[ he is not getting in between jason's need to spend frustrated energy and lup's need to fret. they can fight it out, he's working on distracting them. ]
Pretty sure all eight keys were distributed the past two weeks. They were in housekeeping when the guys looked, but vanished in a flash of light, remember? Came right back around to people.
[ but moving on; ]
Mikazuki had flowers, too. He and Estelle got some with their keys, and Estelle got more after we looked through Gemini's room. Mikazuki's had something that meant "think of the dearly departed", and Estelle "think of me". They think that means the keys might have been distributed because of the other side.
[He unfortunately keeps pacing, but it's at least just in a small back-and-forth near the bed.]
So--what? We found out the staff are not who they are pretending to be?
It's not like we're supposed to remind them. They know who they are. They're--trapped, like Ivan was. Like us. Half of us already guessed that. So now what?
[she echoes, watching jason carefully. if he hurts himself she's going to kick his ass.]
The dead can talk to us, maybe, but that doesn't surprise me. They could talk to the living in my game, too. So they're not lost now, but they will be if we can't figure out what to do about it before the end of eight weeks.
I can't just - sitting around like this doesn't work for me, I can't. [she has no control over any of this, and it's the easiest way to stress her out.]
[ cloud sighs a little in frustration because he is GETTING to things, okay. give him a fucking second. you are both stressing him out. his reaction to things going bad is unfortunately to hyperfocus on other shit and ignore the trauma ]
Look. Another thing both their bouquets had in common was one flower that could mean "sweet dreams". [ he's got his arms crossed now, sorry for your comfort lup, but he's tapping at his own arm in thought, nodding at jason ] I don't know if it's like your theory about us being asleep, or if it's telling us some dreams are a hint, but it's still a message. That's why I wanted to know if you knew anything about Rupert getting flowers, too.
[Jason ALSO sighs in frustrated resignation.] No... he didn't say anything. [RUPERT.]
And now he's dead. Did he tell anyone? Jesus...
[He stops long enough to rub his eye sockets with his fingers before sliding his hands down his face.]
I don't want to bank on us having to die to be awake, but... maybe dying isn't being awake. Maybe all of us just have to... wake up in general. We won't know unless we can actually, like, talk to them besides through flowers.
Cetus said there isn't any quota that we have to meet. Just - saying.
[she curls up with her pillow instead of her men because they are stressed out. she feels a little better trying to talk through this with them, at least.]
... Is there anything in common with all the dreams we've heard so far?
Yeah. Wouldn't bank on dying or killing being an answer right now. We don't know enough for that part.
[ cloud shakes his head at lup's question, though ]
... I don't know. Anything from the week I died is blurry. If there's a pattern, I'd be missing that one. And it might have to do with the dreams from when people are buried, but... [ haha! he has no fucking idea. is the point. he rolls his shoulder and stands up, but it's for a reason that isn't pacing: ] Where's your copy of the journal they found? Jason hasn't seen it yet, right?
I didn't even have anything off about my dream. Not that I could tell.
[Why! Great! Maybe the dreams don't really mean anything.] But the place we went was about... being entertainment. And at the end, we had to end the show to get out.
There are so many pieces, I feel like some are just bullshit and we're chasing dead ends.
[He looks from Cloud when he stands to Lup in her nest.]
[she rubs her face, but - she gestures at the typewriter. there should be a paper there with a whole bunch of stuff typed out on it if cloud wants to grab it.
she rubs absently at her neck and pulls herself up to sit, instead.]
I think some of the things we found in the excursions are dead ends. The hangman still doesn't mean anything to me. [...] Claude had a dream about fighting a bunch of people that were machines filled with ink. Rupert had a dream about walking through a forest and hearing someone telling him to run, but he had to stay calm because someone was waiting for him ahead. And then he got attacked by people from home, over and over, and he'd start at the start of the forest every time they did.
... Someone else was playing hide and seek. The dreamer was confused about whether they were meant to be a hider or a seeker, and slammed their head on something and went unconscious. I don't remember who had that one. And then there was yours, Jason.
[ wow! that's depressing. but cloud lets jason read this while lup talks, looking supremely like he is listening to the world's worst sleepover story. ]
... Some of those were about murders, I think. Tsurumaru had the hide and seek one last week. We'd need to cover a lot more dreams to be sure.
[ he's got his arms crossed again as he leans against the bed, clearly thinking something over pretty hard. ]
First week, it was the hangman. No one could figure out what it meant, and I don't think anyone found the staff who wrote it. Second week, Estelle's group found that "stinks and showers" list. It only ranked the staff members, though. Not sure why they decided to make it a group thing. [ he sounds so baffled. ] Third, Sheila got that journal. I'll ask Shinobu around Saturday what their group got, but forget that for now. Everyone's convinced that journal is Aquarius's because their name isn't in it.
... And as far as Aquarius said, if everyone believes its theirs, then it has to be theirs.
[He takes the paper so he can stand there and read it, though he half listens to the two of them talk, too.
His brows furrow gently as his eyes move. His expression is maybe a little soft. He pauses a moment.] Mine started with me waking up. I don't know if it means anything because I woke up when it happened to me for real. Right before I reached the surface, I remember... feeling like... He pauses, doesn't look at them, only at the paper.] ...like people cared about me, but I was confused as to why they wouldn't come. But I don't know if that means anything either, since... [WELL ANYWAY.] Nothing was different.
and then to jason:] ... I mean, we did come running.
[anyway.] They didn't even put your name down the first time, Cloud. It makes more sense that it was just the staff originally. It's like the notes are trying to give hints as to who the staff are, but like. That seems counterproductive? They clearly don't want us to know who they are.
[ ...he got distracted listening to jason's dream. they did come running, and lup says it so bluntly his face feels warm, but like. she's not wrong. and at least it meant jason's dream was a lie in the end.
what the fuck were they talking about that wasn't that right ]
They can keep forgetting my name in those things. [ the stink list is so stupid. anyway; ] I did talk to Aquarius. Usually do. That's why I wanted to ask about the journal, since everyone was convinced it was theirs.
[she's just going to continue to say shit like this so buckle in.
jason is too far away and she hates it but she does reach out and hold onto cloud's shirt absently.]
... I go to all of them, but I have my favorites. [she's not mentioning who because what if they're listening.] And I don't, uh. I don't know. I don't know what it means.
Hey, this is a weird question and off topic maybe, but have you ever actually tried to touch Virgo? Like have you managed, or did your hand go through.
They're dead, at the very least. That's what they told me.
[a pause.] I mean, they shoved an entire mostly raw steak in their mouth, also, I don't, uh. Trust their eating habits. It's fine, I just - was thinking, I guess, about the memories I got from all of the staff. I don't want to get them in trouble, so I should stop talking.
[to jason, specifically:] ... Stop trying to punch the staff, also?
[ he is just making such a baffled face at the two of them at this point. what the fuck is wrong with virgo. he does not know enough about virgo to say anything ]
[ it's half muttered, because he's bad at people by near design and he still has not managed to be that bad, god damn. both of them. he shakes his head. ]
... Aquarius, right. Like I said, I mentioned people had found a journal and were pretty sure it was theirs. They said if everyone was convinced, then it must be. [ he pauses, mulling over something, but he doesn't continue right away ]
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I don't know why Rupert even had that key to begin with.
... Jason. [stop pacing and hurting yourself she cannot tAKE IT]
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Pretty sure all eight keys were distributed the past two weeks. They were in housekeeping when the guys looked, but vanished in a flash of light, remember? Came right back around to people.
[ but moving on; ]
Mikazuki had flowers, too. He and Estelle got some with their keys, and Estelle got more after we looked through Gemini's room. Mikazuki's had something that meant "think of the dearly departed", and Estelle "think of me". They think that means the keys might have been distributed because of the other side.
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So--what? We found out the staff are not who they are pretending to be?
It's not like we're supposed to remind them. They know who they are. They're--trapped, like Ivan was. Like us. Half of us already guessed that. So now what?
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[she echoes, watching jason carefully. if he hurts himself she's going to kick his ass.]
The dead can talk to us, maybe, but that doesn't surprise me. They could talk to the living in my game, too. So they're not lost now, but they will be if we can't figure out what to do about it before the end of eight weeks.
I can't just - sitting around like this doesn't work for me, I can't. [she has no control over any of this, and it's the easiest way to stress her out.]
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Look. Another thing both their bouquets had in common was one flower that could mean "sweet dreams". [ he's got his arms crossed now, sorry for your comfort lup, but he's tapping at his own arm in thought, nodding at jason ] I don't know if it's like your theory about us being asleep, or if it's telling us some dreams are a hint, but it's still a message. That's why I wanted to know if you knew anything about Rupert getting flowers, too.
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And now he's dead. Did he tell anyone? Jesus...
[He stops long enough to rub his eye sockets with his fingers before sliding his hands down his face.]
I don't want to bank on us having to die to be awake, but... maybe dying isn't being awake. Maybe all of us just have to... wake up in general. We won't know unless we can actually, like, talk to them besides through flowers.
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[she curls up with her pillow instead of her men because they are stressed out. she feels a little better trying to talk through this with them, at least.]
... Is there anything in common with all the dreams we've heard so far?
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[ cloud shakes his head at lup's question, though ]
... I don't know. Anything from the week I died is blurry. If there's a pattern, I'd be missing that one. And it might have to do with the dreams from when people are buried, but... [ haha! he has no fucking idea. is the point. he rolls his shoulder and stands up, but it's for a reason that isn't pacing: ] Where's your copy of the journal they found? Jason hasn't seen it yet, right?
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[Why! Great! Maybe the dreams don't really mean anything.] But the place we went was about... being entertainment. And at the end, we had to end the show to get out.
There are so many pieces, I feel like some are just bullshit and we're chasing dead ends.
[He looks from Cloud when he stands to Lup in her nest.]
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she rubs absently at her neck and pulls herself up to sit, instead.]
I think some of the things we found in the excursions are dead ends. The hangman still doesn't mean anything to me. [...] Claude had a dream about fighting a bunch of people that were machines filled with ink. Rupert had a dream about walking through a forest and hearing someone telling him to run, but he had to stay calm because someone was waiting for him ahead. And then he got attacked by people from home, over and over, and he'd start at the start of the forest every time they did.
... Someone else was playing hide and seek. The dreamer was confused about whether they were meant to be a hider or a seeker, and slammed their head on something and went unconscious. I don't remember who had that one. And then there was yours, Jason.
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... Some of those were about murders, I think. Tsurumaru had the hide and seek one last week. We'd need to cover a lot more dreams to be sure.
[ he's got his arms crossed again as he leans against the bed, clearly thinking something over pretty hard. ]
First week, it was the hangman. No one could figure out what it meant, and I don't think anyone found the staff who wrote it. Second week, Estelle's group found that "stinks and showers" list. It only ranked the staff members, though. Not sure why they decided to make it a group thing. [ he sounds so baffled. ] Third, Sheila got that journal. I'll ask Shinobu around Saturday what their group got, but forget that for now. Everyone's convinced that journal is Aquarius's because their name isn't in it.
... And as far as Aquarius said, if everyone believes its theirs, then it has to be theirs.
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His brows furrow gently as his eyes move. His expression is maybe a little soft. He pauses a moment.] Mine started with me waking up. I don't know if it means anything because I woke up when it happened to me for real. Right before I reached the surface, I remember... feeling like... He pauses, doesn't look at them, only at the paper.] ...like people cared about me, but I was confused as to why they wouldn't come. But I don't know if that means anything either, since... [WELL ANYWAY.] Nothing was different.
[He keeps reading the rest of the paper.]
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and then to jason:] ... I mean, we did come running.
[anyway.] They didn't even put your name down the first time, Cloud. It makes more sense that it was just the staff originally. It's like the notes are trying to give hints as to who the staff are, but like. That seems counterproductive? They clearly don't want us to know who they are.
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what the fuck were they talking about that wasn't that right ]
They can keep forgetting my name in those things. [ the stink list is so stupid. anyway; ] I did talk to Aquarius. Usually do. That's why I wanted to ask about the journal, since everyone was convinced it was theirs.
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After a moment, he lowers it a bit and looks up.]
…What did they do? Not really digging the first part of this. Is Aquarius a mole?
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jason is too far away and she hates it but she does reach out and hold onto cloud's shirt absently.]
... I go to all of them, but I have my favorites. [she's not mentioning who because what if they're listening.] And I don't, uh. I don't know. I don't know what it means.
Hey, this is a weird question and off topic maybe, but have you ever actually tried to touch Virgo? Like have you managed, or did your hand go through.
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...Haven't tried to touch Virgo, no?
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Also? I left them a detergent pod for a tip and they ate it like it was a peanut butter cup. Didn’t faze them.
[So. Yes. He did.]
Are they a ghost? Beats the fuck out of me. They had a tantrum when I told them it sounds like they don’t usually wear clothes.
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[a pause.] I mean, they shoved an entire mostly raw steak in their mouth, also, I don't, uh. Trust their eating habits. It's fine, I just - was thinking, I guess, about the memories I got from all of the staff. I don't want to get them in trouble, so I should stop talking.
[to jason, specifically:] ... Stop trying to punch the staff, also?
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What the hell? I didn’t try to punch them! I tried to pop them upside the head because they were being weird!
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[:T
granted what lup said was if you yell at me again i'm going to put you in a grave but the point still stands.]
... Anyway. What were you going to say about Aquarius, Cloud?
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[ it's half muttered, because he's bad at people by near design and he still has not managed to be that bad, god damn. both of them. he shakes his head. ]
... Aquarius, right. Like I said, I mentioned people had found a journal and were pretty sure it was theirs. They said if everyone was convinced, then it must be. [ he pauses, mulling over something, but he doesn't continue right away ]
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He glances at Cloud.]
Well, they obviously wouldn’t admit to it being theirs and break character. That’d be stupid.
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[you are giving her anxiety.]
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