C:

[music: prelude to dispute]
Beruka: …
Peri: Heya, Beruka! Whatcha doin’?
Beruka: Shh!
Peri: Oooh, is it a secret? You can tell me, my lips are sealed!
Beruka: Be quiet!
Peri: And why’re you bein’ so sneaky-like? Are you playing hide-and-seek? ‘Cause I’m real good a-
Beruka: Shut up, Peri!
Villager: Who’s there?!
Beruka: Great…
Peri: Hey, what’re you pullin’ out of your po—
Peri: Oh… OHHHH!
Peri: Well, why didn’t you just say so to begin with? Peri can help!
Beruka: Help? Wait, Pe-
Peri: Hey there, neighbor!
Villager: W-who are you?! And what do you want with me?
Peri: Well, we’re here for… uh… (who sent you?)
Beruka: (Why would you tell him that?)
Peri: (Well, it’s not like he’s gonna tell anyone! Scare him a little, relish the moment!)
Villager: That’s it! You two are whisperin’ and creepin’ me out, I’m getting outta h-hrk?!
Peri [smiling]: Now hold on just a gosh darn second! Where do you think you’re going, mister?
Villager: Uh… w-well…
Peri: Oooh, I love wells! The water’s just right this time of year.
Peri: Okay, so here’s the deal: Normally I’d let you run a little, give you a little head start…
Beruka: (What?!)
Peri: But y’see… I haven’t killed anyone all week! This is the longest I’ve gone without killing in a long, long time and I! Just! Can’t! Take it anymore!!! So… any last words?
Villager: Please… I don’t know who you are, and I still don’t know why you’re here, but please… let me go…
Peri: Ha! That’s what they all say. Am I right, Beruka?
Beruka: …
[music: none; it’s silent]
Peri [smiling]: Well, night-night! Sleep tight, and don’t let the earthworms bite!
Villager: N-no, please! AAAAAAAAAAAAA---
[sfx: slash]
Peri: Blood! Blood everywhere! Yaaaaay!
[sfx: slash]
Peri: Aww, why do these ribs keep getting in the way?! Bad bones!
[sfx: slash]
Peri: Hey, Beruka, do you wanna get in on this? I’m pretty sure he’s already dead, but you were here first, so you oughta do at least a little stabbing.
Beruka: I think I’ll pass.
Peri: Eh, suit yourself.
[sfx: slash]
Beruka: …
[music: some regular support music idk lol]
Peri: Whew, all better now. I feel brand new!
Peri: And he was gonna die anyway, ‘cause you’re here! Gosh, we should do this again sometime.
Beruka: … How?
Peri: Huh?
Beruka: I’ve heard tales of your remorseless killing, but to see it in person is something else entirely. How does it make you feel so… happy?
Peri: Aww, I’ll tell you all about it! First, though, let’s clean this guy up. I sorta made a mess, heh. That happens when I haven’t killed in a while, I rush a little and I get sloppy.
Beruka: That was rushing? And we wouldn’t have to be cleaning if you had only stabbed him once.
Peri: But it’s funner this way! Let’s meet up sometime later though and talk about it, alright?
Beruka: I suppose that works…
Beruka: (What have I gotten myself into?)

B:

Peri: I’m really glad you could make it!
Beruka: I’m pleased as well. I’m also surprised at how good this food is.
Peri: Thanks! I’m surprised we’ve never talked like this before, what with our lieges being siblings and all.
Beruka: I don’t normally have reason to speak with anyone besides Lady Camilla and Selena.
Beruka: So I must ask… why do you enjoy killing so much?
Peri: … Wait, you don’t?
Beruka: No. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy it either, though. It’s just what I do.
Beruka: I’d like to know what about it makes you so eager to do it again and again.
Peri: Hmm… Probably a difference in technique. I like some pizzazz with my murder, you’re all “rrr, business, professionalism, rrr”.
Beruka: I wouldn’t say “business”, more… “subtlety”. Something you lack entirely.
Beruka: I’d be a poor assassin if I killed like you did.
Peri: Nah, you just gotta learn how to have fun with it!
Peri: Take your time with it, it doesn’t have to be over so quickly. You probably just sneak up, slit their throat, and leave, but there’s no fun in that! You don’t get to hear them beg for their life, you don’t get to look into their eyes and see their mind race… you can even see their life flashing before their eyes if you look hard enough.
Beruka: That’s… disturbing.
Peri: Aww, boo!
Peri: Here, I’ll help.
Peri: Did you hear about the guy who got his left side cut off?
Beruka: … What?
Peri: Don’t worry about him though, he’s all right now!
Beruka: …
Peri: … Get it? “All right”?
Beruka: I understand, I just don’t see the appeal.
Peri: Aww, hmm…
Beruka: I suppose I owe you, though.
Peri: Huh? Why?
Beruka: I got paid for my mission, but I didn’t earn it because I didn’t kill the target. You did.
Beruka: You deserve this money.
Peri: Money?! Aww, you’re too sweet!
Peri: I don’t need it though.
Beruka: You… what?
Peri: Xander pays me enough, I don’t have to worry about money.
Peri: I’m just in it for the love of the art!
Beruka: Huh. You confuse me.
Beruka: You know of your reputation, yet you not only embrace it, you seem to strive to go above and beyond it.
Beruka: Does it not phase you?
Peri: Aww, that’s just opinions! Opinions can’t stab me.
Beruka: But are you not scared that someone might see you, worry you’ll kill them, and then try to kill you?
Peri: That’d just be a self-fulfilling prophecy, ‘cause I’d kill them.
Peri: I appreciate your concern though! You’re a good friend.
Beruka: I… am?
Peri: Sure! You talk with me about killing and you like my food.
Beruka: …
Beruka: Well, if you say so.
Peri: Yay! Let’s keep eatin’ though, these candies aren’t gonna eat themselves.
Peri: So did I show you my knife collection? It’s so cool!
Peri: This one was a gift from Lord Xander…

A:

Peri: Hiya, Beruka! So I was thinkin’ about maybe why you don’t enjoy killin’ as much as m—
Beruka: Is out in the open, in front of everyone truly the best place to be having this conversation?
Peri: Oh! Right, that “subtlety” thing you mentioned. Gotcha, let’s go back to my room.
*scene change*
Peri: Sorry the candies aren’t fresh this time, they were for snackin’ on later but I’m happy to share!
Beruka: Thank you. It is appreciated.
Peri: So! How’d you get your start?
Beruka: What?
Peri: Well, how’d you start killing? I was thinkin’ maybe what got us started is why our outlook on it is so crazy different.
Beruka: … Only if you tell me your’s first. I’m curious to know.
Peri: Aww, if you insist! Well, I got started when I was seven.
Beruka: We started at the same age, so there goes that…
Peri: Sweet! Anyway, there was this mean ol’ servant who wanted mommy to leave with him.
Peri: She said no, so he killed her.
Peri: So I went and killed him back, but he kept showing up! I looked at the other servants daddy’d hired, and all I could see was him, so I had to keep killing him! Daddy complimented my skills on it, but I had to leave ‘cause he ran all out of servants.
Peri [neutral expression]: That was the only nice thing he’d really ever say to me…
Peri: He didn’t pay me any mind before, but after mommy died…
Peri: Even after I learned to cook, all he ever told me I was good at was killing…
Peri: …
Beruka: … I see.
Peri: Sooooo, your turn! I wanna hear all the bloody details!
Beruka: Hmph. My parents left me in the slums, I was taken in by an assassin, he taught me his trade so I could survive there. The end.
Peri: What?! That’s… that’s…
Peri: That’s so sad!! Waaaaaaah…
Peri: Where’s that mean mom and dad that left you all alone?! I’ll kill ‘em!! I’ll disembowel ‘em!! I’ll--
Beruka: Peri! Calm down, my parents are dead.
Peri: Aww… but I didn’t get to kill ‘em…
Peri: I think I get it now though... You never got to really appreciate it, or take it in.
Peri: You didn’t kill because you wanted to, just because you had to.
Peri: I hate your parents! They’re mean! And they hurt my best buddy! I’ll never forgive them!
Peri: Ooooooooh, just THINKING about ‘em makes me wanna stab…
Beruka: Hold. Did you just call me your… “best buddy”?
Peri: Well, of course, silly!
Peri: We’re so alike! And I feel like you understand me the most out of anyone here.
Peri: Though I’m still mad about your parents.
Beruka: Consider that we wouldn’t have met if they hadn’t left me, though.
Peri: … Darn it, I hate it when people I wanna stab do good things for me.
Peri: I GUESS I can forgive them…
Peri: I still wanna stab ‘em though.
Beruka: You could dig up their graves and stab what remains of them, I suppose.
Peri: Ha! You’re funny.
Beruka: … Thank you?
Peri: Oh, right!
Peri: You’re gonna thank me for this!
Peri: Reeeeal sneaky of you to just leave a sack full of money in my room like I wouldn’t know it’s from you.
Peri: But I knew you wouldn’t take it back, so I just spent it on things to give to you instead!
Peri: They must’ve really wanted that guy dead though, there was just so much to spend!
Peri: I got you this nice and shiny stabby stick with a pretty blue rock in it.
Beruka: Well… thank you. Your generosity continues to surprise me.
Peri: Aww, it’s no problem! We’re like two li’l peas in a pod, we gotta stick together.
Beruka: From anyone else, I’d be worried about them describing themselves as close with me.
Beruka: But from you? It seems… not so bad.
Peri: Thanks! I’ve still got more stuff to give you though.
Peri: I got you this cute headband, and this cute hairbrush, and…

S:

Peri: … They’re already dead, it’s not like they’re gonna miss ‘em!
Peri: And it costs less to get these old ones repaired than to keep buying new ones, AND I have plenty of others if any of ‘em break.
Peri [smiling]: I’m just saving money!
Beruka: That’s… I hadn’t considered that. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
Peri: Yuh-huh! I’ve been doing most of the talking here though, I wanna hear from you. Anything you wanna bring up?
Beruka: … I don’t know.
Peri: Aww, really? Well, I guess I’ll just ask you something then.
Peri: How do you kill time?
Beruka: What?
Peri: Me, I prefer blunt force trauma.
Peri: Eh?
Beruka: … Heh.
Peri: Seriously though, what do you do when you’re not killing?
Peri: I like to cook a lot, personally.
Beruka: Do the two overlap?
Peri: Huh?
Beruka: Your killing and your cooking. Do you ever mix the two? If you poisoned the food, you could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
Peri: …
Peri: Really?
Peri: The P is for pulverize, not poison.
Peri: I have standards, ya silly goose.
Peri: Besides, then the food wouldn’t be yummy anymore.
Peri: And I sample all my cooking too, so then I couldn’t kill any more people, so that’s just counter-productive.
Peri: Not to mention-
Beruka: You’ve made your point.
Peri: Hee hee! You don’t dodge the question either though, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Beruka: … I do as Lady Camilla asks.
Peri: Well yea, but that’s work. I’m talkin’ hobbies, and when Lady Camilla gives you a day off.
Beruka: … I… I don’t have any hobbies.
Peri: What?! Seriously?
Peri: There’s nothing at all you enjoy doing?
Peri: Even me, I can’t kill all the time willy-nilly, otherwise it’d get boring. Gotta space it out just enough so it’s fresh every time.
Beruka: Unfortunately, no. I have nothing in my life besides my skill with a blade and my servitude.
Beruka: And I still don’t understand how Lady Camilla saw fit to lift me out of the slums.
Beruka [light blush]: Although…
Beruka [blush]: I don’t know what enjoying something feels like, but I think I’ve been enjoying someONE lately.
Peri: *gasp* Ahhhhh Beruka’s got a crush!
Beruka: A… crush?
Peri: Yea, it’s when you really, REALLY like someone!
Peri: And you wanna protect them and hold them close and go on dates with them.
Peri: And you don’t wanna kill them at all!
Beruka: … I suppose I do have a crush, then.
Peri: Ooooooh, I’m so happy for you!
Peri: Sooooo, who is it?
Beruka [blush]: I… I can’t say.
Peri: Ahhhh, so it’s someone I know.
Beruka [blush, light smile]: You could say that.
Peri: So what do you like about them?
Beruka: …
Beruka: I like her attitude, and her outlook on life.
Beruka: Our upbringings were somewhat similar, yet she’s much happier than I am.
Beruka: Though even if she were miserable, I’d still envy her for feeling at all.
Beruka: And she treats me so nicely, but not out of fear, or a sense of obligation.
Beruka: I don’t get a sense that she’s hiding anything from me.
Beruka: There’s no judgment.
Beruka: Most people are at least somewhat afraid of me, but she… isn’t. I like that.
Beruka: Somehow, this utter fearlessness makes me feel safe and secure around her.
Beruka: But still, I’m conflicted.
Beruka: I carried out another mission recently, and I thought of her while I was doing it, and I… I smiled.
Beruka: I thought of her smiling at me and telling me how well I was doing and giving me advice, gently guiding my arms through the motions as I slashed.
Beruka: I thought of how happy she would be if she were there, and that made me happy.
Beruka: I don’t know what that makes me.
Beruka: I don’t know if her influence is making me more human or less, but… I’m not sure either would be entirely unwelcome.
Peri: …
Peri: So it’s me, right?
Beruka [heavy blush]: W-what?!
Peri: Y’know, for all your talkin’ about “subtlety” and stuff, that… wasn’t. Like, at all.
Beruka: I… I apologize.
Peri: Don’t! That was really sweet and cute! I loved it!
Beruka: I’m… sweet? Cute?
Peri: Of course! You’re like a sweet lil blueberry, and you’re so small!
Peri: I wouldn’t enjoy doing your style of killing personally, but you make it look so gorgeously gory!
Peri: Like a swan dancing on the lake, except the lake is made of blood.
Peri: I could just pick you up and pinch your cheeks and give you a big ol’ smooch!
Beruka: That… sounds nice.
Peri: Well, pucker up!
Beruka: What does that m-mmpf?!
Peri [heavy blush]: … So how was it?
Beruka: Better than I’d hoped.
Beruka: C-…
Beruka: Can you do that again, please?
Peri: As many times as you want, Berry.
Peri: Hey, Berry and Peri! It rhymes! We can be murder girls together, yay!
Beruka: You make that sound… sweet.
Peri: Speaking of, by the way…
Peri: You think you could take me on a mission sometime?
Beruka [same expression as before]: …
Beruka [neutral expression]: …
Beruka: No.
Peri: WHAT?!
Beruka: Not yet. I’d have to train you.
Beruka: Fighting is one thing, assassination is another.
Beruka: You got the job done last time, but you revealed yourself too quickly and left yourself off-guard for too long.
Beruka [light blush]: And…
Beruka [blush]: And I don’t want to see you get hurt.
Beruka: You’re the best thing this line of work has brought me, and if I were to lose you to it, I don’t know if I could ever forgive myself.
Peri: …
Beruka: Are you upset?
Peri: That…
Peri: That’s the happiest that being told I can’t stab people has ever made me!
Peri: Most people are just like “rah, stabbing is bad” but no one’s ever worried about me like that!
Peri: You’re the best, Beruka! If anyone ever wants to stab you, they’ll have to stab me first!
Beruka: I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.
Beruka: I believe the tea went cold while we were talking about our feelings, though.
Peri: Aww, that’s alright!
Peri: How about we just hold each other a while and munch on candy and chat?
Beruka: That sounds lovely.
Peri: So, wanna compare our body counts?