I always put myself in destructive situations [W5, Friday]

[hydrokinetics]

[It took time. Everything took time as it always did. It took time for them to all calm down, it took time to heal physical wounds, it took time to properly remove the evidence of obscene crimes...but in the evening they were able to gather in one place away from everyone else. It hadn't been easy coordinating everything, but it was necessary.

And so here they were. All seven of them.]

...I don't really know where to start. [His voice is tight, but determined.] But we need everybody on the same page. Who wants to go first?

Comments

[insincerely]

[Shinnosuke's staying a bit of a distance from the others—short enough that he can easily hear and be heard if need be, but far enough to be noticeable. To be honest, Bounty or not, he's... pretty sure he's an outsider here, so it feels a little weird to be hanging around them.]

Well, I guess we can start with establishing, once and for all, why all of us are here right now.

To begin with, Damian is the Bounty Leader. Milla, Noctis, and I are the Bounties, as was Mr. Ocelot, who's dead now. That's our part in this.

[thatsthespirit]

. . . why are you standing so far away, Shinnosuke?

[#importantobservations]

[insincerely]

[...]

How is that relevant to this in any way?

[Just let him be a socially awkward loser.]

[thatsthespirit]

It isn't necessarily, but it does make you seem like an outsider. Just because you were the last Bounty we found doesn't mean you're any less a part of this group.

[:I! get over here Shinnobutt]

[insincerely]

I'm rather comfortable over here, thanks.

[thatsthespirit]

[well she was gonna say something]

[but then Jason drags him over]

Ah, that's much better. Welcome to the group, Shinnosuke.

[robitussin]

I'm the Doctor. The camera, the beartrap, the dynamite, the... deer. That was me.

[There's more she wants to say about that, but Jason is here, and she doesn't want to deal with his reaction to her apologizing again. Still, she pauses for a moment, fighting back that very apology, the guilt that still wants to leak out.]

I also have a one time thing where I can pick someone to revive after they get killed. So, there you go.

[insincerely]

... Huh. Well, it's a relief to know you weren't trying to screw us over with those, I assume?

[He's... just trying really hard not to think about any of the consequences, even as he has Sei's sword at his waist.]

Reviving someone, though... What a shitty duty.

[That kind of responsibility, whether Natalie ever makes use of it or not, can't be easy to bear.]

[robitussin]

...I wasn't. I promise.

[She could say more about it, but she already feels herself getting emotional, and that's not what she came here for. She takes a breath, and looks a bit surprised at the next comment he makes.]

It's better than nobody having that kind of ability, isn't it?

[insincerely]

I guess. Got any plans on using it yet?

[robitussin]

...Not yet.

[She sighs.]

There's not a rush, though. I confirmed with the Sheriff that if I give him the name of someone I want brought back no matter what, he'll do it even if I get killed first.

[thatsthespirit]

[. . . oh! oh!! she looks honestly surprised]

Ah--! So those were you!

[by "those" she means the camera and the beartrap, since. she didn't know about the dynamite and she isn't gonna bring up the deer since she can read the guilt on Natalie's face]

The beartrap is still in my room, underneath Yuna's bed. We never used it.

[robitussin]

[She nods.]

I picked it because he told me it might be useful to catch a killer somehow, and the lists aren't really... I mean, you know Hal. There hasn't been a great choice since the camera.

[Hence, well, deer.]

[thatsthespirit]

I thought the same. I even tried to get Yuna to use it to protect the stocks one week, but she-- well. . .

[she was Yuna. she was softhearted, and didn't want to hurt even a potential killer]

Considering our dwindling numbers, I think it may be time to cease playing nice with our Bandits and rogue no-role killers.

[impulsiveness]

It's been time since this game started.

[Let them potentially maim all their murderers. It's fine.]

[robitussin]

We never should have been doing that in the first place, so. Yeah. Beartrap it is, I chose it for a reason.

[insincerely]

Out of curiosity, what were your other choices? I'm wondering how much our beloved Sheriff is laughing at us.

[robitussin]

This week, the options other than deer were snakes, a bear, a giraffe, and bees. He said normal deer, so I thought... I don't know what I thought.

[She makes herself stop it there and move on.]

According to him, though, the only option that wouldn't have killed someone invariably was the bees. Go figure.

[impulsiveness]

[Just... gently bumps her shoulder as she speaks up. He knows what that pause is for. Please learn to love yourself, Natalie Goodman.]

[robitussin]

[She blinks as he bumps into her, and then forces a smile.

When she responds, it's tapped out, since she's assuming nobody else can understand it: I'm okay. Seriously.]

[impulsiveness]

[No smile back for her, but he does huff out a breath.

Also tapped out: Just take it easy. I worry.

Since, well. Wednesday happening.]

[impulsiveness]

[Dead eyes at him........ not that Shinnosuke can see??

Which means Jason is just going to grab him and drag him closer to the main group. Whatever, bro. Get over yourself.]

[insincerely]

Hey—!?

[LET GO OF HIM???]

[impulsiveness]

[NEVER???

Writes in his hand: IDIOT]

[insincerely]

I'm pretty you're still the idiot here.