fujimaru | Palace Game 6/3

Palace Game 6/3

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[he glances around for a second, before:]

I know you don't want to be touched... But is there anything else I can do for you?

"I want to get out of here!" she says immediately, fever-frantic... and then she collapses in on herself again. "But I can't. I can't leave. It's so stupid. It's not fair! Every time I leave, I just wind up back here again!"

...Where do you try to go? Maybe if you went with me, it would work somehow.

"Anywhere! I can't, no matter how hard I try, I--"

As she speaks, though, there is the sound of approaching footsteps. There is a smiling man approaching.

"Excuse me," he says, polite. "If I may?"

Maybe I could try to—

[he looks between them for a moment as the man approaches, though.]

Ah - sure, what is it?

"I apologize for her," he says, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed little laugh. "But, ah, there's a reason we can't leave this place. Unfortunately."

No - you don't have to apologize, seriously.

[but he straightens up, with a frown.]

What is it?

"It's, well." He glances at the woman again, then leans in a little closer to Rupert, lowering his voice. "I suppose it's a little awkward to say, but... well. We're dead, unfortunately. There isn't much room for the dead to grow or change."

He still sounds very apologetic about this.

[after a fairly awkward pause]

I saw that memory, but... You're both here, right? So a part of you still exists. You're certain there's nothing I can do?

"We exist as memories," he says gently. "The dead can still be remembered, after all. But changing, or growing... none of us here can do that anymore."

[for whatever reason, he accepts that easily enough, though the sympathetic look on his face deepens.]

...I'm glad a part of you is still here, then, at least.

[and, after a moment:]

I'm here to help a friend. If you have any advice on where I should head next or what I should do... I'd appreciate it.

"Ah, for Ritsuka?" He looks pleased at that. "I told Leonardo people would show up for that! Though I didn't know they'd be coming here... ah, hm." He coughs into his fist for a moment. "...Well. If I know my old friend, he'll be keeping a close eye on her, but he won't hurt her. I assume he's hidden her off somewhere."

Your old friend...? Can you tell me anything about him, and where he might be keeping her?

"We go back a ways, he and I." There's something gently sad in the man's smile as he says this. "He's... a prickly one, we could say. Someone who isn't very given to sharing his thoughts or his feelings easily.

"But if he has Ritsuka, he'll have her where he can keep the closest eye on her. But it'll be somewhere amongst the living, not the dead."

Amongst the living... [he nods, grateful.] Thank you. I'll make sure she's safe.

[and then, to the woman:]

I need to go help her, but before I leave... Do you want to tell me a happy story about you and Ritsuka? A memory that's - different than the one I saw.

"Happy? With her?!" She snorts. "That girl fell asleep in the middle of the orientation meeting! And then she had the gall to be the only one who survived--even Kyrielight was injured! How was she the only one who got off without any injuries?! How dare she--"

Behind her, the man is making some small, shoo, quickly gestures, wincing a little as the woman's voice starts climbing to a high pitch.

Okay - okay. You have a right to be angry. I'm sorry. Um—

[looking around for any identifiable exits!]

He can either leave the way he came and pick a different door, or head to the other end of the hall. The woman is still ranting furiously, in tears again.

[he'll try heading to the other end of the hall to see if there's a door there, apologizing all the while. before he goes, though, to the man:]

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Edited 2022-09-04 00:17 (UTC)

He waves quickly, politely, then turns to try and comfort the wailing woman.

At the end of the gallery hall, it opens up to a stairwell, going up, and going down.

[after a second of hesitation, he decides to go up.]

He finds another room up there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Palace Game 6/3

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES