hydrokinetics: (And why all the possibilities)
dumb fish child ([personal profile] hydrokinetics) wrote2017-01-29 07:54 pm

Wait for the dust to settle down around us, and stick to what we know [Sunday Night, W2 going W3]

[Sometimes Percy wishes that he lived a normal life. Sometimes he daydreams about what it'd be like if his world didn't have to deal with danger, if he could be blissfully unaware of the monsters in the world, if he could just be happy and unimportant, a boy with a brand new driver's license, a mountain of homework, and plans for a good date night with the best girl in the world while juggling SAT prep for college.

Instead, he has none of that and in a way he wonders if he has the advantage. The things here don't scare him as much as they would other people, he thinks, (though he's affected even so) and it helps him to keep his cool during moments like this morning's execution.

Truthfully, if he was normal, he's fairly sure he might scream and never stop.

As such, it's easy for him to gather his bearings after the Sheriff's warning and it's almost instinct now that he seeks out Natalie and tells her to meet him that evening. He's aware that privacy is hard to come by in this place, but he figures most people won't be out right now. It's why he waits in front of the general store and raises a hand in greeting, giving her a quizzical look.]


How good are you at climbing?
robitussin: (when they tell you that)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
[It's been a rough day. She keeps feeling like she should be getting used to this, but it seems like it gets worse. First, self defense. Then, someone who was simply an accomplice. And now, someone who was killed simply because they had decided not to vote. She's been angry and afraid for weeks, but somehow, this grates on her more. She knew Tiara and Higekiri were going to die. It was obvious before their executions. But for someone who values logic, a clear and set pattern that can be applied to every situation - the way the second execution happened so quickly, the way she had no way to see it coming... It bothers her more than the others.

Normally she looks away when someone is actually about to be killed, and she can't get the sight of the quickly spreading blood out of her mind; the looks on everyone's faces in the moment after it happened linger there, too.

So, when Percy asks her to meet with him, it's not something she's about to resist. She needs a distraction. She heads to the general store at the appointed time, giving him a nod as he raises his hand in greeting. When the question comes, though, she raises her eyebrow slightly, tilting her head.]


Fairly good. Why, what are we climbing?
robitussin: (it's crystalline clear)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Not quite at the lava level, here, but I climbed a few trees when I was a kid.

[She'll be fine, probably. She glances at the roof.]

That's one way to get some privacy, I guess. You want to start?
robitussin: (do i just disappear)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
Papika, right? As long as she doesn't fall asleep up there again, I guess.

[Once he's up, she starts herself; she isn't as athletic as he is by far, so it takes her longer, but she does make it eventually. She takes a seat next to where he's parked himself.]

So. What's new?
robitussin: (but there'll be no more crying)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
...She's tried punching a robot before, who's to say she wouldn't punch a vulture? I bet she could do it.

[She bites her lip and shakes her head.]


I would've told you if I did. I've told you basically everything else that I've found out.
robitussin: (and get into yale)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
If I'm being honest, I think what we need is *more* robot punching, not less.

[She turns to him in surprise, because... The Sheriff was helpful, that's a first.]

What did he tell you?
robitussin: (and you graduate early)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, clearly I am the type of person to punch a ton of robots, all the time.

[She tilts her head back, thinking.]

Sounds like... Oh, this is probably a good time to say that he told me how many roles there are and all of their names. So, I'm wondering if his failsafe is another person he picked out whose role is to kill if nobody else does. That's the only thing I can think of, unless part of his job is to do that, which I doubt.
Edited 2017-01-30 05:11 (UTC)
robitussin: (throwing shit down the stairs)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
A few hours ago, because I am persuasive and incredible and he loves me.

[Quickly, and then she holds up a hand, listing them off.]

So. Two Bandits, which he made sure to specify was a weekly role, which means I'm assuming these others go for this entire thing, not just a week. Those are Doctor, Madame, Bartender, Deputy, and Coal Miner. I have no clue what any of them are, but there you have it. If they're each one person, five people total.
robitussin: (when they tell you that)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
It's close enough to one seventh, yeah.

[A nod, thinking.]

He said roles were to help and to hurt... We can probably guess that Deputy and Doctor are some of the helpful ones, and obviously Bandits are the one of the ones that are supposed to hurt. I guess they could all be there for checks and balances. It would throw a wrench in things if one part of this shitshow just stopped happening, right?
robitussin: (you play 'til you ache)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 06:11 am (UTC)(link)
Change how they want to play? Like... Whether they use their role to hurt people or use it to help people, you mean?

[That's an interesting thought, and she's still thinking it over as she speaks.]

Yeah, fair. I was considering the whole 'law enforcement is usually good' thing, but considering the law enforcement we have here, not to mention the laws themselves... Maybe a deputy would be an asshole too. Sucks.

But madame is what they called the manager of a brothel, right? It wouldn't really surprise me if one of the boarded up buildings was modeled after one. It would fit the theme. [Anyways.] He mentioned specifically that there were two Bandits, too, so I think all the others must be one person.
robitussin: (so you won't feel so sick)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that's true. So... What do you think the other roles could be responsible for doing, exactly, if they're backing up for each other? [The next part earns a small laugh, though.] Wow, demigod and rebel without a cause.

[And then she laughs again, a bit harder this time, when she catches his expression.]

Oh my god, you're such a teenage boy. I'm not an expert on wild west stuff, though, so I don't really know what other kind of buildings they might have designed. [And then a shrug.] It's not too hard to get answers if you can convince him you've earned them. That's how I got the names of the roles.
robitussin: (do i just disappear)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 07:05 am (UTC)(link)
Then the Doctor would be one of the bad ones too, right? If they're helping the murderers, they would be. Those sound like pretty good guesses, though. He told me what their names are, I wonder if I could get him to confirm what at least one of the roles was supposed to do... Even knowing more about one of them could help.

[She rolls her eyes.]

Please, I'm more of an asshole than at least half of the guys here. If he was nicer to girls, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't get that benefit. [But, huh.] What'd he say about the camera?
robitussin: (everything else goes away)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. If I bug him about it and he actually gives me answers, I'll make sure to let you know. [And then, a small huff of a laugh.] I don't think saying he's gearing up to get us killed is ever going to be inaccurate. Not sure if asking a bunch of questions helps or hurts our case, though.

You like talking to me because I'm an asshole. Charming. [She sounds more amused than she does offended, though.] More stuff like that as in more randomly appearing technology, or more weird shit seen on the cameras?
robitussin: (we'd all comprehend it)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know, the end result of both those things seem more important than how it happens. [She shrugs. Just saying.] Yeah, that makes sense... Speaking of right answers, I was thinking maybe a few of us could have, like, a group wide brainstorming session about everything we've been talking about so far. Just for anyone we really trust, obviously, but...

[It could be good to have a place where they can all weigh in on what's happening and what to do.]

Do I? Do I, really? [Yes, she does.] It'd be great if it would actually show us anything useful for once... I think she probably does, yeah. She doesn't seem the type to leave something that important alone for long.
robitussin: (were here)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Milla. Possibly Jason? Jason is probably fine. Maybe the seven of us could meet up sometime and, like, dump all the information we've managed to find out together. It couldn't hurt to be on the same page with a few people.

[But this totally doesn't count as forming a team, nope.]

Of course it's not weird. Someone should be worried about her, honestly. You know what she told me when I went to talk to her about how she basically offered to get murdered?
robitussin: (and i'm trying to enjoy it)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-30 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe on Thursday afternoon or something? That way we could have it before the trial. I would offer my room, but... [A shrug, and a roll of her eyes.] You know. My roommate continues to be himself.

[She nods, then sighs and runs a hand through her hair.]

She gave me this big thing about how she isn't supposed to exist and she's not real, so it doesn't matter if anything happens to her. Obviously don't tell her I told you this, but that sure happened.
robitussin: (but there'll be no more crying)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, join the club. [A shrug.] I'm pretty sure Yuna is Milla's roommate, so nobody bad, but I don't really want her walking in while we're discussing stuff.

[Yuna is too pure for these talks, probably.]

She said she wasn't human, that someone made her to act as a weapon... I don't know. I didn't want to press too much, she was getting pretty upset.
robitussin: (when they tell you that)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. Plus, all three of them are too... I don't know, innocent. It's not like everything we've talked about has been sunshine and roses.

[She doesn't want them to be any more distressed than they already are.]

Yeah, no, there's no way this is random. I don't think one single person here has lived a normal life. There had to be some thought put into it.
robitussin: (freaking out at the store)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
...Yeah. But I guess that makes it more entertaining for his bosses, or whatever. God, they're such assholes.

[She runs a hand through her hair. She hates kids being here too, hates knowing that something could happen to any of them at any point, and there would be nothing she could do.]

Yeah, nothing new about the whole full of shit thing. [She glances towards him for a moment, then looks away with a shrug.] I guess.
robitussin: (and you graduate early)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 07:42 am (UTC)(link)
[That gets her interest, and she looks towards him again.]

A conduit? Did he explain anything more about what form that might take?

Someone who's looking to spice the competition up, I guess. It wouldn't be as interesting if it were just adults who knew how to defend themselves. [His look only earns him another shrug.] It's harder to think of yourself as weird when you're talking to a demigod, you know.
robitussin: (if they love each other)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
Not... really. Yeah, that's one you're going to have to explain to me, too. What's an oracle?

[She didn't think they would be able to have any sort of contact with the people who brought them here, so she's curious to hear his answer.]

Yeah, they suck in basically every way. [She shakes her head.] Nah. I'm glad you told me. My puny mortal brain can take it, promise.

[She casts him a sidelong glance for a long moment before shaking her head.]

Nah, you still got a ways to go before you unlock my tragic backstory.

[Her voice is light and teasing again, though, far from serious.]
Edited (HTML!!) 2017-01-31 07:57 (UTC)
robitussin: (or if they just fake it)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
Wait, so your friend gets possessed on the regular? Isn't that a little bit freaky? I don't know, I just hope if that ever happens it's not me.

[That idea is too strange for her to even think about.]

I look forward to seeing you try to convince me to do that. It won't be easy, man.
robitussin: (of every sun)

[personal profile] robitussin 2017-01-31 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
It sounds extremely creepy to watch. [The next part earns a shocked laugh.] Also, wow, sick burn. Thanks.

[She respects it.]

Guess we'll see who's more stubborn in the end.