Oh, I can answer a little of that for you. I wanted to ask Rabbit before I told you any half-baked speculation.
[ she says so almost flippantly; turns out they both kind of had the same idea. ]
Our team icon was blinking on Sunday, too. Rabbit also told me that it's probably to... gently suggest that we should talk to them, since they have new memories.
[ obviously, this means that someone on team rabbit probably killed, but she'll get to that later. one thing at a time. ]
I think that'll be an easier way to figure out who knows something new, rather than trying to track them down by memory, since the leaders could just lie to you, too. Unless they start regaining memories through any other means, which I guess isn't impossible... Anyway. It made me wonder if anyone's PHS started flashing the weekend Virid killed.
soo-won smiles at that, apparently pleased with the information. god bless you hilda. somewhere in the mix of everything, she's going to feel that he's actually quite grateful for her! enjoy that.]
Mm, precisely that. By now, I've found one person on each team - so I intend on asking them each Sunday whether or not their team icon is blinking, and if it is, I'll hope that they'll go to see their team leader. I'll need to check in on the information about Virid.... but mine wasn't and yours wasn't.
So I'll verify whether Wolf's was, or Fox's.
Did Rabbit tell you anything about the person on their team who killed?
[ she does... not seem pleased by that! in fact, she's a little wary. she knows how this goes. first, you do well in like one class drill and then your class leader makes you cover the hill at gronder field by yourself. ]
I don't think it was Fox's team, but Wolf is a good guess! Since their team has been at the top of the rankings so far...
[ though if rabbit and goat teams killed and they didn't hit first on the leaderboard anyway, it might not mean much. ]
Either way, I think that's a good idea. We want to make sure we're learning as much as we can every week, and leaders are probably more open with their own team. Though, um... I think you might be better off finding another rabbit to help you out! I'm not very good at keeping up with all this information as it goes around...
They have been, and I've gone to visit Wolf, but he hasn't suggested that he remembers anything. Probably to protect his own team more than anything, but... I think I know someone who would be willing to be honest with me. We'll see.
[though there's
a note of amusement at the way she's trying to wiggle back out, and he laughs a bit]
..... are you sure? You're the only one who found me, after all. Some other people know, but only because I told them.
I do wonder why you don't give yourself more credit.
Mm, yeah—I'm pretty sure they're going to be more open with people on their team. Though I should probably make my rounds with the other leaders more often anyway...
[ anyway, she laughs a little at that, weakly. ]
It was a lucky guess! Honestly, I get confused so easily it's a miracle I managed to figure you out at all. You're better off finding whatever secret genius our team is hiding, I'll only hold you back. [ .......then, as more of a grumble: ]
...I guess... you can rely on me for now, though...
[ . . . . . there's still some amusement from him at that, and he'll move to pour the cups of tea them, offering one out to her]
.... I'm afraid I do have to call upon you - for as long as I can't find someone else on Rabbit's team. Once I do, I'll let you know, if you truly don't wish to get involved.
[he's not interested in dragging her along? that's not really the type of person that he is]
But if you're willing to help, I do recognize how lucky I am to have you as a friend and contact.
[ it's for the best if he could find someone else, really. at the same time, despite her backpedaling, she's not upset to be here either.
friends, huh? ]
It's not that I don't want to help, but...
[ whatever she's been doing, has it been enough? will it matter in the end? she takes the tea. ]
Um, anyway. [ it's rare for her to look uncertain, but it's also rare for her to do this much in general. ] While I was telling people about Sharon's death, I learned more about what happened to Cater, too.
[ she doesn't linger on it, her emotions floating onto something more thoughtful, a little more serious even if her voice holds its usual breezy thoughtlessness. ]
Well... it sounds like whoever did it needed to kill Cater to keep something worse from happening. Something about her nova became—damaged, I guess? It was starting to splinter apart, and the issue was going to keep spreading.
Ah, I'm sorry - though by the sound of it, I wouldn't consider it awful... It sounds as though the person tasked with doing so was given a rather heavy burden to hold onto. Even if you did tell me that it was you, I wouldn't have been upset.
Then if I may, could you divulge the source to me?
[ her expression settles and hilda's feelings are—a little complicated, at that. a mix of hesitation, resignation. there's something there—not quite regret or fear—but more serious and somber an emotion than she likes.
but still, she's relaxed, meeting his eyes with a curious tilt of her head. ]
[ . . . . well. he thinks on that for a moment, emotions turning contemplative, before settling on - ]
I'd like to ask if they trust me not to lead them to danger, because given the current circumstances, it may work better for us to collaborate rather than oppose one another.
[and that reads as - well, nothing short of sincere.]
No one here deserves to die - but no one deserves to be put in a position where they have to kill either.
[ she turns thoughtful a moment. she doesn't like the emotion sharing aspect of this week when the conversation turns this way, exposing the truth of her feelings if not the truth of her words.
there is a sort of relief at his reaction, a slow settling of her feelings, like sediment. does she trust him? does she believe him?
it's too early to say, but he's not wrong. it's better to work together because they've both been backed into the same corner. she doesn't consider it some huge leap of faith, but a little hop: she gets his situation.
neither of them had the option to come out of this a flawless person. ]
Mm. I agree.
[ she stretches out her arms, like shedding a weight, before settling in and cupping her hands around her mug with a smile. ]
he returns her smile then - and there's no grand epiphany or shocked feeling from him, but rather a sense of relief and understanding. so they found each other, is it? or rather, they let each other find one another, even when the option to hide away or disagree was there.
if nothing else, he thinks that he can understand the depth of that sentiment.]
So we do.
You're aware of what happened in my case - Sharon attacked me, we made a deal, and now I'm seeking to reap the benefits of the situation that I was put into so we can help everyone else the best that we can.
[he states the facts unflinching - there they are, and he has no interest in ignoring what happened between the two of them]
Would you mind telling me how you ended up in your situation?
[ there's not much room for her to judge. virid, sharon, him, her—they'd all made a choice, and while she doesn't agree with all of them, even if there is a note of genuine sadness there, her feelings are set, steady and determined.
at least they can both understand each other, and the costs it took for them to have this conversation at all. ]
...Rabbit found me last week and told me that there was some sort of disturbance. It wasn't Cater's fault or anything she did—she was just the source of whatever this weird splintering was.
[ she frowns a little. ]
Basically, her nova was going to break apart. When that happens, it doesn't heal or recover back—you lose yourself. And then it spreads to more people, and...
[ well, hopefully he can use his imagination for the worst case scenario. she sighs, running her finger along the edge of her mug in idle circles. ]
Basically, since the Realm is weak, those disturbances can show up and disrupt the whole system while it's still recovering. Rabbit can't harm any of the participants, so they asked me to deal with Cater. I don't think they were happy to ask, but the other leaders didn't seem to notice anything, so it kind of fell on them to do something.
[ . . . . ah. soo-won seems to nod at that, and his feelings are ones that lean more toward empathy and compassion than anything else. the idea that no one else could or would do anything, and so hilda took the action that she could because it meant preventing further harm.
in truth - ]
.... I'm sorry that it fell upon your shoulders and Rabbit's. Thank you for being willing to take that responsibility away from the rest of us, even though it was difficult for you.
You acted alone? Did Rabbit suggest that this situation might happen again?
[ her emotions stir as uncertainty for a moment, before reaching something simpatico and shaking her head. ]
You don't have to thank me—I didn't exactly go into Saturday with any noble intention, you know?
[ did either of them expect kano to do... that? it doesn't seem that way, but neither of them really stopped him, either. in the end, she and soo-won had unwittingly kept each other alive and damned the same person. ]
And it was totally solo—I didn't even realize you were awake and around, actually. We're hoping it doesn't happen again, but I've been trying to keep an eye out for any signs... I think they'd manifest as someone with really, really bad memory problems. Or something along those lines?
... neither did I. However I don't believe that nobility is something that can truly be considered in a place like this, when none asked to be in this situation.
[no one can be blamed for not wanting to die - and even though soo-won had an obvious preference on how sunday should have ended, it's not as though he condemned kano for fighting for his life either.
everyone should get to have that right.]
I hadn't realized that you were awake either... and if you didn't even see Sharon, it's possible that we wouldn't have been able to cross paths due to some interference of the Realm.
But I'd heard about someone's memory issues last week.... Has Xie Lian come to you about Claude and Hua Cheng's recent unexplained spat? It would appear as though there are additional powers in play, given that I find myself affected by one as well.
Nothing particularly notable - I only seek to give additional information about myself when I would normally refrain.
[ she's glad he doesn't expect much in the way of good and bad—they're just doing what they have to, and it isn't fair to anyone. so long as they both understand that...
but her more somber feelings are interrupted by a little hop of surprise. ]
Oh, shoot—I need to catch up with Claude today too! [ SHE'S BEEN DISTRACTED BY HER MURDER CLAUDE STAND-IN ] No, he hasn't mentioned anything... what happened?
It sounds as though Claude and Hua Cheng have been compelled to dislike one each other rather suddenly, even though they got along fine last week. It's to the point where mentioning one of their names can cause the other to express incredible distaste.
[someone got mutiny'd and it wasn't me, hallelujah]
Apparently he wasn't feeling well last week either, but I have less information on that given that it was secondhand. Couple it with this mention of memory loss... who experienced that one?
[ dear mr or mrs mutiny please hit dana next week ]
Woah, really? I'd love to see a catfight between those two.
[ there is a genuine note of entertainment alongside the uh, concern. but as he continues, she lets out a sheepish little laugh. ]
Ahah... that was also Claude last week. [ poor guy. ] I think it was a symptom of the nova starting to splinter, because he got better after I—you know. Cater's memory didn't seem to be in good shape either when I saw her.
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[ she says so almost flippantly; turns out they both kind of had the same idea. ]
Our team icon was blinking on Sunday, too. Rabbit also told me that it's probably to... gently suggest that we should talk to them, since they have new memories.
[ obviously, this means that someone on team rabbit probably killed, but she'll get to that later. one thing at a time. ]
I think that'll be an easier way to figure out who knows something new, rather than trying to track them down by memory, since the leaders could just lie to you, too. Unless they start regaining memories through any other means, which I guess isn't impossible... Anyway. It made me wonder if anyone's PHS started flashing the weekend Virid killed.
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soo-won smiles at that, apparently pleased with the information. god bless you hilda. somewhere in the mix of everything, she's going to feel that he's actually quite grateful for her! enjoy that.]
Mm, precisely that. By now, I've found one person on each team - so I intend on asking them each Sunday whether or not their team icon is blinking, and if it is, I'll hope that they'll go to see their team leader. I'll need to check in on the information about Virid.... but mine wasn't and yours wasn't.
So I'll verify whether Wolf's was, or Fox's.
Did Rabbit tell you anything about the person on their team who killed?
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I don't think it was Fox's team, but Wolf is a good guess! Since their team has been at the top of the rankings so far...
[ though if rabbit and goat teams killed and they didn't hit first on the leaderboard anyway, it might not mean much. ]
Either way, I think that's a good idea. We want to make sure we're learning as much as we can every week, and leaders are probably more open with their own team. Though, um... I think you might be better off finding another rabbit to help you out! I'm not very good at keeping up with all this information as it goes around...
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[though there's
a note of amusement at the way she's trying to wiggle back out, and he laughs a bit]
..... are you sure? You're the only one who found me, after all. Some other people know, but only because I told them.
I do wonder why you don't give yourself more credit.
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[ anyway, she laughs a little at that, weakly. ]
It was a lucky guess! Honestly, I get confused so easily it's a miracle I managed to figure you out at all. You're better off finding whatever secret genius our team is hiding, I'll only hold you back. [ .......then, as more of a grumble: ]
...I guess... you can rely on me for now, though...
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.... I'm afraid I do have to call upon you - for as long as I can't find someone else on Rabbit's team. Once I do, I'll let you know, if you truly don't wish to get involved.
[he's not interested in dragging her along? that's not really the type of person that he is]
But if you're willing to help, I do recognize how lucky I am to have you as a friend and contact.
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friends, huh? ]
It's not that I don't want to help, but...
[ whatever she's been doing, has it been enough? will it matter in the end? she takes the tea. ]
Um, anyway. [ it's rare for her to look uncertain, but it's also rare for her to do this much in general. ] While I was telling people about Sharon's death, I learned more about what happened to Cater, too.
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he'll let her get away with it for now, instead tilting his head at her explanation]
Oh? What did you find?
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Well... it sounds like whoever did it needed to kill Cater to keep something worse from happening. Something about her nova became—damaged, I guess? It was starting to splinter apart, and the issue was going to keep spreading.
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... would you mind telling me where you got this information from?
Rabbit?
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...Where did I get the information that you killed Sharon, Won?
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hilariously
there is only the slightest feeling of exasperation and interest - any feelings of judgment are nowhere to be found even as he asks]
Hilda, did you kill Cater? Or did you find the person who did it?
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[ she looks upset at the very suggestion, though her emotions are more subdued. ]
All I'm saying is I found the source. [ one way or another! ]
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soo-won shakes his head at that]
Ah, I'm sorry - though by the sound of it, I wouldn't consider it awful... It sounds as though the person tasked with doing so was given a rather heavy burden to hold onto. Even if you did tell me that it was you, I wouldn't have been upset.
Then if I may, could you divulge the source to me?
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but still, she's relaxed, meeting his eyes with a curious tilt of her head. ]
Why, is there something you want to ask?
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I'd like to ask if they trust me not to lead them to danger, because given the current circumstances, it may work better for us to collaborate rather than oppose one another.
[and that reads as - well, nothing short of sincere.]
No one here deserves to die - but no one deserves to be put in a position where they have to kill either.
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there is a sort of relief at his reaction, a slow settling of her feelings, like sediment. does she trust him? does she believe him?
it's too early to say, but he's not wrong. it's better to work together because they've both been backed into the same corner. she doesn't consider it some huge leap of faith, but a little hop: she gets his situation.
neither of them had the option to come out of this a flawless person. ]
Mm. I agree.
[ she stretches out her arms, like shedding a weight, before settling in and cupping her hands around her mug with a smile. ]
I think we have a lot to talk about, Won.
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he returns her smile then - and there's no grand epiphany or shocked feeling from him, but rather a sense of relief and understanding. so they found each other, is it? or rather, they let each other find one another, even when the option to hide away or disagree was there.
if nothing else, he thinks that he can understand the depth of that sentiment.]
So we do.
You're aware of what happened in my case - Sharon attacked me, we made a deal, and now I'm seeking to reap the benefits of the situation that I was put into so we can help everyone else the best that we can.
[he states the facts unflinching - there they are, and he has no interest in ignoring what happened between the two of them]
Would you mind telling me how you ended up in your situation?
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at least they can both understand each other, and the costs it took for them to have this conversation at all. ]
...Rabbit found me last week and told me that there was some sort of disturbance. It wasn't Cater's fault or anything she did—she was just the source of whatever this weird splintering was.
[ she frowns a little. ]
Basically, her nova was going to break apart. When that happens, it doesn't heal or recover back—you lose yourself. And then it spreads to more people, and...
[ well, hopefully he can use his imagination for the worst case scenario. she sighs, running her finger along the edge of her mug in idle circles. ]
Basically, since the Realm is weak, those disturbances can show up and disrupt the whole system while it's still recovering. Rabbit can't harm any of the participants, so they asked me to deal with Cater. I don't think they were happy to ask, but the other leaders didn't seem to notice anything, so it kind of fell on them to do something.
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in truth - ]
.... I'm sorry that it fell upon your shoulders and Rabbit's. Thank you for being willing to take that responsibility away from the rest of us, even though it was difficult for you.
You acted alone? Did Rabbit suggest that this situation might happen again?
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You don't have to thank me—I didn't exactly go into Saturday with any noble intention, you know?
[ did either of them expect kano to do... that? it doesn't seem that way, but neither of them really stopped him, either. in the end, she and soo-won had unwittingly kept each other alive and damned the same person. ]
And it was totally solo—I didn't even realize you were awake and around, actually. We're hoping it doesn't happen again, but I've been trying to keep an eye out for any signs... I think they'd manifest as someone with really, really bad memory problems. Or something along those lines?
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[no one can be blamed for not wanting to die - and even though soo-won had an obvious preference on how sunday should have ended, it's not as though he condemned kano for fighting for his life either.
everyone should get to have that right.]
I hadn't realized that you were awake either... and if you didn't even see Sharon, it's possible that we wouldn't have been able to cross paths due to some interference of the Realm.
But I'd heard about someone's memory issues last week.... Has Xie Lian come to you about Claude and Hua Cheng's recent unexplained spat? It would appear as though there are additional powers in play, given that I find myself affected by one as well.
Nothing particularly notable - I only seek to give additional information about myself when I would normally refrain.
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but her more somber feelings are interrupted by a little hop of surprise. ]
Oh, shoot—I need to catch up with Claude today too! [ SHE'S BEEN DISTRACTED BY HER MURDER CLAUDE STAND-IN ] No, he hasn't mentioned anything... what happened?
[ one curse at a time. ]
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It sounds as though Claude and Hua Cheng have been compelled to dislike one each other rather suddenly, even though they got along fine last week. It's to the point where mentioning one of their names can cause the other to express incredible distaste.
[someone got mutiny'd and it wasn't me, hallelujah]
Apparently he wasn't feeling well last week either, but I have less information on that given that it was secondhand. Couple it with this mention of memory loss... who experienced that one?
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Woah, really? I'd love to see a catfight between those two.
[ there is a genuine note of entertainment alongside the uh, concern. but as he continues, she lets out a sheepish little laugh. ]
Ahah... that was also Claude last week. [ poor guy. ] I think it was a symptom of the nova starting to splinter, because he got better after I—you know. Cater's memory didn't seem to be in good shape either when I saw her.
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