achates | [DAY 0] TDM.

[DAY 0] TDM.

Error in final launch sequence:
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹͚̽𝚡̰̍̂𝟸̠̯̘ͭͧ𝚌̭͉̺͖ͥ𝟿̳̰̒̇ͅ𝟷̦ͣ̉͌̅𝚋͓͎̈̒̀𝟻ͭ̌͂𝟷ͩ̓𝟾̦
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹̖͇͕̃𝚡͉̹̯͇̻̉̓̂𝟸͚̹͈͓̩͚̲̼͒̾𝚌̱̠͙̝̪͇̈̌̂̃̄ͭ𝟿̱̜̪͓̳̹ͤ̊̈́ͦͥ̑𝟷͖̱̝̀̒̇̂̄̈́̓̇ͅ𝚋̥̯͉̹͛͛̊ͤͦͩ𝟻̬̮̈́̋ͯ͛̉̐𝟷̋ͩ̔̔𝟾̼
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Debugger connection lost.
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Debugger connection lost.
Shutting down...
Rebooting
Download in Progress:
File download complete
Time elapsed during download operation: 00:12:33.131
Rebooting
Launching Demon Summoning Program. . .

You open your eyes to the end of the world, but you do not see it.

Instead what rouses you is screaming and crying, blood and tears: all around you are signs of life. Inside the overturned train, people begin to awaken, sprawled on the ground as if thrown violently from their seats, broken bones and bleeding wounds struggling to rise from the carpet of shattered glass from the windows at their feet. Emerging from the wreck, characters will find themselves at the edge of a dense forest, a towering stone wall at their backs. Bright eyes peer out from the shadows of the foliage, more and more blinking into view like stars in a darkening sky, but despite being drawn to the scent of blood that hangs heavy in the air, nothing steps out of the forest. Not yet.

None of the passengers can recall what happened, what they were doing on a train, where it was going- there's more they can't remember, but overshadowing the gaps of memory are things they have gained in return. A familiar item that is not theirs. A gemstone that feels lighter than it appears, as if hollow inside. And a device that wraps around their wrist (or rests on their head, or hangs around their neck, or however it presents itself to each character) that starts up on its own the moment the character turns their attention to it, as if waiting. Each character's COMP has a "navigator" selected at default, either "A☆L☆A" in bright neon orange, or "K5" in cool slate blue, although the presiding navigator can be freely switched between them.

Heya, boss! My name's Ala, your new navi!

You wanna know something really funny? Go ahead and touch the map on the corner of the screen to enlarge it. See all those little red dots? Those are demons out to kill you. Haha! You're surrounded!

Heya, boss! You can call me Keigo, your navigational AI.

If you touch the map on the corner of the screen, you can enlarge it and see the positions of all your allies. Looks like some of you are already heading out: see those little blue— oh. That one just disappeared. ... Try to stick together.

Along with providing a map with enemy/ally positions, the navigators will walk characters through the demon interaction, recruitment, and summoning processes, with advice varying between the two navigators (click to expand)

Just beat 'em up and force 'em to join! They can't say no if they're dead!

Nobody is immune to bribery, not even demons. What do you even have, though...? No matter what, don't let them get that life stone.

More demons incoming! Ooh, you're screwed. You'd better run! Don't worry, I won't tell.

Let's hide here. We'll wait here until that demon passes, then move!

Look, a body! Are they still alive? Wonder what's in their pockets...?

It's already too late to help. But better them being demon food than you.

Or, you could stay. There is nothing forcing anybody to leave the relative safety of the train. Those who stay behind will find the conductor's cabin empty, save for a small black cat perched on the headrest of the driver's seat that peers out with bright golden eyes at those who enter. Otherwise, there are no signs of a fight or struggle inside the cabin. Elsewhere, there is unclaimed luggage in the overhead compartments with an abundance of clothing and blankets, although characters will not find any of their own clothing except what they're already wearing. The dining cart is still stocked with enough food and beverage to last each passenger at least two days— maybe longer, if people keep leaving/dying... But at the same time, maybe shorter, considering the pervasive hunger that gnaws at the pits of everybody's stomachs, an emptiness that yearns to be filled by something... more.

As minutes stretch into hours, it becomes painfully clear that nobody is coming to help. Everybody only has each other, this town, its inhabitants. The forest is dark and unforgiving, near impossible to navigate even with a map. Strange creatures jump out from the shadows, eyes bright, mouths salivating, hungry. Strong hands claw through the dirt underfoot to grab at people's feet, pulling themselves up, mouths wide open, hungry. Sharp talons swoop down from the skies above, snatching characters up into the air, crushing skulls and snapping spines. Hungry. The demons here seem delighted to see such a feast wandering right into their home; those who are stopped for attempted conversation express surprise that characters are able to see them, but ultimately the hunger wins, and hunger does not listen to reason.

Casualties are inevitable. Blood mist permeates the air, and follows even as characters break out of the forest and across town, all the way to the fraying end of the world. Out in the open, however, the sun rays beat down bright and harsh, and those hungry eyes shy away from the sunlight to remain in the shadows, inside husks of buildings and thickets of overgrown fields. Characters will be able to find refuge in the greenhouse and the church, and some of the standing houses are truly vacant (as opposed to "surprise! there's actually a demon inside!" vacant); the only eyes that follow you are those of photographs hung crooked on the walls, of familiar strangers and forgotten friends. Look, there's a picture of you too.

Other locations require more caution to explore:

The sound of crying can be heard from the upper stories of the school building, thin wails echoing up and down the deserted halls, and human-like shadows peer out from the broken, unboarded windows, as if watching. A barricade inside the front doors makes it difficult to enter from the main entrance, and with most of the windows boarded up, the hallways inside remain dark even during the day. The smell of rot is prominent, heavy and cloying, especially in the auditorium-become-mausoleum that is littered with crushed bones, thin and brittle, every last scrap of flesh already nibbled away. A flock of demons crowd around outside principal's office, where a blizzard blows through the entire hallway, rendering visibility near zero and temperatures below that.

The hospital is also deathly cold, breath visible in puffs of mist that sometimes form into screaming faces, and when all is still and quiet, you look up and see yourself. Shadows form into mirror images of the characters who enter the hospital, silently approaching others and attacking once the person's guard is down. If a demon borrowing your face isn't bad enough, Phantoms go a step further and take the form of people who are close to your character: friends, family, foes. Exploring the hospital may or may not be worth the potential backstabbing, considering the fact that the supplies found are maybe not the most sterile, half the equipment is rusted or corroded, and a lot of the medicine is unlabeled tablets and capsules inside unlabeled bottles (essentially, take at your own risk). Moreover, hordes of all sorts of demon ghosts will bar characters' way down to the basement, gathering in massive numbers anytime somebody tries to descend. Electricity bounces around the top of the stairway down, while bright flames lick the bottom of the stairs; particularly unlucky characters may be hit with a confusion spell, liable to throw themselves headfirst down the stairs to be consumed by the waiting demons below.

Hauntingly beautiful music can be heard from within the concert hall, and listening to their song puts you fast asleep— possibly in the middle of the street if you're not careful— while those who manage to make it past the front doors are immediately frozen in a hunk of ice or electrocuted to a crisp before being kicked to the curb. The concert hall appears to be actively guarded, and it's clear that strangers are Not Welcome. Even the other demons keep clear of this building, drawn to the music but lingering far enough to not be overwhelmed. Characters may have an easier time of initiating conversations with demons from around town or inside the houses nearby the concert hall.

The crackle of electricity can be heard from inside the power plant's upper stories despite the blackout, and the entire building shakes from time to time, as if caught in a thunderstorm, or an earthquake. A slow drip... drip... drip... can be heard throughout the building, of amorphous demons clinging to the walls like mold and leaving puddles of caustic acid Everywhere. Anybody who enters the power plant's front entrance is met with a massive agglomerate of black Ooze that has expanded to fill the entire first floor from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, preventing anybody from going upstairs while it remains. Arms and legs poke out of the demon's body in places, desperately clawing and kicking, weaker, weaker. done.

OOC

Welcome to Day 0! What better meet-and-greet is there than everybody being tossed into the fray to fight for their lives? ('': For convenience, here are the game info, locations, and demon compendium pages; please use these as reference for what more can be found in the setting.

The characters' COMP will turn on only after they notice and focus on it. If they do NOT activate the COMP, they will not be able to see the demons or interact with them in any way other than being killed. Activating the COMP will allow characters to see demons and somewhat understand their language, with an added effect of allowing physical attacks to harm demons, and mitigating the damage taken from demons.

For characters who app and are accepted, please report demon recruitment here. Characters who are just tdming do not have to report. Recruited demons are inclined to listen to their summoner, but are not necessarily friendly at the beginning: if your character shows weakness, the demon may be just as likely to eat them as they are to protect them.

There will be no NPCs in this game other than the two navigators and some key demons. You're on your own for now!

This first event/tdm is open to the public, and can be used for test driving at any time after the game starts. I'll be keeping a pulse on threads for when characters have gotten their bearings and seem to have a general idea of how they want to proceed into the next day, and we'll go from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's so terribly, terribly out of his depth; he doesn't let it show, nodding confidently, despite not understanding the question. He lifts his wrist with the device attached.]

This device I've found. I've noticed that others have similar devices too. AI - remind me what that acronym stands for, would you? I can't say I'm used to this sort of technology at all. [And maybe it's not wise to reveal that, but when the enemy is a forest full of monsters, the army becomes the people trying to survive them. He is in no position to reject help.]

“Artificial intelligence.” [Monika would know more about this, Yuri thinks. Monika doesn’t seem to be present. But Monika is a good listener.]

In short, it… isn’t a real person, most likely. [Yuri closes her phone. She’s been unable to access anything else on it.] It’s an automated voice, programmed to inform and assist you.

If, of course… you take it at face value. [Is she being deliberately cryptic? It’s what she knows. It certainly doesn’t occur to her that half of the measly explanation might go over the young man’s head. Her free hand moves to weave through the ends of her hair, an old habit. Familiar. She can’t shake the feeling....]

[Armin can do an awful lot with new and confusing information.

["Artificial intelligence" - a man-made facsimile of something able to relay information in a way commuincable to humans. Sure. Easy. How? Not important - not right now.

["Automated" - "auto" is "self"; it can operate on its own. "Programmed" sounds odd, but it follows a set of rules laid out, ostensibly by the person (real) doing the "programming".

[So, someone creates a program for an articial being to follow on its own; ostensibly, once the "program" begins, that AI will continue to follow it.

[That's what Armin manages to glean, and it takes seconds. As for what he knows versus what he doesn't, the chasm feels insurmountable, but this is how knowledge begins. It's far better than nothing. He nods.]

It would be wise not to. You're right about that.

[He holds up his device again.] If you're able, can you show me how to recall the messages that have already been delivered? I heard the voices when they spoke, but there appears to be writing on the surface of the watch as well. I'd like a chance to read it now that I've had a little time to get my bearings.

[“It would be wise not to.” He’s no slouch, then; that’s good.

[Yuri nods. A watch is a terribly inconvenient surface for reading, but the concept isn’t unheard of. Unsure if she should stand and draw nearer, she pockets her phone and reaches towards his device—a silent offer to toy with its settings herself.

[It’s automatic. He has no reason to trust her with it, really; but she appears unarmed, and he decidedly does not. It’s a fickle game, this. They’ve gotten this far.]

[He doesn't mind her touching the watch - allows her to - but...]

Please, if you don't mind - show me each step slowly. I want to learn how to do this myself.

Honestly, I’ll be figuring it out as I go, but…

[It’s likely not difficult. Despite the devices’ external differences, the COMP controls seem to be the same—right down to having multiple voices, with the same exact script. Should that be unsettling? They both are....

[After some careful fiddling, Yuri once again remembers she’s supposed to be talking. There’s a tightness in the back of her throat, as though affected by the contact, hesitant to… what, show off? She attributes it to the overarching paranoia. But this is relatively basic technology; that’s no secret....

[Her own COMP has yet to retaliate for any wayward button presses. She has yet to try. Blue, orange, blue, orange… Someone else’s device isn’t the time to experiment. (But it could be, and that might be better than her own—)]

This setting [demonstrating as she does, finally, speak] toggles between the voices. And here’s the map both refer to—though, as they note, the dots are… different.

[It’s on the red with the demo. None in the train.]

[It's more than overwhelming. Armin has never been a prideful person, but even he's a little embarrassed at just what a fool he is when he comes to this. Softly, gratefully, he asks:]

One more time, if you would, please - and...navigating to the other map, as well.

[There's a pause.]

How...could it possibly know where the location of our enemies and allies are...? Not that we're to trust that information, necessarily, but...still...

[The same technology that one uses to target an air strike, maybe, but Armin barely knows a thing about that, and it doesn't seem nearly as precise...

[None of this seems possible; that's how he manages to stomach it.]

[The navigation is repeated, then; more deliberate, a point made of moving her hand away to show the screen in full between presses. An afterimage lingers: Yuri’s had to stop, slow down like this before, let someone catch up. A specific instance thereof, nil.

[Swipe the thought. The map is blue. “Allies” cluster together, or so it appears. Yuri couldn’t guess which she and the the device’s owner are.]

It’s sophisticated tracking for sure. My guess is that it’s connected to our devices in their own rights; that sort of technology isn’t unheard of. [Her phone is still in her pocket. She hasn’t tried leaving it behind yet—hasn’t dared.] Outside, I can’t say....

[That grip again. Pricks over her shoulder, dripping down her neck. Yuri knows fear.

[Smoothly as she can manage, she pulls back; it’s all in his hands, now.]

I don’t recognize those. [A nod to his gear. He offered a return.]

[Yuri slows down - takes things step-by-step - and it's appreciated. Armin inclines his head, earnest gratitude thick in his expression.]

Thank you. [Sometimes, that's all that needs to be said.

[He takes a moment to observe the blue clusters on the map. The overwhelm hasn't eased in the slightest - is, in fact, only building, but Armin doesn't break down and sob anymore when he starts to get nervous. He tries to determine where he and this woman are on the map, but there's too thick a cluster of blue by the train. It's good that others are staying put...

[They can't wait here forever.

[Ah, but. He offered a return.

[Taking a step back from Yuri, he turns to better display his gear. He wonders - hopes - that it will be just as incomprehensible to her as this device is to him. He can't guarantee the same honesty if she begins asking too many questions.]

A mobility device from my world. [He taps the holsters on his hips, which are not how the device moves. The blades are still inside, only the handles visible. They could be anything. The guns aren't strapped to his wrists, yet, either.

[He hasn't lied - just not given all that he can.]

Grappling hooks and a motor allow one to propel themselves onto high surfaces. Unfortunately, it's low on fuel. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get more, so...it might not be of much use. [There's plenty of fuel. It's nearly full. Armin did most of his fighting on the ground (and fifty meters up). No one needs to know that he has that resource, precious as it is. He needs to save every drop.]

Edited 2024-08-29 22:30 (UTC)

[Yuri knows blades—but she’s never seen anything quite like this. Metal straps onto buckles strap onto metal, a solution intricate as it is elegant; to what, she has to take his word. If anything, the handles resemble the notches of a gun, triggers and all.

[It seems excessive for mobility alone. A smartwatch and a cell phone exist to do more than answer the beck and call of two so-called AIs. It’s wise to keep one’s cards hidden.

[She tries not to stare.]

It looks… complex.

[After what I’ve done for you, you can’t even state the obvious?
[She’ll leave it at that.

[Eyes dragged from the straps across his body, out the window. A red haze permeates the air, tainted.]

Will you be using it outside?

[There's a reason Armin asked for the "quid" before offering the "quo"; whoever goes first is going to set the stage for how much they reveal, then Armin can adjust accordingly. Yuri fell for a trick.]

It's most effective outside, yes, due to the heights it can reach. As I said, though, if I want it to remain useful at all, I'll need to only use it during the most dire of emergencies. Even then, it won't get me far...

[And now that he's done lying about that:]

My name is Armin. It's nice to meet you-- Ah...all things considered, of course.

[A love of the mystery genre, alas, cannot compensate for lack of experience in face-to-face social trickery. Funny, that.

[She makes a mental note, at least, to watch for his device in use. One way or another, it will spell trouble—more than apparently typical.

[For now, formalities. A small jolt with that, as though this may be unfamiliar; in the circumstances, what is? Yuri offers a small nod.]

A pleasure to meet you, too, Armin. My name is Yuri. [So-called Vice President of a ship that’s long sailed.] Will you be investigating the train before stepping out?

It certainly seems like a good idea to do so. It seems [seems] we're all at square one here.

Perhaps you'd like to join me, Yuri? [With a warm, inviting smile.]

[She doesn’t trust it.]

Of course.

[An itch, to pull at that item in her pocket again; she ignores it, somehow, for now. Idle hands clasp behind her back as she stands, glancing up and down the train car; whichever direction is more quiet—secluded, dangerous, forbidden—must be that way for a reason.

[Yuri nods towards it.]

[Armin will follow her lead. He doesn't know shit. She might. He doesn't offer anything; merely peers around as they walk, waiting to see where she'll lead them, and what she'll investigate first.

[Neither of them trust each other. He's fairly certain of that.]

Is this the first you've looked around?

[They are united in not knowing shit, and trusting each other for quite possibly less. Yuri has never been one for small talk. She leads the young man down a corridor just barely insulated from madness, and gets the strangest deja vu. There will be no tea at the end, this time.]

With a companion, yes. [On multiple levels, not a lie. Truth, meanwhile, is subject to memory.

[The statement is left at that.

[Although Yuri was initially considering silence, what ultimately pulls her is something more primal: the smell of food. It may be nothing fancy, but between the stench of blood and panic—both particularly noted in the brief steps between cars—it’s a siren’s call.

[Yuri is hungry. She can’t remember the last time she ate. And yet:]

Similar caution should apply here…

[Talking to whom? Anyone’s guess.]

[The smell of food is, indeed, overwhelming; and, indeed, they should be cautious. It's awfully easy to poison a starving population, should one want to.

[But that hunger, wretched and gnawing as it is - worse than he thinks he's ever felt, somehow, but surely that can't be true. He's gone days without food before - eaten so little that he vomited bile for lack of anything else, unable to fight back the nausea as fingers trembled.

[Eren and Mikasa and he always shared their bread, tough and old as it was.

[Is she all alone now?

[Is she with him?]

Similar caution in all areas. It wouldn't hurt to have some food on our person, though. [Whether or not its safe can surely be determined, but to leave it entirely would be foolish.

[So, he opens one of the carts, observing the--

[Food...It looks immaculate. Pain flares up in a deep burn within his gut. He hears himself swallow.

[It seems odd - what he takes his a container full of little wrapped cubes of butter. He glances at Yuri, as if to affirm that he realizes it's odd.]

In a survival situation, [He takes half and puts them in his pocket - holds half out for Yuri.] Fat and protein, however you can get it. [There's a bowl of nuts too. He takes those as well.] Dairy like butter will give you the calories you need in a pinch, and nuts will give you the protein.

The other food might look more enticing, but it's those two things that you need more than anything. [Not on a long-term nutrional basis, but they have no idea what the Hell they're working with.]

[Food is food. Yuri’s hunger so often resides elsewhere, but she does, in some way, experience it. She’s certain. Like any living, breathing animal; fear, too, she knows that.

[It hasn’t choked her yet. Like waking up in a skewed seat with an empty future beyond the window. Like stepping into a dining hall with a stomach full of nothing. Like watching a drip, drip, drip, the urge only somewhat sated, knowing it will return—

[Armin is talking. Is she listening?

[Yuri takes the cubes, fingers closing around them as if on autopilot. People share food. That’s normal.

[Knowledge is enticing. She feels lightheaded.]

You know an awful lot about this… [Words just to fill the space; unusual, for Yuri, but there’s no reason to hesitate. She picks through the stores for… protein, he said. “Survival situation.” They ought to eat protein. The starving protagonist caught and a rat, and then there was no mention—]

You’re familiar. [Eyes pointed at the food, a corner of pastries; Yuri doesn’t reach for them.] Aren’t you?

Edited (HTML weirdness) 2024-08-30 05:37 (UTC)

[He's not sure he understands her question, though answers anyway.]

With hunger, yes. Food was very scarce where I came from. ["Was" because he's here now, and "was" because the world is gone.]

[Food scarcity, and a device meant for great heights. Developed technology and starvation don’t tend to mix—in the hands, at least, of the same people.

[Perhaps it’s crass to treat someone’s life story as a mystery to unfold. Maybe it’s idiocy, in the circumstances, not to.]

I’m sorry to hear that. [Polite, but not dishonest. The itch recurs. She blames hunger.] Knowledge like that can’t have been earned easily.

[Armin looks at Yuri. He inclines his head in a half-nod, merely stating:] Hunger isn't easy, no.

That's why...

[He takes a moment to glance around for some sort of bag, or...anything that can be used to take more food--

[His hands find the pockets of Eren's coat, deep. His jaw tenses. He's not sure if it shows. He reaches into the cart to put a few more high calorie items into those pockets.

[He has to resist putting something in his mouth.]

We need to take what we can get while we can.

We'll need to evaluate if the food is safe to eat first. [How? He's not sure.] That, or...eventually, we'll have to take the risk, regardless.

[She imagines satiating her hunger with triflings. Of being… here, wherever in Hell this is, long enough to need that.

[Her head spins. The pockets of her blazer are not generous. Armin has a longcoat.]

We passed some stray baggage on the way here. [Their contents, Yuri didn’t notice. The atmosphere in a long car of nothing is oppressive.] It’s not what I’d normally suggest [ha], but that should make for storage in a pinch.

[Are the cargo’s owners alive to miss it? Dots disappear on the blue map with some regularity.]

As for evaluation…

[Yuri finds her hands crossing behind her back again. Nails stroke idly at the ends of her sleeves.]

…while we can’t determine their physiology, the creatures outside may be useful.

[Animal testing, she means. Demon testing. It would hardly be a waste if one bite made them keel over.]

["Demons". Are they the same as animals? The same as titans? If so, then, who's trapped inside? No one, maybe. They might not have ever been human at all. Armin hasn't gotten a good look. He's entirely out of his depth - unsure if they'd sooner eat he or Yuri than a piece of dead meat. Can they be reasoned with? A deal struck?

[If so, is he willing to knowingly, potentially poison a being capable of thought and negotiation?

[It never fucking ends.]

Something to keep in mind. [He'll poison himself first.

[No. Can't. Needed. Must survive. Must keep moving--]

For now, the luggage is a good call. [Something else to consider - that he's suggesting they take as much food as they can with them, so that...what? Everyone will just trust the two of them to distribute it fairly? He's the Commander, isn't he? He could make that determination. But this isn't his army, and he doesn't want the responsibility of determining who eats when and how much.

[Fights will break out. People will rip each other apart if they're starving long enough. Why is it always on his shoulders? Why does he put it there? Why isn't he selfish enough to take the butter and the nuts and go off on his own?

[Why does he even try?]

What I think is most wise...is to leave food here, as well. Take enough of the essentials - those fats and proteins, or things that won't go bad quickly - that we'll be able to assist others in a pinch, or survive ourselves, and that's all. ["We" not as in "we are doing this together," but "we" as in "don't you steal food out of people's mouths either".]

The rest, we should leave for others to deal with as they see fit. [Let them eat the breads and cakes and fruits; save the emergency food for emergencies. That's his plan...]

It isn't fair to take too much, so. That's what I'd suggest.

[Mystery books are a poor primer for sleuthing a person in the flesh; survival stories, surely worse. But there’s a grain of truth, reality, in just about anything.

[People are selfish. Where there are limits—food, time, attention—there are fights. This nightmarish static will snap someday, and really, it won’t matter, because everything they do is worthless, amounts to nothing, and no one will cry when they’re picked off by forces bigger than every last damned soul combined—

[Yuri has got to stop entertaining thoughts like that. They’re fit for a fiction, not a good life. The prompt dismissal of the poisoning suggestion is noticed, as is the pivot to leaving rations for others. Hidden hands wring her own wrists. Be careful. Someone’s listening.

[She should get off this train, she thinks. For now, she’s with him.]

…Right. [Delayed, and somewhat deferential. Or is it dismissive? Will Armin even remember this conversation tomorrow?] Of course. I wouldn’t dream of stealing.

[But if it was necessary—]

I’ll… find better storage.

[With a small dip of her head, she motions to leave the cart. He’s welcome to join her; welcome not to. It’s unwise to turn one’s back on a body.]

[That's why he waits for Yuri to go first. He can't tell if she's nervous, or if he's nervous, and only imagining that she is. He follows her out of the cart, raising his voice just a bit for her to hear as he walks behind her.]

I'd hoped that would be your answer, though, please know, I wasn't doubting you. [Of course he was. People are selfish.] You'll have to forgive me. I'm used to taking charge in situations such as these - only for the benefit of everyone [Like the women and children who were vaporized at the Liberio seaport?], of course.

That's all that I want now too.

omg u love armin

YOU BET

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cw: food insecurity/scarcity/starvation

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cw: nuclear weapons, crimes against humanity, child death