cradleproject | WEEK FIVE

WEEK FIVE

the pygmalion. . .

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CAPTAIN'S LOG:
WEEK (5)

monday - thursday

(33) survivors

It had been merely a week since the last trial, but you find yourself faced with a new week on The Pygmalion. When you awaken, you will find the handcuff around your wrist gone. The robot in the cafeteria has prepared another breakfast of various foods.

(OOC: Please submit your murder proposals by 9 PM EST Tuesday.)
taken list
profiles
private conversations
setting
rulebook
murder proposals

ENTER COMMAND_

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[ It was like one big funeral - a glass case for all of their items out of reach. A memoriam, she thinks. Elizabeth had long since succumbed to the thought that she may not leave this place alive, but this motive... it has her doubts. It gives her that brief second of weakness. Her own objects weren't far off from Jacks - a key, ticket on the First Lady zeppelin to Paris and a frame much like his. Of course, instead of a young girl, hers was of a grislier man around Jack's age - a face she long thought she'd never see again.

The demeanor the girl has when she sees Jack and hears the tone in his voice is echoed. She slaps at the glass in a flurry of movement, her knuckles beginning to redden as slaps of frustration turn into punches. He was right - they did their homework. Everyone had - her entire life was about things she doesn't understand and her frustrations were there. She stops, catching her breath as she holds onto her hand. She's close to sobbing, her eyes swelled up but she's trying to regain her composure. A lady always had that, after all. ]

They'll pay. They'll surely pay for every sin they've caused us to commit. For those killed - for Booker, for - [ She didn't quite see the little girl yet, but when she approaches Jack with the a fire inside of her unlike he had seen, she stops. ] Oh... ... is she...?

[ In truth, Jack hadn't been paying much attention at first to anyone around him. He was focused on his own item, wanting to smash through the glass just as much to take out that simple picture frame, but after a few weeks, he at least knows that it would be a wasted effort. That cools some of the anger that's bubbled up inside him, and granted, if the response around him had been differed, it probably would have surfaced.

He looks away from Angel as Elizabeth bangs at the glass, but his arms are crossed defensively, and he makes no move to step forward and comfort her. Yet once she starts speaking, her words surprise him more than a little. She was a fairly gentle, even naive young woman by his impression of her, so that vicious vitriol takes him by surprise.

Not that he disagrees, of course. Oh, no, if he finds out who's behind this? They've earned that sort of ten-out-of-ten murder that he had described to Fiona, even just for this. He went through such measures to make sure that Angel was safe from anyone coming after her because of what her father did. So seeing this photo here now scares him, though he'd never admit it. It means they know. They know who Angel is, and though the photo couldn't be replaced if it was lost, it actually just makes him worry more about how these motives escalate. ]

They will--

[ Jack starts, and there's a cold, vicious tone there, but it's also actually rather quickly cut off and withdrawn as Elizabeth's attention turns to his own photo. His arms tense, crossing more tightly, but this isn't a subject he can actually avoid. His voice is softer when he speaks about Angel, but it's still very guarded. ]

Uh- Yeah. That's... That's my baby girl.

[ He really doesn't want to explain more than he has to there, so instead he tries to change the subject, or at least to tie two together so that he doesn't have to say as much. He looks at the contents of Elizabeth's glass case, then nods to the photo. ]

Looks like we've got a photo gallery going on here.

[ She had thrown her tantrum, the frustration akin to a teenager and fitting for her regardless of what time period. Her face as flushed red as if she had been yelling for hours. No crying, not now. Elizabeth had taken care to calm herself down, to see that this wasn't just about her and her suffering. Everyone here had items lining up and yes, the other photo now caught her attention. ]

I see. [ Elizabeth won't push - it's not in her nature to take someone's weakness and twist it against them. The only time she had, it as to get her out of Columbia. To get Booker to agree to take her to Paris. Fat luck that did for her, huh? The man in her photo was nothing in comparison to Jack's girl (of that she knows). He's a stranger, but she feels so invested to him- drawn to him for her salvation. It figures that was what they took. ] It does look that way, doesn't it?

I'm sorry - for what it's worth. That she's... she's dragged into this. [ Regardless of how she feels about Jack (which is positive most of the time), no one deserves to have a bargaining chip that steep. ] She'll be fine. We have to hold faith that these - they're all threats. No one's been able to accomplish what they hoped to. No promise of knowledge, wealth... it falls short.

[ He's thankful that she doesn't push, and again that surprises him in a small way. He's definitely used to the sort of enviornment of Hyperion and even Pandora where everyone is waiting to use your weakness against you at the drop of the hat (or at least, that's how he perceives it), so the small consideration in not digging further is one he notices. Even with the fact that he even has a daughter now on display, it really just makes him all the more reluctant to speak about her any more. Just in case whoever was managing to do all this didn't know everything, he didn't want to give any more ammunition at all.

She shouldn't be dragged into this, he thinks just as Elizabeth vocalizes the same thing. He breathes out a sound that might be a laugh, though if it is, it's certainly a sarcastic one. ]

In this case, I'm way more invested that someone does kill someone. Can't--

[ He pauses, hesitates, then sighs as he reaches up to rub the back of his head. ]

Can't replace that photo if it gets destroyed. She's, well, she's not that little anymore.

[ It's still a lot for him to admit when he usually only reveals Angel's existence to people he's extremely close to, so he focuses on the rest of her items instead. Jack is reluctant to leave the case with Angel's photograph, so he just looks over to Elizabeth's with a little more scrutiny than just a glace at the photo. ]

Hey, that- That key. That the one to your room?

[ It's invasive. Elizabeth hates this. Every week that goes by, there's more temptation. There's more revealing itself that once again, they know about her. They have answers that she desperately sought. She refuses to give into temptation, but there's absolutely no way she hasn't thought about why. Why would they be tempted? Why would they force this upon them?

All answers come up unanswered. ]

Ah... I'm sure she's waiting for you - everyone's loved ones are.

[ CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES. THIS IS MY LAST RESORT.

Elizabeth isn't going to pat his butt over it, she keeps it light and vague. There's absolutely no way she can contest with the feelings of someone's child. The man - her freedom... hers mean a lot but she guilts herself.

Her thumb brushes onto her bruised knuckle, feigning a smile. ]

It is. [ He remembered. ] I suppose it's here for sentimental reasons. I would have no use for it now.

She's-- Yeah.

[ He responds a little distantly to Elizabeth's reassurance, but by his tone, he doesn't seem dismissive at all. He actually sounds grateful, in a way, but not so much that he'll drop that guarded nature when it comes to Angel. The distance is because he's trying to remember the last time he saw Angel, but that's fuzzy in the way that certain memories are, though he dislikes admitting that or dwelling on it. It's a reminder that he's a copy, but just like the real Handsome Jack, this one is just as quick to dismiss truth with his own delusions and justifications.

So, for now, it doesn't matter. What he's feeling is real enough that he decides that when they get to Helios? It's absolutely going to be the first thing he does to go see her. He actually smiles with a surprising amount of warmth as he thinks about that, since he does remember hugging her so tightly when she was a little girl that she laughed while she told him that he was squishing her. He's pretty sure that's how tightly he'll hug her once this is all through.

Yet unbeknownst to him, that's impossible now.

The thought, whatever it is, seems to improve his mood somewhat, and his cooler expression quirks into a more wry smile. ]

—Seriously? Wait, wait, wait, I think I misunderstood that part of the story, then. You already busted out?

[ Stop. Stop doxxing me.

She watches the range of emotions a "masked" man makes. It's almost enough to make her laugh - even if it's totally inappropriate. He's flashing emotions so quickly despite having the perfect poker face. What in the world. It seems every time she thinks of something regarding Jack, he flips the switch. Changes it to match the mood. Or perhaps, diverts the attention on him. Elizabeth doesn't see through him - she's going to fall for most any lie he gives her until the truth unravels itself or she hears it from him directly. She's naive and young - congratulations, Jack. You have a friend who believes in you. Kind of. ]

Oh! I mean - it's a really long and convoluted story... I didn't break out until recently... until that man in the photo... he was sent to get me. He had the key.

[ She's sour, though. Still very sour over his reasons. He can see her get defensive, her arms tightening across her chest and her own thumb brushing at her elbow. ]

To get me out of Columbia. I wouldn't have ever smelled the sea water.. tasted cotton candy, danced to live music if it wasn't for him.

[ She speaks so highly of him but she fades, a realization... ]

Booker DeWitt has his own agenda, though... like everyone else. I can't help but miss him.

[ I will never stop. ]

[ It ends up being a rather welcome distraction to hear Elizabeth's story, though there's a definite irony in that. It might even be an irony that he's aware of, but if he is, it's not one he would dwell on for many reasons. ]

It seems pretty convoluted, just based on how you're talking about it, gotta say. Sounds like what you were hoping for, but I take it his reasons weren't exactly the best.

[ Jack pauses, considering a different part of what she's said, then shrugs. ]

...Kinda sucks that this is your next experience outside of your room, now that I think about it.

Who ever has purely noble intentions? Mine was just as selfish as anyone else's.

[ She grows a little bitter, her lips tasting more of venom. She scoffs Paris under her breath, looking at the ticket to the First Lady that was proudly on display. Elizabeth isn't going to let the wide-eyed expression betray her. She's been nice, she truly is nice, but at the root of it... she does not like when things are dangled in front of her, begging to be grasped. ]

I can't do much about it. Sitting around feeling sorry for myself will only urge on clinical depression... please don't feel too much pity for me. There are others far worse than I.

[ Jack watches those shifts in Elizabeth's expressions, but he ends up stepping closer to place a hand on her shoulder. It's a gesture meant to be more comforting than intrusive, but his hand doesn't linger long before he instead sets it on her case. ]

I mean, you're in good company, Liz. Considering these are all things that the powers that be think we'd kill for? Selfishness is pretty damn fair.

[ It's not what she meant and he knows it, but touching on that seems too personal. So instead, he taps his hand on the case again. This is his attempt to follow what she's asking, not offering pity (in truth, he didn't have much to give anyways), but at least offering a sort of kindness. In his own unique way, but. ]

But, Al didn't say anything about just moving these. Can't get 'em out of the cases, I'm assuming, but we can at least move them out of here. So, whaddya say? We can at least keep the mementos in our rooms.

If we can, I can help you move yours. Mine is far less important than some of these.

[ If she's going to be truthful, she'll be blunt. It means a lot to her - the idea of freedom, but seeing these items completely imprisoned was a scene she can't deal with on a constant level. ]

Having someone like your daughter - ... it has to be put in a secure place. It's just not right to leave it out here where things could happen.

[ RIP this CR. ]

If? Oh, nonono, I am definitely moving it.

[ There' something slightly more adamant in his tone here, and on the surface, that's no surprise, but a bit deeper, Elizabeth's words have more of an effect than she intends. It's true, after all, and even if it's just a photograph, he still lifts up the glass case around it with the utmost care. For Jack, that seems almost strange, since there's so little that he does with care. ]

I'll just feel better having it in my room. I-- Y'see, you're not wrong here.

[ He waves a hand idly ]

Greed is one thing, but using my Angel against me? That's a problem. I don't like that they know about her, kiddo.

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WEEK FIVE

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