[ Escha shoots Junpei a look because she's not sure if he's serious or not. If he's joking she wants to scold him! But maybe he's not joking, and maybe that's actually the problem! ]
[ he can't even fake a reaction to junpei's joke, only shaking his head a bit. ]
You could say that. [ he takes a breath, leaning his head back up against the wall as he stares up at the ceiling. he recites it like he's giving a report on a mission gone wrong, which-- this feels like it, at least. ] On Tuesday afternoon, I got hit with some... visions. They didn't last long, but they gave me a feeling like if I didn't, if I didn't have sex with someone I'd die. I'd already-- [ well, they get the picture. he thumps his head back a bit. the wall? did nothing? to deserve that abuse? ] The feeling stopped after I did. I went to Chuuya to try and see if-- if they knew anything about this. Still waiting on an answer. They've... reconvening. Get back to me later.
[ his hands clench around his legs. c'mon, nightwing, you've done reports in worst situations. stop being a baby. it's just like fear toxin! ]
I-- today-- someone else came to me with the same problem. They wanted my help. They'd had visions, and that feeling, and-- it's spreading? Or catching, I, I don't know. I don't know, but I took it back, and it's-- it's a very compelling feeling.
[ he gives a little hysterical laugh ]
So you might-- I don't know. Tie me up? I don't want to seek anyone else out.
[It's hard to say what he's thinking since his face doesn't look too shocked. Horrified, sure, and a little angry, but he seems to be taking this in stride. He's listening to the report and there's a deep inhale through his nose before he sighs.
What in the fuck...]
...Chuuya told me that there's still a lot they don't know. I'm not surprised this blindsided them, too. [He doesn't move from his place on the bed, watching Dick closely while trying to glance at Escha from the corner of his eye for her reaction to this new. He thinks about Dick's announcement on Monday and wonders if this would've happened if he'd kept his mouth shut. But he doesn't bring it up. Now's not the time.]
It's like some kind of virus or something then. [Wow. This really brings back flashbacks of Rad-6. That's great.] We're not gonna tie you up, alright? We'll...figure something out. [Right?] What if there's another way to make the feeling stop?
[There's silence again. Something seems to be bothering him as he stares at Dick, a hand casually brushing over something in his pocket. He doesn't say anything just yet, letting his own thoughts sort out.]
...you mean like how you rode it out the first time? We don't know what any of this actually means. You get that, don't you? [Stop being an idiot!]
[ it's a little. sulky. he thumps his head against the wall again. ]
I don't know what it means, but I know the fact that visions of us getting horribly murdered if we don't fuck being transferable can't be a good thing, and I'm not going to-- to do it to someone else. [ a beat ] Again.
Dude, stop. [Please be kind to the walls. But also yourself, because:] It's not a good thing, but we're going to fix this. Alright? Just...give me a minute to think.
[...hm. He brings a hand up to his chin, a thinking pose as he tries to sort out all of this information.] ...it passes when someone takes it from you. Right? No matter how it's done? Most people probably aren't used to visions of being horribly murdered.
[ Escha winces when he thumps his head against the wall. Yes, please stop. :( It's worrying. But unfortunately she has little to continue, so she's just listening... ]
Edited (but not with a smiley icon) 2019-10-16 23:38 (UTC)
[He makes a face at fear toxin, because what the fuck. He's not going to ask for a name yet because right now that doesn't matter? What matters is the very real problem on their hands.]
People are gonna notice if you start acting weird, too. And we're getting closer to Friday, that was kind of the point of tonight. We're making sure this demon has nobody to go after. [But there's a breath because this now seems even more demonic somehow.] ...you can't keep it. I know why you took it back, but you can't keep it.
[ Escha is quiet, because passing it on to someone else also seems bad. But she wants to think that it's something that won't actually do any more harm than the visions, so... ]
... He's right.
It's dangerous when we don't know exactly what will happen if you resist the compulsion. People count on you, and people are worrying about you. And that's exactly why you can't try to take on too much stress by yourself.
[Yeah. It's...brutal. The situation's very brutal, and he's not sure what to think about it.]
Yeah, we're bad at listening. What of it? [Another attempt at tentatively supporting this? It's. Wow.] ...Escha's right. People count on you, but...you need to count on us, too. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're kind of a team.
[Are they? Sometimes Junpei works best in threes. There's another pause.] ...what would you two say if I told you I might have an answer?
It's a solution in the way that it's taking if from you and moving to someone new. We don't know what kind of damage might happen if you hold onto it a second time. And if it's just visions, I can handle those. It wouldn't be anything new.
There has to be a way to make the cycle stop. Holding onto it isn't going to help.
Maybe it gets weaker the more people it travels through.
... Either way, I don't think you should hold onto it, Dick. [ She doesn't want to say 'you're not handling it well' because that would be rude, but... He's not handling it well. ]
The visions are fine. It's what comes after that's-- making me not whelmed.
[ like. generally speaking, visions of death are so normal. what is this, a tuesday in gotham city??? but also normally he's so calm at the prospect of potential death this fear thing is uh bad and he hates it.
regardless, he's. considering it, because they're two against one and he's already freaking out and-- and. so he lets out a sigh and drops his head on his knees again ]
... There are easier ways to proposition me, you know.
[ look he's trying to make it a joke?? and it's not a yes but it's not the reflexive no!!! from earlier ]
Yeah, well. I'm used to death, too. [He should maybe be a little more concerned. Maybe he is? It's hard to say what's rattling around in Junpei's head but Escha's not the only one who noticed Dick isn't handling this well.
He's not really looking to die here, but...he's not looking to let someone else die either. It's why there's a soft, uneasy laugh before he just kind of slides on the floor so that he's sitting more in front of him.]
I'll remember that next time. [It's his own joke, but he still looks pretty serious.] ...come on. What other option do we have right now? And don't say letting it stay where it is right now. Whatever it is.
[ Aw, it's so nice to see that they can rely on each other. Very soothing. Less soothing to not know what it is. But that's. Fine.
Escha bites her lip like she's searching for words, but what she comes up with is kind of just more of the same. ]
Please tell me when you're struggling. Or when you're worried. Whether it's for someone else or yourself. I don't know if I can always help, but I... [ She shakes her head. Guess that's all. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Did something bad happen...?
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You could say that. [ he takes a breath, leaning his head back up against the wall as he stares up at the ceiling. he recites it like he's giving a report on a mission gone wrong, which-- this feels like it, at least. ] On Tuesday afternoon, I got hit with some... visions. They didn't last long, but they gave me a feeling like if I didn't, if I didn't have sex with someone I'd die. I'd already-- [ well, they get the picture. he thumps his head back a bit. the wall? did nothing? to deserve that abuse? ] The feeling stopped after I did. I went to Chuuya to try and see if-- if they knew anything about this. Still waiting on an answer. They've... reconvening. Get back to me later.
[ his hands clench around his legs. c'mon, nightwing, you've done reports in worst situations. stop being a baby. it's just like fear toxin! ]
I-- today-- someone else came to me with the same problem. They wanted my help. They'd had visions, and that feeling, and-- it's spreading? Or catching, I, I don't know. I don't know, but I took it back, and it's-- it's a very compelling feeling.
[ he gives a little hysterical laugh ]
So you might-- I don't know. Tie me up? I don't want to seek anyone else out.
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What in the fuck...]
...Chuuya told me that there's still a lot they don't know. I'm not surprised this blindsided them, too. [He doesn't move from his place on the bed, watching Dick closely while trying to glance at Escha from the corner of his eye for her reaction to this new. He thinks about Dick's announcement on Monday and wonders if this would've happened if he'd kept his mouth shut. But he doesn't bring it up. Now's not the time.]
It's like some kind of virus or something then. [Wow. This really brings back flashbacks of Rad-6. That's great.] We're not gonna tie you up, alright? We'll...figure something out. [Right?] What if there's another way to make the feeling stop?
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But... Didn't we already know that if we don't have sex we'll die...? Maybe it's just a compulsion thing to help out with that. Right?
[ Hard to say if she's putting any faith into that idea. But she can hope? ]
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[ and if it's not, then only dick dies! perfect solution!!! ]
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...you mean like how you rode it out the first time? We don't know what any of this actually means. You get that, don't you? [Stop being an idiot!]
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There's no guarantee that anything good will come from not doing what we're told, here...
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[ it's a little. sulky. he thumps his head against the wall again. ]
I don't know what it means, but I know the fact that visions of us getting horribly murdered if we don't fuck being transferable can't be a good thing, and I'm not going to-- to do it to someone else. [ a beat ] Again.
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[...hm. He brings a hand up to his chin, a thinking pose as he tries to sort out all of this information.] ...it passes when someone takes it from you. Right? No matter how it's done? Most people probably aren't used to visions of being horribly murdered.
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It helps me focus on things that are-- real. Works on fear toxin too, if I'm in a bind.
[ and they have no idea what he's talking about so he should. concentrate. he looks in junpei's direction and-- shrugs? ]
Worked when I did it for-- well, this afternoon. And yesterday, he'd been acting... weird.
[ dick grayson use names you absolute simpleton ]
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People are gonna notice if you start acting weird, too. And we're getting closer to Friday, that was kind of the point of tonight. We're making sure this demon has nobody to go after. [But there's a breath because this now seems even more demonic somehow.] ...you can't keep it. I know why you took it back, but you can't keep it.
Escha, back me up here?
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... He's right.
It's dangerous when we don't know exactly what will happen if you resist the compulsion. People count on you, and people are worrying about you. And that's exactly why you can't try to take on too much stress by yourself.
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Kinda doing the opposite of what I asked you guys to do right now.
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Yeah, we're bad at listening. What of it? [Another attempt at tentatively supporting this? It's. Wow.] ...Escha's right. People count on you, but...you need to count on us, too. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're kind of a team.
[Are they? Sometimes Junpei works best in threes. There's another pause.] ...what would you two say if I told you I might have an answer?
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... But okay. ]
That would be a huge relief.
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maybe it's related to the current feeling! haha. but. just. tiredly; ]
What have you got?
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Pass it to me. [He sounds pretty damn sure of himself.]
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[ Right??? ]
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How is that a solution?
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There has to be a way to make the cycle stop. Holding onto it isn't going to help.
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... Either way, I don't think you should hold onto it, Dick. [ She doesn't want to say 'you're not handling it well' because that would be rude, but... He's not handling it well. ]
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[ like. generally speaking, visions of death are so normal. what is this, a tuesday in gotham city??? but also normally he's so calm at the prospect of potential death this fear thing is uh bad and he hates it.
regardless, he's. considering it, because they're two against one and he's already freaking out and-- and. so he lets out a sigh and drops his head on his knees again ]
... There are easier ways to proposition me, you know.
[ look he's trying to make it a joke?? and it's not a yes but it's not the reflexive no!!! from earlier ]
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He's not really looking to die here, but...he's not looking to let someone else die either. It's why there's a soft, uneasy laugh before he just kind of slides on the floor so that he's sitting more in front of him.]
I'll remember that next time. [It's his own joke, but he still looks pretty serious.] ...come on. What other option do we have right now? And don't say letting it stay where it is right now. Whatever it is.
[Do they even know what it is?]
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Escha bites her lip like she's searching for words, but what she comes up with is kind of just more of the same. ]
Please tell me when you're struggling. Or when you're worried. Whether it's for someone else or yourself. I don't know if I can always help, but I... [ She shakes her head. Guess that's all. ]
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