Medb experiences the dizziness and tiredness, too, because she can't not touch. She stumbles a little and holds herself up on the chair Childe is seated in. ]
[the loose wires do, in fact, have connectors at the ends. and they do seem to match the gross new neck ports, wow!
there doesn't seem to be any other way to connect the wires at first glance, though endorsi is welcome to try and dig around in white's circuits if she really wants to.]
[sqx is still slumped over, feeling dizzy, because she hasn't fully pulled her hand away from the neck port. dumbass.]
...should we...?
[put them in?? she can't see anyone else's from this vantage point but hopefully someone who is looking can tell if there's like. matching colors or something. do their neck port wounds come with helpful color-coded outlines or something.]
...I get the feeling all of us are going to have to do it. Four of them for four of us, right?
[she doesn't really want to mess around with the panel on his chest, though somehow this course of action doesn't seem quite right, either. neither did crawling into an ominous dark vent, though.
there's a moment where she does glance at aoi's port wound to make sure they aren't color coded, like sqx suggested they might be - but if they aren't, she'll plug white's into her own neck. or try to, given that she can't see it at all.]
however, all of the girls except sqx are just yoloing, so it's fine!
endorsi plugs the port in. medb plugs the port into aoi.
they feel - fine, for a moment. and then there's a whirl of color, only visible to them. eight colors flash wildly, almost seizure inducing, and then there's a burst of pain, centered around the back of their necks. it feels like something biting them, and then trying to crawl into their heads, itching up the backs of their skulls. something warm and furry wraps itself around them, and their vision shorts out.
tired. you're so tired. you're so tired of this, of being here. maybe you should just crawl into bed and never get out again. never go back down again. you're exhausted, every day, every week, for weeks, for months.
their energy is sapped out of them - it's enough to bring them to their knees. the wires rip out of their necks violently, zipping back into harrow and white's chests, and harrow and white disappear in a burst of grey smoke.
well, sqx was considering plugging it in, but that's - concerning? this entire thing is concerning. she reaches out like she wants to try to steady endorsi and aoi - whoever's closest, really - but gasps when white and harrow vanish.
she glances to medb]
...should we also...?
[if medb goes for it and plugs her own in, she'll do the same; if she doesn't, she'll standby to keep an eye on endorsi and aoi until they've gained their strength. ...the jittering of the unidentifiable bodies out of the corner of her eye gets her to spare a glance in their direction, though.]
The physical pain and sensations bother her, but it's the emotion that really gets to her - for someone as driven and motivated as she's always been, this kind of emotion is... Well, she hates it. She's trying to push herself back up, but she's too tired.
She does turn slightly to glance at the two bodies, letting out a shaky breath when she sees White disappear.]
[ 1) aoi and endorsi falling like that is bad. 2) medb doesn't know if white and harrow disappearing like that is a good or bad thing 3) she thinks the unidentifiable bodies jittering is bad
Medb was closest to Aoi because she had to put the cord into her port, but her bias is Endorsi, so she goes to check on her. I'm so sorry, Aoi. ]
How are you feeling?
[ She spares half her attention on the jittering bodies, though, and she frowns before addressing SQX: ]
I feel like we will have to, but I don't know how long it takes to recover, and we don't know if those bodies will move in that time.
[ Medb may be chaotic at times, but she unfortunately doesn't want to die here. ]
but she still takes the help up, because she doesn't think she could manage it alone, and she doesn't want to slow everyone down. you know it's really hard to get up when you're this tired...?
[She reaches for Medb's hand, trying to pull herself up once she has that assistance, though she looks - hesitant, maybe? It would be so nice to just stay there—
But she closes her eyes, trying to shake off that thought.]
...I'll be fine. [But.] If you try it, be careful, okay? I'll cover you if they do anything before you're back on your feet.
[same dance, different dancers - they feel fine, for a moment. and then there's a whirl of color, only visible to them. eight colors flash wildly, almost seizure inducing, and then there's a burst of pain, centered around the back of their necks. it feels like something biting them, and then trying to crawl into their heads, itching up the backs of their skulls. something warm and furry wraps itself around them, and their vision shorts out.
you're tired. you want to go home. you want to go home.
she should get up. she knows she should get up, but - god, she's just so tired. she wants out of this place, out of this mess. she wants to go back to before she ever agreed to be here and just let her life play out the way it was supposed to.
...but that can't happen, can it?
horrified, she tightens her grip on the chair nearest her and holds it out as if she can push the hissing people back with it if they approach.]
[ home is such a funny concept. home? back to the game? back to disappearing if no one likes you enough? back to making friends with miyuki?
it isn't that aoi isn't tired, or like she doesn't want to just lay down and give up. she doesn't want to let anyone get hurt, though. she doesn't want to let miyuki hurt anyone.
with sluggish movements and dragging feet, aoi steps closer to the bodies, putting herself between them and the others. at the very least, she's good at being persistent! ]
Seeing all four of them standing like that - her thoughts immediately go to what she's heard about scenarios the other participants have been through, and things they've had to do. It's not her. That's not Anaak. This is... It can't be real. But still, all the same, low and hushed as she looks at her:]
Anaak...?
[She doesn't drop the scissors, but her stance is a far cry from someone waiting for a fight. To the others, as she takes a step towards the girl, trying to move past Aoi—]
Don't - none of you touch her. She's... [...] She's family.
[ Medb is so tired. She wants to go home. She wants to go back to the warmth of the beach where things were so much easier for her, where she is loved and adored just by existing, and even the appearance of Cu Chulainn barely startles her out of it.
It's almost like a far off dream, even with all four of them frothing at the mouth like that. ]
They're— They shouldn't be them.
[ But Medb sounds so weak and tired and there isn't nearly as much conviction in her voice as there usually is.
[slowly, the fog starts to lift. the feeling of wanting to go home remains - but the exhaustion drains out of them bit by bit.
which is good, because with jerky, robotic movements, the four familiar faces dart forward.
anaak goes right for endorsi - she doesn't even seem to recognize her, just goes for her legs, in an attempt to knock her down. she makes a sound that's pained, like a dog walking on a broken foot, and fights for the upper hand.
miyuki picks up a chair, and breaks it against the table, slamming it down over and over until a leg breaks off. she grins, and turns to aoi, the chair leg in hand.
ming yi climbs onto the table, watching sqx with a predatory look. his jaw cracks, and unhinges, and he throws himself across the table's surface in an attempt to grab her by the wrists and knock her to the floor.
cu chulainn laughs, a chittering, inhuman sound. his arm cracks as he reaches behind him, against his back, like he's reaching for something not there. a pause, and then he turns to medb, eyes flashing in recognition. when he smiles, there's nothing behind his eyes. and in an instant, he's aiming a kick at her face, or rather, the side of her head.]
[she watches ming yi, exhausted but wary, and takes a hesitant step back as he climbs up onto the table - only to let out a little shriek as he unhinges his jaw. hello? why???
she barely has the time to react.]
No—
[but react she does, dropping the chair between them as he lunges and trying to leap back to avoid the grapple.
trying being the operative word; the exhaustion is starting to drain out of her, but she overcompensates for it, slamming into the wall to avoid the initial grab but then staggering forward again from the impact, putting her just enough within range to get knocked to the ground.]
[ unfortunately aoi has no self preservation and figures the best way to keep miyuki from hurting anyone else - is to make sure that the two of them are farther away. there's not much she can do about each of their individual attackers...
but this way if miyuki swings the chair leg at aoi, it won't accidentally hit anyone else.
[She sees the absolute lack of recognition, she knows it isn't Anaak - but this situation is too familiar, somehow. She still remembers the choice she made when she was asked to kill her. She couldn't do it then, and even though she knows it isn't her niece, it's hard to harm anyone who wears her face. (Maybe she really is becoming too soft, she thinks.)
Ordinarily she might not be knocked over so easily, but the pained noise that Anaak gives - it makes her pause for a split second before she can dodge, and she hits the ground, though she's trying to scramble away right after she does. She hasn't dropped the scissors in the fall.]
Come on, come on, snap out of it—
[It's not an actual attempt to reach her. She imagines that won't work. But - it's an angry hope stated out loud as she tries to move away.]
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Medb experiences the dizziness and tiredness, too, because she can't not touch. She stumbles a little and holds herself up on the chair Childe is seated in. ]
Are we...?
[ Hm. ]
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there doesn't seem to be any other way to connect the wires at first glance, though endorsi is welcome to try and dig around in white's circuits if she really wants to.]
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...should we...?
[put them in?? she can't see anyone else's from this vantage point but hopefully someone who is looking can tell if there's like. matching colors or something. do their neck port wounds come with helpful color-coded outlines or something.]
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she turns her back to medb, revealing the port! ]
Let's try. Plug Aoi in...!
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[she doesn't really want to mess around with the panel on his chest, though somehow this course of action doesn't seem quite right, either. neither did crawling into an ominous dark vent, though.
there's a moment where she does glance at aoi's port wound to make sure they aren't color coded, like sqx suggested they might be - but if they aren't, she'll plug white's into her own neck. or try to, given that she can't see it at all.]
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If there aren't any colors, she'd still do that.
She hopes this doesn't end poorly, but they won't be able to go anywhere without doing anything, she thinks. ]
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however, all of the girls except sqx are just yoloing, so it's fine!
endorsi plugs the port in. medb plugs the port into aoi.
they feel - fine, for a moment. and then there's a whirl of color, only visible to them. eight colors flash wildly, almost seizure inducing, and then there's a burst of pain, centered around the back of their necks. it feels like something biting them, and then trying to crawl into their heads, itching up the backs of their skulls. something warm and furry wraps itself around them, and their vision shorts out.
tired. you're so tired. you're so tired of this, of being here. maybe you should just crawl into bed and never get out again. never go back down again. you're exhausted, every day, every week, for weeks, for months.
their energy is sapped out of them - it's enough to bring them to their knees. the wires rip out of their necks violently, zipping back into harrow and white's chests, and harrow and white disappear in a burst of grey smoke.
two of the other unidentifiable bodies jitter.]
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well, sqx was considering plugging it in, but that's - concerning? this entire thing is concerning. she reaches out like she wants to try to steady endorsi and aoi - whoever's closest, really - but gasps when white and harrow vanish.
she glances to medb]
...should we also...?
[if medb goes for it and plugs her own in, she'll do the same; if she doesn't, she'll standby to keep an eye on endorsi and aoi until they've gained their strength. ...the jittering of the unidentifiable bodies out of the corner of her eye gets her to spare a glance in their direction, though.]
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[ aoi collapses to the ground and then just stays hunched over. she'll just take a little rest... on the floor... it's fine... ]
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The physical pain and sensations bother her, but it's the emotion that really gets to her - for someone as driven and motivated as she's always been, this kind of emotion is... Well, she hates it. She's trying to push herself back up, but she's too tired.
She does turn slightly to glance at the two bodies, letting out a shaky breath when she sees White disappear.]
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2) medb doesn't know if white and harrow disappearing like that is a good or bad thing
3) she thinks the unidentifiable bodies jittering is bad
Medb was closest to Aoi because she had to put the cord into her port, but her bias is Endorsi, so she goes to check on her. I'm so sorry, Aoi. ]
How are you feeling?
[ She spares half her attention on the jittering bodies, though, and she frowns before addressing SQX: ]
I feel like we will have to, but I don't know how long it takes to recover, and we don't know if those bodies will move in that time.
[ Medb may be chaotic at times, but she unfortunately doesn't want to die here. ]
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...
[eyes the jittering bodies]
...I'm not sure we have much choice at this point...
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but she still takes the help up, because she doesn't think she could manage it alone, and she doesn't want to slow everyone down. you know it's really hard to get up when you're this tired...?
but she'll try. ]
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But she closes her eyes, trying to shake off that thought.]
...I'll be fine. [But.] If you try it, be careful, okay? I'll cover you if they do anything before you're back on your feet.
[giving her hand a little squeeze.]
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Okay, time to do the thing, she guesses. She sighs. ]
All righ. Let's do it, Qingxuan.
[ Inserts the cord into her neck. Prays for death. ]
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you're tired. you want to go home. you want to go home.
two more bodies jitter.
and then all four stand up.
they froth from the mouth, hissing, knocking chairs and the table away from them.]
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she should get up. she knows she should get up, but - god, she's just so tired. she wants out of this place, out of this mess. she wants to go back to before she ever agreed to be here and just let her life play out the way it was supposed to.
...but that can't happen, can it?
horrified, she tightens her grip on the chair nearest her and holds it out as if she can push the hissing people back with it if they approach.]
Don't...
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it isn't that aoi isn't tired, or like she doesn't want to just lay down and give up. she doesn't want to let anyone get hurt, though. she doesn't want to let miyuki hurt anyone.
with sluggish movements and dragging feet, aoi steps closer to the bodies, putting herself between them and the others. at the very least, she's good at being persistent! ]
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Seeing all four of them standing like that - her thoughts immediately go to what she's heard about scenarios the other participants have been through, and things they've had to do. It's not her. That's not Anaak. This is... It can't be real. But still, all the same, low and hushed as she looks at her:]
Anaak...?
[She doesn't drop the scissors, but her stance is a far cry from someone waiting for a fight. To the others, as she takes a step towards the girl, trying to move past Aoi—]
Don't - none of you touch her. She's... [...] She's family.
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It's almost like a far off dream, even with all four of them frothing at the mouth like that. ]
They're— They shouldn't be them.
[ But Medb sounds so weak and tired and there isn't nearly as much conviction in her voice as there usually is.
She struggles to stand again. ]
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which is good, because with jerky, robotic movements, the four familiar faces dart forward.
anaak goes right for endorsi - she doesn't even seem to recognize her, just goes for her legs, in an attempt to knock her down. she makes a sound that's pained, like a dog walking on a broken foot, and fights for the upper hand.
miyuki picks up a chair, and breaks it against the table, slamming it down over and over until a leg breaks off. she grins, and turns to aoi, the chair leg in hand.
ming yi climbs onto the table, watching sqx with a predatory look. his jaw cracks, and unhinges, and he throws himself across the table's surface in an attempt to grab her by the wrists and knock her to the floor.
cu chulainn laughs, a chittering, inhuman sound. his arm cracks as he reaches behind him, against his back, like he's reaching for something not there. a pause, and then he turns to medb, eyes flashing in recognition. when he smiles, there's nothing behind his eyes. and in an instant, he's aiming a kick at her face, or rather, the side of her head.]
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she barely has the time to react.]
No—
[but react she does, dropping the chair between them as he lunges and trying to leap back to avoid the grapple.
trying being the operative word; the exhaustion is starting to drain out of her, but she overcompensates for it, slamming into the wall to avoid the initial grab but then staggering forward again from the impact, putting her just enough within range to get knocked to the ground.]
Ghh...
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but this way if miyuki swings the chair leg at aoi, it won't accidentally hit anyone else.
so she's just slowly approaching miyuki. ]
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Ordinarily she might not be knocked over so easily, but the pained noise that Anaak gives - it makes her pause for a split second before she can dodge, and she hits the ground, though she's trying to scramble away right after she does. She hasn't dropped the scissors in the fall.]
Come on, come on, snap out of it—
[It's not an actual attempt to reach her. She imagines that won't work. But - it's an angry hope stated out loud as she tries to move away.]
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