Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: This is your death. Followed by your time-traveling life and desperate bomb hunting.
When: From May 22 to May 20 to early May 23 (days 1-4)
Where: Zompania
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post is for the draftee-only portion of the Zompania draft--the day 3 death, time travel to day 1, and then the events until the arrival of the reinforcements. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Please note that there is a specific top-level comment thread for:

• The day 3 arrival of the draftees and the 6 hours that follow until the bomb is dropped
  
• Death--This thread can be treated as REFERENCE ONLY. Responding to it isn't necessary.
  
• Threads prior to departing for Zompania--post resurrection freak outs, arguments over how to proceed, etc.

All other threading, from day 1 until the reinforcements arrive, should be conducted as normal.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

[windandrain]

[He's absolutely right that she's not taking it well. When he approaches she's on her knees, bent forward and desperately trying to keep herself from heaving out what little is in her stomach. Her whole frame shakes, tears slowly starting to stain the dusty earth before her, and she can't bring herself to even speak.

Saori does manage to look up at him, though, eyes wet with even more tears, her cheeks stained pink. His presence is something...proof that she isn't alone...but it's not enough to overcome her shock and horror. The normally calm and collected woman has just faced her greatest fear, the one thing she never should have had to face...and it's overwhelming her enough that she reaches out for him with a trembling hand...]

[misterbrief]

[He's very surprised at her outstretched hand. One, because he's not sure what to do, and two, because he's never seen her this shaken ever. It's not something he does, provide physical comfort in any fashion generally except with family in private, but he knows what contact means for a god. Especially her with that awful vile divine spirit inside her. That thing he never wants to see ever again. And once her anger kicked in, who knew what would happen.

So he gives her his hand. To help her stand, or whatever she wants. He doesn't say anything, to let her cry, let her have that moment she needs to deal with her own death.]

[windandrain]

[Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she's equally surprised that he'd given her any sort of contact, and is incredibly grateful. The conscious part of her, however, the part that's in control now? It doesn't care. It just wants someone to touch, to hold and cling to. Anyone will do. That it's someone this trusted only makes it easier to take the hand.

Unsteadily, she used it to pull herself to her feet and bury her face into his chest. Tears well up in her eyes as she wraps her arms around him, a childlike expression of pure sorrow, a desperate need to feel something other than cold and lonely.]

V-V-egeta...are...we...?

[Dead?

She trails off leaving the word unspoken...]

1/?

[misterbrief]

[He's glad she can stand, and it's not too surprising having the goddess start to sob in his arms, hugging him and holding him close. And after every mind altering shift they'd suffered through in Luceti together, this is not nearly the most intimate thing they'd ever done. If anything this is pretty normal.

It's not as if he's never given anyone a hug before, he's held his wife, his daughter, Trunks once on screen, so naturally without thinking his arms wrap around her. But...]

[misterbrief]

[He takes a look around and sees a bunch of other Lucetians that were dropped here too after the bomb explosion. There's quite a few of them, waking up and taking in their surroundings. Which means.]

[misterbrief]

[SHE IS]

[misterbrief]

[HUGGING HIM]

[misterbrief]

[IN PUBLIC]

[misterbrief]

[Can this stop now this is embarrassing great galaxy people are watching them and they can see him hugging someone this is the worst possible thing he's got his pride here why ugh couldn't there of been no one around what if everyone is staring]

[misterbrief]

[So he takes a deep breath, stays silent, and lets her sob as he tries to keep his head up on this one. Okay Vegeta, people are seeing you hug someone, who cares, they can stare all they want, even though it's really hard to fight down the burning sensation in his cheeks but whatever if someone's got a problem they can come talk to him later and he'll take care of it]

done

[misterbrief]

[Finally, he looks down at her and exhales heavily. She's never died before, she doesn't know what it's like. And now, he finally manages to regain the composure he needs to speak.]

No. We're alive. I don't know how or why, but we're miraculously fine.

[windandrain]

[She doesn't even notice his distress as her eyes are shut tight, but when she feels his arms tighten around her it's an extremely comforting feeling. She sags against him, her usual strength drifting away like sand when he manages to speak. How do you...how should she...the...idea of it is so very...foreign all she can manage is an alarmed squeak.]

We...I...died...? That...was what that was? D-Death?

[misterbrief]

[He doesn't know how much longer he can take standing here holding her. She can't cry forever, they've got a job to do. And when she sags against him, he can feel all her strength leave her. He can't have that.]

Saori, listen, yes, that's what death in this world is- but we don't have time for this now. We've got to figure out what's happened, because I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be standing here right now.

[windandrain]

[She doesn't want to let go immediately but when he speaks, so full of confidence, she does manage to look up. Her eyes glitter with more tears, her lip trembles unsteadily, and she swallows another sob. The physical contact is beginning to help, her body growing warmer by degrees, the cool sensation of the spirit leaving her.]

The bomb went off...and somehow...it-it...It killed me, and I...am not supposed to be able to die. Not...like that. Neither are you. And we shouldn't be here at all...no. Not after a s-s-sacrifice...

[She shakes her head again.]

I don't...I don't understand any of this. That thing...it was...

[She trails off with another moan at the memory of being violated like that...]

[misterbrief]

[He doesn't like thinking of how that thing, whatever it was, was carving out his heart so precisely, inspecting him as his body was being unmade...

He tries not to shudder at the memory, and tries not to let it show that he doesn't like seeing her cry like that. He doesn't know why, but he wishes she'd just stop.]

I don't know what that thing was, but this is what it is to be mortal Saori, and you're just going to have to accept that. No more tears, we're alive now, and that's all that matters. We've got to pay them back for what they did to us.

[windandrain]

[She shudders again when he says that, and shakes her head. She isn't mortal...but the rules of this place just...change things. They pervert the proper way of things, alter reality as they see fit.

At the same time as she looks at him she begins to get a sense that he's bothered by all this. His words strike something deep inside, and the tears begin to slow, falling less freely now. Her voice still shakes and she doesn't let go, though.]

They...cheated. A shift bomb. That's...what that was. They took what could be good and right and...turned it into that...thing. Gave us to that...abomination.

[She swallows and squeezes tightly, her eyes finally drying.]

I don't...want to die again. Never...ever...like that. Alone...

[misterbrief]

[He can't really tell her that she won't die again, because she may very well die again, today even. Her tears have stopped, and that's good. He looks down at her again, tilting his head to the side in wonder and then determination mixed with a hint of concern when she squeezes him tighter.]

You most certainly didn't die alone out there. [He hates to think those bastards managed to kill him.] They won't get away with something like that again, I assure you of that.

[windandrain]

[Again she shivers, though for a different reason this time. She didn't die alone? But...she did. He was nearby...but he's not of her family. He's not Yuuna, or from her world. He's her friend...her champion...but...could that mean the curse isn't gone? No. No, that was the one thing she was certain, a weight lifted from her.

All the same.]

I...just don't want to be alone. P-Promise me that. [Her eyes grow suddenly very intense, flashing briefly in the dim light. This is something she clearly wants...or rather needs...more than anything else. It's beyond meaningful, it's the culmination of centuries of dread. Death. Alone and unloved...] Promise me that I won't be alone...no matter what happens.

Please.

[misterbrief]

[He almost gulps in reaction to that. She's completely caught him off guard by asking that question, and he really doesn't know how to respond to it right away. Especially with that look on her face, what's with that? Why did she even think she was alone, he was there the whole time. Plus she's got so many irritating friends, how could she possibly think that?]

Yes, yes, okay. [There are still people watching, after all.] I promise. I don't see why you're so worried about that.

[windandrain]

[She seems to take some sort of solace in that. More than some, really, as she seems to gain back a great deal of her resolve. Bowing her head, she takes a deep breath.]

It's...something about me that I've never told you. Now is not the time, you're right.

[She presses her cheek to his chest one more time and then lets go, but still stands close, looking at him. Her hands clench and unclench, and she furtively glances at the city in the distance.]

Was there any message? Is...there anything we know, at all?

[She missed John's announcement in her fit...]

[misterbrief]

[Inwardly, he sighs a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, he doesn't have to get all mushy or weird to make her feel better. So then they can move on. He really is glad she feels better, but he refuses to show it. She needed to be strong right now and making a fuss wouldn't help, not in his eyes.]

I don't know, I woke up, checked to make sure I was absolutely alive, and found you. I'm just in the dark about this as you are.

[windandrain]

[He will later, but for the moment she's able to compartmentalize. The promise that she won't be alone means enough to her that she can set aside her fear and just trust him. Her hand does, however, go to her neck, checking on the locket. ]

No message? Nothing?

[She scans the sky...]

But...the weather is different. Like...another...time?

[misterbrief]

Everything about this seems off. When we first arrived here, there was far more death to be found. Now, it's like it's barely even begun. [He looks out towards the forest.]

I don't understand. It's as if we've been shifted into another universe. Everything is better than it was when we left. [Looking back over to her, he shoots a confused look.] I don't know where a message would come from. In all the times I've experienced being revived from the dead, it always came without warning.

[windandrain]

[As if in answer, her journal beeps. And John's message starts to play. Saori's eyes widen and she visible pales again as it finishes.]

W-what?!

[misterbrief]

[He takes his own journal out from underneath his armor, listening.]

Speak of the devil. There's that message you wanted.

[That's interesting. Revived via time travel. He can barely believe it if he didn't already know time travel was a possibility.]