[ cloud says that like jason absolutely didn't have to catch him before he ate shit on the ground at least twice. what lup doesn't know won't hurt her? he's moving after her after a worried glance at Jason ]
[Dammit, both of you! He hurries after Cloud in a duck line after Lup. Sheesh. He doesn’t want Cloud to eat shit and doesn’t want Lup to run around from insanity.
All he can do right now is try to hold onto Cloud’s shirt end and not drop his snacks in the process.]
I’m alright. [He waits a moment on Lup’s answer.] I… got the phone call.
cloud doesn't object to Jason's hand on his shirt, which, really says it all on how fine he really is, but it's fine because he's distracted. he can't turn his head to look back at jason so he instead falters in step so he's next to him ]
[you joke but that's what she's aiming to do. she liked all three of the dead, her boyfriends are half-dead, her sister woke up in a grave, and she's having a time so she's going to get high so she can function for a bit! hooraaay.]
Scratching... like, on a specific surface? Or just. [a beat.] Oh - the chapel felt sticky. Tacky. Or like, I did, while I was in it.
That is a good idea. Or someone turning into an animal. It's not unheard of.
[a pause.] I guess it's not as fun to go for someone twice.
And maybe it's not just missing. Maybe it's that programming thing they were talking about, or maybe this is the retaliation for someone coming back. I don't know.
[she opens the door to the den!] Maybe someone decided they were going for their contract. We're coming up on the end. Now's the best time to do it.
[ thank you for somehow holding him up at all times jason. here they are in the den, wow. he makes a face at it like he hadn't realized where they were going. he had not, he was distracted. ]
If it was retaliation, we'd have gotten to two a lot faster. [ hi, he's walking corpse one. he looks pensive. ] Either we've got three shadows or someone wanted to secure their hostages because they don't know they'll make it to the end. Won't know unless we solve it.
[He frowns about the den and really wishes she wouldn’t, but he can’t blame her. And he’d rather her do it with someone like them around, someone who could take care of her.
So in Cloud goes with him since he is following Lup. They can sit.]
I thought it might have been retaliation too, but Cloud is right. We’d have gotten two before we actually did. So… that leaves three shadows, a person who wants a guarantee, or… maybe two of them are related.
We can vote for the dead. [she says wryly, moving to grab some of the weed and weed accessories. she's pretty efficient with this so it won't take very long for her to have a pipe ready.
she'll... sit a bit away from them so she's not blasting them with smoke at least?? glad they're just letting her do this instead of talking about her feelings, it's very good.]
I think it's probably likely that some of them are securing their hostages. Closer we get to the end, the more people are going to risk it, since there's better odds of staying alive.
... Plus, they know they might get revived, if they're lucky. I can't say it didn't cross my mind.
[ for cloud it's about the same whether she's out drinking or smoking up. he has never met a single good coping mechanism. he mostly objects to smelling it. he doesn't say shit though, just drops maybe a little heavily on one of the couches. ]
Mmm. [ excuse him while he grabs one of the snacks to pop in his mouth tiredly. after a bit; ] Not like we can tell from how the kills were done. I know most people would rather go for people who went for it willingly instead of being possessed.
[ he's not saying anything about lup thinking about killing, because to him this is. par for the course for lup. and he would've been surprised otherwise, instead. oops. ]
Not without telling one of the two of us first. That demand goes for you too.
[He has a love-hate relationship with drugs. :’) But it’s just weed, so he minds considerably less.
They will simply not acknowledge any of their issues healthily and verbally. There are THREE of them and for what?]
They would, but is that any more horrendous when all our arms are twisted about our hostages? Do people have the right to go after, say, Lup for doing it willingly when her brother’s life is on the line? It’s fucked both ways.
[her ear flicks violently when jason says that, and she's quiet for a moment, blowing smoke away from them.]
I don't blame anybody who does. I just don't think I can. I don't think I have the right to trade one person's life for another after the shit I pulled at the station. [she says, mildly, staring at the wall.]
There's not any fuckin' justice here. We're, uh, we're just being played with.
[ cloud has been too spiteful all game. it is what happens. it is also implied that's his real issue because lmao morality. he shrugs his good shoulder ]
It's not about morals or justice. Just easier for people to swallow condemning someone who made the choice. Everyone's looking for someone to be mad at during those things. [ there's a pause and he leans on jason while looking at lup ] ...Can't deny I'd be a lot angrier if someone went after either of you willingly than if they'd been made to.
[His lips thin, and he twirls the can of soda—he is so hungry he is craving bad sugar—around in a stationary circle on his thigh.
Slowly, he glances at Cloud, feeling embarrassed about how damn touched… ANYWAY. He gives Cloud a very light bump with his shoulder, then he raises the arm to put it mostly on the back of the seat but sort of around his neck too.]
Let’s hope we have three shadows then. And can figure out what to do before they get worse.
[He uses two fingers and one hand to pop open the can.]
[that finally makes her smile a bit, that little bit of sentimentality.
she pushes the pipe away from her and then crawls over to the two of them and tries to find a place to curl up with them. she is sorry about the smell ):]
I already made Jason promise to stay, so I'm making you promise, too, Cloud. [she says quietly. and jason couldn't like, promise - because of course none of them can, but.] I can do this if I have you both.
[ cloud shuffles to make some space for her so she can sort of be on them without hurting anything. cuddles are fine. he has accepted it. even though he is not acknowledging the sentimentality!! don't look at him!!
and she's right; they can't promise. but cloud's exhausted, so he still deadpans: ]
No one can kill me in a way that'll stick. [ he knows he can't joke about being murdered but look, listen. he maybe spent part of last night wondering if it'd be like the first adventure and he'd wake up targeted by fucking lup or something. it's fine. ]
[He loosens up so she can get in the middle because of course she is in the middle of both idiots.
Jason lifts his hand and punches Cloud’s ear so he can tug on it gently. That’s for the sentiment. But then he ends up sort of just rubbing the shell of it, sorry.]
I came back from the dead, so. I already told you that we’re not going anywhere. But even if something did happen, you can still do it. We’re not gone for good. We’d need your help getting back.
Don’t forget that. Either of you. Giving up means I get to kick your ass.
[ there's a noise of protest when jason tugs at his ear but then he rubs it so whatever. he lets it happen. he is maybe leaning into it like it's pets.
he raises his good hand to pet lup's hair where she's curled up. jason's encouragement is sweet. a little useless, because as far as he knows, cloud doesn't... know how to just stop after tragedies. (and there's something, like a little voice in his head, the one that isn't sephiroth, telling him to keep going, and sometimes it sounds like himself and sometimes it doesn't and he is Not thinking about that right now)
he blinks away the jumbled thoughts ]
Making progress. [ he agrees! it's fine. ] ...Remind me to bring snacks for trial.
[ he won't fucking last until 6pm these urges are so RANDOM ]
[sees my last tag said punches instead of pinches and laughs that's what zia gets for that tag]
Bring some for me while you're at it.
[He will simply try to eat Cloud's food regardless. Why did they BOTH have to get the starving after effect? Jesus. It's fine.]
...You think if we start rocking the boat with the staff, they'll get punished? If they're supposed to be... you know. [In disguise.] In the other place we went, we had to disrupt how good the show was to go back home. But if they're... uh, doing us a favor...
I'll make you snacks. [she says, first off, leaning up into the hair pets. second, in response to jason:]
They might. The Avatars got punished - but we got punished for trying to obviously help. [she glances at the two of them.] So if the staff is making sure they're not, uh, helping us blatantly, then - we have to risk it.
Listen, if what we think is true about the 1.0s, I can't and won't leave until we find them, too. [that's firm.] So.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ cloud says that like jason absolutely didn't have to catch him before he ate shit on the ground at least twice. what lup doesn't know won't hurt her? he's moving after her after a worried glance at Jason ]
You?
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All he can do right now is try to hold onto Cloud’s shirt end and not drop his snacks in the process.]
I’m alright. [He waits a moment on Lup’s answer.] I… got the phone call.
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heading to the opium room, for the record, i'm sorry
but she's not moving so fast that they can't keep up, so!] I'm fine.
... What did you hear?
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cloud doesn't object to Jason's hand on his shirt, which, really says it all on how fine he really is, but it's fine because he's distracted. he can't turn his head to look back at jason so he instead falters in step so he's next to him ]
... What was it?
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He follows along still though, not walking too fast for Cloud. Quietly, he sighs.]
Scratching. Some kind of scuffle. A choking cough and a gasp. That was it.
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Scratching... like, on a specific surface? Or just. [a beat.] Oh - the chapel felt sticky. Tacky. Or like, I did, while I was in it.
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[ excuse him while he leans on Jason for no terrible reason at all. don't look at him. ]
Scratching might be one of the pets?
[ there are so many. it could also be anything. ]
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[He loops his arm around Cloud without dropping his shit. So they can follow Lup.]
Pet’s not a bad idea. Why do people keep sinning in the chapel…
Am I the only one surprised no one tried for Sheila or Diluc? I guess shadows don’t care about game logistics.
We didn’t miss last week, though… and there are three dead.
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[a pause.] I guess it's not as fun to go for someone twice.
And maybe it's not just missing. Maybe it's that programming thing they were talking about, or maybe this is the retaliation for someone coming back. I don't know.
[she opens the door to the den!] Maybe someone decided they were going for their contract. We're coming up on the end. Now's the best time to do it.
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If it was retaliation, we'd have gotten to two a lot faster. [ hi, he's walking corpse one. he looks pensive. ] Either we've got three shadows or someone wanted to secure their hostages because they don't know they'll make it to the end. Won't know unless we solve it.
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So in Cloud goes with him since he is following Lup. They can sit.]
I thought it might have been retaliation too, but Cloud is right. We’d have gotten two before we actually did. So… that leaves three shadows, a person who wants a guarantee, or… maybe two of them are related.
We’ll see tomorrow.
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she'll... sit a bit away from them so she's not blasting them with smoke at least?? glad they're just letting her do this instead of talking about her feelings, it's very good.]
I think it's probably likely that some of them are securing their hostages. Closer we get to the end, the more people are going to risk it, since there's better odds of staying alive.
... Plus, they know they might get revived, if they're lucky. I can't say it didn't cross my mind.
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Mmm. [ excuse him while he grabs one of the snacks to pop in his mouth tiredly. after a bit; ] Not like we can tell from how the kills were done. I know most people would rather go for people who went for it willingly instead of being possessed.
[ he's not saying anything about lup thinking about killing, because to him this is. par for the course for lup. and he would've been surprised otherwise, instead. oops. ]
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[He has a love-hate relationship with drugs. :’) But it’s just weed, so he minds considerably less.
They will simply not acknowledge any of their issues healthily and verbally. There are THREE of them and for what?]
They would, but is that any more horrendous when all our arms are twisted about our hostages? Do people have the right to go after, say, Lup for doing it willingly when her brother’s life is on the line? It’s fucked both ways.
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I don't blame anybody who does. I just don't think I can. I don't think I have the right to trade one person's life for another after the shit I pulled at the station. [she says, mildly, staring at the wall.]
There's not any fuckin' justice here. We're, uh, we're just being played with.
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[ cloud has been too spiteful all game. it is what happens. it is also implied that's his real issue because lmao morality. he shrugs his good shoulder ]
It's not about morals or justice. Just easier for people to swallow condemning someone who made the choice. Everyone's looking for someone to be mad at during those things. [ there's a pause and he leans on jason while looking at lup ] ...Can't deny I'd be a lot angrier if someone went after either of you willingly than if they'd been made to.
[ he's tired you guys can have ONE sentiment ]
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Slowly, he glances at Cloud, feeling embarrassed about how damn touched… ANYWAY. He gives Cloud a very light bump with his shoulder, then he raises the arm to put it mostly on the back of the seat but sort of around his neck too.]
Let’s hope we have three shadows then. And can figure out what to do before they get worse.
[He uses two fingers and one hand to pop open the can.]
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she pushes the pipe away from her and then crawls over to the two of them and tries to find a place to curl up with them. she is sorry about the smell ):]
I already made Jason promise to stay, so I'm making you promise, too, Cloud. [she says quietly. and jason couldn't like, promise - because of course none of them can, but.] I can do this if I have you both.
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and she's right; they can't promise. but cloud's exhausted, so he still deadpans: ]
No one can kill me in a way that'll stick. [ he knows he can't joke about being murdered but look, listen. he maybe spent part of last night wondering if it'd be like the first adventure and he'd wake up targeted by fucking lup or something. it's fine. ]
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Jason lifts his hand and punches Cloud’s ear so he can tug on it gently. That’s for the sentiment. But then he ends up sort of just rubbing the shell of it, sorry.]
I came back from the dead, so. I already told you that we’re not going anywhere. But even if something did happen, you can still do it. We’re not gone for good. We’d need your help getting back.
Don’t forget that. Either of you. Giving up means I get to kick your ass.
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god can you imagine the drama of that though wow. anyway.]
Nooo... my hitpoints. [she says, dramatically, curled up.] ... It'll be okay. We're getting somewhere.
Just have to deal with everything tomorrow.
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he raises his good hand to pet lup's hair where she's curled up. jason's encouragement is sweet. a little useless, because as far as he knows, cloud doesn't... know how to just stop after tragedies. (and there's something, like a little voice in his head, the one that isn't sephiroth, telling him to keep going, and sometimes it sounds like himself and sometimes it doesn't and he is Not thinking about that right now)
he blinks away the jumbled thoughts ]
Making progress. [ he agrees! it's fine. ] ...Remind me to bring snacks for trial.
[ he won't fucking last until 6pm these urges are so RANDOM ]
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Bring some for me while you're at it.
[He will simply try to eat Cloud's food regardless. Why did they BOTH have to get the starving after effect? Jesus. It's fine.]
...You think if we start rocking the boat with the staff, they'll get punished? If they're supposed to be... you know. [In disguise.] In the other place we went, we had to disrupt how good the show was to go back home. But if they're... uh, doing us a favor...
[Might not be a great idea.]
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They might. The Avatars got punished - but we got punished for trying to obviously help. [she glances at the two of them.] So if the staff is making sure they're not, uh, helping us blatantly, then - we have to risk it.
Listen, if what we think is true about the 1.0s, I can't and won't leave until we find them, too. [that's firm.] So.
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I don't know if we're supposed to disrupt things. They're hiding from the big guy. If we make it too obvious they're not telling the truth...
[ hrm ]
I don't think the 1.0s are in trouble if the cannibal thing is right.