fifth loop

[cancrymods]

SUPERBIA

On midnight of the seventh day, it happens again. Time rewinds itself back to the Executors' starting point, putting them right back at the beginning of the loop. This is now their fifth time experiencing the events of the Superbia loop. Some of the school's long hidden secrets are starting to come to light... but is it enough to bring them close to breaking the loop once and for all? Only time will tell. ... Hey, wait just a second...! Use this log to investigate during this seven day period and drop a comment down to the Investigation Request subheader if you'd like to explore. If you're continuing or building off of a previous loop's investigation results, please link to it in your comment. If you need a refresher on the loop mechanics, check out this post. Good luck, Executors.

Comments

[schardynfreude]

[The loop is shorter. It's only a week, this time, he thinks? And they merely appear there at the stairs again.

The others are frustrated, or talking it out. Chiron laughs. It's a startled little chuckle at first, but then it builds into what seems like genuine amusement, and then...builds off of that into something a little tinged with mania.

It was the middle of the night, so he didn't feel the need to cover himself up. If one looks, they can see his skin is of a much paler pallor. Dark lines follow his veins, along his face, down his neck, even along his fingers, and a substance that appears not unlike pneuma seems to drip and stain from his mouth, from his eyes--eyes that have turned dark, sclera pitch black and giving his gold eyes a further unnatural glow about them.

The laughter dies down before it gets, uh, too out of hand, and he sniffles like he genuinely heard something absolutely hysterical. Hand to his face as the shake of his shoulders passes, and pushes back his unruly hair.]

My, we'd best figure this one out quick. Lest we stay here forever. [That probably should not be said with a lopsided grin and such a cheerful tone.]

[mementomoritz]

Yep, that sure would suck- ooooh.

[Patient spotted. Mercifully, he's at least managed to head off most of her initial questions at the pass by having that whole conversation with her earlier.]

Can I please have a sample? I can confirm for you whether or not that's a psychegenic appearance shift in a jiffy! [She pauses a moment, and adds conscientiously:] A "jiffy" is here defined as anywhere from five minutes to one hour, depending on if anyone else is already using the science labs right now.

[schardynfreude]

Ah-?

[It doesn't take long to suss out what she means. What else would she? And he can see it dancing along his fingertips. His smile falters, and he takes a half-step away.]

That may not be wise. [But she insisted there were no pathogens. And if everyone is dead, would anyone get infected? If everyone is dead, would it matter if they could? And if anyone would take the utmost precaution, it would be Mercy...]

[mementomoritz]

[She holds up a hand, the other over her heart as though she's swearing an oath, and looks at him solemnly.]

I can promise full infectious biohazard precautions, just in case. I wouldn't let that sample touch a thing until I was absolutely sure it was completely inert.

[schardynfreude]

...I suppose even if it gets out and spreads to everyone, it doesn't honestly matter in the end. But. Do try to keep that from happening.

Oh shit missed this notif

[mementomoritz]

[Medic salutes cheerfully.] I'll do my best!

[In fairness, her best is pretty damn good.]

[She's already pulling various items of PPE gear out of her bag. She just has those, apparently???]

Do you want to take the sample here, or would you like to find somewhere private?

[alcahest]

[ everyone seems to be so — brittle over this. it isn't as if Mona isn't worried herself about their situation, but... Ruin's frustration, Lion's rage, and now Chiron too. she's far more concerned about her friends in this moment than their objective here. besides, there's nothing she can do about Superbia's problem right now. at least she can try to help the others.

she isn't sure what to say to Chiron, though. she isn't sure what brought on that laughter, or why lately he seems to be poised at the brink of some terrible precipice, or why he looks so ill. it's disheartening, how little she understands. being useless in solving the mysteries and troubles they've encountered is one thing; it hurts far more to be useless in this.

at a loss for words, all she can do is reach out and clutch the hem of his sleeve. she's tense with anxiety, but all the same, her expression bleeds compassion. ]

[schardynfreude]

My dear. [He doesn't touch her, doesn't ruffle her hair or move her hand. For as less than entirely hinged as his passing moment was, he is careful not to touch her.] We'll have another week of school. Won't that be fun. What if we switch things up a bit? Maybe you should teach a class.

[alcahest]

[ if he wants to talk like nothing happened... that's alright. she can do that. he doesn't want to discuss it with her, and she can't expect him to. but she doesn't let go of his sleeve. for some reason, it seems important to tell him that she's here. ]

I don't know if there's anything I could teach... I've always been the one receiving lessons.

[schardynfreude]

Nonsense, I'm sure you can find something to teach! Or, mayhap we should all play hooky! To figure out this situation before not a single thing matters anymore.

[alcahest]

If we're going to do that, it would have been nice if we could have gone somewhere else... I miss going home.

But... you're right. We have to do something.

[schardynfreude]

Home.

[He could easily mock the idea. He can feel it rise easily to his lips. But...he...doesn't do that, frowns at himself for the mere thought.]

Home. Funny little thing we carved out, hm? It can't stay, and neither can we, but...

[discutio]

...Chiron?

[he is, uh...concerned]

What's going on?

[schardynfreude]

Oh, Phoenix. It's just funny, isn't it? That time doesn't matter here.

[discutio]

Chiron...? [He stepped a little closer, reaching out to put a hand on his arm.]

What's happened? What are you talking about?

[schardynfreude]

[He moves, just a step, just enough to pull away. Shakes his head. It isn't that it's funny so much as...]

It feels...ha, it all just feels familiar in a way. [And not because of looping.] We're all just stagnating, or will if we stay here. What does a week even matter? A day? An hour, these don't have any meaning in purgatory.

[discutio]

I suppose time has been a difficult thing to measure, on occasion. But what is it that's bothering you so much?

[schardynfreude]

It feels like I've done this before. [A twist of his hand in the air impatiently that Phoenix can't see.] Not this, specifically, but the monotony reeks of familiarity.

[discutio]

...I imagine it would.

[since...you know, All That]

Maybe we should take some time to ourselves to break up the routine.

[ourtomorrow]

[ ....He hadn't been seeing things.

He'd thought it was a trick of the light, back when fighting the Revenant. Dismissed it as his own mistake. His imagination.

But it wasn't. ]

Chiron.....san....?

[schardynfreude]

Ah...ha... [He glances at his fingers, touches lightly at his face.] That's unfortunate. Apologies, Monarch. For being a fright.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch isn't repulsed, at least, stepping forward, trying to confirm what he'd seen. He's not sure why, but every since he'd remembered Wormmon, he has a sense that he's done looking away from things. ]

Why.....?

[ Is that happening....what is it....

But mostly......what does it mean...? ]

[schardynfreude]

Why? [The unspecific question threatens to bring about the giggles again, but only a little amused hum manages to slip out.] Why what.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Oh, he's...He's going to get an answer? Monarch had not expected that, somehow. And his own surprise snaps him fully back into the moment. ]

I don't understand.

[ He hadn't sounded like Chiron-san, for a moment. Like and unlike. And that, more than the changes to his face, had been the frightening part. The confusing part, the part that makes Monarch's brain want to ram itself into this until he has a solution. What does it mean. ]

Did something happen?

[schardynfreude]

Nothing that hasn't already happened to me in my living life, I daresay. I'd keep some small distance if I were you.