bradley catchall

[wisterin]

son why do you have bullets as accessories for one of your outfits

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[wisterin]

[ Well, she was running to find him because of all the Seasons dying, but now she's looking at his leg in concern. ]

Bradley-san, did you not ask for a heal?

[battling]

[He's just hanging out on a chair.]

Zuko and the prosecutor were way more fucked up than me.

[wisterin]

What does that matter? If they received healing, so can you.

[ but healing can happen in due time. ]

How are you doing?

[ physically, as we as emotionally. ]

[battling]

[He straight up skips over that first question and statement.]

I'm fuckin' pissed. We made it this far with a death a week, and now? What? Three people acted at the same time?

[His SEASONS and his ZUKO.]

[wisterin]

As if people were biding their time or otherwise.

[ she is angry, too. she is always angry, but in some ways, this wasn't too unexpected. ]

It can't be three shadows this time, could it?

[battling]

[Hhhh, he's angry, but he's trying to think rationally.]

The closer we get to the eighth week, the higher tension gets. [It's not really a surprise if somebody wanted to kill to ensure their hostage's safety. They keep getting reminded of it every week.]

Even if the thing divided 'cause we couldn't find it, three's more than I would've expected.

[wisterin]

It got up to three a week for a time back at camp.

[ it's more what she's used to, now. ]

We'll have to do our best tomorrow. Hopefully, it won't be a repeat of last week.

[battling]

I don't want an encore of that.

[This is cold justice, at best.]

If there's three different people, that's three chances. Assumin' none of them killed each other.

[wisterin]

I don't wish for it either.

[ there is no true justice in this trial system, but... what else can they do but participate? ]

I don't know if I think that's better or worse. For one of them to take down who came after them, or... that someone thought it was time to insure their hostage's safety on their own.

[battling]

[He puts his hands up and makes a weighing motion.]

I can understand fightin' for your life. If somebody acted on their own I'm angrier at 'em.

[wisterin]

But in the case it is self-defense and that is the only one who is found, what would you do?

[battling]

You think it's gonna be one of the victims killed another victim, and then that victim was trying to kill somebody else who killed them?

[what is this seven rings]

[wisterin]

That's an interesting hypothetical. I mean, if it's a case of self-defense, but if we only found the person who did the self-defense, what would your choice be?

[ would he condemn the only guilty party they found even if they were the one attacked? ]

[battling]

For the record, I hate the way these places are. We have to vote, per the rules of the contract. If they killed, their hostage is safe.

[It's very clear he doesn't like this idea, but voting for somebody else, in some scattershot attempt to find the other guilty parties? Likely to leave more dead than just the one.

It's logically the best route, with the smallest number of sacrifices.

It just sucks.

And now, a memory.

You're going down into a cave with the sage, a plain looking, young Japanese person. It's a familiar cave to you, somewhere you've been for years and years. This was your hideout with all your bandits back in the day. There's the slight sound of fluttering bat wings, and the glittering green eyes of the bats who also inhabit this cave. The Iestrum, the bats, who can record the words of the past. Words from people you'll never see again.

The smile you wear slips off as you hear a familiar voice. A husky young man's voice, "......Sniff...... Sniffle...... Everyone’s gone now...... Why did they all side with the humans......

Those wizards are more notorious than anyone else—how could they pretend to be on the side of justice and throw Boss into prison...... Unforgivable......!

I’m not going anywhere...... I’m not a bat bastard. I’m going to wait here in the cavern until Boss comes back!"

You stop in your tracks, looking at a large fallen rock blocking your pathway. You turn towards the Sage. "Looks like there was a cave-in. This place used to go all the way back."

They speak up, "Really? Maybe the Great Catastrophe caused a large earthquake when it got close."

"That might be it. Because of the cave-in, the Iestrum that lived here were forced to scatter onto the streets......" You reach forward, towards the wreckage and chant your spell. "Adnopotensum" A glow of green, your magical crest appears over the wreckage. It cracks and shatters into pieces under your will. An easy flex of your own power.

The sound of flapping wings resounds amidst the roaring.

The husky young man's voice speaks through the Iestrumm once again ".......So much time has passed since then, and you guys are the only comrades I have left now. —Hey, bats.

The < Great Catastrophe > attacks tonight. I wonder if it’s really true—the rumors of Boss being chosen as one of the Sage’s wizards......

I miss you, Boss...... I want to see everyone...... ......If only I could leap through time and return to the past......

Hey, Iestrum. Please, let me hear Boss’ voice. ......Nn?

............!? What’s happening!? An earthquake......!?

......hh, aaaaargh......!?"

The bats have captured his dying words.

You're uncharacteristically quiet as you move the wreckage aside. In the dark, you can find the rags of clothing, and a small blue stone. A mana stone. A wizard's corpse. There's no mistaking it for anything else.

You smile down at him, kneel, and carefully pick up the stone. Your gaze conveys your gratitude for this wizard, your comrade-in-arms. It's a storm of emotions, sadness, compassion, respect, and an all-encompassing love thrum inside of you.

Your voice is gentle, quiet when you speak next. "Looks like I made you wait, Gorman. Sorry for being late." You put the stone in your mouth and it dissolves into you. The funeral rite for a wizard. ]

[wisterin]

[ shinobu is no stranger to loss, but it hits her each and every time. it will never get old for her. it will never not hurt.

the love and care people have for those lost are some of the most raw emotions. she lets it wash over her even as she tries not to question eating stones. ]

Was it better for you that you could hear his last words?

[battling]

[Time can dull some of that pain, turn those fresh scars into old wounds. Still, there are always wounds.]

Yeah.

[At least he could hear him, even if it was decades too late. He had some idea of what killed his own.]

[wisterin]

Who was he?

[ that waited for so long for him. ]

[battling]

He was a survivor from a bandit gang I crushed. Took him in 'cause he was seriously injured. Everybody thought he was gonna betray me.

[wisterin]

Why didn't you think he would?

[battling]

Nobody came back for him from that gang. 'n I wasn't just gonna let him die out there when we could do somethin' about it.

[wisterin]

Your heart is softer than I thought.

[ that's not a censure. her smile is warmer than usual. ]

I am sorry you had to lose him.

[battling]

[While he does make a face about it, he also doesn't argue.]

[wisterin]

Is there something wrong with caring for others?

[battling]

[...]

'course there isn't.

[wisterin]

Then, do you have to make a face when I point out you care?