newlydead r2 - day 8 - 6 999s and 3 ushiromiyas

[jinglebros]

[ It's the morning after the Battle of the Bands and time for another meeting. Breakfast is a thing this time as well. Santa's tried to make something pretty decent but it's hard when all you have is shit from fast food places. Still, if you know your hacks, McCrepes are totally possible. So, there's a bunch of those on the conference table this time, accompanied by coffee. ]

Let's do this shit, huh? No squabbling this time, we did enough of that the last go around.

Comments

[jinglebros]

Information of equal value.

[golden_dream]

...Such as?

[jinglebros]

[ He smiles. ]

Nothing. There's absolutely nothing that would equal this betrayal.

[golden_dream]

Don't be so dramatic.

[jinglebros]

[ He laughs. ]

[golden_dream]

How is it a betrayal to tell us who gave you a ceramic knife?

Explain that to me, like I'm four years old.

[jinglebros]

Because then people know who's escalating this shit.

He gets looked at as a target, a threat.

[golden_dream]

So in other words, you trust this person more than us.

[jinglebros]

Stop looking into my words.

[golden_dream]

I'm right, aren't I? I don't hear you denying it.

[jinglebros]

I trust on equal ground.

[golden_dream]

... [scoffs]

[jinglebros]

If you have something to say to me, say it, don't make dumbass noises.

[golden_dream]

... [exhales]

Looks like I have nothing to say.

[meatitfeedson]

Rosa-san, could you please give it a rest? There's no point badgering him about it and starting an argument. It's not as if this mystery person is the only one. We should be acting on the assumption that everyone is armed, really. It's safer that way, besides more or less true.

[golden_dream]

...[winces]

Y-Yes... you're right. It's not worth an argument.

[keybroad]

[Not yelling outright, just exasperated, but] It was probably Corrin! Come on! There, I said it! Who cares? Why do we have to not know this? What are we going to do, stab him?

[jinglebros]

What - why would you think it was Corrin?! [ Santa rounds on her, wide eyes and upset at the accusation. ]

[keybroad]

[Listing points off on her fingers]

There's somebody that you liked so much starting the first day that you were going to vote for him no matter what, some reason you started hiding your neck that sure wasn't the weather, somewhere you've been sleeping besides our compound, and someone you're comfortable taking your shirt off in front of. It might sound like leaping to conclusions, but given how you apparently trust said person more than us, it's hard to imagine there are four separate reasons.

[She actually knows very little of Corrin himself, which is why she seems more confused than anything else that Santa would see this as slanderous, not even processing yet that he's outright angry and should be pacified.]

[jinglebros]

It's not Corrin! It's not! You never, ever think that!

[ Santa is very alarmed that she thinks that and even more alarmed that she has so much evidence that could point to him. What makes it worse is that he knows - he knows - that a certain person would insist he put this right by sacrificing one identity for the other. ]

He's too fucking sweet for it, he'd never even think of this!

[keybroad]

What?

[Lotus raises her arms - she's apologetic, alright, if Santa is this upset about it, but immensely confused.]

Okay, fine, sure, Corrin is [with absolutely no conviction whatsoever] literally an angel - but then the weaponmaker is someone else less "sweet"? Think of how that sounds to us! This person doesn't want "Rosa or Lotus" to know what person has been making a weapon? That sounds not entirely unlike "Rosa or Lotus is a possible victim of this weapon".

[jinglebros]

He doesn't care if people know he's making weapons. That's the problem. He's an idiot! I'm trying to protect an idiot!

[ Santa covers his face and shakes his head, then finally says muffledly ]

It's Niles, okay? It's goddamn Niles.

[golden_dream]

... [sighs]

What's so bad about telling us that?

[jinglebros]

Because I don't know what alliances we each have, and if it leaks out he's making weapons, that asshole could get himself killed.

[keybroad]

Okay. Thank you, Santa. Thank you so much. See, this explains so much. It explains everything! So now I feel so much better. Because we've relied on you to help protect us so far [clearly only part of the protection, but still] and there's only so much protection to go around, you know...? That protection going in an unpredictable direction was really scary...

[Raises her hand.] Now I solemnly swear I will not stab Niles.