[As you touch the baseball bat, you remember part of another game. Apart from the intense, nearly unbearable pain, you’re humiliated. Terrified, too, of course. As it goes on, you’re more and more sure he’s going to kill you - he isn’t stopping, he’s going to beat you to death. Regardless of what he says, you’re sure he’s lying. He’s going to kill you, you’re going to die here with nobody to help you…
A question seems to linger in the air: how can I trust anyone when they can be used against me?]
[The lab coat reveals this memory. The entire thing is colored with anxiety and worry even before the doctor appears. You know this is a horrible idea, but Aoko doesn’t want to leave anyone behind and you don’t really want that, either, even if you’re fairly certain this is a trick or a trap of some kind. When Aoko is killed, that fear doubles. She’s dead, she’s dead, you fucked up, you got her killed and you’re going to die, he’s going to kill both of you, no no no no no no--
And you’re right. The poison is extremely painful as it courses through your body, and the panic is nothing less than overwhelming until everything finally goes black.
A question seems to linger in the air: what do I do if she hates me for this someday?]
Just because she can use someone against you doesn't mean you have to stop caring about others! It's caring about them that helps them, even after all that's happened!
Surely you know that by now, right, Natalie!?
[And since Coyote is HAVING A BAD TIME, he's grabbing the cage.]
You pick up the cage and are immediately overcome with panic. This is the first time; you’ve never died before. That means the fear is almost unimaginable; your heart is pounding and you’re screaming and sobbing and you can feel yourself falling and your thoughts are rushing past you and you’re doing to die, please, God, you don’t want to die somebody help, you don’t want to die--
it burns it hurts so badly somebody help somebody find you somebody make it stop you don’t want to die somebody please
The flames overtake you fairly quickly, and the memory ends.
It seems a question lingers in the air: what can I do to get past this?]
[He's shouting around at the fire, holding the cage and bat both.][
...It hurts. It's always gonna hurt, Natalie! But you've got people who want to see you safe! And... it's not gonna be easy, but you can do it! I'm sure you can!
[Talk like your life depends on it, huh? HE WILL BEAT THROUGH THE FLAMES WITH THE POWER OF HIS VOICE!]
Look... I didn't know you. I just thought you were kind of this weird angry girl! But now I get what you've been going through, and I get it! You're hurt, you lash out, you don't want to be hurt again!
I get that! But I'm not gonna let you keep lashing out like this - you know as well as I do that you have friends who'll never let you fall!
[As you reach into the fire, the fear you feel is muted and far away. The reason for that soon becomes clear as you pull the item out; it’s a first aid kit. Just holding it reminds you that you have enough support to make it through this. If you need help, the people who care about you won’t let you suffer alone. You might die or be hurt numerous more times, and that’s never going to be easier to accept…
But in the end, you have people who are willing to try to patch up your wounds of all sorts. That may not be enough to prevent all of the pain you’re feeling, but it might just be enough to make it out of this place in one piece in the end.
As you take the first aid kit, the room starts fading into a new area…]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Reaches for the baseball bat.]
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A question seems to linger in the air: how can I trust anyone when they can be used against me?]
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And you’re right. The poison is extremely painful as it courses through your body, and the panic is nothing less than overwhelming until everything finally goes black.
A question seems to linger in the air: what do I do if she hates me for this someday?]
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Surely you know that by now, right, Natalie!?
[And since Coyote is HAVING A BAD TIME, he's grabbing the cage.]
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You pick up the cage and are immediately overcome with panic. This is the first time; you’ve never died before. That means the fear is almost unimaginable; your heart is pounding and you’re screaming and sobbing and you can feel yourself falling and your thoughts are rushing past you and you’re doing to die, please, God, you don’t want to die somebody help, you don’t want to die--
it burns it hurts so badly somebody help somebody find you somebody make it stop you don’t want to die somebody please
The flames overtake you fairly quickly, and the memory ends.
It seems a question lingers in the air: what can I do to get past this?]
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...It hurts. It's always gonna hurt, Natalie! But you've got people who want to see you safe! And... it's not gonna be easy, but you can do it! I'm sure you can!
[Exit, where the hell is the exit-]
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Look... I didn't know you. I just thought you were kind of this weird angry girl! But now I get what you've been going through, and I get it! You're hurt, you lash out, you don't want to be hurt again!
I get that! But I'm not gonna let you keep lashing out like this - you know as well as I do that you have friends who'll never let you fall!
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But in the end, you have people who are willing to try to patch up your wounds of all sorts. That may not be enough to prevent all of the pain you’re feeling, but it might just be enough to make it out of this place in one piece in the end.
As you take the first aid kit, the room starts fading into a new area…]
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Holding the first aid kid close.]
Yeah, you'll always have people there to pick you up when you fall down, Natalie.
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Aoko's not that type. It won't happen, Natalie.