[Oh that's...so nice, actually. He looks a little blank and confused by the notion, but something in his expression shifts.]
...thanks. [He's grown so used to spending Saturdays with Wei Wuxian post-trial that it would be a shame to change now anyway.] The ship feels...weird tonight, I think.
[He just answers Junpei's thanks with a little, lilting hum, and honestly, the fondness in his tone isn't even just because he got love potion'd in the face. Sometimes, you just really grow to appreciate the presence of the gremlins you scream about demons with at 3 in the morning.]
It does. There really was a - hm, finality in that moment, wasn't there? [...] Sorry for all of the yelling, by the way. Not that it seemed to distract you! With what little you were given, you did well.
A little too final if I'm being honest. I was pretty much prepared to die. [He can be honest with that, at least, but there's a light smile.] It was kind of distracting but in a good way, if that makes sense? You guys had some good ideas that I could've used if my original plan didn't work the way it was supposed to.
[...no one needs to know his plan was mostly "grab his hands and hope for the best", it's fine.]
[TO BE HONEST, IT DID SOMEHOW MANAGE TO WORK OUT. Like every other trial, they just shitposted their way to victory(???) or at least to catching the last demon and saving Higekiri, hm.]
True, true - though I'm glad you didn't actually have to rely on any of it. With him being who he is and demons being what they are, even our best aimed advice probably couldn't have helped.
[He just reaches out to gently pat the hand of said arm...]
For a noncombatant, you held your own! You really are handy with that gun. [This is the second time the ahegun has saved Junpei from a no good terrible situation, honestly. Wild.]
I think most of us were pretty well-armed just in case things went really sour, though. A good thing you brought it, indeed.
[He gives Wei Wuxian a curious little look before he flips his hand over, palm up? Maybe he's just feeling touchy-feely or he's doing it to show he's okay and alive, who the fuck knows, but it's an offer for him to do whatever if he wants.]
We train with firearms for my job. I usually keep a pistol on me when we break into facilities and stuff because the jobs are usually pretty dangerous. [Haha.] Didn't think I'd need it again after the zombies, but...glad I didn't have to headshot him.
[Yikes!] None of us really knew what would happen today. Better to be overprepared than under, I guess.
[chops his hand off and adds it to his growing extra hand collection that he hides in his sleeves
No okay, but he does - after a brief second - pick Junpei's hand up in both of his own, curling them around it. Sometimes you're just in a touchy-feely mood because life is so much all the time and demons are terrible.]
Mm - I'm glad you didn't have to, too. [Who's to say how glad or Not Glad Higekiri himself might be, but he's - well. At least they saved one more person.]
And that's true, that's true. Glad we didn't end up having a brawl in the middle of things - I was a little worried, after the reactions when Nikkari first passed that information on.
[He was absolutely also expecting Edelgard to come in ready to murder which is why he maybe kinda sorta did spin his own reward in a way that might make her hesitate. Sometimes you gotta be lowkey underhanded.]
[Honestly should've given WWX Junpei's extra arm. Missed opportunities. But it's fine because now he has his hand that's attached to his arm and he doesn't mind having it held. It's not exactly an unfamiliar gesture though it was in reverse with someone else. Sometimes you just have to know your friends are still flesh and blood.]
Some people were really pretty dead set on an option before we walked into trial today. [Edelgard.] And I think we did everything right that our friends asked, but...it's weird. I've been thinking about it.
Not that I'm not really glad for it, but why did Higekiri stay alive in the end? And what the hell happened to that demon?
[HONESTLY!! And yeah that's fair and real. He quite likes having hands to hold that aren't, you know. Cold zombie hands. He gives Junpei's a gentle squeeze.]
I think a lot of us were, to be fair. [DEFINITELY EDELGARD but he himself was firmly settled until he read the letters from the dead.
He pauses at the question, though, frowning a little.]
Mm... I've been talking to a few people about it. Technically, we didn't actually follow any of their three paths exactly, did we? You were supposed to use the dagger for the third one. As Edelgard said, rituals do usually have to be exact.
[Cold zombie hands suck. It's fine, he's now an active participant in this hand-holding. They can even do it without shouting about thots coming hither or whatever.]
We didn't have all of the information we needed, as usual. I wonder what would've happened if our friends didn't have the idea to take a vote on their own.
[But...something in his expression shifts and now he looks a little wary.] ...do you think that's really bad? The whole point was to not do the demons' ritual. If it disappeared, maybe...something different will happen tomorrow? The game's over, but we're still here. Why is that? Why not let us leave right away if that was all?
[Thanks for being an active participant Junpei, he very much appreciates it. Bro we are holding hands now.]
Hah, as usual, indeed. They probably heard our reactions on Wednesday and rushed to make sure their thoughts were made known, hm?
[HE CAN JUST IMAGINE... ALL OF THEM CURSING AT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT "UNLEASH THE DEMONS" which was everyone but Edelgard. As for that, though - his own expression remains pretty hard to read, but a little of his bone-deep exhaustion still seeps through in the quiet laugh that follows.]
Who's to say? It could be terrible, certainly - it does seem like something else still has power here, after all. All the same, I'm almost encouraged by the fact that that portal of theirs didn't show up, and that the demon was ripped from Higekiri in such a way even without him being exorcised.
Makes you wonder how much they can actually see. I know Carlos could view the trials and stuff but what about the rest? Think we were just like reality TV?
[Hah...hah. But yeah...that's a mood, and there's an upturn of his lip.]
We always speculated that the ship itself had some kind of sentience. If the demons were brought here later then it implies the ship itself has bigger plans. I'm a little hopeful myself though. That exorcism felt really different than the others. [No sickness for one thing.] It's like it was just erased. I was going to do a few rounds tonight to make sure it's not lurking somewhere else.
Haha, like the movies in the theater, hm? Who knows - it did seem like they were always relatively up to date with what we were up to, didn't it?
[He's forever just going to associate reality TV with demons now, god. But he does hum a little at that, nodding.]
Might be the case, hm? Could be good, could be bad, but I still have hopes that we'll manage to pull through here. If not, if we manage to get back to our own worlds, it gives us the space we need to start working on a way to come back for the rest but without so many disadvantages.
[He is literally already planning Operation: Bust Out The Dead even without knowing whether or not they're still going to be stuck here GOD.]
More or less. Wish I could say the same about us, but just keeping up with the living side was exhausting sometimes. [As one does.]
Somehow? I hadn't even really thought of that, but you're right. We just have to first find a way for those of you who can't travel between dimensions to come back here. We still don't even know how we got here in the first place. If we come back without the right coordinates we might wind up floating in the ocean forever. But that doesn't mean I don't want to try.
[Still...he nods.] Dick'll probably be less mad that I'm out and doing stuff if somebody else is coming with me. [That. That's his standard? Okay.] Plus I've gotten used to spending parts of my Saturdays with you anyway.
[Maybe don't sound so proud... But yes, good, BRAINSTORMING.]
Mm, exactly so! I was planning on going home and figuring out a way between worlds, anyway. If it exists out there, then there's no reason to assume I can't find it. [He's invented literal entire forms of magic, this shit ain't new.] Finding this place again might be the real challenge between those two tasks, but I'm not going to give up on it.
[On anyone here, because that is quite frankly the only thing keeping him from collapsing in a fit of depression over all the losses they've suffered and might solidify tomorrow. It's fine!
He also laughs at that. God.]
Sounds about what I'd expect. "I can't actually expect you to stay out of trouble so at least have someone with you to go call for help if things get out of hand", hm? [He grins, his smile softening a little.] ...I will say, I won't miss the demons in the least, but my Saturdays certainly won't be the same without you.
[God. They definitely, definitely should not sound so proud about that. And yet at the same time it's stubbornness once again that's actually saved them.]
Multiverse theory exists in plenty of wolds. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to as long as you're able to access the other planes and stuff. You know what I haven't seen on this boat the entire time we've been here? An anchor. There has to be one somewhere and if we could find it we could at least stop the ship from traveling away from our friends. It's worth a look.
[There's an embarrassed smile.] You'd think people would trust us a little more, huh? [But his own expression is just a little bit of fondness for this dumb gremlin.] We can make this Saturday a good one. We don't have to go check right away, right? A break also doesn't sound so bad.
[SOMETIMES YOU JUST gotta be so damn bullheaded that demons die from it. It's fine.]
True, true - and neither have I. I'd like to spend a little more time getting a feel for the ship and area in general, anyway... [Too bad things are being rushed toward their exit, one way or another.] --Well! If we don't find one, maybe we can just make one, ourselves? [...] Granted, it's hard to tell exactly where our dearly departed were sent in the first place, considering the ruins never seemed to move. Maybe we should just focus on finding that.
[Surely there's going to be plenty of time for them to invest in figuring that shit out in the future, though, should it be necessary. He also just ends up laughing a little at that...]
Right? Can't imagine why they don't! [CAN HE NOT.] ...But that sounds like a nice idea to me. Should I grab one last drink, then?
Well. We definitely have tonight at least. And we've been known to work pretty fast. [They can figure it out either way.] We can keep watch and map stuff out, come up with another plan...something. Sometimes the best plan is to make a plan and throw it out the window later.
[Look. Sometimes...you just yeet. But an enthusiastic nod follows.] May as well. The bar's pretty well stocked still...[But he stands carefully, holding Wei Wuxian's hand to pull him up, too.] Got a preference? I'm thinking something lighter today.
[This isn't worth the celebration, but he wants to keep things casual. They could all use the break tonight.]
Hah, I do agree with that! One of our greatest assets is our ability to adapt anyway, I think. Fast-thinking! It's saved lives before.
[And BOY they're gonna have to be banking on it saving lives now... Either way, he'll let himself use Junpei's hand as leverage to stand, and keeps a hold on it as he begins walking toward the pool bar, since it's been cleaned up.]
Something light, hm? Well, my go-to is always a good rice wine.
[Yeah there's a nervous laugh because woo, fast-thinking sure saved his own ass today. With both of them standing, he lets Wei Wuxian hold his hand and follows him to the pool bar.]
Rice wine it is. These bars tend to have everything anyway...[Approaching the bar, he'll take a look but continues to talk.] The other good thing is that most of us still on this side of things have some kind of experience with the impossible. It opens up a lot more ideas we can throw around.
[FAST THINKING SAVED THEM ALL TODAY even if chanting come hither thot wasn't exactly their best moment. They all really tried...]
They really do, don't they? Wish we could take these with us when we go. [He'd love a magic self-stocking bar??
Either way instead of letting go of Junpei's hand once they get there, he just tugs him behind the counter instead and goes rummaging with his free hand.]
But you're right about that - a good thing, indeed! Dealing with the impossible makes it hard to look at any situation at all and see it as a dead end.
It's going to be kind of a pain in the ass to go back to paying for food and drinks when I get home. Then again, maybe we'll actually get the money from Dcom and it won't be that big of a deal. [He could use $500,000, it's fine. He doesn't even try to pull his hand away, following Wei Wuxian behind the bar to check the inventory and letting him sort through bottles on his own.]
Right, exactly my point. Even if it feels like the end, it's definitely not the end because it's not the end we want. We just have to convince the others to remember that.
Don't rich people get to go on fancy vacations and never actually pay for anything because they're rich anyway? That's the impression I've always gotten. [That's definitely how rich people. But he'll grin and while Wei Wuxian holds the bottle, he'll reach for the top stopper. They could definitely open this bottle easier if they let go of each other's hands, but why bother? It's fine? It's definitely fine.
At least the bottle's easy enough to open.]
You really think the deceased can keep up their morale?
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...thanks. [He's grown so used to spending Saturdays with Wei Wuxian post-trial that it would be a shame to change now anyway.] The ship feels...weird tonight, I think.
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It does. There really was a - hm, finality in that moment, wasn't there? [...] Sorry for all of the yelling, by the way. Not that it seemed to distract you! With what little you were given, you did well.
[At not dying. SOMEHOW.]
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[...no one needs to know his plan was mostly "grab his hands and hope for the best", it's fine.]
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True, true - though I'm glad you didn't actually have to rely on any of it. With him being who he is and demons being what they are, even our best aimed advice probably couldn't have helped.
[HE'LL JUST SAY IT.]
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Trust me. I got that. In case you haven't noticed I'm not really a combatant. Maybe it was a lucky thing I actually brought the gun today.
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For a noncombatant, you held your own! You really are handy with that gun. [This is the second time the ahegun has saved Junpei from a no good terrible situation, honestly. Wild.]
I think most of us were pretty well-armed just in case things went really sour, though. A good thing you brought it, indeed.
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We train with firearms for my job. I usually keep a pistol on me when we break into facilities and stuff because the jobs are usually pretty dangerous. [Haha.] Didn't think I'd need it again after the zombies, but...glad I didn't have to headshot him.
[Yikes!] None of us really knew what would happen today. Better to be overprepared than under, I guess.
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No okay, but he does - after a brief second - pick Junpei's hand up in both of his own, curling them around it. Sometimes you're just in a touchy-feely mood because life is so much all the time and demons are terrible.]
Mm - I'm glad you didn't have to, too. [Who's to say how glad or Not Glad Higekiri himself might be, but he's - well. At least they saved one more person.]
And that's true, that's true. Glad we didn't end up having a brawl in the middle of things - I was a little worried, after the reactions when Nikkari first passed that information on.
[He was absolutely also expecting Edelgard to come in ready to murder which is why he maybe kinda sorta did spin his own reward in a way that might make her hesitate. Sometimes you gotta be lowkey underhanded.]
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Some people were really pretty dead set on an option before we walked into trial today. [Edelgard.] And I think we did everything right that our friends asked, but...it's weird. I've been thinking about it.
Not that I'm not really glad for it, but why did Higekiri stay alive in the end? And what the hell happened to that demon?
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I think a lot of us were, to be fair. [DEFINITELY EDELGARD but he himself was firmly settled until he read the letters from the dead.
He pauses at the question, though, frowning a little.]
Mm... I've been talking to a few people about it. Technically, we didn't actually follow any of their three paths exactly, did we? You were supposed to use the dagger for the third one. As Edelgard said, rituals do usually have to be exact.
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We didn't have all of the information we needed, as usual. I wonder what would've happened if our friends didn't have the idea to take a vote on their own.
[But...something in his expression shifts and now he looks a little wary.] ...do you think that's really bad? The whole point was to not do the demons' ritual. If it disappeared, maybe...something different will happen tomorrow? The game's over, but we're still here. Why is that? Why not let us leave right away if that was all?
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Hah, as usual, indeed. They probably heard our reactions on Wednesday and rushed to make sure their thoughts were made known, hm?
[HE CAN JUST IMAGINE... ALL OF THEM CURSING AT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT "UNLEASH THE DEMONS" which was everyone but Edelgard. As for that, though - his own expression remains pretty hard to read, but a little of his bone-deep exhaustion still seeps through in the quiet laugh that follows.]
Who's to say? It could be terrible, certainly - it does seem like something else still has power here, after all. All the same, I'm almost encouraged by the fact that that portal of theirs didn't show up, and that the demon was ripped from Higekiri in such a way even without him being exorcised.
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[Hah...hah. But yeah...that's a mood, and there's an upturn of his lip.]
We always speculated that the ship itself had some kind of sentience. If the demons were brought here later then it implies the ship itself has bigger plans. I'm a little hopeful myself though. That exorcism felt really different than the others. [No sickness for one thing.] It's like it was just erased. I was going to do a few rounds tonight to make sure it's not lurking somewhere else.
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[He's forever just going to associate reality TV with demons now, god. But he does hum a little at that, nodding.]
Might be the case, hm? Could be good, could be bad, but I still have hopes that we'll manage to pull through here. If not, if we manage to get back to our own worlds, it gives us the space we need to start working on a way to come back for the rest but without so many disadvantages.
[He is literally already planning Operation: Bust Out The Dead even without knowing whether or not they're still going to be stuck here GOD.]
--Mind if I come with you when you go?
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Somehow? I hadn't even really thought of that, but you're right. We just have to first find a way for those of you who can't travel between dimensions to come back here. We still don't even know how we got here in the first place. If we come back without the right coordinates we might wind up floating in the ocean forever. But that doesn't mean I don't want to try.
[Still...he nods.] Dick'll probably be less mad that I'm out and doing stuff if somebody else is coming with me. [That. That's his standard? Okay.] Plus I've gotten used to spending parts of my Saturdays with you anyway.
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[Maybe don't sound so proud... But yes, good, BRAINSTORMING.]
Mm, exactly so! I was planning on going home and figuring out a way between worlds, anyway. If it exists out there, then there's no reason to assume I can't find it. [He's invented literal entire forms of magic, this shit ain't new.] Finding this place again might be the real challenge between those two tasks, but I'm not going to give up on it.
[On anyone here, because that is quite frankly the only thing keeping him from collapsing in a fit of depression over all the losses they've suffered and might solidify tomorrow. It's fine!
He also laughs at that. God.]
Sounds about what I'd expect. "I can't actually expect you to stay out of trouble so at least have someone with you to go call for help if things get out of hand", hm? [He grins, his smile softening a little.] ...I will say, I won't miss the demons in the least, but my Saturdays certainly won't be the same without you.
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Multiverse theory exists in plenty of wolds. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to as long as you're able to access the other planes and stuff. You know what I haven't seen on this boat the entire time we've been here? An anchor. There has to be one somewhere and if we could find it we could at least stop the ship from traveling away from our friends. It's worth a look.
[There's an embarrassed smile.] You'd think people would trust us a little more, huh? [But his own expression is just a little bit of fondness for this dumb gremlin.] We can make this Saturday a good one. We don't have to go check right away, right? A break also doesn't sound so bad.
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True, true - and neither have I. I'd like to spend a little more time getting a feel for the ship and area in general, anyway... [Too bad things are being rushed toward their exit, one way or another.] --Well! If we don't find one, maybe we can just make one, ourselves? [...] Granted, it's hard to tell exactly where our dearly departed were sent in the first place, considering the ruins never seemed to move. Maybe we should just focus on finding that.
[Surely there's going to be plenty of time for them to invest in figuring that shit out in the future, though, should it be necessary. He also just ends up laughing a little at that...]
Right? Can't imagine why they don't! [CAN HE NOT.] ...But that sounds like a nice idea to me. Should I grab one last drink, then?
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[Look. Sometimes...you just yeet. But an enthusiastic nod follows.] May as well. The bar's pretty well stocked still...[But he stands carefully, holding Wei Wuxian's hand to pull him up, too.] Got a preference? I'm thinking something lighter today.
[This isn't worth the celebration, but he wants to keep things casual. They could all use the break tonight.]
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[And BOY they're gonna have to be banking on it saving lives now... Either way, he'll let himself use Junpei's hand as leverage to stand, and keeps a hold on it as he begins walking toward the pool bar, since it's been cleaned up.]
Something light, hm? Well, my go-to is always a good rice wine.
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Rice wine it is. These bars tend to have everything anyway...[Approaching the bar, he'll take a look but continues to talk.] The other good thing is that most of us still on this side of things have some kind of experience with the impossible. It opens up a lot more ideas we can throw around.
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They really do, don't they? Wish we could take these with us when we go. [He'd love a magic self-stocking bar??
Either way instead of letting go of Junpei's hand once they get there, he just tugs him behind the counter instead and goes rummaging with his free hand.]
But you're right about that - a good thing, indeed! Dealing with the impossible makes it hard to look at any situation at all and see it as a dead end.
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Right, exactly my point. Even if it feels like the end, it's definitely not the end because it's not the end we want. We just have to convince the others to remember that.
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[WILD. Eventually, he'll find a bottle he's satisfied with and plunk it down onto the counter. He holds the top out toward Junpei, though.]
Do the honors of opening it, would you?
[Apparently he's still not going to give Junpei his hand back. Still his for now!!]
—The good thing is, there are enough among our dearly deceased and living that I feel we can do a decent job at rallying everyone's spirits.
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At least the bottle's easy enough to open.]
You really think the deceased can keep up their morale?
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