(no subject)

[flippity]

[ so, later sunday evening after the execution, papika is gonna be poking her head into her hotel room. she doesn't go in right away as she seems to be checking... for... ]

Robin?

Comments

[bittybat]

[Amazingly, he's there because he's being a butt-blistered baby about not being able to do anything to stop the public murders that have been happening.

Without acknowledging Papika with a look, he grunts:] What?

[flippity]

I was... how are you doing?

[ she saw him slam into that door earlier and 1) ow and 2) emotional ow. ]

After that?

[bittybat]

[For a while, he doesn't answer, frowning instead at his knees and the hands resting on them at the wrists. Surprisingly, they're normal boy hands. He's not covered head to toe in the strange red, yellow, and green suit.] I'm fine.

[But he doesn't sound very fine.]

[flippity]

[ she actually goes inside the room now, shutting the door behind her. both for privacy and since she isn't entirely sure if the cat is inside or not. having him run out probably would not improve damian's mood.

he obviously isn't fine, but papika isn't sure if calling him out on that is the Best Idea at the moment, so, ]

Oh. I'm not. I'm really... not fine. I'm sad and angry?

[bittybat]

[Her honesty makes him look up because... how the heck is he gonna deal with some girl being sad and angry when he can't even deal with himself being sad and angry???

Alfred and Grayson would know the best things to say. Especially Alfred.]





Me, too.

[flippity]

[ she blinks in surprise at the admittance. ]

It's just going to happen again next week, isn't it? Because of this... stupid game.

[bittybat]

Yes. [There's really no use lying to her.] It's going to happen until there's only one person left.

Unless we try to stop it.

[flippity]

How are we supposed to do that when we don't even know all the rules? We didn't even know about the bandit thing until yesterday...

[ the whole role dynamic of the thing just makes this whole mess even trickier. ]

[bittybat]

Has the Sheriff ever spoken to you in private, or have you ever tried to talk to the Sheriff in private yourself?

[flippity]

No, not yet.

[ her expression turns into a displeased one because man. she hates the sheriff. ]

Should I?

[bittybat]

That depends on what you want to do. [He peers at her for a moment, then looks away.]

Has anyone you've spoken with told you they tried to talk to the Sheriff in private, or he talked to them in private?

[flippity]

No... Sometimes I talk to Percy about wanting to many... manipu... trick the Sheriff into giving us more info, but I don't know if he actually went and talked to him without me.

[ and she also isn't sure if, even if that's possible, if the two of them could even accomplish it considering they both managed to piss the sheriff off during the first trial. ]

[bittybat]

[There's the barest, briefest hints of a smirk.] I don't think you have to trick him. He tells you what he wants you to hear, and what he wants you to hear depends on who you are and what you're willing to do.

This is a game. We're playing a game for an audience. So all that matters is entertainment.

Understand?

[flippity]

Hm, so if two people went to him and asked him the same thing in private, he might respond differently according to what they might want...

[ she finally walks away from the doorway to sit on her own bed. ]

Have you spoken to him then?

[bittybat]

Exactly. [For a moment, he doesn't answer, then, finally:] Yes.

[flippity]

[ she's surprised by the answer, although she's not sure if she's surprised that he spoke to him or that he answered truthfully. ]

Did he tell you what you wanted to hear?

[bittybat]

Yes and no. He did, but I didn't like what I heard. [Well, you know, shut up. Papika is just lucky she's a cute girl... or whatever.

He's quiet again for a while, though turns to look at her. His eyes are pretty piercing, careful and too intelligent.] I'm looking for someone. Someone besides the Bandits.

If I can find them, the game can be over.

[flippity]

Someone besides... [ give her a second.

and then (after several seconds actually) her hand flies over to cover her mouth. ]

You have a role?

[bittybat]

You can't tell anyone. At all.

I don't know what may happen if I'm killing. It could put everyone's lives in danger.

[flippity]

I won't tell anyone! I don't want you to be targeted... or anyone else... so I'm not going to risk your life!

[ she sounds serious about that. and while her tone usually carries a hint of puzzlement to it, papika is very firm about this matter. ]

..............if i'm killed* @self: rip

[bittybat]

I have to find them as soon as possible. If you hear of anyone speaking to the Sheriff in private, tell me immediately.

it's ok i understand what you meant

[flippity]

Okay. I'll let you know.

[ a moment of hesitation, then, ] Did you tell anyone else? You don't have to say who, if you did...

[bittybat]

I've told Jackson. [Who hopefully... they can trust. What is trust in this hellish place? Damian doesn't have an ounce of trust in his body, but he needs to make progress.] I asked him the same question I asked you.

[flippity]

[ she smiles slightly at that. ]

Oh. Percy is good!

[ as you can see, papika does not have the same issues with trust ]

[bittybat]

[He's dead. Dig his grave ahead of time for him...]

We don't know that for certain. It's only an assumption. People will lie about anything if it means they get to live, or they get to keep someone they care about from dying.