The message comes by carrier pigeon actually, which is a pretty weird way to deliver a message but of course, it's thematic. A very pretty looking brown pigeon swoops down out of the sky to wherever Shinnosuke just so happens to be that afternoon and holds out its leg. The message is short and simple:
Got a job for you. Meet me at the farm at dusk. No show, no job. Keep it a secret, rewarded very well.
- Hal
P.S. Burn this.
And that's it. Of course, if Shinnosuke chooses to listen to the message, he will find the Sheriff at the farm at dusk, chewing a piece of tobacco and watching the sun set. He'll be greeted with a tip of his hat and one word:
"Bounty."
And then he holds out a small notebook. Looks like Shinnosuke's been chosen for one of those roles that were mentioned. Good luck.
Nah, no trick. Nothing like clones or anything y'all have been throwing around. There's an excess of you -- infinite amounts. There's always one available to die when one has to be dead.
[ At least the Sheriff is closer now when he speaks, having set the water to boil and here to answer any of Shinnosuke's questions. ]
[He takes in a breath to calm himself, because he can feel his stability slipping away and he can't afford to have a mental breakdown in the middle of the Sheriff's apartment.
Right now, though, he honestly just wants to die.]
So I killed her. Haha, what the fuck? [This is a nightmare.] But... she's not completely lost right, right? There's still a version of my sister that I'm meant to save—meant to try to save.
[Because if there isn't, then there's really no point in him going on any further.]
[Sorry for getting himself blinded by a spider web, Sheriff.
He's quiet for a moment—relieved, but also furious—before he asks, softly:]
... Are your employers human?
[Or, alternatively: I hope your employers die a miserable death for what they've done to everyone but especially my sister, you asshole. But, you know, that's a little wordy.]
... Are you screwing with me? If they don't orchestrate weirdass gameshows where the contestants kill each other, they'll go around destroying universes?
What do you think they feed off of, ya dunce? Pain. Excruciating amounts of it. Emotional, spiritual, etcera. Why do you think I ain't programmed to feel it? Can't put a Sentient in charge of this, they'd fuck it up.
If the point of this is our pain, then why give us a shot at winning at all? To give us hope before crushing it?
... Is it even possible to win this game and bring everyone back, or is that just a lie?
[He doesn't know why he even bothers to ask: it's not as if the Sheriff would tell him if it's false, and regardless of the answer, he has to keep fighting, if only for his sister who's still alive.]
Those are two different questions. Yeah, your hope will be crushed but yes, you will come back at the end. If the Bounty Leader wins and picks it, everyone can go home to their chosen universe, memories wiped. Ain't a problem.
[Thanks for admitting that their hope's going to be crushed???
But memories wiped, huh... Well, makes sense. He supposes that a lot of people wouldn't want to remember what happened here. At the very least, he, well, doesn't really want the memory of his sister's death.]
Chosen universe? [...] So it doesn't have to be their original world? And do their memories have to be wiped?
[He takes in a breath—he's feeling calmer than he was before, although it's less that he's okay with everything as it is that his natural tendency to repress is kicking in.
Again, he should probably not have a meltdown in the Sheriff's apartment.]
If I'm allowed to ask, how... are the other Bounties doing? Anyone find each other?
[He knows he's doing a shitty job of it, with all of his leads going nowhere. His reasons for suspecting Jason fell flat (even if he's not necessarily in the clear), Xion's informant (provided she wasn't lying) turned out to be the dead Riku, and then he thought maybe Ezio, but nope. Damn it.]
You're allowed to ask. One of them found the Bounty Leader. If the two of you find either you or your other one still out in the cold, I'll unite all of you together.
... Out of curiosity, what are those hints like? Not asking for an actual one [or well it'd be nice but he knows that's not happening], but how... vague are they?
Once told 'em there was only one woman and four males in the group of Bounties. Next time I told 'em that all the Bounties were hanging out without 'em because they weren't being very sociable and a few of y'all had met already. Stuff like that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sheriffexe) wrote2017-01-13 11:09 am
no subject
[ At least the Sheriff is closer now when he speaks, having set the water to boil and here to answer any of Shinnosuke's questions. ]
no subject
Right now, though, he honestly just wants to die.]
So I killed her. Haha, what the fuck? [This is a nightmare.] But... she's not completely lost right, right? There's still a version of my sister that I'm meant to save—meant to try to save.
[Because if there isn't, then there's really no point in him going on any further.]
no subject
Yep. Your version of your sister is however you left her. This version of your sister was meant to die like this. Simple as.
no subject
He's quiet for a moment—relieved, but also furious—before he asks, softly:]
... Are your employers human?
[Or, alternatively: I hope your employers die a miserable death for what they've done to everyone but especially my sister, you asshole. But, you know, that's a little wordy.]
no subject
Nah.
no subject
... All right, so what are they? Is this all really just a stupid game for their entertainment?
no subject
And yeah. If y'all kill each other, they feel sated, don't have to kill other universes. Simple solution to a pretty weird bloodthirst.
no subject
... Are you screwing with me? If they don't orchestrate weirdass gameshows where the contestants kill each other, they'll go around destroying universes?
no subject
no subject
If the point of this is our pain, then why give us a shot at winning at all? To give us hope before crushing it?
... Is it even possible to win this game and bring everyone back, or is that just a lie?
[He doesn't know why he even bothers to ask: it's not as if the Sheriff would tell him if it's false, and regardless of the answer, he has to keep fighting, if only for his sister who's still alive.]
no subject
no subject
But memories wiped, huh... Well, makes sense. He supposes that a lot of people wouldn't want to remember what happened here. At the very least, he, well, doesn't really want the memory of his sister's death.]
Chosen universe? [...] So it doesn't have to be their original world? And do their memories have to be wiped?
no subject
You can pick wherever, whatever, however. You can also choose to keep your memories but most people'd rather not.
no subject
[He takes in a breath—he's feeling calmer than he was before, although it's less that he's okay with everything as it is that his natural tendency to repress is kicking in.
Again, he should probably not have a meltdown in the Sheriff's apartment.]
If I'm allowed to ask, how... are the other Bounties doing? Anyone find each other?
[He knows he's doing a shitty job of it, with all of his leads going nowhere. His reasons for suspecting Jason fell flat (even if he's not necessarily in the clear), Xion's informant (provided she wasn't lying) turned out to be the dead Riku, and then he thought maybe Ezio, but nope. Damn it.]
no subject
no subject
[Read: is the leader also doing a shitty job of playing detective.]
So none of the victims up until now have been Bounties, right? [Just making sure his math is right.] And none of the kills have been their work?
[He's assuming not, since they ask about the victims' roles every trial, but.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
[That was surprisingly generous??]
Is there a catch to this, or are you just taking pity on my own inability to find any other Bounties?
no subject
[ A snort. ]
You can ask about your other Bounties, kid. You just never do.
no subject
[Goddamnit.]
So, what kind of stuff am I allowed to ask, then?
no subject
[ You make a whole ass out of both of us. :\ ]
Whatever, I suppose. I told you Ocelot died, right? Only four of you left. Uh. Dunno. Stuff.
no subject
Ocelot was a Bounty?
[Okay, he thought that it sounded like there were only four Bounties left a couple seconds ago; good to know it wasn't just his inability to count.]
... So what happens if the Bounty Leader dies? Especially if they get offed by the Coal Miner for inactivity, like Ocelot was?
no subject
Yeah, he was. Wasn't doing as much as the rest of ya though.
[ But, right. ]
Eh, guess you gotta kill your way down to one then.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)