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Private Comms
The klaxons rang. The red lights flashed. The station sections slowly listed in the dark. Long past the edge of effort, long past the boundaries of hope, Stacy kept struggling, but there was no use to it; and in the end, even the static and the voices in her headset ceased to shout.
It was a jewel to her, the moment that she understood that it was over—
That willpower could not fix this. That effort could not fix this. That even “being better” could not have helped.
It was a jewel; it was an unfolding, glowing flower. It transfixed her with the simple beauty of it.
Her eyes no longer saw the console that spread before her. Her ears no longer heard the bells. Instead her eyes were fixed on that pure and clean and inner darkness, and the silver glow that burned within it; then up, beyond, and past it, to the beginning of the world.
- Glitch, by Dr. Jenna K. Moran
It was a jewel to her, the moment that she understood that it was over—
That willpower could not fix this. That effort could not fix this. That even “being better” could not have helped.
It was a jewel; it was an unfolding, glowing flower. It transfixed her with the simple beauty of it.
Her eyes no longer saw the console that spread before her. Her ears no longer heard the bells. Instead her eyes were fixed on that pure and clean and inner darkness, and the silver glow that burned within it; then up, beyond, and past it, to the beginning of the world.
- Glitch, by Dr. Jenna K. Moran
no subject
"Don't even joke." Thanks for reminding him that all of the AI have backups and that Midori is probably still out there, in the metaphorical vents. The poetic catharsis of the Banquet is all he has (that's a lie, he has nothing).
Sou reaches for his beanie and pulls it down towards his face with both hands. What is she doing? What she always does, he thinks. He's starting to think it's not even on purpose, and somehow that stings worst of all. He barks out a short, humorless laugh.
"I'm surprised you can sleep after such a thing, Miss Sara." Translation: no he has not because he hasn't slept at all since Kanna died. Double translation: This doesn't mean he hasn't seen her.
no subject
"I don't want to see him either." Stare at ceiling. Blink. Repeat. "He's the worst. He killed Joe." Of course that doesn't make sense, but it makes sense to her, okay? It doesn't matter if he said he didn't like it, he said it for the wrong reasons.
Technically Sara didn't sleep she passed out! Maybe if Shin slept for once he wouldn't go off and try to murder everyone in the room???
"Sleep is important for ngh..." A balanced future. That was what her dad said, but...she actually can't bare to think about that. Was every little platitude just a secret ASU-NARO creed?
shin internally: wait no his name is gonbee
He sets the side of his brain frantically pawing at that puzzle to one side to run in parallel, because it's not like it matters now. There's no card placement to work out here.
Sou why don't you pass out and maybe you'll calm down. Honestly he's getting there. It's pure stress and spite keeping him upright at the moment. He can't rest there's a Sara nearby.
"Ahaha. A balanced future." He also hates that he knows this. After the lantern shook loose one memory of that time more and more of it has been trickling back on it's own, little by little. It's... disturbing. How much had been missing. He doesn't even know if it's stopped. For the first time there's a flicker of... something, to his words, in his face. "Truly disgusting," he mutters into his scarf. He can't even really feel anger any more but every new thing he's learnt about the death game, like his own memories, sickens him. "Well, you're free to." That faux-friendly smile is plastered back on. "I have the feeling we'll be here quite a while!"
no subject
His confusion is apparent, even from the corner of Sara's eye. She's not usually great at picking up on that, but it says a lot about how much time she's spent trying to figure out Sou's expressions in trials. The subtle difference between him smirking in a lie and scrabbling for ground could be the difference between...well it didn't really matter now. She won didn't she. Her and Mr. 0.0%
"Balancing. They were doing balancing." She says, as if that even clarifies anything.
The shared expression makes her press the heels of her hands into the eyes. Stop. Just stop it.
"I hate this. Maybe Midori was evil...but Dad..." She coughs and has to flip over as something in her chest catches. It's all she can do to just shoot Sou an unflinching glare. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Just drawing this out? Don't you want it to be over?"
no subject
That's the last piece of the puzzle he needs for it all to click into place, several smaller and slightly too convenient things snapping together; it's all he can do not to start laughing hysterically. Him and Miss 15%. Look at where all those hidden advantages got him.
It's unnerving, that she can read him so well. It's genuinely terrifying, and another reminder of just what he's trapped in the room with.
"Well, if you do want it to be over just say the word, Miss Sara." The eyes above his smile are dead, flat disks. "I don't see you hastening to volunteer." He wants it to be over. He's also got nothing left to live for except making her life as much of a living hell as he can.