cartesianism | Week 4: April 22nd

Fourth Week

A second murder shook the town of Cartesio. Clarisse's ambush plan ended with Katsuki Bakugou's death. Now what?

Nothing to be done other than continuing their life and watch what happens. After two weeks, after the deaths they have seen, it's hard to think there's a way out. The only option is to wait for the right chance to turn the tables and see a weak point in the Sergeant's plans -- and hopefully not see any murders.

The townspeople's attitude towards the tourists soured even more. The destruction of the church was much worse than anything they had seen so far, and they ran out of patience. People who in the past were nice and wanted nothing more than to make the tourists happy now aren't afraid of saying to their faces what's what. Random pedestrians shout at the visitors, telling them to stop being criminals. Although there are a few who have more patience than the rest, general opinion is clear:

The tourists are nuisances, to say the least.

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again.

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

[Welcome to the fourth week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm pretty sure you would actually kill me if I ever tried, so yeah, I didn't mean it.

[...]

I was angry, but that's not an excuse.

That's it, huh? I'd kill you for less. I've killed others for less. [ That he hasn't made any moves against her is plain as day. ]

Not interested in bullshit platitudes. [ Infuriatingly, he's not keen on explaining any further. So unless she stops him, he's just going to walk out of the bakery and leave her with still goopy cream cheese mixed with enigma. ]

[She blinks in surprise as he starts to leave, not to mention the way she freezes at that first statement, but... Regardless, she's standing up hurriedly, cream cheese momentarily forgotten.]

Hey, wait!

[ Well he stops, but he's said all he had to say. He looks at her over his shoulder. ]

?

[After a split second hesitation:]

It wasn’t a platitude. Just - an apology. Seriously, do I seem like the type to say something if I don’t mean it?

Do I seem like the type of guy to want one in the first place? [ For as slow as he usually speaks, his response is rapid, an ignition. ]

[She sighs.]

You’re the one who brought it up in the first place. What would you have wanted me to say?

Whatever you wanted. [ Except that, apparently. ]

[A pause, as she crosses her arms.]

I just said exactly what I wanted to, and you got angry at me.

You haven't seen me angry. [ It's an important distinction to make. But as for the rest... he turns to face her, taking a step forward. The nagging nostalgia in his mind raises to a fever pitch. Yet as much as he yearns to burn it all, instead he answers simply and without any fight: ]

Guess you did.

Then what was that, exactly?

[It’s not skeptical as much as it’s curious - she doubts someone like him would lie about not being angry. Even so, her next words are muttered.]

I’m the one who should be angry, you just told me you’d kill me for less...

[ He can't bring himself to admit that while his threat was true, he really didn't want to follow up on it. Still doesn't. But he does owe her an answer to one of her questions. ]

Don't waste your time talking to me if you're worried 'bout your own skin. [ Meaning it wasn't the problem, it was the reasoning behind it. ]

[She takes a few moments to decide how to to answer that, but in the end...]

I have to be worried about that from everyone if they're offered the right thing. At least you're honest about it.

Aww, thanks. [ Definitely sarcastic, but there might just be a glimmer of sincerity if she looks hard enough. Unconsciously he leans back, letting one hand fall into his pocket. ]

[There's something in her pause and her expression that makes it clear she's noticed, but she knows pointing it out wouldn't serve much purpose. Instead, she moves on.]

You're not the one who's actually strangled me, anyways.

[She takes another napkin to finish getting the cream cheese off.]

[ Head tilt. ]

Who did?

Clarisse.

[A shrug.]

So, it doesn't matter much anymore, I guess.

[ Oh. Hm. ]

She wouldn't have made even a decent kindling, but that wouldn't have mattered.

...Do you only think about people in terms of how big of a fire they'd light?

For trash I do.

[Almost immediately:]

She isn't trash.

[She says, about the person who she just admitted lightly strangled her.]

To you. [ He almost shrugs, but Clarisse really isn't worth that energy. ]

Oh.

[...Wait.]

—Holy shit, wait, please don't imply what I think you're implying.

What?

Uh, you said you think about setting people on fire if they're trash, and I said she isn't trash, and you said she's trash to me.

[So—]

Please don't think about lighting people on fire if they do anything to me?

(no subject)

amburere - 2018-10-28 05:46 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2018-10-28 05:47 (UTC) - Expand

amburere - 2018-10-28 07:04 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2018-10-28 07:05 (UTC) - Expand

amburere - 2018-10-28 15:37 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2018-10-28 16:50 (UTC) - Expand

amburere - 2018-10-28 16:55 (UTC) - Expand