changing and replacing this mask, show time;

[recrypt]

Comments

[recrypt]

[ 45 is wandering back towards the cabins, probably, her movements... not as easy as they usually are, oddly enough. hm. in fact, they're uncharacteristically conservative.

and oh, that's. hm. different from earlier. ]

... Hello, Akira. What did you need me for?

[survivaltricks]

[huh. he is noticing that]

First of-- [lifts up!! his index finger!!!]







I'm really sorry for telling people I thought you were trying to murder me.

[recrypt]

Oh. Just you in specific, huh. I suppose there goes that theory, then...

[ what theory. ]

It's fine, it's not the first time people around me have thought I was going to kill them. Or did kill someone.

[ for example: w4 blues. ]

[survivaltricks]

Wait-- what theory?

[TELL HIM???]

[recrypt]

That whoever hit you with a power was the one intending to murder, and used it to try to implicate someone else to distract from them.

But that theory was made when we were assuming that you just thought I was going to kill anyone at all, not just you specifically.

[ and, uh, someone is in fact dead, but it sure isn't akira, so. ]

[survivaltricks]

Ah.

[SLIGHTLY. . . SHEEPISH. . .]

Nnnnnno, I thought you were going to kill me, specifically.

[despite the utter lack of evidence he had to support that feeling]

[recrypt]

Hm. Chuuya thought it might've also been a plan to get you killed by you doing something rash in your paranoia, but here you are.

[ one 100% alive akira, present and standing. she does glance at him, then heave a bit of a put-upon sigh, and slowly turn around towards...]

Anyway, it's good you're here, I guess. I need to double-check something by the mess hall with you.

[ ah. ]

[survivaltricks]

[his mouth twitches, smile lopsided but fond when she mentions Chuuya]

Here I am.

[he was a good boy!! he was paranoid, not stupid. it'll be fine!!]

[but his expression hardens again when she mentions the mess hall]

Did you find something?

[recrypt]

Ja, but I need to confirm whether or not it's like with the mansion.

[ so shuffle along after her as she heads back towards the hall, movements just as affected as before. ]

[survivaltricks]

[he shuffles alongside her with no issues!! but as they walk--]

Hey, are you okay? You're walking a little strangely.

[recrypt]

... I think Sanji put it best earlier when he described it as the both of us running on empty. He was hungry, and I ... well, I don't have to eat, so I don't really get or feel hungry in the same way, but I can ingest things and get at least some benefit from it.

[ hey what does unending hunger feel like when that's not a sensation you're programmed with. ]

Usually, anyway. It wasn't doing much for either of us earlier, so after this I'm... probably just going to head back, go into power-saving mode, and hope this fixes itself tomorrow.

[survivaltricks]

[oh]

[actually he thinks he knows what's happening here]

Did you spend the night in the kitchen?

[recrypt]

Mess hall, technically, but they're connected anyway.

[ ... ]

Are you thinking what I'm thinking.

[survivaltricks]

Depends. What are you thinking?

[recrypt]

That this place starting last night was very good at copying the mansion, so we might as well go three for three with...

[ points at dirt path near the mess hall, which, of course, looks normal. ]

That.

[survivaltricks]

[his glaze slides towards the dirt path, where of course he sees nothing]

[lol]

[and he holds up three fingers to confirm her theory]

[recrypt]

... Beau was right, we brought the murder with us.

[ uuuuuugghhhhhh ]

For the record, there's a smudged footprint trail there leading away from the mess hall.

[ away. yeah. ]

[survivaltricks]

[away???]

[Akira frowns, brows furrowed]

Who else was in the mess hall with you?

[recrypt]

Sanji. Feel free to mention this, by the way, he said it was fine that I told people. We didn't want any last minute misunderstandings happening.

[ haha. ]

Oh, but we did barricade the doors in the hour we had before we were forced unconscious. And I think he was determined to make sure no one else could get any of the knives...?

[survivaltricks]

We'll need to collect everyone's curfew effects and locations tomorrow, anyway. The earlier we share, the better.

[hn. . .]

I don't really blame him. Though since we don't know how-- [a beat, his expression flickering] Since we don't know how Tsuru died, then we don't know whether his plan succeeded or not.

[recrypt]

... he was fast. I wonder how...

[ maybe the murderer was S*nic the Hedgehog. maybe they had a cheating power. ]

From what I've been hearing, our setup was somewhat unique. I don't think a lot of the others here are used to not finding things after a murder.

[survivaltricks]

[WHO KNOWS. IT IS A MYSTERY]

Yeah. I've noticed that, too. Belph took me aside to ask how Fridays worked back at the mansion because he wasn't used to the death announcements.

[recrypt]

... why is it always Friday, anyway?

[ don't answer that. ]

It'd be nice if we knew the scope of what kinds of powers can be in play. Things like spreading rumors or affecting people's thoughts is one thing; enhanced strength, intangibility, or summoning meteors is another thing entirely.

[survivaltricks]

[Akira recognizes a rhetorical question when he hears one so he just. . . snorts]

If the paranoia was a power we can add that to the list. And I know from talking to people that some powers are purely offensive.

. . . powers that are meant to kill.

[recrypt]

I stand by what I said two days ago: mine can't be used for anything like that.

The disparity makes you wonder what the point of including them in the first place was, if this hadn't been intended to include murder.