[Well, he might regret this, but-- Stupid decisions ahoy. He's been full of them all day, why stop now?]
You should stop considering yourself my friend, then-- I was raised into it. I crave it.
[Then he feels a hand on his shoulder, though he ignores it because he's busy staring Atem down. But then Atem disappears from his sight, and so do the others, even the entire room is gone-- and now Shalem looks behind himself. He sees himself, the way he usually is on Rhodes Island... but with a knife-- he knows that knife, he many not have seen it in years, but he knows it. He sees himself raise the knife, and Shalem throws himself onto the ground to dodge it.
To the others, it looks like he's just thrown himself onto the floor for no damn reason.]
[He can vaguely hear someone trying to speak to him, but no more than that. The blood is rushing to his ears as he gets up and dodges the next strike from himself (17)-- from Abyss. He can tell, that's the face he sometimes sees when he looks in the mirror.]
Come now, you should have seen this one coming. It's always been yourself, has it not? You attempted to escape the abyss, but it's never been a physical location. It is you.
[And all Haruka will hear as Shalem frowns fiercely at thin air is him whispering harshly:] It is not. I left that place years ago! All I want is a normal life. Normal!
[There is something holding onto his arm. Shalem shakes it, and Haruka will note that he almost managed to wriggle out of that tenuous grasp, but Haruka will hold fast (13).
All Shalem perceives is that he can't move as freely as he used to, and Abyss knows.
And stabs Shalem in the gut, making him cough, and slide to his knees. He's bleeding out. He really sounds like he's dying.]
It's time you stopped denying us our chance, ■■. I wish to be free-- don't you?
[Well, he might not need to wait for longer...? (14)
It's a bit late, but he remembers that the answer to this, the "guide", is the answer to a riddle, one which Shalem answered "emotion" to... Though what emotion? He doesn't know. His closest and longest companion has been fear. Always fear.
It's always been his guide, and led him to Rhodes Island. Perhaps that was...?]
[Haruka will feel a hand grasping his wrist, and Shalem's previously limp form straightens.]
You needn't do that. [His accent has changed-- or perhaps it's reverted. He's British Victorian again. Does that make his soft, soft voice better, or worse?] Otherwise you might just rattle my skull off of my shoulders.
[...That voice change can't be good. A shift in demeanor like that? Having an entirely different voice after having your brain fucked with? Yeah, that's suspicious as all hell.
Haruka should probably be worried for his safety, but. Well, he doesn't really care.]
Maybe it'd do you some good. Get you out of your head for a bit.
[...How tightly is he holding onto his wrist, anyways?]
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And so it boils to this, at the very end. A straight-forward battle this will not be, I see.
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[His third eye shines brighter.]
You may won your game before... But I saw what you did upstairs... For your grave misconduct, you must play a Penalty Game!
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You should stop considering yourself my friend, then-- I was raised into it. I crave it.
[Then he feels a hand on his shoulder, though he ignores it because he's busy staring Atem down. But then Atem disappears from his sight, and so do the others, even the entire room is gone-- and now Shalem looks behind himself. He sees himself, the way he usually is on Rhodes Island... but with a knife-- he knows that knife, he many not have seen it in years, but he knows it. He sees himself raise the knife, and Shalem throws himself onto the ground to dodge it.
To the others, it looks like he's just thrown himself onto the floor for no damn reason.]
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This is really making the whole trying to intimidate Haruka into fucking off less effective.]
Shalem...?
[This must be the penalty game, of course, but that doesn't explain anything about why Haruka is just Fight Club-ing himself right now.]
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Come now, you should have seen this one coming. It's always been yourself, has it not? You attempted to escape the abyss, but it's never been a physical location. It is you.
[And all Haruka will hear as Shalem frowns fiercely at thin air is him whispering harshly:] It is not. I left that place years ago! All I want is a normal life. Normal!
Our normal is death and tragedy.
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You're not going to have a normal life if you don't snap out of it! Idiot!
[Aaaand here's Haruka trying to grab his arm, but with a 13 it shouldn't be too hard to avoid.]
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All Shalem perceives is that he can't move as freely as he used to, and Abyss knows.
And stabs Shalem in the gut, making him cough, and slide to his knees. He's bleeding out. He really sounds like he's dying.]
It's time you stopped denying us our chance, ■■. I wish to be free-- don't you?
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The Little Mermaid leans over his shoulders, and there's the glint of an Energy Shower being cast as he tries very hard not to panic.
but it'll get deflected since he got a four so. lmao.]
Oh, come on...
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Not really but you know.]
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Idiot! Bastard! Moron!
[UGH,]
1/???
It's a bit late, but he remembers that the answer to this, the "guide", is the answer to a riddle, one which Shalem answered "emotion" to... Though what emotion? He doesn't know. His closest and longest companion has been fear. Always fear.
It's always been his guide, and led him to Rhodes Island. Perhaps that was...?]
2/???
3/3
You needn't do that. [His accent has changed-- or perhaps it's reverted. He's
BritishVictorian again. Does that make his soft, soft voice better, or worse?] Otherwise you might just rattle my skull off of my shoulders.no subject
Haruka should probably be worried for his safety, but. Well, he doesn't really care.]
Maybe it'd do you some good. Get you out of your head for a bit.
[...How tightly is he holding onto his wrist, anyways?]
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I think I've been out of my mind for far, far too long. Don't you think?
[No context theatre, here.]
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...So, is this the "real" you?
[And now they're just sitting here, holding hands. Haruka shifts, but he doesn't try to pull away.]
Should I be concerned? Or nah?
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[He gives Haruka a pat on the shoulder, then stands. Takes a deep breath.]
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[He's not buying it, but whatever. It's not his problem unless he's going to put a knife in his gut, but... even that is like. Whatever.]
But I can play along.
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