Good. We taken by surprise the first time you were here but this time, we're a little more prepared.
(A pattern is forming and well, knowing what he knows, it's natural to predict what will happen again this week.)
I've been meaning to talk to you for some time. I like you. If you ask me, Deer and Rabbits should stick together, seeing how we're both adorable and gentle woodland creatures.(He means it!!!) But neither of us are quite as gentle as we appear, are we?
(He focuses his eyes on Rabbit, watching them carefully to see how they might react,)
To be fair, I was planning on it before I knew. (He was ready to bully Rabbit from the first week let's be real,) At least this isn't our first meeting.
(The first one had been pleasant. And for all of the impressions he got of Rabbit back then, the first impression hadn't been a bad one,)
It's nothing she couldn't handle. (In fact, seeing how she's still here, she handled it well.) But she dislikes hard work and putting her neck on the line.
Hilda is important to me, in more ways than one. (He needs her. But more than that, he likes her.) My plan has always been to go back home with her. I could tell you it's my responsibility as her leader to make sure she gets home safely and it is but she's also my friend. I'm not letting anything happen to her so this is our secret.
I don't dislike you but you got her into this situation and it's my problem now, too. It's in our interest to work together.
It was basically... last Wednesday is when I first noticed something was wrong with Cater. If she started splintering before then, I don't know, but that was at least when it became severe enough to be noticeable. So if something like that were to happen again, I assume it would be around this Wednesday when it'll be noticeable again.
[ they scratch their cheek. ]
And... I can promise that I wasn't involved with what happened the very first week. If it's true that it was another Leader that told him to kill, it wasn't me. But it might have been for the same reason that we had to do, for all we know.
I was told his leader asked him to kill but unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out his team.
(Hmm,)
So you didn't notice anything up until that moment. It's possible that there were signs you just didn't know to look out for but it could also be sudden. (Tapping his chin,) What exactly happens when someone begins to splinter?
I know it puts stress on the Realm but she seemed fine as far as I could tell. (Well enough to partner with Hikaru for the tasks,) And yet, things began to happen after Wednesday...
Um... basically, they forget things more easily. I believe you were starting to experience some of the symptoms, yes? Since after it completely infects one person, it starts to spread out to others--it was starting to get to you, too. But once Cater was removed, your own infection was removed as well before it could completely take you over, since she was the source of it.
[ they sigh. ]
She would have eventually become a shell of a person. How that would have looked, I'm not sure... but at that point, there would be absolutely no way to turn her back to normal. Everything about her would have been lost.
Removing the source of the infection clears it up in another. Cater was the source of my infection so when she died, I recovered.
(He's mostly thinking out loud right now,)
But then how did Cater get infected? There has to be a source... this sort of thing can't just come from thing air, can it? I know you said you didn't notice any symptoms but that doesn't mean there weren't any leading up to it.
I think it's more like... whatever happened that one weekend, caused a sort of disruption that we could only partially fix. So now these infections are slipping through it. Kind of like how you can cure a person from a sickness, but that may not stop someone else from getting sick.
The only real way to stop it overall is to recover all the missing nova and to stop whatever's taking it as quickly as possible. Once that happens, the Realm will have its full defenses again.
So it's random but all goes back to that first week that caused the disruption in the first place. Basically, we're all in a sick place and can also get sick.
And of course, the solution is what you've been telling us from the moment we met.
(Recover nova and deal with whatever the cause for it is.)
Like a person that keeps getting sick again and again in the winter.
(IDK how much ye old JRPGs know about diseases and stuff so vague hands,)
I think I understand. At least, I understand as much as we can for now but something's bothering me... when I spoke to my leader last week-- (He hesitates for a moment, glancing at Rabbit to see if they know,) -- they didn't know what was going on with me. But Hilda did because of you.
It doesn't seem like anyone else noticed it. I'm not sure why...
But if it was the same case the week before, then maybe another Leader noticed something the rest of us didn't? It's hard to say, when there's no one I can compare it to.
It's rough when you feel like you have no one else to relate to. (Hmm) If another leader asked Virid to do something that first week, then there's a chance you aren't alone and we can figure out what team Virid was on. Or who did the other murder last week.
Of course, if this keeps up, others will probably join your rank...
(Not that he wants it to come down to that but there's a pattern forming.)
I'm sorry, Rabbit.
(That they have to sit with what they know and what they've done.)
... it just makes these rules even more frustrating. If I could talk to the Leaders more openly, we'd be able to help you so much more with things like this. I want to make things easier for you, not be a burden.
(Oh... he wasn't expecting that. On one hand, he'd always meant to talk to Rabbit because they seemed like one of the easier ones to get through to but this sort of offer is more than he'd thought he'd get,)
Would you?
(Wait, wait,)
Anything that would help us work more easily together would help immensely. (Any break they could get! But there's something nagging at him about all of this and he speaks quickly in follow up,) Don't push yourself too much.
[ they bow politely, and then straighten back up. ]
I'll do my best. It would be easier if I had another Leader to help, but I can't approach any of them directly unless I know for sure that they know the same thing that I do.
So if we can find you another leader to speak to...
(Hmm.)
At least one other should know, if not two. (Virid's leader and the leader who enabled Sharon's murder.) After this week, we might have another, too.
(Tap, tap, tapping his finger,)
It looks like we'll have to figure out each other's teams, then.
(WHICH WILL BRING HIM TO HIS FINAL QUESTION BC I NEED TO MOVE TO NEW THREADS wheezes)
I understand we're supposed to keep our leaders a secret. It protects us and it protects you from becoming targets in the competition aspect of this place. Does anything happen if we tell others our teams, though? For example, are our teams penalized in any way because Hilda and I know which teams we're on?
If you tell too many people at a time, it can be bad. The rule is a minor one, so breaking it once or twice a week is okay, but the more you break it, the more harm it's going to do. The only exception to that is if the person you tell turns out to share a team with you.
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Back on the the frontlines this week, huh? Are you ready?
( You know... Wouldn’t want to see rabbit fainting again. )
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I'll be as ready as I can be.
[ they will... do their best... not to faint. ]
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(A pattern is forming and well, knowing what he knows, it's natural to predict what will happen again this week.)
I've been meaning to talk to you for some time. I like you. If you ask me, Deer and Rabbits should stick together, seeing how we're both adorable and gentle woodland creatures.(He means it!!!) But neither of us are quite as gentle as we appear, are we?
(He focuses his eyes on Rabbit, watching them carefully to see how they might react,)
How does it feel getting away with murder?
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... I knew you'd come at some point. [ ... ] Not very good.
[ their voice is quiet. ]
I'm sorry about a lot of things, but... I'm especially sorry that your friend was the one who did it.
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(The first one had been pleasant. And for all of the impressions he got of Rabbit back then, the first impression hadn't been a bad one,)
It's nothing she couldn't handle. (In fact, seeing how she's still here, she handled it well.) But she dislikes hard work and putting her neck on the line.
Hilda is important to me, in more ways than one. (He needs her. But more than that, he likes her.) My plan has always been to go back home with her. I could tell you it's my responsibility as her leader to make sure she gets home safely and it is but she's also my friend. I'm not letting anything happen to her so this is our secret.
I don't dislike you but you got her into this situation and it's my problem now, too. It's in our interest to work together.
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It was basically... last Wednesday is when I first noticed something was wrong with Cater. If she started splintering before then, I don't know, but that was at least when it became severe enough to be noticeable. So if something like that were to happen again, I assume it would be around this Wednesday when it'll be noticeable again.
[ they scratch their cheek. ]
And... I can promise that I wasn't involved with what happened the very first week. If it's true that it was another Leader that told him to kill, it wasn't me. But it might have been for the same reason that we had to do, for all we know.
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(Hmm,)
So you didn't notice anything up until that moment. It's possible that there were signs you just didn't know to look out for but it could also be sudden. (Tapping his chin,) What exactly happens when someone begins to splinter?
I know it puts stress on the Realm but she seemed fine as far as I could tell. (Well enough to partner with Hikaru for the tasks,) And yet, things began to happen after Wednesday...
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[ they sigh. ]
She would have eventually become a shell of a person. How that would have looked, I'm not sure... but at that point, there would be absolutely no way to turn her back to normal. Everything about her would have been lost.
im gonna fight gmail
(He's mostly thinking out loud right now,)
But then how did Cater get infected? There has to be a source... this sort of thing can't just come from thing air, can it? I know you said you didn't notice any symptoms but that doesn't mean there weren't any leading up to it.
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The only real way to stop it overall is to recover all the missing nova and to stop whatever's taking it as quickly as possible. Once that happens, the Realm will have its full defenses again.
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And of course, the solution is what you've been telling us from the moment we met.
(Recover nova and deal with whatever the cause for it is.)
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Normally, the Realm is fortified enough these things wouldn't happen. But with how things are, it can get weakened much more easily...
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(IDK how much ye old JRPGs know about diseases and stuff so vague hands,)
I think I understand. At least, I understand as much as we can for now but something's bothering me... when I spoke to my leader last week-- (He hesitates for a moment, glancing at Rabbit to see if they know,) -- they didn't know what was going on with me. But Hilda did because of you.
Is there a particular reason why?
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But if it was the same case the week before, then maybe another Leader noticed something the rest of us didn't? It's hard to say, when there's no one I can compare it to.
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(Oh, he feels sorry for Rabbit now.)
It's rough when you feel like you have no one else to relate to. (Hmm) If another leader asked Virid to do something that first week, then there's a chance you aren't alone and we can figure out what team Virid was on. Or who did the other murder last week.
Of course, if this keeps up, others will probably join your rank...
(Not that he wants it to come down to that but there's a pattern forming.)
I'm sorry, Rabbit.
(That they have to sit with what they know and what they've done.)
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[ ... ]
I can try to see if there's some way around it.
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Would you?
(Wait, wait,)
Anything that would help us work more easily together would help immensely. (Any break they could get! But there's something nagging at him about all of this and he speaks quickly in follow up,) Don't push yourself too much.
(Rabbit is? Sensitive?)
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I'll do my best. It would be easier if I had another Leader to help, but I can't approach any of them directly unless I know for sure that they know the same thing that I do.
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(Hmm.)
At least one other should know, if not two. (Virid's leader and the leader who enabled Sharon's murder.) After this week, we might have another, too.
(Tap, tap, tapping his finger,)
It looks like we'll have to figure out each other's teams, then.
(WHICH WILL BRING HIM TO HIS FINAL QUESTION BC I NEED TO MOVE TO NEW THREADS wheezes)
I understand we're supposed to keep our leaders a secret. It protects us and it protects you from becoming targets in the competition aspect of this place. Does anything happen if we tell others our teams, though? For example, are our teams penalized in any way because Hilda and I know which teams we're on?
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Harm? To who?
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