002=VIDEO [ forward dated to March 10th ]

[rebellions]

[ It's an evening like any other since the beginning of the blackout ─ since the last rays of sunshine have disappeared behind the horizon already, there are few people left on the streets, whatever little light there is still around coming mostly from candles in the nearby windows and an occasional brazier a person or two may stop by to warm up on their way home.

Even so, it shouldn't be difficult for anyone familiar with Aldrip to recognize the area shown in the video feed despite the surrounding darkness ─ and that's doubly true for those who have been through their "sentencing". The building displayed is, without any doubt, the City Hall, the very same where the Council (supposedly) dwells and casts their judgement upon the Chosen. The person filming this, whoever they are, approaches the main entry to the building before stopping right before its doors. They reach out to it, but instead of placing their hand on the knob as some might have assumed, they press their palm against the surface of the door instead. It's at this point that the mysterious figure speaks up, and those who know him will surely have no trouble realizing who it is. ]

... Restriction 666 released, dimensional interference field deployed.

[ Multiple elaborate magic circles start appearing from beneath his hand, their blue light illuminating the area and making it easier to see for those who haven't recognized the place yet. Paying them no mind, the voice continues: ]

IDEA Engine, linked. BlazBlue... activate.

[ An ornate crest flashes in front of him, and then the screen is filled with blinding light. What follows is a loud sound of an explosion, but it doesn't come just from the recording ─ no, anyone in Aldrip will probably be able to hear the almost deafening, sharp noise. The whole thing only lasts seconds, probably, but it might feel like it takes longer than that for the light to finally fade ─ and once it does, the area is completely unrecognizable. Where the City Hall stood just moments ago, there is nothing but a sea of fire and rubble. Surely, there are screams, too, and people rushing in to see what was the cause of the explosion ─ but their voices are drowned out by the sound of falling rocks and crackling fire.

Finally, Ragna turns the charm to face him, appearing completely unfazed like he didn't just raze a building to the ground. ]

The sentencing's been called off. I'm done playing their games.

Comments

[beautifulleopard]

[.........]

[Yeah, this is pretty concerning. Wtf you doing madman?]

Very dramatic. I'm certain that they got your message.

[rebellions]

[ Nothing unusual, if we're judging by his casual attitude. ]

They'd better. I'm sick of dealing with their dumb middleman.

[ He can only hope Jerry, being a workaholic that he is, was still in the building. ]

audio

[cursegod]

[Considering Dara has been willfully ignoring thoughts that this may be a fake reality, seeing the building go up in flames is a terrible reminder of who may be at the center of it all.]

Oh, we're screwed.

audio

[memori3s]

[ hey that's Miss Not-Monster Snake Lady --

Anyways, he's seen the video too. Very flashy. ]

We are...?

[killjoyprince]

[Naoto has only been here a week. People had mentioned things would go from calm to chaotic in the blink of an eye but...]

Please tell me you had a plan before potentially starting a riot...

[This is going to be suffering.]

[rebellions]

And who, exactly, do you think would start those? The locals?

[ The man scoffs, clearly unconcerned. He also doesn't address her question directly, because his "plan" goes pretty much as far as blowing the City Hall, everything else be damned. ]

They'll stay where they belong if they know what's good for them.

[ He has absolutely no qualms about making very public threats like this, and if any of the Aldrip's residents have a problem with what he's done... well, let's just say he's not above adding some more "murder" to his list of charges. ]

audio

[bonobos]

[ wow! that’s a lot. ]

Dunno what’s going on… but they had it comin’ if you ask me. I’m real happy for ya.

audio

[memori3s]

[ He could walk his ass over to Sha-Ming's room at the inn, but that requires standing up. ]

How do you know?

[ Listen, both of them literally just got here... How'd he find out they had it coming... ]

(VIDEO); 1/2

[opheliac]

( there's so many emotions mixed up in one big tornado. for one, the explosion was so mesmerizing and beautiful. it send chills down her spine and her skin tickles with goosebumps. just witnessing this outburst alone is making her heart soar up like fireworks, and yearning to cause more of a havoc than her partner just unleashed. because blowing up that building and the council to pieces had been her fantasy since her first sentence, and that desire grew by every moment.

but then the excitement plummets a bit, and the reality sinks in. with the city hall gone.... what's next? what happens now? because if the council are Gods like she and many are speculating, then one blast wouldn't be enough to take them down. and whose to say the council stay there in city hall day in and day out? after all, they never responded to her whenever she visited there willingly. and then... her heart shutters. if the council survived this, they will come after him. and who knows what kind of torture they'll put him through. definitely something worse than she went through. will they go as far as to kill him for this? unlike everyone else so far, they all have something to say about this, but jinx can only stare back at ragna with her mouth slightly agape. he is her partner no matter what, so she will fight alongside him when that times comes, but for right now... what should she do? what should they all do now? )

...

(VIDEO); 2/2

[opheliac]

( after several minutes.... )

They might torture you for this. You know that, don't you?

[solitarysoul]

What. The. Fuck.

[rebellions]

Pretty sure you can rewatch it a couple of times if you need it to wrap your head around it, pal.

[murderingjustice]

good job watson.

[rebellions]

[ Ragna frowns at the tex; he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he can tell when he's being mocked. ]

... Somehow, coming from you, it doesn't feel like a praise.

[scythedance]

Well done, son. If you need any healing after such a ordeal, please let me know.

[rebellions]

[ Hearing that offer makes Ragna double-take. He's not... entirely sure if he's being made fun of here, or if it's genuine. ]

Huh? Nah, I'm good. [ He makes a small pause. ] ... Thanks, I guess?

[ This is so confusing. ]

[baldrshand]

What--what have you done? Why?!

[rebellions]

[ Ragna rolls his eyes. What's with the dumb questions? ]

Let's see... Oh right, I blew up the City Hall.

[ Said in the flattest tone possible. ]

Ain't it obvious? To get back at the Council.

[invinciblemikey]

i was expecting a more private picture of your killing jerry, but this will do.

[rebellions]

[ Okay, that? That gets a sneer out of him. Good job! It's nice to see there are some people here smart enough not to waste their breath lecturing him and pearl-clutching over what's already done. ]

Y'know what they say, go big or go home... and I'm still working on the "going home" part.

Video

[quizpersona]

Applause please! Applause for an exciting show.

[ Polite clapping! ]

Personally I'd give you extra points for not being shy about broadcasting your involvement.

[rebellions]

[ On one hand, it's nice not to have someone preaching at him about how terrible and/or stupid his actions were. On the other... he's not entirely sure if he likes this attitude, either. ]

Unlike some of the recent arrivals, [ cough Lelouch he's talking about you cough ] I'm not a coward to hide behind anonymity.

video

[everblooms]

[ most of the image here is just the top half of aerith's face, incredulity glowing in her bright green stare. ]

Uh, so. Why do I feel like I'm missing part of the story, here?

[rebellions]

[ Note to self: the next time he chooses to go for a terrorist attack, he needs to make sure to do that when there aren't this many newbies around. Makes the whole thing a lot more awkward than it has any right to be. ]

'Kay, so long story short? The guys who keep messing with us are in that building. Or work there. Either way, it's their place, y'know? Er, I mean, was.

[ See what he means? It's an absolute mess to try and explain it. ]

video

[strength_of_will]

[ William has already had a glimpse of how much of a loose cannon Ragna is but this goes beyond belief. He stares aghast at the devastation, thinking only of the innocent people caught in the explosion.

Which is why he's angry when he responds. ]

Did you even think about the civilians nearby?!

[rebellions]

Nah.

[ Aaand that's it. That's literally all he has to say for himself. ]

video

[heartofsalvation]

[For a while, there's just... stunned silence.]

Ragna... I would ask if you were out of your mind, but I fear I already know the answer to that.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to go check for survivors. You cannot all seriously believe this will make anyone acquiesce to our demands.

[rebellions]

[ Ragna clicks his tongue impatiently, rolling his eyes as he does. Yeah, he kind of expected all the preaching and moralizing and stuff, but it's still annoying. They really think he's the bad guy here? Not the people who'd kidnapped them all? ]

I'd ask everyone else that if I were you. Seriously? We've been kept captive here for months on end, put through a wringer and you guys still worry about those shitheads? Is that what they call Stockholm syndrome or some shit?

audio

[identitycrisiscore]

[ Now, Cloud's no stranger to acts of terrorism, but he's also no stranger to being skeptical to those acts of terrorism, either. He's not exactly going to put on his nicest voice. ]

You wanna loop some of us in on the impetus for your little tantrum?

[ He's got a lot of thoughts and feelings about blowing up a town in vengeance. ]

[rebellions]

[ See, Aerith was smart about it, and asked nicely, so she got a response (even if Ragna's explanation skills are lacking, and that's putting it mildly). This, on the other hand? Yeah no, Cloud's getting a snarky reply for his efforts. ]

You wanna put some legwork in and do your own research instead of demanding to be spoonfed every little tidbit of information, dipshit?

Audio!

[drugsnotclubs]

[Bro, that's??? super fucked??? What is with y'all needing to blow shit up??? At least when he speaks he sounds more frustrated and exasperated.]

Thanks for dragging us all in with you.... What's blowing that shit up gonna accomplish? You know something we don't?

[rebellions]

[ What's with everyone assuming they're all getting punished for it... last he checked, the Council doesn't go for group responsibility. Well. Not that he knows of.

... He's gonna worry about that bridge when he crosses it. For now, he just scoffs. ]

Sooo sorry I'm not gonna roll over and let the Council walk over me like the rest of you all. If you wanna find out if something's gonna have an effect or not, you gotta do it first, no?

text > anon bc the charms are just Like That

[geass]

[the casual display is extremely interesting. he does watch the whole thing. watch again. tries to see how exactly Ragna does it.

and then he wonders what the ramifications of it all is going to be.]

Who believes they're "hot shit" and "showing their ass" now?

Not to say I don't approve. But... I do wonder if it's going to be as permanent of a solution as you think.

[rebellions]

Can it, Larry. At least I have the decency to commit to my actions with my face and name attached.

[ Don't mind the nickname, he has to call him something. But yeah, even he might admit it's a bit hypocritical of him to make a scene like that. Normally he would be less open about it... but that's the whole point, isn't it? To get the outrage focus on him and him alone. ]

... It might not be, but it's better than doing nothing. Isn't that what you were prattling about? That we should get off our asses and do shit? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now.

video

[grappler]

[i mean. Vi looks like she can't decide on whether she's amused or outraged.]

You know they fucked up the person who bombed Ketsora, right? These guys in Aldrip had it coming, but you're about to get fucked up, buddy.

[rebellions]

[ He narrows his eyes at the mention of the other bombing, and shakes his head lightly. Don't. This whole thing is exactly to make people forget about that one and/or blame him for it, so he would appreciate it not being brought up here and now. Of course, he can't outright say it, so he just chooses to ignore that part and address the rest. ]

Oh nooo, I'm terrified. [ Said in the flattest tone possible. ] I say let 'em. I'm not the kinda guy to bury my head in the sand and wait for it to blow over.

voice;

[laserguy]

[Holy fuck]

Pretty sure that you've just made our sentencing worse.

[rebellions]

[ You're all being so dramatic, he's growing tired of it. ]

Worse how? We've been kidnapped, kept in this world against our will, put through a bunch of bullshit and forced to dance in the palm of our captors. Please, enlighten me how my tearing down a building is the worst thing to happen here.

audio

[threadmage]

[ Sandry sounds Very Disapproving, like she's talking to an unruly child. ]

Now what is this supposed to accomplish?

[rebellions]

[ The feeling is clearly mutual, and Ragna heavies a sigh. How many more times is he gonna hear this question tonight? Not that it's not warranted, but it got old after the first fifty times. ]

If I had known every single goddamn idiot here is gonna ask me that, I would've prepared a manifesto.

video;

[bulleting]

[...Well. No wonder Ragna and Jinx get along so well. He's got the same affinity for blowing up Councils.]

I hope you realize, at most, you mildly inconvenienced them.

[Does he not realize how powerful this Council is, or does he not care? She just hopes Jerry and the Council don't take their revenge out on everyone for his stupidity.]

[rebellions]

[ Ragna lets out a snort, feeling almost amused by that comment. Sure, it may not count as much in the grand scheme of things, but it's better than doing nothing if you ask him. ]

Good enough for me. They've done way worse to us, so why not return the favor?

[ The man responds with a smirk, almost like he's played an irritating but otherwise harmless prank here instead of very publicly committing an act of terrorism. ]

audio

[melnik]

[ A rough, admonishing voice is on the other end. ]

You idiot! What have you done?

[ Listen, he can't judge the desire to act, to do something, because he's done nothing but dig for answers with the other Chosen since he showed up here. But this seems like the worst possible way to go about it! ]

Did you really think it would be so easy to orchestrate a prison break, or are you just so careless that you'd put us all at risk to make some dumbass statement?

audio

[opheliac]

Chief, you're still alive! I thought you would have been gobbled up by the black-out creepies.

text

[emet_sulk]

Can there not be ONE month where you let the healers and medics rest? Or if you are so bent on slaking your thirst for murder then don't leave even a single survivor to treat.

text

[ae10d1f]

Please don't give him more weird ideas...

voice;

[entreats]

[ Ange is a complete hypocrite. Because if it were anyone else, it's likely that her reply would have been much more like most, but.. there's definitely some bias involved when it comes to the person who started all of this. ]

Ragna-- [ It already shows in her tone, just the way she speaks up. Ange's voice is no longer flat like usually, instead there's actual obvious worry in there. This isn't just an ordinary situation, after all. ]

Are you alright? Did they retaliate already?

[rebellions]

[ Ah... See, that's one message that manages to make him feel bad, if only a little. He still thinks it's... weird that Ange cares for him, but whatever reason she might have for that, he'd prefer not to worry her if he can avoid it.

That ship has obviously sailed already, so the least he can do is reassure her that he's fine. ]

Nah, I'm good. [ A beat. ] ... In fact, it's kinda weird that nothing's happened yet. Maybe they really didn't like that building.

[ He keeps his tone fairly light-hearted, but there is some confusion in his voice, too. When Jinx had her little... incident in Ketsora, Jerry reacted almost immediately. So what's stopping them now...? ]