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

( ebalon getting stabbed?

beautiful, sensational, she's seen how you've been eyeing up yet another of her teenage boy cohorts lately, sir, and is frankly not a fan of it. also saw like, how you successfully ran him through with spears in the final showdown on the island, that was also a big No Thanks.

all in all, it's almost as cathartic as watching natsuno flip la pluma off a table in a hail of lobster tails and melted butter. but both surges of chaos are ultimately used as cover for clarke to bum rush the captain's table, engage in casual conversation, and then brutally impaling his skull with a lobster cracker. her murder attempt fails, and she's now making her graceful retreat as the doors open. natsuno's trailing behind her, their hands intertwined, except clarke comes across exactly one problem worth stopping and addressing asap.

hi, sup, not even really acknowledging ebalon here. this is directed solely to mizuki: )

Can I talk to you for a second?

[ Mizuki doesn't immediately start to pull Ebalon out the door, as much as he doesn't want to stay here any longer, and it seems like he's going to try and see how Ebalon feels, if he wants to go lie down, etc. etc. Standard fussy bjellyfish things. He knows now is a good time to get apologies in, but Ebalon got fucking stabbed and everyone is tense and this is miserable. Not a good setting to go saying "Hey, sorry for murder!"

Though, he does want to see if maybe he can weasel Ebalon's victims aside to talk to them. Maybe then he can —

Oh? Clarke? Commander Clarke? Clarke, yes, hi, hello. It's Clarke! It's Clarke. (These are the thoughts of a dog and also Mizuki.) ]

Oh, uhh... [ A quick glance at Ebalon. Well, the doors are open now, so it's not like he needs to stay here? He can just leave and potentially not get stabbed. ] Sure. I'll- I'll be back, Ebalon.

[ And with that, he unlatches himself from the Rat Man to go with the Cockroach instead. ]

[okay bye

Ebalon turns around and immediately murders Max /no he doesn't this is a joke

catch him in his room tho peace out ✌️]

( yanno, she's never seen a dog. not outside of picture books and old earth textbooks. and yet even clarke can scent unbridled trust and devotion in the air, and knows enough to liken mizuki to a puppy jumping at the knees of anyone who gives him a treat. it's naive, like la pluma had said. but it's endearing. it's sweet, and innocent, and so, so trusting —

and all of that folds into the deep underlying need to drag him away from ebalon the second the jelly unlatches from his arm. still not looking at the monstrous moon magician — if he has a reaction to losing his arm candy as suddenly as she'd lost her whole arm, clarke literally could not care less about it — she's reaching out to gently (firmly, but gently) wrap a hand around mizuki's elbow and lead him off a few tables away.

there, safely out of ear shot, she can bodily swing him around until they're face to face, and whisper urgently — )

What are you doing?

[ Well. That's a weird question to ask. Mizuki's eyes kind of stray away from Clarke for a second to look around the room to try and parse what might of been weird about what he was doing. He didn't think he was acting all that out of place? Well, not for the situation, anyway. He was significantly less smiley, but with the Captain existing and also Friday getting got like she did, everything he was doing was pretty par for the course…? Right? ]

Following… [ His eyes snap back to Clarke's. ] …you? [ ??? ]

( really, mizuki? because it seems like you might really be following someone else... )

No, I mean what are you doing with him? ( no further explanation on who the him in question here is, she knows he sometimes has a hard time following conversational subtleties and context clues, but firmly believes even he has to know exactly what she's talking about here. )

I know you saw him on the feeds, Mizuki. I know you saw what he did, and how.

[ … Oh. Yeah, he can easily pick up on who she's talking about here. He's not happy about it. No one is, really. ]

Clarke, that was... He hurt a lot of people, and hurt them bad. I know that. What he did was really wrong. However, he didn't... he wouldn't have done what he did if I hadn't gone off on my own. If I hadn't died like I did. He wasn't himself, and it was my fault.

[ Yes, Mizuki is going to continue to blame himself despite being told time and time again, even by Ebalon himself, that it absolutely wasn't. He's pretty sure no one can really convince him it truly wasn't. ]

( sorry, what stockholm syndrome bullshit did she just have to stand here and listen to, oh my god. there's no time in the moment for a brief aside — to hope he never sounds like this when he talks to people about her, but damn if the thematic question isn't one worth paying attention to.

the fingers at his elbow relinquishes their grip, but only so both hands can come up to his shoulders and squeeze. )

No, it wasn't!

( nevermind it's still an obscure fact that ebalon was the most "himself" in carrying out his self-proclaimed divine retribution streak, she saw enough of the broadcast to see a hint of his true colors — and irrevocably believe them at first blush. )

Do you think it's Natsuno's fault I died? Because he went off by himself? I know we saw the same tapes, Mizuki, and we saw him torture a man. Is that what you think grief is supposed to look like?

[ Okay. There's a few things to address here, but Mizuki is going to, as usual, focus on one thing at a time. Though he doesn't say anything for a moment as he just stares at Clarke. His brows knit together and there's a flash of some cross of anger and worry. Which is an odd expression. Mizuki doesn't really get angry. But then it settles to something… flatter. Sinister, if it's meant to be really evaluated. Dissociative, if someone knew Mizuki well enough. ]

I did the same thing, Clarke. [ But he got a pass. He assumed it was because Clarke knew that the circumstances were fucked and he'd be forgiven based on that alone, but… ] You saw what I did. That's what my grief looks like.

( but does she know him well enough to catch that dissociative flash? thinking she does and actually being able to peel back the layers of his trauma to get to the meat of what made mizuki mizuki are... different.

regardless, she's got absolution for la pluma's murder locked, loaded, in the chamber, and ready to be fired directly into his chest. )

But you didn't, though. You see that, right? You reacted in the moment, you were defending yourself and Natsuno — because you knew she wasn't going to stop after just me. I saw what you did, Mizuki, but I saw Rafaela take a swing at you too.

What I didn't see you do was hunt down someone who had nothing to do with my death, and play with him like a cat plays with a mouse.

[ He… disagrees with this assessment. If just because he knows what was going on in his head. He lulls slightly in place, his eyes sort of trailing off occasionally as his mind splits it's train of thought and he has to try to rein it back in. ]

I don't think I cared in the moment what happened to me. If I did, I wouldn't have let her get close to me. I didn't need to. She hurt me when she didn't have to. [ He gestures to the place he got sliced on his side. The wound, of course, isn't there anymore, but he figures it's easier to know what he's talking about like this. ] That wasn't... defense, Clarke. That wasn't a kind person. That was just someone who wanted to see her hurt.

[ It was me. It was a monster. I'm a monster. He grimaces a bit, then drops his eyes to the floor. He still feels so guilty about what he did to La Pluma. She's not evil. She's not. And yet he still did what he did. He doesn't feel bad about torturing those pirates back home, but her…? ]

That whole situation was extremely stressful. It's already mind numbing to know you have to hurt your friends. See them die. See them die by the hands of other friends. Everyone handles that in different ways. Some people just... stop being themselves. [ Venti. ] Some people just disconnect themselves. [ Natsuno. (And… himself, if he analyzed his actions.) ] And…

…

Clarke, do you remember when I asked you how much trauma one has to experience to reach true hysteria? Because the answer is this: it will always vary, as people's mentals are far too drastic from one another. Ebalon is a kind person, but he has told me that I am the only person he really feels he's made a connection with on this cruise. Both he and Venti have told me that I need to protect myself. And then I died anyway, in a very callous way, at that. The fact they both responded with different hysterics is... not lost on me.

[ He reaches his hands up to hold onto her arms, loosely, in contrast to how tightly she's holding his shoulders. ]

Ebalon is kind. He cares about the people here. I've seen it. I've seen and heard the things he's done. Shouldn't I judge him based on all his actions, and not just the ones he was compromised in?

( to her credit, she listens.

momentarily forgets what sort of chaotic scene they're supposed to be fleeing in the dining hall, and just hangs on every word dripping from his lips — self deprecating, or sickeningly honeyed — no matter how they grate at her like a serrated edged blade. it's wrong. he's wrong — and yet that web of lies he's woven himself to sleep in is so tightly cinched at the corners, it almost begins to hold water. and clarke's left gripping his shoulders like she wants to shake some sense into him, but otherwise unsure how to proceed. how to upset an illusion without striving to just burn it all down.

in the pit of her stomach is the insistence that something awful is going to happen to mizuki if she leaves him to his own devices. unattended, following his own pitifully innocent heart and impulses. childlike, easily bent to others wills like he is hers. this is the first time in the whole of their conversation she's glanced off towards where they left ebalon, and erases any lingering sentiment that he might be worth redeeming. of course it's easy to make a connection with someone so impressionable they'd hold the imprint of a ring on the hand you hit them with.

how does she win here?

...well, like she always does. or tries to. burn it all. )

I don't think you should try to judge people at all, Mizuki. ( this is almost a nice sentiment, right? don't be judgmental? be kind and open and — oh wait, there's more. )

You're terrible at it. I don't think you've put your trust in a single person worthy of it during this entire cruise. If ever in your life, with the exception of your mother.

[ There's every part of that bubbling obsession that tells him to listen to Clarke. She knows best. She has a good rationale. She knows what's good. What's right. Clarke is gonna save them all. He is going to be by Clarke indefinitely to help he achieve her goals. And he does listen to this part of him, thoroughly. However, he gives floor to his other thoughts. The concerned ones. The reasonable ones. The ones addicted to learning about people's mentals. The ones that adored being understood. For once, instead of all yelling at each other, they take their turns, all in a circle giving their perspectives.

So, first things first, he recognizes that self-jab there. He knows she meant it that way, too. She knows she's upset with La Pluma and Venti and now, Ebalon. All people he associates with. But he reaches his hands out all the same, touching her cheeks momentarily and brushing his thumbs over them, before moving them again to bring himself into a hug. ]

Don't say that. You are worthy, Clarke. I've seen you try harder than anyone here to get things done. To get us all home, despite our conditions. Despite your conditions. And you care so, so much. And I believe that all your efforts are going to be worth it. I've been looking out for you. You've been looking out for everyone. I promise that you don't have to keep doing that alone.

I know I'm not a good judge of character, but... but I really do believe in Ebalon. I've seen him sacrifice for the sake of the people on the ship. I've seen him do so many kind things. He's willing to understand people and forgive them and even try to make amends for the things he's done. All of these things cannot be outweighed by mistakes he made during a sadistic game that was specifically designed to fuck with our mentals. I do not think he was right. I do not even think he should be forgiven by the people he hurt. I think he should work and earn that forgiveness. But he wants to. I know he does.

( nothing she's trying is working.

it isn't a new sort of sensation, the ground slipping out from beneath her feet and sending her stumbling into a pit of despair. losing isn't new at all. feeling like someone's slipped through her fingers like (jelly) water down a path she fears will hurt them. in this moment she knows exactly what it feels like to be bellamy blake, breaking into polis on a rescue mission only to be turned down when clarke chooses the woman who'd left them all to die a few months before. had her reasoning sounded so delusional to him, too? so painfully flawed and inviting further heartbreak?

then they're suddenly hugging, and every inch of clarke's skin is on fire. somewhere in the back of her mind, it registers that they really don't have time for this. she'd literally just caved the captain's skull in with an eating utensil, it feels like flirting with the void to stay in this room much longer. natsuno is waiting for her somewhere. clarke desperately doesn't want this to be a moment of choosing between them, but if pushed — )

I don't trust him, Mizuki. ( in the limbo of that hug, softly exhaled against the side of his head. not even a little bit of a secret, but spoken in confidence. ) We saw the same things. That's what an evil person looks liek. And I don't see any future where you don't get hurt over this. By this. And specifically by him.

Please just walk away.

[ She gets a gentle nudge with his head here, closing his eyes for a brief moment to just let the hug linger. She's… probably right. And Mizuki trusts her, implicitly. Enough so that for a moment he truly does have a waver in his loyalties. Because, yes, those were very bad things. He hurt Natsuno. He hurt Natsuno a lot. And he killed Venti and Watson and Lumine — those latter two not painlessly.

Maybe there's some part of him that knows that in Ebalon's shoes he very well may have had the same kneejerk reaction. He may have not done what Ebalon did, but would have definitely thought about it. And, to Mizuki, it's the same thing. Just heavy slabs of "evil" on the scales. But he's trying to get better. He's trying to be the good person he thought he was when he got onto this cruise. If that means scrubbing away all the gunk he's realizing is on his skin, so be it. He really does believe Ebalon can, too, because… ]

People can absorb the good around them, Clarke. Expel the evil and truly be good. I've seen it. I've lived it. I know that much to be true. So I'll do my best to be the good for people to get it from. This cruise hasn't been very good at providing us with a lot of good, so I just have to do better. But I want to give him that second chance. I know he'll do better.

And... if he betrays my trust... [ He pulls away here, hands on her arms now to look at her with a sweet face, small smile. ] I'll tear all the evil out of him with my teeth.

( clarke gets a nudge against her face, and mizuki get's the rapid fire miniscule shakes of her head in return; hair a soft swaying curtain, and the tragically sharp downturn of her mouth hidden from view a few moments more.

he's wrong. that's not how the world works — whatever example he thinks he's seen of true evil turning into truer good must have been veiled and insincere. she wants to claw at that notion further, ask if evil can be expelled and good take it place, what did that mean for every person he's ever eaten and she's ever killed? should they have been given more chances, past failing the second or third or fourth? if rehabilitation was possible, didn't that make them the worst of the worst for not allowing it to happen? it's like a line's been drawn in the sand and mizuki's just stepping from one side to the other as suits his narrative.

but that's such a painfully familiar dance. and as the room continually empties, it's becoming starkly more obvious that this moment is going to have to come to an end. clarke fears some sort of retribution for her stunt with the lobster crackers, and can't tear her mind from the image of that black void beneath the captain's skull to properly fight with mizuki here. maybe later she'd try again, or else maybe confront ebalon directly about just what he wanted from their mutual jellyfish.

if the evil in ebalon is located in his heart like she'd expect, that declaration isn't a bad one. )

...when he shows you what he really is... believe it. And don't hesitate.

Hm. If he betrays me, I will. But if he doesn't and he can show you change for the better, will you believe that?

[ Not that Mizuki minds if Clarke says "no". It's understandable to be upset with Ebalon about what he did. He's going to have to do something phenomenal to really earn the trust of those he's personally slighted. But, until then, all Mizuki can do is put his own trust in Ebalon and hope that is enough to keep him happy. He can only hope that doing so does not break his trust with Venti or Clarke, too. He isn't sure how he'll handle that if it comes down to it.

He isn't sure he'll be able to handle it, period. ]

He mentioned apologizing to those he hurt on the island. It... most likely won't do anything, but it might at least help him. Should he do so for Yuuki, too?

( no she will not believe it, not in the slightest. has been the fly drawn in with honey and summarily squished beneath a boot far too often to look beyond past offenses (unless her current survival absolutely depended on it). but suddenly the notions of apologies shift the focus of forgiveness and acceptance off of clarke specifically. she can hate ebalon all she wants, but hadn't been with him on the island during the third day, and —

...she shouldn't speak for natsuno. she has no right.

but had been at his side more or less since he'd come back to the ship. had seen the toll those playbacks had on his shoulders if not along the lines of his face. that is potentially the worst idea, and suddenly clarke feels more than entitled to make this decision. )

He should stay as far away from Natsuno as humanly possible. And then some.

( and if he doesn't... well. )

[ Briefly, there's an argument in his head of, "but he should be heard", "but Ebalon means it", "but-". However, it is very, very quickly snuffed out by his craving to receive orders from Clarke specifically. Something that has been scratching at the back of his head this whole conversation, and only now does Mizuki not try to smother it with other thoughts. So, he nods. ]

Will do. I'll let him know.

( she wants to make one last appeal. ask him to come run away with her and natsuno again — it couldn't possibly end worse than it had on the island, right? — or else just plumb the depths of his mind and really think on this subject. think until he agreed with her, and saw sense. or maybe to make good on the promise he'd made after hurricane jenny, and just fucking listen to her when she tried to tell him something.

but the thought springs to mind — he made his choice.

however it came back to haunt him was entirely on his own head, at least she'd tried. right?

clarke is finally the one to take a step back. worm her way out from underneath his hands and out of arms reach. for a moment her mouth opens to say something more, then teeth click together and she's just shaking her head in perpetual disapproval. )

You do that.

( you stay safe, mizuki.

and she's turning on her heel to reunite with natsuno and run for the ~~arcade~~ hills. )

[ Mizuki gives a friendly wave and a smile until she's out of the room, and despite not being fully alone in the room, it still dissolves into something far more pained when Clarke leaves. He hates that he felt like he was picking between those two there. He doesn't want to make that choice. He hates, hates, hates choosing. And he understands why Clarke put him through that, really, he does, but part of him loathes her for making him have to face something like that, even if he thinks he did okay diffusing it.

He wants Clarke to understand. He wants Clarke to see the good person Mizuki sees in Ebalon. He was absolutely ready to continue defending him and explaining the point of view Mizuki thought he had, but he could feel him stuck between the both of them and the metaphorical scissors threatening to cut one of them away. He needed to say or do something to convince Clarke to stay. To stay, stay, stay. She's left already, Mizuki. You can't grab her now.

…

He holds himself for a moment and just slinks against the nearest wall and makes himself invisible. He just needs a second. His legs aren't working. ]

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pleased to meet you

ohwoahohwoah it's mrs steal ur jelly

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