TNDG day 4

[exequte]

[from this]

[Akane's dressing room is a little impersonal, a little sterile - it has some of her things in it, but feels more like a set than a room for someone specific. Everything is a little too perfect, organized and pristine, and there's a lonely, empty quality that makes it hard to believe anyone owns it, even when she comes in. It might as well have been created for a ghost, which is appropriate enough as far as she's concerned. A glass-fronted bookcase against the wall has a doll in it, as well as a few books on varied subjects, and there's one set of clothes lying neatly in the corner, looking undisturbed.]

Sit down before you fall over, please.

[She pushes him gently towards the chair, and then before he can protest sits down against the wall, in the corner. She sounds tired.]

Comments

[jinglebros]

[ He's used to these sorts of surroundings from her so while it might worry someone else, it doesn't really register with him at all. What does worry him is how tired she sounds, and he knows now that he's really been fucking up and he needs to fix it.

As for sitting, he's wobbly enough that he can't really protest, so he just takes the seat and puts his head in his hands as he sighs. ]

First off, the head pain is from asking Lotus to 'hit me until I couldn't feel it'. She decided to take me literally and knocked me out.

[exequte]

[She looks every bit as upset at this as he probably intended, but at least he's sharing things with her now.]

Why? Aoi, if you don't want to show anyone your weaknesses don't you think that trying to kill yourself on camera does that already?

[jinglebros]

Because I got fucking drunk and didn't think my shitty actions through? [ Of course, that doesn't explain the fight with Junpei earlier, but at least that one didn't lead to more bruises. ] Maybe we just shouldn't let me near the bar anymore.

[exequte]

Stop lying to me!

[She's angry enough now to almost be yelling.]

I've seen you get drunk and normally you don't try to get people to beat you into unconsciousness as a result of it!

[jinglebros]

I'm not trying to fucking lie! I'm just... [ EMBARRASSED, really. Aoi is fucking embarrassed of himself and he doesn't know how to handle that. But he also doesn't want to lose her because of some stupid emotions. That would drive him to even worse ends than he is right now. ]

I can't handle the fact he fucking died, okay? I don't know how to handle that!

[exequte]

Fine!

[She's still yelling, but her voice almost breaks at the end of the word. It's still a little broken when she speaks again, and still frustrated and angry and hurt.]

I hate it too, all right? I hate that and I hate all of this and I hate that we're here and that this has to happen but that's not an excuse to kill yourself! I know how much he meant to you but damn it Aoi he saved my life too, don't you think I cared? This place is like the nonary game we don't have time to stop and cry because then we'll die too!

I don't want to die again!! Do you really think he'd want you to?!

[jinglebros]

[ Aoi is a little shocked by her swearing and it takes a moment to respond in kind, but when he does, his voice is a little louder too. ] You don't know. You don't know because I never fucking told you because I didn't want you to feel guilty! Every time you cried in my damn bed about your nightmares, he'd glue me back together! [ There were many other instances, but that's enough to give, he's not going to hurt her more than he has to by sharing. ] Even when things sucked when you and me were separated, he answered my calls sometimes. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

[exequte]

[She doesn't miss a beat. Either she already knew, or at the moment she's past caring.]

You're supposed to live you idiot!

[jinglebros]

Fine! I'll live!

[ He spits it out like it's a curse, rather than a promise. ]

[exequte]

Good!

[Still yelling. And then, after that, she stops and catches her breath.]

[jinglebros]

[ He looks at her for a long moment to see if she's done yelling, and then covers his face with his hands. ]

[exequte]

[There's a few moments as her breathing steadies, then she drops her head down into her hands as well and takes a few more moments to steady herself.]

I'm.... I'm glad at least that is taken care of.

[She is no longer quite sure what to say.]

[jinglebros]

It's not the only thing I haven't told you.

[ Weary... ]

[exequte]

[She sounds as tired as he does.]

No, but at least it's a start. And, I'd say that getting you to say you'll stop... doing this to yourself is a good one.

[A few moments while she looks down, then she looks back up again.]

What else do you need to tell me?

[jinglebros]

Junpei and I made an alliance. We're always putting you first, no matter what.

[ She should be fully aware of that. ]

My voting priorities are you, then Junpei, then Corrin and Kyrie. Anyone else can eat shit.

[exequte]

I thought you probably had. Of course, that means that if you aren't alive none of us are necessarily safe.

I don't want people to die. But they're going to. I wonder if it will be confined to the votes, or if they'll start branching out. Or if we're going to start killing each other. People... would have incentive to.

[She's not planning on it, not yet at least, but she guesses she can't take the option off the table. It might become necessary, depending on how things continue.]

[jinglebros]

That's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to die, but someone's going to see me as a threat sooner or later if I keep getting this many votes. That only works for usefulness for so long until someone figures out I have an ulterior motive.

[ It's really good nobody can hear this conversation, right? ]

[exequte]

[For sure.]

Eventually, probably, but eventually everyone who survives long enough is going to be a threat. That's what this game is based around, it's all about pitting us against each other. There's only so long people will be able to afford not to treat each other as threats. At least five people can win, not one, but the smaller a group this becomes, the more prevalent the backstabbing is going to be.

I still don't think it's going to get dangerous yet. Probably not for a while, actually. There's still too many people, we're still too organized, everyone is still too determined not to let anyone else die, which is a nice ideal but under the circumstances isn't realistic. Most people here don't know each other very well. That will make it easier for most of them to justify anything to themselves.

You have a core of allies, and unless all or nearly all of them are killed or left unable to vote for some reason [the technological failure of the first round is on her mind, but of course some people might simply be unwilling or unable to participate in all of the events] then they shouldn't be able to kill you with the vote, and that means the worst they'd be able to do is send you to the hotel. I don't want that either, but it seems preferable, at least, to knowing that you've died. I still think that even that is unlikely for the immediate future, though. If anyone tries to vote you out that way, they'll be endangering themselves. I don't think we really have to worry about that until the group gets smaller, and everything turns chaotic. It's still a possibility, but it seems like an unlikely one, at least for now.

[Finally a pause, and a thoughtful expression.]

What do you mean by 'ulterior motive'?

[jinglebros]

We don't even know the hotel is real or not dangerous. And asking for proof of that might not go so well. I'd rather not risk that shitty place either. Trust me, it's not a good idea. [ He looks her in the eye and tries to communicate that he's being Serious about this, then continues. ]

My ulterior motive is saving your ass from someone killing you in here. I'll work towards that with everything I've got. Why do you think I've been getting so many votes?

[ That, and the fact he wants to make either of his prizes happen. He's fucking determined to make the grand prize happen. The consolation prize, or rather what he believes it is by his own interpretation, is becoming less and less ideal looking by the day. ]

Junpei and i decided we're winning and doing anything to get there.

[exequte]

[She shakes her head a little.]

I don't want you going anywhere.

[Just, if there's a choice between that or death....]

Oh. I was wondering if you meant something else - I didn't think that was very subtle....

[NEVERMIND]

I need to win too. The problem is, I'm sure that almost everyone here feels the same - or, if not almost everyone, a lot of them. If the grand prizes they're being offered are of equal value to the one I am....

[SHE REALLY REALLY REALLY WANTS HERS OKAY]

I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be willing to do almost anything to get it.

[jinglebros]

For one thing, if I go to the hotel, I can't prevent you from dying. For another thing... [ He shrugs. ] I can't tell you the other thing. Just trust me. Don't you trust me, Akane?

[ he says this pointedly, using her own words back at her. He can play dirty, too. ]

[exequte]

W-what?

[Where did THAT come from?]

You're acting like I said I want you to go there. I didn't! All I said... Wouldn't it at least be a better way to leave?

[jinglebros]

It's not.

Please believe me.

[exequte]

[There's a pause while she looks up into his eyes, then she bites her bottom lip briefly, shifting in slight unease.]

All right. Fine. But how does that do anything other than make all of this worse?

[jinglebros]

Junpei's getting lazy. He might not have a vote for you next round.