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Dorm Log The Sequel To End All Sequels

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He places his elbows on the table and steeples his fingers. "In such a situation, it would be wise to assume the perspective of a skeptic," he advises, closing his eyes. He wishes he could have experienced what Rhys had been through, at least so he could figure out what he was hiding... And so that he could take in everything Rhys had been through with a bit of skepticism. That was something the priest lacked. Everyone was an angel from his eyes, and that was what made Rhys who he was, but it certainly didn't help very much here.

His elbows slide, but his fingers remain laced together. The laguz watches Rhys carefully. "...I apologize for bringing this up with you. I do not mean to make you upset."

"It's alright. I fully expect you to keep prying answers out of me."

He closes his eyes and reels his mind back again. It hurts to think about that day, but it's important. Something strange about the exchange of pops between them. Seth had taken one of his own but did not seem to suffer any hallucinogenic episodes or any other effects the drug had bore down upon himself. Rhys had attributed that phenomenon either to his own loopiness robbing him of the sense required to discern Seth's mental state, or owed it to his own poor health being the cause of such a severe reaction to the drugs - the former would still mean that Seth had lied and the drug he said was safe was truly something to be feared after all. Both options certainly left Seth inculpable, one moreso than the other. But what if he were to doubt his good intentions? What if he didn't believe him when he said he was only being tugged on a leash by a Rex? It meant he had been duped. It meant Seth wasn't to be trusted.

But what stopped Rhys from accepting it and betraying such a depraved and insidious character who only boded misfortune for others was the possibility that yes, he had been telling the truth. If he was, and Rhys exposed him, he would be responsible for whatever consequences Seth ran into. But the longer he thought about it, especially with the skeptical push Ulki offered him, the more he felt that Seth had lied.

What should he do...

If he fully expects him to continue prying, Ulki wonders what it would take to actually get those answers out of him. Initially, Rhys insisted it was a secret he couldn't tell, but this confirmed to the hawk laguz that he would also surrender the information - likely, if the right questions were asked.

So he would take Rhys's reply as a request to keep going.

It was reassuring, but frustrating all the same. So the first thing he needed to figure out was the identity of the distributor that gave Rhys the pop. The way to get this information...

"...What was it that led you to the person who drugged you?" asks Ulki. If it were a student of his, a name he'd heard, pure chance... Any of those would be better leads than none. A part of him wondered if Rhys was trying to investigate these drugs and the chaos they wrought - it seemed like something he might try to do on his own.

"It... Ohh, I don't even feel comfortable telling you this much yet!" He could detect the frustration on Ulki's end. But he couldn't spill it. Was there something else he could offer that wouldn't spell doom for Seth? Could he tell Ulki the truth without him doing anything about it? It was just an endless cycle of trusting people and risking betrayal or being taken advantage of. It bothered him to the core of his soul that he didn't feel safe leaving his doors wide open for people like he'd always done.

Yet, yet... That's what he kept implying, like he'd tell him at some point or another. Ulki wondered why Rhys couldn't just get on with it and spit it out already if he was going to tell him at some point anyway, but he had to be patient. He shuts his eyes, wishing he could just reach into Rhys's head and find what he was looking for without having to say another word.

So he had to back up a square.

"Were you... conducting your own investigations?" That was one of his questions, anyway. He might get answers out of that.

"......Yes." He swallows, feeling his leg tremble uncontrollably beneath the table. He hadn't noticed it until now. "I have been trying to get to the bottom of it. I worry about the students, you see... So I thought I should at least hunt for clues and follow the trail they led me down."

He figured as much, that Rhys was looking into the drugs. It seems to be a problematic situation not only within the city, but even the academy. Ulki had heard people cursing the school's name, but it wasn't as safe of a haven as they seemed to think it was...

Whatever Rhys found at the end of his investigating was clearly relevant, as whoever was responsible for drugging him found it necessary to do so. And with such a strong drug, too... It makes Ulki furious inside to know that someone so cowardly took advantage of Rhys's patience and gentleness and almost killed him without a second thought. Well, that was the way the exchange was going on in his head: Rhys finds someone involved in some shady business, and tries to talk it over reasonably. This person had it in them to just drug Rhys... and anticipate his death or his addiction. How could Rhys not see that this was no accident?

His calm exterior betray none of these thoughts, save for an appearance of contemplation. Ulki stares down at his fingers. "What clues you have, then... brought you dangerously close to the source of the problem," he states. "Your recent hospital visit is proof of that."

Edited 2013-03-14 05:36 (UTC)

It's miserable to think that someone had it in them to do that. But if it was the truth... He really should face it. How irresponsible would it be of him to let such a misguided person continue their streak of damage? So much was at stake. But ah, perhaps Seth had purposely drugged him for other reasons. Perhaps it was to protect himself from letting Rhys find a way to stop him? Did that make sense? If Seth was dealing drugs unwillingly, but was made to stop, Rex would find out and who knew what would be in store for Seth next? If he were in Seth's position, he would like to be stopped at all costs. But it was equally understandable for someone to choose to preserve themselves- after all, he said he was threatened if he didn't do his oppressor's work. He hated thinking of possible motives stained dark with malignant intent, but it was so hard to do because of the pain and pity it invoked within Rhys. Poor soul, his heart cried, I wish I could help you find your way out of the woods. And thus, Rhys found more ways not to blame Seth.

"I'm frightened. I truly believe it was a mistake of circumstance that could not have been helped, and unfortunately, I had to suffer in the end..." Seth might have suffered knowingly, too, if he had taken the pop and thereby managed to sneak his way out of divulging too much to Rhys; little did Rhys know of anything that happened after he swirled into fantastic world-bending hallucinations. "But I'd rather suffer than let the one who made me suffer find more suffering! Oh! There's... no way I could explain what I just said without explaining everything. See... I feel frightened because I... I don't know what to do. Between feeling gut-wrenchingly ill and descending into what I could easily call madness, my mind hasn't been at ease. I feel as though... as though there's a veil of fog drifting around my mind. And I can't just sit back and keep these secrets locked inside." His leg wasn't the only limb trembling; his hands too suffer now as he grips them together, staring into them as he laid his thoughts out for Ulki to hear. "I think I... should tell you a few things. Important things. But I will not name the one who did this to me. Do you understand? I will not!"

A tear slides down his cheek. He was growing hot with an indignant will to keep his own oppressor safe.

If Rhys was willing to speak, he would take it. He'd figure out the name of this person, even if Rhys wasn't going to be the one to tell him. He would search.

"...I will not pry for their name," he agrees, as though urging him to continue. "But please... try to relax. You seem agitated. I will be patient."

Ulki could only wish that he had the patience Rhys had with people. Because he was talking with him, though, Ulki would give to Rhys all of the respect he deserves. The respect for being so selfless and stupid, but... It's his nature. He truly is a saint, that Rhys. So Ulki rectified the word stupid in his head and replaced it with something like... faithful. Trusting. Loyal. The fact that Rhys is so willing to believe in humanity was so baffling to Ulki, but that's what made them so different from each other.

Rhys sucks in a breath of air and lets it stream out in one puff. Relax. With success, his shaking evens out, and his muscles release tension. He was free to speak his mind.

"The person who gave me the drug was only trying to protect themself. They're under blackmail, you see. If they don't sell drugs and meet a specific quota, then something bad will happen to them. However... I did get a name out of them. The person who's chaining them to this is Rex. Starkey... he was the man in charge of the hotel we went to last summer while the school was under construction. He was connected to Rex. Samus, Phoenix, and a student named Char and I had a run-in with him that ended... in someone... sh-shooting him dead..." You could practically feel the bile rising in his throat just by looking at him.

"We found vials of... of blood, stored away in the basement to be moved. We never got to hear the story behind them before he got shot. We do know a few things about him, though. Starkey was filming clients with hidden cameras who, er, who... made love with each other in their rooms and selling the videos for profit. He's also working for another man... I can't remember his name right now, but he's a crime lord from space. These are the types of people involved with Rex... He's very dangerous."

Edited 2013-03-21 02:46 (UTC)

It seemed as though this was a lot for a person like Rhys to know. A lot for him to shoulder. He keeps attentive during their conversation, almost like he's storing away each and every little detail into his memory.

So whoever slipped Rhys this drugged pop claimed that they were being blackmailed to assist the true mastermind, named Rex. ...For now, it was all details Ulki would have to take for face value, but it was important nonetheless. Whether he could believe the individual who fed Rhys this information was debatable. Vials of blood... Selling videos of people at the love hotel Rhys mentioned earlier for profit... Still, it was good to hear some names of other staff members who were involved with more investigations. Perhaps he could talk to some of them some other time to figure out what they knew.

It really didn't bode well with him that Rhys knew so much and had to know about these things when it seemed he could hardly handle much of what he was even recalling. That Rhys had to be a part of this. He wished he could shoulder the burden for his friend, that he could just get him out of this dangerous situation. Dangerous person indeed, this business. Rhys could be at risk. He would not have that.

"Do you know more?" he inquired after some moments.

"No. Not about Rex. The drugs, yes. They take on the form of lollipops and are wickedly addictive, each one color-coded to have different effects on the brain. The're being distributed all throughout the city, under-the-table, and even innocent children are being thrust into this." He let his eyelids droop as another tear kissed the tabletop.

Innocent children? What does Rhys mean by that? Ulki knew about the colorful variety of the lollipops being distributed around the city, but Rhys seemed upset about children... They must be dealers as well. He feels that is a sound deduction.

"Can you name any specific children?" He wonders if this has anything to do with Vianca... The more names he could get, the more resources he might have.

"Ai was coerced into selling lollipops, for one. I managed to get her to stop, to my greatest relief." If only he knew...

Ai... That seemed about right. Ulki shuts his eyes. He wasn't sure if this was the time to bring up what seemed to be Ai's and Vianca's collective misfortune... Had Rhys seen the post? He wasn't sure.

"I see. ...How about Vianca?" he asked in the same hushed voice, wondering if she'd followed suit. He doubted it - Vianca didn't seem the type to do such a thing without good reason.

"Vianca...?" Well, Vianca would have to be involved indirectly- Ai was her sister and would be effected in some way by Ai's involvement with drug crime. "No, she wasn't a part of it." A sliver of doubt squirmed through because there was no way he could know for sure, but only for a split second. His doubt that she would be suckered into that outweighed his doubt that he didn't truly know for sure.

Judging from Rhys's reaction, Ulki figured that Rhys hadn't seen Vianca's post. He'd have to make it a point to show him later, when he was feeling better. Or perhaps he'd find it on his own.

Still, he could safely assume that Rhys was right about this - after all, had Vianca been dealing drugs, she'd probably know why she was treated to her flower being plucked of its petals by that girl, Mary. Was that related? Ulki couldn't be sure, but he figures it's a decent conclusion to make on the matter. After all, Vianca's sister was the first to be hurt before Vianca was treated to the same torture. Why could that be, unless there was just a very sadistic girl walking the school? ...Okay, that wasn't out of the question either. But for now, he'd use this bit of information as a part of the grand scheme of things. Somebody did something someone didn't like, told that girl to pluck Ai's petals. Vianca didn't like this, so she was treated to the same fate. Was Ai disobedient? Did she steal the money made from the lollipops for herself? Did she stop selling the drugs?

...It fell into place. Ulki continues his silent thinking and realizes that, if Rhys told Ai to stop selling the lollipops on the basis that he knew they were drugs and told her... Could it be that she was being mistreated because she stopped selling the drugs? That she knew they were harmful drugs since Rhys told her? That sounded like an incredibly strange way to handle things. He'd have to think this through later on.

Right now, he wanted to make sure he could protect Ai, Vianca, and most importantly, Rhys. Rhys could not get smacked with another drug. Who knew if his luck would hold up for him a second time? So perhaps if he knew some details about the lollipops, he could help to save his life in the future.

"Do you recall anything about the drugs you were given?" he asks, returning to his and Rhys's conversation. "A color? Smell? Sensation?"

He was no expert on drugs, but any information could prove to be helpful.

"They... It... was black," he replied, feeling nauseous just thinking about the horrible trip and the subsequent withdrawal he'd been pushed through. "It smelled pleasantly invigorating, like anise or licorice. As for the effects... They were spectacular. I felt like I had slipped through a rabbit hole and into a wild and colorful dream, only the dream felt real. Everything was so vivid, but now I know I was merely hallucinating. All of my senses were tricking me into believing crazy things, like that I was swimming underwater in a fishtank, or that Ike had come to the school and been turned into a bear. Yeah, that was definitely odd."

That Ike had turned into a bear. Yes, that was indeed odd, thought Ulki. But what's more was the color of that lollipop. Were any of the other drug-induced victims getting hit with black lollipops that smelled of anise? From what he'd gathered from his research, the colors that existed - to his knowledge, at least - were red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple. But black? That didn't sound too good.

And the sensation... Well. He couldn't be the one to judge that, so he'd have to see if anybody else knew much more about the different effects of the lollipops and what exactly they were like. Again, the concept of drugs in such availability and form was a bit foreign to Ulki, so the best this information could do for him was two things:

One: be able to recite what Rhys told him about this "black lollipop" and the type of effects it had on him, and Two: determine how difficult it was to come by a black, anise-scented pop. If his suspicions were correct... someone had it out for the priest, and Ulki didn't like that thought much.

The laguz felt that was enough for now. He breathes out and gives Rhys a brief look, one that was less stern and business-like than the previous appearance he gave off. He's concerned for Rhys, but not sure how to communicate it to him.

"I think... it is my turn to tell you something," he says, his volume low as ever. "Did you watch Vianca's network post?" He has a feeling Rhys's answer would be no.

Edited 2013-04-06 01:30 (UTC)

With a glint of fear flashing in his eyes, he shook his head, dreading what was to come next if it was at all related to the subject at hand. "No. I haven't checked the network in some time. I'm afraid staring at a screen for too long makes me feel queasy... Is she alright?"

He remembers Rhys saying something like that before, hence his initial doubt. Now that it was confirmed, he folds his arms on the tabletop and deliberates the way to say what he's trying to tell him.

"Her sister's flower was picked apart," he begins, avoiding eye contact with Rhys. But then he looks at him from the corner of his eye. "Vianca... met with the same fate. That is why I wondered if she had been involved with this, just as you say Ai was."

If Rhys had been swallowing a drink, it would have sprayed everywhere. Instead, he's knocked for a loop while his eyes bulge wide with alarm.

"No!! Why... Why were they targeted?" he sputters, rising to his feet with staggering speed. He has an underlying suspicion he knew what it tied into, but there was still plenty of room for questioning. "Are they okay? Are they hurt?"

He begins to teeter, like he's going to fall any second.

"Please calm down," he urges his companion, lifting a hand and facing his palm toward Rhys. "I spoke with Vianca. She's not sure why Ai was hurt... She would not tell her. On Vianca's part, she was targeted because she was told to keep a secret that she would not keep. Knowing now what you have told me... About Ai. It is hard not to believe that there is some connection."

How could he best try to calm Rhys down? He didn't need to be shouting like this... This was to be a private conversation between the two of them. Nobody else should hear. He had to keep his volume down. Ulki could hear him just fine. He'd have to remind him soon enough.

"Ohhhh... Why must they be involved, of all people?" moaned Rhys, still having trouble keeping himself from collapsing and therefore placing both palms on the table for support. He bowed his head and let his bangs fall all around his vision. "I almost wish I hadn't stopped Ai at all, if this is what she had in store for her... D-do you think... I should have left her alone? I was only trying to look out for her, and yet..."

Rhys choked on bile and staggered forward instead of backward this time. Wanna know what else came forward? An ejection. A technicolor ejection sprung forth from a yawn.

In other words, Rhys totally puked all over the table.

"Urrgh... S-Sorry..." he apologized weakly, doubling over while gripping the back of the chair he was sitting in with white knuckles. "That was so gross. Let me go... clean up..." But he was a trembling mess and didn't go anywhere because he wasn't ready to. "Just... give me a moment."

[[ SWITCHES TENSES fuck everything ]]

...No. Rhys would not do anything more. He wouldn't be cleaning up this mess in this state, and it would be awful to expect that of him. He wouldn't do anything more, not in Ulki's book.

Puking on the table would never be a thing to escape from cleanly, especially when you were sitting close to the other person the way Ulki was. That wasn't the bit that got Ulki. Rhys had been sick. He'd been through a lot more than just this lately, so of course he'd react so strongly to Ulki's news. He frowned at the mess, but stood the moment after he registered what was going on to avoid getting any(more) vomit on his clothes.

For a moment, he just stood silently, thinking over Rhys's violent reaction. But then, he shook his head. "...No. You will do no such thing."

He stepped over to the healer and reached for the back of the chair behind him, pulling it away from the table. Ulki bent forward, giving Rhys a fleeting glance (almost as though he sought approval, but didn't wait to receive it), then hitched his forearm under Rhys's knees while supporting his back with his other arm. He lifted the priest with ease and carried him over to the couch. Ah, this reminded him of something that had happened once before, didn't it...?

The laguz set him down gently. "I will take care of it. ...I'm sorry for bothering you with such news." Especially when he knew Rhys wouldn't take it well.

Edited (GLACE LMAO) 2013-04-28 20:49 (UTC)

Dorm Log The Sequel To End All Sequels

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oh my god grammar fail in my last tag

ha ha I didn't even notice until you pointed it out WOW

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