imeeji_frontstage

~GAME~

Who: everyone!
When: day 17, morning
What: GAME TIME

[ today, when the GAMESHOW notification goes off and the phone maps lead you to the game tower, the debris is still everywhere, the lobby is empty, and the elevators are unlabeled. The rules don't appear on your screens until after everyone has filed in, the doors have shut behind you, and the elevators have started up and risen at least a few stories.

your phones light up with instructions at the same time as the elevators all shudder to a stop, and a sharp hissing noise starts up as thin blasts of air enter from the walls and fills the room with a horrible, horrible smell. like straight up sewer rank awful. Luckily you won't have to deal with it for long, since you pass out so fast you won't even remember hitting the ground.

You wake up on the floor of a room with the rest of your unit. Mukuro's face isn't on any screens, but the first thing you might process as you regain consciousness is his boyish voice filling the air, shifting from calmly informative to as energetic as ever. ]

… courtesy of danna's abilities, we have much more exacting control over a much broader range of possibilities. Ah, and the stars of our show have just begun to stir!

Then, let's go over the rules of today's event once more!

[ and then he does show up, waist-up on the large tv-sized screen on the wall, smiling brightly beside a diagram demonstrating different possible outcomes - labeled with T's and B's and X's over "losing" stick figures. ]

Prisoner's dilemma! The max-tension psychological classic, with a secret agent feel~

This one is all about trust and betrayal. Originally, two people would be interrogated separately for information, and told that they would be spared if they turned on their partner. But if both of them kept their mouths shut, then their captors would have less over them and they both could be saved. While if they both betrayed one another, then they would both be punished! For either of them to win, at least one of them would have to take the risk and decide to "trust"~

Today's game is a three-person variant, or rather, a three-unit variant! This means that instead of just one other person, our idols will have to carefully consider the thinking of two whole other groups of people in their decision-making! But like the standard "prisoner's dilemma," only one person each is placed at risk ☆ Just like a sacrifice!

[ briefly, the display switches to images of flower arrangements ]

Additionally, since the idols haven't been told who their partners are, we've provided them with a small means of communication - courtesy of this goryou - for them to find some way to identify themselves, earn the other units' "trust," and get a read on what kinds of people now hold the fate of their unitmate in their hands!

[ and back to Mukuro, a bust shot with the diagram gone now ]

The results this time will be a little more complicated than the original "win/lose" scenario. In this case, even trusting each other won't get a good result. Betraying each other is worse, but only betraying someone who trusts you will save your sacrifice and bring your unit victory~! That's why it's important to convince the other units to "trust" no matter what!

And trusting someone who ends up betraying you - well, wouldn't that be just horrible?

Leeet's go! ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That is not nearly as hilarious as it should be in practice. Watching you cry was honestly just really upsetting and it made me feel bad.

It scared my unit, too...

[The echo of that horrible, soul-crushing sadness from a few minutes ago floated through the bond. He did feel bad about scaring them like that... talking like he was about to die.

But he had been ready to.]

Hey. Ah fuck.

[The earnestness of Wade tRYING SO HARD to get his feelings through is there, even though with the buddy bond it's honestly easy. He's just so worried about fucking it up. But he needed Nate so bad. It's fake, okay?? There are queers writing them now and the bad straight men from Marvel will never hurt them again it's okay.]

[Marvel? Writing them?

If that was supposed to be reassuring then... well, it managed to replace sadness with abject confusion, so that's some modicum of success. Ummm... right, back to the Game.]

They're shaky, but fine. Our luck held out this time.

...What about your kids?

Ah, shit. I think this one sucked for them. I'm -- I mean I'm freaking out but, you know, HA HA!, but I'm okay, right? But I think us getting hit really fucked 'em up.

[God he really wanted to at least be able to hold Wade's hand.]

Especially from the team that supposedly wanted everyone t'cooperate. They talked the talk but couldn't risk their own hides.

Getting stabbed in the back like that hurts.

[laughs weakly. Wade wants to touch him so much he missed him he missed him he missed him]

If it's even the same group of kids. I bet A woulda been real fuckin' mad at us for just ignoring their warning like that.

Betraying each other's exactly what the hosts want - it's the most optimal choice for a reason, which is exactly why we shouldn't be playing that way.

A might've been sensible about it, but AlcheME made a statement. That cooperation against the gamerunners takes trust and doing the right thing, even if there's a chance you get bit.

Bad End couldn't live up to that model.

Ohhh my God. Nathan. You get me so fucking hard when you're so dramatic.

The kids, Wade.

[Everyone's gonna find out what a horndog you ar-- okay, AlcheME probably has an idea. But the others were still pure!]

They've been on the internet, Nathan. You are such a fucking Nate. Unreal.

[he's upset, he wants to hug him. But he can settle for this, direct contact empathy thing]

How does this new power work anyway?

I can establish a bond if I make hand-to-hand contact. You feel whatever I feel, and vice versa. Works if I want two other people to bond too, but all three've us have to hold hands to get that going.

But once I make contact once, I can do it at will, anytime. I figured it was the closest thing to getting my psionic abilities back - telepathy traded in for empathy.

[flushes. And then an increasing alarm, worry]

Uhh, wait a minute. You think that's safe? You know my head is-- It hasn't been exactly fuckin' right, you know, since I got a memory? What if it fucks you up?

I think the risk might be greater if this was mind-reading, but... your heart's speaking, not your head.

If you're having an attack, sharing the load could calm you down. Give you something else to feel. It goes two ways.

[uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, wade will just swell with love, no big deal,,,]

Wire...

[It's hard not to feel a bit high on all that love pouring in. Warm, sappy smile~]

Thought you were calling me Nate now.

Okay, I'm working on it! Nate! I gotta replace the reflexes!

It is weird movin' you so far down the alphabet.

[he laughs, delighted at literally any joke from nate. But with relief comes... Deep breath,, and, a pleading fear reaches out to him]

Can I show you? Alone? I don't know what it means. I mean-- I know what it means. But I don't know, know.

Edited 2018-07-21 08:44 (UTC)

[He tries to quiet that fear with his own calm, but Nate could only do so much without touch. His voice dropped to a solemn hush.]

...Yeah. Of course.

How well can you walk? I can meet you there.

Edited 2018-07-21 09:18 (UTC)

[that's so nice though? Nate's heart responds so well to just DIRECT INPUT, because it's not like Nate can lie??]

I'm good. C'mon, I just don't want anyone else to see my gross vulnerable underbelly.

...Okay.

[Farewell, well-meaning child crutches. Nate let Wade lead the way to wherever he felt most comfortable. The alcheME dorm?

Every time he staggered with pain, there was a flash of worry as Nate had to suppress the urge to lift him up. God, it was so hard...! And he was IN PAIN! The fretting was probably getting real loud.]

[alsga;sldkfha;

Wade spins and squeezes his hand on his chest like a flustered schoolgirl]

Your feelings are flowing into me~~! You're so caring, Nathan-kun!

[Oh god now it was his turn to be flustered. But also: annoyed at himself.]

Fat lotta good that does if I can't do anything about it.

It's nice though. It feels good.

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