traumapost

[crusthatecean]

[This is a game post for Alena and Karkat]

Comments

[crusthatecean]

I don't have one. The other knights, the ones who've been here longer, they'll have something, they'll come up with a way to prevent anyone from dying. I've seen them. It's what we do.

But you're stuck with me, and I know jack shit, and all I have to offer is that at least I won't get you killed, too.

[fighting_alena]

I'm grateful for that, but...

Pretend we're not heroes or knights, or even at Aather for a second. Then what would you say?

[crusthatecean]

That's a ridiculous hypothetical. I don't know what it's like not to be a hero or a knight.

The only substantial memory I have is of me cowering in a storage block waiting for an insane demon to roll over my best friends and crying to some girl about how I fucked everything up. So maybe I'm a coward, maybe I should just go hide and leave you to it if we're going with outside Aather.

Except that memory sickens me. I want to go there and punch myself in the thorax in the hopes it will make a bulge descend, because god damn it I do not want to be someone who sits around and feels sad and scared when there is shit that can be done, and I do not want to cause anyone else to die.

[fighting_alena]

...All right. If you're going to go that far, then we can say you're the chosen one.

[crusthatecean]

Good.

[...Or not, he's just a kid and scared, and a large part of him doesn't want this. But not going to admit to any of that, even if he's not completely good at hiding his fear.]

Now we just have to decide what to put up to prevent my untimely death. I have nothing but my clothes, only I'm assuming this is more psychological bullshit and abstractions count.

I expect you to fight for me too. What's most important to you here?

[fighting_alena]

[thinks about it for a second...]

My team has a marble which can bring someone back to life, once...

[crusthatecean]

What is the point of that if they always bring us back?

[fighting_alena]

Sometimes they make your friends quest for it, or the revival hurts. This is free and painless.

But I don't know if anyone else on my team will think of using that.

[crusthatecean]

If death means something, it's too valuable when I'm coming back. If death is cheap, it's not worth anything. And it's your team's...

[sigh]

We're thinking of this the wrong way. There isn't any object or skill we could offer that couldn't be quested for again. If we can get it back through a quest, it's not worth anything, although maybe about as much as a life we can get back, too.

If we want to win, it has to be something we can't just fix afterwards. Based on the games I've seen, I'm thinking it won't be something tangible. Think about ideas. I could offer them my pride, maybe after we get out of here put up a billboard of all my most humiliating inner emotions.

[fighting_alena]

It wasn't a quested for item, it was rewarded after another game like this.

You sure about that?

[crusthatecean]

I'm not sure about any of this. Do I look like I have any idea what I'm doing?

But most of these games have a bizarre logic, you're supposed to find the loophole.

[fighting_alena]

If we're offering intangible things then I'm not sure what to offer though.

[thinking it over...]

[crusthatecean]

...Just remember that I'll come back. So. No hard feelings, if it doesn't work out. Don't give up anything too important.

[Trying and failing not to sound concerned.]

I think I know what mine will be.

[fighting_alena]

[nods]

Maybe I can offer a sense or something...

[crusthatecean]

A sense, like your sight or something?

Not permanently! God, let's refrain from maiming ourselves for a problem that will, realistically, be immediately reversed!

[fighting_alena]

I can't think of anything else!

Maybe we can add a time limit, 'lose a sense for a few days'.

[crusthatecean]

...Yeah. Okay. That makes sense.

If that's okay with you, I mean. I'm not going to tell you how much or little you have to value my life. But that would work.

[fighting_alena]

[...gosh, I just had a thought]

Wait, if I tell them I'll lose my sight for a few days, they might have me gouge out my own eyes...

[crusthatecean]

[Torn between grossed out and indignant he's going to fucking die here.]

So just tell them the offer is conditional on it being painless!

[fighting_alena]

That's too much! They'll never go for it then. They're out for blood.

...maybe I could say I'll sacrifice half of my blood.

[crusthatecean]

[Shudders]

Can you even survive that?

[fighting_alena]

I don't know...

Okay, a quarter of my blood. Sound good?

[crusthatecean]

If that's what you want.

Do you have any kind of weapons on you?

[fighting_alena]

My iron claw.

[crusthatecean]

I don't know what an iron claw is, but I think I'll pass. I have a knife.