[Thread] Then they'll give us a talking to

[ringrevolution]

Characters: OU!Joshua and AU!Rhyme
Where: In the park, behind the church.
When: Today in the afternoon after THIS.
Summary: Rhyme has some questions, Joshua has some answers, and so the two decided to meet.
Warnings: Joshua might be his own warning? Who knows~

Comments

[ringrevolution]

Rhyme wasn't entirely sure how to respond to such a compliment. It seemed pretty high coming from someone who didn't have much to judge her on yet, and it also made her wonder just what it was that Beat had been telling him.

The pause added to a slight feeling of discomfort that was beginning to grow, but she put it aside. After all she had been examining him moments ago as well.

She looked a little surprised by his proposal, but after a moment gave a small nod of assent.

She began with what she had been told by Soma "The Keepers are the ones who brought us here. This planet was attacked a long time ago by the Entropi, and they needed help, so somehow they've been plucking people from different worlds and times who they think might be of some use in one way or another." she paused, biting her lip for a moment before continuing on.

"The Entropi" she now cast her eyes skyward to the orbs above, "they go from planet to planet draining that planet of all its energy and resources." she frowned a bit, this was a part of Soma's explanation that she hadn't entirely understood, "those ones above us...those are the Keepers?" she answered uncertainly. That's how it had seemed--that those few Entropi had broken off from the rest of their race to protect the humans.

[wrldendswithwho]

Joshua nodded along approvingly as she explained her knowledge to him, gazing up at the sky above when she did, and then returning his gaze onto her when she lowered her head again. "All correct. Impressive." He chuckled again and crossed his arms over his chest with a slight shiver from the cold weather. "As a bonus, you are welcomed to ask me a question. Any question you'd like. Of course... along with it, I'll ask that you provide your own take on the answer. And I will let you know how warm or cold you are."

[ringrevolution]

What a curious game. Was it really just that, or was he trying to accomplish something? It was a question Rhyme couldn't help but wonder as her eyes drifted to his face, hoping to find some hint there. Either way, as of now she didn't really have anyone else who could answer her questions.

She tucked in her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie, looking out across the park for a second till she caught his shiver.

She frowned in slight concern "Do you want to move somewhere warmer first?" she asked.

[wrldendswithwho]

To which he answered, "that would be lovely" and checked his surroundings for the nearest building. Which, of course, would be the church they were positioned behind. "Let's move around to the entrance and make our way inside, mmm?" he asked, looking back to Rhyme for her opinion.

[ringrevolution]

Rhyme nodded in agreement, wouldn't do to have one of them get hypothermia.

The trek to the church's entrance was a short one. She pushed the large doors open and stepped inside, looking around. Not much had changed since she was here last, though she supposed it was to be expected.

It was still rather chilly in here, considering how derelict it was; but at least it kept them out of the snow and wind. It was kind of sad how no one bothered to keep all these buildings well maintained. She supposed some people considered it pointless if it could all be destroyed again, but what did it do to morale to have to look at their new 'home' and see nothing but the dead and devoid.

That was something that could be changed though.

Her fingers trailed lightly over the end arm of the pew closest to the entrance, the one where she had slept her first day here before looking back at Joshua. There were a lot of questions she had in mind--but not all of them were about Econtra. Her curiosity of the boy himself was beginning to grow. It didn't seem very right to ask any of those, however, this being their first meeting.

She leaned against the pew so she was facing Joshua and thought for a moment "Well. I suppose the best question to go with is what is the current situation? I mean, is there any sort of plan that we have, or that is in the works to get rid of these Entropi?" As far as she could tell they seemed to be on the defensive, which from experience was a very difficult position to get out of. She hoped these Keepers knew what they were doing.

[wrldendswithwho]

Joshua would tread quietly behind her towards the church's entrance, and follow in after through the gates. Likewise for him, not much had changed since he was here a while ago, but he was more focused on watching Rhyme. He leaned against the pew opposite to her and loosened his scarf up some before crossing his arms comfortably over his stomach. After stating her first question, Joshua laughed to himself. "You forgot to provide your take on the answer, remember."

[ringrevolution]

Rhyme nodded and looked around a bit more, as if finding her opinion somewhere within the desolate cathedral.

"The War has been going on for at least one year--considering just how weathered the city seems to be, I'm assuming a lot more than that. It seems like it isn't possible to leave this place--even to go venture outside the compound which I'll assume means this is the only place on this planet that's safe. Or at least that is commonly known to be safe which adds to my suspicions that we haven't really made much progress." she was falling back to her old mindset, the one she had been forced to grow over the past years.

"Mmm." she deliberated for a moment, tapping her lips and thinking through everything she had been told and read.

"Some people are trying to figure things out and get some sort of plan." A couple people had protested the Thanksgiving banquet, she recalled, considering it a waste of time, "well...plans to escape anyway. Which I guess goes to say something about how together the group is. I can't blame them, I suppose..."

[wrldendswithwho]

"Clever deduction. Again, I'm impressed." Joshua chuckled to himself and stared up at the hollowness of the higher part of the castle, pondering to himself for several moments before giving Rhyme another look in the eyes. "People are too petty to stay on the same page. For that reason, nothing ever gets done. I've only ever seen so many put actual effort into trying, and many of them have just up and... disappeared. Eerie, isn't it?"

Joshua giggled yet again. "What I can tell you is that the Entropi are infinitely more powerful than anyone in the compound. Or so I'm lead to believe..." He held a hand around his chin in thought. "Our chances of defeating them in combat are slim. That's what leads many to believe that our purpose isn't to fight the war, but something else. Perhaps, by chance, to provide energy for the Keepers, so they can fight the war."

[ringrevolution]

They simply vanished? Eerie was certainly the right word for it. Unsettling, suspicious, and saddening seemed to fit as well. Considering the new wave of disappearances, she had to wonder how many people had actually been sent home, and how many...had met a different fate.

She tried to hold his stare but eventually looked down, listening to the rest of his explanation, keeping her eyes focused on fidgeting hands. She had heard near nothing about the Entropi and Keepers themselves so the news came as an unpleasant shock--both the idea of the futility of fighting the Entropi and what their real purpose here might be.

"So, pretty much what you're saying is that we might very well just be ammo?"

[wrldendswithwho]

"We may very well be," he answered quite forwardly. "Who knows? I worked on a social experiment of my own for some time that was unfortunately disrupted. It involved secluding myself in my room for an indefinite amount of time to watch for the Keepers reaction. In other words, test what makes them tick. They never did respond to my protest, and albeit I was the sole member of it. But I thought it was a good idea. If nobody left their rooms, we would be able to deduce something from their reaction that would lead us to the truth."

[ringrevolution]

Interesting, but if it was just him that might have been the reason they didn't bother. Then again, Econtra didn't seem to be all that heavily populated, so every person had to count for something, right? Nothing could be said for sure, her knowledge was still very limited and she had little in way of personal experience of this place.

"So has there never been any contact with them whatsoever? That's certainly what it seems like." Which would be cause for all sorts of concerns.

[wrldendswithwho]

"With the exception of the Warden," he stated in agreement with her. "And of course, the Indegio. Which is still on the fritz."

[ringrevolution]

Now here was some new terminology she hadn't heard of before, surprise flitted through her face and she raised her head to look at him again, rubbing her hands to warm them up.

"Warden? Indigeo?" she echoed reflexively.

[wrldendswithwho]

"The Warden is believed to be one of the Keepers ... only he appears as a human being, much like us. Supposedly, newer arrivals haven't been seeing the Warden upon entering Econtra like older ones such as I have. Normally, the routine would be that he gives you a mostly vague introduction in a white room," Joshua would explain, with a bit of mockery in his voice. "As for the Indegio. It's an artificial intelligence. Or so I'm lead to believe. More Keeper technology. One of its functions is to make our stay here more luxurious."

[ringrevolution]

Well this was all rather a lot to take in. There were a couple other things she could probably think to ask but for now her head wanted to try and make sense of the bunch she had already had answered. It would probably be good to as some point jot this all down--have everything all organized in one place.

"I see," she said, nodding her head slightly, "well I'll probably have some other questions later, but I think that's enough to mull over for now. Thank you, Joshua"

[wrldendswithwho]

"Of course," he replied, adding a laugh to trail off his last word. "Any time you'd like to meet up like this again, I'll certainly be there. Given, of course, I'm not on another seclusion protest. Hee hee..."