[LP CYOA] Spiral

[Nevill]

Ok, just to make it clear. I do not argue your choice - in fact, I accept that there are legitimate, good reasons to give Shino Sr. a chance. I do not think I have a better proposition to make at the moment as to how else we can contact him.

I would argue your points, however. I believe that we hold different views on some characters and their motives, and that skims our perception of them to the point where we look at the same fact and draw opposite conclusions.

First things first, I think you are misrepresenting Uehara and mistaking what the old man said to her her:

She treats us differently now, just like she was kind to us before, felt sorry for us before when she took the charm etc., but until we give her a real reason to doubt the old man's words - ie, that killing us AFTER we remember EVERYTHING will get her her sister - I wouldn't trust her enough to flat out tell her about the other guy.

Now, I know that I can't prove this with hard facts, but I do not think that remembering EVERYTHING is a requirement to get her sister back. It is merely a justification to do something as unhinged as mutilating a stranger in a brutal and inhumane way. Someone who is not a stone cold sociopathic murderer usually can't even conceive such a thing, much less carry it out. I think she merely tried to encourage herself to go through this. It is the same reason for which the psychos get sent to asylums instead of death rows - the sentiment is that they can not be held responsible if they are not mentally capable of realizing their wrongdoings. It would make it much easier for her if we 'knew' we were eating newborns alive and were simply unrepentant than if we didn't know anything about it and screamed innocence all the way.

The question of our accountability for Seiji's actions is a whole other matter entirely. I think that the 'Dex consensus is that we aren't, since we are a separate entity. It isn't too hard to notice that Uehara is reluctantly beginning to accept that.

Therefore killing us AFTER we remember EVERYTHING is - from a technical standpoint - the same as killing us BEFORE. It's just simpler to do that to someone who is your enemy, from a psychological standpoint - and Shinoseki Adachi is not one, that's how we dissuaded her from a second attempt.

But that's not the only reason she attempted it. The second one was that when she arrived, she felt as if she lost her sister forever. She was extremely mentally unstable and unable to think clearly. She did what she did in a state of affect. I think we got her out of there by now, and provided her with a clear goal to pursue. I don't think she can murder us in cold blood anymore like she could before, unless provoked - and I don't mean 'by simply existing'.

What I think she can do if we fall on her wrong side: well, she can choose not to intervene when we are in need. The hospital has proven capable of killing us just fine. I believe she helped us of her own volition two times already: with the Nurse when she flat out saved our life, and with Kayano when she let us out. Three times if you count the stunt we did with Murano. If she thinks we are detrimental to the ultimate safety of the group she can merely choose to walk away next time it happens, throwing us under the bus. That is much more probable than her murdering us is a gruesome way with a silent consent from others.

Another possible concern is that the old man has plans for her. He explicitly allowed her to collect the talismans (we know he was searching for them himself), he fed her misinformation, and I think he intends to use her and our group to get to the center of the labyrinth on our backs. I believe that if we survive that far, there will be a confrontation and she will have to pick a side. We should therefore come up with a reason for her to choose ours before then, and that has little to do with our eligibility as a sacrifice.

TLDR: she is neither a murderer nor a crazy, and the scenario you are talking about is unlikely to happen even if Shino Sr. reveals himself. That is not to say she can't harm us in other ways, given a reason.

 

[Nevill]

Next, about the guy.

Bro, we have very little understanding of what is really going on here, Kayano's role in it, or the kind of threat she really poses. Seji flat out knows and made a judgement call. He even tried to warn us about the threat she posed, but we cut him off when we took back control.

Even with our limited understanding we know that if we killed anyone without due provocation, the group would panic, disperse and perish like they did in the previous nights. We knew Kayano was bad news, but we have prioritized group safety over the potential threat the old hag presented to us.

Seiji clearly does not care about their well-being. The guy is a sociopath to the core. Now, I am not saying that as a condemnation (we, too, simply chose to 'save the ones we care about', and we have left Murano for dead without much of a second thought), I simply state that it is clear we have different priorities. They might be reconciled, or they might not.

You are right in that there is merit in trying to talk it out with the guy. In fact, I myself always give the perceived antagonists a benefit of a doubt, and often receive flak for that (from none other than you, too).

There are things that scare me off, though.

I do not know how integral our personality is to our mind. It would be much easier for me to conduct Shino Diplomacy if I knew that we are here to stay and the other guy has to compromise. I do not know if we can't be purged or kept shoved into the recesses of our consciousness like we are doing with him. That's both funny and fucked up, because we are behaving like an asshole by usurping the body that isn't wholly ours, and justify that by assuming the other guy is even a bigger asshole based on hearsay and our glimpses of him. Everyone likes being in control, and the two times he tried to take it we brushed him off.

I would love to find a compromise, but the thought that keeps nagging me is - if I don't like others intervening with my business, why would the other guy? What if each time we give him control we make it easier for him to stay in control? What if one day we find out we can't go back? Was it even his doing that we were given life, and if so, did he plan around that?

Yeah, I know. Petty. Still, besides a brief flash of his intent about Seika, he gave us very little proof of his benevolence.

Edit: and at the risk of continuing yet another pointless theoretical argument: the others already were crazy enough to imprison indefinately the one guy capable of defending them.

They were under an impression that Kayano could defend them (obviously, since she can catch spirits like us). And, going by Sawada's words (whom I still do not think trustworthy), there were 10/10 tits involved to lower the barrier for critical thoughts. Both factors are no longer valid, since Kayano has fled and no one else could deal with Murano.

Besides, we are talking in the context of sacrifice. That's quite a bit different from murder.

Bottom line is, I think they need to become seriously affected for them to consider that course of action. For example, I think Kozaka might agree due to his circumstances (he has little to lose), Shiba and Sawada would abstain, but Sakimura and Amanozaki would refuse to kill us no matter what.

Desperation is key here, and as long as we keep making progress on the way out, we can hold it at bay.

 

[Kz3r0]

People here really want to try Shulgi diplomacy.

 

[Nevill]

People here really want to try Shulgi diplomacy.

It is worth noting that Shulgi was ultimately a benevolent figure... I think... or maybe that's what he wanted us to think, not sure.

If Ean didn't have his - let's be honest - misguided loyalty to his liege, a lot of stupid things and bloodshed could have been avoided.

By the time the Olympus disaster hit, both of them were mature enough to entertain cooperation. Then we have jumped the rift.

Damn, now I am talking myself into it.

 

[Nevill]

*sigh*

Since no one but Lambchop is willing to engage in discussion and provide even a modicum of insight why they are voting the way they do (sans for being Codexians), and since the rest of the regulars were last seen on Monday at best (so no hope for breaking the deadlock anytime soon), and since I am on the fence about it myself, fuck it. I will flop to G.

This is unbelievably stupid reckless and completely out of the blue, but we are no strangers to the 'brave the roof' decisions on a whim.

I am willing to cooperate with Seiji on his goal (rescuing Seika? achieving godhood? collecting 108 porn magazines?) provided he cooperates with us on ours (keeping the group safe).

Should this blow up in our faces spectacularly, I will hold Lambchop19 personally responsible (no, not even Azira). You won't hear the end of it, bro.

Also, this better be the last time we've heard the 'bros, let's kill Uehara, she is looking at us funny again' arguments. This is the future you chose.

Spoiler

 

[Azira]

What? I thought it was always my fault?!

 

[Nevill]

We are in a space-time anomaly. 'Always' does not hold the same meaning here.

However, I am willing to assign you 10% of the blame in compensations, lest people suspect that I am not a vindictive, spiteful himan being.

 

[treave]

>F

I don't know how to interpret this vote. Anything but F? Anything but will flop to F?

 

[Nevill]

He voted for E before, so - since it came right after Grimgravy voted for E>F - I assume that was an addition to the vote ('if not E then F is fine').

 

[treave]

Final tally:

D - 3
E - 2
F - 1
G - 5

Post-flop:

D - 3
F - 3
G - 5

Well, I didn't expect the joke option to win. We'll just have to roll with it.

 

[Azira]

Serves you right for providing us with a joke option.

 

[Nevill]

C-can it at least be the Brown Wedding type of joke and not a PRAY joke?

 

[treave]

No skin off my back even if the joke option did win.

I'm not entirely sure Shinohara Seiji is the sort to amuse himself with toilet humour though.

 

[Nevill]

Brown Wedding was a culmination of as opposed to PRAYing . Or worse yet,

Spoiler

Maybe Sei-chan turns out to be a misunderstood gentleman and a scholar. One can dream.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Bwahahahahahahaha!

 

[GreyViper]

F for FFS lets see how this high school drama turns out. Would give us ammunition if we survive this night and go next night. Props to Nevill for nice giff that surmises some of our choices.

 

[Kz3r0]

Well, I didn't expect the joke option to win. We'll just have to roll with it.

 

[Tigranes]

All you had to do was F nevill and we'd had had a tie

I'm traveling and have no time to rebut everything (and to be honest I've had a tough time keeping track of everything for this particular LP, though I still love reading it), but I really don't understand why it was D v. G in the first place. G is transparently wtfbbqjoke and D is again trying to diplotalk the Master with a 3 INT character.

My main worry is how Uehara will react upon seeing Seiji manifest. Depending on how it goes she may discover our split personality problem, really believe we are Seiji all along, etc - and that might make her think we have been fooling her or we are a risk and that we again need to be murdered.

 

[Nevill]

We have had a tie for two days now, of which I was effectively voting F for a day and a half.

In fact, I cockblocked the update with my E>D vote on Monday to have a tie (I am not actually in favor of D in any way) and properly DISCUSS things, and I feel bad about it because in the end it amounted to nothing but making the others wait.

but I really don't understand why it was D v. G in the first place

G is lulzy roflcopter. D is manly macho who chews ass and kicks gum. Both approaches have some fervent followers.

And, well, this is an unexpected turn of events, but it isn't necessarily bad. I can think of a few ways how the relationship can work out now that we have blurted our secret out instead of keeping it for an appropriately dramatic reveal.

My main worry is how Uehara will react upon seeing Seiji manifest.

That will depend on whether or not Adachi will be around to direct and moderate their, ah, conversation.

As far as we know, Seiji intends to rescue Seika - if we interpreted our flashbacks correctly. It should still be possible for all three of us to get what we want. And Uehara never met Seiji, she only knows him by rumors and the old man's words. Perhaps she will reach a different conclusion once she actually talks to him face to face.

It's a wild card, sure, but it might help us as well.

Depending on how it goes she may discover our split personality problem, really believe we are Seiji all along, etc - and that might make her think we have been fooling her or we are a risk and that we again need to be murdered.

You have to wonder, though, which one is worse - to be a villain who may or may not have reformed (Seiji all along taking the name of Adachi), or to be a split hero/villain personality who is trustworthy one moment, and a liability the next. In the end, this confirmation changes little, as she never truly doubted that we are Seiji in one way or the other, only how treacherous we really are. So far, we have not proven ourselves from that side yet.

It is up to how our alter-ego will present himself now.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Hopefully the chap will have a sense of humor/honor and not use the opportunity to butcher all of these annoying pests.

Spoiler

Not that it wouldn't be appreciated...

edit: and for the record, I had wanted to pick F>E before treave added the irresistible option...

 

[treave]

A Knife of Words

Your head stops just short of slamming into the desk, slowing down until the front of your skull makes a gentle tap against the dusty wood. “Desire can bring about many things in this place. Your desires and mine coincide,” you murmur. “You wanted me, so here I am.”

Folding your hands together, you lean back in the chair and observe the situation before you. “I see,” you say after a few seconds, nodding. “If you want to survive, do not interfere again.”

Is that a threat?

“It is a fact.”

A careful, manufactured smile rises on your lips, and you speak. “Kozaka Touma-kun.” You do not yell, but the polite cadence of your words carries with it an air of authority: it is a voice that draws attention, and you can hardly believe it has sprung from your own vocal cords. It is enough to quiet the argument, and to turn their gazes to you.

“What… what is it, Shinoseki-san? Do you have anything to say about this? This does not concern you!” says Kozaka belligerently.

“You are disrupting my reading. Obviously it concerns me.” Still keeping that obsequiously gentle tone, you continue talking to Kozaka. “Now, I do understand your concern, Kozaka Touma-kun. Let me provide you with some counselling, so that you are more aware of your own thoughts. Your fear of this place, the terror of your impending death, and your severe inferiority complex have all conspired together to drive you insane. Do not be ashamed. It is perfectly understandable.”

The others are stunned into silence by your words.

Kozaka snarls, turning towards you in a posture threatening imminent violence. “You-“ The creeping black patterns are already peeking above his collar, swirling angrily as if to match his agitation.

“But it changes nothing.” You stand up, causing the boy to freeze where he is, as if something about you has set off alarms in his head. “You are still driven by weakness, no matter how much you lash out. You act from impatience and anxiety because you long for a girl that will never look at you the same way. After all, you will never be as athletic or as good-looking as your best friend, and is it not only through pity that you are permitted to be in their company?”

“That’s… that’s not true,” Sakimura is the first to raise a protest, though it may be that he is speaking up in his own defense and not Kozaka’s. “What the hell are you saying, Shinoseki! You know nothing about us!”

“I know what I see, Sakimura Yuuki-kun. I see that you are unwilling to let go of someone that you regard as a burden, just because you think it is not the right thing to do. Admirable… but dishonest.”

Shiba screams, shaking her head in frustration. “Hey, just shut up already about Yuuki-kun! You’re not helping matters at all!”

“Shino…seki…” Uehara is giving you a wide-eyed stare. You ignore her, turning your attention back to the trembling Kozaka.

“See? Even at such times, she cares more about what I say of Sakimura Yuuki-kun.”

“N-no… I…” Shiba claps her hands over her mouth. “I didn’t…”

“It’s… always…” mutters Kozaka. “He’s always…”

What are you trying to do?

“Kozaka Touma-kun, does it hurt?”

What are you doing?

“It hurts… it hurts... it hurts…” Kozaka rambles, staring at the floor as if attempting to bore a hole through it with sight alone.

Hey, what’s the point of saying all this?

“It hurts. Of course it does. All of your sorrow, your anger and your hatred… all of your malice, borne of your own weakness and the actions of others. All of it hurts, and you will never escape it. That mark on your neck grows by the minute, your life shortens by the second, and you will die never having known Shiba Tsukimi’s touch.” Your counselling session ends with a whisper, your words gently sinking into Kozaka’s psyche like a knife.

He wails out loud, going to his knees. It is the scream of a desperate animal, raw and hoarse, with no rationality behind it. The shadows under his skin burst forth, smothering him in darkness. His scream turns into a babbling of incomprehensible syllables, much like Murano did.

“Touma!” Sakimura yells, rushing to his friend’s side.

What have you done?!

“The poison has to be drawn out before it can be cured,” you say calmly. “We will bring it forth, we will defeat it…” Opening your hand, you summon Ei. The black book appears with a rattling of chains. “…and then we will devour it.”

“What did you do to Kozaka?” demands Shiba. You notice the darkness that has begun worming forth from the corner of her right eye. It is something that both influences and can be influenced by the mental state of the person trapped in its grip, resulting in a positive feedback loop of emotional instability. You turn to look at the maid, who is hiding behind a table, shivering. Her, and Shiba: of the ones remaining in this room, it is they and Kozaka who are irreversibly doomed, marked by an inescapable fate.

With Kozaka’s transformation affecting their mental state, it would not require more than a few choice words to cause a chain reaction…

***

A. Your desires no longer coincide. You attempt to stop things from devolving further, before Kozaka, Shiba and the maid are killed and fed to the book.

B. You were warned not to interfere. You stay out of it. Those three cannot be saved anyway; this is just moving things up the schedule.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Ayup, sitting out of this vote.

 

[Nevill]

Edit: well, at first I just wanted to let it burn, but on a more serious note...

This group can't be patched up anymore, so I don't see why we should even try. There was always something off about those 'extras', and if they are marked as the ones who can't escape, well, too bad. Didn't want to fascilitate it, but I guess there is no reason not to, now.

DEVOUR SOUL. B.

 

[Kz3r0]

B.

 

[Azira]

MWAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!

B