2015-10-26 - We'll Have Donuts When You Win
| Title: We'll Have Donuts When You Win | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Eas is preparing for her final battle. Westar is trying to fix something broken. | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Desolate Mansion | |
| OOC - IC Date: 2015-10-26 - September 3, 2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Some days ago, there was a terrible storm. A pillar of light, dark and terrible, to split the very heavens asunder. A storm foretelling the rise and fall of Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia. Events to shake the very world, with winds howling as the tides of fate changed.
For a time, the dark revelled as the light was banished forever - and for a fleeting time, even Westar was able to find success in gathering misery with his Nakewameke. But the storm shifted, the light returned...and as if to spite him, a tree came down in the storm.
Right through the balcony by his room.
For days - interrupted by the advent of the new school year - Westar has been busy enacting repairs on the spooky mansion in the woods. Patching up the hole in his wall was the first priority, of course, and he did so with...more skill than any of the magical girls he's fought might expect. It is perhaps fortunate that the mansion sees few visitors, for the sight here would be...difficult to explain.
There's a half complete scaffold for a replacement balcony.
Westar is standing, arms folded, in the splendour of his Executive regalia, cape billowing behind him...and a yellow hard hat on his head as he inspects the ongoing construction work.
And there's a second hard hat, grown to monstrous proportions with dark powers and a yellow Data Diamond, carefully moving a wooden beam into position with steel girder limbs.
"A bit to the left...there. All right, we just need to rivet that in the place, and you can take five!"
"NAKE."
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
The horrible storm signaled a lot more things for Setsuna... For Eas. /Her/ mission was different; the light was gone, yes, but she was ordered to go find it, and snuff it out before it could return.
She failed. ...Again.
For a while, she'd stayed close to the mansion regardless. ...But it wasn't exactly comfortable. She'd had a shouting match with Soular, ending in her smashing a mug in her hand while it still had coffee in it. ...And then she stormed off.
...and then she used the special weapon that Mobius-sama gave her... and came back afterward looking approximately like death warmed over, and since has been scarce again.
Now, however, she's not scarce. ...She finally, after Westar has just about finished the replacement, noticed that something even happened while she was out traversing various worlds. Now however...
Eas stops a few feet away, looking up at the scaffolding, dressed in her Labyrinth battle attire. Her white hair is ruffled by the breeze. The black clothes only serve to make her skin look even paler than it is... Or would, in most circumstances. In these, it can't; she looks approximately like death warmed over. Her eyes are bloodshot, fatigue obvious, even though now her outfit is pristine like her injuries had never happened.
...And...
"...What are you doing?" Eas asks uncharacteristically, from behind Westar.
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
The Nakewameke is more observant than Westar as concerns Eas's approach; it pauses in its work, looking over as she makes her way over. It's the hesitation that Westar notices more than the footsteps behind him, and he frowns. "Is something wrong with the beam? I inspected them myself, and the lady gave me a good deal-"
He freezes at the voice behind him - instinct more than fear - before his shoulders slump. Whether in resignation or relief, it's hard to say - but he nods to the monster before turning around. "Just anchor it in place, and then take a break. I'll come get you in a bit."
The Nakewameke, for its part, definitely looks relieved. And maybe a bit worried...but it is literally built to follow orders.
Westar turns, and it is starkly evident that he is the tallest of the three Executives of Labyrinth - easily towering over Eas, now that he stands confident. As squared as his shoulders might be, though, his face is more...quizzical. "Eas, you're back?"
A pause. Oh right, the question. "I'm overseeing repair work - a tree came down, and damaged our base of operations. Since I was here, and had the training..." He trails off, uncertain. He wasn't...ordered to repair it, it's just that that was his standard mission for so long it's habit...
He glances to the side, then turns back to Eas - and frowns, finally noticing just what state she's in. He hazards a guess, though his body is already tensing in anticipation... "...I'm guessing you fought them? Pretty Cure, and the rest..."
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
Eas's red eyes stay focused on the monster for a moment, looking over it, the beams that it's using... But only then does she look back to Westar. He seems questioning about her presence, but--
She isn't questioning; she looks at him fairly blankly, without her usual venom. ...There is something different about her, though. It's in her eyes; the hollow quality they've had essentially forever is gone, replaced by something... else. It's like there's a spark in her eye, even if it's dim now. ...It's not like her at all.
"Yeah, I'm back," she answers brusquely, and then waits for Westar's answer. Still, though, she doesn't actually yell at him. Instead...
"...I guess that makes sense."
She hesitates, when she sees him frowning at her, clearly looking her over and noticing how badly she's doing. ...Hesitates, and glances away, "Yeah, I fought them. Brought out my new weapon and everything. It didn't work. I already went over this with Soular."
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
For a minute, there's near-complete silence - broken only by the Nakewameke hammering in rivets as quietly as it can. It makes this as swiftly as possible as well, and quickly slinks off around back to do...whatever Nakewameke do when they're on break. A question possibly no one in any world had ever thought to ask, before.
During this, Westar is quiet. At first, there's that dread, that fear, that waiting for the stiletto-pointed shoe to drop...but Eas answers without venom. Without enthusiasm, or even frustration...and the worry in Westar's very being shifts to a different flavour.
If he were a denizen of Earth, there's one question he'd ask - but as a denizen of Labyrinth, Westar has difficulty even thinking the words 'are you okay?'
Instead, he stumbles over his words, blurting out the first response to come to mind. "No one told me about any new weapon...you must be pretty important to Mobius-sama, to get that." He shakes his head. "But yeah, all of them are annoyingly good at fighting and winning when they should be giving up....wait, Soular's back? I've been wondering where he was..."
Little of Westar had been seen for some days. Getting lost on the way back from the beach was...an adventure, to say the least.
He hesitates again, glancing to the still-damaged mansion, the work left to do...but decides to postpone that mission. His gaze, serious in its solemnity, meets Eas's weary eyes - and for the moment, he really does seem taller. "...I keep saying we're outnumbered. You know that if you need me for a plan, you just have to say so, right? If we fought at the same time..." He shakes his head. "You really do have the hardest mission, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
Eas sure doesn't speak up. She just stands there, the tails of her outfit swaying behind her as she looks towards the ground in the distance.
If Westar asked, she might not have an answer. ...On the other hand, she might. She's pretty far gone from being a good citizen of Labyrinth, now. Soular helped her be certain of that.
"..." 'You must be pretty important to Mobius-sama.' Eas looks a little haunted by that. But, "Yeah, I thought someone'd killed him. But he got back and just asked why I didn't think to check. It's not like there's any reason for either of us to care anyway."
Eas finds Westar looking at her again though... and she does look back up at him. And she's definitely looking up; he's so... tall. And...
He offers what he always does.
"Westar..." It's an odd look in her face; she's tired, yes, fatigued, and weary, but it's almost, in the moment, like she's thinking about it.
It passes, and she sighs, closing her eyes.
"You never get it, Westar. ...That's the whole point. So what if we fight at the same time? If we can't do it on our own, then it doesn't mean anything. It isn't good enough."
She shakes her head, and looks up at him again. "You sound like you're trying to butter me up for something. What is it you want, Westar? Telling me Mobius-sama values me to give me what he did... Talking about how my mission's hard. What are you trying to gain?"
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
The wind is beginning to howl. Leaves in the trees, gradually beginning to dry out, rustle noisily as the two Executives stand before each other. Even the trees speak of autumn's inevitable funeral march toward the coming winter, as foliage begins to dry out.
What the season bodes, few can say.
Westar's eyes widen in shock - and then narrow in terrible fury. "Killed?! That must be why he wasn't answering his phone..." That and the fact that the phone was left behind, but never mind that. "So did someone go after him? Is there an enemy we have to worry about - and is that why..."
'Why you look so terrible', he doesn't ask.
The fury fades, though, and there's...hope. Fleeting hope that this time, Eas will take him up on it. Once again, that hope is dashed; once again, he can stand like one of those trees, watching things descend further. But still...
"It doesn't matter who gets the credit. Everything for Mobius-sama - when your mission succeeds, we all benefit. That's what it means!..." He folds his arms, furrows his brows -
- and finally punches out the elephant in the room. "...and if we fight at the same time, then maybe you won't get so damaged." He looks to the side. "...a-after all. We have to be ready for whatever else Mobius-sama commands, right? And you're a valuable Executive, you're skilled at making people miserable...we need you around. That's what I'm trying to gain."
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
Eas can feel the changing seasons in her bones, for all that she could never feel such things back in Labyrinth. They didn't happen, in the same way; it was all controlled. ...But even then, there were things beneath the surface. Labyrinth is controlled, but it's not like people aren't alive.
"Homura Akemi. ...Apparently she was wrong, she didn't kill him after all. But I thought..."
It's part of why she looks terrible, sure. But she's never been one of the trees; 'unmoving, unmoved' is something she's only gotten worse at pretending. After all, she was known for her anger, not for her cool.
Everything for Mobius-sama.. And--
Eas's eyes widen, suddenly, as she looks back and stares at Westar outright when he mentions her condition. When he says...
That they need her.
"Westar..."
She forces herself to look away, to turn her back, but he might see the note of panic in her eyes before she manages it. "That's--Don't you see? That goes against everything we know! ...You shouldn't /care/! If I fail--if--If I die, then you should be /glad/ that a weak agent isn't holding you back any longer! You aren't supposed to--"
She turns back around, and looks up frantically, "It matters to me! I--I need the credit! Don't you get it? The whole time, I've worked! I've done everything for him! I'm--"
She shakes her head, eyes squeezing shut again, arms crossing as she steps again toward the trees... But only a couple of steps. She stops, then, and finds that she needs a moment before she can talk anything.
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
This world is different.
There's no control. There are 'rules', but they're more loose guidelines than the absolute dictates of Mobius. Schools - easily the most regimented things Westar has seen here - are practically anarchic chaos compared to the daily life in Labyrinth. And that's to say nothing of the weather, that which even skilled mages can't seem to predict.
It's fascinating and unsettling all at once, and the best Westar can do is try to roll with it.
The fury returns again - but almost cold, this time, as he narrows his eyes again. Eas's words, combined with her general state...Westar comes to a conclusion. It might not be the right one, but it's a conclusion all the same. "Homura Akemi...so she's trying to be an enemy of Labyrinth, huh?"
Westar's not exactly known for his cool, either - but perhaps worryingly, he isn't yelling.
...but as he calms down, he finds he can't look directly at Eas. She's absolutely right, after all - he's not supposed to care. That's not a Labyrinth trait, that's not something he's supposed to do...yet again, Westar is screwing up.
Business as usual, then.
Westar is quiet as Eas is frantic with her words - with her protests, with her desperation. Is quiet, as she starts to step towards the trees.
And then, arms folded, cape wafting in the breeze, he speaks. "Yeah...it doesn't make any sense. But all the same...I'm used to this. This mission, gathering Misery Energy, working with you and Soular. I finally know what I'm doing, along with you two...so I don't want that to change."
The leaves, drying in the autumn air, are rustling.
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
This world is different... and frightening.
It exhausts Eas.
But it's already become part of her, now. She knows that she can never go back to the way she was, whether she'd like to or not. ...And some days, she doesn't know whether she'd like to.
Somehow, despite the fact that she /never/ pays attention to Westar... This, she picks up. This she sees. Eas looks him over when he mentions Homura, and when he isn't yelling. She can guess what that means.
She doesn't know what she can say about it, though. Maybe Westar can take her where she couldn't.
...Not that even now she's going to admit to even thinking it.
But now, staring out at the falling leaves, feeling the cold breeze...
"...Used to it, huh...?" She looks up toward the sky, feeling like she could just blow away at any moment.
"...You'd better get used to it," Setsuna says, like she'd said to someone else what feels like a long time ago. She can't help it; she laughs, a sound that comes deep from her stomach, not entirely unpleasant. ...It dies off quickly, though, something unsuited to Eas's looks and nature. More seriously she speaks, "Things are going to change."
She turns around, and she's got herself under control again... Except for a haunted look in her eyes. Haunted, with... Regret.
"...I'm sorry, Westar."
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Autumn has come to the ominous mansion, and with it a promise of changing seasons. The frigid season of death approaches, and its advent is heralded. Here, now, on the third day of the new semester.
Westar stands next to the half-complete balcony, staring in...disbelief, perhaps, would be the best word for it. Things are going to change? Things are already changing.
He'd expected insults. He'd expected mockery. He'd expected cold silence, and the most passionate follower of Mobius storming out of the area in raw fury.
Westar never expected laughter like that - sad, rather than mocking.
He never expected an apology.
"Eas..." He looks anew at his fellow executive - past, if possible, the signs of wear and exhaustion and the ravages of battle. There was a glint in her eye that he can't comprehend - and a look of sorrow he can't fathom. "You don't mean..."
There's a notice that any of them could expect to receive, after all.
"...what are you planning?" His arms, formerly folded in confidence, slip down to hang by his sides. There's no hand held out to help - that was never the Labyrinth way - but...there's a concern in his eyes that frankly shouldn't be there. If he were Soular, it might be 'curiosity' - but for Westar, it's just an earnest...honesty. "What kind of plan do you have, for your mission? If there's anything I can..."
He trails off. He made the offer once, there's no reason to expect it to be accepted the second time...and yet, he lets the question hang.
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
This mansion never really was a part of the world around it. ...Still, as Eas looks up at it... She thinks that she might miss it.
It was home.
Past exhaustion, past worry, past the ache that comes of being in the same battle for a long time, there /is/ that glint. Eas's wine-red eyes betray some of her feelings, as even Westar, who she so often called stupid, can see the thing that she's saying. She can tell.
In the same way she can feel the concern, see it all too clearly... But she makes herself keep looking at Westar, regardless.
"...There's nothing you can do," she answers. She knows that the question wasn't only about what he could do for her mission. ...But it's not like she can say that.
"I know what I'm going to do. ...What I have to do." The wind picks up again behind her. ...This place never really did feel like a part of everything else. Eas only got that feeling more and more, the longer she was here.
She doesn't mention receiving any letters.
"You'd be better off not thinking about it. Just go back to your mission." With that, Eas turns halfway, about to begin to walk away.
<Pose Tracker> Westar [Infinity Institute (12)] has posed.
Home.
A strange concept for the trio - but the unnatural chill pervading the mansion's area set it apart from the world - and that much closer to Labyrinth, in a way. Quieter. Darker. More oppressive.
Just like the world they call home.
Westar is in some ways the most foolish of the trio...but in some ways, he can be perceptive. He meets her gaze for a time...but his conviction wavers before hers, and his eyes descend to the ground below. To that harsh, dead earth - where somehow, weeds alone manage to thrive. His shoulders slump for a moment when she refuses help yet again...
But there's no way he can't think about it.
"...do your best, Eas. We'll have donuts when you win." There's no enthusiasm in his tone, no joy at the thought of those sugary treats, and he too turns halfway. "Nakewameke! Get back to..."
He's quiet for a moment, as the Nakewameke creeps around the corner of the mansion. The executive works his jaw, furrows his brow...and finally nods. "Start putting on lattice, you can do that without supervision."
And then he turns back to the departing girl. "Eas! You're wrong about one thing - I can do more than nothing, you know!" He walks forward with a long stride, catching up swiftly as he tosses his hard hat to one side - but rather than join her, he continues right past her. "You do what you have to do. I'll make sure that Akemi girl doesn't get in your way while you do it."
And without waiting for a reply, he storms off as the wind picks up.
<Pose Tracker> Eas [None] has posed.
At least unhappiness is something safe. It's familiar; the dark, quiet, overcast skies of Labyrinth are predictable.
Things here... Aren't.
Eas never noticed how much Westar seems to pick up. But she can see it, now; all she really had to do was /look/, to see. ...But how could she accept his help? She couldn't.
Her heels settle just a little bit more into the ground.
'Do your best.'
She can't help but simply stop, stay where she is. ...She'd look back at him, if she thought she could do it without her expression betraying her.
She looks anyway, slowly and with large eyes, as he walks right past her. She watches his back, as he passes her, as he declares his intent to do something horribly dangerous. As...
Eas can feel the cold. ...Maybe it's not outside, in the wind. Maybe it's just in her.
She looks away--away from the mansion, above all else--and closes her eyes, her breath slow. She can feel the tears, even in this form, even small.
"...Idiot," she says, sniffling softly, as she turns to walk in the other direction. "Big, stupid... Idiot."
Eas walks off into the woods, and hopes that Westar doesn't get hurt.
