[week one - sunday]

[hypertoxic]

[ Vriska has been incredibly busy today. But, she thinks, this should be her last conversation for the day. It's past midnight, and Jinah is by now asleep, allowing Vriska to slip outside.

Hopefully he won't be hard to find.

And, in the end, he's not: Vriska finds Battler sitting outside his own hut, and it does not surprise her to see that he's still awake. She'll offer a quiet "hey" as she approaches, not loud enough to wake anyone, but enough to get his attention and keep from startling him. She'll settle down next to him where he sits, glancing up at him with thoughtful, if somewhat eerie, pure white eyes. ]

I know this has been a pretty rough day for you. How are you doing?

[ This is a pretty significant turnaround from the girl who sneered at and insulted him on the beach.

But, well, things have changed in the past few days, haven't they? ]

Comments

[itsalluseless]

No matter what happens, I'm not going to fight against you guys. You're trying to do the right thing, even if it's... really messed up.

[He just doesn't know if he can truly bring himself to stand with them. Wouldn't he be betraying the memories of his family by essentially going to the witch side?]

...Sorry. I'm making a big deal out of this, but it's not like it's easy for anyone else either.

[hypertoxic]

[ ...

Shakes her head slowly. ]

I think you might be the only person among us who hasn't killed anybody before. It may not be easy for us, but at least we know what we're getting ourselves into.

[ A beat. ]

I won't say it's fine for you to do nothing. Right now, though, I'm not going to hassle you about it. It's a lot to swallow. Just remember we are all in this together now! You can rely on us, if you need to.

[itsalluseless]

...I've killed someone. Very nearly, at least.

[battler that is an extremely different circumstance and you know it]

[hypertoxic]

... you?

[ There is incredulity in her voice, but maybe not for the reasons he expects. ]

What, did someone force your hand? I can't see you killing someone voluntarily.

[itsalluseless]

Witches can only exist if people believe in them. So the more you deny them, the more it hurts them.

[He rubs at his face, looking very tired.]

I couldn't quite kill her, though. There's one last riddle left that I couldn't answer. I promised her I'd solve it and kill her for good.

[And he's pretty aware that she could have easily stopped him with the other ones if she wanted to. His theories were absurd and he knows it.]

[hypertoxic]

[ .... sNORT ]

Ahahaha, fuck, sorry! [ she's laughing, god, why ] Holy shit, that is so funny. I barely know you and that sounds like exactly the kind of thing you would say. You're the noble-hearted type! You'd probably be willing to die right alongside her if that was what it took. Jeez.

[ scrubs her face, still kinda smiling. battler is really something else. ]

You have some truly shitty luck, getting stuck here with the rest of us.

[itsalluseless]

[for a moment he looks a little affronted because wow, don't laugh at his noble visual novel drama?? but then kinda smiles because okay, maybe she's kind of got a point.]

I've always had shitty luck. It's not really even a surprise.

[hypertoxic]

[ Vriska will smile back at him, small and crooked and deeply sincere in the kind of way that makes her look as young as she is. Almost like a real kid. ]

You're a good guy, Battler. [ Nudges him with her shoulder. ] Maybe to a fault! But honestly ... one of us should be.

[itsalluseless]

Hey, I wouldn't say the rest of you are bad people.

[The smile turns into a grin for a moment-]

Just, you know. Not as good as me.

[hypertoxic]

[ EXCUSE HER

Vriska will snort and start to cackle with surprised laughter, elbowing him. ]

Yeah right! Whatever would we do without our shining paragon of morality to show us the way!