Week 7 - Trial(?)

[petoskeymods]

TRIAL(?)

On Saturday, everyone gathers around the campfire as usual. However, there are a few more people missing this time, as only seven of you appear for the trial.

Red and Archer are there, though, and after giving each other a look Red is the one who steps forward to speak.

"Some things happened last night, and as a result Cielo and Richie have died. Given the timing of their deaths, they satisfy the death requirement for the trial, and as such we will have no trial today.

Go back to your cabins and rest up. We will have a lot to do next week."

Red and Archer will be around to answer questions, but the remaining campers are otherwise free to go about their business and spend this weekend resting.

Comments

Beach

[finalguard]

[ As has been established in the last few weeks, Boa's zombie body has a real talent for finding Mitsuru everywhere and anywhere and with preference for very unfortunate timing. This is no different.

Except maybe it is a little different, because this time he doesn't speak up at all. Instead he sits down next to Mitsuru, very close, but not close enough to be touching. Much like another time, back when there wasn't stone protruding from so many spots of his body...

After the awkwardness of his last few help attempts, the zombie is relieved to finally have found a situation that is so physically similar to a memory that it gives him a frame of reference. This worked and he remembers it working. ]

[killtheanimals]

[He only spares a brief glance in zomboa's direction before turning once more to look out at the lake. It occurs to him that he could shoo it again once more, but he lacks the energy for it, and it shows in how he hunches, head no longer raised with the same confidence as before.

He's so tired, and the weight feels so, so heavy.

They're turning to stone, if slowly. The bodies from before should be proof enough that flesh still remains, but he still entertains the thought for a moment, that perhaps his heart is finally beginning to change - it, too, feels heavy in his chest.

He'll sit in silence for a good while, spinning that beyblade in his hand. When he finally does speak up again, his voice is quiet:]

I'm sorry.

[For failing.

Again.]

[finalguard]

[ That's not what Boa expected to hear, least of all from Mitsuru. He's been sad a lot lately, that has been easy to notice even in the current state of being dead, but as far as the zombie is aware there is nothing tangible actually wrong? Which makes this kind of hard to judge and react to... ]

Do you want to... talk about it?

[ He gives a pleasant smile, as he does most of the time, but there is a concerned look in his eyes.

Summer camp is for getting to know one another, so maybe... ]

[killtheanimals]

There isn't much to talk about.

[A sigh. This is all just so...

He doesn't even have the energy to be frustrated. All he feels is a hollow void of resignation. If they couldn't beat the camp at its own game up until now, how are they going to pull out a miracle or ten in their final week?]

You... probably thought I was stronger than I am.

[...]

We both did.

[Because all of this has proven to him quite the opposite, really. He thought he was powerful, he thought he knew what he was doing. He thought he could win.

Victory feels so empty when the only qualifier is that he lives to see another day. Another week. Exerting his own will hasn't only proven futile, but there's a high chance it will be impossible, despite Red's attempts at reassurance.

He draws his knees up, curling. What was the point of any of this?]

[finalguard]

Maybe so.

[ The admission probably comes too quickly and too cheerily for comfort. But Boa doesn't stop there. ]

But in summer camp, I'm realizing maybe being the best at everything isn't all there is. It's been fun, you know? Just fun, hanging out with you. I didn't even mind losing at Splatoon that much.

[ If he could, Boa would love to make eye contact now, but Mitsuru's so curled onto himself that the best he can do is just sort of stare at the top of his friends' head. ]

I thought you were cool right when we came here and that changed, but now I just think you're great for different reasons than back then.

[killtheanimals]

You would think that.

[His words are further muffled by his posture, not caring enough to project any louder for the sake of a mere zombie. The message, he figures, either got through or didn't.]

[finalguard]

[ There is a longer pause here and if Mitsuru looks up, he may see Zomboa's face go blank for a little moment, but ultimately nothing happens. Whether or not the message got through, there is no response of the kind that he may want. ]

Isn't that what you want? Isn't that why you apologized to start with?

[ Under the never-faltering breezy cheer, Boa does sound a little frustrated. ]

You can't get me to change my mind just by being so dismissive about it, you know?

[killtheanimals]

[The pause is something, and he glances up curiously - not really hopeful, there's been too much evidence against that for him to really have expectations anymore - but maybe something's happened.

Seems not. He looks away again.]

I'm just setting the record straight.

[Because oh, how he hates being seen as something he's not, and perhaps now more than ever--

Realizing he isn't who he thought he was just adds another layer to that.

Still, given Zomboa is still, to his mind, a talkative moving rock, he may as well make use of him being around. Hand clasped around the beyblade, he settles back again - this time to lean on him, eyes closed.]

I'm tired.

[Simple and abrupt.]

Wake me if someone else comes along.

[finalguard]

... h-huh?

[ This catches the zombie severely off-guard, but he doesn't move away. The way Mitsuru treats him lately is... hard to make any sense of. No answer to his love confession, generally rude, but... nap on him? There is only so much a coral brain can decipher and this isn't part of it. ]

... I will. Rest well.

[ But in the end he knows two things: "I like Mitsuru" and "This is a gesture of trust". Neither of these things are bad, so there's no reason to not grant this favor, right...? ]