How Long is Forever [COMPLETED]

The Gift of Knowledge

"Chishiya...?"

Your voice is so low that you're not even sure the others can hear it through the speaker in their room, and even if they do, they don't care. Everyone wants to hear what Sweatpants has to say, and it would have already been bad enough without Chishiya joining their side.

Why? Why does he want to hear those lies? Shouldn't he be the one to trust you when no one else does?

Rough laughter fills your ears, so loud that you want to turn off the volume of the tinny speakers. "So you meant it when you said that everyone could be the enemy!"

You know he refers to the other game where Chishiya had agreed that it wasn't impossible for you to be the Jack as well. It's addressed towards Chishiya, but he doesn't pay any attention to the big guy. His eyes are focused on Sweatpants, who is now leaning against the table and waits for the rest to pay him full attention.

"Anyways. Wouldn't it make sense for the King to try their best to get into this room, so they can lead us all to death easily? The game would end very quickly. And what easier way is there to get into the room other than something like the method of drawing skewers? It seems to be by chance, but all of you should know that it is easy to manipulate things. By holding the skewers AND being the last one to draw, it is not such a big deal at all to keep the broken skewer for yourself."

It is hard to hold back the anger inside of you, but you feel something else. Fright. Because if you would still stand inside the other room and listen to his words about a stranger you don't know, there is a possibility you would have believed him as well. Sweatpants has a way of wrapping the others around his fingers by choosing his words wisely, by using their desperation and insecurity for his own benefit.

He has chosen the perfect victim to put the blame on, and what reason could he have for that other than one?

Yet the big guy was terribly wrong; you'd never feel something like affection for him.

This man is nothing like Hibiki.

"You were the first one to try and get into this room," you shoot back with ice cold voice.

Sweatpants chuckles, grinning into the camera as he shrugs his shoulders. "Yes, because I am a curious person. If someone offers me the chance to become a god, how could I not try and take it?"

Rather to become a demon.

"That's not really much evidence, if you ask me," the woman wearing the blue dress adds hesitantly, and Sweatpants nods.

"That was just one part. In case our friend here," he points his chin towards the big guy, "told the truth by mentioning that they befriended the Jack – and I see no reason to doubt that because they confirmed it already - couldn't there be a possibility that they attended the game to support the Jack, to help him win?"

A snort comes from Mr. Muscle, and you're honestly surprised that he seems to be on your side. "How should the King be able to leave their game only to take part in another one? All face-card games appeared at the same time. On top of that, they didn't do much to prevent us from winning."

"I can only guess about that, but..." Sweatpants scratches his neck, and you can see how his other hand stops right over the fresh fruit on the table, as if he thinks about taking one. "You see, those blimps have been up for five days now. I just can't imagine that our enemies will sit in there, waiting for us to come without even a break. They are still human, aren't they? Thus they need to sleep and eat as well, maybe even stretch their legs once in a while."

You have to admit that this is something you haven't considered yet. What do the Citizens do while they wait for enough people to enter the game area? How do they access food, where do they sleep?