[Open] Who's in a mood to give a lecture?

[10billionpercent]

Who: Anyone is welcome to tell Senku he is an absolute idiot. Sometimes he needs to hear he’s ventured into ‘mad scientist’ territory.
Where: Standard Carriage
When: Horseshoe, day 3
What: Senku is determined to test the reincarnation mechanic for side effects and potential uses in a worst-case scenario.
Warnings: Suicide attempt, for science.



After what was a very enlightening discussion with Wen Qing about the fact that people had a way of coming back to life, but the exact method and variables were not really known, it seemed vitally important to understand it. It only made sense to him, that if they encountered a situation that wasn’t one they could avoid, that it was a safe alternative to end someone’s suffering as a temporary fix.

It would be foolish to rely on something like that without understanding how it worked, however, and if there were side effects – what they were and could they be offset by the benefits?

Prompt A

Senku was the kind of person who worked those around him to the bone, but he would never ever ask them to do anything he wouldn’t do first. The only logical conclusion was to, once again, sacrifice his own body in the name of science. He was relatively certain it would work, so he tried to tell himself he wasn’t worried about it.

The human mind really was horribly designed for things like this because his hands were trembling, his heart beating in his chest, and sweat running down the back of neck in a fairly typical fear response. It was only natural, humans didn’t want to die, on a biological level. The orange SCA on his wrist was beginning to make a lot of noise, flashing red and beeping loud enough that he was going to draw attention if he didn’t do it. He had his newly made stone knife leveled at his chest, having decided that seemed like the best possible option with the least amount of clean up.

He took a deep breath, and tried to steel himself.

Prompt B

With the attempt on his own life thwarted and he being neutralized, potentially even being sat on by Asagiri Gen, he was quiet a moment.

“Can I have my knife back now?” He asked dryly, holding out his hand for the tool.

Senku did not look terribly regretful, or like he’d learned a lesson - yet.

Comments

Prompt B - Gen is more than welcome to be sitting on him.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"No," Eva says, hands still shaking as she puts the knife behind her and out of his reach, thank you very much. "No. Because I am not feeling that again."

The Fear that brought her bolting into the carriage. It's one thing to feel emotions when in the same carriage, but from three away? Nope. Not ever doing that again if she has anything to say about it.

[10billionpercent]

"I hope I don't need to point out that it belongs to me." Senku offered wryly. "I made it."

That may not have been the point, actually, but he was being intentionally obtuse.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I know, but until I know you won't do anything to endanger both of us, I am keeping it."

It's firm, but there's an edge of fear in her voice echoed by the bond. For all she can compartmentalize it into the background 99% of the time...

She doesn't want to right now. She's going to be selfish.

[10billionpercent]

He would maybe get up and assert himself, but at the same time Gen's there, so he wasn't going to fight with him.

"I'm not trying to endanger us. It's an experiment. In fact, it would be far more beneficial in the long run. It's vitally important to understand at what point the reincarnation works, and what the side effects are." Senku was going to debate it anyway.

He hadn't meant to feel so afraid, but he was human.

[mtsilver_conquor]

There's a stare. A bug-eyed one of pure 'am even I hearing this?' -and a distracted nod to Gen in thanks for sitting on him, but she's far more focused on the Idiot before her.

"Have you talked to Joss-san? He died and came back. The same with A-Quing-chan."

She's not calming down. If anything, that fear? It's now got a stream of worry joining it, and concern-for-friend. "Anyway - you were afraid. Deathly Afraid."

B, bitchy bird is not happy (Gen can be sitting on him, sure)

[runicfeathers]

It wasn't that she particularly cared about him, she'd only talked him her first day on the train. It was the infernal beeping that was murdering her ears as she was near the car, the noise she'd wanted to stop.

Seeing the scenario makes her feel a jolt of minor panic, although dropped quickly. Despite not being familiar enough, she didn't want to see someone die on her again, so without even thinking she'd reacted.

"Tch. Mortals. Humans so quick to kill themselves." Her tone is annoyed as she holds the knife high, heating it up so that even if he managed to get it back, it'd burn. "No. You CANNOT have it back."

[10billionpercent]

"It's an experiment to test the hypothesis surrounding the reincarnation other people have experienced, in an effort to understand it." Senku responded. "And that belongs to me."

[fun_thementalist]

“I don’t think anyone cares who it belongs to,” Gen retorted. He nodded absently to Willow - he didn’t notice her heating the knife, he’s just grateful she was helping her keep it away.

“This is a *stupid* idea,” Gen repeated firmly - but then he’d go silent, so Willow could make her argument.

[runicfeathers]

She throws a sharp glare to Senku with a snort, shaking her head. "I would not care if it belonged to a royal, you are not getting it back. Besides, if you tried, you would only find it causing a painful burn."

She nods back at Gen, agreeing. "Gen is correct, a stupid idea indeed this is. WHY would you be stupid enough to throw your life away like this?! If you wanted to understand reincarnation, just ask someone!" Her voice was raising, almost as if she'd had a similar frustrating argument before.

[10billionpercent]

"I'm not really throwing my life away, it's only temporary." Senku retorted. "If it's only temporary, there's a lot I could learn, and data like that is incredibly valuable."

He gave Gen a look, he didn't think it was a stupid idea.

Gen is free to threadjack!

[unfavorableinstigation]

/Stop./

The no-nonsense voice came from a familiar-enough young woman, the wizard having been checking for any stray unclaimed books.

Her eyes were on Senku, now.

/Just because we have a way to come back from the dead, doesn't mean we have to use it!/

She could hear the Doctor's lecture even now. By this point, she was at Senku's side.

Reaching for the knife. Or did she have to command that in the Speech, too?

[10billionpercent]

It was the order to stop that made him jump slightly in surprise. There was some strange pull to it that he couldn't explain, feeling somewhat compelled to listen, at least.

Jumping wasn't going to help his aim any. He let out a nervous little chuckle, exhaling, it was a stress reaction and he turns his attention to Nita.

"You shouldn't startle a guy." He did not voluntarily hand over his knife. "Precision is important in this experiment."

[unfavorableinstigation]

"I know."

Back to English, if only because Senku wasn't moving the knife yet.

"I've seen stuff like this before. And while there might be people on this train who'd help you, I'm not one of them. Do I have to call anyone on the ICP about this, or can you hand over the knife?"

[fun_thementalist]

It’s just fortunate that Gen’s already heading in this direction, and Nita didn’t need to call anyone. Though Senku probably wouldn’t even say she should call him.

But really - from the other end of the car, seeing him threatening *himself* with a knife ... he hardly paid attention to Nita. He ran in to snatch it from Senku.

“What the hell are you *doing*?” Gen asked, then glanced at Nita. Was she somehow responsible? “What is this?”

[10billionpercent]

If he could keep his things out of Gen's sticky fingers, he wouldn't get pickpocketed all the time. Senku wasn't surprised he got the knife away from him, but he gave them both a tired look and a sigh.

"It's an experiment. Death is only temporary. I'm trying to figure out what the side-effects are to reincarnation."

A

[fun_thementalist]

Gen was heading his direction anyway, for no reason in particular, really. They had more to plot - he was bored - he wanted to see if he could annoy Senku into watching a movie with him - pick one.

The beeping was irritating, but that’s not what he reacted to. It was the knife. Masks fell away, and Gen’s face held genuine fear.

“No!” His voice, too, was afraid, as he ran over to take the knife, his first priority. “What the hell are you -“

[10billionpercent]

He had his ways of nicking things out of people's hands, so Senku wasn't likely to keep ahold of the knife. He jumped though, startled by Gen's arrival and surprised shout.

"It's an experiment." Senku answered, as though that made it better. "To figure out the reincarnation mechanic. Apparently you come back from the dead here."

[fun_thementalist]

“Apparently?” Gen squeaked, but his expression quickly - well it didn’t lose its fear, but gained a great deal of anger.

He knows Senku, he moved to grab him now that he was disarmed. “You’re not going to kill yourself to test an apparently. Or - or at all!”

[10billionpercent]

"There are previous cases, it's not so vague as that, but no one seems to know much about the process." Senku didn't stop Gen from grabbing him.

"Why not? I was perfectly successful last time."

Had he mentioned to Gen that Tsukasa had successfully killed him before? It may not have come up.

[fun_thementalist]

If Senku didn’t stop him, he’s pushing him against the wall. Gen didn’t look surprised, but he looked no less afraid or angry. Tsukasa alluded to it. Yuzuriha had mentioned it. It’s why he was taking this so seriously.

“We know the side effects of the revival process,” Gen argued. “We don’t know the side effects of being revived here. And no - experimenting with that won’t be the answer. What if you can’t leave this train? What if this means you’re dead when we finally get to return home?!”

[xue_yang]

Xue Yang has apparently decided to walk in to the carriage car at the wrong time. He stops as he sees the man with the knife towards his chest and his eyebrow quirks up slightly. He's not the kind of person to stop anyone from doing whatever they deem necessary but he is someone who has caused the death of someone on this train and seen that it isn't permanent. So he wonders why anyone would put themselves through such a thing willingly.

However he has a bit of a trigger when it comes to someone taking their life since it has been the source of his nightmares recently. And since he has at least determined that he doesn't dislike Senku, he would rather not watch another person take their life.

"You do realize all you will get out of doing that is a lot of pain."

[10billionpercent]

He jumped slightly, not having been expected to be interrupted and his knife wavered in that moment. That was the problem, he needed concentration.

Senku turned to look at Xue Yang. "Well." He glanced at the knife. "I'm trying to minimize that as best I can. I'm trying to figure out how the reincarnation works."

[xue_yang]

He folds his arms in front of his chest, noticing that the other doesn't seem too keen on the idea of killing himself. "Why don't you just ask the person who experienced it? Or get someone else to kill you so you don't have to panic about doing it yourself."

Not that Xue Yang is offering to do so. He's already been branded as the murderer on board. He doesn't need to add to his list of dirty deeds.

[10billionpercent]

He wasn't that thrilled about it, and his preservation instincts were screaming at him that this was a horrible idea, but he was trying to overcome that with logic.

"I'm concerned about potential side effects." He answered, pressing his lips together. "If it's only temporary it shouldn't be a problem." Was that more for Xue Yang, or himself?

He sighed. "Yes, someone else killing me would be much easier."

[xue_yang]

"I killed the last person who died on the train and they had one of the little hearts disappear next to their name and that was all. She came back just like she was. But people get a little up in arms when that happens. So you might want to consider that the side effects aren't just what happens to you."

But also how everyone else will react to it. He can't promise to know at all what happens when a person comes back. A-Qing would know better then him. But he also would prefer to not watch someone kill themselves again, especially if it is just an experiment to see what it is like to come back from the dead. He also doesn't want to be anywhere near the scene if Senku does go through with it, since he doesn't want the blame to fall on him.