Not Again | Catch All for Magnus

[applechemist]

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[ruffboi]

Yeah, seems like, huh?

[He kind of. Thought so. The entire trial.]

But if she did, guess the real question is - why?

[applechemist]

I don't know... We're all on the same team, so it's only hurting their own odds if they went after her...

[ ugh. ]

I... Don't know if I did the right thing.

[ruffboi]

I don't, either. But I don't think you did the wrong thing.

[applechemist]

It's the same, isn't it? Not doing the right thing is doing the wrong thing.

[ruffboi]

I don't believe that. Sometimes there isn't a right thing to do, and you have to pick from a few bad choices.

I don't think your choice was a bad one.

[applechemist]

... Do you think that's how this game is going to end? Just... Bad choices where there is no right answer?

[ruffboi]

Haha!

[There's a laugh with a lot of exhaustion behind it.]

God, I hope not.

[applechemist]

I keep coming back to that.

That some people think there's a better ending, different from the one we know about. And that the best chance we have at something like that is to believe in it, but...

[ruffboi]

I feel like I've gotta believe in that ending. 'cause - if there's not, I'm sacrificing somebody I care about either way. I don't wanna think about that.

[applechemist]

Yeah. Even if I try to accept that I could only save a limited number of people, the math never works out in a way that I'm satisfied with.

I just wish we knew how to work towards that better ending, instead.

[ruffboi]

Maybe there's something there, in the combining teams? I wanna think so.

[applechemist]

Even that's just so... Conceptual.

We don't have any steps to actively start taking.

[ruffboi]

Yeah. But we're learning more every week, right?

[And starting to run out of time.]

[applechemist]

... Yeah. I guess so.

[ruffboi]

It doesn't feel like enough, huh? We can't be far from the end now, but it doesn't feel like enough.

[Sighing. He's too tired to stay posi right now.]

Beau's somebody important to you?

[applechemist]

... I don't know, to be honest.

[ She has to. Stop and think about it, and figure out how to articulate it. ]

I like her. I like spending time with her. And we're on the same team, so there's... That.

But it feels like there's always some kind of conflict. Maybe it's just bad luck. But we're not close. I... Care about my other friends more. Maybe that's mean to say.

[ruffboi]

It's not mean. You care about who you care about.

[He shrugs.]

But what I think is - if she killed Minako, maybe she did it for a reason. At this point, I don't really fucking care who killed who.

[applechemist]

I'd like to believe it was for a reason. I'd like to believe none of us would kill anyone without having a reason.

... But then - what are we supposed to do in trials? I know we want to at least avoid punishing someone innocent... But...

[ruffboi]

Yeah. I don't know. I think we have to catch somebody, but I also feel like - if they don't get caught, does it fucking matter?

[applechemist]

... It kind of doesn't.

But the more people who think that way, the more it becomes a popularity contest.

[ruffboi]

Yeah, that's true. If I didn't have Taako here, I might be fucked. I wasn't in a game with anybody. So I get that.

At the same time, I can't fault people for wanting to protect the people they love.

[applechemist]

I'll protect you.

[ That doesn't help with that hypothetical situation where Taako isn't around, probably, but. ]

If anything happens again. I'll help you however I can.

[ruffboi]

[He smiles at her, kind of touched by that?]

Thanks, Escha. I know you looked out for me already. I don't wanna cause trouble for you.

[applechemist]

It isn't causing trouble if it's something I want to do.

If it's something I would be frustrated at not having done, afterwards.