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WEEK ONE: SATURDAY, POST-TRIAL
[ so sometime after the trial, clementine gets a dave. he waves, hurries over, and asks: ]
So. Any roles on the list that looked good to you? Because if not, or if you don't, like, have your heart set on one...I think I have one you should snag, and I think I may have a plan, for like. The four of us. Uh, you me Clem and Vi. To make a team and actually figure shit the hell out? If you are into that still.
[ like. someone just got condemned to death wrongly because they did not know enough. so dave's voice is firm, even though this is an offer, not a demand. ]
I want to meet up tomorrow with all of us if you're into the idea still, but I also wanted to talk to you about it first.
So. Any roles on the list that looked good to you? Because if not, or if you don't, like, have your heart set on one...I think I have one you should snag, and I think I may have a plan, for like. The four of us. Uh, you me Clem and Vi. To make a team and actually figure shit the hell out? If you are into that still.
[ like. someone just got condemned to death wrongly because they did not know enough. so dave's voice is firm, even though this is an offer, not a demand. ]
I want to meet up tomorrow with all of us if you're into the idea still, but I also wanted to talk to you about it first.
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[ 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...
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[ 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.
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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. ]
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[ 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?
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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.
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[ 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. ]
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[ 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.
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[ ... ]
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.
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[ 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?
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[ 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.
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... 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. ]
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[ 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.
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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.
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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'.