come_sailaway | pleased to meet you

Entry tags:

pleased to meet you

CW: murder

[it is the morning of the 17th when the usual morning announcement is replaced with the sort of tentative, nervous tone that Friday takes on immediately before something insane happens.]

Good morning, passengers! It's, um... Well, I sure hope everyone had an interesting time on their shore excursion! The Captain sure did! In fact, he had such a good time, he's asked me to inform you all that, tonight, he's going to be hosting his usual captain's formal in the main dining room, but with a twist! This time, it's going to be a, um... victory party! For Natsuno! Because he won! [small laugh] And also to celebrate the opening of a new shop on the Promenade! Gosh, and that really is something to celebrate; I haven't seen that happen since he--

[LOUD STATIC NOISES]

-- Yes, well! The dress code will be cruise formal; everyone can find a new set of clothes in their cabin to celebrate the occasion! I-- Oh, right, we'll see you all tonight! 8PM sharp!

[the connection cuts off. today, for the first time that anyone can remember, Friday can't be found in the atrium. or any other room. smoke 'em if you got 'em.

at 8PM sharp, the door to the dining room swings open. it is mostly empty: the only tables left are a dozen or so under the main chandelier. there are name cards at each table setting, written in Friday's neat script; the seatings seem mostly random, except for everyone who was on the island, who will find themselves at a table with their killer and/or victim(s). except Natsuno, of course, whose name is displayed proudly at the head table, next to an unnamed place. once they are inside, all of them find themselves under the same sort of compulsion that they felt during the muster drill, and their legs will stop working until they have gone to their assigned seats.

Friday enters the room first, dressed up nicely, but with hunched shoulders and her hands clasped firmly in front of her. the door shuts behind her. she says nothing, and acknowledges no one, not even Natsuno, as she takes her spot behind the chair.

a few fashionable minutes pass. it starts as smoke pouring out from under the door, moving towards the table as it slowly solidifies into the form of... a rather normal-looking man. he sits, cross-legged, in the chair that Friday pulls out for him. he looks over the assembled crowd, visibly considering something... there is a flash of silver in the light, and the knife he'd had in his sleeve is across Friday's throat quicker than she can react, and she falls bonelessly to the ground, a spray of arterial blood across the table setting.]

There, perfect.

[he looks out at them again. and he smiles. the knife is placed back in his sleeve, and he holds his hands out, palms up.]

Well. Here's your chance. [he waves a hand lazily, and the compulsion keeping them seated fades like pins and needles.] Try not to embarrass yourselves.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No one has died and Max might inadvertently be a hero, but the night is young.

"I don't think it's going to blow over, I'm nearly certain we're all going to die before the end of the night. What remains to be seen is if it's from each other or something else."

He sighs, reaching up to briefly touch his chest before moving to adjust the lapels of his suit absently. "Yes yes, you were right. Feel free to rub it in."

Despite having literally thrown himself at a child out of fear of repercussions, Skulduggery seems absolutely unbothered now. It's entirely possible that he's imagining he's somewhere far away from here! That would be a great coping mechanism.

"I think, unless one of us does something terribly stupid like set the room ablaze while we're unable to escape, we'll probably be fine."

Hopefully that someone stupid isn't him! It all depends on how that teenager talking to the captain survives.

"And I will rub it in, just a bit, if you don't mind." Because he's mad nobody believed him, and now he feels bitter vindication. "Because I was right. There's an evil captain, and he wants us all to kill each other in brutal and awful ways for his own personal gain." A beat as he processes how little that actually improves his mood. Usually gloating does wonders for him! "It's not as satisfying being right as I would like it to be."

That would be an excellent coping mechanism were he to need such things. Which he doesn't because everything is going splendidly.

"Natsuno had a flame thrower, I wonder if he brought it. Do you happen to be fireproof?" Max is to a point, but not if there was a literal flamethrower pointed at him. So that's probably something to be concerned about, though he's not. He's expecting the Captain to kill them with a flick of his hand and they all drop dead.

"Well you're right about.. other things as well. And I will tell you about them later so you can gloat properly, and it gives you something to look forward to for tomorrow after we all respawn because of this." Yep they're definitely all going to die. He's convinced.

"Are you going to speak to him?"

"My suit is. Well, my other suit." This one is just... fancy, a fun novelty that he'd been unable to resist. He feels so stupid for it now. Or he would, if he was focusing on having any feelings at all right now!

Other things gets a curious tilt of his skull, but this probably isn't the right time. Even assuming they survive the full dinner, there are too many people around. He doesn't want to start hypothesizing in a crowded room.

His nod in this case is multi-purpose, acknowledging the future conversation and the question in one. "I think I will. It would be rude not to, after all the trouble he's gone through to get us here. You met him, didn't you? How'd you find it?"

"Meet" is a strange word for "mutually nodding over a stab wound," but these are strange times.

Skulduggery should never feel stupid for prioritizing fashion over safety. Max does it all the time. It's important to look ones best so you can feel your best.

"Hardly, I looked in his general direction. I'll probably go talk to him later since we're here anyway. Make the most of this whole fiasco. Though I supposed it hasn't worked out too poorly for me so far." He sounds cheerful anyway, a new suit and got to stab someone, everything is working out well for Max here.

"I saw you try and keep Darcy from doing the same. Think she'll say something regrettable?" He's been in her presence for about twenty minutes all told and liked maybe two of those minutes. He's fully expecting to have to step to the side as she gets thrown into a wall by the Captain when he tires of teenager snark.

At least Max is having fun!

"She's a teenage girl with a sword," he replies. "I think she's saying plenty of things she'll regret." Doing things she'll regret, too, if that's not blindingly obvious. Speaking of... "If you do talk to him, please don't do something stupid like try to kill him. It won't work."

"Why would I try to kill him? If that was going to work someone far more powerful than me would have done it already."

Snorting, "I know you don't think highly of me but I'm not a complete idiot, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery finally looks away from the captain to give Max a curious look.

"You believe I don't think highly of you?"

When did he ever give that impression? Surely not all the times he disappointed reprimanded Max for his actions!

"You do seem to delight in telling me all the things I've ever done wrong." He may be a little huffy after Ebalon killed him and he realized that Skulduggery was actually right about things. No he's not embarrassed and resentful of being wrong. Not at all.

"In any case I'm not going to try to kill him. It would be a pointless waste of effort, and others are certainly going to attempt it in my stead. If shooting spears at him didn't work I'm not sure what will. Those things are rather detrimental."

"Ah." Easy miscommunication, there; Skulduggery doesn't know what it's like to not rag on his friends. "I only tell you that stuff because I expect you to do the same. Friends are supposed to tell each other when they're about to do something stupid."

Obviously. Otherwise, how do you get to tell them "I told you so"???

"Good to know I only have to worry about Darcy being stupid for now."

"I wouldn't know."

He doesn't have friends. He has associates, acquaintances, enemies, contacts, and lackeys. None of whom he'd ever want to simply 'chat' with. He especially wouldn't take it well if one of them told him he was going to do something stupid. If that was anyone other than Doomfist he'd probably shoot them in the head. And that's only because he has a suspicion that the bullet would somehow ricochet off.

"At least stabbing him seems to have been somewhat successful. Well stabbing what's there anyway, this might simply be a tangible projection of him and he's safe in his own quarters while we are trapped here." Sure Darcy's sword seems to be stuck now, but it's at least something. Closest anyone has got so far that he's seen. "And if he can compel us to walk here and sit in assigned seats he could make us do whatever he wants, so letting himself be stabbed is curious. I hope she enjoyed it at least."

That statement is so incredibly sad. Skulduggery almost wants to address it. But, you know what? This really isn't the time to be having intimate heart-to-hearts about the meaning of friendship. This is the time to slowly dissociate until either the doors open or his teenage sidekick gets murdered.

"Projection's the most likely option," he agrees instead, because that is the right call to make. "I think he's got a physical form, but I'm not sure if it looks... like that." You know. Like just some dude. "Truthfully, the fact that he hasn't compelled us to kill each other outright is surprising."

Personally, he hates the magic that forces them places. He doesn't like not having control of his body. He doesn't like not knowing who does.

Good because the time that Max would like to discuss anything about social interactions is right about: never. Max leans against the wall with the casual elegance of someone who normally does that with a glass in their hand and a plan to profit off the destruction of their enemies running through their mind. Unfortunately he has neither right now, but at least he still looks suave.

Cherish the small things.

"Probably because he knows we'll do it ourselves. And it's less interesting if everything happens because you force it to. It's much more satisfying if you get the same result while simultaneously convincing others it was their idea in the first place."

You know who really doesn't like not having control of his body? The literal robot who spent a good portion of his life in subservience and could be taken over at any time and forced to do anything with no recourse. He might not even remember doing it if he was wiped afterwards. Hence his ongoing paranoia about anything even remotely network related and the reason he'd punched Murderbot.

"I'm sure he's enjoying this chaos too much to force us to do anything."

Skulduggery will indulge their game of "predict how terrible a person can be", because it's a great game!

"You would be surprised at how much fun a man could have, forcing people to play along like puppets. Especially when they know there's nothing they can do to stop it."

He thinks about Valkyrie, still going by Stephanie, finding herself trapped by a supposed friend just by speaking her name aloud. The Book of Names, destroyed now, had held the true names of every person alive, and the power of that much control had driven more than one sorcerer mad.

His reverie is cut abruptly short, and he bafflingly asks nobody in particular, "Did he just try to lick her?"

"I actually do know exactly how much fun people can have with that, thank you." Voice terse. "But if that's what he wanted he would have done so already."

It does occur to him how little the two of them actually know about each other. Aside from the suits and cars, they might not have anything in common at all.

Or maybe they do, who's to say.

"I believe so yes." Max laughs because that is ridiculous, "See? He's trying to make things more interesting by unsettling everyone, having us be drones is far too mundane."

"Jesus Christ," is what Skulduggery says, because he's an old Irish man and there's very rarely a better thing for him to hiss under his breath. Angry, exasperated, or just very confused? You decide!

"You're right. For now, everyone's doing what he wants -- feeding him, entertaining him. I..." Am conflicted. He wants nothing more than for everybody to sit still and give nothing of their energy to the man sitting at the head table. He also knows that would just encourage the captain to use his magic to compel them.

"I wish I could have a drink," is what he lands on. Alcohol sure would help, right about now.

"What's the alternative? We all have a polite dinner? I don't think there was ever a chance of that happening."

Admittedly he had not expected quite this level of pure chaos. Tables are being smashed. Lobsters stolen. People are being licked. Several stabbings. Someone slept on a table. And also a small child tried to eat Friday.

If Skulduggery is right, which Max at this point will grudgingly accept that he probably is, then this is going to power the Captain for the next year at least.

"Maybe you'll be able to. R....Rin said that it didn't used to eat, and now can." Oh, oh he doesn't like that. Calling it SecUnit is a hundred times worse, but knowing that Rin is also some sort of designation burns and Max makes an annoyed grinding noise. Even when it's not around Murderbot is annoying him. Time to keep talking and not think about that anymore!

"But that might be worse than not being able to at all. You're the one who believes everything is cursed, and you've been right so far..."

Wow okay, just go from annoyed about Murderbot to saying that Skulduggery is right. You know what he's just going to shut up now.

Oh, he definitely notices the sand in Max's joints from using SecUnit Rin's name. Of course, being a skeleton and not a robotic/cybernetic being, he has no idea what the problem is.

"Is that so?" He honestly hadn't thought about it too much. It could eat ice cream, so it did. But maybe he hadn't been listening close enough, maybe he hadn't been paying enough attention. After all, he'd been treating the whole thing like some big joke since he got here.

"I think I'm fine without the captain meddling with my physical form, thanks," he grunts, unhappy at the thought that the man could just... do that.

But Max has never once said he was right, let alone more than once in one conversation. The tone and the admission finally earn his full attention, and he's unguardedly concerned in return. "...Are you alright?"

He doesn't answer because now he's annoyed at himself and Murderbot and the Captain and Ebalon. But honestly mostly at himself for letting anything slip like that. It's uncharacteristic and vulnerable and he scowls at the ground instead of looking at Skulduggery.

Pretending he was completely fine had worked for him his entire existence, it should continue to do so here. Sure he didn't have his vast resources here but... Well the problem was he didn't even have reality here. He didn't understand the rules of the game, or have any leverage over his own existence. Everything was insane and constantly changing and the more he found out the less he knew.

Perhaps he had been less than successful pacing around his room for the past two days since his death trying to come to grips with what was happening and calm down. Even that panic had been further fueled by his last conversation with Murderbot about files being tampered with. Things could be changed and he wouldn't even know.

He makes another soft mechanical sound before he replies, "Yes."

Everything in his tone indicating he's anything but.

And now he's looking for an out from this conversation. Too bad the doors are still locked and the rest of the room is everything but on fire.

In desperation he just stares at Darcy hoping she'll chop the Captain's head off and distract Skulduggery from everything so Max can escape.

Skulduggery, well used to navigating the minefield of frayed emotions left behind by everything, knows better than to step anywhere near Max's feelings at the moment. If this were Ghastly, he'd want a hug. If it were Vex, he'd want a fight. But Max isn't like the Dead Men, and they don't have the same wartime bond that would make it easy for Skulduggery to figure out what the best course of action is. In time, maybe, but for now...

He just nods, crossing his arms over his chest. There's no reason to push here, with everything in chaos and with Max sounding the way he does. It's an angle he can work later, if later ever happens.

"Okay." Because that's what Max probably wants to hear right now. What he needs to hear can come later.

Max almost visibly deflates, expecting Skulduggery to push more than that. He nods, appreciating that even without words.

"I wish you well in your inevitable confrontation with the Captain. I'm going to go.. see if Ava needs any help stealing lobsters."

And he's going to make his great escape to anywhere but next to Skulduggery!

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