You’ve been in this chair a while; your back is sore from the metal of it. Or, perhaps that’s your nerves getting the best of you. You’ve been careful to dance around the main questions, to get to the point without revealing the whole truth. The Benefactor can’t know the full truth.
After a particularly long, rambly sentence, the robotic voice finally cuts you off. You think there may be a hint of annoyance in its voice.
“Tell me how you escaped Purgatory.”
Before you speak again, you take a shaky breath. You’re glad you’re not hooked up to a lie detector machine like before. You’d be caught in a second.
WELCOME TO PART 2 OF EXILE VILIFY’S RE-OPENING EVENT.
Welcome to the very exciting second part of this event, which launches us into a new setting and future plots. Under the read more you will find all the information you need to know about the crew’s escape from the prison, Purgatory. We apologize for the amount of information you’re about to encounter (we got a little bit carried away). But, to summarize everything, you’ll be able to find a basic timeline and interaction information you need to know. We do encourage you to read everything at your disposal, please!
Have fun, and let us know if you have any questions, comments, concerns!
On January 28th, 2179 (28.1.2179), all of the old crew of the Concord received mysterious notes to meet in a certain part of the prison. When they did, they were met with the Rebels (aka the Intergalactic Alliance), who offered them a proposition: they would help the crew escape, and in exchange the crew would secretly work for the Rebels while working for the Benefactor again, whom the Rebels claimed was responsible for the explosion that killed the other crew and left them in Purgatory. The crew accepted the proposition, and the rebels explained the escape plan.
On January 29th, 2179 (29.1.2179), the crew escaped from Purgatory, with the help of other prisoners who were to become their new crew (i.e. all the new characters!). The full escape is outlined above. They escaped to a ship just out of the prison walls, named the SSV Cygnus. It was mostly successful, only the crew lost DATA in the escape.
From January 29th until February 4th, the crew is on the SSV Cygnus, heading for a space station the rebels are directing them to for more supplies. More information on the Cygnus will be coming very soon, but for now, imagine it as a larger version of the Concord. Major differences include each crew member having their own quarters, and the ship having weapons.
What happens after will be information coming soon.
From now on, we ask that you do not start any new threads in Purgatory (apart from possible escape threads). However, you are welcome to continue your old threads for as long as you like. We split the crew into groups for the escape or plot purposes, however it is not required that you rp this out, just that you headcanon that it happened. But, if you would like to, we encourage you to rp these out, and if you do, feel free to headcanon the roles of any open characters in your plotting. If there are any escape related threads not in your group that you would like to do, that is no issue as well--just make sure it fits into the timeline/escape we have outlined.
Any threads from now on should be dated January 29th 2179 to February 4th 2179, during which the crew is traveling through space, heading towards a space station for supplies. Interactions can be anything from recovery from time in Purgatory to getting to know those who are officially the new crew members.
28.01.2179
The notes are slipped into pockets and under cell doors of the former crew of the SSV Concord. They read the same message, ominous and curious.
‘MEET AT 1700 BEFORE CURFEW. WING 3 IN BETA, JANITORIAL STORAGE. COME ALONE. TELL NO ONE.’
The crew trickle in one by one, their notes clenched in their fists. Most of them have seen a majority of their living crew already, but still, there is a bit of shock as they realize they are all there, together, for the first time since before they arrived. They speak in hushed whispers about why they are here, many electing to ignore the biggest elephant in the room: the crew missing from the vicinity.
Suddenly, two pairs of footsteps coming out of the dark hush the whispered voices to nothing. When their faces appear, many of the crew are stunned. One of them is faceless, nameless; a man none of them recognize, but the other is one many had grown to think of as a friend: Juniper. She has a grimace on her face, and responds to the crew’s recognition with a nod. With them, they pull a screen, which once in placed in front of the crew, comes to life.
A man appears on it, a black background behind him, a cold smile on his face. Every time he moves, there is a glitch; an indication that this is not his real face.
“Hello, crew of the SSV Concord. You do not know me, but I know you. We all know you,” he takes a pause as the crew’s faces turn to confusion. “My name is Poe, and I am speaking to you on behalf of and as a leader of the Intergalactic Alliance. Or, as you may know us, the rebellion.”
“Now, now--” he continues, as hushed whispers of confusion go through the crowd. “Let me explain everything from the beginning, including why we are speaking to you directly now, and then you may ask me any questions you’d like.”
“When the Concord first left, we knew that we had at least two members from our ranks on board, although we would soon learn of a third. Cosima, one of our leaders, accepted the invitation because we had heard of a man who called himself the Benefactor before. But, although we heard rumors, we had yet to know who he was or what he was after. This mission was a way to obtain this information.
So, for seven months she sent us intel on the crew and the missions, with assistance from Fox and Orion, our other comrades on board, when she could, without being caught by the Benefactor or any of you. With her information, we were able to learn more about all of you, and possibly what the Benefactor was ultimately after.
After seven months of not much progress, we were in the beginning stages of planning to pull Cosima, and possibly Orion and Fox, out of this mission. But, then your travels on Orthoridge happened, and it become clear that the Benefactor was possibly after something we have heard of and been searching for ourselves for many years. So, we kept them on the mission, and instead began planning a way for us to meet you all face to face, and to make our case to you.
But, then the gala in Harbor happened. A terrible, terribly tragedy. We were shocked, and left scrambling to figure out what happened, and to track you all down. Here. Which brings us to now--”
“So this is all of us?” A voice from the crew broke out from the silence, interrupting the speaker, asking the daunting question none of them dared to.
Silence washes over the room for a second, only the static from the monitor, every breath held for the answer to come, holding on to the last thread of hope, until-- “Yes,” the voice says, finally. “I’m sorry.” There is a hint of remorse in their tone, but it’s impossible to know for sure. “We’ve spent all of our time and resources trying to answer this. After the explosion, you were the only ones who ended up here. We know Cosima or Fox or Orion would have contacted us by now if they could, so either they’re dead or… gone.”
The atmosphere in the room changes, every possible doubt cleared, any remnants of faith dissipated, but still a huge, unanswered question, theorized by every single one of them from the moment they woke up in a foreign planet, shackled to a place for something they clearly didn’t do. “What happened?” Every one of them has a different version, but it all ends in the same way: an explosion, heat on their faces, and then darkness, only to wake up here.
“We believe this was the Benefactor’s doing. We saw Cosima’s transmissions from that night. You were getting too close to his secrets, it’s obvious he was trying to keep you from discovering what you almost did at the mansion…” a pause, if only for a second, for they knew it wasn’t over. “And to teach you a lesson.”
The sentiment in the room turns into one, cohesive feeling: anger. Anger for the dead that can’t speak, for the living that still breath, for the last months where there was only pain and suffering, lives broken to a million pieces, soul sucked out of their bodies. Purgatory was no middle ground: it was, certainly, what Hell on Earth would ever look like. Between clenched fists and jaws, the voice speaks again. “So what do you want?” The word is left unsaid, but they can taste it in their mouths, in the hotness of their blood, boiling angrily in their veins. Revenge. Looking at the changing face on the screen, there is a faint smile on the person’s lips, of triumph. “The Benefactor brought you nothing but pain, broke every promise he ever made to you, planned to left you here to rot for something you didn’t do, killed your friends. But despite everything, what he seeks is real, and we need it. Our proposal is simple,” another pause, “Freedom for the condition to go back to him and work for us, in secret. Continue to play his game until we find what he is looking for. Then, you can do whatever you please with him. Together, we can have our revenge, and in the process, maybe save the galaxy.”
“Everything is better than rotting in this place.”
“Yes, we can do that. Tell us the plan.”
He gives a nod, perhaps a smile, and then all of a sudden, the screen goes black. In the next second, it flashes back up, only this time with blueprints of a place they have all come to know too well: Purgatory.
The man in the front of the room steps forward from the shadows with Juniper, clearing his throat.
“We have identified…”
--
Meanwhile, far away, Poe steps off a podium, shedding the mask that hides his real face on the digital screen. With a real smile, he steps towards the door, turning back only when he realizes his assistant is not following. At the sight of the young man’s face, apparently shocked and confused, he stops.
“Do you have something to say?”
“It’s just… you lied. I didn’t know you were going to lie to them,” he puts his head down in shame.
“I did not lie,” his face hardens, and he steps away from the door. “I only told part of the truth. You’ve read their files, their personality assessments. If we had given them the whole truth, they would have never agreed to work with us, at least not willingly. We just have to hide it until this is over. At that point, they may not even care anymore.”
The young assistant nods, and Poe turns back to the door.
“Smile, relax, child. Today is a victory. Tomorrow shall be another.”
With that he opens the door, any other protests of the assistant are lost to applause, ringing throughout the rebel headquarters.
THE ESCAPE PLAN
Back in Purgatory, the crew gathered around the screen, as the man began speaking, explaining their escape.
“We have identified a few inmates who will be of assistance to in the escape; we cannot do it with the numbers we have now, and the skills you all have to offer. They are all inmates we are sure you have met, and they will be including Juniper here as our liaison.
The plan will start tomorrow at 0500, right when the guard shift change happens and the prison is the least secure. At 0500 on the dot, we will be able to cut the power off site for 120 seconds, at which time you all will need to move to your assigned positions, where you will be in groups depending on your skill sets. We need three of you to break into the control room and deactivate security and as much power as you can immediately, and, once we give the signal that everyone is in position, deactivate all door and cell locks.
Down in the Beta canteen, we’ll need a few of you to start a major distraction to keep as many guards as possible away from the other, while some of you break into storage areas, for personal effects as well as normal clothes for when you get back into the galaxy. We also need to you to break into the main computer systems area and delete everyone’s files so it is harder to track you once you are off world. Once all of you have completed your respective tasks, make your way to Cargo Bay B.
At the start, we will have the largest group on you go directly to Cargo Bay B, which is where they store shipments of supplies and have shuttles that can travel short distances on the planet. Usually, between the guard change and the other action created by us, this area will be mostly abandoned. You will need to split into three groups here. One will immediately take a shuttle out to divert air traffic attention away from the other groups when they leave. The other two will assist in loading one of the shuttles with as much supplies as possible from the cargo bay, at least enough food and other supplies for a week. At that point, three of you will take the supplies in the shuttle to the ship’s location, where you will unload and begin protocols to get the ship on and functional. The last group will wait for the other crew members to arrive, at which point you will take off immediately to the ship. The shuttles have communication with each other, so once Shuttle 3 has taken off, Shuttle 1 will go immediately to the ship’s location, where you will take off.
The ship is called the SSV CYGNUS, and is located about three kilometers outside of Purgatory’s fences. It belonged to a crew who ended up in Purgatory, and it’s been abandoned on the planet ever since. Due to its proximity to Purgatory, scavengers have elected to stay away, which makes it perfect for our use. Juniper here has coordinates of the closest space station that, from our intel and comrades stationed there, you should be safe to resupply and make contact with the Benefactor at.
Any questions?”
29.01.2179
On the day of the escape, everything begins according to plan. Shuttles 1 and 2 get their jobs done and get out of the prison without any issues, and all of the other groups inside the prison begin their tasks. But, as usual, nothing goes perfectly to plan.
In order to get through the final doors and access to the shuttles, the shuttle groups have to kidnap a high ranking medical officer, Septima Crane, for her clearance. Shuttle Group 1 take her up and take her with them on their task, eventually taking her to the ship too, where she’s left tied up to be dealt with.
Near the end of the mission, as different groups are converging to Cargo Bay B to leave and get to the ship, the prison starts to realize something has gone wrong and begin to close the Cargo Bay’s doors from a different site. Prison Group 1, consisting of DATA, Kallia, and Robyn, are still in the control room when this happens. In order to prevent the doors from closing, DATA fries the system as Kallia and Robyn make a run for the Cargo Bay, and in turn fries himself, and he is unable to follow. The crew leave him in Purgatory, although he is assumed from the damage sustained to be deceased.
THE TASKS
Below is what each character did during the escape. The admins have laid out the tasks so there’s a cohesive plan for plot purposes, however, actually writing these tasks in character is completely optional, so feel free to only do it if you and your partner(s) would like.
NOTE: Characters who are not currently taken are italicized. Feel free to headcanon their involvement in the task if you choose to write it.
PRISON GROUP A consists of KALLIA, ROBYN, and DATA. Their job is to breaking into the security control room, disarm security cameras, and unlock cell and other doors in the prison. After knocking out a few security guards at the beginning of the plan, the rest of it goes as planned. As stated above, near the end, DATA fries the system in order for the rest of the crew to leave, killing himself. Kallia and Robyn leave while he does that to make a run for the Cargo Bay, and they both make it to the shuttle just in time to make it back to the ship.
PRISON GROUP B consists of ASTEROID JOE, THANE, and NOOMI. Their job is to start a distraction in the main Beta canteen once the cell doors are all disarmed. They successfully begin a fight that turns into all out chaos. As guards pour in to help alleviate the situation, they are able to slip out and make it to Cargo Bay B to meet the rest of the crew in time.
PRISON GROUP C consists of ALYX, GIDEON, and FARON. Their job is to sneak into the storage areas to recover personal effects of the crew as well as find disguises for them once off world. At the beginning of the mission, they are waiting in a nearby corridor, disguised as janitorial staff. After the doors are unlocked, they are able to make their way to the storage area and gather what they need with no major issues, and make their way to Cargo Bay B in time.
PRISON GROUP D consists of CAIRO, PAM, and VETRA. Their job is to break into the systems control room to delete the crew’s prison files. They are able to make it to the room, at which time PAM deletes all the required information, but also is able to download all the information she can find on how the crew’s time in prison. After that, they make their way to Cargo Bay B with no major issues.
SHUTTLE GROUP A consists of ERETREIA, JUNIPER, HERC, and (kind of) SEPTIMA. Their job is to take a shuttle (or two) out of the Cargo Bay while the other crew members are completing their tasks to cause confusion on the exterior of the prison. On their way to Cargo Bay B with the other crew, they realize they need clearance to get through a final door. Juniper is able to kidnap Septima, and Shuttle Group A take her along with them. They complete their task with minimal other complications, and meet the rest of the crew at the site of the SSV Cygnus before it takes off.
SHUTTLE GROUP B consists of DALLAS, RAVEN, KIT, and GEM. Their job is to collect supplies from Cargo Bay B, and then take them to the SSV Cygnus. Once at the Cygnus, they are in charge of starting up the ship so that it is ready to go once the rest of the crew arrives. With help from Shuttle Group C, they are able to load the Shuttle with what supplies they can. Afterwards, they leave and make it to the Cygnus, at which point they split up, Dallas and Gem starting up the engines and get everything prepped to leave, while Raven and Kit unload everything from the Shuttle.
SHUTTLE GROUP C consists of LUDOVIC, THEON, AND PYRE. Their job is to help Shuttle Group B load up on supplies, and after they leave, wait for the rest of the crew to finish their prison jobs and then depart with them to the Cygnus. After helping and watching Shuttle Groups A and B depart, Group C has a shuttle on and ready to go. When the doors to the Cargo Bay start to close, Ludovic shows leadership in ordering everyone to immediately get to the Cargo Bay, and once Kallia and Robyn arrive, they take off to the Cygnus.
Once everyone has arrived at the Cygnus and is on board, they take off into the galaxy, prison guards on their tails. But, with Ludovic and Dallas at the helm, they are able to escape into space, off to the destination Juniper has for them from the rebels.
“Welcome back,” the computer speaks as you take your seat, facing the monitor. Although the voice isn’t familiar--roboticized and manipulated, the tone of it is, and you know in an instant it can only be one enigma: the Benefactor.
“I have heard from the others about how you ended up here, with a new ship and new crew,” the voice continues before you have the chance to speak. “As I have told them, you all have me quite impressed. Not many have successfully escaped from Purgatory. And to think, I was prepared to consider this mission a total loss. Consider me proven wrong.”
“Now, I’d like to hear it all from you. How long were you there? What was it like? And how did you break out of the highest security prison in the galaxy?”
You shift in your seat. Time to get comfortable. This was going to be a long story.
WELCOME TO PART ONE OF EXILE VILIFY’S TWO PART RE-OPENING EVENT.
To our new members, welcome to Ex-Vi, and to our returning crew, welcome back. For our re-opening, we’re coming in with a bang with a two part event revolving around Purgatory. This part of the event will cover the old crew’s arrival in Purgatory and them meeting the new crew members, while part two will cover the combined crew’s escape from the prison. Part one is aimed to help us get reoriented with writing and where we are in the plot, as well as easily integrate our new members in with us. There is no rush on threads of this part--part two will come when the admins feel we are ready to move on!
Below the cut, there is a lot of information regarding the timeline of the event, what Purgatory is like, how the event will work, and more. Please read it all very carefully, and don’t hesitate to send any questions our way.
TIMELINE.
Up until October 31st, 2178, the previous canon timeline is completely intact, apart from the fact that Reda Morse was the captain of the SSV Concord instead of Marrow Bloodshaw. The crew attending the gala at the Benefactor’s mansion, and began their individual missions to find answers on the identity of their host. However, around midnight, things took a turn for the worst. With the crew spread all over the mansion trying to bring the pieces of the puzzle together–so close to many important truths–an explosion rocked the mansion. A week later, the survivors of the crew woke up in Purgatory, a prison in the ruins on Earth I, far from Wrotham, not knowing how they had gotten there. Not knowing who else was alive, and of that, who else was there.
ABOUT PURGATORY.
Purgatory is an intergalactic prison located on Earth I. It is one of the largest prisons in the galaxy, especially for humans, who are the primary residents. Crimes for those in Purgatory range from misdemeanors to capital offenses, and one never truly knows who they are standing next to.
Purgatory is primarily split into two levels, a more high-security, solitary level, named Level Alpha, and a more general, lesser security area with more freedom to interact with other inmates (we imagine this level like the prison in GOTG), named Level Beta. An unofficial exception to this are the technically skilled workers pulled out of these areas to work for the prison, without pay and off the records. Most inmates are held in Level Beta. Those who are held in Level Alpha are held there for either the extremeness of their crimes or their behavior within the prison. However, most can be transferred to Level Beta given they demonstrate improved behavior.
Level Alpha’s inmates are primarily held in solitary confinement, with occasional visits permitted to a canteen area, usually only with other Level Alpha inmates. Security in this level is high, with a combination of human and android guards. There is a part of Level Alpha known as the “correction facility”, often housing those who behave outwardly towards guards. What happens behind those doors is known only through rampant, terrible rumors. Good behavior demonstrated in Level Alpha, to guards and other inmates, can result in transfer to Level Beta.
Level Beta has much less security than Level Alpha, and while there is a combination of human and android guards, most are androids, many of which are older, less sophisticated models. Apart from their work they are assigned, much of which is manual labor within the prison, prisoners on this level are given more freedom. They are assigned shared cells with 2-3 other inmates, and food is served cafeteria style in the main canteen. If an inmate demonstrates or is known to have other technical skills, they will often be pulled from Level Beta (or Alpha, depending on their talents), to be put to work other places in the prison. This work is unofficial and off the record, but the inmates are given no choice. Often, they are placed in other areas of the prison, close to where their work is. Their accommodations are often small rooms instead of cells, and if they cooperate, life within the prison can be better for them.
THE OLD CREW IN PURGATORY.
The old crew arrived in Purgatory a little over a week after the explosion at the Benefactor’s gala. They all awoke in cells on Level Alpha, not knowing where they were or how they got there. Upon waking up, they were individually pulled into interrogation rooms, still confused and disoriented. The guards informed them of why they were there: they had been arrested and charged with causing the explosion at the Gala, which had killed at least 50, but would not tell them who else had arrived with them and survived the blast, and would not listen to any pleas of innocence. Instead, they were questioned on their skills and trades, their SOULs used to look up information on previous records and crimes committed. And from there, they were assigned their new roles in the prison, and sent on their way, with more new questions to ask than old one’s answered.
Here is where we imagine your characters would originally be assigned after their interview, along with their primary work assignment, based on their skills and previous criminal records. If you do not agree with us, feel free to message us and we will be happy to alter it. This is all for initial arrival. The crew is going to be in Purgatory for nearly three months, and by the time that three months comes, they will all be either in the same level and/or in communication. Depending on your character’s behavior, they can move between Levels, as we stated before, and as we will further explain a couple sections down.
LEVEL ALPHA: Eretreia, Kallia, Thane, Kit
LEVEL BETA: Alyx Wen (Work Assignment: custodial), Cairo (Work Assignment: kitchens), Pyre (Work Assignment: manual work, usually moving things or assisting in various repairs throughout the prison).
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS: DATA (Work Assignment: an android guard moving between Levels in Purgatory), Raven (Work Assignment: medical), Theon (Work Assignment: medical assistant and technical assistant),
THE NEW CREW IN PURGATORY.
Because the new crew members are beginning their story in Purgatory, much of this will be up to player. Please headcanon how long they have been there, how they got there, and what their life in like in Purgatory. We imagine most of the new crew members to be in Level Beta, apart from a few that may be given other assignments.
We encourage players to be creative with this and use their character’s strengths to their advantage. Explore their daily lives in prison, explore the relationships they have developed, and find reasons for why they would be mixed up with the current crew.
INTERACTIONS IN THIS EVENT.
Now that you all know where your characters are beginning in Purgatory, we are leaving much of their journey from NOVEMBER 8TH 2178 through JANUARY 28TH 2179 up to you. All threads in this part of the event can and should take place within this time period, and you can skip around with this time and do threads with whomever you’d like. Feel free to set yourself up a timeline of your character’s progress and interactions in Purgatory. The only rule is that by JANUARY 28TH, 2179, your character needs to either be in Level Beta or in communication with crew members in Level Beta. If you think this is unrealistic for your character and would like to work with us on an exception to it, message us. But, in general, what happens to your character from November to the end of January, how your character gets to Level Beta if they aren’t already there, and how they get in communication with other members of the crew is all up to you, and should be roleplayed in this event. Here’s some ideas for interactions within this event:
Old crew members meeting the new crew members for the first time. In general, they need to become allies with each other moving forward in the plot, so keep that in mind when you plot these interactions. Feel free to headcanon characters being cell mates if they are in Level Beta, or work partners.
Old crew members reuniting with each other. Remember, they all think the others are dead, so feel free to bring the emotion with them seeing each other alive for the first time.
Crew members (new and/or old) trying to piece together the things that have happened, and possibly looking towards attempting an escape (though no discussions of plans should take place yet)
If you have specific ideas for plots within Purgatory for your character that go beyond the canon we have set out, or interaction ideas that go beyond meetings and reunitings, we’d love for those to happen, but ask for you to message us with your ideas, so we can ensure it works with the canon we have created and doesn’t contradict anything we have planned for part two of this event.
If you have any questions, as always, message us! If you would like ideas for plots or how to get your character where they need to be, also feel free to message us! Get plotting, and have fun!
She picked at the corners of her cuticles and looked into the sea of people. They glittered like stars plucked from the night’s sky, and like the stars, she feared that they could see into the deaths of her. Wearing a mask didn’t hide her, it laid her bare. She wanted the stars to turn off. She wanted the sky to go dark so that she could hide there.
Raven lit a cigarette and shrugged to herself, as if she would somehow shrug off her fear and discomfort. Unsurprisingly, she felt no change in her bones. The anxiety still gnawed on her ankles and pulled on her hem. She took a long drag and leaned against Pyre with her shoulder, gently and absentmindedly. He was a surprise, but for a stranger he was familiar. He reminded her of the men that she had known and loved; being with him felt like she was far away from herself and the life that she led. Being with him felt like easier times.
Near them, a string band played too loud and it made easy to hide in plain site. She knew that she was supposed to be keeping an eye out for someone, and that Eretreia and Kallia would be expecting some sort of effort on her part, but she didn’t have the nerve. What good was discovering the Benefactor’s secrets? It wasn’t going to change the fact that they were bound to the Concord and the Benefactor’s mission. Or at least, Raven was. She had no rock to scurry under, no talents to protect her, no life to fulfill her.
Being at the gala was a reminder of that.
It was like she was living as a ghost, haunting places from a dream or a past life. Absentmindedly, she decided that dead people were lucky. At least oblivion promised no more society events.
“How are things, with uh, you know, whatever you weren’t talking about before?”
LOCATION: The Balcony
DATE & TIME: October 31st, 2178; 9:23pm
WITH: @kittybeisel
Raven stood out on the balcony and looked at out the Harbor view. It had always been beautiful, and she had always hated it. She had been raised without a sky, and so much of it made her uncomfortable. It felt too open, it felt too exposed.
So she decided to focus on the bottle of champagne in her hand and the way the bubbles made her nose tingle, the way it tasted bitter and sweet on her tongue -- the way she dangled the bottle dangerously over the balcony. She imagined the glass breaking against the concrete below. She imagined the spray of champagne, she imagined the sound; like a shot in the night. But instead of dropping it, she turned her back to Wrotham and leaned against the railing.
How many nights like this had she avoided? Lena had been a social animal, desperate to mingle and laugh and connect. Raven had never been so inclined. She was more fragile then, she didn’t want to be outed as the outsider. The interloper.
But Raven was not the same woman as before, she didn’t care about the people. She only wanted to escape the noise and the hot panic that was creeping up in her throat. Foolishly, she had imagined that the masks would make things easier. But no mask would hide them from the hounds, they would be sniffed out and torn to shreds. At least she would make a handsome corpse.
The door to the balcony opened, and the breeze gave her chills. Instinctively, she tucked the bottle of drink behind her, but relaxed when she recognized the mask. Raven eyed the man from behind her mask and took long drink of champagne. She hadn’t taken much time to learn anything about the new crew members, except for what their medical records said. And she certainly wasn’t feeling much inclined to take the opportunity to get to know him now.
God, but at least he wasn’t one of them. And at least he was alone. And at least he would make a handsome corpse too.
“Nice horns, definitely don’t make you look like a prick.”
