day nine; america and lithuania

[asapplepie]

[America's cabin is a mess at this point; his things are all over the floor, he's left his suitcase overturned, his chair is lying on its side, and there's some food from the general store strewn about. Despite that, there's still a very neatly folded set of clothes sitting next to his drawers that hasn't been touched.

Once they get inside, his demeanor seems to shift subtly. He's still a mess, but he seems a little less out of it and there's a determined set to his jaw.]

Comments

[vytis]

[Lithuania has to suppress the urge to clean that bubbles up in him. He notices the change in America's demeanor, and that distracts him from the state of the room.]

What did you want to talk about?

[asapplepie]

If I remember right...Ciel said you were clear, you definitely can't be a hunter, right?

[He sits on his unmade bed, and gestures for Lithuania to sit wherever, although there isn't much of anywhere to sit.]

So I just wanted to talk about some things I can't talk about with the others. Just like...bounce my thoughts off someone, I don't think I can not have that.

[vytis]

[Lithuania picks the chair up to sit in.] I'm just regular prey, yes. If you think it'll help, I'll listen.

[asapplepie]

Okay. Well. Just to be clear...

I don't have any intention of dying here. I never have, not in this entire game. And even if I did, England, he...

[He shrugs, and his face goes a little pained.]

He'd hit me if I acted that stupid. That wasn't how he wanted it at all.

[vytis]

[Lithuania nods; the idea of America not caring about dying was a lot more confusing to him.] Were you protecting yourself last night, then?

[asapplepie]

[He nods.]

England, before he died, told me the hunters wanted me dead. But...if I knew him, he didn't just trust I'd stay safe, or that they'd lay off. He'd of told them something to make them think twice about picking me.

So all that, yesterday...I just hoped that no one would have had to die last night, if I could just make them think whatever England told them was wrong.

[He laughs a little bitterly.]

But they would've wanted to get Ukraine if she had a role. I didn't even know she had one, I'm no good at this. I just trusted England again and screwed up.

[vytis]

If anyone is responsible for Miss Ukraine's death I am for having brought up knowing someone with a role. I tried to hide it, so it's not your fault you didn't realize. Besides, your role doesn't seem that easy, you know? You just have to guess who's going to be targeted and hope you're right. And you did save someone. Miss Fukawa is still alive.

[asapplepie]

[He smiles when Lithuania says that; he's been feeling awful, and he needed someone to believe in him.]

Well...I promise that I'm going to try! England...if Sanae came back, that means he doesn't have to be gone for good, and Poland and Ukraine neither! If we just beat the game, maybe there will be a way to see them again.

But I think that...I think that it's a good idea if the hunters don't know I'm trying to win, if they think I'm just going to give up and pick myself or something. So please don't tell anyone, unless you know 100% they aren't a hunter.

[vytis]

I won't tell anyone unless I'm sure they're prey. [Lithuania smiles back.] I have been wondering about that--bringing everyone back. I don't know if winning the game is the way to do it, though. It might just be my being contrary, but that's just doing what Critter wants us to do, isn't it?

[asapplepie]

I dunno...maybe you're right. England said something like Critter seemed to want to make the hunters lose by making things harder.

But we can't help them, we'll get killed.

[vytis]

Critter wants the hunters to lose? [That gives Lithuania a bit of pause, at least.] I suppose he does wear a rabbit's mask. But--no, we can't let the hunters kill us, of course. What I'd like is some sort of third option. There are things appearing all around town, have you noticed them?

[asapplepie]

That's just what England thought, though. I didn't really pay attention because he always thinks everything is against him. A bunch of prey were killed for no reason, so it could be that he wants the hunters to win.

Yeah, the stuff around town. I didn't check yet, if there was like...

[He trails off. England has promised that if he was still around somewhere, he would send him something so he'd know, but he hasn't been able to bring himself to try and look.]

[vytis]

England left a book of poetry in the jail. [Lithuania says it with as much absolute confidence as he can manage. He's still divided, really, on if dead people are really sending things, but he doesn't want that uncertainty to leak into his voice.]

[asapplepie]

Really?

[He pauses and lets it sink in, and then smiles.]

Haha, that's just like him. He's so proud of his dumb poetry.

[vytis]

And since ghosts aren't real, that means they're not dead yet. Critter is tricking us somehow.

[Or ghosts are real, but Lithuania is talking to America here.]

[asapplepie]

That's right.

Well...I'll keep acting like I'm really mad but if you find out anything important, just let me know. And if there's someone I should protect you should, uh, say their name to me at the trial and then after say I look hungry.

Even if I can't figure it out, I can stop more people from dying.

[vytis]

If I find anything I'll tell you, but do you think that might be too obvious? Especially if it was someone I'd never really spoken to. There should be a code for people, too, like a different kind of food is a different kind of person, or something like that...

[Maybe America would remember it if it was food, too.]

[asapplepie]

Sure! Just write down the code so I don't forget, okay?

[vytis]

Well, as long as it stays in your room... [Lithuania isn't fond of writing too much that isn't going to get burned.] It would be a lot of named to come up with something for, though--should we only focus on certain people?

[asapplepie]

It's 26 foods, right? I can come up with 26! Hamburger, hot dog, fries, cheeseburger, onion rings, corn dog, Coke, Pepsi, shake, burrito, ice cream, taco, Dorito taco, Cool Ranch Dorito taco, ice cream taco, ice cream sandwich, potato chips, tortilla chips, bean dip, baked beans, barbecue, chicken wings, buffalo chicken wings, Mountain Dew, curly fries, and Twinkies! Easy!

[vytis]

Cool Ranch Dorito-- [Is that really a food?]

...Maybe we could just meet up after the trials to decide?

[asapplepie]

Sure, why not? Let's do that.

[vytis]

Alright. [Lithuania smiles.] I really will make you food, if you'd like.

[asapplepie]

Thanks, Lithuania. I'm getting tired of the junk here.