idolpro | 3 WAY PRISONER'S DILEMMA: Heart Soldier Senshi

[ The room you wake up in is barren. The floor, walls, and ceiling are all metal, and the only furnishings are a large television-sized touchscreen monitor and a massive pane of glass cutting through the room, separating Wire from the rest of the unit. You can beat against the glass as much as you like, but it won't break. Both the touchscreen monitor and the elevator doors are on the same side of the room as everyone but the hostage.

Once Mukuro finishes his intro spiel, the monitor display switches to a catalogue of pictures of flowers, each with their name, associated meaning, and a checkbox underneath them: ]

Amaryllis (Red&White) - Talkative
Baby's Breath - Purity of Heart
Calla Lily (White) - Maidenly Desire
Camellia (Red) - Perish with grace
Camellia (White) - Waiting
Cherry Blossom - Transience of all things
Foxglove - Insincerity
Hydrangea (Blue) - Heartlessness
Iris - Faithfulness
Lantana - Change of Heart
Marigold - Despair
Morning Glory - Willful promise
Mountain Laurel (Red) - Ambition
Oleander - Caution
Poppy (Red) - Fun-loving
Poppy (White) - Rejoice
Poppy (Yellow) - Success
Tulip (Red) - Fame/Charity/Trust
Yarrow (White) - Conflict

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[Welp! Breathing heavily, Nathan de-transforms and tries to take stock of the room.]

Yeah... yeah. Loud and clear.

We're going to get you out of here.

[Mori says it with confidence, but it's hollow. He's terrified, and clinging to fury in the wake of that to stop himself from falling apart any worse. But his hands still won't stop shaking.]

[On Nathan's part, his voice was controlled calm.]

Don't worry about me. You've got to figure out what t'do with those flowers.

Of course we're going to worry about you! You're the one who'll - if we get this wrong, you'll... There's no telling what they'll do.

[He hasn't been here for it before. Every other game, where they've gotten hurt, where they've been in danger, he hasn't been there. Mori had felt powerless when they'd all walked in the door covered in blood, he'd wished he'd been there to be able to do something, but now he is and he's still powerless. What can he do to help? How can he save Nathan?]

I can handle it. Whatever happens, I promise.

Use that brain've yours. And remember t'breathe, Mori.

[How can he breathe when all he can think about is Nathan after the last bad game sitting there, motionless, soaked in his own blood and lashing out at anyone who came close. Handle it? He shouldn't have to, why can't Mori protect him from that? Tears start to well at the corner of his eyes.]

If we can't get you out, then what should we do? What do we do, Nathan-san?

Mori...

[He takes a deep breath.]

If there's a risk of us makin' a move that fucks up someone else... someone important, then I don't need it. I don't need protecting at the cost of someone else.

[That's the right answer, of course. That's the good, noble, heroic answer they should go for, and hope everyone else would too.

The reality of it is they're throwing Nathan to the wolves.]

Playing that way... we won't h-hurt anyone but you'll be in danger. You're saying not to protect you...

Yeah. I am.

Being a soldier means making sacrifices. I've always known that.

[Mori wants to scream at him, at anyone, that this isn't fair, so what if he's a soldier? Why does that mean he has to be the one hurt? Who made it his burden?

The words don't come. All he can do is shake his head, scrubbing at his eyes furiously trying to stop crying.]

Hey.

...Don't blame yourself.

You keep the team going. They're gonna need you afterwards.

3 WAY PRISONER'S DILEMMA: Heart Soldier Senshi

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