idolpro | avante en garde

avante en garde

[ Your designated room appears to be a modern but simple hospital room, with an adjustable electronic chair and curtain dividing one side of the room from the other. On the curtained side, there is a tray of basic surgery equipment, though nothing electric. That would be too easy, wouldn't it? At least(?) the chair has straps, to bind unruly subjects.

On the other side of the room are several chairs, what appears to be an iPad with a health chart listing a number of patients. You may select from a number of options to send "remedies" to those patients. There is also a pharmacy counter, though rather than a window, there is only a thin slit the width of a single piece of paper.

And of course, your patient(s)—or hostage(s), if you prefer—is in the middle of the room, though . . . strangely placed. A glass bubble, 6ft by 6ft, hangs from the ceiling, somewhat like an upside-down snowglobe. Eight tubes connect the orb to the ceiling, and one tube connects it to the floor. From above, your patient(s) can see most things in the room, including the surgery table even when the curtains are drawn.

It's currently empty—aside from your patient—for now. ]

[ RULES ✧ REMEDIES ✧ HEALTH CHART ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ...Honestly, she hasn't thought much about other people targeting them, but she's hoping in general people will play smart enough to. Minimize damage. ]

So what is it you're thinking?

[ Before she gives her own. ]

If we give ourselves tasks Amaranth will yell at us later We could still do it though Especially the level 1 tasks?

Just giving ourselves tasks wouldn't be enough especially if you think someone else will target us instead.

I know Maybe if we sent everyone equal tasks, that would be... not okay, but something I could live with

...It might be the only way.

I don't like it either, but it's probably the safest way. If everyone gets a task each time it'll negate some of it and if it's level one - if we can handle it they probably can, too, if they need to.

What they can handle will be their choice same as ours. And it's not like they don't have the same option.

[ everyone could all redirect to each other which is... oof but. ]

That sounds about right to me There's supposed to be multiple rounds, so if we need to go harder to make up for being targeted, we can later

[ For a moment there's a flickering like she doesn't want to have to consider what going harder might mean, but still. ]

You're right.

My suggestion is that we send everyone, including ourselves, a level one task. It is equally spread out, and still allows us a somewhat conservative start to the game.

From there, we can gauge how we ought to move forward after seeing the results.

[ not an answer she somehow expected from him but also, no hesitation: ]

I agree. It's the most fair way to handle things and means we can go into the next round seeing a little more of how anyone else will play it.

I simply cannot imagine that other units will choose not to send anything.

[ Brows knitting... ]

And, while I do hate to admit it. . . our unit has not performed very well in these sorts of games recently. My fear is that... we will be an easy target for others again. I do not wish to see our unit suffer another difficult loss right now.

Everyone is going to want to protect their own right now.

[ She says it aloud, but quietly - more of a reaffirmation. Since the idea of people dying or being hurt isn't foreign to her, but this is such a callous way to do it. ]

It's possible they will see as an easy target, but that doesn't mean we respond in kind. What means performing well is doing what we can live with, and what's right in the moment. So what is that for you?

Causing the least amount of damage while still protecting our own.

Then that's what we'll aim to do.

Well... that is your same thought, then? I realize you are new still, but I do not wish for you to feel as though your voice is drowned out.

My thoughts are a little more... complicated than that.

The end result is the same. I don't want to hurt anyone else, but it's their choices to take what they need to but I guess. For me.

If it was opposite, if I was in that bubble. My choice would be... The least amount of damage we could take is if we let it flood. We wouldn't need to send anything to anyone else, we wouldn't have anyone more hurting and I realize that's a selfish idea.

But if someone really wanted to create the least amount of damage and the person on the other side was okay with it...

[ She trails off, shaking her head. ] I don't know. I just keep thinking about the possibilities of protecting as many people as possible is important... I wouldn't force that on anyone else.

[ An unconscious Amaranth in this case. ]

[ He sighs. ]

I do believe I would feel the same way. And Amaranth-san is the sort that likely would as well.

. . . At the same time, just watching our unitmate drown when we can do something about it-

[ . . . He shakes his head.]

And she seems to be unconscious right now.

[ She frowns. Maybe it's just because she's new and doesn't have as much attachment. Maybe it's just who she is. She doesn't know. ]

But in doing something we risk hurting other people. Everytime we redirect there's a chance someone else - multiple could - or... someone else will take something they're not capable of to stop it.

[ She says it quietly, more to herself. And she looks away. Her fingers flexing as she sighs. ]

I don't want to give up on anyone.

For now, our move is as benign as it can be while still fighting to protect Amaranth-san. And, in inflicting ourselves with it, we have shown that we are willing to take what we give.

Someone will die today. But I selfishly do not wish for it to be Amaranth-san.

We gain no respect in simply rolling over, either. We are a unit that protects each other.

[ She doesn't disagree. That doesn't mean she lacks frustration. She hates feeling helpless so - Sorry. Tsukasa. Though she doesn't respond she does make a ! Frustrated sort of sound. ]

[ And pulls off the axe with all her might and throws it at the bubble which... yknow bounces off harmlessly, but it's a target for her frustation! ]

[ He simply lifts a hand up to gently squeeze one of her shoulders. He understands.]

. . . I am sorry you must experience this so fresh out of the gate.

[ She stops in her movement to grab the axe back in surprise at the motion. Frowns at him over her shoulder: ]

What are you apologizing for?

[ Abrupt, slightly aggressive - Not necessarily towards him but at the idea this is something he's apologizing for. She steps away after a moment to get the axe back. Her hand tight around it: ]

I expected something like this from the moment I saw the two of you. No one's denied that this place is dangerous. Rye gave me a knife before I left - [ nevermind knowing she just wants to have something to protect herself with ] - I expected it.

That doesn't mean I have to like some kind of stupid sacrifice game.

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heavyliesthecrown - 2022-10-06 00:49 (UTC) - Expand

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deadlynadder - 2022-10-06 00:52 (UTC) - Expand

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heavyliesthecrown - 2022-10-06 00:56 (UTC) - Expand

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deadlynadder - 2022-10-06 00:58 (UTC) - Expand

I would do the same thing But Amaranth would get mad at us for doing that and tell us to value ourselves more

She assuredly would. She is quick to try and protect the two of us, but just as quick to offer herself up, or Hades-san, for the guillotine.

I don't think that's fair Do you?

It is not. Though I suppose that if there was a young child here the two of us would also do the same as them. So I cannot... say that I would be any different.

I do believe that she looks at us as children still.