4th Tea Party: Sewing up the Ranks

[suicidoll]

(After all of that mess with pranks, Kreutzer felt very proud of herself and the fun she was able to have with it. Mayfield seemed proud of what she was able to accomplish as well since she found an envelope addressed to her when she returned home. Upon opening it, she found a picture of eight very familiar dolls; dolls she's no doubt made before...)

Action: The General Store

(Anyone doing some grocery shopping today may notice a group of flying dolls roaming about the store. No one seems to be watching over them and one of them is carrying a hand-written list of things that needed to be purchased. They're strong enough to carry the grocery baskets on their own, even the gallons of milk! Should you bump into them, you either see them going about what they're looking for...or arguing amongst themselves. And yes, they all have voices on their own, so you may think it's a group of people going around!)

Action: Jonathan's Tools

(Yup, the dolls are all here, too! Anyone dropping by can expect the same shenanigans as they caused in the supermarket...except there are a lot more sharp things here. Why is that one holding an exhaust pipe...? And another sporting garden shears?! Who knows what they might be up to!)

Action: Outside 2239 Stevens

(The garage door is wide open and anyone passing by will see Kreutzer working on...something. It appears to be mechanical, but since it's still far from complete, there's no way to tell what it is...unless you ask her. Will it be curiosity that makes you step up? Or are you there to complain about the noise? Or maybe there's something about all of the dolls that are flying around the house that makes you want to ask exactly what's going on? The choice is up to you!)

Phone: Filtered to Rarity

Good afternoon, Rarity. Are you free today?

Comments

[suicidoll]

Really? Such a shame I didn't see her...

(Kreutzer seems actually disappointed about missing such a sight. Hajime probably didn't know about her love of horses and ponies.)

If it was actually hidden in the house, I would have seen it. I'm guessing you have alternate methods of hiding it from me...

(Is she referring to your cards? Maybe; she did eye your pocket for a split second...)

[chalicejoker]

It was somewhat strange; she kept vanishing and reappearing everywhere...

[He'd be a bit weirded out if he knew how much she loved horses and ponies, probably.]

Perhaps I'm just better at hiding things than you realize.

[He saw her eying that pocket, and his hand sort of automatically goes to cover it. He's had his cards stolen way too many times not to be twitchy concerning them, especially around her.]

[suicidoll]

Teleportation, I assume. Interesting...

Perhaps you are. I don't think I give you enough credit in that regard; despite everything that's happened so far, you always seem to surprise me. Exactly how much are you hiding from me...?

(Yup, she's getting creepy again. This time, it's creepy interest in you, Hajime.)

[chalicejoker]

[And it wouldn't be the first time someone's been creepy-interested in him! He can roll with that...although the other times, he didn't live with the creeper. All Kreutzer has going for her in her favor is that she's not constantly trying to get him to show his Joker self.

He gives her a rather sly, not-very-nice smile. As with every time he smiles anywhere in Kreutzer's vicinity, his face shifts back into a stone-faced mask much more quickly and abruptly than what one might call normal. Really, Kreutzer, he socializes much better when you're not around.]

You'll find I'm just full of surprises. And I'd prefer to keep them that way.

[suicidoll]

(Honestly, with the way she can easily bring out the worst in you, what's to say she's not trying to summon Joker? The constant fighting, verbal and literal, the way she constantly mocks you and treats you as if you were less than nothing...think about it.)

You'll have to reveal those surprises sooner or later...secrets don't stay secret for long.

[chalicejoker]

[Hey, you'll have some of the blame if he goes crazy and tries to destroy the world, then~

And he laughs, quite abruptly. It's not long, and it's somewhat bitter, and the effect probably comes off as being a little off-putting, especially with the way he snaps right back to that poker face.]

Anyone who has tried to exposed my secrets hasn't remained unsealed long enough to regret it. Perhaps I'd be more concerned if you were stronger.

[suicidoll]

(Wouldn't be the first time she gets close to destroying the world.

Though the sudden laugh and emotion change only bothers her slightly; all it makes her wonder is if Hajime's tweaking or something.)

Allow me time and you'll truly see what I'm capable of...Hajime.

(Deja vu much? With the way she's smiling, it's clear that she said that on purpose.)

[chalicejoker]

[Oh, Kreutzer, he's not tweaking, he's just acting the way he tends to act around anyone who's thinking of him only as Joker. If you were nicer, he'd make more of an effort to emote properly...and frankly, he's trying to throw you off.]

Seems we've got all the time in the world here, then, doesn't it?

You'd do well to be careful--you're not the only dangerous one in this house.

[suicidoll]

More than just the world, Hajime.

You may be a threat, but remember that I have the advantage.

(All of those dolls in the immediate vicinity? They all turn to face you. At the exact same time.)

[chalicejoker]

[All those dolls...reflex takes over, and Hajime's transformation belt materializes around his waist without any conscious thought. He's also drawn a Rouse Card, the Category Ace.

He's also dropped into a combat crouch--the exact same posture Chalice was using. This is not incriminating in the least.]

[suicidoll]

...

(She just stares for a moment. It's a short moment, because immediately afterwards, she's cracking a smile...then a fit of laughter. You probably haven't heard her laugh, have you Hajime?

Normally it's not that bad, but because of this scenario, it sounds triumphant, condescending and worse...unnatural, as if a blow to the head helped her arrive at an epiphany.

Maniacal laughter? Check. Numerous dolls watching your every moment? Check. Conclusion? If you value your life, you will run. Run and don't stop.)

[chalicejoker]

[Hey, he heard her laugh when she was mocking his failure of a pranking suit. This is...not that same sort of laughter. She's crazy. Possibly crazier than he gets when he's Joker; then he's nothing but a wild animal, but she's still got some shred of reason, possibly.

He's tempted to show her just what the belt can do but frankly, he doesn't know how survivable this encounter is. He'd be starting flat-footed and has no real weapons of his own. Still warily holding the card, he's going to be inching back towards the door to the house, glaring as he does so. The belt's staying put.

He slips inside. You can probably hear the click of the door locking behind him. If you listen closely, you can possibly hear a strange electronic voice saying "Change." He's transformed in there, just in case.]

[suicidoll]

(Joker has the excuse of running entirely on instinct. While intimidating, that's more feral. Kreutzer has plenty of reasoning behind her actions and to an extent, she's literally insane.

She and her dolls make no effort to follow him; after a while, her laughter ceases and she resumes her work.

He'll find no type of threat in the actual house...though an Earl doll harmlessly floats beside him.)

Hajime.

[chalicejoker]

[Earl has just floated beside a fully-suited Kamen Rider who was trying to make himself an omelet for dinner. He's not yet secure enough to drop the transformation, because he's thinking Kreutzer's going to try to attack him at some point.

The appearance of the doll somewhat confirms that for him, although it's not shooting yet. And the fact that it's used his name...well, it's pretty pointless to keep up the charade, isn't it? Not like he'll drop the transformation in front of it. His expression is impossible to read, but the way he's holding the spatula suggests he might try using it as a weapon.]

...what do you want?

[suicidoll]

(Earl's hands remain at her sides; while her expression is constantly blank, it's clear that she means no harm.)

I apologize for Kreutzer's actions. She has been unwell for a long time; long before her arrival in Mayfield.

(In case it's not clear to him, the dolls are capable of thinking for themselves.)

[chalicejoker]

[He studies the doll carefully and puts down the spatula. He does not, however, de-transform. He doesn't want anyone to know he's totally reliant on his cards to return to being human.]

That is somehow unsurprising. How long has she been like that?

[suicidoll]

Since even her childhood. A lack of social interactivity can cripple most humans; while she was truly royalty, Kreutzer had no one to call an actual friend.

She dedicated herself to her studies and eventually created us, her dolls. The main 12 types she can create are all extensions of herself; I represent the part of her that can act without emotion and only with logic..."coldly," as some would call it.

I can describe the meaning behind each aspect of her dolls at your request.

[chalicejoker]

[Hajime listens to the doll. If it's telling the truth, he actually feels a bit of pity for Kreutzer despite himself. Even a monster like him was eventually able to make friends...and that he's even capable of feeling any sort of compassion for her kind of disturbs him on some level. His emotions have come a long way...]

Why do you all come packed with explosives?

...and why are you telling me all this?

[suicidoll]

Kreutzer often times has a dark sense of humor, so the bombs serve as a metaphor: Kreutzer wants to kill herself. Her mind is overwhelmed with guilt over her past actions and she wishes for nothing more than for death to embrace her. The varying strength and radius of each bomb represents the damage each of the dolls, each piece of her personality, can inflict on others. Leaf, for example: young, innocent, full of potential; her bomb represents all of the great good, or evil, she's capable of.

I tell you because as her housemate, you deserve to know the truth behind her actions. Her pride refuses to let her tell you herself. Pride is an emotion I'm not capable of, so I can tell you this freely. She was killed back home, but being brought to Mayfield denied her the opportunity to stay dead. She traded in memories of home to create Leaf and the other low-tier dolls so quickly; because I was made long afterwards, I myself do not know what she has given up. All that is clear is those memories robbed her of the only chance she had at peace of mind; she's mentally distressed and it only grows worse as time progresses. She may be making few friends here, but the guilt and dark emotions in her can only be contained for so long...

[chalicejoker]

I see...

[Hajime is quiet for a bit. He's got a pretty good idea of what Kreutzer's mindset must be like; on some level he's wanted to die every time he found himself reverting into the Joker...though at least in his case, he's trying to escape from the animal he is inside. It's a lot for him to process. Kreutzer just seems...broken. Crazy laughter's backing that up.]

She will become a danger to herself and others if she is left unchecked, won't she? Will she remain human?

[That's possibly the most awkward way he could have chosen to phrase that, but he's trying to put this into terms he can understand.

And speaking of unchecked, that omelet he was making is probably char now. He's just proven all of Kreutzer's assumptions of his cooking skills horribly right.]

[suicidoll]

Damaged, but not irreparable; she can sympathize with you and begrudgingly agree that you two are similar. You've seen the unicorn she spends her time with, correct? Rarity, the unicorn in question, is the one Kreutzer can call her first and "best" friend in Mayfield.

She still has potential for redemption. Losing those memories in the post office has made that goal much more difficult, but it is still possible for her to change.

Physically, she will remain human, but if her guilt gets the best of her, she may provoke the town and its residents into battling her: a battle to the death.

(Earl remains without damns to give emotionless as the omelet practically turns to ash.)

Should that time come, someone will have to stop her. Should no one be able to stop her, the bells will ring for the end of the world.

[chalicejoker]

[Have some very, very bitter laughter. It's a bit more natural than the weird sudden emotion changes he was giving Kreutzer in the garage, although his being Chalice makes it impossible to tell what Hajime's facial expression is doing.]

I'll take care of her if I don't lose myself and destroy the world first. I have allies here. We'd likely be able to handle things more quickly than she would realize.

...and if I go first, I've already made arrangements for that eventuality. Perhaps Kreutzer should look into doing the same.

[Why, yes, he has made a point of asking Mayfield's other Riders to kill him if he loses himself to Joker. He's quite aware of the fact that the doll might let Kreutzer know he says he has allies, and he really doesn't care. When he says he'll take care of her if she totally loses it, in his mind, that's actually offering to do her a big favor.

He's becoming aware of a burning smell now, but he thinks it's coming from the garage. Doesn't realize it's the omelet. Is that a bit of fire in the pan?]

[suicidoll]

(All things considered, Kreutzer would probably consider it a favor, too.

She'd like to prepare in that manner, but just as her pride kept her from being honest with you, it prevents her from admitting that someone may have to kill her one day.

(Yup, Earl sees that omelet burning up. As such, she shoots an incredibly flexible laser that effortlessly curves around Hajime and reduces the flaming dinner to nothingness. Cleanup made easy!)

But if you think about it, she may have already looked into doing just that...tell me, how strongly do you wish to kill her? Considering how she's treated you after learning of Joker, would you hesitate?

[chalicejoker]

[And suddenly, Hajime realizes that before this conversation, he would've been all too happy to off Kreutzer without any hesitation. She's good... He's totally out of his league as far as reading and manipulating people goes, that's for sure.

And now he feels kind of bad for her. Thanks for that, Human Undead. You certainly knew what you were doing when you let Joker seal you...his hand twitches towards Chalice's holstered card box as he remembers that. He's actually feeling compassion for this woman who's done her best to make things hard on him.]

She hasn't given me much reason to.

I know what it is to be a destroyer against one's wishes. I'll kill her if the time comes. I'll...make it as quick as possible. She'll not suffer.

[suicidoll]

(Though it's impossible to tell, Earl feels satisfied by his resolve.)

She will not mind the pain as long as the job is done.

Again, I apologize for the suffering she put you through.