w6 curfew: ballroom blitz edition

[unbested]

Comments

[battling]

[ It's week six and he is so tired.

His jacket comes off and he's already using it as a pillow. ]

Does this sound like that kid to any of ya?

[ He pulls out a letter. ]

To my friends,

I think your little adventure this past Tuesday was interesting, but not quite what I meant in my last letter.

Rather, when everyone convened to talk and have refreshments that afternoon, it seemed like you were enjoying yourselves. But it was a bit dull, don't you think? So next time you hold such a soiree, I suggest doing something else more exciting right alongside it.

Because I for one find danger much more entertaining than idle conversation. It's unlikely that everyone can participate in both, but at the very least, if brutes like me are distracted, the rest of you can enjoy a peaceful discussion without our unwanted company.

Sincerely,

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

[mustbepurged]

[Estelle looks up from where she's sitting and comes over to see.]

Hmm... That sounds kind of similar to a letter I got.

[She fishes around in her pocket and produces...!]

I hope you're doing well! I think it's really great how you guys are working together over there. Keep it up!

Of course, I bet there are people who don't really want to participate when you all learn more about each other. It takes all kinds, right? I was thinking, maybe it would be a fun idea if those people could take part in another activity instead. Of course, it's tough to have to pick between doing something exciting like going into the doors on your side or just chatting as a group, but I think there are a few people who would be more entertained by the former than the latter regardless of what you're talking about.

Just something to keep in mind!

- Rupert

Both of them are suggesting we do things that are more dangerous and "entertaining"...

... Maybe they want us to get the host's attention for a while?

[battling]

When did ya get this one?

The Dimitri letter I got on Wednesday.

I also got one on Tuesday.

Do you know what I miss the most about the other side? The joy of everyone's company. Seeing you all gathered together warms my heart.

But I would propose that you could make these parties more enjoyable by adding an activity of sorts. On this side, we intend to do something quite exciting and thrilling -- if I may offer a suggestion, the doors are exhilarating, aren't they?

There is the possibility that having an activity is distracting, as someone might be drawn to the more entertaining activity and ignore the rest, but I believe it will be gratifying all the same.

To your health,

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

And this one today.

Dear Bradley,

I'm afraid those are my real thoughts. But you might find it helpful to discuss with some of the others. Maybe they will see my suggestions from another perspective.

Sincerely,

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

[unbested]

Oh...! Those do sound really... weird, but I think Estelle's idea makes sense! O-or even to distract the staff, maybe, not just the host guy? They, um... can apparently hear everything we're saying, I think?

[battling]

[ Thinks about this for like 2 seconds and immediately hates it. ]

Gross. What's the best time for this shit? Can we try it on Saturday or is our contract about participating in trial? Remember?

[aono]

[He'll share a letter too sure:]

You all know I love a good party, right? Maybe you should entertain a dead man's wish, yes? I took great joy in seeing you all at the meeting this week, but I do wonder if we could spice it up perhaps? Some people find plain old information being delivered at a simple group meeting so boring, so perhaps you could allow them to go about distributing it in a far more entertaining way?

Maybe some rousing games to take us away from the dreariness of this place? A party? Those, of course, who would prefer to stay away from all the liveliness (I speak to perhaps one or two people in this letter alone) could perhaps find a much quieter spot to chat business properly as the partying can be very distracting.

I miss you all terribly. I am of the firm belief that even if one █████ ██ █ ██████ █████ ██ █████ █████████, ████ █████'█ ██████ ███████, ████ ████ ███████ █████ ██ ██ ██. Wishing you all the best ███ ██████ ███ █ ██████ ████ █████ ███ ██████ on here ████████ ████. Perhaps same time ████ ████?

Yours,
Kaeya Alberich

[Rin is not his usual cheerful self though. That note that got put up right before curfew was very oof to him, and he's sitting around looking troubled. Occasionally he pulls out some trading cards to look at them, but otherwise he'll be quiet unless someone approaches him.]

[battling]

I'll leave ya to mope if you wanna, but do you wanna talk?

[You're really not looking great, kiddo.]

[aono]

[Does he want to mope? Yes. Yes he does. But he knows that won't help, so.]

I've been trying really hard the entire time, you know? Ever since day one! I've been telling them again and again, 'don't do anything stupid', 'no killing people', 'it's not worth it, we just have to keep living'. But every time I think I finally got through to 'em, something else happens. Someone gets possessed by a shadow, or someone dies, or someone disappears on a Thursday and comes back all beat up, or...

[Well. Everyone saw the letter.]

[mustbepurged]

So they're not just urging us to do dangerous things, but anything adequately distracting...

[She thinks on that for a few moments, but can't ignore how miserable Rin looks. So while she's near enough to see that letter, she places a hand on his back, if he'll let her.]

[aono]

Sounds like it, yeah. We gotta be really dramatic I guess.

[Acting's not really Rin's strong suit though. He wears his heart on his sleeve, it's obvious when he tries to lie.

He doesn't pull away from her, though. Come sit with him Estelle.]

[mustbepurged]

[Estelle's sitting on the ballroom floor, her knees pulled up to her chest and her eyes gazing upward through the ceiling windows, at the stars beyond. In her hand is a little branch with a flower. She looks lost in thought...

If someone comes near, however, she'll blink a few times, her attention coming back down to earth. She'll offer them a faint smile.]

[unbested]

[ he'll come sit down next to her! ]

Hey. ...Is that the new flower they sent you?

[mustbepurged]

[She smiles and nods!]

They sent a big arrangement this time! This one's a poplar flower... it means "endure and conquer." Or it could also mean "courage" or "time."

[unbested]

Oh! That seems pretty nice. What else was in it?

[unbested]

So... I went to check on Lup before coming here, and she showed me the video they got from their thing today. It was, uh, Aquarius and Orion talking in the cemetery. I'm not sure what all of it meant, but I think the main points were...

There's a cemetery on the other side too, and it's connected to the one on this side... they said they could hear the theories and stuff we were talking about whenever they couldn't sleep... and that everyone who's dead is supposed to stay dead and go on to be judged for eternity or whatever.

Um, it sounded like they don't know the dead can be brought back, but that Aquarius thinks there's at least a chance we might find a way? They talked about some old story about, uh... Orpheus and... You... s-someone, and said that there might be a possibility for us like there was in that. I think they said it was in the library here, so maybe we should look for that for ideas?

[battling]

Judged by what? The host? That guy's an asshole. His judgement's garbage.

[Bradley does listen to the rest of this though. Okay.

He's not even from Earth and the Greek myths have never come up for him before. Eurydice. Looking around at this group, the only people with chances to know are Sebastian and Rin, so it's not great odds here.]

Do you remember anythin' about the Orpheus story?

[unbested]

[ ok well he doesn't know how the fuck rin knew that but there we go ]

...Yeah, basically that. And, uh... they said this Orpheus guy was a musician, and that was how he was able to get to the underworld in the first place — he kind of charmed everyone into letting him through with his music. And, um, he made a deal to be able to bring the girl back but messed it up.

I don't know if... maybe that corresponds to the entertainment and contract stuff, somehow...? O-or maybe it's not that deep.

[battling]

[I'm so deeply proud of Rin but also very confused.]

Look it up in the mornin'.

[Please don't All Die On Him.]

[mustbepurged]

Orpheus...?

[tmw your canon loves Greek references but it ain't Earth so you probably don't actually have the lore.]

I'll look for it first thing tomorrow.

[unbested]

Yeah! It's, uh, Greek, I think, so... if there's a section for that stuff...

[aono]

Orpheus and Eurydice.

[Wow he even pronounced it right!]

Orpheus went to the afterlife to try to bring Eurydice back to life, only to fail at the very end. They weren't reunited for real until Orpheus died too.

...we could probably find a book about it though, yeah.

[unbested]

Oh... yeah, that was it!

[mustbepurged]

[a sudden look of terror.]

We aren't going to have to die to get out of here, are we?

[aono]

Well it can't be that, we're supposed to be at checkout remember? Besides, the stuff we found this week made it sound like the dead are gonna be playthings for the guy in charge.

[unbested]

Oh, no, the Orpheus guy wasn't dead when he went down there, so as long as we don't screw up we should be able to do it while we're alive! Probably?