a cruel romance [night 8]

[worldchampofmartialarts]

[Death never has a meaning, but if we so choose to seek out patterns in a desperate attempt to imbue meaning into the twisted charades and senseless loss of life, we might come to the natural conclusion that love has no place here. That no matter how close a relationship may become, we can never know anyone else as intimately as we know ourselves.

Ultimately, we are all entirely alone, unable to truly understand anything beyond our deeply limited perspectives.

It's pointless even pretending any of us, alive or dead, are people deserving or capable of love.

Well, to hell with that.

We can always put in the effort.

Even when the circumstances get worse, we can always be better.

So let's give it a try.]

Comments

[beardcheck]

[So that was... not actually as fucked up as last week? A woman killed a dude, and got killed for it. No accidental deaths by people who didn't want to be killers, and he hadn't been super close to Science Guy.]

[So why is all this not sitting right with Grog.]

[Grog himself is sitting just fine, in the Pizza Parlor, with some rapidly-warming convenience store beer and a slightly impressive stack of boxed pies on the table in front of him. He might be kind of just working his way through the menu, it's fine.]

[Right now he's just kind of sullenly hate-eating a Meat Lover's.]

[gether]

[Well.

As an outsider, Ray's taking this rather well! So he decides to take it upon himself to be moral support to those who had to go through that trial.

... And also because he's incredibly curious and stupid enough not to realize that he could just

Wait in deadland to see the victim and culprit.

Anyway, he's most likely going to approach your character at some point tonight to make sure they're alright.]

Hey, how are you holding up?

[He may or may not also be offering you a beer.]

[anguineous]

[ Snake, for his part, makes a rare public appearance after the trial. An extended one, actually, in a couple places.

For a while, he just sort of walks around, not really paying much attention to anything. If he sees anyone, he'll grant them a nod before walking on, unless stopped. His expression is less... blank, than it has been? Guy's finally taking this seriously, it looks like.

Later still, Snake walks into the bar, ordering a beer and sitting at one of the stools. And if someone else happens to already be around or walks in behind him: ]

Hell of a day, huh?

[knifegf]

[ surprise, bitch. guess who happens to be strolling around the streets? don't be fooled though, villanelle didn't escape death. all the gory wounds she endured are still present on her as she strolls down the streets in a fitted white suit. she doesn't go into any stores, but she'll be walking around the main streets for most of the night. it's all she can do now, really. ]

[neverstudied]

[Someone is immediately seeking Ray out. I wonder who.

See, after Kim helped him apply lipstick for that check, Venkman didn't wipe it off. He's been waiting. Biding his time.

And as soon as he sees Ray- really, one of the best parts about it being nighttime- he meanders his way over to him.]

You wanna help me test something real quick?

[He's not gonna wait for an answer. He cups Ray's cheek- waiting for a moment for him to focus and stabilize so Venkman doesn't phase through- and tugs him forward to kiss him on the cheek. He pulls away after a few seconds and stares intently at Ray's face.

Does the lipstick mark appear on ghost Ray?]

[gether]

[A lipstick mark does appear on Ray! ...For a few moments, before it fades away.

Ray, meanwhile, is a little baffled but is certainly not unhappy by this.]

... So does that mean the trial was good or bad?

[neverstudied]

[He looks delighted for all of three seconds before the mark fades.]

Damnit!

[He shakes his head.]

Ah, well. You can't win every time, huh.

[It doesn't stop him from kissing Ray a second time, and watching this mark disappear too.]

... I mean, two people are dead again- victim and killer-, but otherwise it wasn't as bad as yours. Oksana didn't really have much remorse for killing that Medic guy, and he had a severed toe with him? That probably came from the corpse I helped him steal from the cops when we first got here.

So they were both kinda... weird. And it was nowhere near as depressing as your melodrama.

[gether]

[Ray's eyes widen at the mention of Venkman helping someone steal a corpse from the cops.]

Venkie I can't believe you!

[...]

You helped someone steal a corpse without telling me?

[It's

Really hard to tell if he's joking or not.]

[neverstudied]

Hey! It happened before I even found out you were here, ok? I forgot about it.

[How do you Forget a corpse,]

I was distracting the cops while he took the body- never really got back to him afterwards, so I dunno what he did with it or where it is. Maybe his room.

[...]

You think you could phase into his room?

[rangerslayer]

[ ...So all that happened. It all did and Kim's completely fine with it, promise.

She's so fine that she's getting a drink in the bar. It's just a small one, and she can't seem to even focus on it.

After that, she can be found throughout most of the night down at the beach. She's got that bow, and she's shooting some of her homemade arrows at an equally homemade target--just some driftwood set up, pushed into the sand, with different colors of paint on it--in silence. Most of the time, she hits her target. She walks over and retrieves her arrows, as those are important to keep gathered up, and then she goes again.

It's efficient. It's focused. It's well-oiled. It's...

My Ranger Slayer, there you are... I've been searching for you.

Her teeth grit and her jaw clenches, and her arms tense up and her shot goes wild, high into the air, as she throws the ornate bow across the beach with an uncharacteristic scream of rage. Her hands are shaking. She breathes heavily.

After a few minutes, she retrieves the bow. She starts again. ]

[ooc: hey y'all!! threads here will include reference or discussion of mind control and non-consensual relationships. the beach ones will almost definitely, and the ones at the bar possibly will. all will be marked for, but please bear this in mind! ]

[beardcheck]

[Okay, Grog is no stranger to rages, and that was definitely a rage.]

...You need'ta punch something so you don't break your shit throwing it around?

[Or he's got beer, but Kim doesn't seem like the type.]

beach

[neverstudied]

[Well. Looks like he was right to be worried, huh.

Venkman keeps his distance for a while, not wanting to be the victim of an errant shot if she gets startled. But when Kim throws the bow, he figures now's his chance- can't really get shot if she doesn't have a bow in her hands. Stabbed, maybe...

When he walks up, he tries to make as much noise as he can with each step- so she knows he's coming, and can collect herself if she needs. Venkman stops a good few feet away, not wanting to get in her space. It's important to him that he doesn't screw this up.

Kim's helped him plenty the last week or so. Maybe now it's his turn.]

Hey.

beach

[worldchampofmartialarts]

[As he aimlessly walks down the city streets, he can't shake Kimberly from his mind. He doesn't want to. He's worried about what the trial must've done to her, and even more worried by the fact that it doesn't look like it did much to her, from the outset. But he knows a thing or two about repressing your "weaker" emotions to put on a brave face for everyone. How somebody laughing or keeping their cool after a tragedy might be struggling with the weight of their emotions even more than the people openly grieving- because crying, at least, gets it out of your system.]

[So what do you do when you've told yourself you have to be too strong to cry- to show any vulnerability? How do you get those emotions out of your system?]

[...the arrow flying straight up into the air from the beach might be a hint.]

[He should've known- of course, he should've known- but. Now isn't the time to think of what he should know or not, what he knows, absolutely, for a fact, is that he can't leave Kimberly alone with her thoughts after all of this.]

[Satan nearly stumbles over himself running towards the beach, and once he makes it there, he has to dart his head around rapidly to search for Kimberly's silhouette in the distance. Once he finds it- he clenches his fists, takes a breath, and starts taking a long walk towards her. He doesn't even call out to make his presence known. He's sure, in her current state of solitary focus, she can just sense it coming.]

beach party!!

[advancements]

[Xander arrives not long after Kim's thrown the bow, though he doesn't approach immediately. He's not sure if he should leave her be or not, but eventually he decides to approach.]

How are you holding up?

[It's not exactly the best question, but he figures it's better to let her answer it instead of jumping into "what's wrong". She might not want to talk about it, after all.]

bar

[advancements]

[Xander's not here to drink, but rather explore while the place is open. It's something to get his mind off of the trial, at least. Snake's question catches his attention though, and he'll approach.]

Indeed. That was... rather difficult.

[Mostly because he doesn't know anything about technology and spent the whole time being useless, but the rest was also Bad.]

How are you holding up?

Beach

[boxingbuff]

[Ladd was on his way to the beach anyhow. It's becoming something of a routine for him; after all, how often could he see the ocean like this? Chicago just didn't have this.

Seeing Kimberly screaming in frustration is... well, it's a sight. A little amusing, honestly.

....Ah, fuck it. He approaches as she's retrieving her bow, hands in his suit pockets, cool and collected, as much as he can appear.]

Hey, pretty cool archery thing you've set up.

[anguineous]

I've seen less fair courtrooms back home, somehow.

[ He sighs. ]

Well, four bodies later I guess I have to take this seriously. At least I don't have to give a shit what they tell us to do here if I don't want to.

bar

[worldchampofmartialarts]

Pfh... when's there been a day here that ain't hell.

[Hyperbole? Absolutely. There's been some good moments here, but given just... the nature of the place, who knows how long those memories are gonna stay positive. He distantly remembers having a friendly conversation with Villanelle here. He wishes he had a drink to knock back to forget it. But he's just got a cigar for now.]

[anguineous]

Hard to have a good day in Florida.

[ He takes a sip of his beer. ]

Last I heard about the Florida where I come from, it left the United States and some kinda psychic is running it.

[ every day I thank god for what little I know about the boom comics. ]

[worldchampofmartialarts]

[He also vaguely remembers somebody bringing up the United States to him in the past here, but he was really drunk and not listening at the time so he doesn't recall the details.]

Look, this might be a big ask of a barfly, but what in the hell are the United States and what's a Florida got to do with it. ...and how do you figure this place is Florida, anyhow.

[anguineous]

[ that actually gets him to half-chuckle ]

Might not be sure exactly which city, but the weather's enough to know. The US is a hellhole that shows up in too many worlds, far as I can tell.

[worldchampofmartialarts]

I take it by the way you're talking that you're from a place that's got one of these U.S.es... [He takes a drag from the cigar and shakes his head lowly.] Oh, bless your soul. Can't imagine you're too hopeful about escaping, then.

[anguineous]

Well, in my experience? This is the kind of place you just do your best to survive in until you get your shot at leaving. Least we're not talking about getting out of New York, here.

beach

[iote]

[Michalis has a tendency, it seems, to find his way to the beach after things like this; it tends to be quieter, less full of people and with less chance of colliding with the dead, and when he comes here tonight he's...unsurprised, really, to find Kimberly here.

It isn't expected, but it isn't surprising.

And then she's screaming, and there's rage in it and the bow isn't in her hands anymore, and he approaches her when she finally moves to get it. He knows he's probably the last person she wants to see right now, simply because his presence isn't comforting in the least, but he hasn't ever acted in consideration of others' feelings and sees no need to start now.]

...Kimberly. I won't bother with asinine questions such as whether or not you're all right - I prefer to want to know what can be done, if anything.

[Do you want him to listen, do you want him to just shut up, do you want someone to fight with. Do you just want him to leave.]

[boxingbuff]

...Wow, I've never seen someone so angrily eating something like that. Never before.

[He's kind of amused, but it's curious. Maybe getting out more is a good thing.]

You got all of this for just yourself, buddy?