That's worse, no. [But he pulls back enough so Dick can lay down but seems to be sticking closer than usual, shifting to curl up directly against him again as soon as they're both down. It's fine. Sometimes you just...have a lot of shit going on in your head and something familiar is nice to have.
But he hears that question and...winces a little.] ...fair enough. [....there's a small sigh.] I'm fine, by the way. I'm just...exhausted. And sore. [And maybe looking like death warmed over because it happens when your energy is physically drained from you, but sure.]
Who do you think they got to look you guys over? [ he's glad for the reassurance-- that it's only exhaustion, nothing else-- but it comes out a bit wry even as he continues brushing through junpei's hair ] What happened in there? All we saw was a game over screen and you guys slumped over a bunch of machines.
...guess you are the only medic so that makes sense. [The burns are still a thing but those were already addressed, too. The way he's playing with Junpei's hair is almost enough to make Junpei go back to sleep, but he's keeping himself awake to try and give a status report.]
Room was completely empty except for the three games. We didn't exactly have a choice when the cables came out and plugged us in.
Fake-medic. Medic-passing, whatever. [There's a whine at the loss of Dick's fingers but it's quiet enough to miss.]
...Nikkari and Edelgard were hooked up to what kinda looked like Street Fighter. I had Donkey Kong, and a breaker box. [A gesture to his neck to indicate the four marks on his neck, the main reason he had double the burns.] Only happened after we put our names in, but the door was locked so it was the only way. Cables came out to strap us down and other ones plugged directly into us.
We heard a recording, too. H and our narrator, I think? H was really mad... [There's a long pause like he's maybe falling asleep again, but it's Junpei trying to remember what he heard word for word.] "Hah-- Of course you don't. You think everyone on this fucking ship loves you, right? You don't think anyone talks about you behind your back. I'm such an idiot for thinking we were friends, when it's your fault that my brother is dead. I've been talking to M. You know what she told me? That she and the other two"--I think Cockblockers--"planned to"--probably protect or save--"my brother, and you said no. And you know what else she dropped along the way? That you specifically told them to keep any information they found away from me. Don't waste your breath. It's midnight and we're both awake. So either you're possessed, and here to kill me... Or they've given me their blessing to put you in your place."
Nikkari and Edelgard had to mime the whole thing out before the game could even start. They had to fight each other, that's why they took the critical hits. They were being controlled. My machine had another bar on top displaying player power and power source. Started with 100% player power and 60% power source. Donkey Kong kept glitching out...every time I took a hit, my power depleted and the breaker box's power enhanced. But I had to get to the top to save the princess because she was being guarded by a giant eyeball.
...by the time it hit 20% the breaker box hit 100% and we were electrocuted, I think, before we passed out. I think we lost. [And that's the most upsetting part.]
[ WELL THIS IS A LOT??? This is kind of a lot. dick doesn't brush against the burns he treated because he knows it'll, you know, hurt, but it's a near thing. he's not sure how to address the whole thing-- the loss and injuries, anyway-- so he concentrates and prioritizes: mission first. ]
Not much we can do about that now. We're lucky you guys made it out alive, so let's concentrate on what you did find out. ...Our Narrator lived. Going by what else we've heard-- if it was between him and H, H didn't make it. So... was he possessed?
[Mission first. There's a noise when Dick says they're lucky they made it out alive because, sure, 20% isn't great but it's passable.]
I don't have proof it's the narrator but it's always involved them somehow. But it's possible H was possessed, given that we know that H was already struggling because of what happened to his brother. Demons could've gone after him, too. We don't really know. It sounded like H was attacking the other person with a lance, or trying to. [Thinking.] "Are you seriously asking me to calm down? You must think I'm a moron. I bet... I bet you always think you're the smartest guy in the room, don't you?"
There was the implication that the other person was still in contact with A, too, which is why I think it's the Narrator.
[ I can't believe the narrator is junpei, wow? Which is unfortunately not why dick is frowning in thought. ]
Maybe it was H. Either way, the Narrator got H. I think the more damning question is... what if neither of them were demons? [ he lets out a sigh ] Think about it. We don't know why we have the forced sleep. Couldn't have been demons, since we started that before those showed up. But it sounds like maybe these guys had an idea. "They're letting me put you in your place"? Who's they? And-- even if it is demons, you ever think about how everyone who's been awake those nights has assumed they'd die or face a demon? What's stopping them from using those assumptions against us? The reason everything went wrong, supposedly, is they stopped trusting each other. Maybe it was the point.
...so what, if someone's awake maybe we just convince them not to go anywhere because it's paranoia that's driving us insane? I've thought about it, too. [His fingers are busy curling into the hem of Dick's shirt again mostly to keep himself awake.] "Them", I think, is the giant eyeball. That thing's everywhere. Maybe that's the overseer that was watching the first group.
Hizamaru said this place reminded him of a stage. And I've been saying there's someone out there orchestrating everything, and we know our hosts are listening to higher-ups or something. Maybe something like that.
[...there's a frown.] Edelgard said something like that to me the other day. Accusing me of thinking I'm the smartest guy in the room. Kind of also makes me wonder if the conversations we're hearing are even real.
Maybe. Isn't there some like horror bullshit monster that's an all-seeing eye? It...was in the game. It was holding the princess hostage. It makes me wonder if it's always there somewhere in each room watching us and making us see the things we want to see, or the things we'll respond to.
[He's lost because he's. Himself.] What was the context for what?
[He sort of squints at the name but ultimately decides it does not matter right now and picks one conversation to have.]
Mm...last week. We were talking about the Dimitri thing and I confronted her on having her role. Or, more like, she asked if I knew about the special rules and I told her I knew she was one of the Cockblockers and knew about Escha. [Escha :(] Started talking about it, threw out some guesses of how it worked and when I was wrong she said "You’re used to feeling like the cleverest man in the room, aren’t you?"
It was before I realized she had Escha's old role. And then I said I knew someone who could see if someone's possessed and that was the meeting I set up last Thursday I had to leave for. Edelgard and Kagachi.
[ that's fine he can explain later, first he nods along to that story, closing his eyes at the mention of escha before he hums ]
Right. Kagachi told me about that one. [ the meeting, not the. quote. ] Think Edelgard's point was at least a little less antagonistic than the version our Narrator got, but ... it is kind of a weird coincidence.
Yeah I pretty much stopped giving Kagachi progress reports because I figure you'll tell him everything anyway. [There's something a little :T in his tone but he doesn't explain. Instead, there's a nod.]
It's weird because...I don't know if it's because Edelgard was with us, or because...[...he frowns.] Never mind, that probably doesn't make sense. Edelgard being there fits the idea that we're being watched at all times.
[There's a questioning look.] I don't mind talking to him. It's not that, it's just...usually he seems to know everything I have to say because you've mentioned it to him.
[But he doesn't care enough to argue and instead pulls the covers tighter to burrow.]
It's that thing on the back of the dollar bill, right? The pyramid with the eye. The all-seeing eye of God, or something.
Right. Represents the eye of god watching over humanity. It's not the only symbol like that in history-- Caodaism in Vietnam has the divine eye as a reminder that god sees everything at all times, Egyptians had the eye of Horus, the entire concept of a third eye-- but considering we're using holy water to defeat the demons, I don't think it's too far-fetched to think the symbolism might be related in this case.
Holy water, the bible verse from Escha's shoes...you might be onto something, but then what exactly does that mean? How do you stop the eye of god from watching over you?
Prove that we're not going to turn on each other? It's possible, sure, but that's also asking us to keep everybody together. There are still some outliers who aren't going to just follow everyone else's lead.
...maybe not. [He seems to be thinking on something.] So don't think this is a morbid question, but how many people do you think we have to lose before this is really over?
Yeah. [Which. Bad.] We're at twenty-one right now and our time limit's coming up. That's...nine bodies this week which seems a little extreme even for our demons.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
But he hears that question and...winces a little.] ...fair enough. [....there's a small sigh.] I'm fine, by the way. I'm just...exhausted. And sore. [And maybe looking like death warmed over because it happens when your energy is physically drained from you, but sure.]
no subject
Who do you think they got to look you guys over? [ he's glad for the reassurance-- that it's only exhaustion, nothing else-- but it comes out a bit wry even as he continues brushing through junpei's hair ] What happened in there? All we saw was a game over screen and you guys slumped over a bunch of machines.
no subject
Room was completely empty except for the three games. We didn't exactly have a choice when the cables came out and plugged us in.
no subject
no subject
...Nikkari and Edelgard were hooked up to what kinda looked like Street Fighter. I had Donkey Kong, and a breaker box. [A gesture to his neck to indicate the four marks on his neck, the main reason he had double the burns.] Only happened after we put our names in, but the door was locked so it was the only way. Cables came out to strap us down and other ones plugged directly into us.
We heard a recording, too. H and our narrator, I think? H was really mad... [There's a long pause like he's maybe falling asleep again, but it's Junpei trying to remember what he heard word for word.] "Hah-- Of course you don't. You think everyone on this fucking ship loves you, right? You don't think anyone talks about you behind your back. I'm such an idiot for thinking we were friends, when it's your fault that my brother is dead. I've been talking to M. You know what she told me? That she and the other two"--I think Cockblockers--"planned to"--probably protect or save--"my brother, and you said no. And you know what else she dropped along the way? That you specifically told them to keep any information they found away from me. Don't waste your breath. It's midnight and we're both awake. So either you're possessed, and here to kill me... Or they've given me their blessing to put you in your place."
Nikkari and Edelgard had to mime the whole thing out before the game could even start. They had to fight each other, that's why they took the critical hits. They were being controlled. My machine had another bar on top displaying player power and power source. Started with 100% player power and 60% power source. Donkey Kong kept glitching out...every time I took a hit, my power depleted and the breaker box's power enhanced. But I had to get to the top to save the princess because she was being guarded by a giant eyeball.
...by the time it hit 20% the breaker box hit 100% and we were electrocuted, I think, before we passed out. I think we lost. [And that's the most upsetting part.]
no subject
]
Not much we can do about that now. We're lucky you guys made it out alive, so let's concentrate on what you did find out. ...Our Narrator lived. Going by what else we've heard-- if it was between him and H, H didn't make it. So... was he possessed?
no subject
I don't have proof it's the narrator but it's always involved them somehow. But it's possible H was possessed, given that we know that H was already struggling because of what happened to his brother. Demons could've gone after him, too. We don't really know. It sounded like H was attacking the other person with a lance, or trying to. [Thinking.] "Are you seriously asking me to calm down? You must think I'm a moron. I bet... I bet you always think you're the smartest guy in the room, don't you?"
There was the implication that the other person was still in contact with A, too, which is why I think it's the Narrator.
no subject
Maybe it was H. Either way, the Narrator got H. I think the more damning question is... what if neither of them were demons? [ he lets out a sigh ] Think about it. We don't know why we have the forced sleep. Couldn't have been demons, since we started that before those showed up. But it sounds like maybe these guys had an idea. "They're letting me put you in your place"? Who's they? And-- even if it is demons, you ever think about how everyone who's been awake those nights has assumed they'd die or face a demon? What's stopping them from using those assumptions against us? The reason everything went wrong, supposedly, is they stopped trusting each other. Maybe it was the point.
no subject
Hizamaru said this place reminded him of a stage. And I've been saying there's someone out there orchestrating everything, and we know our hosts are listening to higher-ups or something. Maybe something like that.
[...there's a frown.] Edelgard said something like that to me the other day. Accusing me of thinking I'm the smartest guy in the room. Kind of also makes me wonder if the conversations we're hearing are even real.
no subject
That eye thing? So what, it's some kind of... demon god? And it's still in charge of whatever's happening around here?
[ but dick's distracted by the plot because. he tilts his head ]
What was the context for that one?
no subject
[He's lost because he's. Himself.] What was the context for what?
no subject
Uh... The Eye of Providence?
[ he does not explain that because instead he clarifies: ]
Your conversation with Edelgard.
no subject
Mm...last week. We were talking about the Dimitri thing and I confronted her on having her role. Or, more like, she asked if I knew about the special rules and I told her I knew she was one of the Cockblockers and knew about Escha. [Escha :(] Started talking about it, threw out some guesses of how it worked and when I was wrong she said "You’re used to feeling like the cleverest man in the room, aren’t you?"
It was before I realized she had Escha's old role. And then I said I knew someone who could see if someone's possessed and that was the meeting I set up last Thursday I had to leave for. Edelgard and Kagachi.
no subject
Right. Kagachi told me about that one. [ the meeting, not the. quote. ] Think Edelgard's point was at least a little less antagonistic than the version our Narrator got, but ... it is kind of a weird coincidence.
no subject
It's weird because...I don't know if it's because Edelgard was with us, or because...[...he frowns.] Never mind, that probably doesn't make sense. Edelgard being there fits the idea that we're being watched at all times.
no subject
[ and since they're back on the being watched thing-- ]
Do you know what the Eye of Providence is?
no subject
[But he doesn't care enough to argue and instead pulls the covers tighter to burrow.]
It's that thing on the back of the dollar bill, right? The pyramid with the eye. The all-seeing eye of God, or something.
no subject
[ it wasn't meant as an argument, so-- anyway: ]
Right. Represents the eye of god watching over humanity. It's not the only symbol like that in history-- Caodaism in Vietnam has the divine eye as a reminder that god sees everything at all times, Egyptians had the eye of Horus, the entire concept of a third eye-- but considering we're using holy water to defeat the demons, I don't think it's too far-fetched to think the symbolism might be related in this case.
no subject
no subject
[ it's dry. ]
Don't even know if we're meant to stop the eye or just... prove ourselves somehow, the way the last group didn't.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
[ which is. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yea bad ]
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)