despairandregretentertainment

[despairandregretentertainment]

I will water the ground where I stand | Mikhail Drozdov | Epilogue

There is an aching fracture in the Drozdov household. Palpable at dinners, no longer filled with talkative chatter, instead replaced with thick humid silence. The cracks in their shaky family’s foundation only spread further after Snezhana’s death. Varvara and Zakhar’s questionable marriage finally crumbles to pieces, just in time for Rafe to arrive with the body. As per Snezhana’s wishes, she is buried in Norilsk next to her uncle. It is the least they can do for her. The people that still remembered her sharing stories of better times, although their perception of her will forever be warped with her admittance in dairies.

Mikhail can only wonder if he could have stopped her. Nezhka was always just doing whatever she liked, head in the clouds with a smile on her face. Oblivious to the world around her except in small ways. Finding beauty in flowers that poked through the pavement, basking in the little joys of life. His heart ached with her loss, and his temper flares more and more. Nezkha was a ray of light, someone that brought happiness and warmth to all she touched. Everyone that knew her was better for it, for this he was certain.

It made his stomach churn with haterade that she was made to be some other country's martyr. That a person like her, that his little cousin, was so carelessly stolen from the world for a cause that she was no part of. So what if Japan was healing? To hell with them all, that didn’t bring back his cousin, that didn’t make things right. It only made him angier, made him bitter. Worse still the things they subjected her to, that they pulled from her mouth.

He should have never told her she’d make a good TV star. Sure he had been right, but it wasn’t worth losing her. He should have protected her better. They were the only family she had left and they failed her. It’s hard not to clench his jaw and strangle a yell. Not to throw hands with the people that offer their condolences, those mourning someone they didn’t even know. People could think they knew Snezhana all they wanted, but they’d never truly have the full picture.

Clips of DARE held the digital ghost of his closest friend; this was true, but not the version of her he had known. This Snezhana held a melancholy she had never before. This Snezhana weighed down by regrets and mistakes was a stranger to him. It’s hard to reconcile that information with the fact DARE was the last way to see her alive and happy again.

Even passing along a message to Ayumi does not ease his anger, though he makes sure it’s done. That the offer still stood, and would be upheld. Well Ayumi wouldn’t ever stay long, he is at least glad she gets along well with Tyoma and Ksyusha well she’s around. Heavens know they needed something good to come out of this.

Still he doesn’t know what to do with himself. It’s hard to know if he ever will know, now that he’s been sent adrift. Perhaps he would move somewhere far away, start anew. Perhaps he would take up a new hobby. Perhaps he would just give in to his worst impulses, it’s hard not to want to. Violence and rage feel good, they feel right. 

He would take a page out of his mother’s book, loathe as he was to do so. He would leave it to fate now. A sword was swinging in the air, let it drop when it would.

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Bow Your Tallest Tree || Willow's Epilogue

It wasn’t a surprise that shortly after the conclusion of Dare and the airing of it’s second season that Willow was called to a funeral. She knew it would be seen as her fault that her father passed. His heart wasn’t strong enough for the shock of his daughter in a murder game. It was only at the end that someone dared to show him where she had been. He really had thought she was safe in his bunker.

She walked the halls of the guest house she’d grown up in as the rest of the family had decided to hold a wake. Soon would be the will reading. It wasn’t like in movies where they brought everyone together for it. So, she would be finding out what she got alone. And what she got was everything. Tomo really had made sure she got more than she wanted. All she asked for was safety, and she was safe in his arms.

“I know, if I wanted to talk to you, I could have gone to your grave. But a grave isn’t where I knew you. It isn’t where I loved you.” The house was empty, all the signs of them ever having lived there was gone. A small, one bedroom house on her father’s estate. She still remembered it decked out in too expensive furniture and was to nobody’s taste. It was long gone now.

“Belle is going to be very angry with us both, you know. She’d not getting anything in the will. I think I’ll let her buy some of the shares of the company from me. I don’t want them. I suppose I could sink the company out of spite, but people need their jobs.” Also, it made her feel a little too much like Sorano. “I’m going back to Japan tomorrow, to stay with Tomo. He’s my boyfriend. You would have liked him, I think. Then again, I really… Didn’t know you as well as I remembered.”

It’s hard for any child to know their parent. “I’m going to sell this place. The whole estate. I don’t need it. Apparently I can’t legally turn it into a homeless shelter like planned. Something about zoning laws and property values. So, someone else can buy it.”

She sighed and twirled a bit of hair. “I hope you’re proud of me, of the person I became. I’m not a good person, but I’m alive. I’m going to keep living, and growing. Someday, I want to be a real person, someone who had goals and plans and a future. That’s a while away. For now… Well, I hope if there’s any kind of after life, you’re thinking of my fondly there.”

—

It really was too much money. Willow had ended up turning to Tomo to get help with it. Or, rather Touma, whom was very gifted with these things. It turned out people really liked you when you donate billions to charity. There were lawyers and trusts, and way too many interviews with charities. She only kept around 1% of the total wealth in the end. Everything else was tied up. Dealing with the money, unfortunately had to come first. As it turned out, money gave Willow anxiety.

She wasn’t even all that happy about keeping the 1%.

The next step was therapy. It took a while to find the right therapist, and despite her protests, Willow could not just ask Teai to do it. The AI was still a dear friend to her, so it was probably best Willow didn’t end up relying on her.

She supposed the first sign that everything was going well was sobbing into a WcDonald’s burger at 3am on a Saturday. It was so strange to eat something so warm. And… As long as she was by herself, she could handle it. It started with private chefs, and even things she cooked herself, but eventually, she got her trust up enough to eat fast food.

Another positive was when she stopped hiding whenever Tomo woke up in the morning. Being able to stay asleep was heavenly. And also terrifying. She did follow him around like a duckling sometimes…

The year passed and Willow felt calmer, more at ease. These days, she spent about half her days composing music and the other half in her garden. It was nice to grow something. Even nicer to grow a plant and know you could make warm food from it. She would never be normal, Willow was pretty sure. Her priorities would always be different from that of a normal person. But she had her garden, her music, her woodworking, and her very attractive spotted boyfriend.

…More than boyfriend soon, she was pretty sure. But that was a story of the future, and right now, she had tomatoes to pick. Maybe she’d make Tomo something nice with these today. Despite the fact it was terrible, he always accepted her cooking.

—

It probably would have been more poetic to use willow wood for her gifts, but Willow was still learning. Sugar pine was good enough for her causes. Her hands were rough, had always been rough, now more for handling wood than cans. She still played her instruments, but had less fervor. As she experimented with new things, she found joy in her gardens and in the wood she worked.

The little lizard she made for Kei, for Emi, was looking way more like a snake than a lizard. Still, she liked to share her work with her friends. She was good with detail, but got a little too daring when it came to sheering parts off. It was a shame that they never quite worked out. But being daring was good.

…Yeah, she was just going to pretend this was always a snake. Snakes are good. At least it wasn’t the peacock she made for Tomo the other day. The peacock was a nightmare…

She placed it on her gift shelf. Living with Tomo gave her a sense of odd safety. It was good here. Maybe she could finally, finally let her guard down.

…Would Rafe mind contact from her? Maybe Jun? She doesn’t want to burden them. Maybe someday…

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Picture Perfect || Emi Uehara's Epilogue

Aneko Yukimura hardly recognizes her girlfriend anymore.

Hair too distinctive has been dyed a less eye-catching color and allowed to grow longer. The face she was always ashamed of has been surgically resculpted, bringing with it a refreshing anonymity. And the mask she always wore is now so iconic that she’s ironically less recognizable without it.

Even her name, which she previously considered androgynous enough to keep, has been tainted and discarded. Aneko loves her own name - she chose it herself - but she has to admit that after endless media debate over the morality of her actions, the motivation behind them, and other more malicious headlines proudly dragging her name through the mud, she’d probably want to choose another one too.

But it’s not merely a desire to disappear from the public eye that’s driven this transformation. Aneko has watched Emi make her peace with mirrors, and it might just be her imagination, but those hard eyes seem softer. Was it the surgery that shallowed the crease of indignation in her brow, or was it the fact that, finally, she’s taking strides towards her dream of being a professional artist again? It could also be the sweeping societal upheaval, Aneko supposes.

Even something as simple as snoozing on Aneko’s shoulder on the train, like Emi’s doing now, had to be worked towards. Emi was twitchy, nervous, aggressive, and plagued with guilt when she was first allowed to return to something approximating a normal life. But it seems that months of therapy are finally starting to make an impact. And Aneko is so proud.

A gentle shift in the train’s momentum as it brakes to enter a station jostles Emi awake. She rubs her eyes. “Mn? Where are we now?”

A chime sounds and an electronic voice answers before Aneko can. “Now arriving at Ueno Station.”

Aneko smiles gently. “Your stop, Emi-chan.” By force of habit, she reaches up to Emi’s cheek, but her fingers don’t find the mask they’re instinctively searching for. So she turns it into a gentle stroke down the jaw, then gives her a quick kiss goodbye.

They’re still living apart. But not for long. Aneko will graduate this upcoming summer, and roboticists are in high demand right now as Japan automates more and more of its labor. Aneko’s already secured a position, and when it starts, moving in with Emi near Tokyo University of the Arts will be a much more convenient commute.

Emi stands, slinging her backpack onto her back. “Bye. See you soon.” She ambles backwards for a few steps, grinning at her girlfriend.

“Um, Emi-chan?”

The artist pauses, hands in her pockets. “What’s up?”

“This weekend was nice. I’d love to visit your dad’s place again.”

Now that he’s learned she exists and established contact with her, Seiji Uehara is determined not to be absent from his newfound daughter’s life like the Kurodas were. He calls Emi almost every night, and frequently invites her down to his freshly purchased rural home. The place needs a splash of color on its bland walls, and he needs more people to practice his newfound interest in baking for.

Nor did Seiji want to leave Renki by the wayside, for that matter. So that Emi’s half-brother wouldn’t be alone when Emi vacated the apartment they’d previously shared, Seiji invited Renki to live with him. Renki has since found a new passion for working with his hands, drinking deep of Seiji’s automotive expertise, and with it, a new ambition. Yasu will need a mechanic if they’re to go legit one day, after all. Not to mention someone to talk to the world on their behalf. Might as well keep things in the family.

Emi chuckles. “Sure. I’ll bring you along next time too.”

Seiji found himself playing the role of third wheel when Emi and Aneko dropped by this time around, but he was ecstatic to finally meet his daughter’s girlfriend either way. He did a wonderful job of making Aneko feel at home. Like a part of Emi's new family. It warms her heart.

Emi exits the train, and Aneko waves out the window until Emi’s out of sight.

Next weekend can't come soon enough.

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

The End of an Empire

The moments after the escape all blurred together. Teai’s artificial voice chirped over comms, guiding the caravan through an annoyingly convoluted route to avoid detection, and calling on Sorano’s organization to intercept yakuza where avoiding them was impossible. The AI’s access to TE’s camera network meant the drive went off without a hitch. There weren’t any surprises.

After what felt like ages, Yasu, Seiji, and Akusa’s vehicles come to a stop in front of what appears to be a closed produce market. Tomo opens it, and leads everyone to the back, where behind the wall of refrigerators is a trap door, which opens up to a staircase leading down into a relatively small luxury apartment.

While the accommodations are a bit cramped, at least there was ample food, water, and perhaps most importantly, internet. Chris, Sorano, and Ryouta all decided to stay with Sorano at their safehouse instead.

Over the next week, you had little else to do besides contact your loved ones, and watch the news as Japan settled into its new state. Within hours of your arrival, the real footage of the trial was uploaded, and broadcast to the world. Within a day, all of the board members had been arrested, with the exception of Nobuo. With their accounts frozen, and a lack of access to TE’s Legal team, as well as the backlash they were receiving from Tomo effectively doxing them, they struggled to find the means to fight their conviction.

Nobuo proved more difficult to find. Three days later, he was found dead, the media claims that it was due to intergang conflict. Supposedly his actions had caused more problems for the yakuza than he was worth. There are rumors that a 3rd party was responsible for his death, and that the yakuza claimed it to save face however.

In regards to DARE itself, season 2 had proven to be a complete media fiasco, with the blame falling largely on Tomo. As time goes on however, and more information regarding DARE, and the board has been released, the media has flipped the story to suggest that the board was using a Tomo deep-fake to ruin his name, and claim the Tomomi Empire as their own. It seems Tomo’s PR team has done a pretty decent job of saving his reputation, and making him out to be a victim in this scenario. A sign of weakness that TE would have never shown before.

True to his word however, Tomo dissolved the vast majority of the Tomomi Empire, only keeping the companies created by himself under the TE umbrella. Each business that was previously under the TE umbrella receives a copy of Teai designed to assist them during the transition, and to support healthy growth. This does of course come at a considerable hit to TE’s stock prices.

The following months prove Japan’s resilience as many businesses report greater profits than the previous quarter. Whether due to no longer being controlled and paying out to TE, or due to Teai’s guidance, who can say?

Additionally, within the first month, Tomo’s TE begins sending checks of approximately 1,750,000 yen to every adult Japanese citizen. As profits continue to grow, so do the checks. As Japan’s citizens become less concerned with income, there’s a considerable change in the culture around employment and labor. Teai is offered as a free service to assist citizens in finding ways to spend their ever growing free time, and to assist them in finding means of personal fulfillment outside of employment. In turn, this leads to a modern renaissance as people are able to work on their passions rather than on a paycheck.

Still though, this can’t continue forever. Eventually the companies Tomo has a stake in are replaced by new companies, and slowly but surely, his fortune begins to dwindle, which is why through a partnership with Touma Watanabe, Tomo spends the next several decades working to educate the public, and lead them to demand more from their government. It’s a long, difficult road, but after nearly 30 years, Touma Watanabe eventually becomes the Prime Minister of Japan, and guides the country towards what their father, Tomo, and themselves had been fighting for since they were a child.

DARE becomes a key point in Japan’s history, a black mark, but also the turning point for something greater, and those who died, alongside the survivors are remembered as the heroes who made this change possible.

[despairandregretentertainment]

Plan B || Final Event Start!

Suddenly all the fancy holograms, and the dramatic lighting are replaced with the normal bright lighting you’d grown accustomed to over the course of the game. The door suddenly opens, revealing a caped figure. While he might have hoped to look heroic, once your eyes adjust, you see Tomo pressed against the wall beside the elevator, clearly exhausted, stressed, and afraid.

He’d forsaken his old cartoon villain suit in favor of a costume more fitting for a rebel leader… Though there were still some samurai aesthetics tied in… At least he and Kei were somewhat thematically similar.

Tomo glances between all of you as he takes a moment to collect himself, and catch his breath. His eyes linger on Willow longer than anyone else. After a moment though, his demeanor changes, and he steps forward with a determined and defiant look in his eyes, and speaks with an authoritative voice.

“I assume all of you have figured things out by now, and that Kei was able to clear up any remaining confusion. If not, I’ll clarify what I can, but there’s some things I need to cover first. Teai’s locked down the play area. This place is built like a fortress… The board couldn’t risk you all escaping. That works to our advantage in that it works both ways. Nobody can get in either. That buys us time to prepare.” Tomo nods to himself. “Nobuo has gathered his forces, and intends to kill all of you, and myself to ensure that none of us can expose what we know. Not a big surprise there, the guy has a preference for taking care of things violently.” He looks to Sorano. “Hopefully the fact that he’s scared enough to actively hunt me inspires some confidence as to the effectiveness of plan A.” “Of course it would have been preferable for the board to have been unaware of my intents so that they could quietly be captured by law enforcement, but handling this subtly is no longer an option. Plan B is to get all of you out of here safely, and escape to one of my safe-houses until the board can be rounded up. I’ve ensured that the law is on my side in this endeavor, and all of the board’s assets are frozen. They don’t have power, and I assume don’t know how to take care of themselves without using their pocket books… Outside of Nobuo anyway. We are in luck however, since those assholes turned DARE into a killing game, that means you all have had time to acquire the means to protect yourselves over the course of the game. I also had Tomomi Medical Technologies put work into the chemical lab to ensure we had every advantage at our disposal as possible in this eventuality. Admittedly, fighting our way out is not my preference, but we will do what we have to do to ensure your survival.” “Teai is currently being copied over to an external hard drive, however that’s going to take time. Every moment we give Nobuo means more bullshit we’ll have to get through to get out of here. To ensure our safety, I’ve organized a getaway, and escort using people you all know and trust, and who aren’t affiliated with TE… I do apologize for getting you, or them involved in this.” Tomo pauses a moment. “Also, I do appreciate you all not trying to kill me… On sight at least… That was a genuine risk at one point. Regardless. We have until Teai finishes downloading the files to prepare. Get what you need, and I’ll be here to answer any questions.”

[despairandregretentertainment]

Recieve and Stab You || Kei || MM Q&A 5 || RE: Rafe

Kei shakes her head at Rafe's question. "Guns are harder to come by here, though that doesn't really matter to TE of course. I could probably have got them to add one to the map at some point if I really sold it. Maybe by calling it a clue about that time a cop shot at me?" Kei muses on that for a moment, then shakes her head again. "But that ship has obviously sailed. Stick with your knives."

She scoffs at his next question. "Yeah, no, we are not leaving her here to TE's 'mercy.' She's coming with us, and someone should..." Realization strikes her. "Actually, Leung, why don't you stick close to her and watch her back? You won't be as stressed as everyone else, so that should make it easier for her."

Adjusting her headband, Kei glances in the direction of the shop. "We probably still gotta pay, unfortunately, even if the game's over. There's still the antitheft mechanism to worry about. They got no reason to turn that shit off and make things easier for us... Though, maybe Teai-chan or Sorano can do something about that?"

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

The Very Model of a Modern Major General | Rafe | Re: Willow, Kei / Attn: Kei, Sorano

"Meh, I figured as much. There was always something off about the both of you seemingly becoming partners, but it wasn't advantageous to me or you to call you out on it. Frankly, I'm more surprised I was right about you and Tomo instead." Rafe shrugged. "I imagine your Stranger friend thought it a good idea to leave me in the dark as well, but I'm not complaining given that it seems to have gotten me this far regardless."

He's also going to leave whatever's going on between Kei and Willow to them. He's never really been the empathetic type.

Rafe had tuned out the rest of the trial, lounging about and finishing off the rest of his drink, until the topic of dealing with some actual opponents comes up. Damnit, looks like his early retirement was going to be put on hold for just a little bit. "Two questions," Rafe directs at Kei, getting up. "One, do you or the hosts have any access to legitimate firepower? Pistols, rifles, anything of the sort that's better than a bow? I've no idea what the stance on gun laws in Japan are, but if you never had access to them, then I'll work with what we got. Two, should I tell Ayumi to just duck and hide and wait all of this out, or should she be coming with us?"

He yawns. "Make it three, I guess. Do we even need votes to pilfer the store at this rate? The game's over. Anyways, Sorano, get me those throwing knives you should still have in your locker. I'm sure I'll only need a few."

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Force Addiction || Kei || MM Q&A 4 || RE: Chris

When she's done consoling Willow, Kei shakes her head and stands up. They don't have infinite time, and she should address the other question she's been asked.

"Well, the Stranger's coming here. They gotta rescue the Teai-chan in the VR server so they've got all the evidence they need for the legal shit." Kei shrugs. "Then I guess we're gonna fight our way outta here. I dunno if the guards will still be around, or if it's just gonna be Nobuo's yakuza, but we should be prepared for either."

Kei folds her arms. "As far as strategy goes... I'll take point. It's the least I can do after making you deal with all this bullshit. Plus, my costume's pretty tough. Supposed to be bulletproof, but I don't trust that at all." She crinkles the sleeve of her jacket, staring at it critically for a moment. "Anyone who can fight, get between the bad guys and everyone else. If you can't fight, hide, and help how you can without risking your neck too much. I dunno if we need or have time for a more complicated plan that that."

She glances at Akira for a moment, jerking her thumb at him. "Anyone who's worried about being able to keep up, and who can stand the idea, there's that room with Taken's drugs. There are knives in the kitchen if you want a weapon, or you can see what's in the store. One of my MM privileges is having infinite votes, so I can cover the cost no problem."

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Baka Mitai || Kei || MM Q&A 3 || RE: Willow

Kei sucks in a startled breath. "Willow-san?" She didn't think she'd actually said anything that distressing... Was she that concerned about the fate of her Stranger?

...No, Kei realizes where she went wrong. "Shit, fuck. Sorry. Hey, hey. That's not what I meant. When you asked for my protection, that was officially added to my duties. As if he fucking needed to. And all the other shit? Hanging out with you? Painting your mom? Wheeling you around in the chair? That sure as fuck wasn't in the contract." She stares down at her lap guiltily. "I've been fake as fuck for a lot of this, but not with you," she adds, quieter.

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Slay The Princess || Willow || MM Q&A 3 || Re: Kei and Chris

Oh.

Oh, she had not expected that. She should have. It was a common trope in the type of fantasy stories she followed. The princess thinks her staff are her friends, and doesn’t realize it’s just a job to them. The stories normally frame it in such a way that you think, of course, the princess is a fool. They don’t understand what it’s like to be said princess.

“M…Mrr…”

She tried not to make a sound. Willow tried to force down the tears, for here they came. Why didn’t Kei tell her? Why did she just say it now? Why during such an important moment, and why couldn’t she stop crying! It was the worst time for this. And in front of Sorano? Fuck, and she just called Kei her best friend in the whole world. Wow, how could this get worse.

“I’m s-sorry. I brought a knife!”

She reached under her skirt to show she brought two knives, the dagger from the ren faire and a new can knife.

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

I'm not a fighter, But- | Chris | Trial 5 Post Reveal 2 | Re: All that

Upon hearing Sorano’s complaints, Chris just gives a snort of amusement, though listens to the answers to them intently, head tilted as he takes everything in.

They could share anything now though, huh? Chris gives a nod to that and the confirmation that it was likely no longer being televised, that was good to know. His eyes flick over to Rafe and the mentors as well, also trying to figure out how much they knew about anything.

“In that case, yeah, okay. We didn’t ever really let you in on shit before, Rafe, but I’m sure even you realize that it could have been a risk to what was going on if you decided it’d be better for yourself to out it on air before it could happen. The rest of us found some unrecordable areas and shit back in chapter 3, got in contact with someone calling themself the ‘Stranger’ anonymously. I figured most recently it was just Tomo with what we learned, honestly. Dunno for sure though.

The information we were getting was incredibly vague as fuck and I basically had to do all the legwork of figuring out what the fuck is going on myself with all the shit I’d been keeping track of instead of just being told it. So it’s not like you missed too much, but we knew there was someone out there trying to bring this shit down at least.

Their goal was to weave outing the fucked shit that the TE Board’s been doing into the game so that it’s impossible not to air some chunks of it, and the transcripts that got put in this last invest plus this vote result were the finale. I know it seemed pointless to you, but the rest of us knew it was our best shot to fuck with TE, and that’s something we actually care about.

Also though, we were told in this last investigation that if Nobuo or his men capture us then our safety can’t be guaranteed, so even you should probably try not to let that happen for your own sakes if nothing else.”

His eyes narrow at Willow though as she goes into much more detail than was necessary about her uh. Activities in Ayumi’s room CHDISUH

“Not something I want to hear about. I was already trying to forget hearing about the other half of it from the texts.” He really, really didn’t want to know more. But to her comments to him in particular, he sighs, relenting a little.

“And… Thanks, I guess. Self preservation’s important to me, but I know when there’s higher things at stake. Also, I wasn’t lying when I said it was partially out of spite for TE. I’m glad it worked out for everything though, ‘s a lot easier than an argument about who to vote for would have been, and I didn’t wanna risk the vote landing on Sorano or Jun in case it actually went through and we couldn’t be helped. Or Kei, obviously.”

Sorano for very practical reasons, and Jun for more sentimental ones HICUds Honestly, it would have been very possible for him to just stick it on Rafe, but he'd decided to not play things like that already since the third trial, so mercy was had instead. If he was going to gamble anyone's life, it'd be his own.

And finally… Kei. In particular, he nods to Kei for her last comment about that, that they might need to fight. He figured, though he’s not particularly looking forward to it. It’s also a nod for the rest of it too, honestly even he’d thought how aggressively Kei was jumping on the Willow defense train early on was weird, so it was good to know there was an actual reason for it. Sticking up for a friend is one thing, but that was sure a step beyond.

“I figured about most of that, and I’m glad that me stealing all the votes was good for something in the end. Good to know you weren’t the ones to actually want to do a season two of this shit too, though, if what you say’s true.” He’d meant it back when he said it was not fucking worth it to try and take down the board by spilling so much unrelated blood for entertainment, after all.

“And legally… Yeah, I know it’s not your preference either, but if it’s what we’ve got then it’s what we got. I’ll trust that you actually know what you’re talking about since you know more of the behind the scenes workings then we do. If you think they can actually wind up in jail with how this’ll play out, then good.”

  “Do you have any advice for how best we might be able to either fend people off or get the fuck out of here? Do we have time to prepare shit? I’m best as a strategist more than anything, honestly, but knowing if you have any suggestion’d help.” Either now or when it was actually time.

“Also, our backup instruction was to download that version of Teai after this to distribute shit ourselves, and Sorano probably has the best means to do all that. If we can make sure that shit doesn’t get destroyed though, that’d be ideal.”

My god his health wasn’t good enough or a full fledged fight, but he’d sure do his best HIUDSCIDU

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Pledge of Demon || Kei || MM Q&A 2 || RE: Sorano, Willow, cameras

Kei is preoccupied with her phone, texting back and forth several times with whoever she's contacting and growing increasingly concerned. Finally, she looks up, and Willow is already offering a refutation to every point of Sorano's that Kei was going to, and more elegantly too. She smiles at the taller woman, though it's a little forced.

"Yeah. My other job as mastermind was to act as bodyguard to the little princess here. So if anyone's wondering why I was suddenly her knight in shinin' fuckin' armor all the damn time, that's why."

Kei holds up her phone. "On the subject of cameras. Quote, 'it is unlikely that this is being broadcast currently,' end quote. That's all I got there. The Stranger's kinda busy evading capture right now, it turns out, so I don't have anything more concrete than that." Her eyes harden. "Not much we can do from in here yet, but fair warning: we might need to be ready to bust a few heads if it comes to that. If they get got, it all goes to shit, so let's hope they haven't been skipping leg day."

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Jeffery, Jeffery Bezos || Willow || MM Q&A 2 || Re: Kei, Rafe, Chris, Sorano

Kei’s hand was a warmth in hers. A shaking mess she was, but she was calmer than she’d been. Have faith. Everything will work out. She still couldn’t imagine it. Living past this? Living for another week? Another month? It was difficult for her still. But she had faith in Kei, and in her other allies. They could do this. Because faith is all we really have.

“I’ve been technically working with the Mastermind since…. Hmm, I think it was during Ryouta’s chapter that I made the offer. The first time I was called on to help cause a little chaos was in Monoka’s chapter. I was the one who put in the red herring evidence. I slipped into the areas while they were under construction. I clipped the cord of the game in the arcade. I was also the one to censor random medical documents. I placed some notes down too. Back then, I didn’t know who I was working for. I just figured it would increase my chances of staying alive.

“But I did find out it was Kei fairly early. She told me herself. Sorry Ayumi, we used your bedroom as a secret meeting place. We were respectful, unlike other times I was there. Even when they started, I was already involved with my partner. They’re… A little Stranger than Kei though.”

Of course she wanted to bring that up. There was no shame there. Willow was proud of that fact. She stood up tall, the tallest person left, when she thought of her beloved. Ah, girl was in some stupid puppy love.

An apologetic smile graced her face. “Ah, sorry Rafe. I kind of messed with you in hopes to hide Kei from you. And I did it knowing. I hope you can understand. I think, the two of us have always understood the other is quite selfish, yes?” He was still her friend, right? “It was kinda rough for you, being the only one in our team who didn’t know everything.”

Another smile is offered to Chris. “Thank you for being so brave earlier. It was really kind of you. I underestimated you, I think. I thought that you would try to save yourself first. There's no reason to feel bad if you did. You’re human. That’s just how it is. I’m pretty sure you won’t be executed though. TE has decided to play their cards. I’m grateful though. Kei is my best friend in the world, and I believe if what she and the Stranger are trying to do here… Hopefully, Teai will stop the fake information from spreading and put out the truth.”

Finally, she had to address the person she hated most outside of her own family.

“Sorano, you’re still a piece of shit. I’m going to stop playing dumb. Such things are no longer a protection anyway. This killing game was unavoidable. It was the board’s way of shoving Tomo’s name into the dirt and trying to get him to resign. He didn’t resign the first time. I imagine they’d keep doing this, keep playing him as the show runner with their shitty hologram until he resigned. Because like I told you the other day, half the money in the world isn’t all of the money. As soon as Tomo was out of the way, they’d all turn on each other too. People like that… They repulse me. Almost as much as you.

“If you can’t stop the hunter from putting out bear traps, you can at least trick them into stepping onto one of their own. You have no faith in laws and I have no faith in people, but power is power. If you want to fuck over a billionaire, the best way to do so is to get another billionaire to do it. We have a powerful ally, after all. So stop whining because we aren’t spilling enough rebel’s blood for you taste and get your head out of your ass. This is why I hate you.”

A pause.

“And also I love Kei’s outfit. It’s cute, unlike you.”

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

LAWS? || Sorano || MM Reveal Reaction || Re: Kei

"Yeah honestly that is fair on the whole... All of this."

Sorano gestures to the whole setup centered around her reveal. As if they were not just as willing to be a dramatic bitch. They just had a different aesthetic interest. Also very different view points. For instance, their view of how this was going.

"Wait, laws? We are relying on LAWS? These people ARE the laws! Fuck me this is going to be messy. There is no way people like this will just quietly fucking let Tomo get them with things like "contracts" and "legal documents". These kinds of people don't believe in those things and they have a whole fuck ton of people under them who don't either.

CW: Tooth trauma ment

Of course a capitalist and a liberal would try to use laws to fight fascism. Obviously the only correct answer is to punch them in the fucking teeth and then put a bullet in their head. And if the cameras are rolling you can fucking quote me on that! But considering how your plan involves relying on laws and all that nonsense. I think I will actually elect to keep any info about myself and any potential involvement I can have a secret until the time at which I no longer need to do so... I'd have more to say but, honestly it's not actually on you. Your partner made this plan that required the sacrifice of people who didn't choose to fight. I would rather a hundred people willingly die fighting for freedom than five be handcuffed and put to the sword. It's a shitty tactic fitting of a capitalist."

/CW

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Trouble Shooting Star || Kei || MM Q&A 1 || RE: Willow, Chris, Sorano, Rafe

Kei takes Willow’s hand, nodding to her. “You can share whatever you want. No need for secrets, now that we know they’re all on our side. Or, at least willing to hear us out.” Thanks Rafe.

She then turns her gaze to Chris. And looks… somewhat sheepish? “Yeah, uh… that fuckin’ note. That was actually some of the fake evidence we planted. Originally, the plan was to throw suspicion at Sorano. They don’t like when a game’s all luck, remember?” She gestures at Sorano, then side-eyes Akira for some reason. “I thought it was my best shot at getting away with this, twisting it to point at the other rebel. Cause I knew they’d be building the MM up as an enemy of TE from the start. But VR ruined that plan. No way we could completely redo the area in time, even with Teai-chan’s help. So we had her slip those documents in to show you who the real enemy is.”

At Sorano’s scorn, she scoffs. “Hey, I’m not in charge of fuckin’ wardrobe for this shit show, don’t put this on me. I gotta wear this shit or I’m breaking contract.” She brushes a tender hand over the paint splotch on her chest. “I just added my own personal touch.”

But onto more serious topics. She shakes her head. “You really have a low opinion of us, huh. The contract’s a little more robust than that. It’s not just about showing the people that they’re the problem. The moment you all voted for Chris, no matter what narrative they try to push… legally, TE is already split five ways. Plus Tomo’s personal shit, but we’ll get to that later.” She smirks. “They’re vulnerable. The trap should already be springing, if the Stranger’s holding up their end of the bargain. Much as I hate using cops and the prison system rather than doing this the fun way, them and the board deserve each other. They’ll be out of our hair soon… They can still do a lot of bullshit for now, though, so we gotta watch out.”

Kei strokes the pink splatter of paint again. Chloe may not be dead, but she still mourns her. Seeing a corpse will do that to a bitch. “I’m not arguing that, though. These deaths were all incredibly fucked up. They were drafted into a war they didn’t even know was happening, against their will. But the blood isn’t actually on my hands. And that’s the point.”

She looks up, fixing Sorano with a grim stare. “Did you know that legally speaking, every execution on this show is a horrible accident? They’re meant to be ‘nonlethal punishments,’ but they all 'go wrong,’ resulting in a 'tragic’ death. But now you know what parties did it. That’s right, [mother fucker.] Each board member personally, with their own hands and of their own volition, ensured someone was gonna die. That’s what we’re getting them arrested on.”

She glances around at the darkness. “Y'know? I’m not sure if the cameras are on. Shit did just black out, and honestly I don’t remember that being in the plan. Let me ask.” She pulls out her phone and sends a text. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Finally, Rafe. Kei shakes her head. “Nah, they’re not in on this. Wouldn’t wanna get in the way of their political career.” She shrugs. “I’d ask why the fuck you think they’d ever entertain the idea of working with anyone related to TE after TE almost got them killed, but I guess I signed on for this shit, so I can’t really fault that logic after all.” She points at Rafe. “But you are home free. I don’t need anything else from you. Your vote was enough.”

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

The XIV Game Saga | Rafe | Post-Trial 5-1 | Re: the reveal

Oddly enough, Rafe doesn't look remotely shocked. If anything, he looks... mildly affronted? "Kei, why do you think you were the only one I asked about their Grand Prize directly earlier in the week? Give me some credit for restraining myself and playing along with their plans instead of accusing you like I had Iroha." He jerks a thumb in Chris' direction, before shrugging. "Again, whatever it took to get us to the end a lot quicker. I imagine the next shortcut to take now is if Touma Watanabe was revealed or revealed themselves as the Stranger. That's how it is, no? Let's put the rest of our cards are on the table."

He stretches up his arms and yawns. "One way or another, I'm alive, and the game's over. I've no complaint since it looks like everyone else has you covered, not unless you expect us to throw ourselves in front of you for what comes next."

#submission

[despairandregretentertainment]

Absolute Amateurs || Sorano || MM reveal reaction

Sorano blinks as the lights go out.

“Oh well here we go.”

They mutter as thinks happen in the darkness. Either they were about to be black bagged or some dramatic shit was happening. Considering they weren’t all currently dead, that meant it was probably dramatic shit. An idea proved once the lights turns on. The, spotlights. Really, spotlights? Is this the tactic they are going with here? Sorano rolls their eyes as Kei speaks. Apparently it is time to ask questions before they move out.

“You look like some kind of weird shonen character or some person about to fight a demon emperor while talking about restoring the glory of Japan. Nationalism isn’t a great look for revolution but I guess this isn’t, harmful… Anyway i have two questions.

First question. Was this really the best plan you two idiots could manage? Really? Make another killing game where you can expose the fascists as liars and then break away at their power if they let you win? Because it’s a stupid ass plan. Literally anyone who has studied authoritarian practices could have told you literally what is happening right now would happen. They will never, ever just, let you break their power up. The rules don’t apply to them. Obviously. Because that’s how fascists work.

Plus the one working with you had the power to do all this shit and they used in a killing game. They could have just USED IT ANYWAY! And got the SAME RESULT! Without a KILLING GAME! Absolutely idiotic. Exactly what you’d expect from people who don’t know what they are doing. As a result, the blood of people who would have willingly helped you fight back is on your hands. Or people who have never done anything wrong like Sora.

But fine. Your plan A sucked and was doomed to fail. I said as much during investigation. You can ask Chris or Jun. i literally said that this plan B scenerio was the inevitable result. Because I actually know what I am doing. Which leads into question two. Because I am unsure what your full plan here is but I know what is going to actually work. Leading into… Is this broadcasting right now? Because I really need to know that.”

#submission