Considering this sounded more purposeful...maybe that's not so bad. [ he's just mad don't mind him. ] ...did you know he was cursed? Or locked up, at least.
[ he. is assuming phoenix used ashes to ashes on him. ]
Better than knowing and not doing anything until the end, but that didn't strike me as something you'd do anyway. If you could help it. [ ...you know he came here for an entirely different reason but now he is curious. why does this happen. please focus a little better. he opens his mouth to ask "how can you tell" but thinks the question is vague and complicated. so he changes his mind. ]
Should I take that to mean it comes with years of experience and if I ever want to figure it out myself I have to observe more?
Even if I did know, I couldn't have helped until he asked. We're not allowed.
[ they laugh quietly. ]
I wouldn't say years of experience. Remember, I've only been at this for about half a year. But I like to think that I'm perceptive enough to see when someone is acting strangely. So yes, observation is key.
I think your job would infuriate me a little, Phoenix. [ that is because you are not always patient, nico. he considers that answer because it does track. ]
That's sort of what I meant. It takes time for people to learn to be perceptive to other people. Usually. Some people may just be good at it. [ ... ] I don't know if I would always notice if someone was behaving strangely here. There are still some people I've never even spoken with, but they present just as much of a threat as anybody else. Any one of them could decide to kill someone and we wouldn't know for days because they could be acting weird and no one would realize it until it's almost too late. [ hm. ] Kind of like how it doesn't make sense for Chiemi to have killed Norma, but when I think of it I guess I actually didn't know her well enough to say one way or another.
Well, I'm not a mind reader, so I don't have those kinds of answers. Aquamarine Fox and their team would likely give anything to know, if someone did have them. We can't know everything, but we can keep our eyes open and try to be prepared for the worst.
Don't pressure yourself to know these things so soon, Nico. It's only been two weeks.
Sorry. That came out a little wrong, I guess. [ he can understand that it's hard on the leaders as well. unfortunately he'd biased and will only express this sentiment to phoenix despite acknowledging it for all eight of them. ]
I might go see Fox tomorrow. Just to check in and and maybe apologize for constantly staying at their place. I know we can't know everything and I'm trying to be prepared but there are some things I don't know how to be prepared for anymore.
[ anyway that is sound advice, but nico is going to ignore it for now. if he's not figuring out things and he's not able to actually do something to keep the people he's come to care about safe, what the hell is he doing? he does not express this sentiment to phoenix, but given the way his gaze drops to the side it's an agreement to disagree.
...to the point, then. ]
...did Jolyne come talk to you the other day? Sometime Thursday.
[ they wave it off. it's not that they're offended, just frustrated. ]
I don't think Fox will hold it against you. They're the type who likes having more people around than less, which I can understand.
[ phoenix watches the way nico's eyes drop. ]
Nico. [ softly. ] I understand being restless and needing to feel like you're doing something productive. Just don't push yourself too far. Rest is just as important as working hard, especially if you want to protect someone.
[ how can you protect anyone if you've pushed yourself too hard? ]
She hasn't. I imagine it has something to do with the orange paint, and then the news yesterday.
Yeah. I know the type well. [ it's kind of mumbled to himself. it makes sense that foxes are close when a lot of them are probably lonely people who don't want to be by themselves.
but anyway. he hears that and he's still a little like :nyeh: but he does pause to consider that. ]
It's not pushing myself, it's doing my share. I'm resting fine. I'm not the one who's--[ urrggggh. he just seethes briefly before he sighs. ] I don't like just having to watch and wait. That's all.
[ he's well aware people are starting to perceive, and some are protecting him in their own way. how the hell does he repay them if he's not running himself in the ground finding answers? (that is not the answer.) but if he's surprised to hear jolyne hasn't spoken to phoenix he doesn't say so. ]
I don't know much about the orange paint. That happened in another part of the casino than where we were. But we were taken somewhere on Thursday morning. I didn't know she was there until we got back, but...
[ give him a second, he's patting down his pockets. shame the cocoa puff shifts with the sudden movement, peering out of nico's hood to stare at phoenix with a quiet chirp hello. eventually though he pulls out a white piece of paper and also his phone. ]
You can push yourself too far while trying to do your share.
[ they'll drop it for now. just know that they're watching. ]
Casino? [ their head tilts, but they listen in silence and wait for nico to find whatever he's looking for. when he pulls out a white paper, their mouth forms a small O in surprise. then their back straightens. business mode activated. ] You found one in this casino, then. Hand-written, I take it?
[ we are dropping it!! you're not his real guardian!! (i hate him i'm so tired.)
it's fine. he does not feel like talking about the casino either because he's been hyperfocused on talking to phoenix about these things. ]
Yeah. Well, our getaway car, anyway. It was me, Hans and Whisper. Jolyne, Hung and Danny were in another part of the casino I guess? They got a note, too, and Hung let me take a picture.
[ he is unsure why he has to read it out loud but he does. the paper first: ]
"The stakes so far have been too boring. It’s no fun when all they do at the end of the day is go home, so for the next round, we’ll spice it up a bit. If they want a chance for anyone to return at all, they’ll have to take that chance from someone else.
One death each week is enough to keep the door open. Kill, or lose everything any of them have cared about. Let’s see how heroic they can be in those conditions."
And the other one...[ reading from his phone: ] "These heroes are unable to return to the worlds they call home while they have yet to win their competition. If a team loses, all those within the team, present and future, those worlds they hail from will come under the light of the moon. Those worlds will be forever changed with the loss of the heroes hailing from them. There is nothing better than a hero under distress.
By winning they will be putting their companions here at risk. By losing, their homes will be rewritten to be completely different, erasing their place within it. A dire situation indeed. A benefit no matter the outcome."
was he handing it over... if he wasn't they can't read it but i don't know, ty, today's trial was wild and we're tired. it's fine. ]
...That's not how I expected you to find these things, but good work finding them at all. [ frowning, they cross their arms. ] The first one explains the new rules this week. Even if they didn't come from the same place, they're still aligned. And the second gives us a more solid answer on what danger is in store for our worlds.
[ STOP I'M SORRY some npcs really just cannot perceive and i'd respect that it's fine, rest now. ]
Believe me, I hadn't expected it either. [ he's still not thrilled. ] I think at least understanding the core of the problem is important, so I don't feel like this wasn't worth finding. But...you can kind of see why I'm trying to figure things out.
[ sometimes you are scared of losing everything and you decide the answer is to run yourself into the ground for answers. ]
We were debating if these came from that guy in white or someone else. Though the idea that there's a door being held open so long as we play along to keep us from being permanently trapped also isn't exactly settling. [ literally why is it always doors of death somehow. ]
Any information is more than we had. It's good to have.
[ they understand, but they aren't going to call him out on it again. for now. ]
It's possible. [ they give an indignant sniff. ] That sounds familiar - paying a price to keep a door open. I don't like it, but I like the alternative even less.
I don't think Argalia cared too much about surviving. [ which is strange, but he's not going to convince him otherwise. some people accept their death and that's that. but otherwise he agrees, and he's soon blinking in surprise. ]
Rewriting might be too strong of a word, but...it felt that way. Like where we were was actually where we were meant to be, with memories of things we've done and places we've been without having done those things before. It wasn't pleasant to come back and realize that. [ still. ] ...where did you go?
I guess we did get a similar feeling now and then? [ shrugs. they didn't pay much attention to it, frankly. ] It was called the Netherworld, but we had to go to the moon, too.
[ i. see the npcs had fun in disgaea. he squints a little like he's trying to decide if the netherworld is the same as the underworld somewhere else, but then phoenix is talking about the moon and--]
Uh. You sort of lost me with the moon. Why? [ well. actually i will spare you in case mods do not have a real answer, so alternatively: ] Didn't the guy in white bring the moon crashing down a month ago? Don't tell me those were related.
[ he's been to the memorial, and so he's seen the statues, but he hasn't actually heard the names prior to this. he looks curious like he wants to ask, but it's been a shitty day so later. ]
Six seems to be a key number here. Even though we weren't really together, six of us were there working with our own teams. [ but that's...hm. ] If it happened to you guys, and it happened to us, do you think there's a likelihood it could happen again to someone else?
It's been a long time since it happened to us, but if it's happened again, I think the chances are good that it could keep happening. It's not ideal, but it could be a way to get more information, too.
...I like the idea of getting information so we can figure out how to proceed. I don't like the idea of people essentially being kidnapped, again, in order to do it. [ not that this is about what he does and doesn't like. ] I guess my concerns are that the whole thing's a trap. It feels convenient that we were pulled elsewhere and were able to find this information. I want to believe it's true and useful so we know how to plan, but it was just there at the end when we finished. Waiting for us.
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[ he. is assuming phoenix used ashes to ashes on him. ]
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Should I take that to mean it comes with years of experience and if I ever want to figure it out myself I have to observe more?
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[ they laugh quietly. ]
I wouldn't say years of experience. Remember, I've only been at this for about half a year. But I like to think that I'm perceptive enough to see when someone is acting strangely. So yes, observation is key.
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That's sort of what I meant. It takes time for people to learn to be perceptive to other people. Usually. Some people may just be good at it. [ ... ] I don't know if I would always notice if someone was behaving strangely here. There are still some people I've never even spoken with, but they present just as much of a threat as anybody else. Any one of them could decide to kill someone and we wouldn't know for days because they could be acting weird and no one would realize it until it's almost too late. [ hm. ] Kind of like how it doesn't make sense for Chiemi to have killed Norma, but when I think of it I guess I actually didn't know her well enough to say one way or another.
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[ they rub the back of their neck and sigh. ]
Well, I'm not a mind reader, so I don't have those kinds of answers. Aquamarine Fox and their team would likely give anything to know, if someone did have them. We can't know everything, but we can keep our eyes open and try to be prepared for the worst.
Don't pressure yourself to know these things so soon, Nico. It's only been two weeks.
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Sorry. That came out a little wrong, I guess. [ he can understand that it's hard on the leaders as well. unfortunately he'd biased and will only express this sentiment to phoenix despite acknowledging it for all eight of them. ]
I might go see Fox tomorrow. Just to check in and and maybe apologize for constantly staying at their place. I know we can't know everything and I'm trying to be prepared but there are some things I don't know how to be prepared for anymore.
[ anyway that is sound advice, but nico is going to ignore it for now. if he's not figuring out things and he's not able to actually do something to keep the people he's come to care about safe, what the hell is he doing? he does not express this sentiment to phoenix, but given the way his gaze drops to the side it's an agreement to disagree.
...to the point, then. ]
...did Jolyne come talk to you the other day? Sometime Thursday.
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I don't think Fox will hold it against you. They're the type who likes having more people around than less, which I can understand.
[ phoenix watches the way nico's eyes drop. ]
Nico. [ softly. ] I understand being restless and needing to feel like you're doing something productive. Just don't push yourself too far. Rest is just as important as working hard, especially if you want to protect someone.
[ how can you protect anyone if you've pushed yourself too hard? ]
She hasn't. I imagine it has something to do with the orange paint, and then the news yesterday.
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but anyway. he hears that and he's still a little like :nyeh: but he does pause to consider that. ]
It's not pushing myself, it's doing my share. I'm resting fine. I'm not the one who's--[ urrggggh. he just seethes briefly before he sighs. ] I don't like just having to watch and wait. That's all.
[ he's well aware people are starting to perceive, and some are protecting him in their own way. how the hell does he repay them if he's not running himself in the ground finding answers? (that is not the answer.) but if he's surprised to hear jolyne hasn't spoken to phoenix he doesn't say so. ]
I don't know much about the orange paint. That happened in another part of the casino than where we were. But we were taken somewhere on Thursday morning. I didn't know she was there until we got back, but...
[ give him a second, he's patting down his pockets. shame the cocoa puff shifts with the sudden movement, peering out of nico's hood to stare at phoenix with a quiet chirp hello. eventually though he pulls out a white piece of paper and also his phone. ]
You said white papers, didn't you?
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[ they'll drop it for now. just know that they're watching. ]
Casino? [ their head tilts, but they listen in silence and wait for nico to find whatever he's looking for. when he pulls out a white paper, their mouth forms a small O in surprise. then their back straightens. business mode activated. ] You found one in this casino, then. Hand-written, I take it?
What does this one say?
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it's fine. he does not feel like talking about the casino either because he's been hyperfocused on talking to phoenix about these things. ]
Yeah. Well, our getaway car, anyway. It was me, Hans and Whisper. Jolyne, Hung and Danny were in another part of the casino I guess? They got a note, too, and Hung let me take a picture.
[ he is unsure why he has to read it out loud but he does. the paper first: ]
"The stakes so far have been too boring. It’s no fun when all they do at the end of the day is go home, so for the next round, we’ll spice it up a bit. If they want a chance for anyone to return at all, they’ll have to take that chance from someone else.
One death each week is enough to keep the door open. Kill, or lose everything any of them have cared about. Let’s see how heroic they can be in those conditions."
And the other one...[ reading from his phone: ] "These heroes are unable to return to the worlds they call home while they have yet to win their competition. If a team loses, all those within the team, present and future, those worlds they hail from will come under the light of the moon. Those worlds will be forever changed with the loss of the heroes hailing from them. There is nothing better than a hero under distress.
By winning they will be putting their companions here at risk. By losing, their homes will be rewritten to be completely different, erasing their place within it. A dire situation indeed. A benefit no matter the outcome."
[ tell him he did good. ]
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was he handing it over... if he wasn't they can't read it but i don't know, ty, today's trial was wild and we're tired. it's fine. ]
...That's not how I expected you to find these things, but good work finding them at all. [ frowning, they cross their arms. ] The first one explains the new rules this week. Even if they didn't come from the same place, they're still aligned. And the second gives us a more solid answer on what danger is in store for our worlds.
We're still missing a solution.
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Believe me, I hadn't expected it either. [ he's still not thrilled. ] I think at least understanding the core of the problem is important, so I don't feel like this wasn't worth finding. But...you can kind of see why I'm trying to figure things out.
[ sometimes you are scared of losing everything and you decide the answer is to run yourself into the ground for answers. ]
We were debating if these came from that guy in white or someone else. Though the idea that there's a door being held open so long as we play along to keep us from being permanently trapped also isn't exactly settling. [ literally why is it always doors of death somehow. ]
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[ they understand, but they aren't going to call him out on it again. for now. ]
It's possible. [ they give an indignant sniff. ] That sounds familiar - paying a price to keep a door open. I don't like it, but I like the alternative even less.
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[ ... ]
Has that happened before? Being sent somewhere else outside of the city without people knowing and having their thoughts overridden.
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...It has, but it didn't rewrite our thoughts. We didn't get anything out of it like you did, either. I haven't thought about it in months.
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Rewriting might be too strong of a word, but...it felt that way. Like where we were was actually where we were meant to be, with memories of things we've done and places we've been without having done those things before. It wasn't pleasant to come back and realize that. [ still. ] ...where did you go?
[ does he get to ask for storytime. ]
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I guess we did get a similar feeling now and then? [ shrugs. they didn't pay much attention to it, frankly. ] It was called the Netherworld, but we had to go to the moon, too.
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Uh. You sort of lost me with the moon. Why? [ well. actually i will spare you in case mods do not have a real answer, so alternatively: ] Didn't the guy in white bring the moon crashing down a month ago? Don't tell me those were related.
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Six seems to be a key number here. Even though we weren't really together, six of us were there working with our own teams. [ but that's...hm. ] If it happened to you guys, and it happened to us, do you think there's a likelihood it could happen again to someone else?
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It's been a long time since it happened to us, but if it's happened again, I think the chances are good that it could keep happening. It's not ideal, but it could be a way to get more information, too.
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