snowblindrpg | [log] moth to a flame [closed]

[ 137: A single-story house with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. It's decorated in an old-fashioned style, with lots of ornate wood paneling and the like. The bed in the bedroom is a bit more modern, though, and is lofted to provide space for a desk underneath. A snowman has been built outside of this house. ]

[ It's still hard to believe this is happening. Squalo half expects to get there and find out that all of this has been some kind of really elaborate hallucination, that Xanxus is not there and the best he can hope for is maybe one day see some familiar features in one of those misshapen monstrosities. But as much as he wishes he weren't here... part of him is glad. And not just out of purely selfish appreciation for his company; this man deserves Hell as much as he does. If he has to be stuck here, why wouldn't he? They were always two sides of the same coin, after all. ]

[ It doesn't even occur to him to not immediately head toward his boss when he knows where he is. It's simply unthinkable. The tunnels seem to be his best bet, so he turns around from wherever he'd managed to get before reading the message and heads right back. Quickly! He's done his share of waiting already! ]

[ He pushes on all day and through the night, at one point wondering if he's going to die in some fucking maze, but with a bit of luck, he eventually makes it. The stress and travel takes its toll, though, and after some more tunnel-trekking he simply collapses, his body demanding some rest and refusing to function on will alone much longer. ]

[ Still, he crawls out into the daylight eventually, and manages to make it to the building Xanxus had said he's in. He's fucking proud of himself because he's pretty damn sure that took him less time than he'd anticipated, even if he looks like a total goddamn mess. ]

[ The new features are, of course, the face of a man who hasn't slept in over 48 hours and messed up hair from passing out in the gutter. Xanxus, however, is probably not familiar with the local hobo chic fashion, so the rest might be news for him as well. Squalo's even skinnier than he would remember, wrapped in several coats, jackets, scarves and towels with no respect for a color or texture pallette, his hair has lost some of the shine and the manic burn in his eyes looks even less healthy than usual. He's carrying at least two bags on him, and there's a fairly fresh scrape on his jaw that indicates abusing a razor that should have had its blades changed weeks ago. ]

[ And yet, he seems in considerably high spirits when he calls out into the seemingly empty house; ]

Hey! I'm here!

[It's probably lucky that arriving so recently has left Xanxus short on possessions, his own entitled nature having prevented him from collecting anything he's found and deemed inferior quality, so far. Lucky that despite earlier attempts at sleeping the day away, he's not, in fact, still trying to sleep as he hears the other's voice, so much louder in person than it had been through the tablet. And lucky that, as a result, there's not any sort of item hurtling through the air at Squalo's head to quiet him down as he walks into the room to, well, not exactly greet him, but acknowledge his arrival, at the very least.

But that.. really is a sight.]

... You look like shit.

[Had anyone else made that observation, there may have been some sympathy behind it. Not in Xanxus' case. This is kind of hilarious to him, instead. So at least in a roundabout way, he does appear pretty happy to see his second in command?]

[ He drops the bags and the top layer of hobo coating and steps toward the voice - only to be greeted by that, and the grin on his face switches into a scowl as fast as his stuff had hit the floor. ]

...voi, shut up.

[ ...nope, the annoyance still doesn't last. He's just too happy. He closes the distance and, as if having forgotten that the other is not at all aware of the months of separation and worry and constantly thinking the worst, leans in and puts an arm around Xanxus in a somewhat awkward, manly but nonetheless a hug -- ]

[ Which lasts maybe half a second before he realizes what he's doing and that it's crossing all sorts of lines here. ]

[ Squalo immediately lets go and drops down to one knee in front of Xanxus' chair/couch/whatever of choice instead, pressing his lips to the ring on his boss' hand as was the actual mafia custom of Don greeting. ]

[ He keeps his eyes on it rather than looking back up, voice slightly lowered. ]

Forgive me. I'm happy to see you.

Edited 2018-06-24 20:14 (UTC)

[At the contact, his features return to disapproval. If they could go eight years without such a scene, what makes a few days seem acceptable?

He's ready to shove Squalo away, even backhand him for such an action, when he moves on his own. And what follows? That's a more appropriate greeting. ... Maybe he'll let this slide, just for today. After all, the less he uses his still injured arm, the longer he can hide the fact that anything's wrong. He'll only go so far right now as to pull away once the other speaks again.

There's something more immediately important that they should be dealing with:]

Then why are you here?

[Not in the same building, but in Norfinbury at all. If he'd be happier at Xanxus' side, why has he stayed all this time? Sure, everyone's been brought here against their will. It's not a mission, and they aren't an exception. That's clear enough. That's not what he's asking.

How can those supposed "months" have gone by with anyone having found their way back yet? Are they all truly that useless?]

[ Listen such a scene has totally happened when Xanxus was first thawed out as well. They just don't talk about it. And it's possibly at least part the reason behind all that abuse. ]

[ Squalo does finally look up again, and there's that spark of anger in his eyes that Xanxus might find familiar; Squalo thinks he's being chided unjustly. ]

'Cause that has nothing to do with where I want to be. [ His gaze lingers, darkening, either daring eye contact or considering whether he needs to spell his suicide out for Xanxus of all people. ] Determination's not enough to get out of this place.

[ If only. ]

[Abuse? What abuse? Maybe they're not talking about that part where Xanxus hasn't fully upheld the Varia way of executing those who've failed missions, either. He's always shown more kindness than the trash beneath him deserve.

Well. He'll take that answer into consideration for a moment, anyway, as he gives Squalo a far more dangerous look. Surely, nobody's thought that just wanting to leave would get this over with? The number of days it's gone on can attest to the futility. The only way out is through acting.]

Who brought us?

[The admin? Her programmer? This Robert Miller he's seeing even more hate towards? (Are the latter two the same?) Whoever's responsible,]

I'll kill them myself.

[ that or he's just a tsundere and/or into this dick ayyy ]

[ And Squalo's giving him a "bitch please" look back, somewhat bitterly smug actually, because he's probably the only person in their universe who doesn't cower under Xanxus' Looks. ]

Get a fuckin' number. Either way, we don't know. What was found out seems to suggest it's an automated process of some kind. Everything's connected to programming and science shit. [ The face he's making suggests his opinion about that. ] I prefer tangible odds.

[ Because he can destroy those. Or thinks he'd be able. ]

[Automated... So it is a computer. Server. Whatever. Well, then once they find that, he'll still beat the shit out of it.]

... At the center?

[Because that clue's been floating around, and the map doesn't look like anyone's reached that spot to determine otherwise yet. So it's.. probably the right place to head for. ... Only, it might be a good idea to keep him away for a little while. At least until someone else uses it to start reversing the process. Broken machinery won't be all that helpful.]

[ A noble mission. ]

That's what current intelligence suggests. At the very least that place should contain vital information about whatever's going on here and how to stop it.

[ Reverse it, preferably, but that's the same thing for him because like hell he's considering "ending" this for the sake of somebody else. ]

Our newest clue is the bunker that's recently opened. Probably best that we head there.

[ Sure, there were enough people to make progress there already, but why trust someone else with something important? ]

[Not much else, is there? If Squalo's not telling him anything he hasn't already found on the network...

He'll get a scolding look from Xanxus for a moment, but, no. It hasn't been open long enough to expect anyone could see it firsthand and make it here, just yet. There's no reason to rush, anyway. The success rate will be higher once those who are already there can figure out what not to do. So it's just a matter of knowing who to stay in contact with.]

Gather more. We leave in the morning.

[Now whether that's to the bunker, or to find supplies...

Either way, there's the instructions for now: Stay in contact with any potential allies in that area, in order to know exactly what they're getting into by the time they reach it.]

[ probably because everything anyone finds gets uploaded into the network, bub ]

[ Squalo's just going to nod to show he understood. ]

[ And a few days later, still on the way, they're gonna see a shitload of people dying and be able to read what's happened to the most of them. Live and learn. ]

[log] moth to a flame [closed]

Evening 370 - morning 371

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