nonbelligerent | the fake insomniacs.

[It's starting to get late and Val has tucked himself into the library, medical books all around him. He looks up when he hears somebody walk in.

Unlike every other time either of them have run into him, he's looking pretty uneasy. But then again, his partner's dead.

It takes him a moment before he speaks up.]

How has your week been? Better than mine?

[He can only hope.]

[...]

Well, it'd be difficult to have a worse time than you right now.

[On the other side of a shelf, Milla pipes up:]

I agree with Shess. How are you holding up?

[They're both right. Neither of them are up for death due to no partner.]

I've been better. The most I can do for him now is to find his assailant.

[unless one of their partners did it, which would be bad.]

Yes, it seems that's our task again tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I have a question.

Have either of you noted anything unusual about anyone in the village?

Or did you notice anything out of place with Mary, prior to her conviction?

[He tilts his head and closes his eyes, thinking back to everybody he's spoken to recently. After a moment he shakes his head and addresses them.]

No, they seem like themselves.

I didn't notice anything either, though I wasn't that close with her. Neither have I seen anything odd about anyone still around.

I see.

I truly wonder about this corruption. What form it takes. How much sway it has. Where it's born from, within a person.

The idea of waiting to find out is maddening. But I imagine it dives deeper with each question we ask each other.

What do those two say? It manifests in the darkness that's already present in people? Of course everyone has light and dark in them, but is there an easy way to tell if somebody's been possessed?

I imagine that first, you'd have to have some idea of what their personal "darkness" is.

That would require omniscience of some degree.

Some people are not even aware of their own failings or yearnings.

It's not something they tend to dwell on. I doubt most could answer what their darkness was if they were asked.

It would require quite a bit of self-awareness.

I have another question, of a similar nature.

[She walks out from behind the shelf, hand on the side of it.]

If you were aware that you harbored the corruption inside of yourself, and were able to, would you take your own life to avoid its spread?

[There's a pause as he considers this question. It's a heavy one, all things considered. Some certain people at home would despise the answer to this.

He puts the books down to look at Milla.]

I don't know exactly what would happen if I were infected with that darkness, but I'd like to say yes.

I believe you already know my answer to that question, Milla.

[She nods to Shess.] Self-preservation.

[And to Val:] I feel similarly.

Valvatorez, I'm concerned about your fate. But I must also admit to my own curiosity as to what, exactly, will happen to the three of you. We've yet to have an example of such.

[He can't blame Shess for that. He's sure a lot of his comrades would also pick survival.

That's how it is between the three of them. It's interesting to know their similarities and their differences.]

Whatever happens, you'll be able to learn a bit more about how it works. We've only been here for two weeks... perhaps it's best to get this out of the way.

Though it would be preferable to know without having to experiment with lives...

I'm beginning to wonder if we can truly do anything without trading life for it.

I have been speaking with our hosts, and they are only able to provide boons if we sacrifice things of our own. I wonder how large a sacrifice we would need to truly avert further tragedy... or if it is even possible for the time being.

[Val gives a little shrug. It would be nice to not have lives hanging on the balance but there's nothing they can do now.

Trades?]

It's hard to say so early.

That's the kind of thing you're better off asking those two. Have you been making trades with them?

[he just nods.]

Yes, I am the same as Shess.

It seems it is the only way to properly converse beyond their bounds, depending.

Beyond their bounds? The way that they get muffled when they try to share things?

Interesting.

Week 1: Friday

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