They would like me to believe that my world hangs in the balance of me participating properly in a game in which they have brought random people to murder each other.
[ . . . well. Jae-ha sighs and seems to consider their options.]
So the plan is to disobey? Voting for yourself during trials will appear to get you locked up in stocks, but in general not voting also means that someone might get away with murder. And so you won't kill anyone even though they claim that's the entire point of the game, and won't encourage any objectives that promote killing.
Ultimately to dismantle the game, it requires understanding a bit more of the magic here - even as it backfires on us via the Wishing Well.
Perhaps you have a benefit to having a role that allows you to contact our Captors, but you might also just be receiving lies.
And if you're making a mistake, all of our friends and family may disappear.
You know, the cards are really stacked against us.
[It's in moments like these that Sousei realizes that in truth?
He's grateful to have Jae-ha as his partner. In truth, he likes Jae-ha, he likes his fire and his sense of rebellion and his refusal to take things lying down. Sousei knows the situation is practically hopeless; he remembers experiencing a game like this before, after all.
But he has to do something.
And Jae-ha is much the same way.
So Sousei lifts his chin, meets Jae-ha's eyes, and says very sincerely:]
... Thank you.
[Honestly... there's a lot of sincerity in those two words, and Sousei lifts his hand again, quietly holding it above his heart. He hasn't saluted again since his promise with Gi-gan... but he thinks that right now, when Jae-ha is betting not only his life but also his world on this as well, he owes him that much respect.
[In the end, his options are simple: duck his head, pray he doesn't get picked to murder anyone, and otherwise go along with the injustices that he sees - or otherwise actively work to dismantle exactly what he has a problem with.
When he thinks of Gi-gan, and when he thinks of Yona, who would both demand that they ruin the very thing that hurt the people they care about, with their own two hands.... If their lives are in his hands, wouldn't they want him to do this? Wouldn't it be against every he learned from them to stay back?
And Sousei - he already came to that conclusion, long before Jae-ha.
He'd told Sousei that he didn't think his place in this game was simple. How funny.
So he watches the salute quietly, even if he doesn't quite understand its weight. He's never been a soldier. He's only ever been a pirate, a bandit, a person who has no regard for rules in the first place.
If Sousei salutes to demonstrate his gratitude, then Jae-ha has his own measure of affection, of respect, and maybe just a little bit because he wants to. If he's about to be a dead man anyway - he turns his head to the side just slightly, closing the space between them so he can press a kiss to the corner of Sousei's mouth.
When he pulls away, he laughs and as if he did nothing at all - ]
There are a lot of gestures Sousei's come to expect from Jae-ha. Pokes at his composure with irritatingly flippant displays of affection, and flirting to try to get a rise out of him, and this is...
This is none of those things.
This is a demonstration of earnest feelings, and while Sousei can't exactly pick apart each and every one of those feelings, can't entirely understand what Jae-ha is thinking at this very moment, he can nonetheless tell that it's sincere. There's something to respect in that, too.
Jae-ha's life in Sousei's hands isn't something he'd ever wanted, and it's not something he wants now... but he can recognize that it doesn't matter what he wants. They've made their decisions. To dismantle this game no matter what it takes...they have to work together, and they both have to risk everything they have.
So Sousei doesn't pull away, doesn't flinch back, and when Jae-ha laughs and offers up those words, Sousei smiles in response, cocky and assured because there is no room for them to doubt.]
I do not dabble in regrets.
[Not anymore.
Not now that he has grown as a person, and made his decisions.]
Together, we will absolutely succeed. I have no doubts.
[Traitorously, Jae-ha thinks it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to kiss Sousei again.
... but he listens, and he knows this is more important than any immediate urge he might have, any curiosity he wants to settle. He snorts faintly at Sousei's cockiness and raises a brow.]
Failure isn't exactly an option, you know.
[Not with everything that's resting on their shoulders - not with everything that they might be gambling.]
Then I'll ask again - where shall we start? There are a few others who want to battle against the game so at the very least we're not entirely alone, even if I'm not sure if their determination is quite the same. Or are you waiting to see how much more information you can pull from our captors before we make waves?
[It's Sunday, after all - technically, they have at least until Thursday to do anything. Jae-ha falls into the easy position of second-in-command again, offering what he knows, but ultimately ready to serve and follow orders.
[Failure definitely isn't an option, which means they need to buckle down and focus on what needs to be done. And so:]
We must find a way to not necessarily force this game into a premature end, but rather to keep it from persisting in the way that it is. A death or more a week is simply unacceptable, and like this we are dancing on their strings.
But if we can find a way to derail this entire situation, what will happen? I am very curious to know.
[He thinks the whole thing will come crashing down.]
Obviously, we cannot simply attack the two Crafters. That does not work, and is too expected. I wonder if the more harmless objectives are completed, if we could find a different end. What I know for certain is the objectives involving death and killing must not be done.
Currently, I believe everything has to do with the ink. That is loathsome, but it is more than we had to go off of before. It is a weighing of the scales, in a way.
So one side beating the other would naturally end this, but that is not the ending I seek. Rather, I feel as though picking one over the other is a cowardly way out.
[A sigh.]
We still need more information, in the end, though I believe I may now start to ask others in earnest about their situations.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Anyway.]
They would like me to believe that my world hangs in the balance of me participating properly in a game in which they have brought random people to murder each other.
It's ludicrous.
[No.
He does not believe it at all.]
no subject
He does.
... but if that's the threat, and Jae-ha is now the last person left standing from his own world:]
And what if it's true?
no subject
[On the other hand--]
But obeying nonsensical orders because a threat is being held over my head... to kill others and encourage such a thing?
That is something I cannot do.
[1/2]
So the plan is to disobey? Voting for yourself during trials will appear to get you locked up in stocks, but in general not voting also means that someone might get away with murder. And so you won't kill anyone even though they claim that's the entire point of the game, and won't encourage any objectives that promote killing.
Ultimately to dismantle the game, it requires understanding a bit more of the magic here - even as it backfires on us via the Wishing Well.
Perhaps you have a benefit to having a role that allows you to contact our Captors, but you might also just be receiving lies.
And if you're making a mistake, all of our friends and family may disappear.
You know, the cards are really stacked against us.
no subject
He turns to face Sousei directly.]
How shall we start?
no subject
He's grateful to have Jae-ha as his partner. In truth, he likes Jae-ha, he likes his fire and his sense of rebellion and his refusal to take things lying down. Sousei knows the situation is practically hopeless; he remembers experiencing a game like this before, after all.
But he has to do something.
And Jae-ha is much the same way.
So Sousei lifts his chin, meets Jae-ha's eyes, and says very sincerely:]
... Thank you.
[Honestly... there's a lot of sincerity in those two words, and Sousei lifts his hand again, quietly holding it above his heart. He hasn't saluted again since his promise with Gi-gan... but he thinks that right now, when Jae-ha is betting not only his life but also his world on this as well, he owes him that much respect.
That first, before he shares his plans.]
no subject
When he thinks of Gi-gan, and when he thinks of Yona, who would both demand that they ruin the very thing that hurt the people they care about, with their own two hands.... If their lives are in his hands, wouldn't they want him to do this? Wouldn't it be against every he learned from them to stay back?
And Sousei - he already came to that conclusion, long before Jae-ha.
He'd told Sousei that he didn't think his place in this game was simple. How funny.
So he watches the salute quietly, even if he doesn't quite understand its weight. He's never been a soldier. He's only ever been a pirate, a bandit, a person who has no regard for rules in the first place.
If Sousei salutes to demonstrate his gratitude, then Jae-ha has his own measure of affection, of respect, and maybe just a little bit because he wants to. If he's about to be a dead man anyway - he turns his head to the side just slightly, closing the space between them so he can press a kiss to the corner of Sousei's mouth.
When he pulls away, he laughs and as if he did nothing at all - ]
Don't give me a chance to regret it.
I've made my choice now.
[I'll choose to follow you.]
no subject
There are a lot of gestures Sousei's come to expect from Jae-ha. Pokes at his composure with irritatingly flippant displays of affection, and flirting to try to get a rise out of him, and this is...
This is none of those things.
This is a demonstration of earnest feelings, and while Sousei can't exactly pick apart each and every one of those feelings, can't entirely understand what Jae-ha is thinking at this very moment, he can nonetheless tell that it's sincere. There's something to respect in that, too.
Jae-ha's life in Sousei's hands isn't something he'd ever wanted, and it's not something he wants now... but he can recognize that it doesn't matter what he wants. They've made their decisions. To dismantle this game no matter what it takes...they have to work together, and they both have to risk everything they have.
So Sousei doesn't pull away, doesn't flinch back, and when Jae-ha laughs and offers up those words, Sousei smiles in response, cocky and assured because there is no room for them to doubt.]
I do not dabble in regrets.
[Not anymore.
Not now that he has grown as a person, and made his decisions.]
Together, we will absolutely succeed. I have no doubts.
no subject
... but he listens, and he knows this is more important than any immediate urge he might have, any curiosity he wants to settle. He snorts faintly at Sousei's cockiness and raises a brow.]
Failure isn't exactly an option, you know.
[Not with everything that's resting on their shoulders - not with everything that they might be gambling.]
Then I'll ask again - where shall we start? There are a few others who want to battle against the game so at the very least we're not entirely alone, even if I'm not sure if their determination is quite the same. Or are you waiting to see how much more information you can pull from our captors before we make waves?
[It's Sunday, after all - technically, they have at least until Thursday to do anything. Jae-ha falls into the easy position of second-in-command again, offering what he knows, but ultimately ready to serve and follow orders.
Sousei will probably never be his new captain.
But whatever this is - that's fine too.]
no subject
We must find a way to not necessarily force this game into a premature end, but rather to keep it from persisting in the way that it is. A death or more a week is simply unacceptable, and like this we are dancing on their strings.
But if we can find a way to derail this entire situation, what will happen? I am very curious to know.
[He thinks the whole thing will come crashing down.]
Obviously, we cannot simply attack the two Crafters. That does not work, and is too expected. I wonder if the more harmless objectives are completed, if we could find a different end. What I know for certain is the objectives involving death and killing must not be done.
Currently, I believe everything has to do with the ink. That is loathsome, but it is more than we had to go off of before. It is a weighing of the scales, in a way.
So one side beating the other would naturally end this, but that is not the ending I seek. Rather, I feel as though picking one over the other is a cowardly way out.
[A sigh.]
We still need more information, in the end, though I believe I may now start to ask others in earnest about their situations.
[No point in holding back anymore.]