Interaction Booth
A featureless, almost unnerving room of red, with a slight elevation in the middle. Although it seems to just be something bizarre...it's possible there is more to this place. The left wall has been destroyed, leaving a spreading abyss.
???: ...Creaaak.
Hitori: "...Uh...hello- Oh geez-"
They're staring at the hole in the wall as they peek their head in.
∴ : "..hey"
⁜ : "Things got... dicey."
⚇ : "we saw your conversation. should i give the guy a weapon?"
⚇ : "i could probably produce a dagger or something."
⁜ : "Maybe not. Let's not instigate a murder."
Δ : "Would it do anything to give them a stone?"
⚇ : "it might make him feel better if we gave him some sort of weapon. ...i dont think those were normal stones, either."
Hitori: "U-Uhm- I feel like weapons would just be....dangerous..."
They're still staring at the hole in the wall.
"...Is that hole getting...bigger? Slowly?"
⚇ : "...you should leave."
☆ : "I wonder how many stones we can summon..."
Δ : "Ah, uh... oh no?"
∴ : "... oh geez that cant be good if it is"
☆ : "...oh shit."
☍ : "Holes usually don't expand on their own?"
◆ : "Not ideal hm..."
⁜ : "Leave. For your own sake, Hitori, leave!"
Δ : "We can kind of only perceive the world through your narration -- so if you can sense danger, then it probably is danger!"
☆ : "Hey Hitori? you should probably leave."
⚇ : "run. run. get the prawn, or something. we dont know what that is."
◑ : "🍿"
Δ : "No!"
Hitori: "U-Uh-- Uhm--"
Suddenly, the sound of some whirring is heard.
☆ : "HITORI RUN OUT PLEASE"
☆ : "LEAVE"
⁜ : "LEAVE!"
◆ : "Evacuate premises, now"
???: A big panel appears from the ceiling It seems to be a small tv screen.
Δ : "...Huh?"
⚇ : "oh my god you should have left. i dont think i wanna see this."
⁜ : "Stand by the door. It could be a distraction if the hole gets even bigger."
⚇ : "if anything shows up on that screen? im gonna be sick."
☆ : "Hitori I still wouldn't trust it. Leave and we can tell you what happens.
∴ : "we cant if the room ends up. well gone,"
???: It turns on.
And on it is now:
I FUCKED UP! SORRY GUYS!
TIME UNTIL INTERACTION BOOTH COLLAPSE: 3 Weeks
The timer is steady ticking down now by the second.
∴ : "... oh no."
Δ : "Oh! Wonderful."
◑ : "fuck you man"
⁜ : "Yeah. Fuck."
◆ : "Hm"
◑ : "hey so. can any of us summon construction workers to fix this wall :/"
☆ : "well..."
∴ : "... we should have tried to help from the start. oh god."
Hitori: "D-Does...does that mean...!?"
Δ : "Awfully slow-acting singularity, that is. How do we even know it won't eat the surroundings after this place is gone?"
⁜ : "We definitely screwed up."
⚇ : "we failed."
⚇ : "tell seven stones he was right."
◆ : "There must be a bypass to the rule... There must be a way to communicate outside of here"
⁜ : "And tell him we're sorry for failing him."
∴ : "looks like seven got his wish. if there's anything you all need from us, know we have a time limit."
Hitori: They're shaking like a wet leaf.
"I don't want to lose you guys! I...I don't know any of you that well, but...I'm sure you all are nice! Uh..."
Fuck man. They're bad at this.
⚇ : "our apologies do not matter."
⚇ : "we failed."
◆ : "It is not your fault hitori"
◑ : "this isn't fun anymore >:((("
⁜ : "That is true, but I'd rather at least show I give a shit."
⚇ : "now get out, all of you."
∴ : "..."
☍ : "...no, I wonder if that great beyond out there is a one-way trip to..."
☆ : "I want to say bye to Hitori first though :("
⚇ : "what does it matter?"
⚇ : "we are good for nothing failures. we dont deserve a line of communication."
☆ : "it doesn't, but I still want to."
⚇ : "nothing we have done has ever helped."
⁜ : "That's rather harsh. True, but harsh."
⁜ : "It may not be too late to give up."
⁜ : "And at least, perhaps we can try our best for the next 3 weeks while we still have the time."
Δ : "That's objectively false, actually~. Remember Lotus? It was just a small favour, but..."
◆ : "We lose every battle we concede in"
Hitori: "...Uuh..."
They sniffle, on the verge of tears, but still clench their fist.
"D-Don't...say that...! I know you all can do something, right? You...you gave us Paw Patrol before, didn't you? Can you give us something now?"
⚇ : "lotus is dead. it doesnt matter."
☆ : "Well, you can leave if you think that. I say we still have 3 weeks to try and see if we can make amends and change things."
⚇ : "..."
Δ : "You have an interesting view of what matters, don't you?"
∴ : "we have knowledge, and we can send small gifts, and we still have time. we can do something, or we can continue to idle like we always have. we need to think-"
⁜ : "What do you need? We can manifest it.'
⚇ : (a small knife appears on the pedestal.)
Hitori: "...Ah!"
⚇ : "if i could, i would ask you to test that out on me. alas."
∴ : "... please. the others are still alive, we need to do something,"
Δ : "...Was that our collective chance at doing something specific?"
⁜ : "I think so."
⚇ : "and i wasted it on purpose."
Hitori: They go over to the knife to inspect it closer, frills twitching.
They're thinking about what a knife could do that isn't...you know.
Δ : "Then I don't have much else to say! I hope you're satisfied, you know~."
◆ : "A knife is useful to many purposes, being one of the bedrocks of sapient tool manufacturing"
Δ : "...As can be, anyway."
∴ : "please toss it. or put it with the other knifes in the kitchen. there shouldn't be more lives lost."
⚇ : "my gift was from the heart. i dont care what ive destroyed with it."
⁜ : "Knives are not just weapons, but can be useful tools."
◆ : "Would perhaps a phone be useful?"
Δ : "I don't really believe so?"
⚇ : "ripworlds dont have reception, idiot"
◆ : "A phone can link to more places then just a cell tower"
⚇ : "...hitori. when this room closes, i promise i will find a way to kill myself. thats really all i can offer you."
☆ : "we would have a shot to still be able to talk to them through a phone"
⁜ : "I don't think that'll help."
Hitori: They're sitting on the floor now.
Just silently shedding some tears. Still thinking. Each harsh word makes them flinch, but they continue to think.
◑ : "hey hitori. do you want some grapes 🍇"
⁜ : ""Your dance with fate." Hitori, you might be the key to solving a problem here."
Hitori: "...Huh?"
They perk up at the ceiling.
⁜ : "Even when this place breaks... Our influence will still be with you, will it not? You can do more than what we can."
☆ : "That's right."
Δ : "You've always been able to do more than what we can, really -- to this place anyway."
Hitori: "I- I want to..."
They stare at the knife again.
"...But I'm not sure what to do. Everyone seems so angry, or scary, or...well, Stranger and those other few people aren't scary, but..."
They rub their shoulder with a small whine.
◑ : "you should try stabbing the prawn next time you see hi(i am bapped over the head before i can finish my sentence)"
☍ : "...Hitori, how good's your throwing?"
Hitori: "Uh...I can throw!"
Δ : "Most can. How good are you at hitting your targets?"
☍ : "More specifically, large rectangular ones that would warrant repairs by a specific prawn-like entity if they were damaged?"
Δ : "Real useful little thing a knife can be, with that skill in the equation~."
Hitori: "...Uuuuu..."
Think. Think. Think.
"...I don't know."
◑ : "then practice, silly! get a dartboard in the gym and go nuts 🍹"
◆ : "Could give them a book on how to throw properly/well"
⁜ : "Now don't go off murdering with the knife. You know that'll have catastrophic effects. I'm sure you have the creativity in you to use it for good, Hitori."
⚇ : "if you guys dont like the knife you could always try to make something else."
⚇ : "no one ever said thats all we get."
Δ : "I think the knife too can be put to use! But, right, that's also on the table."
Hitori: Hitori picks up the knife, and shoves it into their censor bar. It vanishes without any harm caused.
"Cool, right! I think I can use it for something..."
◆ : "... Moving on"
☆ : "holy shit you can do that?"
Δ : "I'm still partial to the idea of making a stone for Stones. Not sure how it would work mechanically at all, but... you know, I won't know until I try, right?"
☆ : "we should try, yes"
◆ : "That's good to hear... Perhaps Stones could use diamonds? Sharper after all..."
⁜ : "I'm proud of you, Hitori."
Δ : "Of course, if anyone has an idea more thought-out, I'm listening~."
◑ : "hitori! i bestow upon thee's lowly mortal figure"
◑ : "have fun :3"
◆ : "Reallly?"
☍ : "I'm just trying to workshop something to... summon an audience with the Prawn? If such a need arises."
◆ : "Why a 3DS..."
Δ : "...I love thinking things out indeed."
◑ : "its got animal crossing on it"
⁜ : "Let's try to be a bit more serious, please."
∴ : "... if i could input an idea, i think we need to schedule a meeting between you all and us. see if we can brainstorm ideas on how to help prevent murder, and see if there's any other conditions we could use to end this game and get you guys out safely"
⚇ : "hey, where is your realm located? i would like to slaughter your servants en masse."
Δ : "Hitori, do you think Stones would appreciate a stone?"
◆ : "The Board has tried... Uhhhh not too succesful usually"
Hitori: "I-I guess i can! I dunno, I just did it by instinct..."
They put their hand into the censor bar, feeling around.
...And pull out a coin.
"Huh. Shiny..."
They put it back in, before seeing an entire 3DS manifest in front of them. They squeak happily. "Oh! I love those things-! Ah-"
They're trying so hard to be serious, but seem distracted by the funny video game thing until one of the deities asks them a question.
"Uhm...I don't really know too well, but I think so!"
⚇ : "...can we see the coin again?"
⁜ : "Yeah... What was that?"
◑ : "have fun with your animals crossings bubby <3"
◆ : "Would he appreciate a diamond/be able to manipulate diamonds?"
Hitori: "...Uu?"
They pull the coin back out.
It's a small yellow coin, shiny as ever. "...I've never seen this coin before. Not sure how it got here."
⁜ : "Hm..."
☍ : "I'm a big coin guy myself, you see."
⚇ : "do you know how to flip it?"
◑ : "oooh it IS shiny... do u have any more of those perchance"
◆ : "A coin is a useful trinket... Even minus any spytech that could be put inside it"
Hitori: "...I don't think so?"
They try to flip it.
It flips wonderfully, landing on the floor.
It's tails.
A weird aura appears around Hitori...and a blush appears on their face.
"Wh...Whuuh...huh??"
☍ : "Hm? You good there, buddy?"
⚇ : "...as expected."
⁜ : "You feeling ok?"
⚇ : "i knew something would happen. ...hold onto that coin for dear life."
Hitori:
Hitori: "I-I think so...just kind of hard to focus now..."
They pick the coin up and put it away. "I'll, uh- I'll find something out about this knife, or this coin, or the 3DS or whatever! But I probably should get going!"
Δ : "Hm, hm... we're not too sure how they would feel about it anyway, and a diamond is automatically more useful for darker intentions through its hardness and sharpness, so~..."
(A mostly smooth, elliptical stone, dark gray in colour and largely void of patterns, appears on the pedestal. It is of a similar size to how Stones' stones were when not in use.
It's obviously an imperfect imitation, but one can tell that some effort went into it.)
⁜ : "I'd suggest not letting anyone else know about the coin unless it's absolutely necessary. Good luck, Hitori."
∴ : "mm. alright then. stay safe hitori."
Δ : "I'll leave this in your capable hands, too. Take good care of everything out there!"
Hitori: "Thanks!"
They take the stone, and then head to their dorm to...probably think some more.
Their dance with fate seems to have only just begun.