Look, I had to say it that way, 'cause I couldn't believe it myself when I first showed up here...
[ the look on his face now is... incredulous, and it won't take long for tomi to find out why. ]
Remember when we were joking about this place being some kind of shitty Silent Hill ripoff? Well... we actually weren't wrong. I really think that's where we are—on this side, at least. I dunno what it means, but like, the stuff that happens here are just too similar to dismiss it.
Dude, this is why I asked! It sounds like total bullshit, right? But no, it's literally what's going on!! That's how this happened— [ he gestures to his left sleeve again ] Got eaten by a nightmare monster in the elementary school, just in like Silent Hill!
I know, man. But, y'know, this is how I've been thinking about it—we're still around for a reason. Sure, maybe we're "dead," but... if there wasn't a way out of here, then why do we still exist? Han-chan [ nehan/death ] thinks as much too, so... I'm not givin' up hope.
And hey, we're together again. That's gotta count for something, right?
How okay are you with, y'know, talking about it? [ beat ] I can go first, if you want, since I know the other side still doesn't have any clue what happened to me. I've had a couple weeks to process things, so... it's not like the shock's still with me, heh.
[ haha he is definitely not uncomfortable thinking about his best friend being gutted!!! hahahahahaa!!!!!!
so he'll go first. put off the inevitable. ]
...It's kinda weird to think about. Just how it all happened. [ and since he didn't watch trial he didn't get to lose his mind over everyone else losing their mind over the pocket tooth. he sighs. ]
It was Ashlyn. I don't know if she was possessed or not, but she's got knives in her boots, dude. And I wasn't going to beat the shit out of a teenaged girl, so I just... tried my best to get away from her. Which didn't work.
Did you know she carries around a jar of teeth with a deranged tooth fairy in it?
...For as much as they want to be thorough, people have really been lettin' so much shit slide during trials. That's how Lucas got away without anyone suspecting him of anything after he got me—no one even bothered patting him down, let alone made him take off his shirt to see the bruises I left on him.
...Yeah, well, I don't know what went down or anything, but seeing as she isn't here, I guess it doesn't really matter.
[ he feels! really weird about it!!! ]
Seems like a jar of teeth would be hard to miss, but if you're not looking for it, then maybe... I dunno. Like I said, I didn't want to hit her, so looking her over wouldn't have made her look guilty anyway. Maybe it's different because she's a teen, I dunno.
...I tried as hard as I could to convince everyone about your case. Sorry, man.
[ like. he's pretty bummed out. he's really sorry. he failed his bro... ]
Hey, you did what you could. You were straight up grieving, not thinking straight... yeah, there were a couple of times I got kind of annoyed with you because you were being such a stubborn asshole when people like Karlach were just tryin' to figure it out, too, but I get it.
Though, heh. Can't believe I had to learn secondhand that you were basically yammering about me every chance you got, when it was all said and done. Why couldn't you have given me the ego boost beforehand, huh?
[ unfortunately tomi is not victim to irony poisoning, so he can't very well brush this off as if any of it was insincere. emotional vulnerability still kind of sucks, but, shit, it's been nothing but emotional vulnerability for weeks now, hasn't it? ]
...It's not like you didn't know that you're my best friend. I couldn't just let them talk shit about you like that- Y'know, trying to say maybe you were the monster after all.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ he turns to tomi, frowning. ]
Tomi, you know I'd never lie to you, right?
[ ichiban is probably incapable of lying, period, but he's trying to get a point across here. ]
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...After all we've been through? After all you've done for me... I don't know what you'd get out of lying.
[ 100% trust. although now his slight unease has ticked up a little more. ]
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[ the look on his face now is... incredulous, and it won't take long for tomi to find out why. ]
Remember when we were joking about this place being some kind of shitty Silent Hill ripoff? Well... we actually weren't wrong. I really think that's where we are—on this side, at least. I dunno what it means, but like, the stuff that happens here are just too similar to dismiss it.
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Are you really not screwing with me right now?
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I hate it here.
[ IT'S A LOT TO PROCESS I'VE BEEN STUCK ON THIS TAG FOR 20 MINUTES ]
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I know, man. But, y'know, this is how I've been thinking about it—we're still around for a reason. Sure, maybe we're "dead," but... if there wasn't a way out of here, then why do we still exist? Han-chan [ nehan/death ] thinks as much too, so... I'm not givin' up hope.
And hey, we're together again. That's gotta count for something, right?
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This is so fucked up. You sure this isn't like a layers of hell thing? Maybe there's what, eight more places just like this that we haven't found yet.
[ pauses. realizes he could manifest this just like the silent hill thing. frowns. ]
...Nevermind. It is better to finally be out of that stupid village.
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Oh, yeah, I do have one question. What the fuck did you eat that did that to your mouth?
im two parting this
my god ]
You thought I ate something?! Dude--
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Oh. Honestly, there was a part of me that thought someone tried crammin' crystals into your mouth. Wilder shit has happened during these murders.
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It was pretty wild, just not in the way you're thinking.
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How okay are you with, y'know, talking about it? [ beat ] I can go first, if you want, since I know the other side still doesn't have any clue what happened to me. I've had a couple weeks to process things, so... it's not like the shock's still with me, heh.
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so he'll go first. put off the inevitable. ]
...It's kinda weird to think about. Just how it all happened. [ and since he didn't watch trial he didn't get to lose his mind over everyone else losing their mind over the pocket tooth. he sighs. ]
It was Ashlyn. I don't know if she was possessed or not, but she's got knives in her boots, dude. And I wasn't going to beat the shit out of a teenaged girl, so I just... tried my best to get away from her. Which didn't work.
Did you know she carries around a jar of teeth with a deranged tooth fairy in it?
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Yo what the fuck
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...Yeah, well, I don't know what went down or anything, but seeing as she isn't here, I guess it doesn't really matter.
[ he feels! really weird about it!!! ]
Seems like a jar of teeth would be hard to miss, but if you're not looking for it, then maybe... I dunno. Like I said, I didn't want to hit her, so looking her over wouldn't have made her look guilty anyway. Maybe it's different because she's a teen, I dunno.
...I tried as hard as I could to convince everyone about your case. Sorry, man.
[ like. he's pretty bummed out. he's really sorry. he failed his bro... ]
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Though, heh. Can't believe I had to learn secondhand that you were basically yammering about me every chance you got, when it was all said and done. Why couldn't you have given me the ego boost beforehand, huh?
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...It's not like you didn't know that you're my best friend. I couldn't just let them talk shit about you like that- Y'know, trying to say maybe you were the monster after all.
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...
Here's the kicker—there was no monster involved in my case. Heh.
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...What?
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He specifically killed me for the power to save his sister.