[ dammit i should’ve pushed harder and got mauled. ]

They did what—? So you couldn’t even push for an outright confession because they’d just—

[ makes a kinda claw motion with her hand, rather than a full on hulking out motion but the gist is there. ]

Go wild and get violent?

[ nods ]

We always had to be really careful. Like, you wanted to push just enough for them to crack so you could be sure you were right, but it really needed to be right before the vote or else you'd be fending off a rabid monster for an hour.

[ looks at execution. well. ]

... Ugh, that sounds stressful. And that's on top of the usual amount of stress you'd have from a trial anyway.

Yeah, I wouldn't really recommend it...

Well. Good news. If she was possessed, she didn't erupt at me!

[ yay! (depressed) ]

Ha... Well, I think that's for the best, even if it would have been nice to have 100% confirmation. I... don't really think there's much doubt, though.

Hopefully she really will just come out of this on her own without anyone having to hurt her.

[ .... WELL. ]

Maybe.

I don't really have the experience with this, but I imagine it eats at you.

[ yeah, from what he's seen it definitely does... ]

When so many people here have been through the same thing, she'll probably have people who can help her deal with it though, right? And I doubt most people are going to hold something she was forced into doing against her.

[ but he does also get the impression that loss of agency is a bigger issue for her than for most. ]

I mean. Do you think executing her would have been kinder in this instance? It's easy to decide when there's no other means of recovery, but...

[ she shakes her head. ]

No, I don't. But I don't think it's going to matter whether she's here or there, she's always seemed like a very caring person to me. It's hard when someone who cares a lot has to go through something like this, especially when they don't want to.

I doubt she'll want to see a lot of me for a bit, while she works through it. Sadly, I'm a bit selfish though.

...Yeah, I don't think she's going to be eager to see me either.

[ from some things she's said before and the way she reacted to the possession news in trial, he thinks this probably happened to her in the last game too. he wonders how the other version of him handled it. ]

Rough, isn't it?

But, I can't not accuse her if I suspect her. Even if she feels terrible about it.

[ nods. ]

I think that's the way you have to do it. Leaving it unsolved doesn't help anyone either.

[ looks into the camera in AINI ]

It really doesn't.

It's just be worse.