#oopsie!!!!

Asra

Boy are these two complicated LMAO Asra and Donna adore one another, but after their death and revival, their relationship is permanently damaged. Prior to the game, the two were normally joined at the hip, and while there were some one-sided romantic feelings from Asra, he never let them interfere in their friendship, even when Donna dated guys Asra really didn’t approve of (cough cough, Sam and Valerius, cough cough). Things started to go downhill when Donna began working at the palace, and their relationship was effectively nuked when Donna died.

To put it plainly: Donna doesn’t know what to think of Asra after the events of the game. They love him dearly, but there will always be a sense of distrust and resentment over what he has done. They feel like they should be kinder to him and that they literally owe him their life, but there is a sense of violation over them having no say in their own death that they cannot quite verbalize to anyone. It feels like something was robbed from them, but they feel guilty for thinking that way at all.  

Julian

Julian and Donna were close during the plague and used one another as sources of comfort while working with Valdemar. However, neither have very solid memories of this, but after the game’s events, simply remain very good friends who enjoy nerding out together lol Afternoons spent pouring over books together before getting black out at the Rowdy Raven are some of their favorite times together (and neither are very good wingmen for each other but man do they try lmao)

Muriel

Donna didn’t have a relationship with Muriel until after their revivial, and even then, they never remembered the times Muriel would take care of them when Asra was gone. After the game, however, they do begin to form a bond. Both Muriel and Donna have PTSD, and while more and more of Donna’s memories come back to them, they have a harder time managing it (even harder than before their death, as now they have a whole new layer of trauma to deal with lol). Muriel really begins to stand in as a figure who can not just relate to Donna but he was deeply realistic and blunt with them about it, which is exactly what they needed.

They didn’t want to hear about how there would be better days and that their feelings were valid: they wanted to hear “this sucks—let’s go eat because I know you haven’t.” Sometimes Donna can be a bit too much for Muriel, so while they don’t see one another as often prior to Damien being born, their interactions are always positive and deeply meaningful for Donna. 

Valerius

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The very next time he was given the box, he could immediately sense something was different.

The buzzing in his skin had barely calmed before he was summoned up once again and handed the device, and this time he actually hesitated to take it; something in him, apart from the knowledge Primus had shared, screamed danger! Nonetheless, an impatient sound from Inquirata had him accept and turn it over, this time seeing it with a new…understanding.

He could tell there was something within it, now, not just a strangely moving orb of (not?-)substance. The orb itself still gave him a headache to look at for too long, but as his fingers traced over the intricate designs of Rhisling's edges, he couldn't help but wonder - if they were cutting a hole in the world, why wasn't it a knife?

"A knife is for three dimensions," Primus explained later. "You can slice a sphere into two halves, but the plane is still flat. Rhisling is more than meets the eye - what it is designed to do is cut while still keeping the plane intact, and in such a manner that will lead it to heal, afterwards. Even the Quintessons know better than to keep holes in the world in that manner."

Victor thought about the stories he'd heard of them 'harvesting' said world, about the Scar - and could only be grateful they at least had that sense of cleaning up after themselves. But furthermore - I won't have to worry about those 'black holes' or the like while I'm learning, will I?

"No." Primus was firm on that. "Rhisling's safeguards will keep that from happening, so long as you stay within spacial travel."

Which suggested it was possible to try and do more, but Victor wasn't about to try to run before he could so much as stand. He felt unsteady in more than one way, here - from the uncertainty in his developing senses to the lazy lethargy everyone seemed to possess when they weren't undergoing experimentation. Perhaps some of them were given different treatments (Hei gave a rather confused expression when Victor tried describing Rhisling to him), but they seemed to be all working towards similar things.

"'dbe nice to see if we could stop by France," Dorothy murmured in that sleepy manner of hers a few days in. "'Ve always wanted to see the mountains there." Such comments made Victor want to shake her, to yell and shout the mountains might not even be there, anymore!, but he forced himself to remain calm and, at least outwardly, placid. Sleepwalking, in a sense, for it could certainly seem that this was a dream. He could, on some level, understand their disconnection from the outside world - for there was no way for the outside to come in. Were it not for Primus, he would be completely cut off. As it was, for all he knew, this was how they kept sane at all - hadn't he seen a similar dead-eyed gaze in some of the men who had returned home, after the War, before the Invasion was on anyone's mind?

"Trauma has different forms," Primus advised him, the next time he was in that 'thought-matrix'. They'd been doing some experimentation as Victor had gotten more used to the space, and of the passing of images back and forth. With a bit of effort, he could outright imagine himself on one of the old bridges across the Thames, back before the Invasion. Gazing out over the water was somehow calming, and beside him stood a nebulous figure that he could imagine as Primus. "Humans weren't meant to be kept in spaces like this. No one is," the Quintesson creation amended, no doubt considering the breadth of their experience.

Would it be possible to get them out, as well? Victor wondered, gazing up and above at the night sky and its familiar constellations. Only a handful were distinct; the rest were blurred with an unclear memory. But there were no lurking ships overhead in their ever watching threat, only the clear skies and pleasant air. True, if he let his thoughts drift, so would the scenery - but he'd been taking the chance to experiment with Primus as his treatments progressed, and this took little enough effort to maintain in the first place. They've been in here so long - perhaps seeing the world as it is would be enough to wake them up.

Primus's hesitation was as much a reply as he needed, but they answered him properly nonetheless. "Not easily, and not without consequences." They were leaning over the railing, soaking in the sights that Victor presented with an endless curiosity. It was clear that they'd never seen the outside world, or at least never before the Quintessons had come through. "It would be one thing to focus on getting you, Joel, and Simon out - adding me to the mix will already cause an upset. But to entirely rid a project of all of its subjects?…we can only do so much, Victor."

As the days had gone on, Victor had grown more and more comfortable with speaking his mind with Primus. So he hesitated only a moment before looking back down over the water and admitting, It doesn't feel like enough.

"What would be enough?" countered Primus, though not unkindly. Victor understood, at least; in all honesty, he would be satisfied with nothing short of the Quintessons being but a footnote in humanity's history. But how to explain how he had been complacent, himself, for so long, serving as a Guardsman, he felt the need to do more? "You are already risking your life to save three others - myself included, and cannot comprehend the boost you have given the other two."

Oh. They know, then?

"Joel does, and I believe he told Simon." There was something in Primus's 'tone' that gave Victor pause, and he only had to think a moment before realizing certain implications that Primus immediately confirmed. "It was a deep scan, not a treatment, but…"

But what, Primus?

For the briefest of moments, Victor rather felt like he was looking over one of the street children who was being forced to admit something they had done wrong. "…he's a rather bright child," the other sheepishly said. "When he realized that I was talking about you, he insisted on being given a way to help. When I said no…"

I'll bet he said he'd find a way, himself, Victor finished, glum. He wasn't sure if he was exasperated, proud, or bemused. Did you tell him it would help to simply keep his head down?

"I did, but I get the distinct impression he wants to do more."

Victor gave as much a sigh as he could, the thought of rubbing his face manifesting as a sort of ghost-sensation in this strange place. Just like Joel, who idolized the rebellions so, to wish to join them - what boy wouldn't leap at the chance to become like his heroes, really? What are his options? he asked absentmindedly.

"There aren't many," they admitted. "His genetic profile doesn't make him a potential to join you - if anything, it would be in an energy manipulation experiment. Think of eels," they went on, looking down at the water. Victor followed their gaze, noting the swirling shapes that were very much not native to the Thames. "The Quintessons have more or less understood those sciences upon the human form; his assignment would be based on his younger age. It would separate him from Simon, however, unless they both were transferred."

Victor made a face at the thought. I'd like them to stay together, if possible.

"I know. I haven't had a chance to look at Simon's profile, yet; would you like me to?"

You might as well. Victor thought of the other lad. He might be a bit more cautious than Joel, but if there's something they can think they're doing while nothing is happening…

"A placebo treatment?" Primus considered. "I will see what can be done. Shall I tell the others, as well?"

Of course. Is there any news on their end?

There was not - other than Magnes complaining this was 'taking too long', to which Victor thought of something colorful enough in response to make Primus laugh. It was such a rare occurrence that he laughed, too, and it was enough to distract him from a thought that had been lurking in the back of his mind for some time;

How am I going to get you out of here, my friend?

—-----------------------------------

When the box cracked open, it took him as much by surprise as Inquirata. He hadn't really intended to, at least not with what he was doing; by now, he'd realized that 'opening' wouldn't happen by normal means. And so he'd been probing, really, studying the orb before thinking he'd seen something, reaching out to try and hook a finger around it and-

salt water flooded through in a burst. Victor sputtered in shock as it promptly soaked him to the bone, one of Inquirata's heads immediately trilling an alarm of its own as he instinctively threw the device away from him. The Quintesson promptly hissed as they threw out a tentacle, Rhisling freezing in midair, and Victor felt a sinking feeling in his gut as Katherine's words came to mind - don't. mess. this. up. Had he inadvertently ruined everything…?

[Victor?]

He raised his head, refusing to show his unease as a fish comically flopped next to him. Inquirata seemed inclined to give him a chance to explain himself, at least. "I'm sorry, I was only-"

[You opened it.] It was not a question, simply a statement. And after a moment, Victor nodded, reaching up to wipe some of the water off his face. He couldn't help but stiffen as Inquirata whirled to its other face, moving forwards until it was centimeters away from his own. [Do it again,] it insisted, pressing the cube back into his hands. Hands which felt cold for another reason than the salt water soak, and clumsy to boot.

"I- I don't know if-"

[Do it again,] they pressed, both voices speaking at once, and Victor looked down at Rhisling with a growing sense of dread. Taking a breath and mustering what strength he had, he attempted to remember what he had done, fingers once again tracing the filigree. He'd seen something, he remembered, more of a glint of light, and he'd reached-

-this time, salt water did not come out. He instead felt a flash of heat, enough to scorch his hands from the water turning into steam, but this time didn't throw it away - he dropped it, recoiling back in an instinctive means of protecting himself from whatever that was. Inquirata was there, though, and caught it once more with their strange powers - what more, they seemed excited, quickly reaching for his form and shoving the device back at him-

[Again!]

The fish was twitching, now, the last vestiges of struggle as it tried to breathe in a hostile environment. Victor rather felt for it as he struggled with the urge to run, Inquirata moving tendrils behind him as if to cut off his escape. Perhaps one more would be enough, and with shaking hands, once more, he reached-

There was a blood curdling scream of pain from the pit, followed by sounds of shock and surprise. Blood and bits of flesh sprayed over Victor's hands before he could process what had happened, but he was unable to let go, the thing was opening and tearing through a living creature and-

It was Inquirata who forced his hands to close the portal, this time, and they gathered him up in one set of tentacles as one would a doll before moving for the holding area to investigate what had happened. But Victor already had a horrible suspicion, and he could only watch in dismay as Inquirata reached down and plucked up a still-screaming Shane. One of the pets, who had shied away from any attempts from Victor to get to know him as a person, acting like nothing so much as a dog that had been beaten by a previous master and now was desperately seeking not to gain the ire of its new one. He was clutching his side in agony, red pouring from his fingers, and Victor managed to tear his gaze away only for it to land on the fish from the first opening.

It was still, unmoving.

Dead.

—----------------------------------

He was not given a treatment, nor a deep-scan. Instead Victor was placed in his cubicle and left alone but for the few wary glances that peeked through. He shut his eyes tight, trying to block them out, but instead he was treated to the sight of that fish once more - except it was Shane, the poor man's limbs torn apart from his body and strewn about in different places across the world-

"Um…hello."

At first, he didn't respond. But then he allowed his eyes to open, the form of Hei slowly coming into focus. The man - young man, Vector amended, for he was barely out of his teenage years if at all - was sitting on the floor, leaning against the chest and facing Victor. One arm was wrapped about a leg, held to his chest; the other hand was in his lap, the other leg splayed forwards.

Hei offered a wan smile when he realized that Victor had seen him, and tilted his head just slightly. "Shane will be okay," he explained. "Inquirata was able to do some of their…magic." A hand raised to waggle fingers in emphasis, and his smile grew just a bit less wan at Victor's visible relief. They both knew it wasn't magic, of course - some Quintesson technology - but it was easier to call it such than try and explain, much less understand the details of what was going on.

"I'm glad," Victor sighed, reaching up to rub his face. "I didn't mean…it was an accident."

"Everybody knows." Hei licked his lips, thinking. "But…nobody has ever made progress that quickly. You have only been here a week."

A week? It felt like only days, but- as Victor thought about it, no, it made sense. Between treatments and recovery and the days being so very much the same, and to say nothing of Primus likely being the reason he had progressed so quickly in the first place…he swallowed, moving to swing his legs off the bed and sit up. His clothing was still stained with blood, he noticed faintly, and he looked towards Hei who took but a moment to understand what he was saying without words. Immediately, the other turned around to give him some privacy, but he didn't leave.

"Inquirata is very excited," he continued, as Victor hastily rid himself of the soiled clothing and cleaned himself up. "They wonder how quickly you will be able to make a stable portal, and if they will be able to replicate it in the rest of us."

"God forbid," Victor muttered, pulling on a new shirt. "If I never had to do that again, I'd be a happy man."

"But you will." The words were so sharp and certain that Victor paused, turning towards Hei. The man was barely glancing at him from over his shoulder, then, when he saw that Victor was decent, turned fully. His red eyes, normally half-lidded and lazy, were sharp and alert. "They will make you, until you disappear like the others."

With a sudden jolt of realization, Victor came to understand that Hei's complacency was not laziness; it was watchfulness, the sort that came with the intent to be underestimated. The young man clearly took in more than others thought, and Hei smiled just a bit as that realization spread over Victor's face. He approached, then, Victor automatically taking a step back as he offered a hand. But there was nowhere to go, and as Victor looked down at the hand, and then back up at Hei, he also understood that this- this was something important.

So, he took that hand. It was grasped firmly but not painfully, and Hei smiled. "If you need a minute for yourself," he said, voice bland, "I can help you."

The world ground to a halt with enough suddenness that Victor nearly lost his balance. Only - there was nothing moving in the first place. Except there was? With wide eyes, he looked down at his grasped hand, then up at Hei - and then about him. He sucked in a breath of shock as he began to realize that not only had the murmurs outside stopped, not only had that ever-present hum of machinery stopped

but

so had everything except the two of them. His loss of balance wasn't a matter of coming to a sudden stop, except it was - for the very movement of time had stopped, his Quintesson-amplified senses insisting that this moment was, quite literally, lasting forever.

When and where are more closely related than some would think, in the grand scheme of things, Primus had said. And here was, perhaps, the strongest proof Victor had found - the sort he could feel.

Hei smiled a bit more broadly as Victor came to these realizations. And when Victor could only stammer out, "H-how?" the man could only shrug.

"Magic," he said again, waggling the fingers of his free hand. Quintesson technology none of us understand. And with another sudden lurch, the world picked itself back up - and before Victor could lose his balance this time, Hei had moved forwards, abruptly seizing Victor in a tight hug that was as much to help him stand as to give an excuse to murmur right in to Victor's ear, "One minute, only."

Victor's arms slowly raised to loosely return the embrace, if only for lack of anything better to do. He started to look up, wondering if Inquirata was watching, only for Hei to give a brief squeeze (of warning?) before letting go. "I- thank you," he stuttered, before something else occurred to him. "…how long have…?"