catchall; sokai

[adlucem]

Comments

[starcracker]

[ it takes her a second but she shakes her head ]

... It's not your fault. I think I knew the truth, deep down, but... I wanted someone to be mad at.

[ so she birded instead it's fine ]

[adlucem]

[Also he may or may not have a wet shoe that smells like. I actually don't know but probably kinda sweet?? Listen sometimes you get mad and kick things and don't pay attention to what they are.]

...I had a feeling. [He'll just. Be honest. It's not like it's helpful now, but he doesn't want to lie--it didn't add up.] But I didn't say anything to stop you. I'm as guilty as you are.

[reconnective]

[he's probably nearby, so he just...shakes his head.]

You know. Even if he's not guilty, I don't know if I feel as bad as I should for the things he was saying anyway.

[starcracker]

... All those people died, and he didn't even care.

[ so! an agreement she should probably feel worse than she currently does, but. well. what an ass. ]

We didn't actually learn anything at all, did we? Besides what Nott and Jester admitted to.

[adlucem]

There is one thing I didn't mention--it wasn't relevant at the time, so I didn't think much of it. [Relevant to Riku, but it might be connected to everything happening here, so. He will tell them.] When I went back to fetch that bullet, I didn't see a body anywhere. I can't be sure, since I don't go in that room often, but... one of those machines--the man inside looked like the one who left with Miss Nott and died. With the blue hair.

[reconnective]

[...what.]

You mean McBurn? Nott did say she left him there, but I don't think anyone went back to get him. So what, he died and got absorbed in the game?

[...weirdly, he doesn't sound like he finds that entirely farfetched.]

[starcracker]

Does that mean... Riku could be in the game, too?

[adlucem]

Something like that. It's worth looking into, tomorrow.

[He really doesn't know much else--he hasn't gone in there since the incident with Hyuse, until today. He wasn't in there long enough to realize it was an entirely new machine.] Those glasses I used--I'm not sure what the limitations are, the paper was vague. They didn't indicate anything about that gun from the arcade, the one Miss Jester found in the store, but I don't know if that means it was completely irrelevant, or...

[Or if the glasses were limited to three items total, and it was related after all. Eugh.]

[reconnective]

It might've been irrelevant. After looking at both Riku and Hythlodaeus...I thought maybe the bullet broke his mask, but that wasn't it. And if Riku's gun still had the bullet, then it must've been related to something else. Neither of them had wounds that would match a bullet or anything either.

[...but there's a half-smile.]

But we do appreciate you trying to help.

[starcracker]

[ her smile is weak and a little belated, but she it is there!! too!!! ]

Yes. Thank you, really.

[adlucem]

I thought perhaps that someone might've tried to shoot at them while they were playing the game together. [And missed, because sometimes you are a crap shot and you only have experience with shitty Victorian weapons? Look, he's still trying.] That doesn't explain why Riku wouldn't have mentioned it, or why he might've left him there, though.

[Since--well, sure, Riku might've killed Hyth for some reason? They should've done a bird check on Riku's body. But he probably would've told them? Unless they were both possessed, maybe, but... no. Something still seems off.] I suppose I didn't know him that well, but I don't think Mister Hythlodaeus would've killed him of his own will.

[But, oh--he goes very still at their gratitude, then shakes his head, looking down at his lap.]

Please don't thank me. [He doesn't know what to do with that, when nothing he did actually helped in any way.]

[reconnective]

After what happened to you guys earlier this week, I had the same thought. That's why I wanted to check his mask again. He seemed to think you might know some things about this book he was reading. I didn't think to ask while...whatever that was was going on.

[it doesn't explain why riku wouldn't have mentioned it. but he wonders...]

I don't think any of us would say we knew him well, but from what I learned about him I don't think he would have killed him either. That doesn't sound like him, especially considering how things are in his world. I think he might've liked us enough. But I wonder if Riku didn't tell us because he didn't think Hythlodaeus was dead. If they were just hanging out or something and he was alive when Riku left...

[...why would he tell them? they tell each other a lot, but they don't always say "I hung out with xyz person today".

also he rolls his eyes. TAKE THEIR GRATITUDE DAMNIT.]

[starcracker]

I didn't think it made sense, either, for Hythlodaeus to have killed him.

[ which is part of the reason she? tried the bird? it's fine. she pets the squirrel in her pocket. ]

If they both just died because of this place instead... maybe that's what makes the most sense. [ as much as. any of this. made any sense? and she looks more tired and frustrated than ever. she's not going to argue with leo taking their gratitude she's still mad about riku forever ]

[adlucem]

[You can thank him when they find Riku's killer and get murder revenge and not a minute before.]

A book? [He blinks--but then seems to remember something.] Was it from the store? One of those terrible novels?

[reconnective]

[...he's just going to hold kairi's other hand like a useless bi. it's fine.]

Yeah. He had a bunch of notes about how bad it was, but he had a note that he was going to ask you about.

[no idea where the book is, but it's evidence so it is likely going to disappear. anyway.]

You and I talked about people becoming possibly possessed, but now I'm wondering if it's that this place itself is becoming possessed instead.

[which. sucks? that really sucks.]

[adlucem]

I doubt it was anything important. We both enjoyed literature, is all. I saw him frequently, but we didn't speak much.

[They were both Wiffle House buddies mostly, nothing beyond that.

But, eurgh... that sure is a theory he doesn't like? Honestly they have so few options right now and all of them are bad.]

[starcracker]

[ handholding sokais! it's what for dinner, forever, because someone killed our riku. ]

Like... a haunted house?

[ she's looking between both of the boys because she was not privy to possession talk ]

[reconnective]

Maybe. It's just something Leo and I were thinking about because none of the kills really made sense, and nobody seemed to be confessing. It was before we knew about the...trial? Or whatever that was.

[it wasn't really a trial because there wasn't anybody they were defending or appealing to. whatever.]

But we know that certain things in this place aren't normal. People are being sent to different worlds without warning, or they're getting stuck inside video games or whatever. Maybe we're looking for the wrong person.

[adlucem]

[A nod.]

We discussed that phrase--"quick turnaround", wasn't it? Sora thought it might be related to the deaths, and I'd wondered if the people here might be possessed to serve as some kind of staff to fulfill that purpose.

[But now the only person they know for sure that could've applied to is Shamspeare--there's no way of knowing if Hyth or Riku might've been affected too.]

I received those glasses from hitting that "cash register" machine, but it asked me to complete a task first. That's why I slept somewhere else last night. [He can tell them that now.] It seems odd that it would do that on its own, but I admit I don't know much about that sort of technology.

[He does not have cash registers he is Victorian]

[starcracker]

[ she's nodding along to both of them, pensive ]

That's how Riku got that key. It's not normal for that, but my task was just a silly thing, so I didn't think anything of it. I'm sure a lot of people must have tried that register by now. Do you think ... it's ever given someone a task to kill?

[ :T ]

[reconnective]

Yeah, that was it. [that's the right phrase, and leo explains it pretty well. though he blinks a little when he explains what the task was and he frowns at the idea that people could be asked to murder via the register.]

Hyuse and I were talking about how another theory is that we all have to die in order to get out of here, but I don't know how true that might be either. The cash register always seems to know who's hitting it, and it gives out items that seem to fit people. We went with Kairi the first time to hit it together, but she was the only one who could see what the receipt actually said.

[he has figured that part out, but not what her task was.]

So. It could have given out a task to kill if it meant someone getting their powers back, or a promise to get out of here. Something they would really want.

[adlucem]

[He frowns, mulling that over.]

You think it can sense people's desires, then?

[That would make sense for him, but he doesn't know about Kairi or Riku]

[starcracker]

... The tasks don't say what the rewards are before you do them, though. Would that still work in that case?

[reconnective]

If it knows how to listen to our hearts, it's possible. [which may sound stupid to leo, but look.]

[adlucem]

[A dude became a video game and they condemned a man to an embarrassing car ride because of a bird, he's kind of past caring about how stupid things sound.]

I don't know. I suppose it would apply in my case [since in the moment he wanted very badly to help them] but I only hit it because Miss Nagiko mentioned it might help. I didn't have any specific intentions in mind. [...] It could be relevant to that phrase, though.

[Especially if they're considered customers? He doesn't know. It seems dumb to think that a haunted cash register is behind all of this but they don't have any other leads.]