[ch. 3] post-execution, w/ evan

[asswipe]

[...

There isn't really any bracket text distraught enough to describe how Veronica feels right now.

Evan will find her carrying two bottles of liquor, presumably pilfered from the kitchen so she can get drunk elsewhere. She's obviously been crying, and she doesn't bother to conceal this fact when she spots him.

After a beat:]

... I'm going to the earth suite if you want to join me.

[She's emo.]

Comments

[selfinserting]

Oh.

[There's barely a moment of hesitation before he nods.]

Yeah, sure. Of course.

[asswipe]

[...]

—Wait, what. Really?

[selfinserting]

[He blinks.]

Um, yeah. Why not...?

[asswipe]

Because I'm asking you to injure yourself on purpose?

[selfinserting]

I’m also asking you to probably injure yourself on purpose...?

[asswipe]

We don't know that yet.

[selfinserting]

I mean, there's like a 75% chance that's what's going to happen.

[asswipe]

[........

stands up

and puts a hand

over his mouth.]

Shh... Less talking. More drinking and slipping.

[selfinserting]

[As soon as he realizes what she's about to do...]

Wait, Veronica, don't—

[Ah. There it is. Muffled by her hand, which will be the case for the next two hours:]

The, the touch thing.

[asswipe]

[Well.

In her defense

she's had shots with two separate shitty adults by this point.]

... Oh, fuck. [TRYING TO RETRACT HER HAND and failing. R.I.P., Evan's face.] It's still happening. Why the hell is it still happening? Why did I do this?!

[MMMMMISTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKES.]

[selfinserting]

[VERONICA??]

Stop - stop, that hurts! It's not going to, to come off!

[RIP his face indeed.]

[asswipe]

[SHE'S ASCENDING.]

I— Shit! [OKAY. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. She stops.] I'm so sorry. Oh my god. Are you okay?!

[selfinserting]

I'm fine! I'm fine. I-It's really okay, so...

[This is Fine.]

[asswipe]

[Covers her face with her... free hand. God.]

Please tell me you're using your token to get rid of this curse. It's so much.

[selfinserting]

What if I try and then they make it worse somehow? Like, I ask not to stick to people anymore and then anytime I try to touch someone we both get really slippery?

[asswipe]

Then be really specific about what you want. Don't you remember what Ion talked about during the trial? The letter he got from Beast.

[selfinserting]

...Even if I was, doesn't it feel - kind of selfish not to wish for something that could benefit everyone? I could, like, wish for Stephanie's leg back, or better medical supplies, or more information about this game.

[asswipe]

... If you think it's selfish, then hold off on that until you see what your next objective is. If it's not too bad, ask me for help and we'll get you another coin so you can fix this without feeling guilty.

[selfinserting]

I was actually thinking about... wishing that my next objective wouldn't be anything that would involve violence or danger. If I asked for the same thing every time I complete an objective, that would mean that I, um, wouldn't have to worry about getting an awful one.

[asswipe]

[hm.]

I'm not sure that would work... I got my new objective at the same time I got a token for completing the first one. So if you do that, you'd be asking for your third objective to be like that, not the second.

[selfinserting]

Well... I could at least see what the second objective is and whether I could complete it. If I could, then, then that would work, right?

[asswipe]

I'm assuming it would, yeah... It's worth a try.

[selfinserting]

...Maybe if I get through enough they'll, um, cut me a break and get rid of the touch thing.

[Incredibly unlikely.]