Blank State - team malik's blasting off again

[whiterosefoes]

[Once they're somewhere private...]

All right. This is... total shit.

I'm the fucking pokemon.

Comments

[obeytherod]

What?! [Of course this had to happen eventually, but it was still shocking that it happened so soon.]

Explain yourself.

[whiterosefoes]

Think about it. The pokemon was stolen away, and now we learn the Scourge had an item that could force it to obey... at first I thought it was going to be some robot nonsense with the dog. But then Athena mentioned mind control.

[she shoves a hand through her hair, agitated.]

It's our history. It's back to haunt us. Because I had so much anger in my heart...

[obeytherod]

Shit... [She didn't need to explain it any further than that.]

I'd completely forgotten about that. [Go figure. Of all the things to come back and haunt him, and of all the times to do it, it had to be this and now.]

[whiterosefoes]

[squinting. That's kind of obnoxious, Malik... that shit hurt her a lot.] Don't just forget!

Ugh...

I mean, I put it behind me too, but...

[she could never forget. It was the most helpless she's ever felt, and one of the most guilty.]

[obeytherod]

... [Malik seems a little taken aback by her reaction, and then he falls into silence. It's hard to tell if he was feeling regret, or just knew well enough to keep his mouth shut.

After all, what he did then was pretty typical for him. At the time it had went forgotten just like everyone else he hurt. It was the part afterwards where he was put under fire that he remembers. That damn scar on his abdomen reminds him of it daily.]

Anyway, I'll drive suspicion off Sharpe, or at least convince them he represents someone else.

[whiterosefoes]

... wait, you can't do that. The people who are chosen as the roles are exonerated later if they're not the monster. What if you pin it on one of them, and then everyone thinks they're innocent? It'll be hard to claim it was meant to be me after the fact...

[obeytherod]

[His voice is cold and stern.] Yeah, and the last guy who was found innocent was also found dead come the next case. And if you fess up, they'll want to see your cabinet. We can't have that.

[whiterosefoes]

I won't have another chance to prove I'm not the shadow. If we do this, I could be at risk of execution later... is that really safer than being the shadows' target? The pool of the exonerated is only going to get larger as time goes on.

[Either way, the risk of her dying is real. She's getting chills just thinking about it.]

I don't want them to see it...

[obeytherod]

At least when you're at risk of execution, you'll have a chance to defend yourself! We're all the shadows targets... But if they keep going after those who are proven innocent, then we're safer staying on the sidelines for as long as we can.

[As his temper flairs up again, he's just as scared as she is about all this.]

And just think about it! If they see that memory, and they realize it's me... What's stopping them from making some convoluted connection and executing me instead?! I was the one controlling you--if they try to relate that to the case...!

[whiterosefoes]

They can't. The only one you could possibly be is dead... and I won't let them blame you for what's in my cabinet.

[Harriet is firm on that point. But Malik has a point too... lying low would be the best way not to be targeted.]

... Let's just see what happens for now. I'm curious about who else could think they're Sharpe.

[obeytherod]

... [He huffs, turning his head away from her. She meant well, but it wasn't enough.]

I'm going to look through the profiles again and see who else I can pin as Sharpe.

[whiterosefoes]

[eventually]

... well, Ace is certainly doing a good job of pinning himself. If I didn't know what I did, I'd believe him completely.

[she feels a bit guilty, but...]

I think we can let him be Sharpe. Unless they somehow decide Sharpe is to blame because of it... we can't let him be executed like this, or we'll surely be helping the shadow win. If it looks like that could happen, I think I have to step up. We need our strength in numbers.

[obeytherod]

No. [The word is firm, almost authoritatize, and then he continues.] If they decide to execute Ace, stepping forward will only mean you'll take the fall instead. I won't let that happen. The most we can do is try to divert the blame from Sharpe, since he's likely innocent, but if someone else has to take the fall so you live... Well, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

[whiterosefoes]

... We are not sacrificing someone for me, that's completely insane! There are still way too many shadows for that, and if they win, we could ALL die. But if I can't reveal... [and honestly, she really doesn't want to. She's worked too hard to take the fall now, in some stupid ass game.]

We'll just have to make damned sure they don't blame Sharpe.

[obeytherod]

It's them or us, Harriet. Whatever happens, just remember that we can't trust anybody else here!

Even the ones who were proven innocent.