[ honestly i don't know where he's staying tonight because it's sure as hell not going to be the theater, so he is in fact probably turning down random corners while he anxiously wanders around and tries to figure out what to do.

...ah. ]

Kate-chan...? Are you okay?

[ not that he can blame her if she isn't after all that. ]

[ another breath... and she bobs her head in a shaky nod. ]

Yes.

I just... needed a moment. We just condemned a person to death...

[ he blinks; somehow out of all the things he's freaked out about right now, that one didn't even really make the list. ]

Ah... Yeah, we did.

I don't think we had much of a choice, though, you know?

It didn't feel like it at the time, no...

[ ... ]

... What happened to Boothill could have happened to any of us, couldn't it?

[ nods ]

I think so. If whatever ritual they'd done had set off someone else's monster instead.

...Kind of feels now like we've all got ticking time bombs inside of us.

It does.

Our only source of power in this place, and it's already been turned against us...

Yeah... I already thought the whole idea was pretty creepy, but now it definitely just sounds like a curse instead of a gift.

I wonder how the partner thing is supposed to factor into that...

Right... Does finding one's partner only put us in greater danger? Or is the reward worth the risk?

I don't know. It feels like a big risk when we don't even know what the reward is going to be.

Do you think— whatever Boothill's monster is, do you think he and his partner were both affected? Or did it just pick one or the other because their link wasn't confirmed?

I don't know... If his partner was affected, surely they would be one of the other people who were active that night... either Aventurine, or the person who killed Death.

And if they weren't... maybe it's as you say. A coin flip, once the monster is summoned.

[ nods... ]

I guess I'll see if the overseers are able to tell us at least that much. Help us make a more informed decision.

I'll try to talk to them, too. I need to know...

... I... I really don't want to remain powerless in a place like this.

Yeah... I get that.

[ as someone who keeps having to hide from a fucking psychotic middle schooler ]

...I really thought that paint was going to match.

[ ... ]

... So did I.

Thanks for trying anyway.

[ ... ]

I still think it was him.

[ ...

smoke starts rising from her head. ]

... It could have been... I don't know.

[ ah... maybe he shouldn't have turned to this subject ]

...well, just keep your guard up. Especially now that we know what his item from home is.

I'm not afraid of him, or his gun.