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So much for a peaceful dinner. In the time it took Duncan to refill his bowl, the entire campsite had erupted into one big shit show. 

Asahi still wanted to go to the damn mountain, [i]alone[/i], while Ayana went on another tirade about... honestly, Duncan wasn't sure. He couldn't help tuning out half the things she said as the ramblings of a madwoman. What he did gather was that she wanted to be their leader and uproot the entire camp. Some wanted to wait for rescue — a concept Duncan hadn't even spared a thought to before. It [i]did [/i]make sense there'd be attempts, though. The police or the government or the military or whatever would have started to wonder where an entire bus full of students fucked off to without a trace, and eventually connect the dots. There [i]was [/i]a chance they'd be found and brought back to the real world any minute now.

The thought made Duncan's stomach turn. 

Shun, who Duncan wasn't sure should've been moving about just yet, was about to go off on her own again, though this time only to the lake, and Ayana seemed to have turned her ramblings on Asahi now. Some people seemed to honestly be entertaining the thought of an election. Nothing was actually getting done or decided. His bowl was empty again.

[color=0099aa]"For fuck's [i]sake!"[/i][/color] Duncan finally groaned, slamming the empty bowl into the grass. [color=0099aa]"You guys aren't actually serious about the damn election, are you? I don't care how shit of a job Masato's done, [i]she[/i],"[/color] he jabbed a thumb towards Ayana, or whatever the hell inhabited her body.[color=0099aa] "Is batshit [i]insane[/i], if you haven't noticed. You'd be better off voting for a goddamn rock."[/color]

Duncan, who wasn't exactly known for his respect towards authority figures, hadn't really ever considered Masato a [i]leader[/i], exactly. Some of the others clearly had, though, enough so to outsource decisions and responsibilities to the guy. So to think they'd be ready to replace him with a freakshow like Ayana was unbelievable.

[color=0099aa]"And [i]you[/i],"[/color] he pointed a finger over to Asahi now, [color=0099aa]"Ain't gonna go anywhere alone. You don't want anyone dragging you down? Fine, [i]I'll[/i] come, and you [i]know [/i]there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me. Hell, I can carry your ass there and back in two days, tops, with or without your go-ahead.[i] Watch[/i] me."[/color] 

The second the words left him, Duncan remembered what had happened the last time he left. How he should have stayed; should have been where he could protect everyone. Was he about to make the exact same mistake [i]again[/i], not even a day after he'd sworn he never would?

... Maybe, but what fucking choice did he have?! If Asahi went and died, they'd need to send another party anyway, and he couldn't go without the damn pinkhead because he didn't know where the fuck he was going — a fact he [i]knew [/i]the other student would be more than happy to point out if given the chance. [color=0099aa]"I'll just. I'll just bleed enough before we go that you guys can heal up if you get hurt while we're gone. And you can keep a lookout. We got a tower for it now."[/color]

Duncan's determination had faltered, words sounding more and more like questions than declarations. His eyes trailed over to his friends, to Haruko, to Shun, who he'd failed to follow after twice, and almost let her die for it. 

[color=0099aa]"And while we're gone, you guys either stick with what you have,"[/color] he nodded towards Masato. [color=0099aa]"Or at least vote for someone playing with a full deck. If I see any weird shrines of worship when we're back, I'm burning the damn camp down."
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