[prologue] post-investigation, w/ natsuo

[asswipe]

[Shortly after the investigation, Veronica's going to walk around the castle for a little bit just to... stretch her legs after that whole mess. Maybe check up on a couple of the people here, while she's at it. As such, she's giving Natsuo a very, very weary wave when she spots him.]

... Hey. I'd ask how it's going, but that's a stupid question, isn't it?

[Someone just died, after all.]

Comments

[randori]

[ It's a stupid question, yeah. Natsuo barely has it in himself to say so, shoulders jolting when Veronica first speaks up, and taking too long to settle back down again. ]

It's going... [ bad? okay? it's going, whether they'd like it to or not. ]

What're we supposed to do? They said noon, right?

[asswipe]

... I don't know. I don't know what we're supposed to do.

[Honestly. Truthfully. She looks pretty distraught about it. It's starting to be her default mood.]

I wish I could say we can skip town and forget about it, but I don't see any emergency exits around here.

[randori]

Just the other day, that door-

[ The one that opened up to the festival. He'd been so happy that day, but looking back, it's especially cruel. Like telling them freedom is very well within reach, letting them have a taste of that freedom, and then throwing them all back in here to say that they'll never experience any of that again if they don't play along. ]

...There's a way out. It exists.

[asswipe]

The one that led to the town?

[She remembers that one, obviously. But even though they were allowed out of their gilded cage in order to enjoy the festival, there was a limit on how far they could go. They would always return to the castle if they strayed too far.

But, still...]

I guess— Logically, you're not wrong. If they got us inside this "land far, far away", then there has to be a way out of it.

[randori]

[ He nods- that's the one. But he hasn't seen the door since, and no amount of hopeful searching ever turns out any new doors, and the windows seem just as indestructible as ever. ]

Tomorrow at noon... [ His voice is quiet, but the hope is still there, and it picks right back up again. ]

The garden mean outside, doesn't it? It's outside! We could make a break for it!

[asswipe]

Usually, yeah. If it's not one of those fancy indoor gardens, then...

[She seems to get hopeful for a moment, right before pessimism strikes and she starts to think of the logistics.]

But if we did make a break for it, where would we go? We don't have money, transportation — or a map. We don't even know where we are.

[randori]

[ Let him have even a second of optimism, please... But it's good that she's being practical about it, because these are things Natsuo's never thought of- the possibility of getting out wasn't even an option until today, anyways. ]

We have food here, and we have legs. That's all we need. If we walk far enough, we'll get somewhere.

[asswipe]

[No optimism. Only STRESS. It's not like she knows any other way to live, anyway.]

Will we? [She looks apologetic about being a Debbie Downer, at least.] Trying to walk away from the festival looped us back to the castle. Who's to say it won't be more of the same?

[randori]

[ Please stop being so practical and making sense. It's another good point that she brings up, and he can't think of a retort to that one right away. ]

The festival was clearly a trap, right? Even though I had a good time... and nothing bad came out of it. It was actually sort of nice? ... —but if we escape, maybe it'd be different if they're not aware of it!

[asswipe]

[Look... Listen.......... At least she's being polite about it? Maybe.]

Do you think neither of our "hosts" will be there? At the trial, I mean.

[randori]

Ugh-

[ Another honestly very good point, how infuriating. Maybe this goes back to the whole thinking before he speaks thing, so everything that comes out of his mouth won't be so full of holes. ]

Then, what do you think? You think we'll ever find a way out of here?

[asswipe]

... I don't know. But I hope so. Some opportunity's bound to show up if we never stop looking, right?

[randori]

...Yeah. [ He laughs a little- a silent puff of air ] I think that's the most optimistic thing I've ever heard you say. But if you really really believe in it, I will too!

[asswipe]

[She laughs, though it's a little hollow.]

I have my moments every now and then. [High school sucked her soul out, hit send.] Even if we're trapped here now, we can't afford to lose hope.