AUDIENCE: XIE LIAN

[retellers]

Comments

[dianxias]

Did you remember something today?

[retellers]

... If a Leader loses all of their team members, then they will essentially become another participant, and as a result, the removed connected to them will not be able to cross over.

[dianxias]

[ oh. hm. that's bad, but... not necessarily unexpected. ]

En... I heard that from someone else, too. Was that it, or did you also regain a memory about yourself...?

[retellers]

... I did.

[dianxias]

--Oh! That's good, Brother Goat, I'm glad. If you'd be willing to share with me, we can do our normal exchange...!

[ ...

wait a second, he was talking about something important!! my friendship but also my theories, ] -- Um, well, that can wait a second. Brother Goat... you must know that theory does make the most sense, right? With the flashing, and all...? And that my ability simply blocks anyone from recognizing who did a kill during a certain week because we didn't technically execute someone. We've been using those flashing markers to track how many teams have killed up until this point.

Is there any other explanation besides that one that you could tell me?

[retellers]

Well... has anyone ever actually seen their icon flash more than once? [ because goat sure hasn't heard anyone claim that. ] Maybe it simply doesn't.

[dianxias]

[ he frowns down at his cup, thoughtful. ]

Why would it need to only flash the one time...?

[retellers]

I don't know. But I think it's a simpler theory that it only flashes once, and not that your power has anything to do with it.

[dianxias]

Sometimes, we do tend to overthink things, don't we?

[ that

is an understatement. he at least says it in a way that you can tell he recognizes it, scratching his cheek sheepishly. ]

I do trust your judgement. That announcement you all had to make today.. it seems we are all often theorizing quite wildly off track, hm...?

[retellers]

I think it's good to theorize, even if they may not necessarily be accurate... but it seems that the further those theories spread, the more people forget that they have not been confirmed, and that is when they treat them as "fact".

[dianxias]

[ goat says fake news has no rights ]

It does become something of a conspiracy theory then... I'm glad you all were able to reinforce what you did, though.

[ I LEARNED WHO THE FUCKING PAWN WAS LIKE FIVE MINUTES LATER

ANYWAY ]

[retellers]

On a practical level, it perhaps makes little difference... but we did not want people to believe things to be more cruel than they actually were. [ we're very proud of you all ]

[dianxias]

[ you are all laughing hysterically at us right now and i know it ]

Mm... I think that is practical. It could have incited more panic, and... even more lives could've been lost. [ xie lian smiles. ] So... by sharing that, you encouraged communication with you all even further, and hopefully helped to stop what could have been a disastrous amount of extra casualties.

I think that's worth gratitude.

[retellers]

[ honestly yea ] I'm still not sure if it's worth thanking me for... but you're welcome? Although it was Tiger who made the announcement...

[dianxias]

I think we've been over such things - I have many things to be grateful to you for, and I never mind sharing my gratitude. Not to mention, I'm quite stubborn, so you'll find I will not rescind it any time soon.

[ that comes with a laugh. xie lian sips his tea as the moment settles... he seems to become a little more thoughtful, looking down into the cup. ]

...Brother Goat, you know, I am always so pleased at how easy it is to get along with you. I've really come to enjoy your company very much, over these weeks - not just working with you, but getting to know you, as well. [ a pause. ]

...It is true, right? That we all... that we've been through this before.

[retellers]

... Oh. Oh, no. I forgot the favour Hikaru asked me for. [ aaaaaaaaah —but anyway, first xie lian's question. ] I think so...? I don't really know any more than the rest of you [ does goat ever know anything ] but given what we have been presented with, it seems likely.

[dianxias]

[ ...

he. muffles a little laugh. one thing at a time. ] What did Miss Hikaru ask you for?

[retellers]

I was supposed to give you a flower each time we met with each other... She wanted you to be reminded that you are cared for.

[dianxias]

[ aw, hikaru, so pure... he reaches up to touch his heart fondly, which he can still do because it's sunday! yay. ]

That's very much like her. I'll see you tomorrow, too, so - we can just have two, then. I'll bring something in exchange.

[ tee hee. anyway. ] I'm glad that you've been able to see her often - I hope it has been comforting to her.

[retellers]

I do not know if my presence brings much comfort... but I think, at least, she is getting along with the other removed, so she isn't alone there.

[dianxias]

With the way that young lady is, your presence certainly brings her comfort.

[ it's hard not to be reminded of her "confession", back in the haunted mansion. how she loved every single one of them. it's a happy little thing to hold onto, as they rush to the end. ]

I'm happy to hear she's doing well, too - she's a good child.

[ okay. okay!!! anyway, now that that's done. ] Alright. As for the other thing we spoke of - has anyone shared with you the report that was found this week by San Lang's group yet?

[retellers]

No one has shown me directly, I think...

[dianxias]

Here, let me be the first. [ he scooches over a little closer, pulling out his phs! xie lian retyped the message from hua cheng - the black boxes are replaced with X's.

hands u the thing u all made ]

[retellers]

[ goat squints at it as someone still unused to reading things on small screens. ] I see.

[dianxias]

[ if you don't think that he doesn't have that old man screen accessibility font size up

i mean. ]

...What do you think?