...Yeah. I think so. Maybe a little different, but... [ similar. ] Gerard probably knew that Shenhe was willing to play this game. [ willing to murder. ] And... they were age appropriate friends.
[ AKA gerard is not a babykiller. ylfa might have more to add. ]
We all really liked Shenhe. But so did a lot of people. So I didn't tell you guys. Sorry.
[ very glad gerard has been taking out the adults. anyway he has some complicated feelings about this given the way he looks, brain working overtime as he tries to get them all sorted. like yes, reasonably, that makes sense. this is how the game is played and you go after somebody who can put up a fight and who would understand your motivations.
was it a little better when he thought someone got a call and erased shenhe? sure. is he mad this game still made it so she had to be erased? also sure. but... ]
...Gerard's been doing what has to be done so you and Ylfa don't necessarily have to, right? Get ahead in points enough that you won't have to worry a while and can just focus on getting through the rest of the game. I don't know if that means Ylfa helped with Shenhe and you helped with Fei Du. I don't even know if I care because this game's a mess.
[ ... ]
It doesn't change that I'm upset she's gone. But...I'm not necessarily upset with you guys. I can't speak for everybody else. [ team has their own minds. ] But...thank you for trusting us and saying this.
I didn't know about Shenhe before. But the reasons he did it you said are right. And her specifically because - well, I mean, she was also planning to do it. And I think we felt at the time like it wasn't fair to go after people who didn't want to play the game by those rules.
Anyway, I didn't help him kill Shenhe, but I'm the one who pushed the issue first, and he probably wouldn't have done anything if it wasn't because it would have been me instead of him if he hadn't. And honestly, I can't say we promise you can trust us to tell you things, because you probably can't.
So there's all of that.
But the mainly important thing to say is I'm pretty certain that we're the ones in first place now. So unless we get erased, we're the ones whose points will matter.
...doesn't surprise me that she was already thinking about it. [ and he can't say he blames either side in this case. ]
Either way, I appreciate the honesty. I don't doubt there're gonna be things you guys can't tell us. Likewise, there'll probably be things we can't tell you either. That's how the game's designed.
[ ... ]
But if anything, all I'd ask is that you guys don't go after us. I'm not expecting a promise. It's just an ask. [ because in order to stay in first place, more work will have to be done. ]
[she makes a slightly pained expression, but she nods.]
Both of us really, really don't want that to happen. Maybe instead of promise, it's more like "hope." But after you guys have been so nice to us, I don't think either of us could stand the idea of hurting any of you.
...I'll take "hope" in this instance, too. It's about the best any of us can do anymore. [ and he appreciates it and hopes they realize it is mutual. ]
[ he watches jonas go through stages of grief and betrayal with sympathy, but mostly just lets him process. because it really sucks. even if they're friends, even if it seems "reasonable," it's still the worst.
haru's expression nearly folds into a neat little conflicted depression thing too, though he schools it quickly. ]
It's okay to still be upset with us. Gerard has always been trying to protect me and Ylfa. Especially after Rin. But that doesn't change that we're a team. I've said this, but: we've hurt a lot of people.
[ it's not like, gerard's fault, so much as froggystyle's fault, he thinks. he also had evidence on him this week. ]
But you should know before you make any decisions.
[ about being their friends moving forward, offering help, or anything else. ]
You have. [ he won't deny that, because he thinks haru's reasonable (ylfa as well.) if they're acknowledging it, then there's no sense in consoling them. ]
...let me ask you something, Haru. What kind of outcome do you actually want from telling us this?
[ he looks thoughtful, like perhaps he did not consider the strategic ramifications of this at all before this very moment. ]
I don't know. It makes me feel better that you know. And we can keep each other in the loop. If anything happens to us—there's not many teams that can bring a bunch of people back. It's just important to keep looking for solutions.
And if you need our help, we can try to help you too.
...we're still on the same page then. That's all I wanted to be sure of before we went any further with, uh, anything. [ so yes. everything is bad, they did hurt people and kill their friends, and yet...he can at least respect that they're willing to own up to it and acknowledge potential consequences. ]
We're really far behind in the rankings, so I don't know how much we can help. But we'll do what we can to keep looking for answers for everybody. That's about all we can offer now.
We won't ask you to cover for us. And there's no way to transfer or share points anyway. [ he glances at ylfa ] ...What I'm really asking is for you to trust us. Even if we're probably in first. Especially because of that.
[ because telling the wrong people could like, get them killed? this is a concern in a pvp game. ]
...We have to try to avoid totally wiping any team out. In case we can revive them with points. Any extra death just makes that harder. [ also because he would feel bad about it and die ] We've asked about whether we can save extra people by choosing not to be revived, too. Just in case.
[ they've been quietly listening but, when he says that ]
I trust both you and Ylfa. [ they don't say "we" because, well, they can't really speak for the rest of their team. ]
...Though, if either of you guys find yourselves in a tight situation, feel free to use me. I don't mind. [ haru voice: we won't ask you to cover for us. setsu voice: ok but i'll cover for you. ] We especially can't risk your team getting wiped out.
[ ideally nobody will go after froggystyle when they are down to two but. if they do decide to erase again... it's fine. their own universe is (redacted) so helping cover is fine. ]
It feels bad, I guess, if everybody is like. Pretending like they think we had a Fro Yo party and then there are two people who really hate us but they have no chance. [the gaslighting.] It's hard to ask people to cover for us because of that, but we only have us left.
The discussions back in my world are the same way. In there, all you can do is rely on those you're collaborating with.
[ without it, without anyone to trust, they will no sooner freeze you ]
But I understand, it's hard to ask for and it does feel bad. [ they don't disagree on that. but, even so ] I for one would still like to help. If it's ever needed.
[ if their own team won't be able to win, they at least want froggystyle to. ]
[ don't be guilty.... they don't seem worried about themselves, more over the two of them. being down to two people in a team is scary, losing their two dear friends. ]
You can count on me, Haru.
[ it's okay. and in their minds, they can be "to be defroggstyle"... ]
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...Because Gerard killed Shenhe.
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anyway. ah. he sort of freezes up upon hearing that and he looks at the two of them quietly. ]
...for similar reasons as Fei Du?
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...Yeah. I think so. Maybe a little different, but... [ similar. ] Gerard probably knew that Shenhe was willing to play this game. [ willing to murder. ] And... they were age appropriate friends.
[ AKA gerard is not a babykiller. ylfa might have more to add. ]
We all really liked Shenhe. But so did a lot of people. So I didn't tell you guys. Sorry.
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was it a little better when he thought someone got a call and erased shenhe? sure. is he mad this game still made it so she had to be erased? also sure. but... ]
...Gerard's been doing what has to be done so you and Ylfa don't necessarily have to, right? Get ahead in points enough that you won't have to worry a while and can just focus on getting through the rest of the game. I don't know if that means Ylfa helped with Shenhe and you helped with Fei Du. I don't even know if I care because this game's a mess.
[ ... ]
It doesn't change that I'm upset she's gone. But...I'm not necessarily upset with you guys. I can't speak for everybody else. [ team has their own minds. ] But...thank you for trusting us and saying this.
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I didn't know about Shenhe before. But the reasons he did it you said are right. And her specifically because - well, I mean, she was also planning to do it. And I think we felt at the time like it wasn't fair to go after people who didn't want to play the game by those rules.
Anyway, I didn't help him kill Shenhe, but I'm the one who pushed the issue first, and he probably wouldn't have done anything if it wasn't because it would have been me instead of him if he hadn't. And honestly, I can't say we promise you can trust us to tell you things, because you probably can't.
So there's all of that.
But the mainly important thing to say is I'm pretty certain that we're the ones in first place now. So unless we get erased, we're the ones whose points will matter.
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Either way, I appreciate the honesty. I don't doubt there're gonna be things you guys can't tell us. Likewise, there'll probably be things we can't tell you either. That's how the game's designed.
[ ... ]
But if anything, all I'd ask is that you guys don't go after us. I'm not expecting a promise. It's just an ask. [ because in order to stay in first place, more work will have to be done. ]
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Both of us really, really don't want that to happen. Maybe instead of promise, it's more like "hope." But after you guys have been so nice to us, I don't think either of us could stand the idea of hurting any of you.
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...Yeah. I don't even want to think about it.
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haru's expression nearly folds into a neat little conflicted depression thing too, though he schools it quickly. ]
It's okay to still be upset with us. Gerard has always been trying to protect me and Ylfa. Especially after Rin. But that doesn't change that we're a team. I've said this, but: we've hurt a lot of people.
[ it's not like, gerard's fault, so much as froggystyle's fault, he thinks. he also had evidence on him this week. ]
But you should know before you make any decisions.
[ about being their friends moving forward, offering help, or anything else. ]
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...let me ask you something, Haru. What kind of outcome do you actually want from telling us this?
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[ he looks thoughtful, like perhaps he did not consider the strategic ramifications of this at all before this very moment. ]
I don't know. It makes me feel better that you know. And we can keep each other in the loop. If anything happens to us—there's not many teams that can bring a bunch of people back. It's just important to keep looking for solutions.
And if you need our help, we can try to help you too.
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...we're still on the same page then. That's all I wanted to be sure of before we went any further with, uh, anything. [ so yes. everything is bad, they did hurt people and kill their friends, and yet...he can at least respect that they're willing to own up to it and acknowledge potential consequences. ]
We're really far behind in the rankings, so I don't know how much we can help. But we'll do what we can to keep looking for answers for everybody. That's about all we can offer now.
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We won't ask you to cover for us. And there's no way to transfer or share points anyway. [ he glances at ylfa ] ...What I'm really asking is for you to trust us. Even if we're probably in first. Especially because of that.
[ because telling the wrong people could like, get them killed? this is a concern in a pvp game. ]
...We have to try to avoid totally wiping any team out. In case we can revive them with points. Any extra death just makes that harder. [ also because he would feel bad about it and die ] We've asked about whether we can save extra people by choosing not to be revived, too. Just in case.
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I trust both you and Ylfa. [ they don't say "we" because, well, they can't really speak for the rest of their team. ]
...Though, if either of you guys find yourselves in a tight situation, feel free to use me. I don't mind. [ haru voice: we won't ask you to cover for us. setsu voice: ok but i'll cover for you. ] We especially can't risk your team getting wiped out.
[ ideally nobody will go after froggystyle when they are down to two but. if they do decide to erase again... it's fine. their own universe is (redacted) so helping cover is fine. ]
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[somehow she's really, really touched by this.]
It feels bad, I guess, if everybody is like. Pretending like they think we had a Fro Yo party and then there are two people who really hate us but they have no chance. [the gaslighting.] It's hard to ask people to cover for us because of that, but we only have us left.
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[ without it, without anyone to trust, they will no sooner freeze you ]
But I understand, it's hard to ask for and it does feel bad. [ they don't disagree on that. but, even so ] I for one would still like to help. If it's ever needed.
[ if their own team won't be able to win, they at least want froggystyle to. ]
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...I want to rely on you.
[ he really wants to be a team, even if they're not literally one. ]
The same goes for you. If you all ever need it. [ it's always possible someone will get a call or something. ]
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You can count on me, Haru.
[ it's okay. and in their minds, they can be "to be defroggstyle"... ]
I'll keep that in mind. I appreciate it.
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[she smiles at them, and it reaches her eyes a little bit.]
We do trust you.
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[ offers her a warm smile. ]
Let's try and get through this together.