[WEEK 2, WEDNESDAY SOMETIME: Battler]

[spinatalltale]

[a paper airplane nyooms through the air]

[nyoooooom]

[nyooooooooooooom]

[until it crumbles against Battler's head]

Oho! Direct hit!

[hey, Battler. got a moment?]

Comments

[itsalluseless]

[He frowns, thinking.]

Do you think... the game would just stop if that happened? We could all go home? But it's not like we've got any way of figuring out who the people with those roles are.

[spinatalltale]

[throws her hands into the air]

Augh! More speculation!

[she's whining]

I honestly don't know. I keep asking people to see if someone would have an answer, but no one does!

Or they're just keeping it from me. I feel cheated!!

[itsalluseless]

Well, how am I supposed to know? It's not like anyone's told me anything, either!

[cranes his head back to look at the sky, sighing]

But it only makes sense, right? Whoever the people with roles are, it's not like they're just going to come out and tell us.

1/2

[spinatalltale]

[her dramatics disappear in a flash]

No. It's smart of them, honesty. And I suppose it's still a bit too early for the information to start leaking out to the rest of us. But, well. . .

[spinatalltale]

[annnnd then they return]

I hate being kept in the dark.

[itsalluseless]

[okay that gets him to lean away a little. as used as he is to this shit, it does still get to him sometimes]

...I'll tell you if I find out anything?

[spinatalltale]

[she leans back as well, the expression vanishing just as fast as it appeared]

I appreciate the thought, but I don't actually believe you'll go through with it. Then again, I don't believe anyone will when they say that.

[itsalluseless]

Honestly, there's no need to doubt it. If I find out anything about the roles, obviously I'll share it with everyone. That kind of information could be just what we need to get out of here.

[spinatalltale]

[the curl of her smile is lazy and languid]

Maybe.

Or maybe not. It's hard to say when we don't know what the exact nature of these roles is, hm?

[itsalluseless]

...I guess so. Since we know there's at least one role that doesn't seem to involve killing, it's entirely possible that there are others as well.

[spinatalltale]

[watches him through a lidded, distant gaze]

At least one role that gives us items. At least one other responsible for killing.

So. . . what do you think the function of the other roles might be?

[itsalluseless]

The roles would've all been selected by Hal, right? So I assume they're all somehow meant to facilitate us killing each other.

[spinatalltale]

That's. . . somewhat contradictory to what you stated earlier.

[a hum]

"Since we know there's at least one role that doesn't seem to involve killing, it's entirely possible that there are others as well."

[she repeats him, word for word]

And unless someone here is meant to kill with a mountain of wicker baskets. . .

[itsalluseless]

Ah, I suppose I should've worded that better. What I meant was that the other roles might not be killers, but they could be related to making it easier for us to get killed.

For example, the item role provided a knife that was then used to frame someone, and someone could potentially use it as a murder weapon later.

[He frowns, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.]

Maybe the other roles could involve something like selecting the profiles that get bookmarked every week. It doesn't directly hurt anyone, but could potentially make us suspicious enough to turn on each other.

[spinatalltale]

[she accepts his clarification with a nod]

Uho, you've really been thinking about this. . . maybe you're not as clueless as you seem.

[itsalluseless]

I feel like I shouldn't thank you for that half-compliment...

[spinatalltale]

Of course you should thank me! It was a benevolent statement, and such things only tumble from my mouth once every million years.

[MAGILOU. . .]

[itsalluseless]

It wasn't very benevolent, actually. More like an insult.

[spinatalltale]

Tsk tsk. Aren't you a picky one.

[itsalluseless]

And now we're back to insults. Tch, and you call me rude.

[spinatalltale]

Being cruel and rude is a witch's way! What's your excuse?

[itsalluseless]

I wonder. Could it be that I'm too sick of witches and their bullshit to care about manners?

[spinatalltale]

Uho! A rebel fighting back with the power of a sharp tongue and a defiant, headstrong personality! You would make a good protagonist after all.

[itsalluseless]

What's with that conditional? I am a protagonist, at least in the story I actually belong in.

[spinatalltale]

[leans forward, totally invading his personal space, hand pressed above her brows]

Are you going to bring some of that protagonist spirit to this game?

[itsalluseless]

[Doesn't flinch back, though he does turn his head away a little]

Well, we'll have to see. To be totally honest, I've been having some trouble working up the same kind of enthusiasm I had for Beato's game.

[spinatalltale]

[Beato. . .]

Too boring, huh? Well. . .

I doubt it's the game itself that'll be interesting.

[itsalluseless]

I wouldn't say it's boring, exactly. After all, people are dying. It's more that... the objective is a little less clear, I guess.

[battler shut up you know your objectives here much more clearly than in canon]

[spinatalltale]

[. . .]

For most of us, the objective is "don't die." What do you think yours is?

[itsalluseless]

I'd like to save as many people as I can. I just don't have any idea how yet.

[spinatalltale]

. . . sheesh. The number of you who want to do that could form your very own club with matching hats and all.

[itsalluseless]

I wouldn't mind being in a club like that. Maybe we could turn it into an organised effort.