BREAK-IN: CONNOR + YU

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

[Early on in the week, he'll see a mention of "Advancement Opportunity". The page it's on reads as follows:]

not sure what I should do. I can't stop anyone from using Advancement Opportunity if they decide to. But if they keep deciding without talking to me, how am I supposed to keep them from making a big mistake?

Every time a god has dropped to zero one of the participants has killed them. Piety's only at one. It's only a matter of time before they get his follower without meaning to...

This stupid rule about not interfering is ridiculous. It's my power, I should be able to stop it from getting used without someone performing a task. What am I supposed to

[does he continue on to the next page?]

[covenantal]

I heard about this, [ Yu will murmur, reading over Connor's shoulder. ] I'm not surprised she was frustrated.

[tootsiepop]

... Didn't she make it a task for her followers to use their ability?

[just sayin'.

he keeps reading, though! what's next?]

[divus]

[the next page continues:]

do? Most of the participants don't like me, even though a lot of them still haven't talked to me. If I say I want to help protect Piety, they'll think I'm up to something.

If I'm going to make a world Ladybug will be proud of, I have to win.

But I don't want to win partially because one of my followers made it possible for someone to hurt Piety. It would be less competition, but...

[There's something else written here, but it's scribbled out in frustration.]

I know it has to be something big to completely protect someone from being affected by the power. I know that, but

[next page?]

[covenantal]

[ ... ]

This must be about the deal she eventually offered Guy.

[tootsiepop]

[...

...

He has nothing to say to that.

He flips to the next page.]

[divus]

[it continues:]

that doesn't mean I like it. Who can I ask? I have to ask someone. I can't just leave it like this.

But so many of them would nev

[The word is cut off suddenly - apparently, something occurred to her just then.]

I know who I can ask.

[The entry ends there.]

[covenantal]

[ ... there's something chilling about that. Knowing what came of it.

Yu will glance at Connor. You ok, buddy?

Where to now? ]

[tootsiepop]

[He's fine. It's fine. He's just suddenly very, very quiet, his face carefully blank as he reads the last words in the entry.

After a moment:]

Friday's entry. And then the ones she's written for this week.

[Might as well, since they're already here? Assuming nothing stops him, he'll flip to week five's Friday entry first.]

[divus]

[Fridy's entry is short and to the point, and some of the ink is slightly stained by what might be tears.]

I shouldn't have asked him.

[covenantal]

[ .... ]

Connor. [ his voice is a little rough. let's ... let's keep going, bud. ]

[tootsiepop]

[...

Quietly:]

Okay.

[He flips to this week's Monday entry, a significantly slower than before.]

[divus]

[Monday's entry reads as follows:]

This is almost over. If Ladybug was here, what would she say to me right now? She would be mad about the other week, probably. But I wonder if she'd be proud of the rule I made.

I told everyone it was my rule. A lot of them still seem to think I'm some bloodthirsty god, but you know what? Let them. If they're too afraid of what I'll do to them if they break my rule, then they won't kill. That will be worth it.

I've taken back the lead again. Now I just need to figure out how I can keep it.

She told me I can serve a purpose, but I have to want it. It's time to find out if I want it enough.

[tootsiepop]

[ONE LAST BIT OF SNOOPING BEFORE THEY PUT THE DIARY BACK WHERE IT BELONGS--

Anything written for Tuesday of this week?]

[divus]

[There sure is an entry for Tuesday of this week. It has a few tearstains on it, but not as many as the other entry.]

It was all a lie, wasn't it?

He kept saying he believes in me, that he might even join me at the end because I've grown so much. That he's my friend.

But the day after he said that, he went to Piety and said he can't let me win, and that everyone will rally around Piety instead. Piety said he tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't change his mind...

Was he lying the entire time? Was he ever my friend at all?

I'll win this with or without him. I'll prove I'm capable of leading, even if he was lying about believing in me. Ladybug believed I can serve a purpose. That's what matters.

[covenantal]

[ ...

Yu glances at Connor. ]

Find what you were looking for?

[tootsiepop]

[He's quiet for a moment, staring at the tear stains on the page. Unless Yu has something in particular he wants to read himself, Connor will gently close the diary and lock it up again, before placing it back in the bedside drawer.]

I did.

[Though he can't say how he feels about it now.]

What do you make of her?

[Is that all for the bedroom? If so, he's going to start heading back to the living room to check out the TV.]

[divus]

[The TV is off. But, hey, with that nice universal remote, they can probably turn it on!

When they do, there's a performance on the screen. It continues to play as they look around.]

[covenantal]

[ Nah. Yu lets him put it away, the look on his face pensive. He'll trail after Connor as they return to the living room. ]

Of Ambition? [ A soft huff that's not quite a laugh; if Connor happens to look at him, he'll see a crooked smile, too. ] To be honest, her diary confirmed some things I already thought about her. Ambition is ... a good person, who means well. She's a friend. Still...

[ He sighs, quietly. ]

She won't be who I support. I suppose that's all I can really say.

[ Have they checked out about all they can look at in here? It might be time for them to head out, if so. ]

[tootsiepop]

Yes.

[Succinct. He sounds... a little tired, to be honest. A little less cheerful than he was when they first broke into the room, though he's trying to cover it up with that same preprogrammed placidness he consistently displayed in the first week.]

I didn't think... [—that she regretted it. He doesn't finish that sentence, though, instead shaking his head.] No. Nevermind. Will support Love at the time of the final tally?

[If there's nothing else inside the penthouse, Connor will return to the balcony in order to see if there's a safe route down... Even if it involves parkour.]

[divus]

[immediately in the balcony area, there doesn't seem to be a way down. but... if he looks over the side and focuses on the wall, he'll see that there are various open windows and windowsills that could serve as handholds and footholds dotted around the side of the building.

it might not be impossible to climb down safely, although it would be difficult.]

[covenantal]

[ Connor, buddy, you've spent nearly seven weeks together. You think he can't read you like an open book? Yu hears the shift, but honestly, he won't comment on it. He's got his own thoughts on Ambition, it seems. ]

I will, [ he'll say, simple as that. ] I truly believe in her vision for the world. [ ... soft: ] I wouldn't go back to her if I didn't.

[ It's a piece of honesty he wouldn't share with just anyone. He loves her, with everything he is, but if he really didn't think she could lead a new world...

It wouldn't be a question, much as the mere thought pains him.

Anyway hey, he'll join Connor on the balcony, also taking a look at the building. ... he'll glance at Connor. ]

You can't possibly be thinking...

[tootsiepop]

[Bold of any of you to assume Connor cares about his own personal safety.

He's focusing on the open windows and windowsills, calculating the distance between them and running the math within the literal computer in his head in order to select the ""safest"" route. It only takes him a couple of seconds before he's nodding, leaning over the railing.]

This will only take a minute.

[And then he

casually

moves

to start climbing over the balcony and down the building.]

[divus]

[let the roomba yeet himself]

[covenantal]

[ i want future readers of this thread to know that i literally rng'd whether or not yu would succeed in stopping connor and rng said no so basically please understand that fate wants connor to die.

anyway.

Yu will honestly make a choked noise?! ]

What are you doing?!

[ He'll drop his sword to rush over and try to grab at him, but Connor is already out of reach. ]

You idiot-- [ he's not freaking out, who's freaking out? ] Be careful!