Week 3.

[trustmods]

WEEK 3 Two more people are dead. Byakuren Hijiri has been murdered and Undyne has been executed. That brings us up to four deaths and twenty-five remaining Participants. You're doing well. Take all of Saturday to rest and sleep. You've earned it. On Sunday morning, the clock chimes the hour at seven o'clock. With no more bodies to be discovered, it seems you're safe for the time being. That said, you'll be feeling a little groggy when you wake up; it seems you've remembered something else. Or was that another really bizarre dream? Like last week, there's a new floor to explore. A reward for your efforts, of course. There's something else new, however, and as you approach the foyer you might hear the beautiful sound of... chickens? Chickens. Those are definitely chickens. It looks like Tabby's petition has worked, you have chosen chickens. Perhaps even more important are the rule changes, effective immediately. You might want to take note of them. PARTICIPANTS REMAINING: 25

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[OOC: Welcome to week three of Trustfell! Save your threads for coins and the coming week's activity check; don't forget to check in to this week's activity check and submit your memory regains as well!

The Letters and Switchboard posts are still active, for the sake of contacting the jerk who's keeping you here, to be used at your leisure!]

Comments

[decrees]

Yes, I remember. Do you know why he confessed to a crime he didn't commit?

[perpend]

He claimed to have shot his wife with a contraption in his house.

There's only one problem with that theory: it was his wife's birthday, and he wasn't the one to create the contraption. His daughter was.

[decrees]

...What? Why would she...?

[No, that's getting off-topic. Logan shakes his head.]

He took the fall for his daughter, is that it? If he was accused of that it would be better than allowing his daughter to face the punishment.

[He's also not sure how old of a daughter we're talking here. A kid probably couldn't invent a murder contraption, right?]

[perpend]

She was... five, I believe, back then. Maybe four. Either way, she was a small child-- certainly not capable of murder. I dooon't know what happened, exactly, but my theory all along was that someone did something to the machine, I just never had the way to prove it.

And my friend confessing to the crime makes the case preeetty cut and dry.

[decrees]

[None of that makes any sense. If the daughter was that young, why would Cabanela's friend confess to the murder? There's no way a child could create something like that, is there? This isn't something he can wrap his head around right now.]

...I'm so sorry. And he was... You believe he was killed mere hours after you arrived here?

[...Wait, wait, hang on--]

Ah, but some people have spoken of regaining memories - have you had anything of the sort, Cabanela?

[If that's true then maybe his friend didn't die? Is that possible?]

[perpend]

I'm still not sure if the first one was a dream, it doesn't make sense.

It has nothing to do with my friend, anyway. The second doesn't have much to do with him, either-- I bought off a phony doctor.

[decrees]

...Perhaps you'll regain more memories that will explain the gaps.

[But they can't be memories, not for him. It's not possible.]

I... am very sorry about your friend. It sounds as though he was very important to you.

[perpend]

[He gives a shrug, like he's trying to dismiss it, but not doing too great of a job.]

Teeen years of friendship.

The kind of friendship where we have pleeenty of friendly competitions with each other.

[decrees]

I sincerely hope you remember something that will help.

[He's quiet for a moment as he thinks about it. Well, it's only fair to exchange information, right?]

...I've known Reaver my entire life. I wasn't permitted to speak with him until I was older, but he was always present in some way.

[perpend]

His age is pretty impressive.

Was he someone your parents knew?

[decrees]

Yes. My mother was the Hero Queen, the woman who united Albion under her rule and saved the world with the Heroes of Strength, Will, and Skill. Reaver was the Hero of Skill. After they defeated Lucien and prevented him from using the Spire to remake the world in his image, most of them went their separate ways. My mother united Albion and eventually Reaver returned. They were nearly inseparable as I was growing up.

...Reaver became my adviser four years ago, but prior to that he was often tasked with ensuring I'd survive whatever adventures I wanted to go on. I wouldn't have called him a friend back then, but over time...

[Well. It's kind of hard not to consider him a friend after everything.]

[perpend]

I reeeally can't say I understand him [because he's a dick], but it was obvious the two of you were preeetty close.

It's not the same as Jowd and I, but I can understand it, more or less.

[decrees]

...I doubt anyone really understood Reaver. He knew me better than anyone else, however, and that...

[That's why he was so bothered by the thought that he didn't know Reaver very well. Reaver's past has never been important to him - there's no way he could ever know everything about Reaver, after all - but he thought he knew Reaver well enough to know what was going through his head most of the time.

Logan glances toward the trunk for a moment. The Dark Seal though... That was different. Reaver had never panicked like that in front of him before. He should have pressed, he should have tried to ask what was wrong, but now...]

...I miss him.

[The words are out there before he can think to temper them any and Logan shakes his head. That wasn't something he wanted to admit, but there's no taking it back now.]

[perpend]

[Cabanela gives a sad smile.

It's awkward to admit, something that he doesn't particularly want to admit, either.]

...I understand, you knooow.

Probably better than most.

[decrees]

...I sincerely hope no one else here has any reason to understand what losing their friend feels like.

[...logan that is not what he meant how are you this dumb]

[perpend]

[....he's not sure if Logan is just dense, or if he tried to dodge it just there.

There's a moment where Cabanela looks utterly confused before he sits up, motioning with his hand.]

That's... nooot entirely what I meant.

[decrees]

...What do you mean, then?

[...he's exactly that dense.]

[perpend]

[.................]

I was talking about unrequited feelings, actually.

1 / 2

[decrees]

Unrequited... feelings...

[..................]

2 / 2

[decrees]

That is absolutely not what was going on! I don't-- didn't have any feelings for him like that.

[you aren't fooling anyone, logan]

[perpend]

[logan please]

That's a bit too strong of a denial, maaan!

[....]

It's not like I'm going to go around gossiping about this.

[But then again he's pretty sure almost everyone already knows...]

[decrees]

It is not, I don't...

[He's sitting up a bit more and his shoulders are stiff as hell, but it's the way his hands are shaking that finally catches his attention.

...He wouldn't be reacting so poorly to this if they were wrong, would he? Sukuyo and Tabby both brought it up after the first trial and that had been a horrible time for it, but...

What if they aren't wrong?]

...I don't... That's not...

[...That's exactly what it is.]

[perpend]

I doon't make a habit of making fun of people.

[There's no pressure to accept it, just a bit of gentle prodding. He could keep talking about his own problems, but you know, that wasn't really the point of this.

He can accept it, it's all fine. Sort of.

Right now, helping Logan get through this is important. It's not going to magically go away, but given what kind of situation they're in... well. Feelings are hard.]

[decrees]

[He's quiet for a long time before finally leaning forward again and resting his head in his hands.]

...How could I have been so stupid...?

[The question is muted and not something he's looking for an answer to. There really isn't one.]

My apologies, I... hadn't realized.

[...]

I hadn't wanted to realize that that's what this is.

[perpend]

[He doesn't answer the question, because he can't, of course.]

I caaan't imagine what you're going through. It's not the same situation. Similar, but not the same.