imeeji_frontstage | Betrayal 3: Traitor Only Session

Who: You lot
When: To be inserted into the timeline after completion
What: A Certain Game

[ You are in an elevator, and it is not ascending into the Game Tower, no. This time, it's taking you down. You can feel it in the pit of your stomach, watch through the glass chassis as stone scrolls up and away and all around you becomes darkness.

And then, a screen flickers on. A bright, cheerful woman with fluffy pigtails waves at you with one hand, a brightly colored plastic crazy straw that's been speared through a few mango chunks in her other. Exael winks and speaks to the camera.

"And with summer comes what we all look forward to~ Summer Break! It's time to get away from hot stuffy Tokyo, and get away from it all! And so, everyone, we've brought your faa~avorite idols home here to you! In one of our very special hotels, for a very special game! Clasp your hands in prayer, hope real hard, and maybe you'll get a front row seat to their presence in the Hotel Omphalos!"

"May this show grant you Mirth, because soon starts—"

The broadcast cuts out.

The light does not return, as the elevator doors open. Instead, color so bright it can't be drowned out by the darkness spills in, and erodes the car away. You are left standing in an unfamiliar Hotel, and the game is just beginning. ]

INSTRUCTIONS | NAVIGATION | MAP

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh. Oh no, Raven, what happened...

[ she gets up from the poolside, shaking her feet to dry them a little, before padding over to him. ]

[he skitters away from her at first, wary, but doesn't try to run]

Cosmo and Absinthe happened. And... Nero.

[ she closes the distance, cups his face in her hands, brushes a hand back through his hair, comfortingly—

and then stops still when she hears him mention Nero. ]

Nero—?

[he leans into the touch despite himself, despite his anxiety and fear, he misses her touch so much, misses being treated gently.

he brings his hand up to tap on the edge of the horizontal gash across his neck]

He said I was his... rival. And the only way to get stronger... was to defeat me.

Oh... he did it because of me, didn't he.

That's what he said. You, and Dva, and Jason. As though I... stole all of you from him. He thought I was a threat. But he's wrong. I'm nothing... compared to him.

...he knows he doesn't need to do that to have my love, but he does it anyway...

[ there's something

not quite right about the way she says that.

she's still just gently brushing his hair, though, wrapping him up closer in her arms. ]

[yeah, that's... not reassuring. but he can't stop himself from leaning towards her, craving her touch, her affection]

It hurts so much, Shrike.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry—

...just, don't think about him. Don't think about any of them, I'm here now...

You love him more than anyone else, don't you?

I—

[ traitorsona jealousy math calculation in progress ]

Does he matter that much to you?

Yes. He's... my brother. My son. He was... the first friend I ever had, I think.

Of course—you should love him, everyone should, but—

[ she's maybe starting to hold him uncomfortably tightly. ]

...you wouldnn't, would you? Try to take him for your own?

This is enough, right?

[goes tense]

... let me go, Shrike.

I—

...I can't, I—

[ he shouldn't be afraid, why is he afraid, what's wrong— ]

I don't want to. Why? Why do you... need to go...

Let me go! Let me go, Shrike! You promised to protect me!

[struggling to get her to release him]

[ the fear in his voice throws her off balance a little, loosens her grip— ]

I want to—I, just...

Are you scared of me?

[he takes the opportunity to shove her away from him, stumbling back]

Of course I am! You, you're just like him--you think I'm going to take something from you, but you're wrong! You're the ones who take from me! You'll take and take and take until there's nothing left!

[takes a wheezing breath]

But I won't let you this time. I won't let you!

[turns on his heel and starts to run, stumbling as he does]

Wait, please—

[ she reaches, as if to catch the back of his shirt, but she's also—

unsettled, just being here. this room feels like things that shouldn't be in this story. ]

If there's someone else, I'll—I'll show you, that you don't need them—

Leave me alone!

[he practically howls it at her as he runs, and curses under his breath as his bad leg keeps making him stumble]

[ she just

collapses to the floor, sobbing.

this isn't how it's supposed to go. why— ]

Betrayal 3: Traitor Only Session

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