15strangers | YOU MAY BE A LOVER BUT YOU AIN'T NO DANCER

HELTER SKELTER

[Well, Champions, it certainly does look like you're trapped here.

There's limited food and limited supplies... and while there's a limited number of you, there's certainly too many of you for what you've got on hand. Never mind the whole deal that you've been kidnapped and shoved into someone else's house. Like, who even does that?

And all to "send a message," besides. Whatever that even means.

Regardless, things aren't going to change by just sitting and moping around. You're here until your captor decides he's done with you, so while there's no guarantee that acting won't just make things worse, it's got to be at least a little better than this.

Right?]

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah...

[Although, he appreciates the concern. He wouldn't mind talking it out more quietly.]

Can we write back and forth?

[Rantaro looks up... Well, he flips to a blank page near the end of the notebook and hands it over.]

[He nods in thanks, then writes.]

Do you think this is the end?

[Of course, this whole sleepover thing is a fun distraction.

He just doesn't know what outcome he wishes to be distracted from more, and after all that he's tried to fight it, it's difficult after all for him to completely look away.]

[... He sighs as he replies.]

Could be, but a part of me is more convinced someone's gonna die tonight.

Yeah. We expect it at this point.

With stakes like these, though, everything would go back to zero.

I already died once. If everyone else disappears at the same time as me...

Rika believed in souls that could meet again in heaven. If that's true, I'm already waiting for everyone. Just like I did in the simulation, you know?

I doubt it's coming too, but... it's hard not to imagine the peace.

You've done this a lot more than me. How do you keep going?

[There's a longer pause than it takes to read all that... That's a very good question... He takes a while writing the reply, pausing at some points, erasing something he thought didn't sound right... Rewriting something for the third time or so.... Trying not to break down at his own party...

... He finally passes the notebook back to Yoosung.]

I don't know anymore.

Best advice I could give someone: Stay alert. Check everything. Find people you can count on. Don't give up. Hope for the best.

But that's just advice on how to survive, and even that isn't foolproof. I honestly can't say how I can keep going after everything that's happened. Maybe I got too used to this... Or maybe there's a stubborn part of me that wants to keep pushing for a way out.

At least with the slumber party we can have a breather before whatever happens, right?

[There's a pang of guilt as he watches these reactions, so he quietly mumbles.]

I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that... but thank you...

[He says that even before he takes the notepad back, but now he's reading it. Realizing he should have mentioned he was mostly talking about the trials... but maybe there really isn't anything that can prepare a person for more of that.]

I'll try to be stubborn too then. But... I hate that we can't protect whoever is about to die. We can't even try to. That's really making it so hard to keep smiling, and we just started!

Still, I'm glad you checked on me. I have a long night ahead of me after everyone sleeps, it's good to get this off my chest now so I can try not to think about it then. I'm going to keep trying to cheer everyone else up too. Even you. Let me know if I can make it up to you somehow!

[He tries to smile at Yoosung... He'd put an arm around him, but... He needs that notebook back.]

I hate it too... Really wishing there was something we could do to save everyone, but

[He just cuts off there. Which explains the pause before he continued writing.]

Anyway, you don't have to worry about me too much. You've already done a lot to help on your end back at Fayflower... So if either of us dies, I want to thank you and the rest of the Phantom Guild for doing what you could back there. Can't speak for the other survivors right now, but it means a lot to me.

[He glances back at him after reading this next bit, the faintest chuckle following.]

Well, I'm not that good of an adult but I still have to worry about you a little. We wouldn't be the Phantom Guild if we didn't try at least that much.

YOU MAY BE A LOVER BUT YOU AIN'T NO DANCER

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