TONBOKIRI;

[crashout]

Comments

W1, SATURDAY;

[crashout]

[GOD!!!! Everything happens so much, all the time, and while Junpei looks fairly calm his brain is sort of doing that thing where it's lizard-brain and screaming at him. So. He goes for a walk. He goes for a walk around the stupid boatel and tries to clear his head and this is how he comes across Tonbokiri.

He pauses before he approaches, nodding in greeting.]

Hey. Can you believe we found the right person?

[daifukus]

[ Tonbo himself had been doing a rather similar thing, trying to work off the excess energy of knowing the enemy, seeing the enemy, and not being able to deal with the enemy. it's a rough time to be a spear. he dips his head in greeting, smiling tiredly ]

We had been quite certain early on before the demon began their attack.

[crashout]

If only every week could be as easy. But...that would mean this happens more often than I think any of us want. [A bad time.] But now that we know more...dunno. Maybe we'll find a better way to handle them.

[daifukus]

Mm..... I hardly expect this demon infestation to leave us alone until the problem itself is dealt with. [ which means only terrible things but ... given the nature of the place... ] I can only hope that as we learn more about them it becomes swifter to deal with them before anyone else gets hurt.

[crashout]

You and me both. If we can capture the host before Thursday we might even get somewhere. [He pauses, considering Tonbokiri for a moment.] Had Nikkari told you what was going on before today?

[daifukus]

Truly, the best of results.

[ and then his face just shutters. it's fine. ]

No.... we seem to have a habit of not sharing. [ swords are bad at communication ]

[crashout]

[He almost feels bad, but there's definitely stuff he hasn't told other people either so that's fair. It was a tricky situation.]

...we were trying to find a good way to break the news to everybody. He actually wanted to, but some of us weren't sure yet.

[daifukus]

[ he doesn't mind most of the time; they all have their own secrets to carry. but... in this particular instance, some sort of notice would have been nice ]

And the truth came out before it was time. [ it happens ] .............. Is there any more you can tell me?

[crashout]

It depends on what you already know. [Which is a regretful sort of truth, but:] Information travels faster than I thought but from all corners of the hotel. I don't want to update you on anything you may know about our demon friends already.

[daifukus]

Even less than I realize. [ guess who feels like they're probably more out of the loop than he thinks ]

Perhaps it is best to begin from the beginning.

[crashout]

The beginning, of course, is that we have multiple demons running around. They pass between us every time we have sex with each other, and when you receive one of the demons, you have a vision of your own death. It's...paranoia, I guess. A way that people seem to feel they're going to die until they pass the demon on. From what I hear the chain starts early in the week, but the host themselves don't even know it.

It moves fast. Wei Wuxian seems to think that people who host it at least once still have it lingering, but obviously I haven't said anything without proof.

[daifukus]

So there are multiple ones instead of a singularity. [ that's great ] If we could somehow trap it without sacrificing the life of the host; that would truly be the best but I fear that would be much harder than it seems.

[ because he's thinking about it and that's not gonna end well for anyone ]

So we should keep an eye on those who have hosted it previously? What will happen when it's passed through us all?

[crashout]

The thing about it is even if we save the host...would people be able to separate the memories of what they did versus what the demon made them do? It feels dangerous to put them in that position.

[People can be ruthless, he means.] We should keep an eye on those who have hosted it, and an eye on people who seem likely to contract it. Even if it passes through everyone it's trying to find somewhere to settle. None of us are really safe now that it's out there.

[daifukus]

It's very likely that there would be no difference to their memories either. [ which feels even more dangerous than that ]

So all we can really do is keep going as we were but be aware of what danger lurks around us? I truly detest this enemy. [ please let him stab something ]

[crashout]

You and me both. It's sneaky and it travels fast. We're almost at a total disadvantage since it's transferred from sex and we have to do that in order to survive. So, it's like doing a thing to survive will possibly kill you anyway.

[It's frustrating?? He's not even a sword and he, too, wants to stab.] If we keep going as we have been, at least we'll be able to help each other. For whatever it's worth.

[daifukus]

[ he frowns, displeasure obvious on his face ] It's as keeping each other protected only causes harm in the end. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. It's not a place I prefer to be.

If only there was another way.

[crashout]

There might be. We just haven't found it yet which is even worse. But all we can do right now is what we think is right...whatever that may be.

[Some people probably have different ideas than others.]

[daifukus]

May we find an alternate answer sooner than later.

[ he doesn't mind the sexy bits but boy, could he do without the looming threat of sex demons over his head!!! ugh. he sighs yet again. ]

For all the time that has past already, it still feels as if there are more questions than any answers.

[crashout]

As optimistic and false as this sounds, don't you think that means we're also heading in the right direction? If we're uncovering more questions, that means we're getting to the source of whatever the problem is. An easy answer wouldn't make sense for a place like this.

[daifukus]

That is true. I only wish that it would reveal itself to be dealt with than hiding in the darkness like this. But I also can understand why it would. It would not do to have itself out in the open before it was ready.

There is much to be done and it feels like we have hardly started.

[crashout]

Understanding the enemy is almost more important than finding and confronting it right away. It gives us time to learn more about it and what would hurt it the most and impact us the least.

[...but yeah. He gets it.] It's going to feel like that for a while. May as well get used to it, as much as it sucks.

[daifukus]

Mm, yes. The more we learn the better prepared we will be at confronting it. I can only hope whatever we learn remains useful to us as time continues. [ no learning defenses against their methods, demons!!!! ]

[ ugh. at least this one shouldn't take years though ] But they certainly give us plenty of time to learn and enjoy ourselves whilst stuck in their trap.

[crashout]

That's the other weird part, isn't it? Why give us all of this luxury and downtime to wait around if the point is to kill us in the first place?

It's why I wonder if there's another part to this we don't understand yet. But what else would a demon want?

[daifukus]

I wonder if it's a remnant from what came before the demons? [ it's the most likely scenario but ] It's also very possible we're missing something.

....Perhaps they have their own rules they must follow?

[crashout]

A ship that was sailing around but got attacked by something demonic and doomed its passengers. Maybe so. [It's a thought he doesn't know how to entertain, but there's something Tonbokiri says that he finds interesting.]

I never thought that demons would have their own rules. It almost gives them even more of an advantage than us if there're rules they're following and we're not.