CH3: The Truce

We arrive at the student council room at last and there’s a yellow reader on the door. I use my bracelet on it and we enter. Inside there’s a good few boxes all around the place and Tatiana and I go open them. There’s some pretty good guns inside, including another **** rifle which Vinora takes gladly. Sofie also trades her shotgun to a couple of submachine guns with extended magazines and laser sights. They look great and came from another yellow box.

“I think that’s it. Good call, Tati!” Sofie smiles at the silent girl who sits down on a chair by the council table. I look at her and sit before her awkwardly. I hate that we are on bad terms. It’s us versus the whole entire other half of the players after all.

“Tatiana… I was wondering if we could make a truce?” I look at her and she is staring into the distance. “No.” She says and I feel shy. I didn’t want to hear that. “R-really? I just think we should all be in this together.” I tell her what I think and she frowns at me and looks around. “Listen, I am actually a student council president in my school.” She says and I listen to her: “The council room I know is similar to this one here. My job is to hear out other students and put the suggestions forward. Right? But you know what else is my job as the president?” I don’t think I have to guess and stay quiet and keep listening.

“I got chosen because I’m a special girl.” Tatiana groans and continues: “The headmaster wanted me to run for futanari rights. There were other options, but I got chosen out of sympathy. Now, I understood their thing instantly. I knew they were just using me for their own agenda. And I wanted to leave. Not because I didn’t want to be a president, it was my dream. But I didn’t want to play into their bullshit.”

I am not sure what to think. It feels like a weird thing to complain about. But then again, if you are passionate about it, it must really suck to get selected like this. “Why I continued in the first place was because of Korina, Lilah. She helped me see that it didn’t matter why I was doing what the people above wanted, but that I was doing what I wanted. And… I know now why she joined the Recreationists. She’s always been on the side of playing by the rules. Taking the safe bet. Dammit.” She covers her face and I reach over to hold her hand and she takes mine.

“S-she… she thought she had made me think the way she does… b-but I didn’t… dammit!” She starts sobbing and I hold her hand as she clenches her hand to a fist. “I really am sorry I hurt her…” I say and she looks up at me with tears on her cheeks: “I-I am not as angry at you as I’m angry at myself… y-you shouldn’t feel bad for doing what I can’t… playing the damn game…” She sighs and I let go of her hand as she sobs.

Her hair band is crooked and her nice platinum blonde hair goes over her face. I don’t know what to say. I only play the game out of hating the Recreationists so much. But I don’t exactly want to spread the hate. I feel embarrassed at how childish I feel about it. Bad things just seem to follow me anywhere I go.

Then I see the other girls playing around. Sofie points her gun at Vinora and the two giggle: “Hey! Carrot top! Did you borrow your suit for Calliope, huh?!” Sofie teases Vinora who points her gun back: “Maybe you should check your glasses, four-eyes! It’s not orange, it’s maroon!” Sofie frowns and rolls her eyes: “What the fuck is a Maroon? Is that a name of a candy bar I’m not familiar with?” Vinora bursts out laughing and Sofie joins her. I look at them and wonder how some people get along so well. Then I realize – it’s probably because they have sex. I just can’t really come up with any better reason. I don’t think it’s a universal fix-all solution either, but in a way I can’t help but notice how useful it is. I look back at Tatiana with a new mindset all together.