Go Fish: Trauma Edition

[idolpro]

Who: Naughty little fishes
Where: Game Tower
When: Day 527


[So there you are, minding your own business on a completely normal day.]

[Then you blink —



[— and find yourself, and many other idols, in an unfamiliar room.]

[The room is large and round and made of glass, like a globe. ...No, like a fish bowl.]

[On the other side of the glass walls, you can see indistinct shapes moving around, but the glass distorts the light so much that anything farther than arm’s length is just vague smears of colors and shadow blending with your own reflection. But something is there. Possibly a lot of somethings. ]

[Two formless shapes approach the glass, and as they do, their images resolve into the shapes of a pair of twins, one grinning while the other pointedly looks away from his brother. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the one who actually looks cheerful about being here is the first to speak up:]

Guess what~? You’ve been chosen to play in our very first game. Isn’t that exciting?

[He throws his arms out theatrically.]

Especially after soooo many boring games. The audience is looking for excitement and thrills here! Why not take the chance to really cement yourself as the fan favorite while you have the chance? Heck, it might even fix your little... “problem.”

[There’s a beat of silence, and he moves to elbow his brother who shoots him a “hey what the hell?” look before reluctantly facing the gathered idols.]

...Make sure you protect yourselves. Otherwise...

[He just lets the thought trail off before looking away again. His brother leans on him, resting an elbow on his shoulder as though waiting for him to continue before finally giving up and shaking his head with a sigh.]

You heard him! Give this game all you’ve got - got it?

Comments

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

Yeah. I can imagine. [ Feeling useless suuuuuucks. ]

I know you'd do it no matter what, but I'm still grateful. How could I not be? [ This is the most important person in her life lying here, and Lupine's fighting off whatever reactions to being tortured he might have had to fix him. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ Just a sIV Tuesday. ]

I'd feel the same way, I'm sure.

[ Making a lot of progress on Doc here, as slow and careful as it is. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

Watching you and Cari in there didn't do me any favors either. Or Robin. Or --

[ She stops abruptly, mainly because most of her wants to start screaming again. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ The smallest, grayest smile for her. ]

Yeah. Going first was definitely — the best option.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

[ She bites her cheek enough to draw blood to keep from saying that she wishes she threw this one. Causality tried, but she couldn't. She'd been too scared of the consequences mean she hurts everyone again. Besides, she made a promise. ]

There were no good options. They designed it that way. [ The raw hate in her voice could curdle milk. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ ...Yeah, the air between them is kind of thick with her misery. He refocuses on Doc's injuries, thinking. ]

Going first meant I didn't have to watch any of the other teams get hurt.

[ Still had to deal with LiliS getting hurt, but. That part was inevitable. ]

Best of a bad lot.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

[ A very shaky breath ]

I don't mean to make this worse, I'm sorry. It's just -- what you went through matters just as much and I don't want to lose sight of that. [ "best" or not, it was still fucking awful. And she's super done making her own misery the only thing that matters in her relationships (or, at least, she's trying her best to be done, it's hard right this minute). ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ Shaking his head, though he doesn't look up from what he's doing. ]

You're not making anything worse, and I'm pretty sure I'm the one being dismissive about what my team went through. S'probably some kind of crummy coping mechanism.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

It's probably better than whatever it is I'm doing.

[ Which is, as usual, getting her sad feelings all over everyone in the vicinity. ]

Just out of curiosity, is it better? Being able to help after these things, even if it's... [ well, sIV powers ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

—For just one game? Yeah. It's better.

As an occupation? I think both options probably suck about the same amount.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

I've tried a few times not to get healed up after games. You know, to try and spare them. It never goes over well.

[ What is this topic of conversation? Oh yeah better than discussing what Lupine's currently doing, that's what. ]

Why can't the games be all Drunk Cards and spy wordgames?

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

Yeah, they don't like that. Heh. I can get why.

[ Another pause to wipe sweaty palms on his clothes, then back to work. ]

Being sIV and not getting to heal someone is probably the worst option of all of them.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

I'll take your word for it. [ She's not going to pretend to understand and she doesn't have the brainpower to spare on figuring it out right this minute. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ ...He needs to keep his focus on Doc, but it's a struggle not to look up at her.

Redoubling his efforts, so that he can — a few minutes later — sit back and murmur, ]

There. That's as good as I think we're getting without him being [ alive ] awake to tell us if anything still hurts.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

[ She chances a look over at Doctor, instantly regrets it. Before he was dead and deformed, but now he's just dead -- which isn't worse, but it's sure not much better. ]

[ The strangled sound she makes is probably heartbreaking ]

...Thank you.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ Wiping his hands off again, but he startles a tiny bit and points a smile at her. ]

Anytime.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

I'm sorry if I made things harder. Just... how do you do this?

Maybe I'll have to get used to it, I don't know. I've never seen him die before. And in most games we don't have to watch.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

You didn't make anything harder.

[ He definitely looks somewhat the worse for wear, but that's whatever. ]

Most games, yeah. This wasn't the first one where they thought it'd be fun, though.

[ He's seen other people's memories of the aftermath of games like this. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

[ uuuuugh ]

Hopefully it doesn't happen often.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

First time since I've been here, at least.

[ Now, he should be finding a pep. Someone to apply the energy recharge so they can get Doc back on his feet. But it's... he might need a moment before he can actually stand up. This is not the kind of exertion that energizes him. ]

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

[ just hovering nearby, trying not to seem as concerned as she is ]

My new unitmate had on pep! clothes. Hopefully he got randomized into the right power set.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ Tiniest bit of relief in his posture. ]

—Fingers crossed.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

It'd fit today perfectly if they took my 6,000 points and he ended up unable to raise the dead anyway.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[at_heart]

[ ...Well, his smile slips. ]

We'll make it work.

Re: Endgame // vague bodyhorror

[sangreine]

Mm. [ She leans down to gather Doctor up, very gently, and predictably this makes her start crying again but she's planning to ignore that. ]

Falling in love is such a dumb idea. [ She doesn't actually mean it just right now this very second it kinda sucks ]