see right through your beautiful lies ( semi-open )

[dolosa]

[ When you awaken, you're in what seems to be an abandoned warehouse; it looks like the place hasn't been used for its original intent in ages, though the smell of copper permeates the area. The carcasses of corpses lie around here and there - some dismembered, some completely intact - along with creepy, oversized masks of rabbits.

The warehouse itself isn't that big -- there's two floors, and many doors. However, each door is locked, and the only way through is to find a key.

However, you're not alone. There's a girl who seems to be panicking nervously, fiddling with her skirt anxiously as she sits on her wheelchair, glancing every now and again at you, not all that certain as what to do. At least, that's before you awaken, which is when she gasps in sheer surprise. ]

You're-- you're finally awake.

Comments

[wright_idea]

[Hmm... where to?]

There's some stairs up, but it looks like I'm the only one who can go up there, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving you alone down here...

[dolosa]

But don't we have to go that way to get out?

[ There doesn't seem to be any other doors, after all. Uh. ]

[wright_idea]

[Well, she has a point...

...? Hang on a minute.]

That can't be right... If stairs ARE the only way out of here, then how did they get you down here in the first place?

[dolosa]

[ Rei looks rather surprised for a moment, thinking things through. The stairs are the only way out of here, but as for how she got here-- ]

They could have carried me and the wheelchair down. My wheelchair's the foldable kind, after all, and it's not that heavy.

[wright_idea]

[I suppose that makes sense... but somehow that makes me want to press things a little further.]

Seems like an awful lot of effort. Actually, I'm curious; clearly, whoever's in charge has what they think is a good justification for bringing me here, but what about you?

[dolosa]

. . .

[ Rei's silent at first, but then she speaks up, rather ominously, yet in a soft voice. ]

They think of this as a game, right? I guess... they didn't want to immediately leave me here to die. As for a reason to bring me here, there's a good one. I was actually famous, three years ago. I was a TV celebrity. But my show got cancelled because they believed I was too "fake".

[wright_idea]

[That's odd. Why does TV celebrity seem familiar to me somehow?]

So you're saying whoever's in charge thinks you somehow deserve to die just because they didn't think you were genuine enough? That doesn't make any sense. I mean, most celebrities are pretty fakey, and THEY'RE not down here.

[Although I guess "rationality" isn't the name of the game here.]

Either way, it's going to make it pretty difficult to get you back up. Sort of reminds me of that old puzzle with the fox, the chickens and the farmer.

[...And also makes me think Mr. Layton rubbed off on me.]

[dolosa]

... A lot of people had grudges after the show got cancelled. I was bullied in school during that time.

[ She isn't lying - for once - since her voice seems genuinely upset and distressed. But then again, she's been trying to be "genuine" this whole entire time. ]

..." Fox, chickens, and the farmer"? [ Cue headtilt to the right. She's rather curious about the puzzle, but he doesn't have to tell her what it's about. ]

THIS REPLY IS WORTH 25 PICARA -- wait shit I made that joke in a different PSL

[wright_idea]

Christ, that's terrible. I'm sorry to hear about that. Teens can be pretty terrible people.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

I had a few bullies on my back myself as a kid. Thought I cried too much. Probably not the same level, but I get how you feel.

[He looks a little sheepish at her question.]

Ah... Well, basically you have this situation where you have a fox, a chicken, and a bag of grain that a farmer has to get across a river. The problem is that if you leave the fox alone with the chicken, he eats the chicken, and if you leave the chicken alone with the grain, he eats the grain. The farmer can only transport one thing at a time, so he has to do it really carefully to make sure he gets everything across safely. You know?

[dolosa]

That's alright. You weren't the cause of it, so there's no need for you to apologize.

[ She shakes her head in response before she hums, thinking about the puzzle. ]

Oh, I see... So you would have to bring the grain over first, and then the fox, and then the chicken, right?

[wright_idea]

Well no. If you do that, the fox eats the chicken. You gotta remember that the farmer can take one object BACK too.

[dolosa]

... Oh, that's right. You'd have to bring the chicken over first. Then you'd go back and bring the grain over to the other side. But before the chicken can eat the grain, you bring the chicken back to where the fox is. Then you bring the fox over to the other side before he eats the chicken, then you go back and bring the chicken over...?

I think. This puzzle's hard.

[wright_idea]

You got it! Not too bad.

Hmm. You know, it'd be awkward, but I could carry you on my shoulders while I hold the wheelchair. That might work.

[dolosa]

[ The only thing that makes her sad is that she got it wrong the first time, she doesn't get the full 25 picarats, damn it. ]

Really? It was a lot of fun, actually.

[ She never really solved things like that at school or at home. And besides, it was a nice change of pace. ]

You'd do that?

[wright_idea]

Yeah! I mean, we're sort of in this together at this point, right? I wouldn't want to leave you behind, especially since we don't know where Mitsuki went.

[dolosa]

R-- right, of course not. That wouldn't do either of us any good.

[wright_idea]

All right! Let's just get you up on my back here...

[He stoops down, holding his hands behind him so he can help her up.]

[dolosa]

[ Rei can't help but let out a squeak of embarrassment as he does that; she's never been carried by anyone before, so it's definitely a surprise to her, to say the least. ]

I-- I'm not heavy, am I?

[ WHAT A DANGEROUS QUESTION TO ASK THERE, REI ]

[wright_idea]

[Yeah, thanks for the death trap there.]

Don't worry, I've got you. Lemme just... get the wheelchair...

[Well, it's awkward as hell, especially since he has to have one arm around one of her legs, but he's at least making a college effort of it.]

[dolosa]

Okay...! Be careful, Wright-san!

[ She'll put in some effort to make sure that she doesn't fall off, fingers clutching onto his clothes. ]

[wright_idea]

[Wobbly, but he's managing barely.]

Okay, up we... go... just hold on, okay?

[Man, I really hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew.]

[Still, he makes his way up. Slowly.]

[dolosa]

I will!

[ She holds on to him as tightly as she can, but at the same time, is paying close attention -- just to make sure that Mitsuki doesn't, you know, show up out of nowhere. ]

[wright_idea]

[Well, it takes far longer than it probably should, and there's a lot of near-misses, but he somehow manages to make it all the way up the stairs. Sure drops that wheelchair fast, though.]

Whew! Ha ha... N-not too shabby, right?

[My back's going to hate me later.]

[dolosa]

You did really well, Wright-san!

[ She'll clap for him once she's placed back onto her wheelchair. ]

[wright_idea]

Eh heh, thanks. See, I can be pretty tough when I need to be, right?

Hmm... do you see where to go from here?