Audience: Natalie

[gatonina]

Comments

[gatonina]

Okay now that's a little too much guidance. I can't tell you that much, but...it's a theory you could explore if you wanted, just to see what you come up with.

[successives]

How would you explore it, exactly? It's not like we can waltz up to everyone and ask them what team they're on, and also if they happened to get anything that could help them fake footprints.

[A beat.]

There's something else I've been wondering. One of you said during the trial that it wasn't coercion or magic that pushed somebody into doing this, and it seems too thorough to be an accident. Adding that to the whole no possession or brainwashing thing you've kept on saying... What's left? Someone deciding to do this for shits and giggles? Self defense?

[gatonina]

You get creative in your line of questioning and investigation. [...but ah.]

People are starting to hear this from us, so I suppose it's only fair I tell you myself as well. It's entirely possible that Yu's killer heard about the condition that kicks in if no one else kills during the week. If that happens, everyone will die and everyone loses their endings. The competition will come to a close, but no one will win.

[successives]

[She pauses for a long moment.]

...Oh. [...] So that's the only thing that's going to force people, moving forward, or - are you anticipating something else?

[gatonina]

...it's one thing. But for all we know, people will act on their own motivations as well. We can't control what anyone chooses to do.

[successives]

So - there's never going to be what we're used to, basically. No possession, no coercion at any point, just... This.

[...]

How many people already know?

[gatonina]

Right. Just this. [...there's a sigh.] I don't know how many the others have told, or how many people those who know have told either. I myself have told...four or five who have come to me to ask.

[successives]

But it's not... a specific role, or anything like that? It's just separate people, acting on their own, not as a group?

[God.]

[gatonina]

Natalie. The best advice I can give you in this kind of a game is to use your head and remember that not everything will be exactly the same as what you anticipate it to be.

[successives]

...I'm not anticipating anything. That's why I'm asking you. If I was going to just assume something, I would have already.

[gatonina]

No I know I'm. [AH.] ...I'm not, like...scolding you or anything. Just so we're clear. It's just advice and I'm trying to help you in the best way that I can right now.

[successives]

[She nods, but.]

...Can I ask if there are any roles here? Or is it just everyone, normally?

[gatonina]

Questions like that unfortunately fall under the same category as powers. I can't really confirm or deny anything about those.

But as I've said, you're likely to find answers to questions I can't help you with by asking around to other people.

[successives]

...Then I think that's all the questions I have for today.

[Another sip of wine, and then:]

You probably don't get a lot of people visiting who don't want to grill you or yell at you, huh?

[gatonina]

Nope. [they admit that much.] I get it, obviously people want answers and we look like the people who would have them. But sometimes it's...I don't know. Tiring? We don't get a ton of time to ourselves anymore to make sure things are running smoothly but it's not like that's anyone's fault either.

[it just sucks.]

[successives]

[...Hm.]

You want to go through the rest of the bottle and talk about something that doesn't suck for once? As long as I'm taking up your time, nobody else can come in, right?

[gatonina]

...you know what? Yes. Yes I do. [why not.] As long as you're here no one else can pull me away, so I suppose the question is what do you, Natalie Goodman, consider a topic that doesn't suck?

[successives]

Hm...

[She thinks about it for a second, before holding her mostly empty glass out.]

First thing you're going to do when this bullshit is over?

[gatonina]

[give them a moment to refill her glass.]

Travel, apparently. I've had a few people encourage us to leave and see what else is out there and I think I might actually do that. There's...a lot of worlds out there. I'm sure I'll find somewhere I like.

[successives]

[She tilts her head after a nod of thanks.]

You're not going to go back home?

[gatonina]

[...they gesture.]

We've been here for so long this was home. So maybe it's time to consider a new home.

And you're not going back to yours if I understand correctly, right?

[successives]

This camp, or... Is there a world outside of this that only you can go to? Seems weird that you would be stuck in this tiny pocket dimension for ages.

[She shakes her head.]

Not if I have a choice.

[gatonina]

Why's that so weird? Your other hosts have been stuck in their tiny pocket dimensions too, haven't they?

[but there's a nod of understanding.] I don't think anyone would blame you.

[successives]

Sure, but you just made it sound like you've been here a lot longer than I was stuck in my last one.

[A shrug, as she takes another drink.]

I don't really care if anybody blames me. More like... I guess it's just a matter of whether it's still feasible now. We have to fix the whole 'most of us are going to die permanently' thing first.

[gatonina]

Fair enough. But it's been a really, really long time so...yeah? It was longer than your last one.

If you want to pretend to be optimistic and say all of it will work out, that's an option. But...as a realist, maybe it's better to say that the rules are set in stone, but there's still time.