BOOTHILL

[situationship]

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W0 : MONDAY

[situationship]

[ he is following boothill... that is how this starts. ]

[shirtbag]

[ DURING WEEK 0? MONDAY? WHEN THEY'RE ALL ON EDGE ALREADY?

he stops wherever he's standing, which is somewhere near the swamp.

rolls his fingers near the revolver at his hip. ]

Best come out now, ya little forker. I ain't in the mood ta' play.

[situationship]

[ He isn't even hiding and Boothill can find him out in the open when he turns. ]

Like a real cowboy...

[ In awe. ]

[shirtbag]

[ eyebrows go up ]

I ain't "like" nothin'. Where do you get off, followin' a muddle-fudger like you did? Wonderin' what lead tastes like?

[situationship]

[ Raises a hand like he's a student in a classroom. ]

I'm a minor and I was just curious because I've never seen or met a cyberpunk cowboy before.

[shirtbag]

You're a... minor?

[ DID HE ASK ]

Holy forkeroni. What're they feedin' you kids?

[situationship]

In my last year of tech school! [ BOOTHILL DID NOT ASK. Pulling the "I'm still a teenager" card normally does not work for him, but he will try here. Everyone's been weirdly nice. ] Not sure. My peers are shorter than me.

Still going to shoot me?

[shirtbag]

Not without reason, I won't. Best not give me one.

[situationship]

There's kind of no reason to make enemies right now, so I'm not looking to do that.

[ At least on purpose. ]

Just out on patrol?

[shirtbag]

Can't agree with ya more.

[ smiles with all of his shark teeth. ]

Guess y'could say I'm out here huntin' horses.

[situationship]

[ ... ]

Like. The ones that are missing from the barn?

[shirtbag]

The very ones. You been in there these past few days? I hear 'em clompin' around every now'n then. Can't find the forkin' things anywhere.

[situationship]

[ Straight up with little apprehension: ]

I think those are ghost ponies.

[shirtbag]

Ghosts?

[ he looks mad about this?? ]

How d'you know a thing like that?

[situationship]

[ Boothill... Your horses... If only Satoru was delicate about it. ]

You didn't think ghosts only come in humanoid shape and form, right?

[shirtbag]

'Course not! But if I gotta live in that there barn, I ain't too keen on hearing horse hoofin' at any hour of the day. Not like I need sleep, but we've got others in there, y'know?

I wanna search this place top to bottom 'fore I give up 'n decide it's ghosts.

[situationship]

If you never find those horses, we can try to appease the spirits instead! Not that I think it will work. I think the cult people want us to feel as unsettled as possible.

[ Says someone who's doing okay. ]

[shirtbag]

Yeah, I figured as much. Put us right in the middle'a this low-budget horror film forkin' hoo-ha.

[ huffs through his nose. hilarious. ]

"Appease the spirits," huh? You into the "occult aesthetic" too, Partner?

[situationship]

Means we're going to have to expert certain people to die first, right? Or people making stupid choices that make no sense.

[ Just smiling! Life is a horror. ]

It isn't weird to be a little spiritual in Japan, so some of it is common knowledge. It's more than an aesthetic for me, though! Like how you're not like a cowboy.

[shirtbag]

Let's dial it back a second there. What d'you mean, expectin' certain people to die first?

[situationship]

A lot of horror movies have tropes and trends. Sometimes, it's predictable.

[shirtbag]

You think people are really gonna die out here, son?

[situationship]

I'm hoping not, especially if the friendly goats are our allies, but I'm prepared for anything to happen. It'd be stupid to think things will go without a hitch and we head home without a casualty.

[ It was just a little joke about movies, but... In seriousness, yeah. He is prepared for the worst. ]

[shirtbag]

Things may not go perfect, but that don't mean someone here has to kick the bucket.

[ optimistic cowboy... ]

[situationship]

... Is this the gap moe...?