[ hello, we're in ikea and as jonas tries to become one with a display, eiden drops himself down in one of those fun ikea rocking chairs with a very big sigh. ]
Kiichi might have a point. [ it's mumbled from under his arm. ] I've been wondering that, too. I asked a couple of questions about their Reaper thing and got pretty vague answers. Ruby outright told me she didn't want to answer when I asked how long she'd been one.
Yeah, she mentioned overseeing a few games like these before, but again... super vague. Since they weren't he ones who actually brought us here, so they say, wonder if it's just something they can't talk about.
Like they might get punished by their higher-ups for saying anything we aren't supposed to know? [ he had vaguely considered it and assumed it was a dumb thought, but now eiden's suggested it and it feels a little less dumb. ]
Everyone's always got a bigger, meaner boss... at least in my work experience. It wouldn't surprise me. Which sucks for them, not that it makes our situation any less crappy.
I've never had a job, so I'll take your word for it. [ it does suck for them though if that's true. ] We have to consider the other alternative, too. That it's set up this way so that we feel a little bad for them and focus less on what our situation is.
I don't think they're necessarily untrustworthy, but it's only been a few hours since we met them.
It's more than we had. I feel like we should be grateful for that, but it's still hard to be totally happy. [ mostly because they didn't make that much progress. ]
...have you thought much about your team stuff yet?
I don't know if I can blame them. There's forty of us and three of them. But they still know more than we do so...a little compromise wouldn't be the worst thing.
[ but he blinks in surprise. ]
Same here. Makes it a little easier, right? As long as you guys get along.
Yeah, no, I get that. Trust me it's not like I want Alex to be dead either, but...you know. We're both here now, so we have to make it work. [ he frowns at that though. ] But maybe having you here will at least help with the anxiety?
We live in the same town, so...you know. Same school and stuff. [ easy enough. ] We were...at a beach party kind of thing with a couple of friends before we got here.
[ okay so the park...this is more jonas's speed. being outside is kind of nice after everything that's been going on since they arrived. he's out this morning with a coffee from mcd's in one hand and his other hand in his pocket, strolling along the path until he comes across eiden.
who is...squirrel-watching.
it's okay. he will just shuffle over to where he is to join the watching. ]
...it's kind of weird to see them after not seeing any other animals this whole time.
[ oh. man. he loves watching these fat squirrels and settles in with jonas to enjoy the show. topper is meanwhile enjoying his own tree, he is so fucking happy in this moment. this park is like his greatest dreams. ]
Yeah, there weren't really any like... rats or birds or anything in the city. And nothing in that tiny park either, but I just chalked that up to it being right in the middle of a city.
Yeah. We were trying to find some a couple of times but nothing showed up. I thought maybe they just...weren't a part of the UG, but the squirrels look pretty alive. Or...well, you get it. [ frowning in thought. ] I don't know. Maybe they slipped through to this plane when we weren't looking.
You think they can just add and take out whatever they want? I hadn't really thought about how these things are getting revealed to us, like...if they're always there beyond the barrier, or if they're being, uh, created by somebody else or what the deal is.
Are we the pets in this scenario. [ he knows they are, and he hates it. ] Like those experiments they do on rats. Drop them in a maze and see if they can learn to follow a routine and be rewarded for it.
[ no this is a terrible line of conversation he doesn't want it either. ]
Could it? Don't say that, they might be listening.
[ shutting his eyes a little as some of the squirrels scuttle by. ]
Don't really want to be rewarded for this crap... but it's what we've been given. We'll have to keep at it, I guess. [ offering a smile ] How're you holding up?
I'm starting to think these guys have selective hearing if that's true. I've been asking for a lot of things and nothing's happened yet.
[ there go the squirrels. he seems to be focused on them... ]
In a way I'd rather be rewarded than just wait around for what we know is going to happen eventually. At least it's a nice distraction. [ but no more doom and gloom. he seems to ease up a little and shrugs. ]
Things are fine. I mean I'm fine, my team's doing fine. I think we're just...you know. Figuring what's next. What about you you...?
[ for the most part he just kind of looks a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff and animals in the pet shop. but he's here and he's wandering, and at some point it's likely that eiden is going to find him crouched by a kennel of puppies. he's not quite touching, but the gentle wave of emotions that can be picked up on is something akin to wanting to but being unsure.
which is probably hard to tell, given he looks up with a short grin. ]
Hey, man. Guess they heard the squirrels weren't cutting it?
[ he looks pretty happy to see him, and even with like. the emotional hangover of sunday, overall he seems... fairly sunny. he will join him crouched by the kennel of puppies. when he feels that little bit of uncertainty, despite the quick grin, he just tilts his head towards the kennel. ]
They really outdid themselves.
[ eiden looks. absolutely enamored with the puppies, and doesn't actually hesitate to reach out and gently rub one between the earsβ ]
[ that's good. that's nice. he's glad at least that some people are able to bounce back enough after what happened yesterday and it helps relax him just a tiny bit. even if he laughs a little at that. ]
That might be giving them too much credit, but it's a little better, yeah. [ watching eiden pet these puppies, but he tilts his head. somehow it was like he was waiting for permission? there's not a ton of hesitation when he reaches forward to scritch a puppy under its chin and pet its snoot. ]
It's...been a while since I've even really been to a pet store. Kind of funny to see here.
[ sometimes you make a promise to overcome ur unhappiness and take that seriously. but also. it's not good for you. don't do it. feel sad, jonas, it's a human emotion. eiden is pretty content once he sees jonas reach out and begin to scritch one under the chin. that's the stuff. ]
Same. I'm gonna have to visit like every day. Can't help myself...
[ he smiles a little, and a ripple of nostalgia kind of wants to seep out. ]
[ no he's perfectly content never to feel anything, thank you. which is probably what eiden's getting? outside of the slight gentle vibes of someone being soothed by puppies there is quite literally a lot of silence in any of his other emotions. ]
Probably better for them anyway if they're stuck here. I think if I were them I'd want people visiting, too. [ which is maybe a weird thing to say, which is why he pauses and immediately moves on. ]
I think the last time was when I was a kid? We didn't have pets or anything when I was growing up, so...no need for a pet store.
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wknd 0, saturday
Met our referees, I guess.
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Yup. What a first impression. [ they were not what he anticipated! ] What do you think?
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Kiichi seemed okay, just thinks a group of people is his own personal hell. Ruby's nice too, seems pretty sweet.
Kind of wonder how they got the job in the first place. I guess they're supposed to watch over the game or something?
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Everyone's always got a bigger, meaner boss... at least in my work experience. It wouldn't surprise me. Which sucks for them, not that it makes our situation any less crappy.
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I don't think they're necessarily untrustworthy, but it's only been a few hours since we met them.
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[ he pops the p very tiredly. ]
We don't know enough, but... at least we got to meet the people who are refereeing this weird game. Which is maybe a step in... a direction.
[ he sinks his heels into the rug and slouches. ]
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...have you thought much about your team stuff yet?
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And yeah, I have. Someone else came here with me already, so we're already determined to stick together.
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[ but he blinks in surprise. ]
Same here. Makes it a little easier, right? As long as you guys get along.
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Yeah, it does, though I guess sometimes I wish he weren't dead too? Technically? He's just so anxious all the time, he doesn't need this too...
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w1, monday
who is...squirrel-watching.
it's okay. he will just shuffle over to where he is to join the watching. ]
...it's kind of weird to see them after not seeing any other animals this whole time.
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Yeah, there weren't really any like... rats or birds or anything in the city. And nothing in that tiny park either, but I just chalked that up to it being right in the middle of a city.
I mean, they can't all be dead too?
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Yeah. We were trying to find some a couple of times but nothing showed up. I thought maybe they just...weren't a part of the UG, but the squirrels look pretty alive. Or...well, you get it. [ frowning in thought. ] I don't know. Maybe they slipped through to this plane when we weren't looking.
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Wish it could be that easy for us to slip in and out. That, or maybe they just put 'em in for fun...
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[ he makes a face bc he hates that analogy but it's like. real hamster hours here. ]
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[ no this is a terrible line of conversation he doesn't want it either. ]
In a way I guess it could be worse.
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[ shutting his eyes a little as some of the squirrels scuttle by. ]
Don't really want to be rewarded for this crap... but it's what we've been given. We'll have to keep at it, I guess. [ offering a smile ] How're you holding up?
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[ there go the squirrels. he seems to be focused on them... ]
In a way I'd rather be rewarded than just wait around for what we know is going to happen eventually. At least it's a nice distraction. [ but no more doom and gloom. he seems to ease up a little and shrugs. ]
Things are fine. I mean I'm fine, my team's doing fine. I think we're just...you know. Figuring what's next. What about you you...?
[ he saw the rankings. ]
w2 monday
which is probably hard to tell, given he looks up with a short grin. ]
Hey, man. Guess they heard the squirrels weren't cutting it?
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[ he looks pretty happy to see him, and even with like. the emotional hangover of sunday, overall he seems... fairly sunny. he will join him crouched by the kennel of puppies. when he feels that little bit of uncertainty, despite the quick grin, he just tilts his head towards the kennel. ]
They really outdid themselves.
[ eiden looks. absolutely enamored with the puppies, and doesn't actually hesitate to reach out and gently rub one between the earsβ ]
They're so soft, come on... give them a pet.
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That might be giving them too much credit, but it's a little better, yeah. [ watching eiden pet these puppies, but he tilts his head. somehow it was like he was waiting for permission? there's not a ton of hesitation when he reaches forward to scritch a puppy under its chin and pet its snoot. ]
It's...been a while since I've even really been to a pet store. Kind of funny to see here.
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Same. I'm gonna have to visit like every day. Can't help myself...
[ he smiles a little, and a ripple of nostalgia kind of wants to seep out. ]
How long's a while?
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Probably better for them anyway if they're stuck here. I think if I were them I'd want people visiting, too. [ which is maybe a weird thing to say, which is why he pauses and immediately moves on. ]
I think the last time was when I was a kid? We didn't have pets or anything when I was growing up, so...no need for a pet store.