...Yes. They have acted no differently from frightened students at the end, sometimes.
[ depends on the person, depends on the night, but he can't deny that. ]
The progression doesn't seem consistent between everyone—at times it comes and goes, so I cannot speak to how severely each victim felt this happen. But it makes it clear that this assimilation is a real threat. One we cannot ignore.
If I didn't trust you on that, Dimitri, I wouldn't be here.
[but it still sits so poorly, to think that this place won't even allow them to die as themselves, to know what's going on in the end.
she doesn't want to keep thinking about it.]
If there's nothing else you think we need to know for tomorrow, though, I-- don't know if Manwol sent any of you what her group found yesterday, but Rita showed it to us in Spring.
[ ugh. anger takes over, again - he takes a deep breath, shoving his hand in his pocket and scowling. Sakyou didn't deserve that. an assimilation, to someone like that - how fucking cruel. how cruel every single one of these assimilations is. ]
Agreed. [ ... ] You said you weren't hurt too badly, right? Do you need anything for that? And... maybe one of us can look over his body, too.
[ Or something. Miss something. It's -
we're doing everything we can, right now, to stop it for good. you're strong. to lucretia, he glances at dimitri for a moment, and then nods. ]
...we saw Kon's last night, too. They're all about the death and then resurrection of a hero of a story. Caleb-san and I looked up the ones I didn't know off the top of my head.
[ it is cruel. it is senseless. he hates thinking about it, anger boiling in him, but there's nowhere to direct it so they'll all just end up fuming pointlessly in this little classroom. ]
I tended to my wounds, but they are still fresh. [ sword slashes aren't going to heal overnight, alas ] While they are a liability, I do not regret crossing blades with him.
[ is it stupid to duel someone fairly? yes. would he do this for a friend every time? yes. if he gets caught, he gets caught. they have bigger matters to attend to. ]
...We should discuss all the new notes together, as well as whatever new hint we can purchase, if any.
Just-- be careful, then, I don't have anything that can help, and unless someone else does, there's not going to be a way to hide that or heal you before tomorrow.
[there's an edge of worry, there, a concerned thought of please make sure you have an excuse for it, before she moves on.]
I looked over Sieghart's body. It won't be suspicious if I take Sagihara's body, too.
[but boy, the sound of those clues is... it's bad.]
I agree we'll need to talk, though, once we make it past the expulsion. This week proved that even if buying information has a negative effect at the time, it doesn't keep anything from happening to the dorm heads later, so... we may as well.
...I'm out of vouchers, so no dice. [ rip. there's a little, quiet respect and fondness from ichiro - vibing with dimitri's anger, maybe, but moreso with what he says. i know you don't. not like an insult, or thinking it's foolish - that he wouldn't regret it, either. ]
If they're not bad, then we can probably come up with some kind of story to back up where you got them, if people ask. I got your back.
[ ichiro knows he's well liked, and - well, he knows he's not a liar. he'll be able to handle this, even if it doesn't sit well with him, but hopefully, it won't come to that. lucretia's right. when you attack directly, you always leave yourself open. she was the one who told him that, all those weeks ago.
... ] And... I don't remember who bought the hint last time. I think it was Caleb-san, but if someone in the know - or one of us - can get it towards Manwol-san, that would be good. I think... I know Kon's really fucked up about it. I've got my item, too.
This should be our last week of summer, if the two weeks thing holds. It feels like we're getting to the end. Just gotta figure out how to get there, now. [ And bring everyone back home. ]
[ he wouldn't be eager to accept a heal anyway, it's fine. it feels weird to even allow people to cover for him, but by now he's learned not to argue. ]
...Yes. We should be nearing the end, for better or worse. I believe this world will launch its attack on us soon enough, before we can graduate.
[ ... ]
When I spoke to our contact, they suspected that we were the easiest targets to make 'villains' before. But seeing as how most everyone seems to be sympathizing with us, and with the dead possibly returning to us soon, it seems we no longer fill that role in the story. We've seen that the world is thus lashing out in the face of not having any antagonists.
It seems likely to me that it will create a villain for us soon, since we are unwilling to make one ourselves. [ to him, it's just not something this group seems capable of at this point. ]
I do have some, and it'd probably be enough, we just-- can't actually reach any of the Dorm Heads to do anything about it.
[otherwise, yeah, she'd heal him, injuries after a fight with sakyou are probably going to look suspicious as fuck.]
But-- I think you're right. I don't think we'd exactly count as heroic, either, given what the job entails, even if it's to try to keep people from losing themselves; if we wanted to be villainous at this point we'd have to have been purposely targeting who people cared for the most. It's almost certainly going to need an alternative.
Mm. I think - [ he shifts a little where he's standing, uncomfortable, thinking about the behaviors of people the night before, and some of the messages their little no name has been sending. ]
I think it's already started. The first time we talked to it, it said - "I'll take them", right? I was wondering if it meant the Dorm Heads.
[ ichiro clearly hates that, his voice sharpening a little at the end. Cowardly piece of shit. ] Especially with the way they started regressing.
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no subject
[ depends on the person, depends on the night, but he can't deny that. ]
The progression doesn't seem consistent between everyone—at times it comes and goes, so I cannot speak to how severely each victim felt this happen. But it makes it clear that this assimilation is a real threat. One we cannot ignore.
no subject
[but it still sits so poorly, to think that this place won't even allow them to die as themselves, to know what's going on in the end.
she doesn't want to keep thinking about it.]
If there's nothing else you think we need to know for tomorrow, though, I-- don't know if Manwol sent any of you what her group found yesterday, but Rita showed it to us in Spring.
no subject
Agreed. [ ... ] You said you weren't hurt too badly, right? Do you need anything for that? And... maybe one of us can look over his body, too.
[ Or something. Miss something. It's -
we're doing everything we can, right now, to stop it for good. you're strong. to lucretia, he glances at dimitri for a moment, and then nods. ]
...we saw Kon's last night, too. They're all about the death and then resurrection of a hero of a story. Caleb-san and I looked up the ones I didn't know off the top of my head.
no subject
I tended to my wounds, but they are still fresh. [ sword slashes aren't going to heal overnight, alas ] While they are a liability, I do not regret crossing blades with him.
[ is it stupid to duel someone fairly? yes. would he do this for a friend every time? yes. if he gets caught, he gets caught. they have bigger matters to attend to. ]
...We should discuss all the new notes together, as well as whatever new hint we can purchase, if any.
no subject
[there's an edge of worry, there, a concerned thought of please make sure you have an excuse for it, before she moves on.]
I looked over Sieghart's body. It won't be suspicious if I take Sagihara's body, too.
[but boy, the sound of those clues is... it's bad.]
I agree we'll need to talk, though, once we make it past the expulsion. This week proved that even if buying information has a negative effect at the time, it doesn't keep anything from happening to the dorm heads later, so... we may as well.
no subject
If they're not bad, then we can probably come up with some kind of story to back up where you got them, if people ask. I got your back.
[ ichiro knows he's well liked, and - well, he knows he's not a liar. he'll be able to handle this, even if it doesn't sit well with him, but hopefully, it won't come to that. lucretia's right. when you attack directly, you always leave yourself open. she was the one who told him that, all those weeks ago.
... ] And... I don't remember who bought the hint last time. I think it was Caleb-san, but if someone in the know - or one of us - can get it towards Manwol-san, that would be good. I think... I know Kon's really fucked up about it. I've got my item, too.
This should be our last week of summer, if the two weeks thing holds. It feels like we're getting to the end. Just gotta figure out how to get there, now. [ And bring everyone back home. ]
no subject
...Yes. We should be nearing the end, for better or worse. I believe this world will launch its attack on us soon enough, before we can graduate.
[ ... ]
When I spoke to our contact, they suspected that we were the easiest targets to make 'villains' before. But seeing as how most everyone seems to be sympathizing with us, and with the dead possibly returning to us soon, it seems we no longer fill that role in the story. We've seen that the world is thus lashing out in the face of not having any antagonists.
It seems likely to me that it will create a villain for us soon, since we are unwilling to make one ourselves. [ to him, it's just not something this group seems capable of at this point. ]
no subject
[otherwise, yeah, she'd heal him, injuries after a fight with sakyou are probably going to look suspicious as fuck.]
But-- I think you're right. I don't think we'd exactly count as heroic, either, given what the job entails, even if it's to try to keep people from losing themselves; if we wanted to be villainous at this point we'd have to have been purposely targeting who people cared for the most. It's almost certainly going to need an alternative.
no subject
I think it's already started. The first time we talked to it, it said - "I'll take them", right? I was wondering if it meant the Dorm Heads.
[ ichiro clearly hates that, his voice sharpening a little at the end. Cowardly piece of shit. ] Especially with the way they started regressing.