+ It's All About Balance +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Mansion + Grounds
When: May 11-14
Rating: Will likely have violence and death; use content warnings at your discretion.
Summary: Someone or something is looking for Infinity Stones in Wonderland.
The Story:

This will be your main log for fighting aliens, reacting to the Snap, and any fall out. The top level for days 1 & 2 are up now, and the top levels for the Snap and the aftermath will go up late on the 12th. Hopefully, the reason for this will make sense once they’re posted!

Feel free to refer to the plotting post for more details!

Comments

[teamfun]

If you ever need pointers in that, I can help there, at least.

[It'll give him something to focus on rather than the horrible gaping void inside him that comes with dying. He'd rather ignore that forever.

He squints, confused at this new information. ]

Um. Like- like the dragon thing in the stories?

[shslliar]

[Yeah, just shove that first death in a folder somewhere in case you die again later.]

Yeah, you could call it that. We got a video yesterday from the White Queen's chambers... Those gems we were looking for? She had them, and when she snapped her fingers she turned into this giant flying thing and took off. You can guess what happened to half the mansion...

[Wendy too. Something he doesn't want to talk about.]

I've been doing research all day... On that jabberwock? Apperently it's done something like that before.

[Kokichi shuffles through his notes and hands Louis a notebook to look through.]

[teamfun]

[It's the healthy way to deal with things! A guilty expression crosses his face for a moment. He honestly hadn't been looking for the gems. He'd been looking for Clem- a pinpoint focus that eventually made him sloppy and got him killed. He probably should have looked into ways of stopping everything, but he couldn't. It's always, inevitably, going to be about Clem. ]

Oh. So basically it was a wild goose chase from the start?

[He takes the notebook, flicking through it, brow furrowed. ]

Great. So we have an all-powerful monster who can enter our dreams and we can only kill it with one specific thing- and no one knows where it is? [He taps the book.] What's this vorpal thread?

[shslliar]

Apparently! Thanks for nothing, Wonderland.

[He wants to blame that soldier guy for this, but at the same time Wonderland threw a curveball.]

The Red Queen's supposed to have the vorpal sword, I think? Last time anyone heard about the Vorpal Weapons was after that chess thing where the Queen of Hearts got eaten or something... Oh, and there's also a vorpal shield.

[teamfun]

It's always such a giver. I feel spoiled.

[It wasn't fair. It should have been a regular event and instead, it was an absolute nightmare. ]

So we got a whole Vorpal Collection going on? And are they all needed to kill this thing? Because I swear to go if we have to go on another scavenger hunt...

[And now, inadvertently, he's going to make it worse.]

...Hey, have you seen Wendy? I tried to call her but got nothing. Please tell me she wasn't in the middle of all that.

[Wendy is a fucking badass, but that was a whole new other level of battle.]

[shslliar]

Just the sword, really...

[He would explain more, but you just had to ask about Wendy...]

...

Nnh. [Please, don't make him tell you.]

[teamfun]

[Oh. Oh that is not a good reaction at all. Ice-cold fear drops into the pit of Louis' stomach, his eyes widening. Oh please, please no.]

...Kokichi?

[He doesn't want to hear it- because if he hears it, it makes it true. But he knows he has to hear it. This isn't something he can kick down the road.]

Kokichi, what- wat happened to Wendy?

[shslliar]

[You expect a self-professed liar to tell you the truth he's trying to ignore?

He pulls away from Louis and mumbles...]

She'll be around tomorrow I guess...

[teamfun]

[Yes, yes he does. Louis is pretty damn good at sloughing off what's bothering him too, but he has a line and this is absolutely that line. His concern only grows.]

...What do you mean? Did she? [Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.] What- how? Was it in the fingersnap thing?

[shslliar]

... Yep.

[Damn it Louis. You dragged it out of him.]

[teamfun]

God fucking damnit.

[Wendy didn't deserve this. This isn't fucking fair. He looks over at Kokichi again, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder.]

Shit, man, I'm sorry that's- that's a lot for you to deal with.

[shslliar]

You think?

[On one hand, Louis hit a sore spot and Kokichi wants to shove him away. On the other, Louis is a trusted friend and Kokichi doesn't want to lose him again over something so stupid... So he simply... Tenses...]

[teamfun]

[Louis jerks his hand away like it's been burned. He's usually a lot better at this- tending to other people's hurts before his own. But his are still fairly overwhelming, it's far too easy to lose focus. It's even easier to turn the hurt and anger inward. He folds his arms to his chest, staring at the floor. ]

...Right.

[He doesn't know how to make Kokichi better. When Wendy shows up, he won't know how to make her better. He sure as shit doesn't know how to make himself better. He can't fix any of this, and he hates that.]

Sorry.

[shslliar]

... It's fine.

[Nobody asked you to fix anyone, Louis.

Kokichi glances back at his notes... Then back to Louis...]

... Could have been worse.

[teamfun]

[But he wants to anyway. He needs to make his friends as okay as he can make them. Largely because he can't make himself okay.]

It could have been better, too. This whole thing was a fucking shit-show.

[shslliar]

[That's some interesting logic to follow, Lou.]

Sure was, buddy...

You up for a game of cards? Your choice.

[Anything to get his mind off that event... He'll get back to plotting later.]

[teamfun]

[He wants to curl up and hide away for like... a week, but that's not the healthy option, and honestly taking his mind off the chaos might be an idea. He nods, reaching into his still very torn up coat, pulling out a more battered than usual set of playing cards. He should probably throw them out at this point, but they've seen in through the end of the world, so he's not going to abandon them yet.]

Sure, why not? It's gotta be better than just...waiting. What's the game, Ko?

[shslliar]

I told you, it's your choice.

[The faintest hint of a smile... Then he notices the tears in his friend's clothes.]

And you sure you don't want that coat fixed? I do know how to sew.

[teamfun]

I think I'd be better off not making a choice this time, they've been pretty shitty as of late.

[He still doesn't regret them, but they were still pretty shitty choices. He picks at one of the tattered edges of his coat.]

You wouldn't mind? I mean... it's pretty fucked and I don't really wanna toss it. We've been on some adventures, this coat and me.

[shslliar]

Choosing a card game isn't gonna kill you, Louis-chan.

[Thers's a huge difference between a life changing choice and deciding what to play. Unless Louis picks poker and insists on using actual bets.]

Sure. Can't garentee it'll be the best looking coat in the world, but it'll look cooler!

[You can see Kokichi's handiwork on this coat he's wearing and the outfit he used to wear all the time.]

[teamfun]

No, it won't- but I'd still rather not.

[Because he doesn't want to. He wants to make Kokichi feel better- not himself. In Louis' estimation, then giving Kokichi the choice would somehow make it better. Probably. He's not thinking clearly right now, in all honesty.]

Well, it doesn#t really need to look all that cool, but...sure. Why not. Thanks, man, I appreciate it.

[shslliar]

[Louis, the card game was for your sake-] FINE. Hope you like War.

[That's the best he could come up with right now.]

And no prob!

[teamfun]

Yes, yes I indeed do like war.

[He'll shuffle the cards, and start dealing them out. He doesn't really have much energy for small talk and honestly, what can they small talk about? Hey, how about all that horrendous death and destruction we all just went through? No thanks. ]

So. You like sewing, huh?