pinchandash

[immediately tensing up]

Of course something like this would happen. Let's find her and get out of here, fast.

[It doesn't take long. Actually, no time at all. The shadows continue to shift, seeming some odd balance between frightened and furious. Suddenly, the whispers stop and a voice booms through the room. It is clearly Zaniah's, though with it come hundreds of other voices echoing in unison.]

Why are you here?!

If something tries to maul us, remember to raise your shield and shout 'objection' . . .

[EXCEPT THEN ZANIAH'S VOICE.]

We're here to bring you back with us.

I will, I will. . .

[lskgs jumps at the booming voices]

You need to wake up! Why are you in a place like this?

We are here because there is nowhere else for us.

Nothing else to us.

[As the voice speaks it bends around and stops coming from everywhere. Instead, it is coming from behind. Melding up from the floor comes a familiar blonde set of hair, and a woman covered in glowing violet tattoos. Her sclera have been completely blacked out as well.]

[She glares at the both of you, shadowy tendrils bursting from the floor around her.]

We are going nowhere. Not with you... not with anyone. We shall remain alone.

[. . . S-Shadowy tendrils, that is not a reminder of Iris Trial that I needed or wanted! But still, not flinching.]

There's Teal. It's a home to you . . . for you, if you want it. You like it there, right?

[flinches at NIGHTMARE ZANIAH, taking a few steps back, gesturing at Coco to do the same]

To be more specific, there isn't a home for all of you. Just Zaniah. Is this seriously what you want right now? For your crazy soul monster to be speaking for you?

We speak for ourself, Lawyer. [The word is almost spat out with a visceral hatred.] We have broken Legion, and it worships us as a god. It remembers, as we all remember.

[She smirks, then breaks into an icy chuckle as she steps forward. With each footfall more tendrils burst into being, following after her as if in awe.]

Teal..? Yes, we remember Teal.

It was a happy memory, once. We had friends... a true family. We allowed ourselves to forget the true nature of the world. We allowed ourselves to trust. We were foolish enough to be happy.

We are no fools. Honeyed words will not lure us into such a trap again.

[. . . okay, yes, taking a step back. STAYING IN FRONT OF LAWYER THO.]

What is this? Some kind of . . . nightmare, again?

[gosh coco!! staying by her side in case of TENTACLES, then shooting Macaron an annoyed frown]

That or some other manifestation of her subconscious.

[straightens up, staring right at Macaron's...dead eyes...]

Please, if anything you've just shown you're even more of a fool than before, if you think such an experience was a meaningless trap. "You" aren't actually helping Zaniah at all right now.

...We shall explain things slowly, that you may follow.

We shall even use your vernacular.

I. Am. Zaniah.

Zaniah. Is. Me.

Teal. Was. A. Meaningless. Trap.

I. Fell. For. It.

Also. Your. Hair. Is. Stupid.

Nightmare-projection-Zaniah-san, that's a rude thing to say about somebody's whose antenna you love to wobble and whose butt you want to pinch.

[WAS GOING TO RETORT BUT]

--COCO!

[This smile. It is a safe smile. :)]

[Gosh those shadows are closing in all around. And moving. No pressure.]

We have long since lost any affection we may have held for the lawyer's butt, Aoko. All we wish now is to see it flayed red with blood as he is given that which he has earned a thousand times over.

Though... how did you remember such a thing? Our feelings on the matter should have been beyond you now.

Edited 2013-08-04 01:01 (UTC)

[to Lawyer] What?!

[To Crazyniah]

It's barely been a couple of days since we talked about it, that's how!

Not really the time!

[keeping an eye on shadow tentacles gawd]

First of all, I have not killed anyone enough to earn a thousand flays! Maybe like, twenty, but even that's exaggerating!

What makes you think you've been tricked anyway? You say it with such confidence, as if it's an absolute fact, but where's your evidence that your time as Macaron, and our bonds, were completely meaningless? Surely you can answer that.

Edited 2013-08-04 01:08 (UTC)

A 'couple days..?'

A 'couple days' is all it has been? [She seems incredulous, but only for a moment before the mask is back.]

You almost had us fooled... but that is impossible. Very well then. You wish for evidence, Lawyer? You need only look at Aoko there.

She wished to forget us all, and left to return to her home. Surely you remember that... Your face was as shocked as ours.

Of course you will deny it... but this is naught but a trick as well. You found her. You must have--else she is a double. Coco is dead.

. . . What?

[his face goes from serious lawyer to baffled and a bit hurt, but it only takes a few seconds to get his game face back on. He shakes his head and sighs]

. . .

I see. This really is a nightmare--you think you've been betrayed by us.

Yes, of course I'm going to deny this. You've been misinformed, having a bad dream. No one's left, Zaniah. Er, except for Kise. We intend to prove it, too.

Think? We were betrayed by you. She left. Alexandria took you. Vanilla returned to his sleep. Caramel joined him.

We were left alone to tend an entire team... to bring them up and try to protect them.

Few lived. None stayed. With only me being known, Teal was betrayed, murdered over and over. Our life became simply waiting for the next death to come... and all we said merely made it worse.

Edited 2013-08-04 01:42 (UTC)

Zaniah, that is a fear. It's something you don't want to happen.

If what you said was true, why would I even be here? How could I be here? Even if the portrait returned me, what motive would I have to bring Coco back? Even if I didn't like it. . .you know I would respect her wish enough to leave her be.

[he takes a step forward]

Don't misunderstand me--we will all leave some day, in the future. You, me, Coco. . .and whatever you wishes may be, I'll understand them. Unless you wish to kill everyone for some reason, but it's not like I could stop you. [a dismissive gesture]

However, for now, what you're doing is deluding yourself with fears of a hypothetical future. We're here with you now and want to bring you back to reality. Do you really wish to stay in a falsified world like this? What is there to gain from it but loneliness? I thought you were serious about your desire to connect with others, especially your family.

Edited 2013-08-04 01:49 (UTC)

[steps forward with him, but remains quiet for now.]

[Takes a step forward of her own. The room itself seems to grow smaller, though not by much.]

We already left. Even through that hell, we persevered. We wished for my son's happiness... we wanted to at least make him happy.

His father left us the next day. Ichi went with him. The message is clear. We have no place here. We have no one who needs us. And now, here you are. Telling me what we remember is naught but a delusion... What right do you have. No, I know why you have come.

Alexandria must have sent you. Without me, Teal will have completely fallen apart by now, more than it had already. The others are losing too much for her taste. You were sent by her to collect me... You just want to drag me back into that hell! Back to that place where I may suffer and die for a team which does not care for me anymore!

I am not stupid enough to go back to that, Lawyer. I am not a fool!

[what i'd give for a normal courtroom right about now]

[COULD LAWYER GET ANY FROWNIER? It's possible! Just has a look of COMPLETE DISGRUNTLED DISGUST AND ANNOYANCE]

OBJECTION!

Yes you are if you think staying here is what you want. Hell, I don't even know what here is! Neither do you!

I'm so sick of this! These ridiculous games, everyone continuing to doubt what is the simple truth! This isn't real. Are you so weak and miserable you'd let something like this warp your usual logic? I'm disappointed!

You have a husband that loves you--one that died for you, remember? You were hurt so much you had to bring him back. That isn't the man that would leave you! And you've only been a part of Teal for a mere month, and yet we forget that, because it seems to us you've been there from the start. That's how much you belong!

[GRABS AT HER WRIST >8(]

If my words are so empty, why would you even waste time hearing us out? You can't even believe your own lies, you're reaching for answers! You wouldn't have to if this was reality, and you know that's the truth!

No.. he would not have left on his own. It was my wish that...

And you left me for...

[She flinches when her wrist is grabbed. HEY LAWYER SHADOW TENTACLE COMING AT YOUR HEAD THINK FAST.]

STOP IT!!!

TEAL

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