squirt: (Default)
cringe but (swims) free. haru. ([personal profile] squirt) wrote2023-07-04 05:39 pm
ohthehumanities: callkvbaby @ twitter (pic#16460758)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-07-10 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[Boy am I glad it's not emotionshare week.

Anyway--if Nahida reached for his hand, Kaveh would've allowed her to have it; but now he pulls it away to cross his arms tightly and turn away, moving away to pace back and forth as he gets his thoughts and emotions together. This is my way of saying I'm not out of bed yet so just give him a minute]
Edited 2023-07-10 15:45 (UTC)
dendroculi: (047)

[personal profile] dendroculi 2023-07-10 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[it's not emotionshare week, but the hurt on nahida's face is obvious when kaveh pulls his hand away. she tries to school her expression, though, and her grip on shu's hand will tighten, unless he also pulls it away. wow. what a confession.

it makes sense.

it makes plenty of logical sense, and she knows that.

ylfa, gerard, and haru are not cruel people. she knows that, too.

but it feels like her heart is being crushed.]


I... I can appreciate that you told us.

[she also needs a minute, though.]
roseoftexas: (16)

[personal profile] roseoftexas 2023-07-10 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ so froggystyle just put two thirds of his team through a blender. four murders?? in one weekend?? guys you shouldn't have.

shu stays where he is, holding nahida's hand if she's still clinging to him. he just glances around at the other team as a whole before nodding. ]


Logic's never exactly kind, but you're not wrong. We all want to win.

[ ... ]

What was with the semi-circle though?
honkinbigteeth: (Le Petit Chaperon Rouge)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth 2023-07-10 04:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[listen we didn't coordinate we didn't coordinate. she watches them react, but she can tell it's shenhe especially that's devastating them, so in a small voice she'll say - ]

I loved Shenhe, too. She was always so kind to me. She was the only person here who really understood me sometimes, I think.

[she swallows hard.]

But it's like I told you, Nahida. Gerard made a decision. Sometimes the only choices you have are to do something ugly or die. And I think, in that situation, Gerard did the least ugly thing he could have. Both of us only wanted to target people who also believed that surviving here would mean playing by ugly rules, we wanted to respect the people who didn't believe in them. And Shenhe...Shenhe and I...we'd already made plans together.
frogzoned: (15.)

[personal profile] frogzoned 2023-07-10 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ quietly, mostly just to her. ]

It's alright, Ylfa.
honkinbigteeth: (how could i know)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth 2023-07-10 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[she takes his hand.]
ohthehumanities: callkvbaby @ twitter (pic#16460758)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-07-10 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Okay now that I have coffee--I mean, now that Kaveh has his feelings under control... kind of...

He drags in a shuddering breath and turns back to them.]


The week that Rin was killed, I said things to Buzen that I may not ever get the chance to take back. [He says, finally.] I don't want to make that mistake again. I--[He falters, gripping his arms a little more tightly.]--I understand your logic, and I know you want to get home. And... what happened with Hot Mess wasn't entirely your fault.

[Sometimes your guilt complex is too strong, even in the face of murder confessions.

He's quiet for a long moment, then, trying to think past the weight in his chest. Because there's a but--how could there not be a "but," in a situation like this? If not for what happened with Buzen and his team, there's a high chance Kaveh would be falling apart right now. The only reason he isn't is because he has, through so much of his life, learned to be resilient.

But she was our friend. He knew there would be a point when that would no longer be enough. But how can you believe your world is worth more than anyone else's? But no, that's... too personal, too reflective of his own self-view. But you didn't tell us, and couldn't you trust us enough for that? Are we so unreliable? But isn't it logical, why they didn't? And even if they'd wanted to, Buzen had pointed it out: there's no telling what the consequences could've been.]


...Were you ever going to tell us on your own? [He settles on, finally.]
honkinbigteeth: (go putrid when)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth 2023-07-10 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[she'll let gerard answer most of this but the one thing she'll say is - ]

When we made this alliance, we agreed it wouldn't have to involve covering up murders for each other. I know you thought I was joking, but I wasn't. I already knew I was making a decision Haru and Gerard might hate. I didn't want to force you to deal with the consequences of my decision, too.

But here we are...
ohthehumanities: newstarbegin @ twitter (muted)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities 2023-07-10 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
No, I... [He pauses, takes a moment, tries to pull his thoughts back together.] I understand why you didn't tell us before you did it. Though I wish you had.

[Kaveh is better at lying than you might expect, given what this game has done to him--but he knows it probably wouldn't extend to something like this. He can already see how it would've gone: he would've tried to talk them out of it, probably, and then failed to keep his composure at a critical moment. Even now, he's not sure how he'll be able to look Vash, Wolfwood, and Nahri in the eyes.]

But I think you should have told us afterward. After the trial. You and Gerard--if this fails, Lambda and Yang Guifei's world is gone. And what if another team does something like you've done, next? What if they choose me and Nahida of their own volition, thinking that as long as one of us is still around, our world will be safe?

[He shakes his head.]

I meant it when I said I didn't want you to be erased. I care about you very much, and if I had to choose any team to entrust with our fates, it would be yours. I--[...] I would have preferred to tell you that myself, rather than having my hand forced.

[Because now it's them or it's nothing. Unless another team throws everything they have into following this same solution, it has to be this team. And Kaveh has had so many choices taken from him over the past few weeks; it grates, having this one taken too.]

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 16:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 18:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 19:34 (UTC) - Expand
frogzoned: (8.)

[personal profile] frogzoned 2023-07-10 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ its really not that he believes his world has more worth. it's that if its erased, every other world is going with it. its the kill switch. the end of all stories, the death of the author. oblivion. ]

When I acted last week, I told no one. Not even Ylfa or Haru. And I think that was a mistake. The only reason-- Well. The only reason we've caught others is they either couldn't or didn't want to trust their own team. Buzen and Matsui couldn't live with it, and Sweet Theory buckled when pressed. So maybe we should have told you, but we didn't want to force you to accept it or to cover for us.

I think we did our best to tell you now. But you're right. I'm sorry for keeping it from you even this long.

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 16:41 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 17:13 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 17:35 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 17:39 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 17:53 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 18:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 18:33 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 19:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 19:36 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 19:46 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 19:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 19:52 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 19:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 19:53 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 19:57 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 19:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 20:01 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 20:02 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 20:06 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 20:01 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 20:00 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 20:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 20:11 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:02 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 20:04 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:01 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 20:03 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:13 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 16:45 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 17:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 18:46 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 21:37 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 20:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] ohthehumanities - 2023-07-10 21:40 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 17:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 18:30 (UTC) - Expand
roseoftexas: (18)

[personal profile] roseoftexas 2023-07-10 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he's quiet for a moment. ]

Have you ended a life before?
honkinbigteeth: (to the wolf's den)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth 2023-07-10 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[that's a pretty personal question, shu, but she nods.]

...Yeah. That's why I was going to do it. I didn't want Haru or Gerard to have to deal with that.
Edited 2023-07-10 16:13 (UTC)
roseoftexas: (82)

[personal profile] roseoftexas 2023-07-10 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's fine, probably. he doesn't say anything for a moment, before nodding. ]

Teach would tell me you owe it to yourself more than anything not to forget you chose to take a life. Keeps your empathy in tact. It's when you start forgetting that you start changing for the worst.

I don't think you need to worry about that, though.

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 16:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 16:36 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth - 2023-07-10 17:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 18:18 (UTC) - Expand
dendroculi: (064)

[personal profile] dendroculi 2023-07-10 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[she nods, because she does understand that.]

I... I know. [sometimes you have no choice but to act, even when what you have to do is not something you want to do. nahida understands that at her core - although, she can't quite pick out why that is.

it feels familiar in a way that makes her heart ache with loss, but putting a name to it is...]


...you'd made... plans together?
honkinbigteeth: (may he who thinks he knows no fear)

[personal profile] honkinbigteeth 2023-07-10 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
We talked about how we both thought we'd have to do something, but we didn't know if our teams would be okay with it. So we'd agreed to cover for each other if it happened.
dendroculi: (052)

[personal profile] dendroculi 2023-07-10 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[she nods, because, well - it's strategic.

and she can respect strategy, even if it makes her heart ache a little to know a fckin twelve year old was put in a position where she felt like she had to do a murder.]
frogzoned: (21.)

[personal profile] frogzoned 2023-07-10 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not all logic. I wouldn't even say it's right. But I thought it would be more cruel to pretend I didn't know and not tell you than to tell you the truth.

[ and sort of mumbled: `And Veritas is already going to be angry with me, so I couldn't have another verse about lying to friends added to the song that I'm going to be blasted with when this is all over.` ]

It wasn't a weird summoning ritual! I'm also not a serial killer trying to bring her back from the dead! Or. I guess I am trying to bring her back from the dead. But not with the semi-circle! I, um. Was trying to fake psychs that a lot of other teams had. Drift Aura can make a shield of nearby objects ... ?

[ this wasn't his best attempt. ]
roseoftexas: (42)

[personal profile] roseoftexas 2023-07-10 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Logic and right aren't always one and the same. If you kill, you can never forget that you've made the decision to end a life with your own hands. And you carry that with you forever.

[ he does just look at gerard for a moment that. and then-- ]

I have no idea how you'd fake drift aura use, actually. It's teleportation and speed. [ ... ] Which is going to be annoying going forward if someone does use it.
frogzoned: (22.)

[personal profile] frogzoned 2023-07-10 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he's also killed people before. though i will say he famously also killed himself the last time he killed someone personally. ]

See what I mean?
roseoftexas: (26)

[personal profile] roseoftexas 2023-07-10 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. I think the... semi-circle itself threw us off? Maybe scatter 'em next time. Make it look a little more chaotic.

[ ... ]

If there is a next time.

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 16:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 16:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 17:10 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] dendroculi - 2023-07-10 19:56 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] frogzoned - 2023-07-10 16:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] roseoftexas - 2023-07-10 20:00 (UTC) - Expand
dendroculi: (050)

[personal profile] dendroculi 2023-07-10 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
...it would have been.

[she takes a deep breath. she's upset, because of course she is. anyone would be. but she can see that gerard, ylfa, and haru are also upset.]

I can... I can understand your intentions. [trying to emulate a psych that lots of people have - it's smart, in that it widens the pool of suspects. strategically, it was a good choice.

and it does help to know gerard talked to shenhe, first.]


I'm glad you told us. Knowing the truth is important to me. I just... [her voice trails off.] ...I'm trying. I promise I am, Gerard.
frogzoned: (13.)

[personal profile] frogzoned 2023-07-10 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
It's really alright, Nahida. You can be angry with me. You don't have to forgive it either. It was my decision alone to choose Shenhe, not Ylfa or Haru's and you don't have to treat us all the same.

I'd rather you all be alive and angry with me than erased permanently.
dendroculi: (045)

[personal profile] dendroculi 2023-07-10 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
...it's not mine to forgive. The only one who can forgive you is Shenhe.

[likewise - if shenhe had ended up killing gerard last night... it's not like anyone else could have forgiven her on his behalf.]

I'm sad, and... angry, yes. But I know that isn't going to help us right now. And I don't want how I feel to get in the way of understanding why you did what you did. It's not like you did it to hurt anyone - the opposite, right...?