( SEANCE - WEEK 4, DAVE )

[abhoth]

[Like before, Emily's hands and forehead are slathered in cool blood in preparation for the ritual. She's made to sit in the middle of the circle, a coppery stench filling her nostrils as her back faces the only exit in the room. Next to her is the usual white basin, dried blood staining its edges as a severed hand stares back at her.

Craftly will stick around in case his assistance is needed, but won't participate in the conversation. Though neither Dave nor Emily will be able to see each other, they will still be able to hear their voices as clearly as if they were speaking in person. Now, it's up to the Medium to initiate the conversation.]

Comments

[parodeity]

[ he wants to say: he's not my brother. i don't want him to have john's shades. he doesn't know anything about me. he doesn't really care.

but it's emily, and she's ten, and dave just does what he did every other time it came up: he laughs. ]

Yeah, I'll tell Hibiki thanks. Omega offered me the hug you wanted her to give me, by the way. She and Kamui and Rachel - who can walk around now - all agreed to help try to figure shit out. I had to promise to strife with Kamui to get him to join in though.

[empireofrats]

[It's fine. Emily would have just Jessamine Kaldwin'd him if he had. Like she had done Dirk in a different way.] That's good.

What is "strife"? Are you going to duel?

[parodeity]

Yeah. It just means fightin'. Trainin', whatever. I used to do it every day and night of my life for like thirteen years.

[empireofrats]

That sounds like fun! I remember what you taught me. About the scalpel and the roof. Dirk taught me a little more with the scalpel. But I practice sometimes when everyone else is busy.

One day, I will be strong and anazing like you and Corvo. I will fight monsters like you did.

[parodeity]

[ haha yeah sure was fun all the child abuse DAVE opts not to correct Emily, uh ]

I know you will. You're already really strong, kiddo. I can't see you, but there's blood, isn't there? I'm sorry for bein' the cause of you doin' this, this time. But you're a brave girl. And you're very strong. If this is the last time we talk, or if it isn't...I'm at least glad I met you. I'm sorry I'm a crap knight.

[empireofrats]

[Yeah, watching your mother die in front of you and then being stuck in a brothel is pretty great too, so she can slightly commiserate.]

It's okay. The Innkeeper says this is the between place, so he has to "prepare it." So I have to put blood on my hands and my forehead, and then there's a bowl... with... something in it. It's different every time. Yours is a hand.

I guess... because you said you hurt your hand.

You're a good knight. Your rhyme was really good too. I'm glad you're my friend.

[parodeity]

[ high five for terrible childhoods!!! ]

I mean, I super hurt my hands a lot, so. [ HAHAHAHA it was his fucking left hand again too rip ]

I'm glad you're my friend, too, Ems. Meeting you was...probably one of the best things to happen to me here.

[empireofrats]

I'm glad. [There's a bit of a smile in her voice.] Please be careful, okay, Dave? If you need to tell me anything, you can write it in my notebook. Or you can write it on my arm.

I can talk to you next week unless we need to talk to someone else. We'll try to open more rooms. Then you'll have rooms too. Maybe there's a door that connects one of your rooms with one of our rooms.

[parodeity]

We only got thirty seconds every week to do it, but...I'll write you if anythin' else comes up. Thing is, Abs says there's some sort of consequences for anyone who like...says too much. Which is good for us, but means we gotta be careful.

[ ALSO HE will probably do something stupid with his haunting powers this week. for fuck's sake. ]

I'll make sure I keep tryin' to info gather. And if someone else I think you'll wanna talk to dies, I'll shove everythin' I know down their throat for you, okay?

[empireofrats]

[...............dave]

Okay. Don't get in trouble, Dave. [But she laughs quietly? To her, it sounds kind of like a squeak... but it's fine.]

Um. Dave? Who is "Abs"?

[parodeity]

Oh, Abigail. She's, uh. Not super nice?

[ NO OFFENSE CRAFTLY? ]

She sold her soul like the other Facilitators for...fun and power, and she finds this entertainin'. And really worships the horrorterror gods.

[empireofrats]

Oh. The girl you told me about earlier. She's the one Andersen and Jake met. The one who gave Jake the coin to go in the toy machine.

Can you talk to her? Maybe we can ask her how to go home.

[parodeity]

Yes. She's the one who smells like lavender. She hangs out in the lobby, but she's not...the most helpful. She is where I got some of the info, though. I'll keep talkin' to her this week, too, and see if she'll tell me anythin' else.

[ a pause, and then: ]

She supposedly might tell me what happens to all of us after this ends, whenever week five hits. But I'm not sure how true that is.

[empireofrats]

Oh... But the Innkeeper said we all go home... [She knows he's, like, in here. But still.] How do we know if she tells the truth?

So... should we try to make sure the three people left aren't Facilitators? Then the last people can pick who goes home. But... we have to find out who the Facilitators are first.

Then we have to kill them.

Like the Loyalists. They're pretending.

[parodeity]

We don't. You can ask the Innkeeper about it later, though. He might tell you somethin', since y'all are friends.

[ HI CRAFTLY??? ]

But yeah, I think it's probably important that no Facilitator make it to the final three. If at all possible. Because I think...I think we don't want them makin' choices for us, ever.

[empireofrats]

Okay. We'll try. I'll show everyone else, and... we'll try. To stop them. And to find a way to leave.

[parodeity]

We'll do our best to support you on this end, Ems. Everyone - well, not Mira or some of the quieter dead - has agreed to try to get you as much information as we can, okay?

[ dO NOT ASK SOMEONE TO GHOST YOU EVER AGAIN, CHILD ]

[empireofrats]

[LOOK, SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO BE DEAD AND KNOW STUFF TO TELL THE LIVING!!!

almost asked dirk to ghost her too but not yet]

Okay. I'll look for clues, if you send any. If not... I'll talk to you next week. If... there's no one else.

[parodeity]

[ emily dave literally tried to swap his soul in an attempt to make sure you did Not ]

I'll talk to you then, Ems. Our time's up?

[empireofrats]

[DAVE WHAT THE FUCK]

Maybe. It's okay. I don't want to go, but... I think if I stay too long, monsters will come in the Dark Room.

[Or, you know, the night terrors can jusT GET WORSE. She's pretty sure her nose is longer than it was before?? Is that fur???] I might turn into a rat.

If I do... I'll still try to talk to you again.

[parodeity]

[ he really likes emily. :( also he's a self-sacrificial idiot. ]

I don't want to risk monsters gettin' you, Ems. But no matter what you turn into, or who you grow up to be, I'll always want to talk to you. I'll learn to speak rat if I gotta.

[empireofrats]

[She tries not to cover her mouth with bloody hands when she giggles quietly imagining Dave speaking rat. Squeaking? That's what it'd probably sound like to people who don't speak rat.] I'll always talk to you too.

Goodbye, Dave.

[parodeity]

Bye, Ems. Take care, y'hear? I really missed talkin' to you.

[ but better she like not get attacked my monsters... ]

I'll keep lookin' in on you throughout the week. All of you do your best, and...I'll keep doin' mine.