Shu's pin was missing when we woke up. [Kaveh pulls out his own to show Vash; just the standard psych pin.] I don't think we'll find it, but I was hoping you could help me take another look, just in case we missed something.
... His pin is missing? Isn't that kind of suspicious? We haven't had a pin go missing before, have we?
[ Vash not saying it in the scared way, but in a concerned one. After last week's scapegoat, anything that seems remotely suspicious could get an innocent team voted off. ]
Kaveh just sighs, though. He looks concerned too, but not, like, panicked.]
I'd like to believe that it won't be too difficult to prove our innocence. Shu's the only one left with his own power, after all. It would be foolish of him to use it like this.
[Though, if they can't find any other solid leads... mm. He'll deal with that when it comes.]
I'll make sure nothing happens to him. But I haven't heard of anyone finding his pin, so that'll probably be my priority tomorrow. You don't have to go out of your way, but--let me know if you find anything out, okay?
[ As Kaveh thinks, Livio is sweet and Wolfwood as smart as he is would not bother. ]
It's unrelated... But I thought you should know. I received this strange text and we deciphered it. The second excerpt is the deciphered message from the other group after us, I think.
[ Phone says:
After all, playing by their rules is unavoidable, and the only thing preventing any retaliation on their part is whether or not they feel it's worth the effort by that point. Nothing is gained by blatantly defying them--even if it might be tempting to, with all the anomalies in this iteration of the Reaper's Game.
--
Normally when Players are erased, they are, for all intents and purposes, gone. Kept around on some frequency, maybe, but less tangible or aware than even folktale ghosts.
Which, of course, means that having them conscious elsewhere is very much not normal Game protocol. Not exactly against the rules, but those running the Game wouldn't be pleased to find out. So, it's important to hide this from them, and to err on the side of caution when discussing anything that seems out of place. ]
And another text.
[ from user rageintensifies: REST OR ELSE DAYS ARE NUMBERED IF YOU DON'T ]
[Kaveh leans over to read them through, then puts a hand to his chin, thinking.]
Playing by "their" rules... that must refer to the ones in charge, right? The "game master," I believe they're called. [Or maybe even whoever's above them, though Kaveh doesn't know who that might be.] What do you think they mean by anomalies?
[He'll get to the rest in a sec, he has to mull this over first.]
Ruby [I think it was Ruby help my swiss cheese memory] mentioned that typically, we would only meet reapers from our own worlds. That this is only the second time they've brought different worlds together. But she didn't mention anything about anomalies, that I can recall.
[Kaveh cares because he has to--but a large part of the reason he's still so deeply in debt is because he's chronically incapable of not giving to other people in one form or another.]
Ruby mentioned having reasons for doing it, but I didn't ask her what they were.
Seeing that this gamemaster is so powerful, anything is on the ballpark. Maybe even creating a perfect world, I don't know. Bringing back the dead at home? Changing an event that had already happened?
It's something beyond me to consider, even though a number of events pop up in my mind. There were many days where it was tough, but they were tender, too.
There are so many things I would love to change. Things here, things in the past... not just for myself, but for other people. But... I don't know. The idea of going back and undoing them--it doesn't feel right.
[Even if it could bring his father back, and undo the pain he inflicted on his mother. Even if it meant taking back words spoken in the heat of anger.]
It's not that I think we shouldn't accept support or use tools that make things easier for us. But something like that--it's too close to the Akademiya's sins, in my opinion.
What? [????] Oh--no, nothing like that. Rather--it's what's set up to prevent things like that from happening. They're the founding principles of the Akademiya--the three virtues and the six sins. It's what serves as our basis for what constitutes crimes, or which areas of research are forbidden. Tampering with life and death is one of them.
[ whew. Vash lets out a relieved exhale because he wouldn't know what to think if that's all possible. ]
That's pretty smart of you scholars over there... [ He's sure a bunch of people in NML are doing whatever, but he doesn't think there's any power that can take them back to the past. ] What's done is done, even if I have some regrets. I think I can clear those here.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Sure. If there's something I can do to help, I'd love to.
[ It'll keep his mind off of the body pile. Despite not being close to them, he's hurting all the same. ]
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Shu's pin was missing when we woke up. [Kaveh pulls out his own to show Vash; just the standard psych pin.] I don't think we'll find it, but I was hoping you could help me take another look, just in case we missed something.
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[ Vash not saying it in the scared way, but in a concerned one. After last week's scapegoat, anything that seems remotely suspicious could get an innocent team voted off. ]
I don't like where this is going...
[ Like... As in where trial may go tomorrow. ]
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Kaveh just sighs, though. He looks concerned too, but not, like, panicked.]
I'd like to believe that it won't be too difficult to prove our innocence. Shu's the only one left with his own power, after all. It would be foolish of him to use it like this.
[Though, if they can't find any other solid leads... mm. He'll deal with that when it comes.]
I'll make sure nothing happens to him. But I haven't heard of anyone finding his pin, so that'll probably be my priority tomorrow. You don't have to go out of your way, but--let me know if you find anything out, okay?
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[ But really he doesn't know how trial will go. He gives a nod, anyway. ]
Would you prefer if I don't ask Wolfwood and Livio to keep an eye out?
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[Vash and Livio are sweethearts and frankly he doesn't think Wolfwood would need to or would bother framing someone else. But Kaveh's biased, so.]
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They're not the type, normally.
[ As Kaveh thinks, Livio is sweet and Wolfwood as smart as he is would not bother. ]
It's unrelated... But I thought you should know. I received this strange text and we deciphered it. The second excerpt is the deciphered message from the other group after us, I think.
[ Phone says:
After all, playing by their rules is unavoidable, and the only thing preventing any retaliation on their part is whether or not they feel it's worth the effort by that point. Nothing is gained by blatantly defying them--even if it might be tempting to, with all the anomalies in this iteration of the Reaper's Game.
--
Normally when Players are erased, they are, for all intents and purposes, gone. Kept around on some frequency, maybe, but less tangible or aware than even folktale ghosts.
Which, of course, means that having them conscious elsewhere is very much not normal Game protocol. Not exactly against the rules, but those running the Game wouldn't be pleased to find out. So, it's important to hide this from them, and to err on the side of caution when discussing anything that seems out of place. ]
And another text.
[ from user rageintensifies:
REST OR ELSE
DAYS ARE NUMBERED IF YOU DON'T ]
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Playing by "their" rules... that must refer to the ones in charge, right? The "game master," I believe they're called. [Or maybe even whoever's above them, though Kaveh doesn't know who that might be.] What do you think they mean by anomalies?
[He'll get to the rest in a sec, he has to mull this over first.]
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[ He isn't entirely sure. ]
When I've asked about the previous games, it was mostly a difference of format.
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Ruby [I think it was Ruby help my swiss cheese memory] mentioned that typically, we would only meet reapers from our own worlds. That this is only the second time they've brought different worlds together. But she didn't mention anything about anomalies, that I can recall.
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[ Nonsexual. ]
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We might as well try. They've been rather clear about what they can't, or won't, tell us.
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[ Right? ]
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[Since they keep calling it a job and all...]
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[ But Vash doesn't care about money. Payment can be anything, but in No Man's Land it is definitely money money money. ]
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[Kaveh cares because he has to--but a large part of the reason he's still so deeply in debt is because he's chronically incapable of not giving to other people in one form or another.]
Ruby mentioned having reasons for doing it, but I didn't ask her what they were.
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[ Stroking his chin. ]
I wonder if it's something bigger than what we'd get from winning.
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Like what? Their own chance at revival?
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I guess things like that would be a strong incentive. [He's quiet for a moment, considering.] Would you want something like that?
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[ He thinks about it. ]
It's something beyond me to consider, even though a number of events pop up in my mind. There were many days where it was tough, but they were tender, too.
I don't know if I'd be able to give those up.
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[He turns his gaze upward, looking at the sky.]
There are so many things I would love to change. Things here, things in the past... not just for myself, but for other people. But... I don't know. The idea of going back and undoing them--it doesn't feel right.
[Even if it could bring his father back, and undo the pain he inflicted on his mother. Even if it meant taking back words spoken in the heat of anger.]
It's not that I think we shouldn't accept support or use tools that make things easier for us. But something like that--it's too close to the Akademiya's sins, in my opinion.
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The school let you change the past?!
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That's pretty smart of you scholars over there... [ He's sure a bunch of people in NML are doing whatever, but he doesn't think there's any power that can take them back to the past. ] What's done is done, even if I have some regrets. I think I can clear those here.
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