shortforever | Week 4, Friday night

[Okay yeah so he's grabbing Ken and Ayabe because he has important information to share with them.]

Hey. I got this letter, and I think it's from Dazai. Help me figure it out.

[And then he shows them the letter:]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

shortforever

Bandaged one is probably him, I'd guess? So maybe that one line there is him waving at us and saying hi.

...then the next one means he's not angry at you, Ayabe.

[Welp. That needed to be said, but it's still sad.]

From:

kazokun

Mm...

[ As long as he's not mad... It's the next few lines that make him frown. ]

Is he telling us to celebrate and be happy? That's stupid. Or that he's the one who glitter bombed the room and he's laughing at us.

[ Both, probably, even though it just pissed Ayabe off. ]

From:

hamaoned

I think he's referring to the glitter and confetti that we found in the room the other night.

[ or he's partying in the afterlife. who really knows, honestly. ]

The rest of it seems pretty self-explanatory, doesn't it? Don't kill people since it makes the house stronger.

From:

shortforever

Yeah, that's gotta be him claiming responsibility for the glitter. But he might also be saying not to be sad too.

I think he's saying he's watching over the house too.

['Don't kill people since it makes the house stronger.' That would've been good to know before two people went and murdered.]

From:

kazokun

How are we supposed to not be sad...

[ We can't all be as strong as Ken and Brilith. If Dazai and the other ghosts can do things like make glitter happen and send notes, it'd be nice to have something more direct. Something not emojis that are very difficult to take seriously.

He points at the last section. ]

What's this one? House eats ghost.

From:

hamaoned

[ ken is not even gonna touch how do you not feel sad because ken is powering through that at the moment. someone give this child space to grieve properly.... ]

I think it means that the house is hungry more than it eats ghost. The people the house eats become ghost.

[ wow that's oddly specific ken! ]

From:

shortforever

[yeah that is extremely specific!]

Do you know something we don't?

From:

kazokun

[ House is hungry... We're going to pretend this is in his and Ken's room so Ayabe can slowly lower himself back to lying down and place a pillow over his face. ]

This house... is it like a living being?

From:

hamaoned

[ it's a good thing that ayabe is lying down for this. ]

It is.

[ he means the house, of course. ]

I've been writing to Blue and then I saw one of their memories, but... [ well, while people were invading roomes— ] I also met with Blue recently. We spoke for a little while.

From:

shortforever

You met Blue?

[A pause.]

Okay. Is he a furry like the girls?

From:

kazokun

[ Oh, he is so glad he's lying down when Ken says this. ]

Blue is... [ real? ] alive? We found a dinner party invitation addressed to him, in that room. Valentines day, just like it was for us.

[ So if that's to be believed, Blue is somebody like them. Hopefully not a furry, but you never know.

From:

hamaoned

[ the timing was perfect. but he'll do his best to "nod" at chuuya and ayabe. ]

They weren't like the rest of the girls—they were... [ weird, tbh, but that's not what ken says. ] Lonely.

What's going on here isn't anything that they wanted. The house promised to be their friend and instead trapped them here to play this game.

From:

shortforever

So...that list my group found, that's probably legit? They've been through this several times before?

[Wow, now Chuuya kind of feels bad for Blue.]

Do they have any idea of how to stop this?

From:

kazokun

[ The two of them are taking this better than Ayabe, who is still stuck on "the house is sentient and Blue just wanted friends" ]

If he knew how to stop this, he probably would've done so already. Or told people. [ like, in person like he did with Ken? instead of emojis or some other cryptic message ]

How'd you meet him?

From:

hamaoned

[ look ken is actually a hairpin away from losing it completely. ]

Oh, you weren't here when Chuuya came back. Here you go, Ayabe.

[ presenting note to ayabe to read. ]

There were probably a handful of the previous attempts that Blue has done to stop what's been happening. And I've met them in their room.

[ simple enough???? ]

I just rang the bell and they let me in.

From:

shortforever

[Huh! Guess he'll have to try talking to Blue next week.

Also this isn't the weirdest thing he's ever seen, so.]

The thing I don't get is why they don't just leave. There must be something tying them to this house, otherwise they could just walk away from it all.

[ :|a]

We need to get information on what they've tried to do. We've got plenty of smart people here, between all of us we might be able to think of something Blue hasn't tried.

From:

kazokun

[ We have smart people here? Good luck to the smart people. ]

Are these things he tried himself? Is the last one ours...?

[ Leave their metaphysical hearts alone. That does make him frown, though. ]

In that room yesterday, I talked with somebody on the phone. He said he was a friend, but was asking really weird things like "Where is your heart?" or "What makes your heart strong?" I thought it was Blue, but... it's the house?

From:

hamaoned

[ they have. people. ]

They're the previous rounds...given what people have learned about from other ghosts it would make sense.

[ wow ayabe imagine how something that seems to be a throwaway experience could mean something. honestly, ken will make sure ayabe rests after this. ]

But probably was the house if you were hurt right afterwards or had your life threatened. [ shame they couldn't check to see if it was red and spooky. ] The house obviously doesn't want us to trust Blue because then the game would be over.

From:

shortforever

...where is your heart? He asked that?

[Yeah, give him a moment. While Ken is talking, he's going to check himself for a pulse. Mods say he has one, so he's going to just. Reach for Ayabe's hand to check for his pulse too. Ken is next after that too, provided neither of them fight him doing that.]

From:

kazokun

Yeah. I said it was with... [ ... ] Well. It doesn't matter.

[ He lets Chuuya take his wrist. It's limp, his hand is cold, and his pulse races. All signs of him still having trouble breathing, but it makes it easy to feel. ]

The person on the other line hung up on me, and dropped monsters into the room, so.

[ Definitely the house. ]

From:

hamaoned

[ stares at ayabe...

also ken is going to withdraw his hand when chuuya reaches out for it because excuse you?? what are you doing?? he's not going to comment on it because he just thinks it's weird but not something to bring verbal attention to. ]

It was definitely the house.

[ 0 surprise. ]

Well, I guess we know that the letter we write to the dead are letters that they can respond to. [ let's say that ken is sitting on his "bed" (the chaise) so he can curl up on it. ] ...but if we win and beat the game—we won't have to worry about that because everyone will be free.

[ just about beating the game now. ]

From:

shortforever

[Wow, rude Ken! But two answers is enough for him to talk about it and explain his thought process.]

We have heartbeats, so it's not a literal thing. It's gotta be something more like...a metaphor. Like for what we care about, or whatever.

[Which makes him wonder what Ayabe told him, because clearly it was enough to get the house to attack him.]

Also, you're really cold. Do you need a blanket or something?

From:

kazokun

[ I was going to say something about Ken still sleeping on the chaise even though Dazai's been gone for a week, but then I remembered about Ayabe being murderer adjacent the entire week too and maybe Ken doesn't want to share a bed with him. ]

I'm fine, Chuuya. I don't feel that cold.

[ But he does flex his fingers a little, like that'd help the blood circulate a little better. ]

This game... I still don't get it. Everybody coming back to life... that can't be possible either, can it? The dead stay dead. We can't take back our actions...

From:

hamaoned

[ depending on how things go, maybe sharing a bed could be something on the table. ]

What we care about? [ now there's consideration. also he's looking at chuuya and hoping that he'll do him a solid and get ayabe a blanket. also, sorry about the hand thing. ] That's a bit abstract.

And I don't get this game either, but that's what Blue told me. If we figure out the game and win, everyone will be free. That'll include the people who were before us.

[ a deeper sigh. ]

Still, yeah, our actions won't be forgotten and will solely depend on the people who where involved whether they forgive or if they don't.

From:

shortforever

Maybe it's something like...we gotta forgive a monster? But no, we cured Hunter and that didn't stop the game. But it still feels like it involves the monsters somehow.

[Hm. What the game is really about...It can't just be about killing a trials, since they can vote wrong and still continue on with the game. But what is the real purpose?

Also, that response from Ayabe gets Chuuya to scoff.]

Your hands are freezing! Here-

[Time to grab the cold hand again! This time he's sandwiching it between his two hands though.]

Can't you feel the difference?

From:

kazokun

Wha- Uh...

[ He lifts his other hand to sandwich Chuuya's too. This is the saddest second attempt at holding hands and they're really doing this here. In front of Ken. ]

Yeah, you're warm.

[ There is no good way to him to go back to talking about the monster house, I don't know how to end this tag without Ken just staring at them awkwardly. ]

From:

hamaoned

[ yeah.

he's staring at them.

there's no way you can go back to talking about doom and monsters when there are two guys holding hands right in front of him. ken really doesn't know what to do with this information either. i mean. he isn't against it. but. warmth, right?

hmmm.

i'm not sure what ken is supposed to do. does...he join in? he isn't in the mood to leave ayabe after everything but also................. ]

From:

shortforever

[Wow you guys it's not that gay!!1 Let Chuuya be the mother hen for a bit.]

See? You're cold. Ken, is there another blanket in here somewhere?

[They can talk house stuff in a moment.]

From:

kazokun

[ No, being mothered is too weird. ]

...You can bring it here and stay here, Ken. If you want. Since Dazai's no longer here.

[ Sleeping on the chaise must be uncomfortable? You can't move, and one of the sides is blocked off so your arm's just sort of pinned there. ]

From:

hamaoned

[ all of this is weird. friendship is weird.

also let's be real ken definitely stole blankets from the astrology tower and brought them back here the first chance he got. so it's not as though he hasn't made himself a nice little "nest" but at the same time a chaise is not a bed. ]

Wouldn't it bother you?

[ he's still trudging over with blankets in tow because chuuya requested some. nice, fluffy, and warm. ]

We'd both have space like this.

From:

shortforever

[Friendship is very weird.]

It might make him feel better, after everything that's happened in the last week.

[Time to get that blanket over Ayabe! Here, stay warm.]

I can't stay here, I have to go keep an eye on Akira. So I'd feel better knowing you're close by him.

[Not just for Ayabe's sake either, Ken looks like he could use a hug at the very least.]

From:

kazokun

Thanks. [ The blanket goes over his legs instead of being tucked in, because something something if your feet are warm the rest of you is warm? ] It's not uncomfortable. It's not like I've never shared a bed with my siblings before.

[ And he's also shared with Dazai, who is a LIAR, Ayabe doesn't cuddle and he won't be with a broken arm. Ken's going to have to go sit on his right side. ]

How is Akira, anyways? He really believes in the staff here. And he tried to get me to write to Blue, when I was feeling... [ murderous rage ] ...down.

[ He makes a face at that. The letter exchange was weird and we're not going to talk about it. ]

From:

hamaoned

[ ken is gonna stare at chuuya for that very strange statement because wow, hasn't this entire week been so much for everyone in this entire room??? admittedly some people are far worse for wear but minor details. also he wants to say something about how it's less weird for ayabe as it is for him.

has ken shared a bed with another person outside of his mother? likely not. so instead of talking about his feelings, let's agree to focus on akira. ]

Last I saw of Kurusu-san... [ hm. ] I think we're feeling similar things. Both of us believe in the staff here and figuring out this game.

[ except ken is likely to be decidedly far more murderous of the two of them but that's not going to come up. he'll climb onto the bed though. just at the foot of it as though he was testing the waters. ]

From:

shortforever

He's okay. It's hard for him to move around though, which is why I wanna keep an eye on him.

[Guys, it's not weird to share beds and keep an eye on each other! He and Akira have been doing it for weeks and they're just good friends.]

Yeah, he wants us to befriend them all. We argued about it a couple times at the beginning of the game too.

[But it's late, and he should head back before this thread gets too awkward, so!]

We can talk more plans after the trial. See you guys then.

From:

kazokun

[ I hope Ayabe and Ken can be murder buddies someday. ]

I'm still not sure about them, but... we'll see. Good night, Chuuya. We'll catch up tomorrow.