[newlydead r2] day 13 - zelda

[unexpectedboner]

[at some point midday, Junpei is going to try to catch Zelda alone for a second]

Hey, you got a minute? As you can probably suspect, it's about votes...

Comments

[andascholar]

[OF COURSE IT'S ABOUT THE VOTES]

Yes? Have you settled on yours?

[unexpectedboner]

Working on it... You're taken care of, right? I don't want you to be stuck in the lurch when you've been working so hard for everyone else.

[andascholar]

Corrin has promised me his vote. I'll be fine, it's everyone else that concerns me.

[unexpectedboner]

Yeah... There's only thirteen votes... Were you going to vote for Mari, or the kids? What if you voted for me and I gave my vote to them?

[andascholar]

[Time for Zelda's internal screaming about votes to become external.

No. Okay. Be calm Zelda YOU ARE CALM.]

Mary wants to vote for Ib. This leaves her without a vote, so I want someone to cover her, but I... I have my own friends I'd like to protect. Mari, Simon, June, Nijimura... Rosa still has one unregistered vote. I think Mary is the one I have best chance of convincing her to vote for.

[Even if she loathes Rosa and looks irritated at the thought.]

It's, it's selfish of me, but of those I want to protect Mari most. So, if I vote for you, will you vote for her?

[unexpectedboner]

Of course. Mari's my friend, too. She's a good kid, and shouldn't have been wrapped up in this. If I had a hotel pass...

[stops, frowns, shakes his head]

...If wishes were fishes, right? Rosa...

[he hesitates again, but doesn't continue]

[andascholar]

...Mari wants to go to the hotel. If we can find who has the pass, we may be able to convince them. Do you know what Rosa plans to do with her remaining vote?

[unexpectedboner]

...I'm not sure. It's not public knowledge, but I think Santa might have convinced her to vote for Simon as thanks...I'm not sure for certain. But you're right, if it's Mary or Ib, you might be able to convince her to change her mind. She might have thought you were going to vote for Mary; I did.

I don't know who has the pass. I know it'll have to be someone who's willing to play really hard, especially if they got it outside of the 0 vote bid.

[andascholar]

For Simon? [Okay that changes some things, hmmmmm] Giving it to Simon could work too. I'll speak to Santa and see if it's confirmed. I plan to give Mary my vote if nobody else votes for her. I want to protect my friends, but... I cannot let a child die.

[unexpectedboner]

I can try talking to them, too, if you're busy. If there's a better way to arrange it, I'm sure we could work it out. It's just that if Money hadn't found him... Of course, who knows what Rosa will really do...

[andascholar]

...You don't trust her?

[unexpectedboner]

...I don't think she trusts anyone else. So just because she's asked to do something, I don't know if she'll actually do it, if she doesn't want to.

[andascholar]

She is dangerous. But she might at least trust Kyrie.

[unexpectedboner]

True. I think if she'll follow anyone here, it's probably her. Family bonds, despite everything.

[andascholar]

I'll need to speak to Santa later, I'll see if he's pulled any strings with his mother.

[unexpectedboner]

Things are getting so complicated... Sorry about this. If I knew anything for sure, I'd tell you. If I could just magically fix all this, I would...

[andascholar]

I wish so too. But we must focus on what we can actually do. And what you can do is protect Mari.

[unexpectedboner]

I will, I promise. That much I can do...

[scrubs at his face with his hands for a beat before offering a thin smile]

Thanks. If you need me to try to talk to anyone else, let me know.

[andascholar]

Thank you, Junpei. In the next round I may need more help, but for now, I think we've done as much as we can.

[unexpectedboner]

...Right.

[hesitates, then gently pats her shoulder]

Let's...let's hang in there and see what happens.

[andascholar]

[Oh honey. Zelda looks up at him and nods, silent but firm and resolved.]

[unexpectedboner]

[he will pretend to be the same, in that case!]

[let's do this let's save the idol]

[andascholar]

[NEVER MIND THE IDOL DIED Coming to find him later.]

[unexpectedboner]

[eventually he can be found in one of the darker aisles of the prop room, attempting to splint the two little fingers of his dominant hand; this is going as well as one would imagine]

...Hey.