Wherefore Art Thou? | Ch1 C2 Suffering Game | Pt. 2 (Feat. Romeo)
Once Kazuya has called Romeo’s name, they take a short step away from the Wheel, giving him plenty of room to approach and take up a position on one side or the other. It would be easy enough to spin either way. The lights continue to blink ominously, the occasional symbol or image displayed on the lit up wedges that much more unsettling the second time you’re seeing it. Which will it be…? What’s going to happen…?
Romeo does not seem to feel whatever anticipation you may. He’d approached slowly not out of carefulness or nerves, but simply because he downright strolled over to the wheel, hands on his back, strides long but slow, as though he was just taking a nice little walk. That his eyes were, the entire time, clearly fixated on that instrument of pain and doom, and very much glinting in awareness and curiosity did nothing to undermine this, and even now that his hand is on the wheel he eyes it in what could best be described as interest, perhaps intrigue, but in no way fear. Had he not seen what would happen? Oh, he had. And sure enough, the wheel shows the possibility of maiming, even death. But if it affects him at all, he doesn’t show it. He just gives it a leisurely spin, then folds his hands behind his back again and stands beside the wheel to give everyone a good view.
When Romeo actually spins the Wheel the lights are dizzying. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the hallucinogen in all your systems. The click click click click click of the stopper against the pegs heightens already raw nerves, the room itself seems for a moment to be holding its breath. And then it stops, at last. Slowly. The last peg on one of the wedges clicks over, leaving the stopper resting right on the edge of… Cyan.
When it lights up, a silhouetted image of an Ear is visible. That’s… not as bad as it could be, at least, right…?
And Romeo too sees it clearly. He shows as much by the clicking of his tongue- he seems… unaffected? No. He seems slightly disappointed.
“No, no, that will not do at all.”
He says, calmly, one of his hands wandering up to his ear as if in deep thought, running his hand along his piercings. He lets go of them shortly after to shake his head slightly.
“A missing ear would be way too disfiguring for me. Another spin? Yes. I think I’ll take another.”
He nods to himself, then turns to Kazuya, waiting for a signal of sorts.
“…It’s up to you. Just go ahead and spin again, then. Someone else will go after you.” Kazuya’s tone is resigned, it wouldn’t do any good to be judgmental.
When Romeo spins again, the lights seem to go by even more quickly. Around and around it goes. Click click click click click… and finally it coasts to a stop on a Yellow wedge, which lights up to show a question mark. Judging by how this went for Teddi, it’s probably not as much of an escape as it seems, but at least it won’t involve any blood or pain, right…?
It does not seem clear cut to Romeo, who tilts his head and purses his lips, thinking, apparently, about whether or not he should accept those terms. If he spares a thought at all to those who will have to share his fate if he says no, he doesn’t show it. Maybe he doesn’t think about any of you at all. Or maybe he does, and it just doesn’t matter to him.
Which one would be worse…? Hard to say at this point.
But he shakes his head again, and waves the results off.
“No, I don’t think so. Privacy is an important thing to keep, don’t you agree? Another one then!”
There’s a sort of chipper joy to it when he says it, and it’s accompanied by that smile he wears, completely out of place in the situation and yet strangely fitting- if this were all just light fun, and not life and death. But Romeo’s hand is already back on the wheel, and a short glance is spared to Kazuya, nothing more.
This time Kazuya doesn’t say anything, just gives a short nod and a little gesture of their hand to indicate he can go again. Some of you are probably feeling pretty tense and irate right about now. That’s two more people who will have to take a turn now, and for what? What could Romeo possibly have to hide? Weren’t those both fairly minor results? How many times was he going to do this?
At least one more. The wheel spins again, each click another jump of a beating heart. Where will it end? How long do you have to watch this - there it goes. Slowing, coasting to a stop, the stopper finally catching a peg on… Magenta. The wedge lights up, showing the stylized but unmistakable silhouette of an eye.
Romeo raises his hand already the moment it stops, mouth half open to signal that he will pass again- probably, but who can tell, really, when the sound never comes.
Instead, he looks at the symbol, and closes his mouth. Lowers his hand, and puts a single finger to his chin. He’s quiet. Thinking. Tilting his head a little to one, then the other side.
He raises his hand again, calmly, and puts it over one eye, then the other. Then, as if he’d just remembered their existence, he turns to the figure in the back, and drops his hand again. His eyes slowly wander their frame, take in their face, their hair, study their features.
Then, finally, he turns back around to Kazuya again, and nods.
“Yes. Yes I can do that.”
He claps his hands, once, rubs them almost in anticipation it seems.
“Now, how will we go about it? And which one will you take? Personally, I would advise the right, but- ah, well. I suppose I will see.”
He raises his shoulders in a shrug, then gives a small chuckle as they drop.
“Heh… see. You get it? No? Yes? Either way, I guess we’ll start right away?”
