The White Elephant in the Room Playground

[IFBench]

"A-Abigail...she never cleared Lee. We never got to try the bingo thing," Gen said.

He clutched onto his reunion cape, bracing himself for whatever came next.

 

[Fusion]

"Fuck all of this! Fuck you!"

Lee sat up and raised his fist with Jesse's rage. It was more more intoxicating than anything else at the bar at least. "Fucking YES! God this place has felt like my own little circle of hell! I've never felt so powerless in my LIFE!!! I can't believe how many times I felt sorry for someone else here! For fuck's SAKE!!!"

"I even actually had feelings to--" Lee suddenly stopped. "F-Fee--" he clutched his throat and coughed. "Wh-What the hell..?" He grabbed both sides of his head and plucked it off his shoulders. He reached into his neck hole, going about elbow deep before pulling out an inky black glob of... something. He reattached his head and flicked at the glob, sending black embers into the air.

"The hell?" Lee blinked, as the blackness faded away to reveal... a videogame magazine. One of the pages were doggy-eared, revealing a page about some fighting game with other pokemon on it labeled... "Oh... Oh I see..." Lee sighed and slammed his head on the bar, cracking something. "I remember now... my gift was going to be a gift for the one that sent me here in the first place... She and her friends got into games recently and I told her to circle whatever one she wanted..."

All of his rage bled out of him. "That Pokken game is mine, Abi--"

And then the day cut out...

And by the time it came back, Lee was still there, yet... Darkwhite was not... That seemed to be the only major new occurrence. That and the fact that no one was actually dead. They were just, somewhere else. It felt like something a parent would have told their kid when their pet died.

Lee took a deep breath, rubbing his temple as a headache started coming to him.

"... I have been made a fool of here," Lee growled quietly. "Nobody was even dead to begin with..."

He sat down on the couch and looked to Jesse and Gen, well moreso the latter. It felt... awkward to look at Jesse at the moment. "What did I miss. Of importance, I mean? I've gotten that Nillam is gonna be the next one we vote out, and I believe... Abigail's doing a thing, but anything else?"

 

[Fusion]

"A-Abigail...she never cleared Lee. We never got to try the bingo thing," Gen said.

He clutched onto his reunion cape, bracing himself for whatever came next.

Lee raised a brow, then shrugged. "I had figured me asking the dead and clearing the others was enough, but you're right. I've yet to be cleared by anyone other than myself."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"A-Abigail...she never cleared Lee. We never got to try the bingo thing,"

"Nah, son, you've not got it right. Abigail cleared Lee the second I found her out, the bingo thing was about determinin' how accurate Lee's powers are, and we don't even know if that's possible."

I will use the Lens of Nia to help you find the killer you're looking for. As an offer of good faith, I can also now confirm beyond any doubt that Lee and Palkia are safe.

"I got a direct quote here as evidence."

"I even actually had feelings to--"

Jesse raised a brow. What a time to be without his telepathy.

"What did I miss. Of importance, I mean? I've gotten that Nillam is gonna be the next one we vote out, and I believe... Abigail's doing a thing, but anything else?"

"Come on, partner. We voted out Nilam already. Fucker was scum, like I figured in the first place. We're currently tryin' to work out how to get the fuck out of here, startin' with grabbin' some soup fer the goddamn lift operator. I guess."

 

[IFBench]

"Oh."

Gen looked down at the ground. Even when he tried to help, he couldn't do it right.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

His sour expression returned. "No. I ain't turning it on after all this. You couldn't bribe me with Seviper Egg Soup from the Seviper Soupery downstairs." His stomach grumbled, and he stepped back to lay down in his chair. "Haven't been able to leave my post for days. Ran out of rations last night." He shivered at the mere thought of the storm.

He didn't want the little girl leaving empty handed, though. "Here, have this," he said, pulling a Bingo Card out of the pocket in his jacket and handed it to her.

Abigail took the bingo card. "Thank you." It made no sense for him to give it to her without knowing the thing was throwing bingo stuff at them. "May I ask why you're giving me this in particular? I have a use for it, but... I'm curious."

"Anyways," she said, turning to leave, "I'll make sure you have some food, so that you don't fucking starve before we sort this shit out..."

The television remained notably silent. Not a word, chirp, or bit of static for at least a full two minutes. When he finally responded, he only said, "No there isn't."

Abigail wasn't but a step or two out the door when the TV spoke up again. "Yes there fucking is someone in the shed! What, have I been talking to thin fucking air for the past few minutes? There is a Zangoose here and you cannot tell me otherwise!"

"Nah, son, you've not got it right. Abigail cleared Lee the second I found her out, the bingo thing was about determinin' how accurate Lee's powers are, and we don't even know if that's possible."

Abigail sighed. "No, Gen's onto something. I cleared him before the possibility of me being redirected came up... Except that now Lee claims it was his all along. I don't fucking know anything anymore. I'll scan him again in a second. Nilam's fucking dead, so that'll put an end to mystery."

She departed for the soupery.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse sighed. When the poor lil' fella wasn't terrified, he was forlorn.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Wanna help me get some soup?"

He turned to his odd, lupine friend. "How 'bout yourself, Lee?"

 

[Fusion]

Lee let out a sigh. Sure, there wasn't any actual danger here. Sure, he had shown weakness for no reason. And yeah, he may or may not have found a relatable soul who may or may not be handsome... and he lost his train of thought. For some reason.

Gen looked down at the ground. Even when he tried to help, he couldn't do it right.

Lee lifted Gen up in his arm and patted the bean on the head. "Whatever's bugging you, it's alright. Let's just focus on getting the hell out of here," he said, giving Gen a gentle squeeze.

Sinister-but-kinda-handsome Wolf

Lee could feel it. A disturbance in the force. A... compliment. Such a thing shouldn't exist, for it distracts him for no reason. How dare.

"Come on, partner. We voted out Nilam already. Fucker was scum, like I figured in the first place. We're currently tryin' to work out how to get the fuck out of here, startin' with grabbin' some soup fer the goddamn lift operator. I guess."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Wanna help me get some soup?"

He turned to his odd, lupine friend. "How 'bout yourself, Lee?"

"Operator?" Lee blinked, petting Gen again. Then it came to him through the headache. "Oh, the Zangoose?" he shook his head. "Alright, sure. I wouldn't mind getting some myself, honestly.

 

[IFBench]

Gen yelped as he was lifted up, though stopped as he was patted on the head and gently squeezed.

"T-thanks," he shakily said.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Hang on, partner, that teleportation trick doesn't work here any more. Lemme just nip to my room and get a coat and hat on..."

 

[Fusion]

Lee blinked, down at himself, then back to Jesse. As if he just now noticed that Jesse wore clothes. Clothes that somehow made Lee feel he could relate more Jesse. "...Should... Should I be wearing clothes?" he asked. To keep his mind from wandering, he decided not to keep staring at Jesse.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"If ya like, partner. I'm used to Escarpa clanners goin' about with scarce more than a neckerchief, so it don't bother me none."

 

[Fusion]

"Oh, good," Lee sighed and chuckled. "Then let's get some soup. I have no idea where it is, so I guess I'm following you." There are no ulterior motives to wanting to be in the back, shut up. You have no proof.

"Do you wanna walk yourself, Gen? Or... should I keep carrying you?" Lee asked Gen.

 

[IFBench]

"I...could you keep me with you?" Gen requested. It made him feel less lonely.

 

[Fusion]

"I...could you keep me with you?" Gen requested. It made him feel less lonely.

"Y-Yeah," Lee tittered.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Jesse walked to the Seviper Soupery, with Lee and Gen in tow, where he did his best to obtain some Seviper Egg Soup.

 

[IFBench]

As the group walked, Gen thought.

Would it really be a good idea for me to say this?

...it should be. I'm safe now, and I trust them.

Gen took a deep breath, and then said, "Can I tell you both something?"

 

[Fusion]

"Sure," Lee nodded, a tiny bit curious.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Sure thing, kid."

Huh. Was Gen finally gonna open up?

 

[IFBench]

"...I-it's about my power," Gen said.

He took a deep breath. It'd be ok. He'd be fine. He'd be safe.

"...I received a Mistletoe."