sheep_game | cage match: thistle vs clover

[ offers a FIST BUMP ]

You got it, ese.

[FIST BUMPS!! he'd be so tickled by this if not for the trauma]

What's that mean by the way?

What, ese? Or the fist bump?

Ese! I know what fist bumping is.

Ese's like, man. "Hey, man." "Hey, ese." Same thing.

Ohh, like, I get you ese.

[ Ruffles his hair ]

You got it.

...Heh. Y'know, I'm real glad you came.

I told you I wouldn't, didn't I? I like to keep my word.

Such a reliable ese~

Just one of my many perks.

[ Scanning the growing audience showing up to watch this ]

It looks like we won't have much to worry about with this many people around, but I'm glad we've got a back-up plan just in case.

Yeah, you gotta have insurance when the dumb dads go wild.

[ .... looks at the combatants again ]

Don't they need dads themselves?

That's what Tyr is for.

A dad would be here. Tyr's probably more like an uncle.

No he's grandpa.

Anyway, Tyr's on the roof watch party, he's been benched to let the kids sort out their own mess.

[

]

I didn't realize he was so hands-off...

Oh he's big stressed about having to be hands off. This is an extremely extenuating circumstance.

Who made the final call that he has to be?

Lots of people had opinions but he wouldn't be hands off if it wasn't what he thought was best.

Sometimes you gotta deal with your own consequences.

... I'm gonna be honest; this is a pretty messed up way to deal with anything. I get that his hands are kinda tied, but it...

I dunno. Just feels like there's a lot of chances for things to go worse doing it this way.

[looking at Zenith go ham...]

We killed two of his kids. People he loves and has sworn to protect. And we did it thinking they'd go to turbohell to get tortured.

If he doesn't kill us all I'll consider it a win. I know that's messed up, but we're the bad guys in this scenario, Ananke. Murderer's don't get off scott free just because they're young.

[ Ugh...closes his eyes, rocking back on his heels for a moment ]

Rose killed Lily too. They didn't have some horrible panic about it. From what I've heard, no one was in danger from any of their punishments. They...just...

[ Fffrrowns and clenches his jaw ]

One of them had hurt feelings they didn't let go of, and they lashed out, and Lily got hit with it. ...I kicked one of 'em for it, but Perci's gonna take one of the other guys to go actually handle it. Talk it out.

—The... The point is that we can't— We shouldn't assume this stuff is like normal murders. None of you stalked us down in the middle of the night to stab us in the back. You didn't go back to your barns to cackle about it. You're kids. This place is hell, and Thistle and Rose are going through it and suffering the same as everyone else.

What...happened is horrible, but you're not villains. Worst case, you're just mean victims.

[slowly turns his head to look at Ananke, wide eyed]

You guys are going through it too.

[ Immediately trying to look cool and natural!! It helps that he can just make his illusory self look as relaxed as he wants ]

It's— I'm not gonna say it's fine, but we're handling it.

cage match: thistle vs clover

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