New Game, new rules. New roles, too. They've already picked them for themselves. New names, and new parts to play. But old habits, it seems, are hard to break, when they play those parts for the purposes of an old Game they could not win. An incomplete ERASE and an ending that didn't include them at all.

At least one of us needs to remain clear.

The weight of that sentence doesn't suit the disarming, matter-of-fact rhythm of their tone. I am trusting them with you. It's not for the sake of any qualities, Tim knows, that he himself bears. It's a matter of circumstance, and of lacking options.

That doesn't give him an excuse to fail.

"Yeah." The word is soft. And it's reluctant. "I do."

Maybe some part of him should wish that he didn't. There's no point in wishing, in baseless hopes and dreams. They all know what that gets them.

"But I'm gonna hope it doesn't come to that."