Reaping the Reaper I [TTRPG bluebooking]
WARNING: if you haven't played this scenario yet, beware of spoilers.
"I've seen two suicides today. And if the second one is weird, but seems a lost cause to me, the first one simply shouldn't have happened. I could have prevented it. I could be faster. I could have done better."
Minz hit "send" and sighed. The loss of the young girl hit him hard, even though he kept his composure. Only Star had felt something for him, and out of pure compassion, she reassured him that her death wasn't his fault. Her death wasn't Minz's fault. But his belief that he is so much worse than everyone around him took the precious time for negotiations.
Minz knew that look. As if you are already dead and you are looking for a quick and simple option to shut down your still operating soulless body. He was staring down at the abyss, standing on the rooftop of the sky-high building. He wished he would become dizzy and lose his balance. But he had a brother to look after. He didn't have the luxury of being an absconder.
Messenger pinged back.
"I am so sorry. To be honest, I had the feeling that this won't end well. Mob psychology is fucked up.
But… you don't need me as a psychiatrist, do you? And as a friend, I am here for you."
Minz didn't need anyone. So he thought.
He was so used to surviving on his own. He never let anyone close to him. It was the only right thing to do. Even his crew was sure that he doesn't have any friends or family aside from his "scorpions," as Mila said. And it should have stayed this way.
And now Orion tries to burrow deeper, and Minz allows that. He is a hookup; he should stay in this zone, and his teammates should have been kept at bay, where Minz could see them and control their every move.
Warmth is such a dangerous thing. Once you're exposed to it, you can't get enough. And a year before, Minz believed that the ice is hot because it burns when you touch it.
Ping.
"You are hurt. And you start overthinking. Probably questioning your life choices. Push me and the others away however you want; it will change nothing. Not everyone who is close to you wants to beat you to death. And not everyone around you expects you to be perfect. I sound like an asshole, and I kind of am; you were right. But I want to make you frustrated, not self-loathing. It doesn't suit you. I am not after you. I am by your side. And so is Star. I can't speak for the others, but for you, as the solitary predator that you are, this should be sufficient.
"Thank you for the reality check. And you still speak as a psychiatrist, but a friendly one."
"It’s the same habit as your closing up. The reaction to the stress. Anyways, the girl was a lost cause too. I'm afraid even I wouldn't be able to negotiate with her. When people are determined to end their lives, nobody can stop them. What bothers me more is the tendency. Their next gig may have many more victims. I would recommend looking into sects and cults that set hundreds of people on a course of ending their lives. The violence before that is not out of the ordinary.
Oh, and. I keep saying this, but I am here for you whenever you need me. Even if you resist at first."