RECORDING 16: THE FINAL WEEK.

[foundationmods]

A sixth week in this place begins, with less of your number among you. It's feeling more and more like something's about to break.

There isn't any increase in Miasma, but you can tell it seems...excited. Overjoyed, like a predator bracing itself for the chase of the hunt. The fog is everywhere, and inescapable...

The Temperature is holding stead at the 50's, and nippy to need a layer or two. As before, the rooms have changed, so hopefully you kept anything essential in the static area.

13 of your number still remain.

...How will this all end...?

MIASMA LEVEL: 4
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Comments

[kaliedoscopes]

Did I say that just now? I'll let you know when I do or don't want something.

[ Or rather he'll continue to be incorrigible as he was in life, just blatantly more awful in many ways. He's glaring now and the miasma around him flares in turn.

As for the first question, unfortunately he's just ignoring it right now. ]

[reanimania]

Huh?

[ That's not a reaction he was expecting. It had sounded callous, but did he still care about someone whose soul he said he destroyed? Saphir still isn't even sure how the concept of a soul is supposed to work...

He shrinks back in the chair away from the rising miasma. ]

...A-all right.

I'm still willing to do it, you know, I just... need to be able to go home.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ He's still glaring, but the miasma retreats back to it's prior aura proximity. ]

Not for him, for someone else. [ ... ] I was human once, you know. I may be like this now, but I'm still not some formless, mindless entity that— [ There's a brief flare again, though this seems directed inwards toward himself. ]

Forget it, it doesn't matter.

[reanimania]

I didn't...

[ He definitely didn't say that? But with the miasma still seeming so volatile, that's not an argument he wants to get into, and he stays quiet for a moment.

... ]

...I'll do my best for that person too, then, along with the professor and Jade.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Sometimes you project your own cinema theater and sometimes that projection is lit even further with miasma spotlights. ]

Because you like me? Because you're scared of me?

[reanimania]

Because I lost something precious and all I've cared about since is getting it back. [ ... ] Almost all I've cared about. And if it's anything like that for you, then...

[ He has to pause to think about his wording; he's not really any good at this kind of thing even when he's not under pressure. ...Mostly because he usually just shouts at people who aren't Jade, and Jade isn't interested in hearing him talk about anything but the technical details of fomicry. ]

...Look, I'm not pretending I can fix everything that's making you miserable, maybe not even a fraction of it, but this is one thing that I know that I might be able to help with, so-- so I just want to, since I'm going to be doing it for myself anyway. And if you care enough about them to want to bring them back regardless of what other people say, then they must be special, and they probably deserve it.

1/2

[kaliedoscopes]

[ ..................... ]

Of course she's worth it. I would give her the world, destroy the world, for my sister.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ His voice had dipped low, but then he suddenly starts laughing and laughing, like he did at trial. There's also miasma butterflies everywhere, the beats of their wings reverberating in the small confines of the hall. ]

Out of the kindness of your heart then...isn't that cute. [ He swings his leg off the chair and stands. ]

Do you know how many lies I've told? Do you know how many lies I'm still telling? I could almost fall for it, but I know better. In a few days I'm going to remind you of that, I promise.

[reanimania]

[ That's not the kind of relationship he really knows anything about. The only siblings he knows are Jade and Nephry, so... as strong as his own feelings are, he probably doesn't understand it and never will. But that's fine.

He cringes and sinks down into the chair again when that laughing starts, but... eventually, he sits up straight, eyes damp but determined. ]

W-well, you should know by now that I'm terrible at lying! And if you don't, then you clearly haven't been paying attention!

[ He stands up, finally, clumsily waving the butterflies out of his face. ]

So think what you want to, but I'm going to get out of here and I'm going to give my all to bringing back both her and the professor! And if you don't want to give me the data to do it because you're so intent on not trusting me, that will be on you!

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Something Saphir says causes his eyes to go wide, and even the butterflies freeze in their movements midair. A second or two later he recovers, and though his expression is difficult to see between the swarm of wings that's migrated back over to him, there's a funny kind of smile on his face. Different, than any of the ones he's worn before. ]

It's always my fault. But this time, just this time, I'll share the blame with you. [ He waves a hand and the hall grows quiet as the butterflies disappear, just the two of them in this terrible, scenic space. ]

I'll hold you to it, Saphir. And when you fail, and when you die, and even when you truly understand what this entire curse is about—I won't let you forget that you lied to me. And then I'll punish you for it, over, and over, and over again.

[reanimania]

[ As quiet as it is now, those words still sound muffled and far away over the pounding of his heart in his ears, and there are tears streaming down his cheeks that he doesn't even remember shedding.

Honestly, he's terrified. He's not good with pain and he's proven many times over in the past few days that he's emotionally weak, maybe more than anyone here. But if he fails Professor Nebilim and Jade, then that kind of punishment is probably what he deserves anyway, isn't it?

So. Fine.

He swallows down his fear and gives a firm nod of understanding. ]

It's only your fault if you try to stop me.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ He laughs again though this time there's more substance to it, that hollow quality still present but with a trace of actual mirth, sharpened like an edge. So this is an agreement then, and as Hikage proved last weekend, he's pretty good at being patient.

A nod of his own; either he doesn't want to give a verbal an answer or can't. Or maybe he's just being Hikage. ]

When it's over show me that face again too, I'm growing fond of it. [ And then he'll leave, walking straight through the damn wall, a flourish of his cape as he does so. Being dead really is great for being even more dramatic and ridiculous. ]

[reanimania]

[ ...

Almost as soon as Hikage has disappeared through the wall, Saphir slumps down against the side of the chair and sobs. He's hurt and scared and the more rational side of him knows how unlikely it is that he's actually going to get out of this alive and how much worse he might have just made things for himself. But he won't consider what he said a lie, either, and he's more adamant about it now than ever. He's going to do everything he can to get out of this and no one will be able to say otherwise.

He stays there for a few moments longer until his tears subside and his breathing steadies, and then his shaky hand clenches into a fist at his side. Snatching up his broken necklace from the floor, he stands up straight, and he heads back through the winding hall to his room. ]