Event Log: Prisoner Exchange

[hadrielmods]

Who: The characters accompanying Fear: Nick Valentine, Isaac Foster, Charles Yvry, Mariane Cousland, Ivar Ragnarsson, Ignis Scientia, Steak, DiMA, Peter Parker, Fingon, Keith, Noctis Lucis Caelum
What: The closed event log for the prisoner exchange
Where: At Fear's temple and in Null space
When: February 24th
Warnings: None

Yesterday, all those who volunteered to go on the exchange received a message asking them to gather at Fear's temple today. Upon arrival, Fear is there in human form, and tells everyone that it is time to take Delight to the Null. He gives everyone time to prepare themselves in whatever way they need to, whether that means getting a weapon, preparing defenses, or talking their friends into letting them go.

Then he disappears, retrieves Delight - also in human form - from her prison, and reappears. The teleportation to Null space is nearly instantaneous. One moment, the group is in Fear's temple, the next they're surrounded by cool metal walls. The exchange point is indoors, with no windows to show what might be outside. Everything is sleek and clean and mechanical - they are in what appears to be a long, wide hallway with a door at the other end. It's possible this room was constructed just for this exchange, in order to keep from revealing anything to the Null's enemies.

Once the group has arrived, Delight voices her objections.

"This is a trap. They're not going to trade Tranquility back - why would they? We need to break him out."

Arguing as persuasively as she can, Delight proposes a swift attack the moment the Null appear. Her hope is that they can free Tranquility and escape with minimal damage to those who attack. She's fiercely committed to this course of action.

There are a few minutes before the Null are supposed to arrive, long enough to argue about this. Maybe you think she's right - or maybe you just want to kick some Null ass. Or maybe you think that's too dangerous, and she's wrong anyway. She's the one who betrayed everyone to begin with, she deserves to be given to her allies, even if she's changed her mind now.

So argue it out. Discuss. Throw words and maybe a few punches. But before the issue can be settled, the door at the end of the hallway opens. It's the Null, arriving before the designated time, and Delight isn't going to give them time to enact any plans of their own. They do have Tranquility with them, at least - trapped in something like a glass box, in his misty glowcloud form. There are also a lot of Null along on this exchange. It's hard to count them, given their changeable forms, but there are at least fifteen.

Delight attacks the moment she sees them. She strikes directly at Tranquility's cage with all her power, shattering it before the Null even realize she's attacking. Which is good, because Null reaction time is incredibly quick, and a moment after Tranquility is freed they attack in turn. Half of the group launches itself at Fear and the Hadrielites with him, while the other half attack Delight.

Fear, always one to put safety above bravery, makes the decision to get the hell out of there before they can all get murdered. He transports the whole group back, including the newly free Tranquility, and tries to bring Delight as well - but in the moment of transport, she is hit by a Null weapon, her essence shredded. Fear only transports some of her, the force of it scattering bits of Delight essence across the city when they return.

Feel free to use this log for pre-departure threads, Delight argument threads, and even post-return threads (though the gamewide event log is good for those, too!). If you need a comment/reaction/interjection from Delight, Fear, or even Tranquility (post-return), PM or PP one of the mods with a link to your thread!

► This log covers February 24th
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► While the portion of the log in Null space is closed to other characters, the portion set before departure is not, and characters not on the mission can tag in if they have plans to.

Comments

[judgementor]

I'm not your minder, Steak, you don't need to tell me every time you're going out.

[Red Wine's reply comes back waspishly, from a spot by the window where he's taking his time to meticulously sharpen his sword. His hair is tied up carefully, a little higher than usual, and he has his coat draped over the back of the chair with both sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows.

He has never lost that overly waspish edge that came along with his arrival here. The one that speaks volumes of his discomfort with the situation they've found themselves in, but could be so easily mistaken for his usual temperament.]

Be on your way, then.

[battlebound]

( Ugh, was Red Wine always this insufferable, or did he turn up the annoying especially for Steak? Or especially for this city?

Ultimately, it doesn't matter, since his behaviour does the job at getting Steak to glare at him, voice sharp as he answers; )

That's not what I mean.

( God in slumber, can you please help him? Help him not murder the Soul he promised to look after? )

I have a mission to complete. I won't be in the city.

[judgementor]

[Especially for Steak, certainly, but hasn't he always? The other Soul has long been witness to how he behaves towards others, which is always a far cry from his behaviour towards Steak himself.]

I beg your pardon? [His hands still, and his brows draw together as he looks up.]

And just what mission would that be, that you didn't think to tell me about it before now?

[battlebound]

This business with their captured god. ( He still manages to stress god as though the very idea of calling these creatures that is blasphemy, manages to make the whole thing sound ridiculous, because it is, and Steak doesn't particularly want to help these creatures in the first place.

But he agreed to be counted as a volunteer and Steak is a Soul of his word at the end of the day. So he's going.

It only surprises him that Red Wine apparently did not volunteer. Or, if he did, that he then decided to renege, judging by his indifference towards the whole thing. )

[judgementor]

[In truth, Red Wine hadn't even seen that particular posting and has yet to really make any proper use of the communications device he's been furnished with. Yet, given Steak's apparent opinion of their current situation, he would not have expected to find him so eager to assist their jailers.]

Do stop calling them that. It makes you sound like a fool.

[Starting an argument within an argument? Absolutely. Red Wine isn't going to be caught dead calling these things 'gods' of any kinds.]

What 'business'.

[battlebound]

That's what they call themselves. ( And he doesn't feel like tacking "so-called" onto every instance of mentioning them, so the derision in his tone will have to be enough.

Of course they can manage to have a sub-argument within their argument, it's one of their main skills, along with finding inappropriate times to fight each other. )

One of them has been held hostage. The city agreed to the proposed trade. ( For the record, he still thinks that's a stupid idea, but Red Wine asked what the business was, not what Steak's opinion of said business was. )

[judgementor]

[An outsider would never think they actually cared for each others welfare, if they didn't know them. Admittedly, it's a difficult thing to see.]

... That sounds like the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

[And, since he hangs around Steak all the time, he's heard a lot of really ridiculous ideas. Red Wine sits up a little straighter, frowning again.]

You've agreed to be some kind of escort, then? A willing lap dog in this little trade of theirs?

[battlebound]

( Snort. ) You and I both.

( The strike was a far better solution, in Steak's eyes, but he was outvoted. Risks pay off, sometimes. The unexpected works. )

What?! Don't you dare call me such a thing! ... I agreed to go with the humans who would accompany these so-called "gods", nothing more! ( That's really it. Well, that and he was a dumb, hot-headed idiot towards Fear and ended up volunteering for a fight. )

[judgementor]

Nothing more?

[He echoes the words, almost mocking but barely on the edge of doing so. It's an idle way to meander into a fight, but it goes this way sometimes. He's annoyed, but as of yet the fire is only a faintly smouldering ember.

After all, he is often annoyed with Steak.]

Are you sure that you didn't simply see an opportunity to bloody your swords and walked into it without thinking? That sounds much more like you.

[battlebound]

( There's a brief, instant widening of the eyes, a grinding of his teeth, which quickly gets buried under a more typical glare. A flash of reaction at the nail being so astutely hit on the head there.

Why, you— )

Is it wrong to want to know the strength of their supposed opponents?!

( This seems like a fine way to do it, if you ask Steak. )