Dahlia

[fiftyshades]

[ The dressing room has a vase with your team's flowers inside, a big mirror, clothes racks, chairs for sitting and doing make-up in— the usual. However, at the back of the dressing room there is a large LED screen TV, that has RULES displayed.

Beneath that, there are touch-screen buttons for each team. It will ask you to confirm your vote before putting it through.

There's also an intercom option, to ask questions. ]

Comments

RULES

[fiftyshades]

-Each team has one vote

-This vote can be placed on any team, including their own.

-Vote for the team with the most votes.

-If a team votes for an incorrect team, they will punished for failure to obey the rules by being given a new rule to obey.

-The team(s) with the most votes win, though there must be at least two votes to qualify.

INTERCOM

[fiftyshades]

TURN-IN

[fiftyshades]

[existonance]

[glancing over the room, then turning her back towards the mirror]

What a cluttered space...

The rules indicate that we must vote for the team with the most votes, and then... we only win if we have the most votes.

Hm.

We will not win this game.

[presentational]

[ playing with the Dahlias in the vase. ]

So . . . we're not voting for Dahlia, are we?

[presentational]

That's what I thought too. So we should just try not vote wrong?

[existonance]

[flaps her sleeves]

Marigold is the most popular team, by Echo's observation, but if we have no chance winning is there any point helping them win?

[presentational]

Well, I don't mind if you want to help someone else.

[existonance]

...ourselves, then.

[presentational]

Not Sakura?

[ Not second-guessing her, just curious ]

[existonance]

I do not see the point.

[presentational]

If Sakura votes for themselves, they'll get two votes, which could be enough to win.

And then we won't vote wrong.

[existonance]

[a lengthy pause]

I must first check on something.

[presentational]

[ nods agreeably, and waits ]

Re: INTERCOM

[existonance]

[raises a hand]

Excuse me. The winning requirements only relate to that round—is that correct? Even if Dahlia never receives votes, as long as Dahlia chooses correctly we could win the game?

[fiftyshades]

[ the video changes over to a man in a smoky room, big and gruff voiced. His high collar on his suit would hide his yakuza tatts, if he had it buttoned. He doesn't. ]

There's just one round, kid. Vote wrong, you get a punishment. Vote right, you don't. Winning is someone else's choice.

[existonance]

[without missing a beat, in a firm tone]

It is not kid, it is Echo.

...

Ah. So I misread. It is not easy to focus when dragged to a new area.

Understood.

[fiftyshades]

[ he snorts and raises a hand, flicking a wrist like to get rid of a particularly annoying fly. the screen goes back to its previous display ]

[existonance]

[and after addressing the tv person]

Echo had misread the rules. Since the rules mentioned getting another new rule to follow if we failed, which would be pointless if there were no additional rounds.

So, this is our only chance.

[hm]

Hm.

[presentational]

[ after watching that, Nahri looked... distracted? cross? confused? ]

[ it takes him a moment to pay attention again ]

[presentational]

[ face smooths out ]

Mm, yeah.

[existonance]

What was that?

[presentational]

He was rude.

[presentational]

...

[ a long pause

sighs ]

He also looked like my manager.

Did you change your mind on what team, then?

[existonance]

...he was.

[and she would have rattled on about her own complaints, but that catches her by surprise]

Did he? Hm. That is a concern...

I do not know which team. I do not want to suffer a potentially harsh punishment. I also do not want to help another team win by accepting a loss.

[presentational]

[ nods, eying the television.

then looks back at her ]

That's why I thought Sakura, maybe. Since we like them.

[existonance]

Echo likes Sakura...

[but there's that hum of irritation over the bond]

[presentational]

. . . I don't mind being punished.

[existonance]

[huffs]

No. Sakura has helped us win several times... even though it was always in the way that one would throw scrap to a dog.

"Here, we had extra. Use it to win."

"Here, we will help you win if you help us win."

It was a kind treatment even if it was only after they had taken care of themselves.

If helping them win, when we will not win no matter what, is what it takes... then fine.

Let us vote for Sakura.

[presentational]

[ hums and spins around, like he's going to go to the screen to vote but then asks before reaching it ]

You said Marigold is popular too, right?

[existonance]

[point blankly, without any thought to her response]

Yes, but Marigold frustrates me. Echo would rather face punishment than help them.

[presentational]

Oh.

[ Shrugs it off, cutely ]

Sakura, then.

[presentational]

Sakura

[existonance]

Sakura, then.

[presentational]

[ clicks it in but doesn't final confirm so other people can change it

then turns around again ]

All done! So, while we wait. . . what do you think about costumes?

[existonance]

Nothing much.

What do you think of this man resembling your manager?

[presentational]

That Zion won't be happy if both him and me are dead.

[existonance]

Zion?

[presentational]

My unitmate.

[existonance]

Your "unitmate" is here, too?

[presentational]

I don't think so. But at home, Zion would be.

[existonance]

What of your manager? This look alike. Do you think it is really him?

[presentational]

He sounds like him too. The way he talks.

[existonance]

[jiiiiiiiiiii]

[presentational]

He does.

[ Nahri insists. ]

. . . he could be dead. I died. . .

[ Nahri's feelings on the topic are almost aggressively ambivalent. there's anger there, directed at the manager but also inwards towards himself— warm embers, rather than the dead core his bitterness has compressed into. he'd deserve it/it wouldn't be surprising in equal measures

but

also, a sense that it shouldn't happen. there's something nahri should be doing. something he has to do, but can't do, because he's here. so. at the least. he should be there. it'd be bad if he died.]

[existonance]

[briefly dwells on this]

Echo has seen familiar people appear as arbiters. Nobody from her world—but people who had been one of us, living in the forest.

They disappear and return as arbiters.

[presentational]

So it's not him. He didn't die before me.

[ relief/regret/annoyance ]

[existonance]

He could have died after you. Echo only explained her knowledge. There could be more to it.

[presentational]

If he died after me, I would have noticed him.