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YOU – It is just after 21:00 when you make your way back to the Whirling-In-Rags. You dismiss the lieutenant, perhaps a little more brusquely than necessary, but grief is threatening to spill out of your pores like blood from an open artery.
VOLITION [Legendary: Success] – You're not particularly ashamed of baring your vast soul in front of him, but tonight you measured his discomfort around other people's emotions and decided to spare him from yours for once.
COMPOSURE – Your shoulders slump as you push the door to your room closed. You don’t have to hide anymore. With a valiant attempt you almost reach the safety of the cold hostel bed, but in the end your knees fail you.
ENDURANCE [Heroic: Failure] – You’ve been keeping your shit together since before stepping through Billie Méjean’s door, and now all of you succumb to that flash of blue lining.
INLAND EMPIRE – You see her deft fingers weaving stitches through the soft, blue fabric. She is sitting in dusty sunrays filtering through stained windows, until the approaching evening makes her eyes strain, forcing her to continue her careful bobbing by the greasy light of a desk lamp.
VISUAL CALCULUS [Challenging: Success] – A proper stitch takes approximately 10 seconds and she has done a whole coat’s worth of them. She has been sewing for *hours*.
PAIN THRESHOLD [Easy: Success] – The pad of her thumb must be sore and calloused from pushing the needle through leather again and again.
INTERFACING [Medium: Success] – How many times has she pricked her fingers on the treacherous needle by now?
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – What’s a little pain compared to the wellbeing of someone you love?
YOU – You manage to crawl to the bed at last. You do not manage to crawl into it. Instead you pull the covers down to the floor with you.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Trivial: Success] – They were already halfway there. You really just had to give them a little tug.
YOU – You lie down on the floor, huddled in cold, unwelcome sheets. You wonder what it was like to be Victor Méjean.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] – You’ve experienced the brunt of it.
CONCEPTUALIZATION – To have someone dedicate hours of careful attention, just so you’d keep warm while wearing your favourite jacket. To be fretted over so lovingly, even as you’re spending your pay checks on spirits instead of your family.
PAIN THRESHOLD [Medium: Failure] – Has anyone ever loved you like that?
- - [Composure - Impossible 20] – Try not to cry.
- - Cry a lot.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – In a small hostel room in Martinaise, Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi is trying, and failing, to fall asleep. His partner's loud, heaving sobs are carried through the thin walls of the Whirling-In-Rags.
He could plug his ears, he thinks, like he did when his neighbour’s infant was suffering from colic. Instead he drags himself out of bed and goes to the door of Room #1.
“For the sake of the investigation”, he mutters without conviction before knocking on the door.
—
YOU – “She loved him,” you sob pitifully onto the floor.
KIM KITSURAGI – “Of course,” the lieutenant responds blandly. His gloved hand is resting reassuringly on your shoulder. “They were married.”
LOGIC [Challenging: Success] – You don’t have to love each other to stay married.
YOU – “No, Kim, you don't understand! The lining.” Another sob escapes your throat.
“He was a terrible husband. A god awful drunk. He'd been gone for *days*, and she didn't even think it was unusual. But,” you draw in a shallow breath, “The jacket. She'd hand-sewn extra lining in his jacket. Just so he wouldn’t get as cold while he was out wasting their money on alcohol.”
You pause before turning to the lieutenant, meeting his eyes. “That's love.”
EMPATHY [Medium: Success] – The lieutenant holds your gaze, though it seems to pain him.
COMPOSURE [Heroic: Failure] – You’re a blubbering mess. He’s probably disgusted.
YOU – You show him mercy by bawling into your hands.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Failure] - The room is silent except for your pained weeping.
YOU – “I don't think I’ve ever been loved like that,” you admit quietly.
PAIN THRESHOLD [Godly: Failure] – Maybe the ex-something thought she would, back when you were doing *better*. Before alcohol and drugs and dead bodies corroded you. But when you were drunk and useless? Hardly. You can’t be loved when you’re that pathetic.
KIM KITSURAGI – The lieutenant is silent. His hand patting your back in a steady rhythm.
EMPATHY [Legendary: Success] – He wants to reassure you, but he doesn’t know how.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] – But he is here with you. Despite everything, he is still here.
VOLITION [Medium: Success] – So are you. Put yourself back together. You can do it.
- - [Composure - Challenging 12] – Stop crying and let the lieutenant go to bed.
- - Cry even harder.
- - Go bully Garte into letting you sing karaoke again.
COMPOSURE [Challenging: Success] – You breathe deeply and let your grief leave you with a heavy sigh. You feel lighter now.
KIM KITSURAGI – “You should get some rest, lieutenant double-yefreitor. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow.” His hand offers a final, decisive pat before joining the other behind his back.
YOU – You wipe your soggy face on your coat-sleeve and get up from the floor.
KIM KITSURAGI – He offers you an approving nod. “Good night, detective”, he says before turning to leave. “See you in the morning.”
YOU – You nod back determinedly and turn to the rumpled bed.
BED – The bed is still cold from the broken window, and not too inviting. But it’s yours. You’ve earned it.
—
SHIVERS – An autumn breeze winds through a derelict alley in Jamrock. Two officers of the RCM are inspecting a bullet hole etched on the wall of an abandoned apartment building. One of them turns his head, listening for something. A gust of wind lifts the tails of his green disco blazer, revealing a bright orange lining, hand-sewn with the utmost care.