Have You Heard Voices?

[AnimeNerd]

[[So…it could’ve gone worse.]]

Could’ve gone a lot better, too.

A sigh escaped her as she went down the halls.

One hand had the gun, the other the new bag.

Treasure chest felt more like it. The diamond in the gutter of it all.

Air collected in her lungs as thoughts rolled by.

That one.

The gun slipped into her pocket to free her hand, and she slid into the room.

She took in one more breath, adrenaline finally winding down.

Eyes caught on the glass and chemicals

An idea twinkled in her eye, before a shake of the head.

“Maybe, maybe. Gotta focus first.”

Her wheels rrrrrrrrrrr’d on her way to the teacher’s desk, treasure dropped upon it as she took a seat.

Lips moved before her mind as hands went to work.

“You ever shot someone before, chat?”

[almostinhuman]

((Dusk continued from this is just a brief improvisation in the dance))

The door swung wide open, revealing the bloodstained, bruised figure behind it. Dusk took a single step into the room before freezing at the door. Their eyes looked Marnie up and down in appraisal, trying to determine how best to respond to the surprise discovery. If they hadn't just come from their near-disastrous double murder, it wouldn't be a question. But now...

"... get out," they monotoned, not waiting for a response before continuing into the room. They took a seat at one of the tables and laid their head on it. Hopefully with how they looked Marnie would get the picture and listen without raising an issue.

[AnimeNerd]

"Like for real, chat. It's a lo-"

Just one new bullet added to the chamber before she was interrupted.

Surprisingly by a face she recognized immediately, even if there was a difference to them from last time.

Eyebrows raised at the sight of the enby, sword now bloodied, and looking more tired than they previously appeared.

They lowered at the command, and she merely watched as they went to a table, possibly ready to pass out.

For a few moments, she didn't move, only thinking. Then she spoke.

"Pass, but I'll tell you what-"

Her eyes focused on the gun once more.

"You don't try run me through with a sword like you tried to do with Ray-"

Three, four bullets now.

"And I won't try to put a bullet in your head like I also tried to do with Ray."

Pausing her work to look at the other person again.

"Deal?"

[almostinhuman]

A huff of air came up from their lungs, a sound of resigned irritation.

"... fine."

They adjusted their position in the chair a little, wincing as they accidentally brushed against the bruise on their cheek.

"Too tired to argue."

[AnimeNerd]

"Cool."

Bullets went click, click as the gun was reloaded.

With a flick of her wrist, the chamber was back in place.

All was as it should be again.

Holstering the weapon in her pocket once more, she began her next quest as she opened the first drawer.

"Too tired to talk, or can we avoid sitting in silence for however long this is gonna be?"

[almostinhuman]

Dusk's eyes rolled behind their sunglasses. Marnie was looking for a buddy, as if now was a great time to start making friends with the rest of the class. But Dusk sensed that first option - the one they preferred, frankly - wasn't a real option at all.

"... like, what's there to really talk about?"

[AnimeNerd]

"Anything, really."

The sounds of pens and pencils rolling filled the air alongside papers being picked up and displaced.

"Plans for the future if we live, regrets if we die, whether or not Zeph actually looks like his avatar or he's some old creep-"

Metal very lightly scratched wood, just enough to be heard, as she claimed her prize.

"Hell, we can talk strategy if you're up for it."

She pushed herself up from the seat, hands planted firmly on the desk as she stared at the cabinets of glassware and chemicals.

"Figure we should keep the audience entertained, if I'm being honest."

[almostinhuman]

"... audience?"

Dusk's voice was disdainful, and more than a little incredulous. They knew, of course, that there was an audience, of a sort anyway. But it wasn't something they'd bothered to worry about; either they'd die here and the opinions of the public wouldn't matter anymore, or they'd live and have plenty of time to fret about it later. Was this seriously what Marnie was choosing to spend her potential last days alive worrying about?

"Why the fuck would I care if whoever's watching this sick shit is... 'entertained' by it? Are you even taking this a little seriously?"

They were aware, dimly, of their own hypocrisy; they certainly hadn't been taking things very seriously when they'd tried challenging Amy to a duel, or when they'd toyed with Ray instead of finishing him off. But they'd finally crossed the line they'd been trying to cross the whole time, and in the wake of it they were realizing how little that attitude was actually serving them. Marnie apparently still needed to get a clue.

"If you wanna talk strategy? I've got one; don't give a fucking shit what anyone who's watching is gonna say about you."

Given how late it was, it was only a matter of time until they had to practice what they preached. Maybe that attitude would crumble once they had to share a room with someone watching their little double-murder from before.

"... that goes for the announcements too," they added, grumbling.

[AnimeNerd]

As a response, she shrugged.

"Fair enough."

Several taps could be heard as she brought her toes against the underside of the desk.

"In my defense, I've thought about dying a lot during my life, even if I didn't really want to."

Her treasure chest was stuffed in between one of the lunchboxes and her utility, still untouched.

"It was either thinking about what people thought when I was gone, or what would happen to me after I died, and, well..."

The strap of her bag was thrown over her shoulder as she gave another shrug.

"This is easier."

[almostinhuman]

"Trust me," they replied, interrupting themselves to yawn. "The only thing that's gonna make it easier is not thinking about it too hard."

[AnimeNerd]

"Oh, know that too. A lot more than I want to."

Rather than elaborating, her heels click-click-clicked as she walked.

"But we are in a death game, so that's a lot harder than usual."

Her footsteps stop as she made it to the door.

"Aaaaanyway, I'm gonna head out now before you get too annoyed, maybe look around the other labs for a bit. Have a nice nap."

She slipped through the door without looking back.

Though she would stay on this floor, [[she would not return here.]]

[almostinhuman]

They were asleep before she'd even shut the door.

((Dusk continued elsewhere))