hydrokinetics | Some people have it other people dont, though the road that we've paved still goes both ways [W5 Th]

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Some people have it other people dont, though the road that we've paved still goes both ways [W5 Th]

[It's starting to wind down around the hotel, and Percy's making himself a sandwich before going on bat-watch. He's in the kitchen and finishing up easily enough before he makes his way out of the kitchen, nearly running into Shinnosuke in the process.

He thinks about what Damian told them and he tilts his head, keeping his tone light and friendly as he sidesteps him.]

Sorry, dude. I didn't know you were there.

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Milla found out, it's why she came to me. She knew I knew about Damian but she didn't know he was the Leader. Also don't say that because I didn't know that Damian could refuse and then the job would go to one of you. I don't even know if Damian and the others know.

Unless you mean just about the Bandits and not the role Damian has to kill off. Either way, still something I didn't know. [A pause.] Also there's a way we can revive him if he dies...but it's kind of a hidden weapon.

You get the feeling that most of the people with roles around here are being threatened into it?

I meant just the Bandits, yeah. [...] He can be revived? Seriously?

[Huh.]

... It's possible. I won't deny that the part about rewards wasn't unappealing, but even I'm not low enough to murder innocent people for something like that.

[It's because he's killed so many people in his life that he can say that he... really has no love for it, it, frankly.]

It's not like all the roles are designed to harm others, though.

There's a role that can revive one person in the game. Damian knows who it is. I don't. He was sworn not to tell me, but if he trusts them that's all I can do.

I don't think anyone's more glad to hear that than me, personally. I'd hate to have to worry about you, too. [But he gets it.] Hal told me something interesting about roles the other day. "Don't take account the character of people in the roles." That makes the game even harder, I think.

Yeah... Damian's paranoid like that, isn't he?

[Not that he's spoken to him outside of the one time, but that one time left an impression.]

... If that's the case, then I wouldn't be surprised if he just drew the names out of a friggin' hat. But makes sense, I guess. I don't really see what Milla, Noctis, Damian, Mr. Ocelot and I all have in common.

You know what the other roles are?

Damian's not the one who was told not to tell me. But yeah, he's paranoid. It's a long story.

We tried to figure that out, too. Milla, Noctis and Damian are all people who have criminal records or bounties on their heads back home. I'm guessing you're probably wanted by a few people based on what you've told me? [He finishes his sandwich then, debating the rest.]

...dude. Sometimes I think I'm going to lose my mind with everything I actually know about this place. [So yes.] Eleven roles total, including the five Bounties.

[He smiles wryly.]

Let's just say that I've spent most of my life in the underworld. [And because he figures Percy has some kind of weird mythology thing going for him—] The criminal kind, I mean. Yeah, I've pissed off a lot of organizations and governments.

[Things he wouldn't admit back home, but it's harmless info in this place, as long as he doesn't tell random people that he's used to killing.]

What're the other roles?

For what it's worth, you can definitely do that in the Underworld where I'm from, too. But there you go, that's exactly what you guys have in common. Good to know.

[He doesn't seem to mind, apparently. Good job, Shinnosuke.]

You've got the Deputy, the Doctor, the Madame, the Bartender, and the Coal Miner. Those are your other ones.

Any details on them? And how'd you find about them, anyway? Aside from the Coal Miner.

[Since, well, the Sheriff kindly gave them all that one.]

If you're asking if I know what they all do, yeah. I know that, too. Got the names from Natalie, she asked Hal. Got the rest from somebody else. Deputy is the asshole locking everybody in the stocks when they could be choosing to protect people in jail for a night instead. Our items are coming from the Doctor. They can also revive one person should they die. Our Madame and Bartender work together out of the saloon, they can cross-check people, find out if they have a role, and send anonymous notes once a week. We know that Yuna's our Bartender. Damian found out yesterday. And to make things even more fun...there's a second Coal Miner out there. Not sure if there's more to it than that, but they exist.

[Mentally taking a note of all that...]

... Yuna, huh? [...] Got any idea how Damian found out?

Pretty sure she told him. I don't know, I'm just going off of what he said. Doesn't seem like the kind of thing Hal would tell him willingly.

Nah, it doesn't. And I guess I can see Yuna confessing that kind of thing... but I'm guessing she didn't admit whom she's cross-checked so far, did she?

[He's desperately hoping that he isn't one of those people.]

Also a Damian question. Like I said, I just recently found out about Yuna myself. We all did. We'll take you to talk to him tomorrow or something, you can ask him for all of the details then. She didn't say who her partner was either.

Yeah... Well, this is great. Now we can all have some big Bounty party plus you, I guess.

[a beat]

... Damn it, why'd you guys have to find me? Now I actually have to associate with people.

I'm going to push you face first into the water. [He's. Probably kidding.] Think of this as safety in numbers, especially since our Deputy already put you in the stocks. We think they have a hint that they're looking for someone young to end the game on their end.

[Rude???]

My one solace is that you guys won't accuse me of anything during trials—I assume, anyway. You might all gang up on me and decide you want me dead anyway.

[Jokes aside...]

... They probably have to kill Damian to win, huh? Frankly, I'm amazed the Bandits didn't off me that week.

The Bounty could probably get by with just three people. [Kidding, again.] Out of the people I'm finding to trust, I'm creating a small enough list. It's something to use at least.

I'm pretty sure that's exactly their objective, yeah. And...I don't know why they didn't off you that week. Guess they really felt like going for Simon instead. [Yikes.]

Good for you. I'd like to still keep that list at zero, if I can help it.

[Poor Simon??]

Well, for all I know, you were one of the Bandits that week and you're just laughing at me inside your head now, but I guess until I know, it'll be a mystery for the ages.

You're going to have to trust of the rest of the Bounty even if you don't trust me. That's kind of the whole point, isn't it?

Also why would I be a Bandit and actively helping you guys? [Please consider that.]

Fine, that list consists of one point five people. Maybe two if I include you. You can all count as half a person.

[He shrugs.]

I was just covering my bases. I don't really think it was you—if I did, I never would've approached you on Sunday.

Though being a Bandit wouldn't exclude you from helping the Bounty. Just kill someone for that week and go back to your life as usual, right? As long as you have an interest in ending this game as soon as possible, you'd help a role that allows for that.

Considering my better half is gone, sure. I can count as half a person. [It's said casually but leaves little room to actually say anything about it.]

That's true. That should count as some form of trust for a half-person. But also being a Bandit wouldn't exclude me from helping the Bounty, but at the same time maybe I should have phrased this differently. Why would I want to? I want to end the game, but killing everybody isn't the answer. Hal even told me there's a route we can take that doesn't end in the last man standing.

Didn't we establish before that anyone would fulfill their role as Bandit with the right threats?

I mean, I'd also rather not have this be a "last man standing" thing [he's been there, done that] but if I were in your shoes, I'd still kill if I was told to and then continue helping the Bounty—ah, I hope you know that when I said "end the game as soon as possible", I meant the condition where if Damian kills the Deputy and pulls it off. Not killing everybody, or whatever you were thinking of.

What's the other route, though?

We did. But I have a failsafe in place for if I ever have to be a Bandit. Someone I trust enough to tell so they know what to do. My point stands.

The other route is to have a group of people that won't backstab each other, won't kill each other or anything like that. If a group can exist without going through with the kills at all, then Hal said the game can end. There's no limit on how big that can be either.

I've lost track of what your point even was, but this is a pointless line of conversation since I don't think that we're actually disagreeing.

[... Okay, Shinnosuke lets out a disbelieving scoff, because he's far too cynical to believe that that can be achieved.]

Ah. I see. That's funny.

We're not. [Probably? Gods, whatever.]

You think it's unbelievable? [He's had his doubts, but he's also trying to be optimistic all the same.]

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