PC: Kiruko

[unapollogetic]

yaaay

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week 1, monday

[unapollogetic]

[ once the trains start running, of course apollo takes the first one he can find and ventures off to one of the biomes. he's still not fully in vacation mode, but he's at least changed out of his suit and into jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. may as well take advantage while they can? it's still weird to think about though.

it's why he finds himself standing in the middle of the luna market, boggling at the potions available and watching the mole proprietors with the most alarmed expression.

Maybe that guy was right and this really is all a dream.

he seems to realize he's not alone though, so that's... mildly reassuring. ]

Is this better or worse, you think?

[kirubeam]

[ kiruko is also looking kind of alarmed at the big moles, so apollo's in good company. ]

... Depends. Are those animals real? They're not gonna bite us, are they?

[ hand on gun holster. ]

[unapollogetic]

[ maybe we shouldn't resort to violence?? but also no lie, he does feel safer with her having a weapon just in case. he's busy trying to remember if moles have sharp teeth or not. ]

They look real... and they're not getting closer so maybe they're fine?

[kirubeam]

Maybe... Moles aren't, like, ambush predators, are they? They normally just eat worms and stuff...

[unapollogetic]

I'm pretty sure they're also mostly blind. So if we don't make any sudden moves, maybe they won't even notice. [ this is not true. the moles can see, and they have been noticed, judging by the way they seem to hone in on the two of them and wave merrily. happy lil squeaks... ]

[kirubeam]

[ startles ]

Did they just wave?

Do moles wave?

[unapollogetic]

... no. But moles usually aren't several feet tall either, so I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore. Why do they look so friendly and still feel so threatening... ?

[ that's the paranoia, apollo. ]

[kirubeam]

No kidding...

[ kiruko is also full of paranoia. ]

At this size, they're almost like... small bears.

[unapollogetic]

You can still probably fight small bears. [ probably? ] What if we show them we're non-threatening... ? Don't give them a reason to stop being friendly and attack first.

week 1, friday

[unapollogetic]

[ throughout friday, apollo's wandering the hotel to haul things into the conference room as if he's setting up for court in the morning. maybe it's just something to keep him busy. who can say? but at one point in between trips he spots kiruko and pauses, giving them a nod. ]

I didn't want to crowd you yesterday. [ considering. ] Are you alright?

[kirubeam]

Oh, hey. [ tiredly. face is very bruised, but the swelling isn't as bad as yesterday. ]

Feel like crap, but I'm still in one piece, so I can't complain.

[ things you say when you don't know that a guy's severed head was found this morning ]

[unapollogetic]

[ You're doing better than some of us then.

he doesn't immediately bring it up, but just giving kiruko a once-over. bruising's bad. but he does reach into his pocket and offer a bottle of painkillers. does that help? ]

What even happened to you guys? [ mostly, he's asking to see if somehow it coincides with vi suddenly dying today. ]

[kirubeam]

[ gives the bottle a thoughtful look... and then a brief, grateful smile. ]

Thanks, man. [ takes a couple and then gives the bottle back. ]

Honestly, I don't know how to describe it... We just fell into this freaky place with monsters and blood pools and green fire and... I dunno, weird crap. Like stuff you'd find in a video game or something.

[unapollogetic]

[ the slightest amount of tension in his face relaxes. things are awful, but he does like that he can help a little. the bottle goes back into his pocket, but then there's a pause as he blinks slowly. ]

Monsters. [ incredulous. all of this sounds so fake and so weird. ] Was it even anywhere in the city?

[ they really did just poof out of nowhere and nobody knew... ]

[kirubeam]

Nowhere that I've seen. I don't think it's a place we can reach by foot or train... and, honestly, it just didn't look like anything I've seen in this city at all.

[ looking thoughtful... trying to think of any relevant details. ]

... There was someone, or something, trying to stop us from escaping.

[unapollogetic]

[ interesting. give him a second to lean against a nearby wall, folding his arms over his chest. ]

Do you remember the first few days we were here? How the trains didn't stop at all. We were stuck. [ coincidence? ]

[kirubeam]

Huh? Yeah... Guess whoever set this up has a pretty handy way of controlling where we can and can't go.

w2, friday

[unapollogetic]

[ hello kiruko. what a weird night. but it's fine! if kiruko comes back to the casino at all in the late morning, apollo can be found seated at a corner booth in the restaurant with a cup of coffee and... all of his notes spread out. back to working diligently, which is maybe the best sight right now? but he does also look like he's still partially in vacation mode given the fact he's dressed down in jeans and an oversized hoodie.

approach? ]

[kirubeam]

[ rudely comes up to try to read his notes right over his shoulder. ]

[unapollogetic]

[ help. considering the last few days he allows it, but his notes are definitely detailing his experience with "memory loss??" circled a few times. ]

I feel like I should be apologizing for your welcome yesterday. [ he won't quite say sorry, but he likes kiruko enough to acknowledge it. ]

[kirubeam]

[ immediately lets out a sigh of relief. ]

Okay, whew. I was trying to think of how to ask if you were normal again or not. What the heck happened with you?

[unapollogetic]

[ he sort of gives off an awkward grin because yeah! yeah, that was... oh boy. ]

I'm fine. I didn't think something like that would happen, but dying twice is apparently possible. I... didn't remember anything when we came back.

[kirubeam]

What, like... nothing about this place? Or nothing at all?

[unapollogetic]

I remembered my name and that I was on vacation and that was about it. [ yeah. bad. nothing about his actual life or about the deaths or the people here. ]

[kirubeam]

Damn, that's kind of freaky...

But whatever happened, it wore off. Right?