parodeity | WEEK ONE: SATURDAY, POST-TRIAL

[ CLEM, PLEASE NITPICK HIS PLAN. ]

Yeah, it would probably be a suspicious thing. Thing about Bomber is the wrong person has to claim it for it to work - or. You know. For the one thing the Bomber can do to work. [ what a great role. ] So we can stick to a one-way swap there, although if anyone claims it, I'd want it to be Em. [ so he will stop saying jack shit about being a bomber??? ] Just...seems safer. I do think we have to kind of...lock the trust down a little, while still tryin' to work with other people, if that makes sense? Because we have no godly clue who the Ghost is or who they might be workin' with.

[ so that's fun. russian roulette! ]

We can still go into one locked room a week as is, and give a rundown after every go. If you decide it's useful enough, that's an option we can talk about. Otherwise, keep it in reserve and we'll see if anyone super useful comes up, then?

I also prefer that Emily claims Bomber, just to keep her a little safer.

[ Hrm. She's quiet for a moment, taking in the rest. Russian Roulette. :( ]

It might be a good set of skills to copy from, but I do want to see them in action before I do it. So if we could just... Hold off long enough to talk to the dead once and to check out a locked room once, then we could decide from there.

And if they're with us, I also want to hear out what Violet and Emily think. If they think one is better.

I'll stop usin' it, then. That was part of my deal with Vi, but I think we're all in agreement Em needs to be the one doing it.

[ because. she is ten. ]

And we can ask them tomorrow if you're chill. Four-way meetin'. There's one more person but I want to ask...everyone at once what they think. And I need to get permission to say what all they can do. But like. I can report on what we know from the locked room that got checked last week - I can tell you now, or tell everyone together, your choice. Vi already knows about it, though. Locked rooms are...dangerous. Tentacle monsters and ghosts.

[ nice. ]

But uh, one thing I do want to talk about tomorrow is what room we think is best to go into. Like, opinions. Because there are twelve options, sans one, discountin' our rooms and anythin' else that pops up. And one of them might, uh, be a death trap as an option. So it's kind of "which one is gonna be most fuckin' useful". I'm leanin' towards thinkin' the mayor's office or the public archives might be...good?

[ but. not important right this second. ]

Do you think it's a...good baseline plan though? Two, maybe three ways to gather info, consolidate it, and figure it out from there?

It's...

Yeah, it's a good plan.

[ She lets out a long sigh, though. ] I'm alright with telling everyone my role, and I'm alright with talking to them all about it. If we're going to work with each other and I'm going to expect them to trust me, I have to trust them, too.

I think the mayor's office and public archives are definitely best, too, but... If some rooms have monsters and ghosts - I guess I'm just worried they're all like that. I wouldn't trust this place to give us solutions in rooms when it just wants us all to kill each other off.

It's a risk I'm willin' to take, just...yeah, I don't want you to take it unawares yourself. [ because. that would be. terrible? ] The night we got our roles, Vi and I told one another what we were, and we traded 'em. I promised to do it for her 'cause it was the best way to protect us both, but I don't want to just be a duo. I asked her if we could bring you and Ems in, because...

[ honestly he just likes them lmao that's how he decided this was the team he'd trust and die for god ]

...you're the people I wanna trust. I'll tell all three of you everythin' I learn and everythin' I do, full stop. I will run my shit by you and I'll trust your opinions and listen to what you guys have to say. What I want is to be a team. And to protect Ems, and you and Vi. [ why does he never use their full names - anyway. ] I did want you to know you definitely did not have to worry about the Convict usin' a key to harm you. Because that's just never gonna be a damn thing. It's never gonna get used to commit a murder unless the Ghost interferes, straight up.

[ because no? ]

And I...may be able to bring backup to one of the rooms. I don't want Em goin' in full stop, because I don't know how dangerous they'll run, but I...the fifth person. [ the one he has to ask the girls about. ] Dirk. He said he'd help, and that he wouldn't work with anyone else. If you guys decide he's chill. If not, he'll still work with just me, I think.

[ what are the striders even doing. ]

I'll keep you updated on anything I do, too. And that's - good to hear, about the Convict. That'll help during trials, too, since we'll just... Know it's not something to worry about.

[ She sort of. Hesitates a bit at that last part, though. It's not like she wants to drag Emily into danger or anything, but her thought process has been: she's like me, when I was younger. And the balance of being protected and being taught to protect herself - the balance of sheltering and not. That's a tough one.

She doesn't know how to articulate any of that, so she just drops it in favor of: ]

Dirk, huh? [ Not that surprising. A complicated situation like theirs never gave her the impression they'd be able to stay away from each other. ] I'd rather bring him in completely than have him on, like... The edges of our group. If he's helping us, we should be helping him, too. All of us. Right?

The only thing I would be worried about with him is you, and if you're going to be running around with him anyway...

I...we came to an agreement. [ shakes his head. ] And he really, really, really does not want me goin' through doorways alone.

[ because when he said he and vi swapped roles, he did mean they swapped roles. dave digs into his pocket and comes up with an empty palm. looking clementine dead in the eyes - and he does lower his shades to do so, his eyes blood red - he says: ]

I'm the Convict. I'll go through whatever door we pick and report back. [ the skeleton key appears in his hand, visible with the words being said. ] Vi's the Bomber - and she gave me permission to say so, to trade back. She'll let Ems swap roles with her, because someone needs to.

[ and just to tie up the whole i will tell you everything fullstop: ] A ghost broke my fingers and Dirk helped me lie about it. Because I couldn't go "well, I went into, you know, a room, and then I got my hands slammed into some traps. But don't ask how I went into the room I should definitely not have been in."

[ this sounds, at least, a LITTLE less stupid than the bookshelf thing (it's almost as stupid as the bookshelf thing. :/ ) ]

Like I said, I can only do a door a week. Resets Mondays. I went into the Storage room last week and...bullshit occurred. But I did learn some shit, like about the mystical science that probably brought us here, and uh, some shit about the town? I can summarize now or tell you and Ems the full thing at the same time tomorrow. Your choice. And Dirk - I think next week I'll actually. Take him through a door. Because his shit can help and I...maybe should not risk it alone, especially if we're all gonna be a team. I can take one person with me. I think...I think maybe I need to start.

[ his fingers close around the key, and he shoves his shades back up. ]

I'll let him tell y'all what he does Monday, if we don't... [ hm. ] ...If you want him in the meetin' Sunday I'll...ask. I just wanted to be sure everyone was on board with this group. Vi's fine with whatever, for the record. And I think Ems likes him. I know she likes you.

[ Well that is. A lot to take in. Her eyes rest on the key for a long moment. ]

If I copy from you, won't we be split up to explore different rooms?

[ She looks uncomfortable, and her gaze shifts to one of his broken fingers. Him hurting himself through idiocy is different from getting hurt through danger. She doesn't seem to know how to articulate what she wants to say next, and opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before giving up and just sighing instead. ]

... I don't know. You can just tell all of us together, I guess. If you found helpful information then copying your key really is smart, but... You shouldn't go alone.

[ is she sulking at being lied to??? even though it was necessary?? very possibly. ]

...I'm sorry. [ about the lie HE will not do it again and felt bad immediately lmao. ] I...kind of wanted to say immediately but we agreed to swap roles because Bomber's only use is [ BLOWING SOMEONE UP, WHICH YOU CAN'T DO IF PEOPLE KNOW YOU'RE THE BOMBER and this sounds really morbid of dave and violet, uh ] you know. I'll answer any question you want without lyin' ever again. Includin' - anything about...me.

[ it's the only thing he has to offer up, he thinks, even though it makes his stomach roll to consider explaining the truth about bro, and why dirk is such a problem. ]

But no, we wouldn't be. Like...we can unlock a door each, and go through as a team. Is what we'd be able to do, I think? But again: what you copy is up to you. And I... [ ... ] Vi kept tellin' me that about the door, about next week's door, so. I won't go alone again. I promise.

[ dirk has been trying to get him to promise this for like an entire week and yet he refused... ]

...I'm kind of an idiot sometimes and I acknowledge it but my goal's still the same. I want to work with you and Ems and Vi and - Dirk - [ UNSURE FOREVER, even if he knows the guy is trustworthy ] - and I want to figure out what's really goin' on, and I want...to protect what people we can, when we can, although I think the best way to do that is to find the truth. So - I'm sorry about my everythin', and I hope...this is still a thing we can do?

It's... Yeah. It's still a thing we can do. [ She sighs. She really does get it. And she does trust him when he says he won't lie again. ]

It's alright. You don't need to over-compensate or anything, it was just - that's how things are. [ Sometimes you have to lie. She knows that. But since it is something they had talked about briefly before, she adds: ] Oh, I'll still... If you ever do want to talk about... Whatever. Yourself. Or stuff. I'll still listen. But you don't... Have to. You know?

[ ugh this is awkward and weird, socializing is hard. she hates this part of groups, it always feels complicated and uncomfortable - but necessary. ]

As long as we're working together... Two doors a week sounds like a lot of help. I'll decide for sure when we've talked it over with everyone.

Yeah. [ he knows. ] Offer's still open to you, too.

[ and yeah it is awkward and hard, but he kind of tentatively smiles because despite everything he...really...wants to be in a group with her and the others, god. ]

You can wait to decide until after I hit whatever door we pick for me this week, too, to see...what's in there, and if it's helpful at all, you know? But uh. Should I invite Dirk to a meetin' tomorrow? And if we have it, should it be in y'all's room, since you two live in the same place, or...?

[ it's really up to clementine here because dave is bad at making choices re: inviting dirk to shit. ]

Right.

[ she shakes her head to try and - recalibrate. no time for sads! only business!! (yeah, right.) ]

You should invite him. It's probably easiest to use me and Emily's room. Maybe if we unlock a safe place, we can start using it as a meeting spot, but for now, our room is good.

All right. Oh, while we're talkin', though, I'm gonna refrain from directly tellin' him my role.

[ ... ]

Not because I'm not gonna, but because the thing he can do, which I'll let him reveal - I want to test it to see if can tell what the fuck I am if I don't tell him directly? Just. Like. I mean, I will say as much when we're together, but also...that's why I'm gonna be doin'. That.

[ that sounds stupid and confused but presumably he actually really does need to crosscheck something and it will make sense when dirk explains Whatever He Is. ]

We'll come by in the afternoon, then.

Okay. I'll keep from telling him too, then.

[ hrm. she's not a fan of lying. especially in her own group, but. she'll go with Dave's judgment. ]

So... He doesn't know how you really got hurt, either? Should I still be acting like I only know your cover story with the bookshelf?

When people know what I am - I mean when I tell them, you can actually say it if you want to him tomorrow - they can see the key. What I need is for him to...not be able to see the key, so we can see if his skill can help us find item roles, and weapon roles. But he doesn't reset until Monday.

[ he's explaining better to kind of, like, try to make sense of it. ]

So once he resets, we can test it, but only if I haven't personally told him my role yet, y'see? So until Monday I can't or we lose a shot to test it for sure. [ ...THIS SOUNDS DUMB, HE REALIZES, AND DAVE MAKES A FACE. ] Roles are absurd. But anyway, he...doesn't know exactly what happened, but he knows I did it playin' Russian Roulette.

[ however: ]

I'll tell everyone at the meetin' the specifics, while...not explaining personally how I got into wherever I did, which will be a little weird logistically but. He'll get why I'm talkin' around it since he wanted to test the same thing I wanna test, i.e. can he find secret items or not.

Okay. That makes sense. [ Clementine agrees that roles are absurd. ]

... Kind of.

[ well, despite the kind of, she's still feeling pretty confident in this plan. it's nice to have a course to follow, and her shoulders relax a bit. ]

... Do you think what we find in those rooms will help to overcome the rules? Or just get through them? [ because. their group is already 4-5 people. and only 3 people can survive, according to the rules. ]

I don't know. I hope so. [ but he shrugs. ] If it comes to that, you and Ems and Vi take priority if you want and that's chill with me, but I think...from what I do know, I think there's somethin' weird about this. Like, beyond the obvious. Ems can share what she knows, and I'll share what I know, and...I think gatherin' information might actually help us overcome the rules more than just tryin' to catch killers will do.

[ it's something he wants to focus on. ]

I don't want to just accept the rules and sit back and let it happen. Not sayin' we outright break them stupidly, but right now? Gatherin' info is well within the rules and we can maybe figure shit out with it.

That's not... [ the whole 'you take priority' thing doesn't sit well with her. she's not big on dying either, but.

ugh. she'll deal with that later. ]

I just don't think they would give you a role that helps you get out of the game they made. You know? I still want to try, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[ SORRY EMILY HE WAS RAISED TO HAVE absolutely no sense of self-esteem. time players are used to throwing their lives away, and dave...does that. for other people. all the time.

dirk and violet will probably back her up on this being stupid as hell. ]

Yeah, I know. I want to try to, rather than just... [ ... ] Sit around waitin' for the other shoe to drop, I guess. I'd rather go out doin' something useful than nothin' at all. As long as there's a chance [ and even if there weren't one ] I'll keep goin'.

WEEK ONE: SATURDAY, POST-TRIAL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject