week 3; monday ( stephanie )

[axilium]

[there's a number of things he wants to discuss with steph, but he'll start off with the obvious.]

How'd things go with your boyfriend?

Comments

[vigilantics]

He's not my boyfriend.

[ it's said with!! a huff!!! ]

I think we were a little off about him though. According to him, he has a role. He can... pick stuff from a list and give it to us? The gas leak scare was him.

[axilium]

[uh-huh, steph.]

... Well, I was on the right track. [...] Why, uh, a gas leak, though?

[vigilantics]

[ listen, she's not even entirely sure if hikage even considers her a friend. it's depressing. ]

He didn't know what it actually was? It was sulfur, apparently. I kind of laughed a lot when he told me about it.

[axilium]

[oh my god.]

... I can't believe we all had to fear a gas leak just because he had a momemt of idiocy.

[vigilantics]

It's like a plot line from a sitcom, isn't it?

[ she'll never get over that. ]

... he seemed okay with me though. I only told him about us being able to see if people have a role and their alignment. So, it's up to you on whether or not we tell him you're involved.

[axilium]

... Mm. I think I might wait a bit. As it is...

[he pauses.]

I was actually thinking about telling Shirasu. And... Akechi or Sousei.

The thing is, since those two have a role, that means they most likely can ask for info each week like we can. Akechi actually gave me some of his supposed Blotter reward info, and a bunch of it overlapped with what we knew.

Which, to be honest, isn't great. [especially if it wasn't really because he was a blotter.] We're not maximizing the resource we have. That's why I'm considering confronting one—or both—directly about having a role so that we can try and coordinate our questions.

[vigilantics]

That's the thing. We're supposed to look for people with roles but we don't really have any instructions on what to do with that information?

[ she's been thinking about this before but it became more obvious after talking to hikage. ]

It's not stated that they're our enemies or anything, so I guess... we can do whatever? Although if we do talk to them, we should probably have you go to one and me go to the other?

[axilium]

Yeah. We're at a standstill because we know a bunch of people with roles, but...

[...]

I'm not sure. Personally, I still think Akechi and Sousei are in cahoots, so if you and I approach them separately, they'll know both our identities. I'd feel better with one of us still kept hidden, and like I said before, you're still off the radar.

[vigilantics]

... if it's between both of us it'll be better if it's you with Akechi involved. He already trusts you enough to share even some information.

[ she...actually gets along with sousei fairly well, despite dadseigate, but belph does have a point if he's right. ]

[axilium]

... Yeah, all right. Akechi's kind of a loose cannon, but that might work in our favour. See what you can do with Hikage.

[in the end, belph doesn't know if he can trust anyone here, save for the girl in front of him right now, but... he supposes they have to try.]

Just in case Akechi or any of the others target me down the line, though: I'll give you a signal. [maybe it's morbid to think about, but.] A horizontal cut across my face means it was Akechi; diagonal for Monika; vertical for Sousei. Got it?

[vigilantics]

[ she blinks.

it's strange, because realistically she knows that either of them can end up dead. she found natsuo's body last friday, and it could very easily be belph's that she finds next. and she knows that she should have a proper response to this, an actual helpful addition to his suggestion, but all stephanie can get out is ]

No.

[ ... ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to say that.

[axilium]

[well, he can guess why she said that.]

... It's best to have some kind of safeguard in place.

[vigilantics]

No, you're right. That's the smart thing to do.

[ she runs a hand through her hair. ]

I just didn't really want to think of you getting killed.

[axilium]

[... ha.]

That's the kind of thing I'd expect from you.

[it's not a bad thing.]

Well, hopefully, it won't come down to that.

[vigilantics]

It better not.

[ it's muttered. she has a bad habit of saying her internal monologue out loud sometimes. ]

Wait. What would you... cut yourself with?

[axilium]

[he holds a finger up to his lips.]

Shh. Don't tell Sanji.

[guess who one of the knife thieves is.]

[vigilantics]

Oh my god. Klepto.

[ she shakes her head. ]

You know I normally beat up thieves.

[axilium]

You've already beaten me up, though.

[vigilantics]

But now I have a valid reason to?

[axilium]

Hey, it's not like anyone owned those knives!

[vigilantics]

Sanji would disagree.

[ he thinks he owns the entire kitchen. ]

... if something happens to me, though, I should figure something out.

[axilium]

[...

it's easy to be flippant about his own life, but hearing steph say it now—for a moment, he can empathize with her initial response of "no."]

I guess.

[vigilantics]

I'll figure something out.

But neither of us are allowed to die.

[axilium]

[... and it's things like this that make it clear how he can never tell steph the truth—why they're having this conversation now. that at this point, it wouldn't be a tragedy if he were to disappear.

but for steph's sake, and for his own, he'll continue playing the clown.]

Roger that, partner. I'll hold you to that, of course.

[vigilantics]

[ she holds her pinky finger out again. ]

Right. We're partners.