Telepathic message, during the Awakened battle

[kokuyoyo]

We're not getting anywhere. These things aren't the real threat, and they're only going to keep coming.

Second round, pay attention.

If your username had a wheel, immediately look for people who are murdering these things with apparent experience. Keep finding more of them. Make sure a group can keep you safe. Stay away from the lockers.

If you had a pair of blades, find the people being most targeted and defend them. If these things get rid of us Navigators, you'll die easily.

Do that immediately.

And for everyone... We need to lure the true form of our enemy out. These rats are just meant to exhaust us.

If we can find a way to a larger area like the gymnasium, we should set up bait. Since these things want Navigators so badly, some of us should be what sets the trap.

[There's the sound of a mental sigh that whispers through everyone's minds.]

Unless anyone has any better ideas...

Comments

[touketsu]

We're a team, actually. Acting like we're anything else is what will get us all killed.

[kokuyoyo]

So you're going to get in the way?

[kouteipenguin]

Never.

[kokuyoyo]

That's what it sounds like to me.

[kouteipenguin]

Then you're mistaken. My friends could never be in my way. If they insist on being by my side, that isn't a shortcoming on their part.

[hachitaro]

Can we save the anime friendship speeches for later, please?

[kokuyoyo]

Then pull yourself out of being bait and let others step in.

[kouteipenguin]

I won't back down from what I've said I'll do.

[kokuyoyo]

You're ill fit for it.

[kouteipenguin]

Oh? What would you qualify as 'fit' for this?

[kokuyoyo]

Someone who won't have so many people trying to keep them from something dangerous but necessary, and thus people who might do something unpredictable that would jeopardize the plan.

Someone who can control their allies and keep them from doing those kinds of things. Or, rather, would want to at all.

Taro's instability is one thing but at least that's manageable...

[hachitaro]

Thanks?

[kouteipenguin]

[If this was spoken, he'd stop this thought, but..]

... You're suggesting someone without friends.

[kokuyoyo]

I'm suggesting someone with common sense.

[kouteipenguin]

No... You're making guesses about people you don't know and projecting that judgement on me.

[hachitaro]

Look. Can you get them to hang back far enough or not? If you can't, then the whole thing's gonna get screwed up.

[kokuyoyo]

Exactly. We're being asked to put a lot of faith into a group of people who so far have only come off as panicked and overly protective.

[kouteipenguin]

Well, yeah. That's the idea.

[touketsu]

Well, if you're going to do something stupid, I'm obviously not going to go along with it.

[kokuyoyo]

Aren't you the ones being stupid...? It won't be bait if a bunch of people are clustering around it.

[touketsu]

It won't be bait if it's too small to draw attention, either. Something big will gobble that up before we can lift a finger. It's stupid!

[kokuyoyo]

Then we add more Navigators, not Combatants.

[touketsu]

Agh! Why are you so...!

You add both, enough so no Navigator is left unmarked! We can disguise the Combatants or...if they seem injured and not like a threat, it won't even matter to our enemy that they're there. Then someone can heal them at the first sign of trouble.

[kokuyoyo]

"Disguise"... You really are oblivious aren't you?

I think we're done here.... You're obviously someone who's going to end up getting another killed...

[touketsu]

You better hope it isn't you if your dumb plan gets anyone hurt!