SATURDAY: POST-TRIAL, WHEREVER THE HELL

[evidentiary]

[ hi small child who is probably escaping the trial -

hopefully he is down to being dragged off near the jungle or something, since kyouko will be quietly insistent about that. ]

Hamada-kun, I need to speak with you. [ ... ] Now we know that partners do not have to be on the same side, as I hypothesized. Are you willing to keep secrets from yours?

Comments

[evidentiary]

Sort of. I also wanted to see if they would speak to someone without a role alone. You have helped in trials; that should earn you some sort of cooperation...

[ anyway: ]

Normally I don't require the time. It gets put into play on Tuesday, and it's a list of four things: two from either chief. The other week with baskets was easy...or at least, it was between baskets and blankets. The other two choices were bananas and bongos.

[ there was just. no way in hell kyouko was going to choose bongos. I WISH SHE WOULD HAVE BECAUSE IT SOUNDED HILARIOUS AND YET SHE'S PRACTICAL AS FUCK GODDAMN ]

...They've started alliterating my lists since week two.

[ for. no goddamn reason. ]

I wondered if "blowdart" could have come from someone who matched my role, but I didn't spot anything that began with an "h" beyond my own item this week, so...all the same, mine is one of the four non-aligned roles. Five Sirens, two Wickies, and four unknowns...three, technically, since I know myself. And Jack confirmed Magilou and Bellamy to have no roles.

[zerotohiro]

I can try, but I think that the Chiefs might be sick of my questions by now. I've been asking a lot of them lately. But I'll see if they will soon.

...with the bongos we could have at least alerted people of Joshua's murder, but the baskets are ultimately more helpful. What was week one then? List-wise. As for the blowdart I think that came from the Chiefs for the murder. It's the only thing I can think of. It only had one dart which is weird enough on its own.

You have five Sirens, two Wickies, you, the role that picks the partnerships the Chief told us, and two unknown. If Mera and I were on the right track, these might be other killing roles since we still don't know what happened to Ruby.

Magilou and Bellamy might not, but it might be a good idea to feel out Akira and Raven. And you already know that I don't, so you can rule me out, too. Yona I'm pretty sure doesn't since she's with me every Thursday. But you heard Jack, right? He didn't even know about the second Wickie.

And what's your title anyway?

[evidentiary]

"Punyai, Maduvu, Qama, and Pugia" was week one. [ ... ] They're all knives, I believe. I didn't recognize all of the words, so I picked one of the two words I didn't immediately identify as a weapon.

[ SHE...........TRIED, but when every option on the list is a knife you are kinda screwed.

spoiler alert kyouko is still really mad about week one and determined to never pick anything like that ever again :| ]

..."Water nymph".

[ she has some objections but whatever. ]

My "rules" are that I get the list of four items per week...and if I don't choose, one is randomly picked for me.

[ being a responsible-ass motherfucker, she's made her choice promptly every sunday to avoid this, because it sounds like an excellent way to get screwed over by robots. ]

[zerotohiro]

I never would have guessed either, but I don't fight with knives. I work with tech all day.

[...he can't help but chuckle.] That's. Almost cute, Kyouko. [I'm glad he calls her by her first name and he's still Hamada-kun. It doesn't matter. He's comfortable enough with her.] And those are some pretty basic rules.

In that case, if I do this for you and tell you everything I learn as long as I'm alive, will you give me a heads up of what's happening each week?

[evidentiary]

[ ugh deets sharing - but it's a fair trade and she honestly needs the help.

also, she needs to be able to back up her information with someone, just in case. ]

...I can. I'll speak to you on Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending when I finish up...usually my meetings are a little late.

[ her meetings. ALL BYYYYYYYYYYYY HERSELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLF! well hal and pal are there but do they count. ]

I may try to ask more about one of the other non-aligned roles this week...but, they're not always forthcoming. Still, I will try.

[zerotohiro]

That's fine. You know where my hut is and how to find me by now. I'll be waiting. [Save Kyouko what the fuck.]

If you're going to ask a role, maybe ask about the partner-assigning one. That's the one that's an outlier that we don't know much about.

[evidentiary]

I'll see what I can manage to get. Knowing what other two roles exist could be of us, but...I hope at least that role can manage to do something for one of the partners.

[zerotohiro]

You worried about what's going to happen to Zuko?

[evidentiary]

I am. I don't think that felt like a "usual" kill - after all, Ruby disappeared before Thursday evening. So...perhaps something can be done for him if it was outside the rules...?

[zerotohiro]

The Chief seemed to imply they were trying to figure it out. If we're waiting for a role to fix it that could explain why they don't have an answer for what'll happen to him.

[evidentiary]

Maybe they need to pair him with someone else...?

[zerotohiro]

But wouldn't that mean that someone else has to die to do that?

[evidentiary]

At least one person will die every week.

[zerotohiro]

It would have to be an odd number in order to partner Zuko with someone else. I don't think Hal and Pal believe in threesomes.

[evidentiary]

That was still an odd kill...perhaps that person will strike again?

[zerotohiro]

It's possible. Mera and I were thinking it's a second killing role running around outside of the Sirens. You think that's possible?

[evidentiary]

I don't see why not. There are four non-aligned roles, but there isn't any rule that any of them aren't meant to be killers...

[zerotohiro]

In that case, what're the chances Hal and Pal will make you have to kill someone? Are there chances of that?

[evidentiary]

...I would be obligated to take a third option if they asked.

[zerotohiro]

What would be a third option though? That's the thing. We don't know what other rules they have for people with roles.

[evidentiary]

We don't. But there is always an option other than the one given you...and unfortunately, I think the people I care about would likely be disappointed if I didn't find or make one of those.

[zerotohiro]

...whatever it takes? Let me help. I don't know what else I can do, but I can try.

[evidentiary]

I will. I intend to complete this game without taking a life. "Good intentions" mean nothing if you don't give everything to follow through on them...I learned that lesson already.

[zerotohiro]

I...me too. [But he won't explain.] We'll get out of this just fine and without taking people's lives. There's no other option.

[evidentiary]

Mm. Inaction is the same as action, isn't it? Well, I don't intend to do either. For the time being, we should get a move on.

[zerotohiro]

Yeah. I'll let you know what Jacopo says.