WEEK 5

[bathymetric]

That's three murders now - and this last trial got more than slightly out of hand. It looks like you might be in for another tough week... or at least, maybe that's just the refusal of this place to change too much. You lose Saturday again, but maybe six-day weeks are starting to feel normal by now. Who knows? The cycle of day and night continues apace, changing so little.

Speaking of change, though, there's a new area to look through, the biggest and most complex yet. And the end of one wing of the facility, from the looks of it - though you can probably guess where more areas might start to open up.

And speaking of opening up (segues!), this week if you're out particularly late, you might sometimes see Angel out and about! So hey, maybe change is on the horizon.

Just gotta hope it's a change for the better, don't you?



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to Week 5! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! Or, if you want Angel to come to you, that's now an option! Simply put a prompt after lights-out into your toplevel and indicate you want Angel in the subject line, same as investigations! ]

Comments

[bolderfell]

[... x2 combo. Therion holds his chin in his hand and stares at the surface of the pool.]

Same with the rest of the staff? I know he talked to someone in the kitchen once, but besides that...?

[archboxer]

As far as I know, that is the case. May I ask why?

[... She doesn't like this, Therion. She smells a scheme.]

[bolderfell]

[He's not scheming! Gods, you spend your entire life engaging in criminal pursuits and suddenly everyone thinks you're a sneaky bastard.]

...I guess you weren't in any frame of mind to notice. [He says that gently enough and shakes his head.] The Professor was... acting strange during the investigation and trial the other day.

[archboxer]

[She's a schemer herself. It's in her nature, it's not personal. That gets her attention, though.]

Wait... you are correct, I was not paying attention to him. Yet now that I think about it he was not as caustic as usual.

[bolderfell]

[Come on, does he look like Claude to you, Rhea.]

He called Seteth by name.

[archboxer]

[She had been quite distraught at the time and--]

I... cannot believe I missed that.

[bolderfell]

Ema and I both noticed it when he... announced the death. He did it again at the start of the trial. The weeks before, he only ever used those damn titles.

[archboxer]

That seems like a sudden change... I cannot say he favored Seteth in particular. In fact it probably would have been beneficial to him if Seteth or I died. For him to act in this manner...

[bolderfell]

Why would one of your deaths have helped him? In particular, that is.

[archboxer]

Our bones, our flesh, even our muscles do not degrade as Ema can admit to. This makes them excellent weapon materials. Our blood is laced with magic and our Crest Stones can power the weapons made. For a man like the Professor that would prove valuable; if not to himself then to his colleagues or patrons.

[bolderfell]

So that's why you... huh.

[Why you pulled your brother's heart from his chest.]

That's... I can see why you didn't want any of us to know about you.

[archboxer]

Yes... yes, that is why. I am not proud of that fact.

[She... alluded to it during the trial but everything was so chaotic.]

I understand my actions were alarming but... I could not let that fate happen to another member of my family.

[bolderfell]

[Shrug.]

Far be it from me to judge something like that. Especially if it was keeping you safe.

[archboxer]

Here it likely will not but... [When you live in a world full of humans, being inhuman is definitely a liability.]

[bolderfell]

Again. Far be it from me to judge. We all came in here with the skills and experience we needed to survive our own circumstances. Stupid to abandon them just because people yell.

[archboxer]

[She looks out over the pool. This... was getting harder each week, honestly.]

I think there is more to that but I agree. Whether we like it or not we all have a common enemy.

[bolderfell]

Yeah.

[He might not trust any of his fellow test subjects, but he trusts the Professor even less.]

So. No hard feelings. You keep the secrets you want, and I'll keep mine.

[archboxer]

Of course.

[...]

I only pressed you on a hunch that proved to be false. [She's sorry.]

[bolderfell]

I'm only surprised it took this long for someone to suspect me. Even if it was just a hunch.

[It's fine? It's fine. Please don't make this weird.]