AUDIENCE: CLAUDE

[retellers]

Comments

[riegan]

To tell you the truth? I wouldn't really want to trust anyone on this team. I'm kind of sensing a trend here!

(That every fox is already or is going to be a big ol' liar of some sort.)

I wouldn't even trust myself after the last couple of weeks. But if I can do something more right than wrong in this place for once, I want to do it. And if you won't tell me, I'll just find someone else with fewer conditions or a lesser price.

[retellers]

[ a tap of their finger. ]

You could probably find someone with fewer scruples, yes. If that's what you intend to do, I can't exactly stop you.

[riegan]

(It's always the finger tap............)

Tell me your conditions.

[retellers]

Well, that's the tricky part, isn't it? After all, no matter what I say here, there's nothing stopping you from turning around and doing the exact opposite of what I ask.

[riegan]

There isn't.

(And he's quiet for a awhile, trying to find the words to say next,)

When Hilda told me what she was going to do, I decided to protect her. As her leader, it's my duty to look out for the people under my care. Even though I knew who one of the killers was that week, I let an innocent person die. That, in turn, put someone else in danger. Since then, I've been lying to others about it, making them feel better about their own relation to that weekend while acting like I've done nothing wrong. (Izumo. Hikaru.) But I have and if there's anything I can do to make it a little more right... then I want to.

If you tell me your conditions, I'll agree to them. Completely. Even if it means putting my own dreams off.

[retellers]

[ ... ]

They're not that complicated, for better or for worse. All I ask is that you not act rashly. Well, that and trust this only with those who can follow the same condition, but I'd hope that goes without saying.

[riegan]

That's all?

(He's suspicious. It sounds too easy but

He's going to hold out his pinky to Fox.)

It's a promise.

[retellers]

That's all, but any consequences are on my hands for telling you in the first place, so it's quite important to me.

[ there's a sing-song quality to their voice, though given that they're like most of the time, the sincerity of any cheer is debatable. ]

And I'll pass on the pinky promise.

[riegan]

Thank goodness.

(He feels silly whenever he has to do these!! And he's done more in the Realm than he ever did back home (which was never).)

I'll be careful. And I whatever you tell me, I'll keep to myself and only those that I really trust to be careful with. I'll even clear it with you beforehand, if you'd like.

(Get a judgement and all that.)

[retellers]

[ ... ]

Contrary to popular assumption, killing doesn't gather that much nova--so everyone can stop wondering if Wolf's team has been killing every week. [ that part is said lightly, as if in jest. ] However, on Thursday, it does... gather a certain type of nova.

[ they're quiet for a moment. ]

... And if a team collects enough, it stabilizes the pathway to where the removed are, though only for members of the same team.

[riegan]

Oh, I doubted Wolf was killing every week.

(That would have been.... intense? Insane? Surely they would have zoned in on a common clue or something in all of these crimes.)

There are different types of nova?

(But hm well

That is. A thing. Huh.)

... We can only bring back people from the same team as us.

(Laughs in future events.)

[retellers]

... Yes. Unless someone else has info I don't have, at least.

[riegan]

I wouldn't be surprised. All of you seem to know something different. Sometimes a little less or a little more... can you really not talk to each other?

(Rabbit had mentioned something like that.)

[retellers]

Hm... It's less that we can't, and more that it's difficult to do so without outing or hinting at our own team members.

For instance, I couldn't talk to Rabbit-san about the nova splintering when it first happened, since that would make it obvious you were on my team--unless Goneril-san told anyone else--but I was comfortable doing so once it was clear that she knew which team you were on.

[riegan]

... But you're talking to each other now.

(He watches Fox,)

They needed someone else to talk to.

(Like, seriously, poor Rabbit? They seemed so sorry when Claude talked to them.)

[retellers]

Mm. Rabbit-san is a very kind person. They shouldn't have to deal with any of this.

[riegan]

None of you should.

(Not anyone.)

I'll see what I can find out. (A beat,) Carefully.

(...)

Did you remember anything about yourself? Like we did?

(Or is it only information.)

[retellers]

I have a few memories of my life before the Realm, yes.

[riegan]

(And he's not surprised! Hilda had told him as much,)

We should share. I don't really know much about you and well, who knows how long I'll remember much about myself.

We can make it a date. A day without conspiracies. Just getting to know each other finally.

[retellers]

Sure, sounds good.