There's nothing certain left to know

[have_your_lives]

[Mayfield has been seeing less and less of Schuldig over the past two months. With Crawford and Joshua having been droned, and now Nagi's following them, the Mastermind has been essentially abandoned - no partners, no support, nothing.

Forget about merely being separated from Crawford; to be cast adrift from Schwarz entirely is something that hasn't happened in over a decade. To say that he's not coping well would be an understatement, as whatever it is he's doing...it's not 'coping' at all.

Akira has managed to duck Schuldig entirely so far, and the only other inhabitant of Schuldig's house is Ema - who avoids the place as much as possible. In their absence, he's taken to prowling through the halls like a wild animal, becoming increasingly unstable. How much Ema (or Akira, whenever she happens to be around) has noticed in her infrequent home visits is debatable, but some of the walls have bullet holes in them. Target practice or random violence? Who knows. When there are no gunshots, there is an almost constant blaring of classical music throughout the house - something that Schuldig usually uses to clear his head, or at least drown out everything else in it. That he's gone beyond the point where this calms him in the slightest is a dangerous sign.

Schuldig's isolation is the only thing preventing him from going out and taking out his frustrations on the general populace. He hates pain, he hates dying, and he especially hates droning - all of which and more can happen to him if he goes on any kind of mindfuck murder sprees without the backup he's accustomed to from Schwarz. He has no allies now, no one watching his back, and the feeling of being so alone is accomplishing what only Crawford's strictest orders ever have. Schuldig is restraining himself.

But where Crawford gave him leeway, let him indulge himself at times even if he demanded obedience at others, there's no reprieve from his current situation. With no outlets for his frustrations, combined with the stress of being simultaneously alone and having the voices of dozens of people he loathes in his head...something inside him is splintering, something that was never far from snapping to begin with.

With Nagi's droning as the final straw, he's beginning to lose what little sense of self-preservation he possesses. Something is going to suffer with him, and very soon.]

[A]

[Schuldig is prowling the house, in a volatile mood and probably armed. Ema, Akira, if you dare...]

[B]

[Schuldig is walking the streets, scanning his fellow Mayfield residents both visually and telepathically. Whether he's looking for a conversational partner or a victim is difficult to say, but he'd probably be happy with either. And there's no saying whether he won't just combine the two, judging from the look of him.]

[C]

[Mayfield does offer Schuldig one small consideration. In the mail today, he receives a small box...in which lies a familiar car key. He stares at it for a long moment before ducking outside, to find his beautiful red sports car in the driveway. Anyone can feel free to approach him while he's staring at it - compliments to his car are one of the few ways in which someone could get on his good side right now - or spot him while he's driving it through Mayfield later. But eventually he'll be taking it speeding down the highway, the pedal all the way to the floor...and he'll be driving it back and forth down the highway pretty much until he runs out of gas.

He is not in a good place right now.]

[OOC note: Please make sure you've responded to Schuldig's permissions posts(forward dated at the top of his journal)! Also, he's a very dangerous man in a very dangerous mood, so be aware of that if you want to toss your characters at him. :|a ]

Comments

B - Because Ken really has no luck, and neither does Schu

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

[Ken was out and about, considering where he was going to look for a gun or rifle to give to Omi until he got his own back. It was also a nice day so he walked. Drone Nagi...hmmm...while Ken kinda liked having prodigy around if only to keep an eye on him, it was a bit of a relief not to worry about the bastard putting glass shards in Miakis's or now Omi's food.

He hasn't noticed the last memeber of the quartet of evil.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[But Schuldig notices Ken. How could he miss him, after all? And, if Ken were paying attention...he'd notice Schuldig isn't smiling. That's usually a bad sign for someone, because the only thing more dangerous than a cackling Mastermind is an angry one.

He stalks toward Ken. He hasn't decided what he'll do yet, but given their history together...probably nothing pleasant.]

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

[It was the feeling of sudden and impending dread that seemed to alert Ken to Schuldig coming his way. Maybe it was that small part of him that was inclined towards being almost feral that would show up later in his life. Who knows. Still. He sees you know. There was a small moment of oh hell what the fuck, but he manages to brace himself.

Ken knows this can't be avoided now, and he is quickly shifting to battle ready mode.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig...stops, a few feet away - out of comfortable lunging range, anyway. He's in a fickle mood, the sort where even he doesn't know what he wants at any given moment. What he knows is that he wants to destroy things, to rip through flesh and framework...but he doesn't have the energy or inclination for an acual fight. He isn't going to tangle with Ken, at least not directly.

A smirk curves his lips at the other man's combative stance, however.] Already bloodthirsty, Siberian? I haven't even done anything yet.

[vertulpen.livejournal.com]

[Holland can be found sitting on the curb, enjoying a cigarette. It's become a near-regular spot for him; he didn't like to spend time in the house with the drone wife and he didn't really have any place he wanted to go at the moment.

This place could be so boring.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig is brought up short in his scanning of minds by Holland. A nation. Holland is hardly the first of such minds he's encountered in Mayfield, but they're always headache-inducing - which is hardly what he needs right now.

So what does an irritable telepath do with a headache when someone else causes it? Naturally, he vicariously inflicts it on the person who gave it to him. It's only fair. He also takes some petty satisfaction in the fact that Holland probably won't have the slightest idea where it's coming from.]

Got any more? [He's referring to the cigarette. He doesn't smoke regularly, only when stressed - but now definitely qualifies.]

[vertulpen.livejournal.com]

Left them in the house. [The reply is so utterly disinterested; he doesn't even look at Schuldig. He might have had one or two stashed in his pockets, but he just didn't care enough to bother.]

[After a long exhale, he rubs the back of his head a little. His head was slowly starting to hurt and he felt tired. It had been a long day, after all.]

B

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

[Unfortunately, Schuldig doesn't particularly look the part of a telepath; he just looks grumpy, and Dist is kind of on a "people need me!" high so his decision-making skills aren't the best.]

Has Mayfield started killing people again?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig snorts, his eyes raking over Dist with such scathing force that it's a wonder they don't leave marks.] It stopped?

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

[Dist steps back, suddenly apprehensive despite Schudig not actually saying anything particularly confrontational or indicting. He huffs, straightening himself up.]

Usually they leave it to the less-stable members of our population to do it for them.

B

[karma-houdini.livejournal.com]

[Reaver is standing just outside of the hardware store, having bought more ammo for his gun. Not a very pretty pistol. Nothing like his Dragonstomper .48(s), but it certainly served its intended purpose. And who knew when he'd need to use it next. If things kept on going as they were....

The city was utterly stifling. It's people without any sense of fun. The drones so mind-numingly dull that he'd almost prefer to listen to Garth--if he hadn't killed the man anyway. But even in its most hectic moments, it had a tameness that he had not known since--no, he'd never known such. That was another man's life.

He digs through his pockets, searching for his pack of cigarettes. At least it was something he could still find pleasure in for the time being.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Now Reaver...Reaver is interesting. Schuldig has been ticking over minds like a man sifting through files, but this one catches his interest. Largely because, in many ways, it's similar to his. Vain, hedonistic, completely disgusted with Mayfield, needing a smoke and something to shoot.

He pauses, studying the man with a curiosity that's colored ever so faintly with amusement.] Can I have one? [Never mind that he's asking for a cigarette before Reaver's even finished fishing the pack out of his pockets...telepaths tend to preempt things by a few steps at all times.]

[karma-houdini.livejournal.com]

[Well now that's odd. He's certainly noticed but he's not all too concerned. Not enough to say anything. He just slightly quirks an eyebrow.

Having successfully retrieved both cigarettes and lighter, he turns his attention to the other. Hmm... Not bad. ]

Oh, I suppose.

[He takes one for himself, placing it between his lips before handing another to Schuldig. Isn't he just so generous? ]

B - can Schu read animal minds?

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[Theo sits at an outdoor chess table, alone save for his two crow familiars, smoking and talking to them. He wants someone to play against, but of course, is afraid to ask anyone. He looks over one of the pieces in his hand while talking to the birds.]

No, the one I had back home wasn't much better, but at least the design of the pieces were a bit more... stylish. Like everything in Mayfield, these are really bland-looking.

[One of the birds chatters at him.]

Not really, they still get the job done, I guess.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[No, Schuldig can't read the minds of animals...the thought processes are simply too foreign to him, giving him - at best - a general for their moods that's slightly more accurate than what a casual observer could glean.

But he may be able to detect the crows' half of the conversation from Theo's own thoughts. After all, Theo knows what he's replying to.

He pauses when he spots the other man sitting at the chess table; Theo's general attitude - incredibly bitter - naturally appeals to him in this mindset, and if nothing else, chess would at least be a distraction. So - without asking - he'll slide into the chair across from Theo.]

Nothing that belongs here is actually worth anything. [He gives Theo a lazy smirk.]

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[Theo is somewhat surprised to have someone sitting there. One of the crows hops close to Theo, the other still sits on the board, peering at Schuldig curiously.

Naturally, Theo's slightly nervous at the approaching of a stranger - outwardly it doesn't show, but his thoughts do. Being certifiably paranoid is never fun.]

That's the truth. But it's not like you can't still play chess with ugly pieces.

A!

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

[Ema's noticed, in the brief periods when she's at home that haven't involved her sleeping. She's also noticed that it seems to be getting worse. Schuldig isn't especially stable on a good day, so this is just becoming outright dangerous.

Part of her almost feels bad for him. Emphasis on almost, however; she knows better than to feel anything resembling sympathy toward him. Even if he's slowly morphing from monster to human being in her perception of him, that doesn't make him good or anything that he does okay. And, even if it did, he'd reject the pity outright. Possibly using violent force.

Still, as the other adult in the household and with a non-drone teenager in the picture now (which Ema still needs to introduce herself to, come to think of it), Ema can't let this go on like it's going. So, carefully, she approaches.]

Schuldig?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

What? [His voice is sharp, his attitude clearly on edge. The music is going, though it's not really helping. The simple fact is that he likes to listen to classical music to drown out the thoughts of others in his head - but, currently, one of the most troublesome voices in his head is his own. Reminding him that he's trapped, that he's alone, that he has all his powers and they've done him no good, that he's surrounded on all sides by people he hates and people who hate him.

He rarely sleeps for more than an hour at a stretch, but he doesn't even look like he's had that recently.]

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

[Ema shrinks back slightly but doesn't stand down. The fact is, she's determined to do something to set him at ease. He's a danger to her, to Akira, to himself.

Dammit.]

What happened? Is there... something I can do...?

B.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[The Riddler's just at the end of his driveway, taking out the garbage at Susan's request and grumbling to himself while he does it. He hasn't noticed you yet, Schuldig.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Well, if there was some doubt over what Schuldig had been looking for - someone to talk to, or someone to victimize - there was at least no question as to just what he'd found. A matador only knows so many ways to treat a bull.

Oh, a little emotional torment may be just what he needs. His glower melts into one of his customary razor-edged smirks.]

You know, most men would object to a shady character trying to seduce their wives. [Yes, Schuldig just called Edward a shady character. The calculated insult couldn't possibly be more blatant.]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[Edward's eyes dart up to this newcomer, though they quickly narrow once he realizes who it is. It's difficult to forget a presence like Schuldig's, even after only interacting with him once. Questions immediately surge through his brain: How does he know about what happened between Eddie and Ema? Did he only just learn about this by being in Edward's presence just now? Or did he learn from Ema some time ago? Did she tell him herself? What else did he learn from her?

All of these questions lead to the same general answer: Whatever the case, this isn't going to be good. Edward looks away from Schuldig, straightening out the can along the curb and trying to focus his attention elsewhere. I don't have to listen to this.]

C;

[luxuriality.livejournal.com]

[ For some reason, an exotically attractive woman seems to be pondering about flour. Some hints of irritation at her general situation is given. She sees him and approaches him, more courteous and converses a simple question ].

Excuse me, mister, do you know about the availability of flour?

[ ooc: sorry for the lateness, went mad with backtagging since this is the first time I can operate my flist properly in a week owo;. As for mind reading/controlling/etc. I'm game for whatever so none of it bothers me. Do whatever you want to her as long as it doesn't transcend into Non-con ahaha! ]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[There are some things even telepathy can't tell you. Schuldig gives the woman a flat look.] Why would you ask me and not, say, check the supermarket?

[luxuriality.livejournal.com]

[ Lust will look at him with intrigue and begin to think, "So Telepathy is able to be utilized by some people here? What an interesting circumstance.

Her mind will briefly float to the image of a bunch of squirrels escaping from a floursack with a bunch of notes saying that the multiple offspring are their problem now ]

I'm quite new here, but do you think they'll have enough for the rations I need?

[ She'll think large amounts of flower. Baiting him is so fun omg ]