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

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Why not? I've got nothing better to do. [Of course, given Schuldig's telepathy, Theo doesn't stand much chance of winning...] But I assume that's why you're here, too.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

Not much else to do around here.

[He actually just really likes to play chess, honestly. He's glad to have someone finally sit down.]

You any good?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

No, there isn't. Nothing that won't get you droned, anyway. [Oh, Schuldig can think of dozens of things to do, but none of them would end well for him.]

And don't worry; I won't have any trouble matching you.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

That's for sure.

[Droned, or stabbed repeatedly in the face again by your best friend in town. Either or. Did he mention said friend is Ken Hidaka? Have fun with that thought, Schuldig.

He'll make his first move, not putting too muich thought into it.]

Seems people in this town either have no fucking idea how to play, or seem to play at a professional level. It's... [annoying? Frustrating?] ... weird.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Oh, that thought is blood in the water. Schuldig's pupils practically dilate at the realization of what he's found, and all the opportunities it presents. Though there's an element of...surprise to the discovery, and perhaps resentment; nothing he's already gleaned (and there's plenty) from Theo suggests that the man is all that different from himself. Bitter, dangerous, occasionally going on bloody killing sprees...

Yet Ken is friendly with Theo, despite actually killing him on at least one occasion. And Schuldig is disgusted by all hypocrisy that isn't his own.

Oh, yes...it's become a new personal goal for Schuldig to make Ken come to this same realization. And if Theo loses Ken as a friend, as a result - well, no great loss. He'd be better off with a like mind such as Schuldig's backing him, anyway. What is Ken other than a murderous idiot?

Schuldig makes his own first move, putting entirely too much thought into it.]

Would you expect any less? Some are from worlds where the game doesn't exist, and the rest are freaks. This town never really pulls anyone normal here, do they? They have enough normal in their drones.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig would be right, normally. Theo isn't one for friends. On top of everything else, he's paranoid and mistrusting of people; he's convinced that all people are only out to use each other, like objects, and would not hesitate to hurt him. Yet all he wants is for people to give him attention. No, it doesn't make sense. But hey, Theo's got a lot of problems.

The only reason Ken seems exempt from this is that he reminds Theo of his older brother, the only person on earth Theo ever trusted. And he gives Theo the one thing he craves the most - attention.

Theo looks over the pieces while talking, figuring his next move.]

That's for sure. Mayfield, the intergalactic side show. But I'm pretty sure that's why we're all here.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Well, so much for my theory that the place just likes to fuck with us.

[Schuldig waits on Theo's move, following every strategy in his head. It's cheating, but Schuldig long ago passed the point of caring about that. He couldn't stop hearing people's thoughts if he wanted to - and there have been so many times when he's wanted to. He long ago stopped having any compunctions about using his advantage for everything it's worth, given the suffering he has to endure simply for having it at all.

It's not cheating, it's just taking what his misery has rightfully earned him.]

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[It doesn't take a mind reader to see Theo's growing frustration as he loses. He's not a bad player, but he makes impulsive moves, and second-guesses himself a lot. For all his bravado, most of his self-confidence is forced.

He goes through a few more cigarettes as they play, one after another. The birds sense their master's attitude, and the braver one apparently cheers him on. Theo does his best to ignore it.

Once they're done, Theo sits back, glaring at the board and at Schuldig. Who the hell was this guy, anyway? Was everyone in this damn town a professional or something?]

Hnn. Well, good job, I guess.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig leans forward, grinning across the board at him.] If it's any consolation, no one's ever beaten a telepath at chess without cheating.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[Oh Schuldig, what have you done? At first, he doesn't believe it. Psychics don't exist in Theo's world, but mind-reading spells do, so it's not out of the realm of his imagination. He's met at least one other psychic in town, though, so he knows they can be here. Then, the paranoia kicks in. The idea that someone could read his mind - and apparently has been doing so - it's downright *terrifying* to him. The guy was playing too good, always one step ahead, so maybe it was true after all.

He practically jumps from his seat, startling the birds who being to caw.]

A what?! Are you fucking serious?!

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Is there any particular reason I wouldn't be? [He laughs low in his throat, watching Theo with undisguised amusement.] Given that you're a necromancer, I expected a better reaction. You raise zombies, but telepathy is where you draw the line?

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[Well that seals it. Sure, Schuldig could have learned that from someone else in town, but it wasn't likely.]

Rooting around in my head is where I draw the line!

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Schuldig snorts at this.] I never have to stop explaining this, do I? Again, I'd expect better from a necromancer. [He smirks at Theo.] I imagine you get tired of people thinking you must fuck corpses. Or thinking you want nothing more than to make more of them. But you assume you know all about how telepathy works?

I'm not 'rooting around' in your head. You're broadcasting. I can't not hear you.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[He stares Schuldig down. He supposes the man was right about that, but that doesn't mean he trusts him on this totally. He starts backing off.]

So then I guess the only thing I can do is avoid you completely.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

So you'll be friends with a man who kills you, but you won't even sit across from someone who's done nothing worse than play chess with you? Interesting double standards you have.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

That's...! [Complicated, he supposed. Somehow he and Ken had apologized to one another and they were friends again, even after all that unpleasantness.]

Why the hell should I trust you?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Why should you trust anyone? [Schuldig shrugs easily.] Why shouldn't you? You already know the answers to those questions. But with a telepath, it's not a matter of trust. Everything you might choose to hold back, to keep private to those you trust...I already have it. Whether or not I do anything with it has nothing to do with what you think of me, so your trust isn't a factor.

But then, if I already have all the cards in my hand...then what's the point of fearing me? Of alienating me? You're as intimately known as you've ever hoped, or feared. There's nothing to hide from me, no reason to be cautious or coy. I know what you know. I might almost suggest the proper response to be relief. [He smirks.] You know someone who you don't need to be anything but yourself with, now.

I might also point out the obvious - what could I possibly want from you? Or to do to you? Do you normally assume complete strangers have it out for you, or is that strictly reserved for telepathic ones?

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[>Do you normally assume complete strangers have it out for you

Why yes, yes he does, Schuldig. But it's an innate reaction he cannot help. The entire idea that someone could be in his head messing with his thoughts is pretty scary to him, but not even half as scary as the idea that someone in town now knows *everything about him*. At the same time, Schuldig had a fair point.

Theo is so full of conflicting emotions that it must give Schuldig a headache.]

I'm not like a lot of people in this town. I'm sure you've noticed that by now. But now that you know what I have done and what I am like, why the flying fuck are you even still sitting here.

[Theo glares at him. This probably meant that Schuldig was no pillar of society either.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[This actually gets an outright laugh from him! A good, long one.] I've been a telepath since the day I was born, Theo. Even just out of the people in this town, now, do you really think that what you are and what you've done are the worst I've ever heard? [He grins.] Hell, I could probably match you, atrocity for atrocity. I don't judge, and I don't care. Your business is your business, until and unless it interferes with mine.

So... [He's idly shifting chess pieces around, one-handed.] Does that scare you more, or put you at ease?

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[He's not sure. Blame that inability to trust people.]

I suppose it doesn't matter anyway. Mayfield strips everyone of their identities and their abilities, and even if they return them, it's not like you can just run around doing whatever you want.

[He sits back down, and stares Schuldig down.]

I'm tempted to blow your damn head off with a spell, but in the end there's no point to that either.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Seems like you've tried. Though it didn't work out too well for you, did it?

[He grins at Theo.] And it's not like I'd let you blow my head off, even if you wanted to.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

[It didn't work with the zombies, and it didn't work when Theo tried to fight Flay, Nina and April either. That just got him shot and electrocuted.]

Don't think I'm going to just fall in line after you because of this.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Why would you think I'd expect you to fall in line at all? I'm not asking anything of you.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

Then why tell me you're a telepath? I would never have known unless you told me.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Why hide it? No one would know you're a necromancer unless you told them, but that hasn't stopped you having undead familiars in plain sight, has it?