♦️ Civilised People

We have always stood on the borderland.
I'm enjoying the view from here.
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...
much the same

"So...," Hatter cleared his throat and looked expectantly around at his leadership team as he leaned far across the table, "is there anything important to report tonight?"

A brief silence ensued and questioning looks were exchanged. When no one spoke up, Ann noisily got up from her chair.

"Yes, I have an urgency," she raised her voice, eyeing each of us with a deadly serious expression. "Yamada-san, our only doctor at the Beach, was killed in a game yesterday. Since it is impossible for me to take care of all the residents in the Beach alone, I am looking for energetic support as soon as possible, preferably someone who has a sound knowledge of medicine, of course. You know that I am not a full-fledged medical doctor myself, so I am also addressing those who at least have the medical basics, i.e. nurses, physiotherapists, alternative practitioners... Everything that could be useful to us in some way, so that medical care is guaranteed. So if you know someone to whom this should apply, please let me know immediately."

Again she let her gaze wander attentively over the faces at the table, as if hoping for some discernible reaction to her speech. As our eyes crossed, I tried to meet hers with as much indifference as possible. It wasn't the first time they had searched for medical personnel at the Beach. They had tried many times before. But it seemed that most of them had no expertise whatsoever, or they were just as uninterested in getting their hands dirty for our self-proclaimed guru as I was. Not to mention the fact that most of the people here were doomed to die anyway. Why waste energy on saving people who were going to die in the next game?

I, for my part, was not eager to play the role of the caring doctor and had therefore wisely not made my professional past public when I arrived here a few weeks ago. And I had no intention of doing so today either. Instead, I preferred to sit here and enjoy the show that was presented to me. The general desperation. The uncoordinated chaos that would surely erupt very soon. I would be watching the Beach head straight for its demise and I had booked front row tickets to witness the spectacle as close as possible. All that was missing was the popcorn.

Hatter made a dissolute hand gesture and the forensic scientist dropped back into her chair.

"Thank you, Ann. I'll do another shout-out to everyone tonight. Are there any comments?" He looked expectantly over his darkened glasses. I watched Niragi polishing the barrel of his rifle, visibly bored, while Aguni's face was tightly clenched into a fist as usual. Mira had put on her usual borderline-debatable smile, which I was sure was just a mask, and Kuzuryu was staring deep in thought at his notebook spread out in front of him. Hatter suddenly crossed his arms, pacing back and forth without looking at us. "Well then...I have something to tell you. You may have noticed that the Beach is bursting at the seams. We hardly have any rooms left and food supplies are running low. That means we need to send out a bigger supply squad again. I am also declaring a temporary recruitment freeze. No more people will be brought to Beach until I release the recruitments, understood?"

"And what if there are doctors among them?", Ann asked reasonably.

Hatter put his hand under his chin thoughtfully.

"That would be an exception, of course."

"I have a much better idea," Niragi suddenly intervened, standing up abruptly to point his gun at some of those present, laughing maliciously, "How about we just shoot all the ones who aren't useful to the Beach?"

I took my hands out of my pockets and applauded. Everyone stared at me, puzzled.

"Really brilliant, Niragi. I suggest you start with yourself right away," I said as condescendingly as I could. The vein on his forehead began to pulse menacingly and I could practically watch his blood pressure rise.

"Chishiya", he spat out my name like a swear word. His gun was aimed at me and I heard him release the safety, "one more word, you dirty bastard, and I swear I'll k-"

But Hatter had already put his hand on Niragi's shoulder and pushed him firmly back into his chair.

"I want to beg very much. We are all civilised people after all."

Aguni gave Niragi a stern look. Only then he reluctantly lowered his weapon, but continued to glare at me as if I were already on his hit list. Which I certainly was. Not that I particularly cared. Niragi only felt superior as long as Aguni stood behind him like a loyal watchdog and he could wave his deadly toy around in front of others. If all that was taken away from him, all that would be left was a scared little boy with a big mouth.

"However...", Hatter continued unperturbed, "I actually wouldn't mind a few more accidental casualties than usual at the games afterwards.... more victims than usual. Some of the pack are certainly expendable if we can recruit new able-bodied residents to the Beach in return."

Niragi's expression immediately turned into a murderous grin, while a few others at the table seemed downright indignant at Hatter's suggestion. Ann and Kuzuryu in particular, although the latter tried not to let his surprise show. The others present, however, seemed relatively indifferent to his statement or could hardly wait to put his proposal into practice. So much for being "civilised". As far as I was concerned, they could do whatever they wanted as long as none of them got in my way.

After more endless chatter about putting together a supply squad, the council meeting was finally over. I was the first at the table to get up and leave the room, because it was not lost on me that Niragi was still massacring me with his glances and I did not want to give him any occasion to put his thoughts into action. I was aware that I would have been better off holding back, but why did he have to give me an advantage every time?

"So, any news?"

Kuina was leaning against the wall in the corridor as if she had just been waiting for me to give her some new inside information, crunching away on her plastic handle as she went.

"Niragi tried to kill me."

She chortled in amusement.

"That's not exactly news now. You should stop provoking him. One of these days he's really going to do it."

"He's welcome to try."

"You're enjoying life to the max, aren't you?" she grinned, then followed me up to the roof. "Don't you ever get scared?"

I snorted.

"What would be the point if I did?" In reply, she shrugged. "Fear is a useless emotion that hinders you in everything and makes you unable to make rational decisions. Fear is for the weaks."
Her smile looked a little pained, but she quickly pushed that aside.

"So what exactly did you guys talk about?" she tried again, looking at me with interest.

"The usual. Nothing of any significance to our plan."

"I see..." She paused dramatically and stared thoughtfully into the evening glow that slowly stretched across the sky before us, bathing the beach in a golden-orange light. There will be a lot of bloodshed again this night. "Don't you have to play again today?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Well then, I hope to see you."

I grinned smugly.

"I'm sure you will."

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