catch-all: richie.

[purities]

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week zero, saturday...1!

[purities]

[hello, richie. mizu is back to wearing a certain outfit that looks like it's been haphazardly washed and stitched back together way too many fucking times. it's giving murder hobo chic.

anyway, they're at (throws dart) at the train station. there's a big lack of train here. and also a big lack of recognition from mizu who is staring at the tracks, like. huh.]

What's all this for...?

[gutterbound]

[Man. It's not like he expected this one to show up in a cardigan and corduroys, but the bombastic variety is wearing him down a bit. What the hell kind of sample population is this?

Richie taps out a cigarette from one of his brand new cartons, stashed in the pocket of his brand new jacket. He's casually dressed, if not expensively so. The sort of wealth you need to be in the know about to spot. Which Rashomon over here likely won't be.]

Locomotion. [He sparks his zippo, and takes a short drag. Taking a wild swing here, let's assume the guy's never looked a steam engine in the smoke stack before, much less a monorail.] Normally folks can pile into a big steel tube and get propelled down these here tracks at ungodly speed. Think forty or fifty horses put together.

[He's not an engineer or a physicist don't ask him for specifics.]

W0 MONDAY

[gutterbound]

[Affection week has come for us...

Richie has yet to notice he's too busy with the SOUNDSTAGE. He's tipping out a mysterious round black disc from a carboard sleeve, which looks an awful lot like his halo? Weird. He's absolutely delighted with the find.]

Crazy! Absolutely batshit stuff, do you know what a mint you could make on a collection like this?

[purities]

[...

i am sorry but mizu is just going to stare at him with this face to try and shame him into repeating that whole ass sentence in normal people words.]

W0 SECOND FRIDAY

[gutterbound]

[At the beach, parked on his rear with a bottle of H*nessey on hand and a sunken pallour, Richie watches the waves roll easy with a face wiped of expression. He only looks over when he catches movement in his peripheral.

For once, his only greeting is a two-fingered wave. The rest of his hand is on the neck of the bottle.]

[purities]

[damn, you know it's bad when even the local yappers ain't yapping.

mizu walks up to him, staring at the waves for a moment and then looking down at him.]

Ill tidings, aren't they?

week zero, sunday...2!

[purities]

[well. they all just witnessed something deeply personal and also incredibly fucked up, so that's fun.]

Funny. I think Saber's idea of just killing him would've been kinder to both of them.

[instead, the furries had to maim each other in front of god and everyone. wahoo.]

we made it....yay

[gutterbound]

You'd be correct. Frankly, I regret not standing behind the idea at the time...

[He shakes his head. Hindsight is 20/20, but his vision has always been fucking terrible.]

Never imagined they'd set up something so damn cruel.

week one, thursday.

[purities]

[hello, ex-husband... mizu is currently a lump amongst the library cushions.]

[gutterbound]

[He probably shouldn't be up walking right now but neither should he. Or the other two.

Richie comes in more by accident than intention. He's trying very hard to cement the place in his mind, and does a delayed double-take at the familiar lump in the cushions.]

Barely feels like home, don't it?

W1 SATURDAY

[gutterbound]

[He's outside somewhere, delicately lighting himself a smoke and looking pale, pinched between the brows.]

What a goddamned shitshow.

[purities]

[hobbles up to him... tired and annoyed.]

I expected a greater mess than last week... That exceeded all of my expectations.

W2 MONDAY

[gutterbound]

[Enshrines them in the void.

Richie is doing better than he was this weekend but still sore as shit. Obviously. He's moving better now though. Where might he find Mizu...and in what condition...]

[purities]

[I GUESS THIS CAN BE POST JABBERWOCKY so they're somewhere out in town, with mizu's recently bandaged ass casually hobbling out of the hospital. this is fine.

stops hobbling to frown at him.]

There's something I need to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?

W2 SUNDAY

[gutterbound]

[Regrettably, they are at the bar at the same time.

Richie has arrived first. And, bewilderingly, ordered a rice wine for himself. His head turns when he hears the door open, but only offers Mizu half a smile and a nod, turning back to his drink in silence.]

[purities]

[regrettably!

mizu looks at the drink first and at richie second, cocking an eyebrow at him. hm. a bit surprised by his choice in drink here.]

Drowning your sorrows?

week three, monday.

[purities]

[wowie! imagine being powerful enough to write an actual starter during memshare week. anyway, they are both stuck in the funhouse for the long haul while one of mizu's memories plays over the mirrors. at first quiet, then loud and chaotic — before ultimately ending in heartbreak.

the only reason mizu hasn't shattered the fuck out of the mirrors or richie's collarbones is because his presence hasn't been noticed yet. mizu stands as still as a statue, a white knuckled grip around the hilt of that very same sword pictured in the memory, and eyes dark while watching the memory come to its inevitable conclusion.]

we hate mondays

[gutterbound]

[the way i opened this and immediately closed it because i did not know if i could handle watching it again.

Good thing for Richie's brittle bones that he hasn't been spotted yet. It's not like he's aiming to snoop. Even the first trip here put him off the place — it's like the cave, but worse. Much worse. When he's pitched into the maze by force and sees it's Mizu up head, when what he's watching slots into place, he goes so still he nearly stops breathing.

The figure, half bare beneath a blanket, should make sense to him, but doesn't. He registers a curve where there ought not to be. A quality to a voice so familiar it masked the obvious. The tender conversation sounds alien to him. Then, clothed and sexually dimorphic, it makes sense. Sharp, sudden, and obliterating. Just as the husband of the year comes to a callous shock a minute later, bested and then pinned beneath the woman he's promised himself to.

The woman, bandaged and loose-clothed, low voiced, only exposed when you exhume the tomb. There's been a case or nine or ten throughout history, hasn't there? Life was rough shit for women in most centuries, most countries, most anywhere. God forbid you were good at something a man was. God forbid you wanted anything more than homemaking, being paid for in dowries and traded like chattel. Worse when you were already marked as a bastard. You couldn't hide those blue eyes, but you could strap down your curves and carry yourself with a broad back, dress for the part and cut down whatever stood in your way.

Richie holds in the shadows. He doesn't dare come closer nor open his mouth. There couldn't be anything worse to walk in on, could there? Not for Mizu.

So, he does the sane thing. Touches a hand to the wall to guide himself, and slips out the opposite way.

From her vantage, there will be a shift in a reflected shadow on a mirror nearby. A blink and you'll miss it moment where his back is exposed, before he turns a corner and vanishes from all reflections.]

week three, friday.

[purities]

[hello, richie... what a week, am i right?

it's probably a little later in the day by now, and they are... somewhere. probably the void. either way, despite their last 1-on-1 conversation, mizu apparently has no time to waste on awkwardness or anything of the like. she zeroes in on him as soon as she spots him.]

Your glasses. You used them.

[straight to the point? okay.

and i guess she's also looking him over to make sure he isn't mysteriously injured or anything like that.]

[gutterbound]

Hello to you too.

[He doesn't look injured, though he is in long sleeves. But he looks worn, red around the eyes. He's sitting with a distinct slump in his shoulders and doesn't bother to rise.]

I did. [He concedes easily.] I'd hoped to see if I could catch Elysia having a conversation with her killer. And after setting that intention, I was made to understand it wouldn't hone in on someone who I couldn't identify in the first place.

So it gave me the next best thing. A conversation she had with both you and Akihiko, during the lock in.

[He huffs, teeth gritted in a bitter grin as he shakes his head.]

Fat fucking lot of good it did me.

W3 SUNDAY

[gutterbound]

[Aaah these vibes are bad. Richie's out for a stroll. Too antsy to sit around anywhere, head still pounding too hard to consider a drink. Maybe tomorrow.

He's got the free ice pack in hand but he's only holding onto it, applying on and off at leisure. He nods to Mizu when their paths cross.]

One down, and one off Scot-free. Looking bad for our track record, isn't it?

[purities]

It does not bode well.

[looking him over, eye lingering on that bruise.]

Daigo supposedly did it for an apple. In all likelihood, there's someone among us who's still afflicted and they're only going to get worse with time.

W4 MONDAY

[gutterbound]

[Nevermind, they are getting drinks after that dungeon. If you want hanahaki or sth we can but let's just let emotionshare do its dark work now]

For the record, Shadowheart says she would have loved to see you dice the worm into a hundred pieces. Maybe next time you two ought to pair up.

[Emotionshare is...actually lowkey depressed. He talks big and easy as usual, but considering the weekend we've had this may come as no surprise.

There's a blip of fondness in there, though.]

[purities]

[unfortunately, i must report that mizu's vibes are mostly positive while hanging around richie. with some flares of annoyance here and there, and a bit of a subtle cautious edge. but... mostly positive? terrible. hateful. stop perceiving.

no matter what mizu is feeling, there's always something a little off in the background of it all. tired and angry and muted. this is fine.]

Huh. [a blip of amusement. stabbing a metal worm might have been fun, actually.] Then perhaps I'll take Shadowheart along next time and you can deal with Anders.

W4 FRIDAY

[gutterbound]

[What incredible odds that no one was dead at the tavern.

Richie will be out at the soundstage again. Smoking, low morale. No booze this time though. There's a sense of loss coming through — may not have known the guys well, but loss is still a loss. Moreover, the bad vibes carry through from last night into today. Guilt and melancholy, queasy anxiety. Fear.

He's picking idly through the records. Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World is on rotation, and on reasonable volume. He's not looking for company, but he'll wave to Mizu when he sees her passing by.]

Think we'll catch our runaway killer?

[purities]

[incredible odds, sure. but that just means that there's absolutely no way none of them killed.

mizu's mood isn't as rancid as richie's, but it is still decidedly grim. a weary sort of anger over everything that's happened and everything that's yet to come.]

If they killed again, yes. Perhaps we'll catch them this time.

week four, sunday.

[purities]

[NEVER MIND WE ARE ALL IN SHAMBLES

she's gonna check in on him after the impromptu roommate murder. where is he???]

[gutterbound]

[he's been ushered in somewhere with a nice cup of tea. Let's say kitchen.

Sitting there with this thing barely drunk and cooling off as he sits with his hand over his mouth, eyes closed.]

week five, wednesday.

[purities]

[after the titanic, plot dumps and also watching the teens save heaven with their very real love?? hm.]

... Somehow, after everything, the idea of just messaging god still feels the most absurd.

[gutterbound]

I know. It's the simple things that are getting me now. Seen too much of the far-fetched to do anything but play along.

Have you tried? Messaging him. It.

W5 FRIDAY

[gutterbound]

[Oh ariana mizu...we're really in it now

Very glad it's not emotionshare week rn. He'd have blasted out some truly wretched vibes. By late afternoon all he's got left are his smokes, the salt and surf of the beach, and the impending company padding over the sand.]

Three. Fuck me, what the hell are we supposed to do with that many?

[purities]

[haha, yeah... yeah........

it's pretty telling that mizu is holding onto her phone in a death grip, sometimes glancing at the last texts from ramiel like there's further information to be gleamed from them... but, obviously, there ain't shit to be found there besides a short list of where they all died.]

The same thing we always do. We focus, and we figure things out.

W6 MONDAY

[gutterbound]

[Puts them in the Inbetween. We're getting existential out here. Observes the exit disappearing and swears under his breath.]

Wonderful! Just lovely. I was thinking what this place needed was a void. Think any of these cubes pick up a direct line to God?

[purities]

[HELP... meanwhile, mizu staring up at these fucking cubes and angrily thinking, again?!

she huffs, dragging a hand down her face.]

Not from down here, no.

week six, thursday.

[purities]

[ME PLUMBOBS.............. i guess at some point the boys stop clinging to mizu and get medical attention. sorry about your sudden baby acquisition and baby loss, sir.

anyway, we're at the hospital now.]

... What the hell happened to you?

[gutterbound]

[they do. Weh.

Richie's face is presumably bandaged, glasses returned to him. His foot must also be in a cast and we assume his ass is bandaged, hope del and maomao had fun with that one.

There's a distinct reluctance to look Mizu in the eyes at the moment. And for a moment the dreamscape bleeds through — smoke on the air. Fire flickers somewhere out of sight, the sound prickling at their ears.

Richie flinches and shakes his head.]

It wasn't too different from last time. New life, new me. All of a night, though, no centuries beyond our years.

week six, saturday.

[purities]

[what a trial!! richie was totally here for all nine hours of it.

mizu is so fucking tired, squinting and pinching the bridge of her nose to relieve a headache. but she looks up when they happen to cross paths. hello.

sighs.]

One last execution if all goes well. And then we're done.

[gutterbound]

Yeah.

[HE HELPED SO MUCH. YES.]

I don't care to think about what state Marcoh will be in tomorrow. I can't imagine it would be anyone else in the ring.

[Imagine it's Koharu for real this time.]

W7 MONDAY

[gutterbound]

[Nvmd if you want to surprise me with effects i will accept whatever you throw at me.

They can be coming back from their slime adventure. Taair is off being tended to by sweet Del. If I say it here it has to be canon.]

Nothing but the academy was in great shape. And still we got slimed up. Didn't realize you could just stab a blob and it would back off.

[much less...well anyway. Faint hint of embarrassment.]

[purities]

[i'm good with anything! picks up all of the weekly effects and runs!! also yeah, taair is being tended by sweet del... they were kiss 31 i saw it with my own eyes.]

You'll find that you can stab many things to great effect.

[though... the goop is so gross. she's taking care to wipe down her katana in case any of that shit damages the metal. ugh. still, she pauses in the middle of this to glance at him.]

Despite having heard it before, your Lucas impression is... eerily spot on. And effective. Unexpectedly so.

[wdym the power of ~*~imagination~*~ works on more than just clowns. damn.]

week seven, friday.

[purities]

[i guess... this can be at some unspecified time on friday...........

richie can find mizu in the mansion lobby, blearily drinking coffee and perhaps looking a little bit like she overslept. it's fine? she's scrolling through chipper, pausing only when she notices him — and then there's a quick flash of embarrassment before she immediately turns her attention back to her phone. so, anyway,]

No announcements today.

[no die day! wahoo.]

[gutterbound]

[grits teeth.

It is an unspecified time on a friday sure. Richie is also nursing a to-go coffee, already having had breakfast and a first cup there. He catches Mizu's eye in the lobby and feels much the same. Flash of embarrassment, though underscored by a thin guilt. It smooths away soon enough, with her casual greeting.]

Puh-raise the lord! Miracles do happen.

Now what do we do with ourselves?

W7 SATURDAY

[gutterbound]

[four thousand and two....

Richie's out for a midnight walk. Unsurprised to find Mizu out here too, taking refuge in the darkness. He gives a wave.]

Well. Blanket redemption for one and all. Do you think it was Charlie's or Yves' impassioned speech that spared us all.

[he was not close enough to Till to catch thoughtshare maybe.]

[purities]

[she nods at him, hello. and then easily goes ahead and matches his pace, so they are now taking their walkies together.]

Hard to say which one of them is the biggest sap. Though if you ask me, I think it Grabriel's own sense of guilt that did it.

[mizu's vibes are decidedly less rancid now, at least. almost peaceful compared to the angry, betrayed mess she was feeling hours ago. but there's still something deeply bittersweet in the midst of it all. a sense of anticipated loss.]