NICO

[foreverphantom]

Comments

[foreverphantom]

[ blinks a few times ]

Oh! Right, yeah, we did too, actually. The white paper--was it a handwritten note?

[resumed]

[ a sharp nod. ]

Yup. And was your handwritten note a plan about how to get all of us to cooperate in this competition?

[foreverphantom]

Not...exactly?

Unless your idea of "getting us to cooperate" is about how screwed we are if we lose.

[resumed]

Coercion kind of counts as cooperating when you're a villain. [ but he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a white paper to share with him.

it says: The stakes so far have been too boring. It’s no fun when all they do at the end of the day is go home, so for the next round, we’ll spice it up a bit. If they want a chance for anyone to return at all, they’ll have to take that chance from someone else.

One death each week is enough to keep the door open. Kill, or lose everything any of them have cared about. Let’s see how heroic they can be in those conditions. ]

But yeah, it's also about how screwed we are if we lose. [ so that sucks. ]

[foreverphantom]

Well that's a totally normal thing to say about literally anything.

Here's the one we got. [ Danny pulls out his phone and shows a picture of a note!

These heroes are unable to return to the worlds they call home while they have yet to win their competition. If a team loses, all those within the team, present and future, those worlds they hail from will come under the light of the moon. Those worlds will be forever changed with the loss of the heroes hailing from them. There is nothing better than a hero under distress.

By winning they will be putting their companions here at risk. By losing, their homes will be rewritten to be completely different, erasing their place within it. A dire situation indeed. A benefit no matter the outcome. ]

[resumed]

[ he's reading it...and he scowls immediately because why is this somehow even stupider. he hates it here. ]

Great. So we have absolutely zero option but to play along if this is really true. Otherwise the door closes and we automatically lose anyway. [ but also. ] I can't say I like the idea of worlds being forever changed without us in them either.

[foreverphantom]

Mmm.

Whoever's running the show really wanted to force everyone's hands. "A benefit no matter the outcome." Yeah, to them, I bet.

[resumed]

No doubt. Not that I can even start to guess what kind of benefit that may be. But I'm not letting myself or anyone else be a sacrifice for whatever plan they have.

[foreverphantom]

Or a pawn. I hate getting pushed into situations just for someone else's benefit. Or entertainment.

[resumed]

I thought I was done with that for a while. [ both of them are on the same wavelength here. ] We know their rules. It's going to be all about rewriting them instead.

[foreverphantom]

[ the way these two are VIBING ]

Well. We think we know their rules. They added some new ones this week. Who's to say they won't add more?

[resumed]

Do not jinx us. [ no! ] While I may have thought of that possibility I already rejected it because dude, no, that sucks. They can't add more rules, these are already bad.

[ but. ]

On the other hand am I the only one who thinks it's a little weird they then added another one after they shared the game rules on Monday?

[foreverphantom]

Oh, it's definitely weird. Like they hit 'enter' too soon and had to go back to add the rest.

[resumed]

My next question is who's even updating them? We know it's not the leaders, so where are these people that have access to our network or whatever so we can fight them for making dumb rules?

[foreverphantom]

[ snorts ] You reeeeaaaally hate this secret-telling rule, huh?

[resumed]

[ he hates all rules, but also. ]

...I'm just saying. It's not a secret if you have to tell somebody.

[foreverphantom]

I mean, most secrets are known by more than one person. And sometimes, they're like...hardly even something you want to keep hidden.

...but yeah, being forced to give one out in the first place sucks.

[resumed]

[ he raises an eyebrow because that part he's less sure on? there are some secrets he'll keep to himself and would rather never share until he dies but he recognizes that's just him being extreme. ]

What do you think is going to happen if we don't follow that rule? It came up belatedly, so maybe it's more of a suggestion than anything.

[foreverphantom]

[ oh big same nico. but sometimes..."random benign facts people didn't know about you" can also count as a secret! or at least it does to danny, so that he doesn't have to share any of the real ones ]

You planning on testing that out and seeing for yourself?

[resumed]

[ listen do you think he's smart enough to think about that. the answer is no. but to be fair that's because [mumbles in lore garbage.] ]

Not on purpose, but if it happens it happens. [ he seems to think tempting fate is fine in this case. ] ...though realistically I know I won't be able to get away with it, but it's a thought.

[foreverphantom]

I'd say you could "stick it to the man" by ignoring it, but I think that'd mostly just backfire on yourself without affecting them at all.

[resumed]

Considering "the man" won't even show his face, you're right. And then I'd have to listen to why it's a bad idea to break rules and how dangerous it is and how I shouldn't be so reckless about these things. [ he kind of rolls his eyes. ]

...maybe it's just easier to make something up. It's not like anybody's going to know.

[foreverphantom]

"The Man" might know.

[resumed]

Then "the man" can come fight me and I can explain why this is a stupid rule. Either way it'd work out in my favor in this incredibly hypothetical situation.

[foreverphantom]

[ laughs ] If "the man" comes to fight you, text me ASAP because I have to see it.