subdivided | week two: mingle

week two: mingle

Week Two
26 in Competition

As the sun rises on Monday morning, all participants will find themselves awakening with a sense of purpose. Regardless of where they slept the night before, they’ll find themselves compelled to return to the main meeting hall first thing in the morning.

Approaching the hall, however, they will find a large, swirling mass grey in color looming near the sakura tree. This swirl cannot be approached just yet, but seems to be locked and waiting for something more.

As the last member of the village enters the hall, they will find Lune and Sol at the head of the room. Though they’re together, it’s Lune who speaks up first this time.

"Good morning, good morning. You've done well to purge the corruption in the previous gateway - allow us to assist with the finishing touches. For the time being, it would appear as though we've been able to locate another. The land might appear a bit familiar to some however... I only advise you watch your step."

When Lune finishes, Sol chimes in from their place at Lune's side.

"The corruption is still out there, and we're going to do all that we can to find a way to contain it. But until then... stick close to others this week. Do your best to protect yourselves and look after each other. Okay?"

The moment participants leave the hall, they will find that the gateway has changed from grey to white, the opening widening enough for multiple people to step through. The Signs will soon take their leave, and all will remain peaceful once more.

The only oddity is that throughout the week, in a noise that extends past the portal but seems to resound even through the village, there will be the occasional, resounding call of a war horn.

In addition, as the week goes on, partners will find ever-growing feelings of anxiety and nervousness dwelling within them the longer they are separated from one another. They will feel compelled to be very close to their partners at all times, and will be on edge if separated for more than an hour by the end of the week. Welcome to surprise codependence at its finest.

Welcome to your week two mingle! As a reminder, murder proposals are open. We will also be hosting a mini-event on Tuesday, so please be on the lookout for that.

In addition, ensure that all of your week one private conversations were reported on the page, and your week two private conversations are reported on that page. If you'll be taking anything from locations, please report that as well.

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[ why are they such a mess

Four doesn't move, but she squints to see what he's doing, and she wonders if all this effort is worth the scrolls. ]

I'll get it to slow down.

[ She breathes out a shaky breath, and true to her word, the horse slows in its wild movements. It doesn't stop because Four is still a little too focused on her pain, but it's enough to catch it. ]

[ It tracks that Minato can only figure out how to use his powers for mass destruction, while Four does exactly as promised and gets the horse to calm down enough for Minato to run out there, dislodge the fallen soldier, and grab hold of the reins. He hooks his broken arm through the hoop because he's smart, leaving his free hand to dig through his bag for some apples. ]

Here...

[ looks over at Four ]

Are you hungry? Do you want an apple?

[ She wants to scream, but instead, she shakes her head. ]

Save it for the horse after we're through here!

[ She runs over to him and mounts the horse, slower than she'd like for herself. ]

Get on, and navigate for me.

[ She hasn't forgotten his arm, and who knows if what's she suggested can work since she's still at least partially blind. She can't assume he knows how to ride a horse, and she doesn't even want to see him try. ]

[ Alright. Minato's going to have to sit in the back since he's taller, which also means he gets to hug Four from behind and pray he isn't immediately shoved off the horse for wrapping his arms around her. ]

Hang onto the right side for me; I'll tap your arm if I need you to pull.

[ In that way, he can guide the horse left or right. To go forwards... He can't remember what the voice command is. So he just rolls another apple in front of the horse and it starts trotting after it. ]

[ She tenses very visibly. It takes all her willpower not to shove him off, but she told him to get on in the first place. She did not think this through.

Four nods, holding onto the reins on the right.

For the tenth time this thread, getting sand in your eyes is not recommended.

As the horse shifts into a canter, other soldiers on horseback come after them. They shout as they charge, their only warning. ]

[ Getting sand in your eyes is the worst and he apologizes profusely to all those soldier back there. Also to Four. But he will apologize to Four all at once at the very end, because they will make it to the end, they definitely will.

He leans forward so that his mouth is right beside her ear, speaking over the sounds of war around them. ]

Can you get it to go faster? As fast as it can go. I'll handle steering.

[ Four almost jumps off the horse when he leans forwards and speaks, her eyes widening. Her gut instinct is to elbow him back, but she resists. Wordlessly, because she wants to ignore the fact that he surprised her and that her cheeks are reddening, the horse accelerates into a gallop, taking them away.

This doesn't stop soldiers from shooting at them with guns. ]

How much farther do we have to go?

[ Fortunately or unfortunately, she doesn't have an ear to speak into, so she shouts back at him. ]

[ Unfortunately, Minato doesn't like raising his voice, so he just keeps his face next to Four's ear like that for the rest of the time, a soft hum as he looks out across the battlefield to assess the quickest route through. Kind of hard, when there's soldiers everywhere, and he presses himself closer to Four so he can cover her as much as he can from those bullets. Gotta do something about those bullets. ]

Not much further. Can you reach back to the bag on my left? There should be a couple more glass bottles inside. Drop 'em to the ground behind us.

[ More sand, and they should be kicked up to make it a little harder for the guns to aim. The horse has blinders and should be okay. Four... is already blinded, so that's okay. And Minato knows to squint to protect his vision, get them to cause enough chaos to break through the formation and find an escape route. ]

[ Even more unfortunately, Four is so tense that you could snap her in half. She grits her teeth. Her thoughts are in scrambles.

She hears him, but she can't focus. She doesn't do as he asks. She does nothing. His desire to protect her has backfired, for his proximity is rendering her useless.

All through this, Four's probably still holding onto his dumb nail bat. ]

[ At least his dumb nail bat is safe.......

Guess he's wrapping the reins around his left wrist, causing the horse to veer slightly left as it gallops forward, but this way he can keep a hold on the reins and reach into his bag himself to let the sand bombs drop—

and this is a good a time as any to get shot in the foot, Minato gritting his teeth to stifle a cry of pain that he muffles by burying his face in Four's back. ]

[ That snaps Four out of the stupor she was in, and she gasps, looking back at him. She pinpoints his injury, and her expression twists in regret and anger.

She grabs the reins from him. Her vision has cleared enough for this. ]

I'm sorry.

[ Her apology is a whisper on the wind. ]

Please hang on.

[ She's taking them straight to the leader. At least the leader of this squad of soldiers. ]

[ It's all Minato can do to hang on, one hand on the reins and the other awkwardly around Four so he doesn't slip off sideways, feeling his foot throb dully and then sharply as bumps against the horse's side as he picks up speed. There isn't even a need for weapons this close to the soldiers; the horse tramples over them- or at least the ones that don't get out of the way quick enough, screaming and scrambling to get aside before they're crushed by reinforced hooves. ]

[ The screams fall on deaf ears. All Four cares about is doing what must be done. The soldiers could be broken in a million different places after being trampled, and Four wouldn't look back.

When they reach the leader of this area, her eyes lock onto the scroll hanging on their hip. The horse slows to a stop. ]

Stay here. Stay on. I'm finishing this.

[ Her voice is firm, and she removes Minato's arm from her. ]

This could be over so soon if I had my Song, but... I'll get this over with.

[ He doesn't speak as he lets go of Four, because if he doesn't speak, he doesn't have to make any promises he might break. He nods to her, biting at his bottom lip as he leans forward on the horse's back, gets into as stable and comfortable a position as he can. ]

...You got this, Four. End it.

[ She can take the final blow; Minato entrusts her to it. But that doesn't mean he's letting her go at it alone, reaching for a fallen gun as soon as Four's back is turned. He might not be able to fight by her side, but he still has her back. ]

[ No guns exist in Drakengard 3, but every soldier in her way is ruthlessly taken out with a flurry of kicks and punches. She hisses every time a sword nicks and cuts her and miraculously dodges any bullets shot her way (because rng was kind to her), but as she makes her warpath, she picks up a fallen sword and hurls it at the leader to get their attention.

Every wound she bleeds from only fuels her drive to end this, and it's here in the final hour that she gets injured. She knocks the leader down (please button mash a video game fight scene here), and just as she unhooks the scroll from them, they drag a sword down her leg.

She crumples to the ground.

i just put four down as not having her shit together at all so this is where we are ]

[ Minato shoots the leader in the head.

Sort of closes his eyes.

And hops off the horse to hobble over to Four, pulling the horse along with him because he's stupid and didn't just ride the horse over. ]

Four! Hey!

[ Stop making Minato kill people?

Four bites her lip to keep from screaming, jolting at the shot Minato shoots. She stares at him, dumbfounded, from his injured foot to his stupid face. ]

Stop! What do you think you're doing? I could've taken care of it. I would have taken care of it! [ She didn't start a coup with her sisters for nothing?? ] I'll be fine! I don't need you coming over like that.

[ I can't go through another murdergame without murdering anybody so I saw my chance and took it.

Minato balks when Four starts yelling at him, slowing to a stop and then stepping forward towards Four anyways, extending his hand out to her. ]

I know you can handle it. It's quicker if we do it together, though. We need to get to Oda, remember?

[ HE PLUNGED A NEEDLE INTO FUTABA'S NECK??

Four looks at his hand but doesn't reach for it. ]

You need your foot looked at. Do you promise that you'll get your injuries tended to?

[ She won't touch him until he promises. ]

[ ASDFLKJ THAT WASN'T MURDER THAT WAS..... like... physician assisted suicide with a syringe of morphine, except Minato isn't a physician and nobody asked for this so yeah maybe that was murder. ]

Yes, I promise.

[ He keeps his hand out, and I'm going to fudge it and say that he hasn't burned it with Hisoka yet bc then Minato would have two non-working hands with neither of them able to help Four up. Time is fake. Everything is fine. ]

[ If he has a burned hand, she'd knock him the fuck out and take him off of the battlefield. She doesn't have time to waste on stupid injured boys??

After making sure she's secured the scroll, she grabs his hand. ]

As soon as I leave you, you're just going to go off and do something foolish again.

[ She's tired, irritated, resigned, and she's done with this. ]

[ Minato was a stupid injured boy from day one. He's still a stupid injured boy, smiling as he pulls Four up and doesn't let go of her hand afterwards. ]

Then, can I ask you to stay by my side? We promised to look after each other, right?

[ Minato is going to kill himself before anyone can put a hit on him.

She's on her feet and puts weight on her mostly uninjured right side. ]

Are you going to let go of my hand?

[ Yeah ]

No.

[ He does not let go of her hand, because he needs to lead her over to the horse. If he were dumber, he would put her arm around his shoulders so he can help her walk, but his foot doesn't work so neither of them are really any help to the other. ]

[ They're both idiots who can't walk properly, and she can hobble to the horse by herself. ]

What if I want you to let go?

[ It doesn't exactly sound like she means it, but it's a serious question. ]

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