deercountry | (open) you're looking at me like you don't know who i am

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(open) you're looking at me like you don't know who i am

Who: Ange, Ruby, Break, and anyone who knows any of them.
What: Corruption turned Ange into a true Umineko witch who decided the best way to keep the people she loves safe from this town is to drag them into a pocket dimension.
When: For a while in March.
Where: Ange and Ruby's house-turned-small-pocket-dimension.

Content Warnings: Potential violence if anyone acts particularly antagonistic. Potential talk of violence or gore. Other warnings will be added when things pop up.

Perhaps you have seen Ruby's odd network post and decided to check things out. Or maybe you're just wandering around Trench and notice that Ange and Ruby's house suddenly looks.. different.

The house has been completely overgrown by way oversized roses, big thorns growing out of all the stems, completely obscuring the structure that's supposed to be underneath it. If you get close enough to the cluster of roses, you may feel your connection to any of the three people inside suddenly pull you in. (Please note: only people who know either Ange, Ruby or Break will be able to enter the pocket dimension because of this!)

If you give in to the sensation, everything around you might go black, and when the light returns, you seem to find yourself in.. a hedge maze. A rather odd one, though. As you stumble through it, you may suddenly find yourself in random rooms, and then back out of them into the hedge maze once more. The Moss King's wild plants seem to have even invaded corners of this place, so you might want to watch out you avoid having those snap at you. Retracing your steps through the labyrinth feels impossible, like the way is changing up behind you with every step. Some rooms make perfect sense - like a neat and elaborate kitchen, or a library - and others seem to consist of nonsense with stairs leading upside down or to nowhere, or gravity not working in a specific room at all.

Flying throughout the entire maze are golden butterflies. They seem to fly with direction, and if you follow them, you might find them leading you to one of the people you were looking for..

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[ She shakes her head, though - for the moment - she doesn't seem to try and shake off his touch. ]

It's not out of nowhere at all! Isn't it obvious? Trench is a shithole!

[ .. well, that's a little more like the usual Ange at least, since the choice of words is just a little too human in comparison.. Not that it seems to change anything about her still odd appearance though, that stays the same. ]

It's constantly threatening people every single month. It keeps putting the people I love into danger! How is me no longer wanting to put up with that now a sudden thing?!

That's not the sudden part! The sudden part is that you've decided to just... build a little castle. You came to Rokkenjima to try and break one of those.

[ Sure, she's changed. They've all changed. But trying to hide from the world like this isn't something he thinks of as something she'd do. No, she'd go find the Pthumerians and punch them in the face herself. ]

You go to the root of the problem. You don't try to wall yourself off from it. Or... at least that's what I remember you doing.

[ He gives her a little squeeze with his hand. ]

...I'm just worried about you as much as you're worried about me.

You can't fight these Pthumerians.

[ There's a twitch, like Ange wants to pull away from his touch, though she doesn't end up doing so in the end. Instead she just remains standing there, staring at him. ]

If it was that easy, don't you think I would've done it already? [ God. She'd love to, honestly. Especially a certain few of them. It's even something she's discussed with someone she knew in this place, but she knows it's too risky for too little chance of a reward. Ange is too practical in that sense. ] Even if I'd now be powerful enough to take one on, it'd cause so many casualties.

[ There's no way she could believe the city would be unharmed in the process, one way or another. ]

This is the only way. It's the last chance we've got left. I don't just want to give up and do nothing.

[ Some emotion is in her voice as she says it, making her voice shake, but it disappears as she swallows and then continues. Like she's steeling herself, making her cold. ]

If you don't believe in me, you can just leave this place and abandon me again. [ It's definitely not the sort of thing Ange would ever say to him if she was in her right mind.

But she's not right now. That's the entire problem. ]

[ This conversation hurts. Partially because, yes, he can see Ange in this. Her desire to protect others, her desire to put things to right. It's all there - but then she goes and says something like that, something that hurts and digs into him like a knife, and... he's right back to thinking something is wrong.

His grip on her arm tightens, his face settling into an expression that's somewhere between worried and angry. It's hard not to feel hurt by that. Impossible, even. But he's trying to remind himself that Ange isn't... well. She's not herself right now, is she? ]

I told you once before - I'm not going to abandon you.

[ And he meant it. He won't leave her alone, not if he can help it. ]

But I also don't know if this is right. We've disagreed before, haven't we? Think smarter - there's got to be ways that aren't mass destruction of the whole city or just... walling yourself off into a castle in the sky!

Then what are those ways?

[ At least there's no fire or anger in her voice as she asks that now. She just doesn't get where he's trying to go with this, not in her current form. She can't see a flaw with her current plan, after all. And apparently Battler does - we've disagreed before, he says, and he's right, so at least she can blame him not seeming to understand the merit of what she's doing here on that - but..

Then what else is there?

Like Ange said just now, this is the only way. Or rather, it feels like the only way to her. ]

If you can think of a better plan, I'll follow your lead, onii-chan. [ Despite her corruption, she can at least agree to that. She just wants to keep everyone safe, after all.

The way in which she does it doesn't even particularly matter. ]

But you can't, right? I can't either. So I'm not leaving this place. I'm not going back to Trench.

[ Battler doesn't honestly have a good answer to that. But he knows what it feels like to be at the mercy of beings that seem completely beyond your own ability to do anything. What it feels like to desperately want to protect the people around you, even as it all falls apart. ]

...I don't know if I have a plan for that. Not yet.

[ He takes a deep breath. ]

...I'm not going to try and force you to do anything, you know. I just... want you to think about what's happening.

[ Ange doesn't reply to him directly this time around.

Instead she's just quiet, letting the dead air hang between them for a few moments after Battler is done saying that last part. It's hard to tell what she's thinking - or if she's thinking at all. Her expression doesn't seem to be giving away a whole lot here. Even less than usually with her pokerface, really.

It's only after a few quiet moments that she speaks up again. ]

And what are you going to do then?

[ Not in the same sense she asked a moment ago. This isn't about a plan, since he already answered that part. It's just.. ]

Are you going to stay here? Or are you going to leave? [ No guilt trip attached to it this time, apparently. The question is left completely open for him. ]

...I don't think I can stay.

[ He responds quietly. ]

I'll come back. But I don't know about stay. But I will always come back for you, Ange. That's a promise.

[ Ange exhales. Then nods.

It seems that she at least won't stop Battler from leaving if he wants to, even in this corrupted form. But-- ]

You won't be able to come back. I'll have to seal this place off sooner or later. While there's still an opening between this place and Trench, the Pthumerians are going to continue trying to get through. [ She's seen the plants too, after all. It's the Moss King trying to invade even this place.

And Ange can't see any other solution to stop it. ]

So this might be the last time we see each other.

[ Oh, that hurts. More than he thought it would. He sucks in a breath. ]

...if that's what you feel you have to do.

[ He feels choked up, all of a sudden. ]

It - I don't know. I guess it depends on what Beato wants, too. I... You both matter so much to me.

[ Something about her expression drops. It's impossible to see from her eyes, given her current state, but the way the corners of her mouth turn down makes it a little more obvious.

Even in this state, seeing Battler like this isn't something that leaves Ange cold or unfeeling. She cares for Battler, even now. She doesn't want him to be sad.

She reaches out, slowly putting a hand on his shoulder. ]

It's okay. You can stay with her.

[ A few years ago she may have said the exact opposite, especially in this corrupted state. But right now-- she can say this and mean it. ]

I'll miss you, but I.. understand. I just feel sorry that I won't be able to keep you safe. Make sure she does that in my place, alright..?

You never know. She might decide she wants to come along and see where you end up.

[ Battler smiles. It's sad and he's trying. He loves her dearly - but they've done this before, haven't they? Gone their separate ways? ]

Don't you worry. She'll burn the world down before she lets anything happen. You know that.

.. yeah. I know.

[ For all it's worth, and for all that has happened.. Ange does trust Battler with Beatrice. At least in the sense that she knows Beatrice won't let anything seriously bad happen to Battler, even if Ange isn't around to yell at her over it.

.. at least it's one small reassurance. ]

I.. suppose we should say goodbye now then, huh.

...I guess so.

[ This feels harder, somehow. He slowly slides to his feet and opens his arms, wanting to give her a hug. ]

I love you, Ange. And that'll never stop being true.

[ She does allow the hug. Even if Ange doesn't seem to reciprocate it much - not at first. Instead she just walks into those arms, only standing there for a few moments even if those arms close around her.

It's only after those few moments that she, too, slowly moves her arms to cling back onto him in return. Not too tight, but-- it's still a touch in return. ]

I love you too.

[ Corruption didn't change that. Just like how it didn't change her romantic love for Ruby, it also didn't alter her familial love for her big brother. ]

I won't forget you.

[ Ange is... off. And he knows that. But he can't force his wya into her head to change things. So he's doing the next best thing that he can and loving her, without reservation. Without judgement.

Without love, it cannot be seen. ]

I know. And I won't forget you. You're always my little sister, no matter what happens. No matter where we end up, no matter how far apart we are, no matter whether I live or die... I love you. More than I can say.

[ He's squeezing her tight, because he doesn't want to let go.

He's never wanted to, really. But the choice has never been up to him. ]

[ Even aside from the corruption - it's a fact that Ange has grown a little better at accepting lately. Not that it doesn't still hurt, but.. it doesn't quite destroy her life the way it used to. The way it had for years upon years.

Even if, ironically enough, it is the corruption that's making her do all of this in the first place. That's causing any separation in the first place.

So though the girl lingers in the hug for a few moments, she then suddenly turns her head to look up at him, speaking up.

It's still a little quiet. ]

.. you should go now.

[ It's not an order, or anything strict. If anything, it sounds like Ange is trying to rip off a bandaid in one go here, rather than letting this linger to a point where it could hurt either of them.

She doesn't step out of the hug either as she says it - like she's waiting for him to let go first. ]

[ He doesn't really want to go. This feels like saying "goodbye" permanently. Forever. Maybe even more than the last time. It's something he knew would happen eventually. All things end.

But he doesn't want to. Not yet. ]

...just give me a few more minutes.

[ He's still hugging her tightly. Because once he lets go he's going to have to leave and that will be the end of it. ]

Just long exactly are you planning on lingering..?

[ And yet, despite Ange saying those words, she's not letting go first. Not right now, anyway. Maybe if he would absolutely take too long, but.. it seems like she doesn't truly mind those few moments more.

Even if they're also complicated, in some ways. ]

It might just end up being harder to go this way.

...I don't know, yet.

[ He murmurs, burying his face against her hair. ]

But it was always gonna be hard. It's not like I'll miss you any less.

[ There's a pause on Ange's end.

When the girl speaks up again, it's little more than a mumble, though it should still be audible enough to Battler with how close the two of them are in this moment. ]

Is this your attempt to try to get me to leave after all..?

[ Her tone isn't necessary accusatory - though it's hard to do that when your voice is just a mumble, right.

Instead it sounds more.. almost confused. Ange gets that this would hurt for him, since it hurts for her too, but maybe she just didn't imagine the sheer extent of it.

(Ange, you fool, you should always expect Battler to either cry or near-cry.) ]

...no.

[ He laughs shakily. ]

But if it works, I'll say yes.

[ That's a joke. He stifles a little sniffle, still not willing to just let go. Once he turns and walks away, he won't be able to stop. He knows that. ]

.. I'm sorry.

[ For all of this, she means, even though her corrupted mind is still determined to go through with it.

But also for what she's about to do. Since Ange can do something here, being completely in control of this dimension. Battler may feel his body slowly starting to turn into golden butterflies, no matter how much he tries to hold on to her. ]

And.. goodbye, onii-chan.

[ After she says that, he'll find himself blacking out entirely - only to regain consciousness and sight right back on the streets of Trench, outside of the pocket dimension he managed to go into before.

Even if he tries to go back to Ruby and Ange's house to try and get back in, it's like the gate will no longer open for him. ]

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