Cat Room
It is, in fact, a cat room. Cat toys, cat food, everywhere...and there are also actual cats!! A big poster on the wall lists two rules: To not harm the cats (or harm anyone in the cat room), and to not take a cat out of the cat room. It seems to be a very expansive room with a lot of space, enough for all the cats to live in there comfortably.
Rue: He could hear the sound of cats mewing in the cat room, tumbling around and such. And while some activity in there was normal, this was...a lot.
He had them. Dax was cornered, with nowhere to run. Perhaps he could get some words out of them, after days of silence.
Rue: A grip on the doorknob...and then, a quick turn, as Rue slips inside.
Dax: Yup, there they are. Cooing to the little felines as always...at least, until Rue walks in. They stare at him as if their brain broke, unmoving and unblinking, still petting a cat in their lap.
Rue: "Hey."
Dax: "...Hi."
...They, slowly, get to their feet.
...
And immediately try to bolt out the door.
Rue: Unflinching, Rue, extends their metallic arm in front of the prota as they bash into it, almost tripping from the impact.
Dax: "Ghk- ah- I'm just trying to leave, Rue-"
Rue: "No. I need you to talk to me."
Dax: "About-"
They try to pry Rue's arm down as they speak, scrambling to the door.
"About what?"
Rue: "...What you're trying to do right now." He says, before gently pushing Dax backwards. It doesn't take a lot of force to do so; Dax feels oddly light.
"You haven't said a word to anyone for the past 3 days, since the last trial. As the only other member of Normal Gang, I require some explanation."
Dax: ...They're quiet. For a good while. As if trying to figure out what to say, or even how to say it, they keep opening and closing their mouth without a word.
Until...
"...Well, the less I talk, the less likely I am to hurt someone...like you, yes?"
Rue: "...That doesn't make any sense, Dax."
Dax: "Yes it does. Remember how my trick with the vents lead to many, many deaths? Had I been quiet, and not said anything...how many more of us would be alive right now?"
A pause, as Dax's gaze seems unable to meet Rue's any longer.
"...Like Tarnish?"
Rue: "..."
Something is off. Something in that dull brain of his courses through him...and an uneasy feeling swells in his chest.
"P...People would have died anyways. What you said was a tool for the murders that did happen, but someone would have just found another way to kill."
Dax: Their head tilts. "But...I am an expert at causing harm, in fact. I do it a lot. Surely this was a product of my devious trickery-"
Rue: "No."
Dax: "...Mrrp?"
Rue: "You are not going to convince me that you are a bad person. No matter what comes out of your mouth, it means nothing to me. To me, you are a cat. And..."
Blink. Blink blink...is he really about to say this? He's not even too sure what this word really means...
"...A friend. You're my friend."
Dax: "...I am?"
Rue can hear it. A slight "purr" in the prota's voice, that small change in their tone.
"But...why? What does that mean, really? I assumed that you only followed me because I tricked and deceived you."
Rue: "...You're actually really bad at doing that." He admits. "You're...an idiot. One that I, for whatever reason, actively enjoy. I...care about you."
What was....what was making him say these words? Things like "care" and "enjoy"...was he even capable of those things? He never thought so, and yet...he wasn't trying to lie.
Dax: "Oh. Well...I care about you too. I've been avoiding you because of that, dear...but If I truly do not harm people like you say, then maybe...I don't need to-"
The Lost: DING DING DING DING.
The Lost: "Huhu...like the new alarm, contestants? Anywho...attention, attention! it is time for the next motive~! Go to the theatre room, if you would. Things are about to get interesting..."
Rue: ...Sigh.
"We'll talk about this later. We need to get going."
And as if there was no conversation at all, he's off.
Dax: ...And Dax follows, still purring to themselves.