Week 4.

[trustharder]

WEEK 4 And as the third week in the Vault comes to a close and the fourth week begins, the Survivors are once again down by two. Mion Sonozaki died on her own terms, and Yato died fulfilling his duty as God of Fortune in the best way that he knew how; the shrine built in the game room on Saturday stands in their memory. Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; there aren't any bodies to be found on Sunday morning. But that doesn't mean the night was uneventful - it seems something else may have brought you some newfound clarity. Or perhaps not... Once again, that spiral staircase leads farther than you remember, clear up to a previously inaccessible fourth floor. Go ahead and explore as much as you like; even if the Kingmaker sounded a bit unhappy with you last weekend, the fact remains that you're still doing what you seem to have been brought here to do. SURVIVORS REMAINING: 21 SURVIVORS REMAINING: 20

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[OOC: Welcome to week two of Trustfell! Save your threads for coins and the coming week's activity check; don't forget to check in to this week's activity check and submit your memory regains!

The text and calling posts are still active, for the sake of contacting the jerk who's keeping you here, to be used at your leisure!]

Comments

[ratingspoint]

[It's pretty late when Mettaton makes his way into the game room; he's got something with him, a white strip of fabric that he's...really just twisting around his hands a few times while he approaches the shrine. He'll unwork it when he gets there, laying it out among the other offerings, and he'll do as the others have been instructing and wish for something as he does so.

The fabric was Yato's, after all; one of those scarves that he tended to wear over his robes.

He's aware of Bruce being there, though he doesn't say anything to him right away; he'll be there, though, for the sake of conversation should Bruce be up to it. Should he not, then that's fine as well; he doesn't particularly care either way.]

[amygdalae]

[It takes a moment for Bruce to realize that Mettaton is there, and its easy enough to say something but considering everything...

Maybe not saying anything is the best option here.

He watches quietly as Mettaton leaves his offering and makes his wish; Bruce has left his own as well - just one of the random items he had gotten from the vending machine which he thinks Yato would have liked. He didn't do the wishing part though, since that's kind of... Bruce just isn't the type to make wishes, these days.]

[ratingspoint]

[...It's definitely "kind of", but it's something that monsters...do, when they have an opportunity to. Maybe it's because they don't have much reason to, at a base level - they don't have a lot of hope in the Underground, and they have no reason to think that's going to change anytime soon, Asgore's declaration of war be damned. But sometimes senseless optimism is what keeps people from going insane, and sometimes hope is something you have to make for yourself, even if it's stupid.]

...It's going to be a long night.

[To put it gently.]

[amygdalae]

[Long night is indeed putting it lightly. Still, all he - they - can do is just to go through it the best as they all can. The world still moves on despite what happened, even as they're trapped in a place like this. Everything still goes on.

Bruce manages a small nod and lets out a loud exhale through his nose as he finally glances back down. Everything's still playing in his mind which really doesn't help, since not thinking about all of this is what he should be doing instead. But he's never really been good at keeping all the dark thoughts out of his head for long.]

[ratingspoint]

It's good that it was both of us, you know.

[The words come a bit abruptly, but they aren't harsh.]

[amygdalae]

[It's... Bruce didn't expect to hear that, and it shows in his expression as he finally looks at Mettaton, the surprise eclipsing over his tiredness for the moment.]

What? [Yeah he just... needs a second here.]

[ratingspoint]

It's simple, sweetheart. I don't want to die, and most seem to think that it's for the best if you don't.

[Most. I mean, excluding you.]

Fifty-fifty is better than a guarantee, in situations like that.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce almost asks why Mettaton would volunteer himself if he didn't want to die, but then he recalls what the other had said and it clicks very fast.]

...I suppose. [He manages a smile here, but it falls flat very quickly.] Though I'm glad nothing happened to you.

[He knows a fair few people here wouldn't have liked that.]

[ratingspoint]

[Mettaton's usually not here for emotional discussions; he's not very good at them, and he's not very in touch with his own feelings to become good at them, but there are a few things that are still present in the back of his mind from time to time. How to deal with people with very low self-esteem; how to work with those who can't or won't speak for themselves.

Maybe he'd never really been good with them, either; he wouldn't have left them if he was, right? But...]

...Is it going to make it better or worse for you, if I return the sentiment?

[And there's nothing harsh or derisive behind that, either; he's quiet for a moment before he continues.]

It feels like a waste, probably, that two people felt they had to die for this when there were volunteers. But it's not. I can guarantee you that it's not.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce would have been perfectly fine if Mettaton didn't want to talk about it - god knows Bruce himself is hardly the pinnacle of stable emotions in general. But considering everything, and as much as Bruce would like to not talk about it he probably owes Mettaton this much at the very least. So he'll try. As much as he can.]

It's... well, I appreciate it.

[It's hard to say if its better or worse - in a way it feels like both, the thought that people actually think that he matters. Pragmatically he can see why, but in terms of emotions--its hard to really make a coherent thought right now.]

Every week when this happens... [He trails off and stares up at the makeshift shrine again.] Every time I see what happens its so hard to not count the lives already lost.

[The people they had to lose in order to keep going. Bruce knows he can probably never forget no matter how hard he tries to.]

[ratingspoint]

...It's predictable to say that dying won't bring them back. It's also boring, cliché and...more than a little twee? So I'm not going to waste our time by trying to follow that line of dialogue, if you don't mind. We both already know it, anyway.

[He hesitates for a moment at that, though.]

It's easier, though. To think that maybe if you do something like that, it'll stop. That you'll put an end to it and you'll keep everyone safe.

I'm familiar with it, darling. Believe me.

[amygdalae]

[Both of them do know it, and it would be wasting time just going through that anyway, so Bruce does appreciate Mettaton skipping over it - Bruce isn't sure how well he would have taken that, anyway.

But that aside--]

I should know better than that. [He says quietly, and in a way almost tiredly, too.] And I do know. Its just...

[Bruce trails off and sighs, sharp and sudden, and shakes his head.]

Its frustrating, not being able to stop it no matter what any of us tries to do.

[ratingspoint]

But what we offered to do would have been something, right?

[If there's any bitterness involved, it isn't aimed at Bruce; it's a bit difficult to tell exactly where it's aimed, but there's not enough proper bite for it to be a cheap shot like that.]

[amygdalae]

...yeah.

[Just that one word, quiet and soft and so very tired. He's just so tired everywhere and it shows now more than ever.

But Mettaton is right - what they did... it certainly would have been something. Not a very good something, but a something nonetheless.]

[ratingspoint]

[He studies the shrine for a moment; it's easier to focus his attention there rather than look Bruce in the face.]

...I don't think there's anything wrong with what we did.

[And that's...probably fucked up, but it's true.]

I really don't think it would be better for me to die than anyone else - I think I'm the most important person in the world. It's just that sometimes you need to give up important things for what you want, and I want to protect the people I care about, even if it's only buying them some time.

So there were different reasons behind it, but what it comes down to is we know what we want, and we're willing to give up whatever we need to in order to achieve it.

Determination, right?

[amygdalae]

[Bruce himself is in no position to really say what's okay and what is not okay, honestly; Mettaton has his points but at the same time its easy to see the other side of the story... other sides, rather. Everyone all have their reasons as Mettaton says but sometimes it doesn't make anything less right or wrong. Sometimes things simply... are.]

Determination. [He echoes back, the word almost foreign to him. There's a pause after that, and then a wry smile crosses his face.] That's one way to put it.

[All of them are sure as hell determined to get out of this place and end this... somehow.]

[ratingspoint]

[And that just gets a noncommittal humming noise out of him; the word has strange connotations for him too, and there's an irony to it here, really, in this particular circumstance.]

They say it can save everyone, where I'm from. I don't know about that, but...it's a thought, anyway.

[amygdalae]

[Determination... the power to save everyone? Bruce isn't sure how those two can relate and he guesses there's a story behind that, but now isn't the time and place for that. Maybe another day, perhaps.

Another day.

It's hard to dwell on that, somehow.]

I suppose--holding on, moving on, everything most of us are trying to do now--that's determination, in its own way.

[The strength to move forward, to keep going, to never give up. Bruce certainly wishes he could have that.]

[ratingspoint]

Exactly.

[And that's all he really was getting at; he's aware that determination can be a horrifically fucked up thing, even if all of his knowledge is secondhand, and he isn't terribly interested in discussing it otherwise.

The point, however, is that we're going to be moving forward whether we really like it or not. Might as well do so willingly.]

Give up if you want, darling. I'm not going to stop you. But I have better things to do, and besides, there's someone that's too important to me to do that - someone who would never forgive me if I died here.

Tell me if you need anything.

[And that, for the time being, is all; he'll take his leave.]