Week 3

[airlockedmods]

Week 3

[Two weeks in, and all at once four people are dead. Chitose, Miki, Lucina, and Tsurugi - whatever the circumstances, however any of you may feel, their rooms are just as empty at the end of the week. If you check your P.I.P.s, you'll find that their pictures on the profile page have gone monochrome.

C.E.C.E.'s morning announcement comes like clockwork on Sunday. This time, though, there's an addendum to her usual message:]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your first trial, you have unlocked the second floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.! To access the second floor please stand on the teleporter and select the floor you wish to be teleported to.

[In addition to the new floor, the Champions will find that they've gained another memory this week.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday



(( Welcome to Week 3! Don't forget to check in and submit your memory regains! Turn in your benefactor threads for sweet loot, too! ))

Comments

[karappo]

[...So he did dream the same thing. He has a brief moment of wondering whether Osomatsu is just fucking with him or not, but why would he be, about something like this? Osomatsu doesn't act this strange and somber for no reason.

So that's. Not good.

Karamatsu's expression becomes unreadable as he glances down for a moment, his eyes hidden by his shades.]

We all did.

[But he says that with a certain inflection, one that doesn't include Osomatsu in that collective "we". He's not happy about it, though.]

Osomatsu, we...we do not know if that really happened.

[titularly]

But we both dreamed about it, and everyone was saying stuff about memories and junk so how can it not be?!

[There's a whine to Osomatsu's voice when he says that, and he looks up at his brother with a hurt looking expression.]

You all just....

[But he stops there before he says something he really, really regrets. And instead lowers his face again, his arms trembling by his sides.]

[karappo]

[...]

I cannot speak for the others, but. I did not leave because I wanted to.

[He finally sinks into a sit on the edge of the bed.]

I left because I felt like I needed to. Like...it was something we all needed to do.

[Even you.]

[titularly]

But why couldn't we have waited?! Why did.. why did everyone have to...

[Leave me all alone.]


.....


[Osomatsu goes silent for a moment, then, the tension in the air absolutely suffocating. He could just argue about this, yell at Karamatsu for punching him in the face and scream and cry about how unfair this was but honestly? People have died, and the weekend has been stressful enough.

So he just.... falls backwards against the door. Slides down it until he's sitting on the floor and there he holds his head in his hands.. and shakes it, insinuating that he has nothing else to say.]

[karappo]

[He wasn't sure he knew what to expect out of a reaction from Osomatsu. More hostility, maybe? He was honestly afraid talking about this would break out into a fight...which was the last thing they needed right now. So it's probably obvious how Karamatsu's on the lowkey defensive, trying not to say anything that might stoke the flames.]

You know how Choromatsu is, Osomatsu. Waiting, at that point, was no longer an option for him.

[titularly]

But...

[Osomatsu starts, the words dying on his tongue before he can even say them.

He swallows thickly and shakes his head again, cursing at himself and his inability to just.. be honest with his feelings. Because he knows now is the right time for that, but it's so hard.]

I just... I just don't wanna be alone... it's scary....

[If it weren't for the fact that everyone was literally dying around him, he wouldn't have been able to admit that at all.]

[karappo]

[It's about that moment that Karamatsu realizes...that Osomatsu doesn't need to have to face this weird, hard yet uncertain truth. Sure, it might be real, but...does it even really matter, right now? They could die at any moment. They're kidnapped. They're not home, they're not safe. This is the least of their worries.

So Karamatsu gets up from the bed, walks over to his brother, and gets down onto his knees in front of him.]

I do not know the full truth of what we saw...but I do not care. We would never leave you alone, not forever. And I am not going to leave you alone now, either.

[titularly]

[Honestly, when Karamatsu came down over to him, he expected... well. Nothing good. He doesn't know Karamatsu's feelings on any of this honestly, beyond.... getting punched for throwing a fit. So when his brother kneels in front of him and says that, basically debunks one of Osomatsu's greatest fears by reassuring him that he wasn't going to be alone he.....


He........




......starts to cry.]

P..promise?

[Without even realizing it, tears have begun to spill down Osomatsu's face and he reaches out to his brother, gripping onto his jacket with his hands as he looks up at him pitifully.]

Y-you wouldn't leave me alone, r-r-right?

[At home, or here in this hellish reality that he never wanted to face?]

[karappo]

[When he sees Osomatsu's tears, Karamatsu's breath leaves him. He...wasn't intending to make him cry, but even if he was, he wouldn't have expected it. Not out of Osomatsu, of all people. And for a moment, he isn't sure how to handle it. Normally he'd just...immediately hug him, or something, but he doesn't know if he'd take that well right now.

He carefully slides his hands around Osomatsu's arms, moving to grip at his forearms gently where Osomatsu is holding onto his jacket in return.]

I promise. I refuse.

[Even if everyone else leaves, or turns against them...or even worse, makes an attempt on their life. He refuses.]

[titularly]

[With Karamatsu gripping onto Osomatsu's arms like that, he ends up leaning his face forward, against his brother's chest in return. Silent sobs wracking his body -- of relief, of stress, and just from holding them in for too long. Sure, he doesn't cry very often at all. He's always the one who's reliable, and strong, and laughing in the face of danger but.. they really never were in danger before, were they?

They lived such cushy lives compared to this, that it's just. Shocking. It's shocking and scary and Osomatsu hates every little bit of it.]

Please don't die...

[Osomatsu whines that at his brother, begging him even though he knows that honestly.. Karamatsu doesn't have a choice in a place where people are being forced to kill each other like this.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu closes his eyes, feeling a brick sink into the pit of his stomach as Osomatsu leans forward against him, crying. It's...a eerily familiar feeling, if only because that very night he'd dreamed of similar, except Osomatsu was screaming at him instead while he tried to calm him down. Karamatsu isn't used to being the rock, at least not for Osomatsu of all things.

And yet, he grips him a bit tighter anyway, letting Osomatsu lean on him for as long as he needs to.

He can't promise Osomatsu that. And he thinks Osomatsu knows it, too.]

We are going to be alright, Brother. Somehow.

[titularly]

I'm so scared, Karamatsu.

[Osomatsu buries his face against his brother more, shaking his head against him.]

I-I keep... I keep thinking about Chloe-chan. Her brains were.... s-splattered right in front of us...

I-I don't want to see my little brother like that. I-if I saw your dead body, I....

[His sentence trails off, and he just tightens his grip on him even more as if he was scared that he'd lose him if he let go.]

[karappo]

I know.

[Karamatsu stresses, his voice deep. Grounding. Or, he's trying to make it be.]

That is not going to happen, Osomatsu. We might do some stupid things, but we are not going to go after the Overseers and get ourselves killed, right? And we are also not going to make ourselves targets. We are not vulnerable. Okay?

Do...do not think about that. Do not even entertain the idea that that might happen. You will drive yourself mad otherwise.

[titularly]

I can't help it!

[Osomatsu yells that back at him, louder than he meant it to be.]

After that dream a-all I've been thinking about is h-how I was losing you -- all of you. A-and how I might lose you here, too... b-but if that happens.... i-if that happens I am never, ever getting you back!

[karappo]

[Karamatsu grips Osomatsu even tighter, sure that his fingers must be leaving marks through his jacket sleeves as he tries to bring Osomatsu back down.]

Shhh. Shh...

Just because you might lose us...does not mean it is going to happen.

[titularly]

[Osomatsu is silent, absolutely silent. Karamatsu can say that but who knows, honestly? He could be dead tomorrow or Osomatsu could... and thinking about it is just.. not good. It's not good.]


I-I need.. I need a drink.

[So instead of arguing he just.. leans against his brother after saying that.]

[karappo]

[That...sounds like a good idea, actually.]

I have whiskey. It should be in the dumbwaiter still.

[He doesn't know Osomatsu took it.]

[titularly]

...I need another drink.

[karappo]

Eh? What is wrong with whiskey?

[titularly]

I uh.. I might've dran...

[Osomatsu's words trail off as he looks over his brother's shoulder, at the new bottle of whiskey he had acquired from Zombina sitting there on the bed.]

...y'know. Nothing. Nothing's wrong with whiskey, let's have some.

[karappo]

[...yeah he didn't need to hear all of that to know what he was going to say.]

...you drank that whole bottle yourself? Today?

[titularly]

....are you mad?

[karappo]

No...no, of course not. I just did not even know you had it.

[How the heck did you slip that one by him niisan.]

[titularly]

Well I woke up and saw it and.. just took it with me everywhere.

[It's been rough, Karamatsu. He really needed a crutch today.]

I finished it off a couple hours ago.

[karappo]

Ahh...well. I suppose it cannot be helped.

You have some more we could drink, then?