[ AUDIENCE: BRADLEY BAIN ]

[dormheads]

Comments

[darksubverted]

...No.

[He glances at the hand, and then clasps it to use it to pull himself back up to his feet.]

[battling]

[He squeezes Riku's hand gently, before letting go.]

Accordin' to Bird, it happened to Winter too. It didn't last fer long but...

[Now he's worried about the fake personalities coming back.]

[darksubverted]

[It's just a squeeze, but it's reassuring. Something like the PG equivalent of "GOD DAMMIT" comes out of his thoughts.]

Yeah, it's... happened already to us at least once.

[battling]

When we first got here...

[He nods.]

I seriously hate this place. Have ya seen this already?

[The photo]

[darksubverted]

No. Well, yeah, but I mean... again. Yesterday.

[He peers at the photo Bradley hands him, and then looks both horrified and angry at the same time.]

Did you find that there...?

[battling]

[FROWNS. Ain't good.]

Found it on our way back.

Think it's the story tryin' to get the endin' it wants?

[darksubverted]

[Agreed.]

Probably, but that just means...

[Well. If they're the ones who keep getting overwritten...]

[battling]

Wants ya to be the villain.

[I don't want you to be.]

[darksubverted]

[He frowns heavily.]

I don't know. We might not be. It might just be using us to scare all of you.

[battling]

Jumpin' to conclusions... we're runnin' outta time, but if we ain't gettin' to the right answer we need to take it one bit at a time.

[Stop fucking with them. I'd make the better villain.]

[darksubverted]

Stop. Don't-- [He starts to say "say," but Bradley isn't really speaking.] Stop thinking that.

It's better if it's us, not any of you.

[battling]

[I'm a bandit. It's just true.]

Why's it better if it's you?

[darksubverted]

[No.]

Because--because. There are only four of us, but there's more of you. Because... it's better to save all of you than only four of us. If it comes down to it.

[battling]

[ Soft. I don't-]

There's no reason to make everyone a villain. No plural here.

[darksubverted]

Then just one of us then. If it comes to that. I'm not letting any of you just decide to let this place turn you into its plaything.

[battling]

You have people to get back to, Riku. Don't you fuckin' dare throw yerself into the villain.

[darksubverted]

I've already done it before--twice. I embraced the darkness, and... I became the villain. If I have to do it one more time to help my friends... so be it.

I'll do what it takes. I'll... get back to them. You guys will be able to figure it out. My heart... it knows where it belongs. I'll get back to them.

[battling]

Doesn't mean you should keep doing it.

[He reaches out and squeezes his shoulder.]

No matter what I say... yer stubborn, ain't ya?

[darksubverted]

It's not like I'm trying on purpose.

[The shoulder sort of slumps slightly under the hand.]

It's better this way... It's better if you all have the choice to stop it together.

[battling]

If you say "I'll become the villain" that sounds like it's on purpose.

Besides, if we're talkin' about experience I've got 500 years of it. Not to mention our adventure yesterday.

[darksubverted]

[Stop, don't call him out.]

That doesn't matter, and it won't convince me. Just because you're more experienced doesn't mean it's better that way.

[battling]

It ain't good your way either.

[ What did I do to run into so many stubborn bastards? ]

[darksubverted]

No, but it's better than the other way.

[He continues to be painfully stubborn.]

[battling]

There are so many people who care about ya. Here and back home.

They wanna see you as a villain? Course they don't.

[darksubverted]

I know that... you think that isn't true for you, too? For everyone here? Bradley, everyone has people here and back home who don't want that.

We have to... take the lesser of who dark paths here.