[ he is considering it??? he is considering it really hard, goddamn. the only reason he doesn't is that he's floored by what he hears. it's worse than the memory. it's worse? holy fuck. ]
[ anyway, by the end of it, he's reacting. ]
That's enough.
[ this bitch never been so serious what the fuck. he looks at akechi sharply. ]
We're not doing this, Goro. Don't talk to her like that, and don't talk about yourself like that either. The state of your self-worth isn't much better.
[ shots fucking fired ]
We'll work this out like rational people. Without emotional blackmail.
[Surprise! It's worse. It's so much worse. Luna shuts down, and for a moment, it looks like Akechi is about to say something else. Maybe something worse. Or, maybe something less... terrible.
But then Phoenix interjects, and — he snaps his mouth shut. Flinches when his own self-worth is brought up. Tightens his grip on his cup and lets his gaze drift to the floor, his jaw clenched so hard it might very well hurt.
When he speaks up again, his voice is tight.]
... All she has to do is agree to survive. [Slowly. Practically hissed. He's still pissed, but he's... running out of steam between Luna shutting down and Phoenix calling him the fuck out.] I can't afford to waste my time on someone who's willing to throw their life away over a little thing like what they are.
[She'll keep her silence, long enough to know Akechi isn't going to start back up again. Only then does she slowly start to let herself regain the processes that make her have at least some spark of life.
She'll wipe at her eyes with one of her hands, her posture still straight, her voice calm and quiet, but... tired, slightly hurt. She'd still heard every word he has said to her, after all.
...]
...I didn't say I wanted to die. I don't. The thought of dying terrifies me. And it's not the option I want. The option I want is the one we all want, and that's to save as many as we can. I... just don't want there to be a hesitation if there has to be a choice between myself or anyone else. It's... a personal request. Nothing more.
...
Please. Every person that dies is another chance that I could break down and never come back. It's violating the most important parts of me that I have. If I had to sit and watch someone else get hurt because I was too frightened to take action... I...
...
[She sighs raggedly, he eyes softening.]
Akechi... if you don't want people to act like they're nothing but an item... if you don't want yourself feeling the same... then speak of people, and of yourself, more than you would the trash under your feet. Otherwise... what mission are you really supporting, other than complete destruction?
I... know that isn't what you want. So... please. Don't talk to me like you think that's what I want, either.
Neither of you are or ever will be wastes of time.
[ with a very pointed look at akechi because yes he knows you're a hypocrite, buddy. ]
[ but akechi's starting to settle down. luna is speaking again. progress. his voice softens, too. ]
Luna.... if we were to intervene for you, it wouldn't be because you were too frightened to take action. It would be because we're working together to save the collective. Even beyond just our jobs and the antidote... look at how many kids are constantly on the verge of death. They need you.
[ really, the most expendable one here is himself. not that he's going to say that. ]
If we do this right, we could stop the oddity.... and stop the killings. The girls have said that the rules about killing and voting for execution can be amended if we find an alternative. I can't say that it won't be even more painful than it is now... but we could end this.
[It's hilarious, but the fact that they're willing to call him the fuck out while still being kind? It... helps. In the sense that he's too fucking baffled to hold onto his anger, jaw clenched as he listens to them talk. He doesn't get it. He thinks they're talking shit. But—
...
It's a little like being back on that ship, laying on the ground as they all reached out to him, and he really doesn't know what to do with this.]
... If it's between you and someone else, there won't be any hesitation.
[Take that as you will, Luna.
He sets his cup down. Fixes his tie. Pretends... nothing happened........]
We spoke to Plum-san about injecting the antidote before the creature can kill anyone. She confirmed that it's possible as long as the transformation is active. You understand what this means, don't you? If the threat is eradicated, and no one dies that night... it's possible that the sixth and seventh rule may be lifted. Or, at least, that we will be one step closer to our goal. The announcements must be dealt with as well, after all.
Still... he'll get a tired smile, tinged with a sad sort of gratitude. Thank you.]
Yes, I think I can get the basic idea. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. But I imagine it would take a great deal of personal risk and a lot of factors needing to go completely right to confront a monster during an active transformation. I don't think it's impossible. But it's... it's going to be difficult without a little help.
You're referring to the announcements over the loudspeakers, correct? Do we have any idea where they might be coming from? The voices are always different, so to assume it is Blue himself right now seems a little foolish.
[ there's more to say, but they're moving on. he made his point with akechi. he might have made it with luna, too. he hopes. his mask is coming back on slowly as they progress. back to business. ]
That's why we help each other, and get the girls in on it. They are insistent on us all working together, so this is a start.
I asked Plum to look into it.... so far, we have little idea. But the voices and stories are always different. And they're exclusive to our group. So I wonder if it isn't residents predating Master Blue... or something to that effect.
You're not wrong. But the executioners manage it without fail every week. We have an advantage they don't. [Gesturing at the three of them as he speaks.] The sisters have confirmed that they are willing to provide additional tools, and I already posses some weapons. Our job is to come up with different strategies in advance. We can't predict what kind of creature they will become, but planning for multiple possibilities will reduce the risks.
[They all share maybe more than one braincell between the three of them, so! He can worry about the stabby defense part. The monster roulette is the part they have to carefully think about.]
... As for the announcements, the ghost I spoke with confirmed her group received them as well. However, they did not physically affect them like our motive for last week did... and her group was more than willing to kill each other without the transformations. She claimed that not a single one of them became a monster.
Tamaki was one of ghosts I spoke to. He said something similar. There were no transformations, only injuries and other things that would appear in their dreams and then manifest.
He also verified that he recognized one of the items in the museum as his own, and said that the ghosts could not observe the manor on Thursday nights, not could they see into locked rooms...
... It's a possibility. But do we know if the items were put on display by the house itself, or were they placed by the staff as memorials? I was in possession of one of the items in the museum, and it disappeared the morning that floor became available to us.
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It hurts, and it shows, twisting on her expression like a knife to the gut.
She goes completely silent for a very, very long time.
When she speaks again, it's complete and utter monotone, her eyes blank and focused on the floor.]
State what you would prefer I do, then.
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[ anyway, by the end of it, he's reacting. ]
That's enough.
[ this bitch never been so serious what the fuck. he looks at akechi sharply. ]
We're not doing this, Goro. Don't talk to her like that, and don't talk about yourself like that either. The state of your self-worth isn't much better.
[ shots fucking fired ]
We'll work this out like rational people. Without emotional blackmail.
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But then Phoenix interjects, and — he snaps his mouth shut. Flinches when his own self-worth is brought up. Tightens his grip on his cup and lets his gaze drift to the floor, his jaw clenched so hard it might very well hurt.
When he speaks up again, his voice is tight.]
... All she has to do is agree to survive. [Slowly. Practically hissed. He's still pissed, but he's... running out of steam between Luna shutting down and Phoenix calling him the fuck out.] I can't afford to waste my time on someone who's willing to throw their life away over a little thing like what they are.
[Is he a hypocrite? Yes. Does he care? No.]
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She'll wipe at her eyes with one of her hands, her posture still straight, her voice calm and quiet, but... tired, slightly hurt. She'd still heard every word he has said to her, after all.
...]
...I didn't say I wanted to die. I don't. The thought of dying terrifies me. And it's not the option I want. The option I want is the one we all want, and that's to save as many as we can. I... just don't want there to be a hesitation if there has to be a choice between myself or anyone else. It's... a personal request. Nothing more.
...
Please. Every person that dies is another chance that I could break down and never come back. It's violating the most important parts of me that I have. If I had to sit and watch someone else get hurt because I was too frightened to take action... I...
...
[She sighs raggedly, he eyes softening.]
Akechi... if you don't want people to act like they're nothing but an item... if you don't want yourself feeling the same... then speak of people, and of yourself, more than you would the trash under your feet. Otherwise... what mission are you really supporting, other than complete destruction?
I... know that isn't what you want. So... please. Don't talk to me like you think that's what I want, either.
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[ with a very pointed look at akechi because yes he knows you're a hypocrite, buddy. ]
[ but akechi's starting to settle down. luna is speaking again. progress. his voice softens, too. ]
Luna.... if we were to intervene for you, it wouldn't be because you were too frightened to take action. It would be because we're working together to save the collective. Even beyond just our jobs and the antidote... look at how many kids are constantly on the verge of death. They need you.
[ really, the most expendable one here is himself. not that he's going to say that. ]
If we do this right, we could stop the oddity.... and stop the killings. The girls have said that the rules about killing and voting for execution can be amended if we find an alternative. I can't say that it won't be even more painful than it is now... but we could end this.
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...
It's a little like being back on that ship, laying on the ground as they all reached out to him, and he really doesn't know what to do with this.]
... If it's between you and someone else, there won't be any hesitation.
[Take that as you will, Luna.
He sets his cup down. Fixes his tie. Pretends... nothing happened........]
We spoke to Plum-san about injecting the antidote before the creature can kill anyone. She confirmed that it's possible as long as the transformation is active. You understand what this means, don't you? If the threat is eradicated, and no one dies that night... it's possible that the sixth and seventh rule may be lifted. Or, at least, that we will be one step closer to our goal. The announcements must be dealt with as well, after all.
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...
Still... he'll get a tired smile, tinged with a sad sort of gratitude. Thank you.]
Yes, I think I can get the basic idea. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. But I imagine it would take a great deal of personal risk and a lot of factors needing to go completely right to confront a monster during an active transformation. I don't think it's impossible. But it's... it's going to be difficult without a little help.
You're referring to the announcements over the loudspeakers, correct? Do we have any idea where they might be coming from? The voices are always different, so to assume it is Blue himself right now seems a little foolish.
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That's why we help each other, and get the girls in on it. They are insistent on us all working together, so this is a start.
I asked Plum to look into it.... so far, we have little idea. But the voices and stories are always different. And they're exclusive to our group. So I wonder if it isn't residents predating Master Blue... or something to that effect.
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[They all share maybe more than one braincell between the three of them, so! He can worry about the stabby defense part. The monster roulette is the part they have to carefully think about.]
... As for the announcements, the ghost I spoke with confirmed her group received them as well. However, they did not physically affect them like our motive for last week did... and her group was more than willing to kill each other without the transformations. She claimed that not a single one of them became a monster.
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He also verified that he recognized one of the items in the museum as his own, and said that the ghosts could not observe the manor on Thursday nights, not could they see into locked rooms...
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I wonder if the cases are keeping them there. They certainly are tied to them.. n a manner.
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