newlydead r2 - day 11 - june

[jinglebros]

[ Santa is pacing around his very small dressing room. He's cleaned the entire thing up and it's bare. He doesn't want to be embarrassed if anyone comes in, after all. He keeps glancing at June as he paces. ]

I'm not fucking sure about this anymore. I really don't know if we should do this. It's going to kill him if I'm hurt.

Comments

[exequte]

You were the one who offered the deal. What is Ronald going to think if you back out now?

[jinglebros]

Really fucking badly, that's what. is there no other way to pull this? We can't modify it at all?

[exequte]

Do you want to be the one to tell him you don't want to do what you said you'd do? And what would you offer instead? Do you want me to be the one who gets stabbed?

[jinglebros]

What! [ Santa backs up a bit and opens his eyes wide. ] No! I'm not stabbing you! I'm not fucking doing that!

[exequte]

So what, I should stab me? That would be more difficult. People might know it was me more easily too. Of course, if they did, that might stir things up for a different reason.

[jinglebros]

[ Santa backs up more, as if putting distance between the two of them puts distance between him and her manipulations. As if. ]

Neither of us are stabbing you! You're not getting stabbed at all.

[exequte]

All right, then what about someone who didn't agree to it? What about Kyrie? Or Corrin? Or do you really think you have something that you could offer that would make him change his mind? Prices usually go up, not down, when you try something like that. Maybe you want to kill someone? It's going to have to start eventually.

[jinglebros]

[ He stands there, shoulders tensed as he stares at the floor in silence. Long moment of breathing in and out before he finally exhales a long sigh and the tension goes out. ]

Fine. Let's do it.

[exequte]

If you really can think of anything else we can try to find another way! But time is running out, and this is for Corrin as much as anyone, right? You'll be hurt now, but you aren't going to be sent to the hotel. I'm not going to be sent to the hotel. I'd die if I went back home after, and you've said that going to the hotel is the same as dying for you.

[jinglebros]

Okay.

Thanks for reminding me, I just...

[ He runs a hand over his face. ]

Okay.

[exequte]

I won't if you don't want me to, but at this point I'm not sure how much of a choice there is.

[A fleeting, grim smile.]

I hope Corrin doesn't find out I did this, though.... I don't think he'd like me very much after, even if you agreed.

[jinglebros]

He's not going to find out. [ Determined, forceful tone. ] He's not! He'd hate us both if he found out about this, no matter which way it goes down. We're keeping this to our fucking selves, okay?

[exequte]

I don't think he'd hate you regardless, but I'm not planning on anyone finding out.

[jinglebros]

Why is this so damn important? Please remind me why we're doing this. Please remind me of the plan.

[exequte]

Three reasons.

First, you already said you would. You were the one who proposed the plan, and offered it in exchange for a specific reward. That reward was approved, and the plan given the go-ahead. You don't want to back out of it now, though, because even without the reward you were the one who initially proposed this, who offered the 'entertainment', and it's not going to be taken well if that offer is retracted so suddenly because you got cold feet. You could try to renegotiate the requirements if you really think it will be able to work, but the difficulty of what you've proposed to do isn't going to be decreased, it will only go up, or the promise of a reward that you already got might be removed if you're the one changing terms. It also would sabotage any bargains you wanted to make going forward. You won't be able to offer any deals if they think you're going to back out when you need to do something difficult.

Secondly, you're doing this for a way to stop from being sent to the hotel. The game is over if you are sent to the hotel, and you've said that if that happens then it's the same as if you were voted out by dying. If you die it's not just the game that's over, it's everything. I'm not sure why, but if the game being over is the same as everything being over, that's something it's more important than anything to avoid.

Third... this is probably going to gain you allies and make things harder for your enemies. It will do the same thing for me, and everyone else you're close to. You've seen what happened to Mary and Ib, you've seen what's happened to Mari and Rosa and Kyrie and Zelda and Link. After they went through some kind of traumatic event - an attack, or losing someone important to them - people on all sides have rushed in to support them. If you are attacked, it will make you a victim, and someone who should be shielded, because there is someone else who wants to kill you. It will make me a victim, because I was just put though a traumatic event. It will make Corrin a victim, because he will have experienced the same traumatic event. If something bad happens to you, people are going to be more likely to help all of us, because people here don't want to be cruel, and want to stand together and help each other. If you are singled out then that's a good reason for everyone else to try harder to protect you.