powers to protect anyone. from the blood that he saw (and that was now on his clothes) there had been no way to save him.

but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he still feels guilty. ]

Why him? It could’ve been me—it should’ve been me! I bring no use to the team anymore! I never did! So why him!?

1/

[sageking]

[ These were circumstances he felt Romani could've never hoped to be able to correct, even if he were there to possibly do something in the midst of them. Someone went all out. The only outcome would've likely resulted in Romani being knocked unconscious or worse, dead. ]

Hmph. In no scenario could you have done anything in regards to a murder, so it is foolish to entertain one in which you could, given that two people die——

2/3

[sageking]

[ Any further thoughts or words had been interrupted by Romani's words.

...Even if Romani wasn't looking at Gilgamesh's face, it definitely had the expression of someone who had been slapped.

Most of his focus being on the assertion 'it should've been me'. ]

3/3

[sageking]

[ So he grabbed him by the collar, and if it weren't for his wound, he would've jostled him by pulling him forward. ]

I don't think you heard me clearly, did you? I told you to look at me... And don't you DARE say that it should've been you again!!

[ That sure was done in the loudest yell he's ever done while he's been here.

And if you thought he was done, oh boy. He was not. ]

Tell me...did you forget everything you've done in the previous weeks? What manner of foolishness do you get off believing that every action or any good you've done has been invalidated because he died?! And do not think I am so foolish to forget the efforts you've made this week...to think so less of me is a grave insult.

You're also entitled to your grief, but at this point you're just insolently spitting on his grave. Imagine if Battler heard what you'd have said just now. Just burn that image into that damned foolish mind of yours!

[ He'll take a breath, hand trembling a little, fighting against the feel of that accursed negativity attempting to take over. ]

We will solve it and figure out why. And we shall keep moving forward. If you want any of our actions to even matter, you won't drown yourself in self-pity. I won't stand for it!

1/2

[finalring]

.....

[ the moment that gilgamesh grabs him by the shirt, romani feels his heart stop. he feels so terrified, his breathing quick and shallow as he stares up at the king in absolute fear.

the king does not mince his words in the least. and they hurt, adding more and more to the pain from his shoulder and from his own grief. but they’re...they’re true. in the back of his head, romani realizes this—if he had died, then what would have battler done? he would have been distraught, for sure, especially after losing rin.

ahh...he’s so selfish. only thinking about his own pain and not thinking about the others’—not even battler’s. does that make him a failure of a person, then? ]

2/2

[finalring]

[ well, he already knew that from the beginning. and if that was the case, then romani had no option but to continue moving forward. somehow.

even though he feels like every step is more uncertain than the last and that he does not know where ‘forward’ even is, he realizes that he has no option but to keep moving.

with his shoulders still shaking in fear and eyes still brimming with tears, he nods. ]

I...I understand.

[ his voice is still small, but at least he’s able to look up at the king. ]

[sageking]

[ He let go of the red head's collar and reach with fingers to wipe a few tears away, frowning. In contrast to Romani's expression of fear, Gilgamesh's own had faded anger that gave way to something solemn. ]

...Good. I'll remember you said that.

[ It's not perfect. In a situation like this, he knew better than most. But, the idea of losing Romani to despair...the idea of losing Romani at all despite what he knew was coming, was something he wasn't prepared for right now. Maybe that's just the foolish side of him speaking, but he wasn't too far removed to be able to just not care.

But, well, even after that, he'll move to carefully wrap his arms around Romani's waist. ]

[finalring]

[ romani hopes that gilgamesh can forgive this moment of weakness-- this moment of selfishness as the king wraps his arm around his waist. weakly, he uses his good arm to pull the man into an embrace, burying his face into the crook of gilgamesh's neck.

he's...grieving. he's in so much pain right now, and part of him still wants to curl up and cry...but they don't have that luxury. for battler's and giovanni's sake, they had to bring the culprit (culprits?) out into the light...even if that wouldn't be the same as bringing them to justice.

no, there was no justice here. there never was.

with a shaky breath, he pulls back, but not too far from gilgamesh. ]

I'm...alright now. You're right. We need to solve this.