WEEK 7

[bathymetric]

Another Saturday gone and just like that you wake on Sunday, down five of your number. The largest dent taken out of you at once so far - it's surely noticeable, the head count being cut by a third. Almost enough to make you wonder how many of you will even be left by the next motive or two. Surely this isn't a sustainable rate for body counts to increase... right?

There's a new and, it looks like, final wing of the building to explore, bringing everything full circle. Maybe you'll get some more answers to some of the questions and mysteries of this place there - or at least, you can certainly hope for them. Time to turn your investigative eyes towards one last batch of rooms, who knows what you might find?

Angel remains around at night, her appearances much more common now that... well, she's certainly seen a downtick in necessary surveillance work, hasn't she? The app giving you a line to The Professor remains open, and well... whatever's going on with that ouija in the library continues to happen! You're not suffering from a shortage of leads, at least, even as things get more bizarre.

Something's going to have to give here, eventually. Right?



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to your last player case week! AC is over here, regains as always are over here, and... well, enjoy! After this we get to take our big turn towards the Serious. ]

Comments

everybody wants to be a cait

[philoxenia]

[ She's in the dining room, putting up a few things she's made when--

Holy shit. What. Luckily, Therion conveniently comes in, and she's looking a little bewildered. ]

.... Was that a Cait?

[bolderfell]

We have to catch it.

[The icon here is more representative of his inner state than his outer expression, but also, this is the best day he's had in seven weeks.]

[philoxenia]

Well, of course we do!

[ She is Down For This. She ties her hair back. ]

Should we split up?

[bolderfell]

Maybe once we track it down. These guys are fast. We need to get it in a corner.

[He's so hype.]

[philoxenia]

It's good we're both fast, too.

[ His hype is infectious, honestly. ]

Alright--I saw it escape not too long before you came in. We should hurry before it gets too far away.

[bolderfell]

Let's do this.

[In his hype, Therion takes her hand and darts out of the dining room, pausing only to look both ways.]

...Bet it went for the gallery. Those paintings are valuable, right?

[philoxenia]

[ She's so focused on finding the Cait that she doesn't think too much of it, at least! ]

Very valuable. If we'll find it anywhere, I'm sure it'll be there. ... Unless it can sense that the vending machine has expensive items inside it.

[bolderfell]

Machine first. It's on the way. And both rooms only have one exit.

[Time to dash along. If Mira's empathy would let her track it, though, it doesn't seem like the Cait's in the vending machine room or the art gallery. Maybe in Area B?]

[philoxenia]

Those are good places to start.

[ When they get closer to the hall leading to Area B, though-- ]

Wait--I don't feel anything in either of those rooms. [ Like mischief! ] We shouldn't waste time with them.

[bolderfell]

You can sense it?

[But he accepts it even as he asks and continues to Area B.]

From how far away?

[If she's looking for mischief, she might find it in the craft room. Mischief and a sudden kittenish delight.]

[philoxenia]

Well, it's hard to not... I've never felt so much mischief from anyone or anything. I can feel it just faintly, and if we keep going, I think it'll get stronger--

[ Oho. She brightens a little, then tugs him in the direction of the craft room. Her voice is low as she says, ]

In here, I think.

[bolderfell]

[Oho, indeed. That's a one-exit room, too. Therion grins and replies in an equally low tone.]

Want to be the one to flush it out or to grab it?

[philoxenia]

Hmmm...

[ She returns that grin, and nods. ]

Why don't you take the honor of grabbing it?

[bolderfell]

[He finally lets her go and removes his cloak.]

My pleasure. Ready when you are.

[philoxenia]

Gladly. Alright-- let's do this.

[ She creeps on over to the door, and once he's in position... she'll dash in, making sure to make enough noise as an alert. Hello, Cait, where the heck are you at? ]

[bolderfell]

Meow!

[Supremely startled, the Cait knocks over a box of yarn balls (of course) and sprints for the door--just in time for Therion to pounce on it with his cloak.]

Wahaha!

[He wastes no time bundling the creature up, pinning it under his weight. It caterwauls its distress to the heavens, counterpoint to Therion's triumph.]

[philoxenia]

Ah, we did it! Nice catch!

[ She sounds supremely unsurprised about their success. Mira rushes over, kneeling down in case Therion needs a hand. ]

--It'll be okay, right?

[bolderfell]

I'm not going to hurt it.

[He says, wrapping it all the way up to its neck so only its head sticks out and tying the purrito closed with the hand-braided rope he carries coiled on his hip.]

I just want its valuables.

[Is Mira sure she's never felt so much mischief from anyone.]

[philoxenia]

[ Well.

Now she has. With a little laugh, she nods. ]

And now... you have a purrito.

[ terrible. ]

To think... foiled by yarn. It really is just a little cat.

[bolderfell]

[That's a pun that flies right over his head. There are no burritos in Orsterra.]

Little cat with sticky paws.

Meeeooow!

[Poor thing's yelling its little head off. Because he's a BULLY, Therion squishes its cheeks, then offers the package over to Mira.]

Here. I won't let it bite you if you want to pet it.

[philoxenia]

[ Devastating!! It's fine, though.

Mira feels bad for the little critter, but like... of course she's gonna pet it. ]

How did it get here, anyway? Did it come from the vending machine?

[bolderfell]

[It's a wild animal, so it's not like it suddenly settles and starts purring. It's smart, though. It knows when it's beaten. So it gives up and submits to the pets with a pitiful mewl.]

No idea. I was playing in the arcade and saw it out of the corner of my eye. Looked pretty surprised to be here. Not that I blame it.

[He lifts the Cait to face him.]

Hey. Let go of your bag and I'll let you out of mine.

[philoxenia]

I'd be surprised, too.

[ Huh. Not the vending machine, then. Mystery.... But she keeps up with the pets, giving it a little scritch behind the ears. ]

Do you think it'll give it up? I guess it would mean freedom, though.

[bolderfell]

[It wriggles some more, ears flat against its head as it glares at Therion.]

...Probably not. Or it'll try to trick me.

[Can't say he doesn't understand, though. The things he's done himself for freedom...

After a pause--hehheh, "paws"--he looks up at Mira once more.]

Hey. Why don't you take a picture. Then you can prove to anyone you saw a real Cait.

[philoxenia]

[ Poor, poor Cait. It just wanted yarn....

She blinks, though, and smiles as she pulls out her phone. ]

You know, I could take a picture of all three of us, even.