Halloween Party

Chel was relieved when Mulan woke up. That was a start. But then the kid noticed the cages, and her friend, and started breaking down again. Just like she'd feared. "Don't look if you don't want to." Chel said, wrapping her arms around Mulan. "Just close your eyes." She noticed everyone grabbing envelopes from the cages, and guessed immediately where theirs were. Mulan's was easy to figure out. "You stay here. I'll go get yours for you."

She stood back up and went over to Sinbad's cage, plucking the letter from it. She tried not to gag from the smell. Then she walked over to Tobias'. Smell was bad, but she still lingered. Fucker got what he deserved, in her opinion. Too bad she hadn't seen it herself. She turned and walked back to Mulan, handing her the letter. "You'll need to open it. I doubt he'd want me getting snoopy." Chel told her quietly.

Mulan wipes her face and sniffles into Chel's shoulder before she'd decided to go get the envelopes everyone was reading. Mulan found herself unable to look away from Sinbad. What an awful life she'd been living. He didn't deserve this, not at all. To be showcased for her reaction. He deserved to be buried, or cremated.

Mulan looks up as Chel returns. Mulan pushes her hair out of her face and takes the envelope from Chel. She laughs a little bit, "Heh, you're right." Mulan rips the envelope open. She looks up at Chel, attempting a small reassuring smile. As she does this, she catches glimpse Jim-dying. She's mesmerized by him for a moment before she looks away. And pulls out the card to her envelope. Her eyes skim and her face falls. She wondered if someone had a card identical to hers. She didn't know. But if it meant she'd have an advantage in the next game, she'd do it. She had to get revenge against the guard who killed Sinbad.

Chel was glad to see her recover--if only a little bit. But it would be enough. Had to be.

She opened her own envelope, and carefully scanned the words. She paused, hoping she'd misread something, but it was clear as crystal. He had to be joking. Here, of all places? With people dying around them? There was no way anyone would... Well, she had to give it a try. It didn't specify if she'd die for failing, but she didn't want to chance it. She looked around, trying to figure out who'd go alone. Dimitri was out, that was for sure. Cillian seemed occupied with the young brunette. That man with the goatee--Tulio, she remembered from his file-- seemed too affected by the task. The other was just a kid. Way too creepy. The others were still out of it. Right now that left.... oh shit. She glanced at the unconscious players, praying that they woke soon. She was NOT going for Moses. She remembered his file, his crimes.

Mulan looks to Chel. Hers had to be pretty bad too. Milan stands and wipes her face again. "I hope my eyes aren't red." She smiles weakly at Chel. Milan didn't know how to do this. She wanted someone she knew. A lot of people were still unconscious. If only Jim were alive, er able to walk. "Man this is a.. really fucked up place." Mulan smiles at Chel. "Don't worry about me. These uh.. episodes.. come and go like rain or something. I'm cool now. Thanks for.. caring. But I'm okay. I guess it's time for me to grow up and handle the consequences."

Mulan looks around before smirking. She suddenly felt herself. "Where'd all these newbies come from? Lucky bastards haven't seen shit yet... Well they may have." Mulan looks back to Jim. She felt she should at least say something to him. Even if he couldn't reply. She might even find strength to talk to Sinbad too.

His eyes softly opening as fresh air once again invaded his lungs, prompting him to slowly cough and open his slit eyes once more, an unnerving feeling bothering the back of his head. Sitting straight, Hattori Hanzö passed his hand on the back of his head slowly, seeking to regain some composure, and was quickly confronted with the horror Korso had set up for them. He gazed upon it with a long frown, finally getting up as he scanned the area to find the others around him.

"Norewood." he murmured slowly as he moved towards the only prisoner he had come to respect ever since being brought into Darkstone. Somehow, there would have to be something they could do. Perhaps inside the cages would lie something?

Tulio flinched slightly as he heard another cry of anger and a few sobs. It was really a bad choice to befriend people in this place. But he didn't care. If he might die in this place, he'd rather not die without anyone close. Tulio had enough of being alone in his life before prison. Dark, blue eyes glanced over at the Asian and the Hispanic females. Although her latest comment about the newbie prisoners being lucky bastards kind of irked him, Tulio had to slightly agree with her. This had been the second time he had seen dead people. He felt a satisfaction from the first deaths he'd caused and seen, since they deserved it completely. But the people in the cages? He had memorized the files, so he believed some of them didn't even deserve to die. Tulio sighed softly before looking over at Kida's sleeping body. She'd been sleeping too long. He walked over to her body and crouch down, slightly moving her shoulder gently to wake her up. "Kida?"

Dimitri felt dead inside, and as if all energy had left his body. He was surprised by his own strength when he managed to life his arm to recieve the envelope Megara was handing him. This had come from... Kuzco's cage?
He looked down at it, scared to open it, but at the same time curious. For the longest moment he simply stared at it before he ripped it open and read the letter. He didn't understand this at all. At first he wondered if it was only because of his dulled mind, but then he was sure that none of this made sense to anyone.
After curling up his letter and shoving it into the pocket of his prisonersuit, he stood up slowly and walked over to the cage with tears in his eyes. The smell threatened to choke him every second, but he continued walking until he was close enough to touch the bars of the cage. He wanted to know how he'd died. If there were any bullet holes, any signs of torture, but to his relief it didn't seem like his death had been part of any greater horror. That was, until he moved.
Kuzco's eyes opened a little to look at him, and Dimitri fell back against the ground, hurting himself by hitting his shoulder against a rock. A squeel escaped his lips, but he could not utter a single word. He could only stare. And stare. And hope that what he'd seen had been a hallusination. But it hadn't, he kept moving. And every movement tore a new piece out of Dimitri.

The emotional outbursts here and there were very much like flies: loud, annoying, and impossible to get rid of. Dark hues watched as all clung together in groups of two or three, but Moses didn't feel any need to join them. One person was all he needed. One person for one simple action. It'd be easy enough to use one of those who were still unconscious, but he figured using someone awake was a better idea. Or in the very least a more fun one. The consequences of his task, however, were a mystery. Perhaps it meant nothing, perhaps it did. All in all it was rather cryptic - just how he liked it. At the same time it made him almost unbearably curious as to the other messages and their nature. Oh, but he knew very well it wouldn't do any good to try and find out. No matter. There were no secrets that remained as they were forever, especially these kind of secrets.

Even so, having to stand around and waiting for something even remotely interesting to happen. Maybe the tragedies would have intrigued him more had he known any of the prisoners better, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Finally his feet brought him to the male that had been screaming so... indignantly (or perhaps desperately was a better word?) before. Or rather, the cage closest to him. Judging from the reaction, Dimitri had come to the same conclusion as Moses. Not all of the corpses were actually dead. "I'm guessing you knew him?" he inquired, lacing sympathy through his voice while he studied the face of the soon-to-be-dead man. Slender digits crept between the bars and pried open cracked lips so he could take a look inside, confirming his suspicions. It wouldn't be long before this one met eternal sleep. "Looks like his tongue was cut out." Grimacing, he retracting his hand before looking over to the fallen Dimitri. "I suggest that if you have anything to say to him, you say it to him now while he can still here you."

Dimitri stared at the man who had walked over in pure disbelief and hatred. Was he really speaking of Kuzco like that? He must be a psycopath, Dimitri rendered, but at this specific point in time Dimitri didn't care if he was or not.
"He's still alive you bastard! Help me get him out!" he pleaded and struggled back to his feet, tearing at the bars of the cage. It wouldn't budge. It only seemed to make the cage move back and forth and cause Kuzco further pain. Was there really no way to save him? In desperation, he kept trying, tearing at the door and the lock and the bars. There had to be some way.. there just had to be..

Jane lifted her head and pulled a bit away from Cillian, looking at the man who had come closer to them. "Hey.", she smiled softly at him. She somehow felt weird, being around the man she loved and the man she shared a kiss. Though it was only a friendly kiss.

"How are you Shang?", she tilted her head looking at him. She hadn't seen him for a while.

Aladdin started to look around him. He saw that some of the people were approaching the cages, and picking up envelopes from inside of them. He couldn’t make out the words written on the front of the envelopes, but he guessed that they must be marked with names. Slowly, he stood up, and walked over to the cage nearest him.

The body in the cage was that of a young woman, was about his age. She had short brown hair, and she was lying on her side, so he couldn’t see her face, though he could see a slight rise and fall of her chest. She was still alive, though barely. He could see a small piece of paper peeking out from under one of her arms. That must be one of the envelopes, he thought. Delicately, as not to disturb her, he pulled the envelope out from under her pale arm, and read the front; Aladdin Bashar.

He opened it and read the note inside. He was silent for a while, reading the words.

So this is some kind of game?

Chel looked down as Mulan spoke again, returning the weak smile. Good, she was pulling herself together. "Hey, always here to help." she assured her, chuckling. She turned her attention back to the others. Dimitri was still mourning a dying Kuzco. Hopefully he'd recover quickly, too, before Korso got impatient. That ninja guy Mulan liked was up now. Maybe he'd be good for her task. Seemed like a reasonable person.

"Shit, I hope we got enough time..." she mumbled.

Cillian sighed and smiled sadly when she told him she had missed him. Wrapping one arm around her. "I've missed you too.." Cillian whispered as he pressed his lips against her forehead ever so shortly. Noticing Hanzo awake. Jane seemed to pull away when Hanzo came closer. That made Cillian smile a bit. He wasn't too fond of making someone the third wheel anyway. Standing up. Giving the male a polite nod when he got near. "I should say that I am happy to see you alive." Cillian said as he gave Hanzo a smile. Those in cages were dead. Or dying. But the ones on the ground were not promised to stay alive either. Anything could happen. Looking around. Chel seemed to have her eyes on Hanzo. Cillian wondered what Jane would have for task. Maybe he should go find her enveloppe. "Jane you want me to find the enveloppe for you, you two can talk for a moment if you want to."

Mulan smiles. "Me too." Mulan looks over at Hanzo as Chel does. She squints her eyes at him momentarily before making a decision. "I'll be back." Mulan concludes, walking over to Jim's cage. She holds onto the rail as he dies. She knew he couldn't reply, the newbie had said so. They might not even be newbies. Old to them new to her. "You really didn't even deserve to be here you know. I mean whatever you were doing with your 'doctor' ethic couldn't have been too bad. Couldn't kill people. You were too nice..." Mulan trails off. She sighs heavily. "Look, I'm sorry this happened to you. Really I am." She turns to leave before she notices the envelope with Hattori's name on it.

"Kida," the voice echoed in her ears. It was a man's voice but her head ached so horribly that she couldn't think of who it could possibly be. She felt her shoulder moving and her eyes blinked open to see a concerned Tulio. "Tulio?" Her voice was quiet. Her eyes stared into his and she began to hear other voices. She looked over to see other men and women, all with similar expressions. "What--" she began to say as her voice started coming back.

Her voice faded away quick as her eyes widened when she saw the human cages before her. She heard cries and whimpers. Mulan. Chel. Aladdin. Anastasia. Esmeralda. She stared at Esmeralda, her former cellmate was in a cage, nearly lifeless. No. Taking a brisk frightened breath, Kida began to feel dizzy. She reached for Tulio's shoulders with her arms to try and regain her balance. Her grip was tight and she stared into Tulio's eyes with as serious a face as imaginable. "Tulio. What the hell is going on here?"

((OOC: Sorry for coming in late! I was busy on Halloween.))

Tulio sighed softly in relief when she awoke quickly. The watched with concern when he saw her expression, her gaze wavered at something behind him. He followed her gaze to see Esmeralda's lifeless body in one of the cages. Tulio had almost forgotten that Esmeralda and Kida knew each other in this prison. He grimaced slightly as he helped Kida up onto her feet. "A task, I believe." Tulio answered in a serious, solemn tone. Tulio gazed over at the other empty cage with a worried expression. "Everyone has been finding letters addressed to them. Yours is in that cage." He informed, motioning his head toward the other empty cage.

Psychopath may or may not have been a bit exaggerated. If anything, it would appear Dimitri was a bit blinded by his own emotions. Why should a newbie care about someone he had never even seen before? More importantly, why should he care about someone dying? Horrid as it might be, it was inevitable. One would expect such vicious prisoners to have seen a lot worse than a missing tongue. For a moment Moses was left wondering whether or not he was going to step in like a kind man would. This kind of ridiculous thing was only causing more pain - though, did he really have a problem with that? A difficult question. This man didn't seem very useful, broken down as he was. Brows furrowed, the darker male took a step back from the cage, hands raised in the air defensively. Sentiment wasn't an advantage. If only they could appreciate the voice of reason...

Please, don't disappoint me. A surprisingly strong hand gripped the other's upper arm, pulling him away from the cage and the dying man within it. "Could you just stop and think for a moment?" Moses hissed with perfectly feigned frustration, tightening his hold slightly. "Even if there was a way to get him out of there, how would you keep him alive? All you're doing now is making matters worse, out of selfish desire. Do you wish to comfort him, or increase his suffering?"

Dimitri stared dumbly at the stronger man. The grip had triggered a certain fear in him that he would not admit to. What was he saying? Of course he wanted to comfort him, he wanted him out of that cage! Dimitri was unaware that the best thing for Kuzco was to die now, but he refused to even think of such matters. That couldn't be the only way.
"He doesn't have to die," he said softly, choking on his own words. "Just help me get him out of there.. please." The last word was more of a cry than anything, but the time for pride was long gone, and he did not seem to care anymore.

A soft sigh of relief that wasn't even entirely fake drifted through the air and Moses released the other male. Would that leave a bruise? Possibly. "I'm telling you, he's going to die either way," he murmured under his breath, looking back at the caged man. "He has already lost too much blood. It's not like there's a hospital we can take him to, is it now?"

Yet, in spite of his own words, he let his eyes wander over the construction, looking for weak spots. The real problem here was that they didn't have much to work with. Slender digits felt at the lock as he studied it, pursing his lips slightly. A bundle of muscles wouldn't be enough, especially if they wanted to keep its occupant unharmed... as far as that was still possible. "Does anyone have a hairpin or something?" the prisoner called over his shoulder, though he severely doubted anyone still had any personal possessions of the kind.

Tulio glanced over the scene between the sickened, angry male and Moses. e winced at the mention of one of the bodies being barely alive. Which meant that there had to be more like that poor soul, since Moses had checked one body's pulse earlier. It also meant that their friends were watching them suffer if the lucky living prisoners had noticed that their friends were barely alive still. Tulio really hoped that Esmeralda wasn't suffering. And he wasn't going to check either. Kida would probably catch on if he did that.

Tulio grimaced at Mose's question, shaking his head on instinct. He really did wish that he had something like that in his possession. Tulio felt sympathy for the broken, grim male.

Mulan glances over her shoulder. The newbie, or at least, new to her, had asked for a bobby pin. She scoffs loudly enough for him to her. Though it wasn't intentional. But she found that question to be so unnecessary she had to input. Especially after the one with the goatee shook his head. She noticed Kida had woken up. She would speak to her. Right after this.
"No. I'm a little more than positive that even if someone does have a bobby pin, that you wouldn't be able to unlock the cage anyway. The warden wouldn't make it that easy." Mulan smirks after she spoke. "You're better off pulling his body through the bars." She hisses bitterly. She was a little more poisonous at this moment than her usual angry self. Seeing Sinbad's physical body now was anything but pleasant. "And that look on your face, it reminds me of mine." She sneers.

Meg hadn't moved from her spot for what seemed like forever. It was hard to see. Everyone in such torment...especially Dimitri. But Moses was right..even if they were trapped in those cages, they wouldn't be living for long.
Something shined up from the grass, catching her eyes. She rolled it between her fingers, feeling the weight and shape of it. Before she knew it, she was walking over towards Dimitri..towards Kuzco's cage. She pushed passed Moses and Dimitri, shoving the key in the lock and twisting. The door flung open and Kuzco's body crashed to the ground.
She released her breathe and looked back to the cage, the key broken in the lock.

Mulan stares with surprise before applauding. "Well what do you know." Mulan looks back to Jim and sighs sadly. He was only a few years older than she was. The only one that looked about her age or a tad older was someone she hadn't seen before. She wondered if these people's files were in the cells..

Kida half-watched the scene in front of her. Thoughts poured in through her mind. Grunting, she stood up and gave a small nod to Tulio. She walked around the two men and looked inside the empty cage that Tulio had gestured to. She glanced to the right, seeing Esmeralda's body. She was once so alive... but now.

Kida felt a lump in her throat. She quickly looked down and held onto her cage with her right hand, tightly. "Esme, what did you do to get this way?" Grabbing her envelope with her own name on it, she opened it while listening to Mulan speak in the background. Those two men might look hysterical, but she did not blame them for their actions. She probably would have done the same. Reading her note, Kida stared at it blankly before tucking it away. She began to walk back to Tulio.

She felt the urge well up inside her. It would be her first in months. Kida saw a woman from the corner of her eye inserting something into the cage everybody was looking at. This is the perfect chance. Timed precisely, she walked past a cage holding a long-haired brunette, stealthily reaching into it, aiming for the lone envelope and then subtly hiding it in her jumpsuit sleeve as she heard Kuzco's corpse smash onto the ground. Holding her envelope in one hand and hiding the other one in her sleeve, she made her way back to Tulio. She wouldn't intervene with the scene that was going on, yet.

Tulio watched Megara with curious eyes as she picked something up off the ground and made her way to the cage. Perhaps she had found something, Tulio thought as he looked away. He winced at the sounds of a body falling onto the ground. Oh yes, she did find something. Tulio wondered if Korso had planned for that to happen. He sighed softly, ignoring the questions nagging at his mind. Tulio needed his mind to be clear and his emotions on the down-low.

Sudden movement in the corner of his eye, caused his attention back to Kida. He caught a glimpse of her hand coming out of another cage. Then studied her as she made her way back to him, his dreaded feeling increasing. There were dead bodies in cages all around him and people were reading notes that contained secrets only for them. So of course this feeling was strong.