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. ]
[ dick is being guilted into giving potential demon stds to junpei? this is happening? ]
It still seems like a better option to me. [ but he lets out a sigh, stretching out a bit from his ball of angst so he can look properly at junpei ] ... I'm sorry. [ he's not sure who he's saying to-- escha, who he's worried, or junpei, who's offering to take this burden from him because dick's too weak to handle it? ]
[Sometimes you just gently manipulate people into doing things, it's fine. It happens. Dick uncurling from himself is at least a somewhat good sign, but he shrugs at the apology. He can apologize to Escha, he doesn't need it.]
And this seems like the better option to me, so we'll call us even. [A nod to Escha.] We can't get out of here if we don't trust each other. Think about it that way. That includes trusting each other to talk about whatever's happening.
[But he tilts his head back to grin up at Escha a bit.]
I think you help a lot more than you think you do. So stop underestimating yourself. [One of them overestimates and one underestimates and does that mean Junpei just estimates? He's estimating that he won't fucking die so we'll find out.]
[On the one hand, he's sitting here watching Dick strip and kind of being okay with that? On the other, Escha is right there. And on the third, he sees those words and just...grins almost awkwardly.]
Have I ever mentioned my type is "difficult"? [He's absolutely just joking with him, unless...?
In all seriousness, he doesn't start removing anything but he looks at Escha.] ...we're really all okay with this. Right? [Just. Making sure. With everyone. Escha is part of this now, too, even if she's not sexily involved.]
[ dick snorts a bit at the joke, kicking at junpei's leg a bit. flattering and insulting both at once, rude.
but when it comes to the follow-up, and what escha says... he blinks, slow, not that it's easy to see because he decided putting a mask on would help. he's obviously relaxed a bit from earlier, but his smile's still a bit strained ]
You can stay if you want.
[ though he looks at junpei after he says it because yes he realizes that's a little weird ]
[A hand moves to grab his foot. Stop?? He's helping!! But there's a nervous kind of grin because he definitely just agreed to this. Even so, he remains calm while glancing between the two other occupants of the room.
...not exactly how he thought his night would end, but.]
...it's really up to you. [This is to Escha, because she seems like the only redeemable person in this fucking room right now.] If something happens when Dick passes this thing off, it might not be a bad idea to have someone on standby.
[There's a Look to Dick though.] But it can also be kinda weird to watch. [From a pragmatic standpoint it makes sense for them to stay together especially if there's a fuckdemon on the loose. But from a normal standpoint, he'd rather do what's most comfortable for her.]
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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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It still seems like a better option to me. [ but he lets out a sigh, stretching out a bit from his ball of angst so he can look properly at junpei ] ... I'm sorry. [ he's not sure who he's saying to-- escha, who he's worried, or junpei, who's offering to take this burden from him because dick's too weak to handle it? ]
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And this seems like the better option to me, so we'll call us even. [A nod to Escha.] We can't get out of here if we don't trust each other. Think about it that way. That includes trusting each other to talk about whatever's happening.
[But he tilts his head back to grin up at Escha a bit.]
I think you help a lot more than you think you do. So stop underestimating yourself. [One of them overestimates and one underestimates and does that mean Junpei just estimates? He's estimating that he won't fucking die so we'll find out.]
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But Junpei's words seem to send her back into chewing her bottom lip. Words are hard today, I guess. ]
Whatever we can talk about, we should.
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oh, he stops at the shoulder. he's showing off the bold writing-- DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE ]
... Maybe I've got a couple of things to work on.
[ it just seems. funny. in retrospect. ]
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Have I ever mentioned my type is "difficult"? [He's absolutely just joking with him, unless...?
In all seriousness, he doesn't start removing anything but he looks at Escha.] ...we're really all okay with this. Right? [Just. Making sure. With everyone. Escha is part of this now, too, even if she's not sexily involved.]
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[ She said her piece, but at this point it's pretty much between them. So she offers a small smile. ]
Would you like some privacy?
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but when it comes to the follow-up, and what escha says... he blinks, slow, not that it's easy to see because he decided putting a mask on would help. he's obviously relaxed a bit from earlier, but his smile's still a bit strained ]
You can stay if you want.
[ though he looks at junpei after he says it because yes he realizes that's a little weird ]
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...not exactly how he thought his night would end, but.]
...it's really up to you. [This is to Escha, because she seems like the only redeemable person in this fucking room right now.] If something happens when Dick passes this thing off, it might not be a bad idea to have someone on standby.
[There's a Look to Dick though.] But it can also be kinda weird to watch. [From a pragmatic standpoint it makes sense for them to stay together especially if there's a fuckdemon on the loose. But from a normal standpoint, he'd rather do what's most comfortable for her.]
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