week 2, saturday

[vigilantics]

[ it's been a long nine hours.

honestly, that's really all steph can say about it. it's been a long, tiring nine hours, and all she wants to do is sleep but she also knows she probably won't any time soon. she just lets herself fall face first onto the bed, muttering a low "ouch," because that was a bad idea.

hey, hikage. what's up. ]

...

Comments

[vigilantics]

You didn't even know I was searching for people with roles until like ten minutes ago.

[ why would she ask you binch.... but she laughs. ]

Remember, I came to you first, not the other way around.

[psychedelica]

[ because he's your smart mysterious partner obviously?! ]

Everyone should be looking for them. They're the key to finding out how to get out of here.

[ except for hikage, whose ability is to make things smelly, apparently. ]

Anyway, I told you about my title first, so that doesn't matter. It evens out.

[vigilantics]

Most people didn't even know they existed until today, loser.

[ there's a pause. ]

Did you tell me your objective before?

[psychedelica]

[ wow, don't call him a loser... he frowns at that, but he huffs and lets it go. ]

... It was finding Cinderella, remember? I failed. [ a beat. ] At first, I thought they were going to punish me, but that didn't happen. I'm probably just missing out on getting another coin to throw in that well.

[ which he's not torn up about, honestly. ]

[vigilantics]

No, I mean, when you told me that you lied. You made it seem like your title, not objective.

[ she did not think too much of it at the time because she was busy pretending her own objective didn't exist. she realized the truth once it became clear what title abilities were like. ]

[psychedelica]

[ for a brief moment, his gaze on her sharpens considerably, his mouth setting into a thin line across his face, and he looks almost like a different person; the cool stoicism he always wears becomes cold apathy in an instant. ]

... Knowing I lied, you're still asking me? What do you think you're going to find?

[ but then it's gone, and he looks off to the side again. ]

Fine. I really am Cinderella's Prince. But my objective is to identify three culprits. After tonight, I'll be finished. Is that better?

[vigilantics]

[ well. that was just weird and concerning and she just... sets that interaction aside to digest later. ]

Yes. That's better, thanks.

[psychedelica]

Are you going to tell me yours? Or did you just think I was suspicious?

[vigilantics]

[ there's a long pause. ]

My objective is really bad.

[psychedelica]

[ for whatever reason, that seems to ease some of his tension away; he laughs once, raising an eyebrow. ]

You think I'm going to judge you for it?

[vigilantics]

If I do it then someone could potentially die.

[ she has a Dilemma. ]

[psychedelica]

[ huh. still, Hikage doesn't look super perturbed. ]

Potentially? There are objectives out there with a lot less leeway.

[vigilantics]

Hikage, no offense, but if that's your attempt at making me feel better then it's a really bad one.

[ she says the "if" because she would not be surprised if he actually was not attempting to do that.

either way, steph doesn't look too pleased by that. ]

[psychedelica]

[ it kind of was... hikage isn't good at this. but it also kind of isn't. But he does go quiet for a few seconds. He doesn't have any baked goods?? ]

... I could tell you it'll be okay, but that'd be a lie. I'm sure you don't want pretty words from me, anyway. [ he sits up a little straighter. ] You don't have to do it. If that person's life matters more to you than getting a wish, then don't kill them.

[vigilantics]

I don't care about the wish.

[ she completely ignored her objective until now because of how little that mattered to her. ]

But apparently not doing them leads to something bad for all of us.

[psychedelica]

... Really? That's the first I've heard about that. Who told you? One of them?

[vigilantics]

Yeah. Apparently Tiger doesn't care about them though. We can get more information about that next week though since we're owed it for guessing a Historian correctly.

[psychedelica]

[ that draws another sigh out of him, annoyed. not necessarily with Steph, but with the situation. he rests his elbow on the arm of the chair, and rests his chin in his hand. ]

... We're going to have to side with one of them in the end. I don't like it.

[ Tiger doesn't care about the objectives, but clearly takes pleasure in their suffering; Dragon seems more sympathetic, but wants them to kill for their titles. It's hard to say which answer is right. ]

[vigilantics]

Pretty much, unless something unexpected comes up. But we can't count on that happening, so for now we have to work with what we have.

[ even though what they have is still awful. ]

[psychedelica]

[ as expected... Hikage still doesn't quite seem satisfied. ]

... Tell me your objective, Stephanie. I'll help you.

[vigilantics]

[ she sure was hoping he would have forgotten what the original topic was. ]

I basically have to make someone a target Thursday night. Make it so that whoever is chosen to kill that week would also have to kill the person. They don't have to actually die for it to be completed though.

[psychedelica]

[ as if he could forget! He doesn't look perturbed by the revelation; he just nods, turning over the new information in his head. ]

If they don't actually die, how do you know if it was completed or not? They just have to be attacked?

[vigilantics]

I don't know. I guess I'll find out if I get a reward from it or not.

[ she does not sound too thrilled about it. ]

[psychedelica]

... Are you actually going to do it?

[ or maybe she already did? He's guessing no. ]

... If you need to, target one of the people we already know was a killer. I think that makes the most sense.

[vigilantics]

I don't want to.

[ do it, she means. or even choose a target. she reaches out to grab one of the pillows to cover her face with it.

when steph talks again, it comes out as muffled. ]

We'll see.