un: eclipse | video

[soloritur]

[ Marcos shows his face on screen for the first time in what feels like a long time. The last couple months have been hard on everyone, and he's no exception. There's a small white dragon settled beside him, trying to get into the frame, that he pushes back. He knows he shouldn't have it, but it still follows him around like a puppy. It hurts his heart to think that it doesn't know it's dead.

Not what this is about. ]

Hey there. [ He clears his throat. ] Listen, we need to talk. It's... been a rough few weeks. It was hard enough keeping track of everyone when we were separated between the two cities, but now. Now I think it might be time to take stock of survivors. Maybe make a list of who we've lost and who we need to look out for.

[ He remembers all the skeletons in the tower. They didn't seem like an illusion to him. ]

Kaneki is missing. Has been for a while. I wasn't worried until I found something he wouldn't have left behind if he had any choice in the matter. Luckily I got to it first. [ Which is why — ] I might need a hand with a beating heart in a box. I don't know if it has any other power, but the Merchant called it leverage, and I don't think I'm the right person to keep it safe. If anyone wants to take a look I'll send you my location.

[ The dragon makes a noise, and he rubs its head to keep it quiet. Sometimes he feels helpless, but it's important to remind himself of what he says next. ]

I know why most of you wanted to stay, to help these people, but be careful out there. Remember you're not alone.

Comments

[soloritur]

[ He's right there with her. If they hadn't saved a village from a volcano he wouldn't think it was possible to save a city this screwed up, but... enough of them believed that they voted to stay. He just hopes they don't regret it. ]

I'm near the Mouse House. I thought it might have been a good option for storing the heart, but they weren't kidding about that leak. [ Luckily they've got people looking out for the kids. ] I can meet up with you.

[chromiums]

[ situations have felt impossible before (like the volcano), but they've somehow managed to save things. she's also hoping that the impossible can be pulled off again, that it doesn't cost the group their lives in the process.

marcos will start hearing the wind and lorna's footsteps as she starts moving, intent on meeting up with him as close to where he already is as she can. ]

Okay. I'm headed towards you. [ she's quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from her footsteps. ] Do you still have it with you?

[soloritur]

[ He steps further outside to keep an eye out for her. The air here isn't great, so he wasn't planning on staying long either way. The dragon that followed him is already eager to go back. ]

I do. I'm kind of afraid to take it out of my sight until we've got a plan. [ If it is leverage against the undead lords, he's afraid of what might happen if they find it. Or if their kid finds it. ] I don't know how Kaneki kept it hidden for so long. He could have been moving it when he disappeared.

[chromiums]

What are you thinking when it comes to that?

[ she's not expecting anything fully fleshed out, but she knows he's good at thinking on his feet. maybe they can figure out a way to disguise or protect it between the two of them. ]

[soloritur]

[ He'd love to say he had a great idea, but there's a reason he got on the network to ask around. Magic objects really aren't his specialty, and this one is only made creepier by the fact that it's alive. ]

I wish I knew. We could reinforce the box, weld it shut, but I don't think it's safe anywhere in the city. [ Neither are they. ] As far as what happened to Kaneki... It seems like he would have turned up by now if he could. I'm going to see if I can find out who was the last to see him and go from there.

[chromiums]

[ they aren’t hers either, but between the two of them she’d figured there was at least a way to keep it closed, if not entirely safe. it seems like he had the same thought and she smiles in spite of herself; at least that much hasn’t changed.

not that she’ll know whether either of them can do anything until she’s close enough to sense it. ]

No, but maybe we can try to do what you said. Might be better than nothing. [ her voice gets a little somber after he mentions kaneki. ]

Okay. I should catch up to you soon.

[soloritur]

[ That's as good of a solution as he has right now. Lorna could bend some metal around it and he can make sure it's melted shut. Then hope someone can ward it to keep any undead from sensing it. ]

Yeah, maybe. [ He steps further away from the building to try to keep an eye out for her. ] Be careful when you get close. I don't know how safe it is to breathe around here.

[ Marcos shouldn't have stayed as long as he did, but he had to make sure nobody needed rescuing. He rubs his palms together and pulls on his powers. ]

I'll leave a light on for you.

[chromiums]

I doubt anyone's going to want it ending up in the wrong hands any more than he did.

[ she's quiet for another few moments as she fixes the collar of her shirt over her nose and mouth, just in case. there's not much longer to go now and she smiles when she spots the light emanating from his hands. ]

I see you. I'll be there soon.

[soloritur]

[ That's the whole thing though. With no sign of him, Marcos can't be sure if the heart is the reason he's missing. His greatest worry is that it attracted the undead and did something to him.

With no way of knowing he just needs to deal with this. ]

I never understood why the Merchant wanted us to keep this with us. If it's leverage you'd think he'd want it somewhere that isn't in so much danger of getting lost.

[ He spots Lorna a moment later, and sighs in relief that she didn't have any trouble along the way. Around then the air is almost too warm, which he attributes to the leak, and he's glad to see her heed his warning. The dragon perches nearby, watching when he goes to greet her.

He keeps his hand up just long enough to get a better look at her, make sure she's really okay, then lets it dim. They've seen some things he'd really like to forget, but it could be worse. It's already been worse for others.

Sometimes it's easier to focus on the task at hand, so he holds up the box at his side for her to see. ]

...I only looked inside to make sure it was still in there. Maybe we could find some metal to wrap around it?

[chromiums]

[ that's a frightening thought, and something she definitely doesn't want confirmed with firsthand knowledge. her pace increases a bit as she gets closer, nodding to him once she can tell that he sees her. the little dragon watches as she makes her way up to him and she nods to it too before she reaches marcos, reaching for his free hand. ]

I was thinking the same. Maybe weld it shut once we do. [ she glances around briefly, then considers what she has on her - there's her headpiece, somewhere; maybe that would do the trick. ] Maybe we could ask, if anyone else has checked in?

[soloritur]

[ He really doesn't know what else to do but hope someone else comes along who does. Kaneki never told him if he got anyone else to study the heart, so it's just as much of a mystery as it was the day they picked it up in the graveyard. ]

Wrathion offered to take a look. [ Hopefully he'll have come with a suggestion on where to store it. ] I don't feel right even having it, but I wasn't going to leave it behind. We just have to be careful.

[chromiums]

[ lorna nods, in agreement that it shouldn't be left around, especially with the undead roaming around. ]

We will be. [ it's spoken with more confidence than she's actually feeling, but she's hoping that will end up inspiring some in both of them. she takes hold of his hand and squeezes it lightly. ] Did he say where he was? Maybe we can meet up with him.

[soloritur]

[ He hasn't figured out those logistics yet, but he trusts Wrathion. All that talk over the network about the last living organ makes him think he's not going to waste time getting over here if he can help it. ]

That's our next stop. [ He squeezes Lorna's hand back, and if he wasn't still holding the box, he'd be pulling her into an embrace by now. The stress of all this has to be getting to her too. ]

This isn't what I'm used to smuggling, but I can do that much. [ He still wants it sealed. ] I don't think it's going to help with what's going on, but anything to keep it out of the wrong hands.

[chromiums]

[ there's time for that once they meet up with wrathion and have a better idea of what they're going to do with the heart. lorna squeezes back one more time, then lets go to offer to take hold of the box, both to take a closer look and to feel if there's any metal on or around it that she can manipulate closed. ]

How far is he? [ she tests the weight of it, running her fingers along the edge of the opening before she looks back up at him. ] And is he somewhere inside?

[soloritur]

[ Marcos lets her take a look at the box, even if he's more apprehensive now that he knows more about what's inside. Suddenly they're holding something that could change all their fates. It's really more like a hostage situation than anything else. ]

He was barricaded in a building, but I don't know where. I'm not sure how easy it'll be for him to get here or how long it'll take.

[ So it's up to them to keep it secure until then. He looks at the structure behind them. The air isn't good, but if they're quick they might be able to dig around for something usable. ]

We can probably find some scrap metal down here somewhere. At least we can make sure it won't accidentally fly open.