15strangers | WEEK 4

WEEK 4

[A third of those of you who came here are now dead.

Its a sobering thought as everyone wakes up the next day to find their profiles updated once more, with Rosie and Naoya now added to the list of the discarded. There's an entire empty room, in terms of humans - Rocky, Murray, Elly, and a a strangely new and realistic robot bird are still there, somehow. Someone will need to take care of them now that their owners are gone.

Just like last week, no one has regained their memories, but their powers have evolved. Also like last week, a new floor has opened for those remaining to explore. It's...definitely different from the previous ones, to be sure. Emptier, more militaristic. And very, very large.

Maybe that's where the transport will arrive? Whatever the case, Marie's claim about the universe - if she's telling the truth - means there's less than two weeks left before the universe's destruction. If anyone has not yet thought of a way out that doesn't involve killing, the time to figure something out may be running out for everyone.

Meanwhile, even despite the lack of Naoya to hack the computers, the random computers belting out shittyfluting has, if anything, increased in their frequency. Which is definitely odd, since no one else has tried to hack into the computers...right?

There are ten strangers in this place.]

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... I just can't let him go. I hate that she's using this against us. She knows we all have people like that. Regrets. Mistakes.

[ He runs his hands over his face. ]

After everything that happened. ... Akira... I believe--I believe we can save him. His soul cube might still be around here. We might be able to fix him. Get him a new body. I could probably do it. ... But Vincent. ... I...

[ He swallows. His throat feels like there's a lump in it. ]

His was the only face that stayed pristine. He looked so... is it cliche to say someone looked like an angel? Before you lost them?

[Okay, it is officially hug time. She's putting her arms around his shoulders, and not just for comforting Charles. Thinking about Akira now is making her heart ache a little bit.]

It's...tempting, I'll admit, but...what, are we supposed to sacrifice an innocent person, then? Just because we wanted someone else back? That would mean...sacrificing two people. I...I don't think I could live with myself if I did that.

[Her voice cracks a little as she says that last part. It's not the only thing she's thinking about if someone murdered for this.]

I guess, but...who cares about clichés?

[ He stiffens, intensely. But it says a lot about how much he trusts her that he doesn't immediately jerk his entire body to throw her off him; normally, he would. He would freak out and do that. But he trusts her, and Barbara... she looks normal to him. Human. It's okay. It's fine. She doesn't disgust him, the way the others do. ]

No. I... I couldn't either. I'm not... an action-oriented person anyway. I've always been someone just... in the background.

[ He swallows again, a pale attempt to hold tears back. ]

... Vincent was... it was worse than any one of these trials. I deliberated too long. I went there to be with him in his final moments, and I should have stopped him, but all I could do was save my own pathetic life.

[ He doesn't mention his tulpa tormenting him at the time, the entire time, before and during and after said encounter. It's information she doesn't need to know, about his... illness. ]

I'm getting tired of seeing empty meat.

[She notices the tensing, but doesn't mind. The fact that he's still talking like normal-or, normal-ish-keeps her from thinking it was a stupid idea.

That monologue, though...she can't help but tighten her grip on him, just a little bit.]

So, you made a mistake. It was...terrible, but it was still a mistake. You didn't mean for it to happen, and you just tried to make the best of it when you knew things were going wrong. That's not a bad thing.

You're still a good person.

...

[ Debateable, really. He's not a good person. He'll probably never be good enough. Not in his own eyes. Not in Scarlett Eyler's eyes. ]

... I don't really know about that. But I should... it's Thursday, Barbara. If the pattern holds, someone will die tomorrow, too. And what can I do to stop that? Even if I stay up and try to look around... they'll just use another floor or creep around me.

[ ... Defective. That's what he is. The school was right. He really is just a loser god. ]

I'm not... I'm not able to fight, like some of the others were. I know how to save lives, not end them.

[She's really staring to wonder just exactly happened to him. What's gotten him to be so self-loathing? If she finds out, she plans and righting that wrong ASAP.]

Then...then...traps. Maybe, if we set traps or something, we can make them think better of it. They'll realize it's stupid or something and stop. Or-or someone else will realize it's stupid to be out at night and get back to their room!

We just...we have to try something!

[She's grasping at straws, of course, but as she says, they can't just do nothing.]

[ That is a long story and it involves more death. Maybe if you ask he will tell you. ]

... Traps are a possibility. But they could easily be disarmed, too. And if we made something too harmful we'd risk killing someone. I don't... really want anyone to die, even if they're considering hurting someone else.

I know, and...I don't want anyone else dying either. I was just thinking something small. A trip wire that could leave someone a bruise or something.

I just...feel like we should do something. Just because we can't fight doesn't mean we can just do nothing.

... We could put one in front of the onsen again for sure. Just to... make sure we don't have a repeat of last time.

[ That could maybe work. ]

Yeah, that...that could work!

[What? Is that? Excitement in her voice?! It's a miracle!]

If we put one there, we can make sure no one else gets hurt in there!

We should definitely do that!

... We could look around here for some jewelry wire. It's a craft room, there's probably some in here... maybe.

[ It's worth a shot. ]

Good idea. At the very least we could probably get some yarn if there isn't.

[Since she's not really sure if that's something Marie would put in here.]

WEEK 4

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cw for suicide mention

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