cloud ☁️

[unrecked]

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[skyagain]

[ he ducks a bit to hide a blush and a smile, shaking his head and stepping away. he does not offer him his hand because he's not that needy this week. ]

Book store. Got a few places to show you. [ and, now that the kissing awkwardness is over; ] And some stuff I wanna talk about while we're doing that.

[ we did the ship now we plot taps wrist ]

[unrecked]

[sobs my journal lore i never would see…… :pensive:]

Okay?

[The question is because he is wondering if everything is alright, or going to more shit. We did it. We did ship stuff then plot! Wow.]

[skyagain]

[ first they will go to the book store! and cloud will let him look at the quaint little book store for a bit ]

It's a lot of theories, and I don't know if I'm right. And I'm... bad at doing the talking around shit, but I don't want to say stuff outright and get people in danger. So. Sorry if it's... hard to follow or whatever.

[ this is just his disclaimer. ]

[unrecked]

Well, that’s very confidence boosting. Thanks for the warning.

[He is trying to look at the book store, but he’s more worried about Cloud and more focused on Cloud…

so he ends up standing there like a dumbass paying attention to Cloud.]

[skyagain]

Shut up. [ sULKS. he's bad at things, okay. he hates plot. ] Look, that journal. Did it-- I know you talk to Aquarius. They like you. It actually sound like them to you?

[unrecked]

[His expression turns sort of uncertain and he lifts a hand while shrugging one shoulder.]

I don’t know… I mean… It’s a little weird, but maybe? Aquarius… They’re young, I think. So… [He shakes his head.] Why? You think it’s not theirs?

[skyagain]

... I think it's theirs about as much as half the stuff in the staff's bedrooms are actually theirs. [ he clearly does not want to say it outright. ] That's what I was trying to get at this weekend. It doesn't fit. And-- anyway, people assumed shit about papers in the Realm a lot. I tend to double guess it now.

[ he shakes his head ]

But it's not just that. At first I thought maybe there was some extra, someone watching from the shadows, but-- here.

[ he goes into his pocket and takes out his notebook, where he's copied two notes ]

There's a third one I haven't seen yet, but it talks about Aquarius going binge drinking with someone and ranking the rest of the staff by hotness level.

[ very aquarius of them. ]

[unrecked]

So… what? There’s fake… stuff floating around here? Why? To confuse us? About what though? Or was there… other people before them?

If we can’t trust what’s real and what’s fake, then how are we supposed to know what could be clues and what’s nonsense? That doesn’t make any sense.

[He frowns at these notes.]

“Yo” and “Ha”? Aquarius can order alcohol and get into the bar. That I know. But… Aquila did have to drag Aquarius to the game night. They were putting up a fight at first.

So that doesn’t sound like Aquarius at all.

[skyagain]

No, it doesn't.

[ and. well, jason guessed the same thing he did, so; ]

I think... there were others before them. The rooms, the notes-- I don't think any of that was faked. Think of it this way: we've mentioned them playing roles, right? Acting? And how it didn't make any sense? What if this is just... them being the understudies to the first?

[ of course that leaves another issue; ]

I don't know what happened to the first. But going by "Aquarius"'s journal, their round started. So... maybe we're the second go at it. The Nightman's rerun.

[unrecked]

They took their places.

[Well, Cloud read his mind because his next question was going to be whether or not Aquarius took someone else’s place basically.

They have gotten so close they are now same braining. He looks pensive, but like he agrees.]

…A sequel.

[skyagain]

Right. Except I have no idea what might have gone on in the first one, and why the staff needed replacing in the first place. But since "Aquarius" talked about infiltration--

[ he grimaces. ]

I don't know. And I don't know how they wound up in that position or why, either. It's... I'm guessing.

[unrecked]

[He puts a hand on Cloud’s up arm for a moment.]

Hey. We’re all guessing probably. We don’t know what’s crap and what’s not crap. We’re working through it.

You think the Nightman is even real, or just someone made up to spook us? The journal did mention the occult.

[skyagain]

[ he relaxes a little under the touch, but also he's very aware of time passing and he hates plot <3 ]

... The boss and his obsession with contracts is real. That's in the journal. Whether his name's actually Nightman or not-- don't think that part matters.

[unrecked]

[He draws in a breath and then slowly exhales in frustration.]

I’ll see… if I can talk to Aquarius. I’ll see if they tell me anything, but I can’t promise they will because every time I try to dig they tell me to leave it alone.

And if they are a mole that’s not some… fake implant, then they probably won’t talk.

[skyagain]

You're probably too blunt about it.

[ ABSOLUTELY RUTHLESS? ]

[unrecked]

[GOD DAMN HE WAS SLAUGHTERED. He gives Cloud a very exasperated and incredulous look.]

Jesus. I’m not that bad, alright? They’re just nervous.

[skyagain]

[ he gives one back!! ]

I've been on that side, remember? Their limits are a lot more than I had to deal with, but the whole not being able to talk directly about things isn't nerves.

[unrecked]

It’s partially nerves because they act like they want to tell me, but then won’t. They can’t and they’re also worried. Look.

[He holds up both hands.]

I don’t want to argue about something neither of us can control. I’ll see if they’ll talk to me. Maybe they can give vague answers.

[skyagain]

I'm not arguing. [ he says, arms crossed, looking a little like he thinks throwing a book at jason might help, but he shakes his head ] I'm saying they have to talk around everything, and so do you. You think I'm so sure about the journal on the hunch that it sounds off? I told you guys I talked with them about it.

[ :T ]

[unrecked]

[DON'T THROW A BOOK.]

I know that. You really think I'm just asking them questions outright all the time? Give me a little credit here, Cloud.

[THEY JUST SMOOCHED LIKE GAYS AND NOW THEY'RE ARGUING ABOUT PLOT]

I'm going to talk to them, alright?

[skyagain]

[ he relents because he doesn't mean to question Jason he is trying.....to give advice......a little meanly ]

... I never said you couldn't.

[unrecked]

[Cloud's mean, but not untrue necessarily, advice.]

...It's fine.

[He is kind of looking down and away like it's obvious they were sort of arguing and now he's feeling bad about it.]

[skyagain]

...

[ this is stupid, he argues with people constantly. he shakes his head and decides to just move past it!! no apologies!!! from either side!! this is healthy ]

I'll give you the third note when Tsurumaru brings it to me, but like I said, it's about Aquarius binge drinking. So. I think it matches... everything else.

[ aka it's weird garbage ]

A lot of these have similar handwriting, but I don't know how much it matters to know exactly who wrote about going on a bender and who was responsible for that stupid hangman if none of them are ... actually present.

[unrecked]

[This is so healthy.]

...Do you think-- [He pauses for a moment, brows together.] ...The other side. Ivan was on the side with the living, and The Judge was on the side with us when we were dead.

Do you think the others might be over there? Not that... it matters to us exactly right now when we're here.

[skyagain]

... Maybe. If they are still anywhere, it's got to be wherever our dead are. We haven't really heard from them yet, so it's hard to say.

[ and then, tuesday ]