[Day 5 - EA] Third Interview

[Dapper Dog]

"Is that why you enjoy recreational narcotics? To take the edge off that burden?" he asked.

[Camilo Batista]

The mood shifted immediately and Camilo was silent.

Sloppy. He never should have gone into the Confessional last night. Shouldn't have said all he did. Really he shouldn't have even gone out last night and visited Mr. Happy. This was the chink in his armor that he was well aware of but couldn't seem to do anything about.

There were two routes he could take here and he'd gone down both in the past to differing effect. He could browbeat the interviewer, bring up how inconvenient it would be to pull back the veil on certain Elites using. Hope that maintaining the status quo and keeping the UNJE and their sponsors wrapped in plausible deniability would deter them from pushing this. Or, he could own up to it. It was his problem that he had to fight, but one he had under control. Downplay any side effects due to his powers. He wasn't the first Elite to self medicate. And maybe a third option here, to just get up and walk, but that didn't seem right. Neither did the first, not anymore. That was the old Camilo.

"Yes and no. That is a relic from my past. Something I struggle with, but nothing to be concerned about. It is very hard to do any harm to me thanks to my abilities.

I had a very difficult day yesterday and I took in something to help me wind down. It is not very different from someone baseline going to get a drink after work."

[Dapper Dog]

"Hey, I understand you have hard jobs, what made yesterday so difficult? The simulation?" he asked.

[Camilo Batista]

"Yes, the simulation was quite taxing, but this is good. We need to be pushed to grow. That is the only way we can know where we are weak, where our teammates are weak. If we try to hide from it, it only makes it worse, because then we are vulnerable and unaware of that vulnerability."

The irony did in fact escape Camilo. As is often the case, there was a billboard sized blindspot where his drug use was concerned.

[Dapper Dog]

"What do you feel is an area that you or the contestants could work on to improve?" he asked.

[Camilo Batista]

Camilo stroked his mustache in thought, happy the topic had effectively shifted, "This is a good question, but one I am not sure I'm qualified to answer. My best guess would be teamwork maybe? There are very few Elites that can stand alone. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Knowing how to recognize those in ourselves and each other makes a stronger team. Also cardiovascular endurance and flexibility are very important." He added the last part as an afterthought.

[Dapper Dog]

He tapped his tablet and then said, "I think we have a good amount to work with here. You have any questions for the crew?"

[Camilo Batista]

"Uhhh, questions. No, no questions?"

Camilo felt like he'd just gone into a fight woefully unprepared. This was definitely an area he needed to work on if he was going to become a Justice Elite. We'll, first step might be getting on their good side. Better an ally than an enemy so they would be fighting with him and not against him.

"Or wait, is there anything I or the other contestants do to make your jobs easier?"

[Dapper Dog]

"Mostly just our camera people getting lost following you in the city," he said coyly.

[Camilo Batista]

Camilo had the decency to look embarrassed. There was only the one time he'd intentionally dodged the cameraman and then he'd foolishly outed himself in the Confessional anyway. The room name was a bit too on the nose there.

"I will try to be more predictable. Maybe if we had some line of communication, we could let you know where we're planning on going so you can be set up. Sometimes we need to move suddenly and fast."

[Dapper Dog]

"I'll ask about that, see what we can do," he said.