AUDIENCE: BUCKY

[retellers]

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week 2, tuesday

[retellers]

[ The artist formerly known as Bucky makes a wish in the planetarium on Tuesday, and his answer is ... a text notification on his PHS. It reads, simply "outside". Should he venture out of it, he'll find Wolf waiting for him there. ]

Something you wanted?

[frostythehitman]

Yeah. I've got a few questions.

First off: what happens to the nova here every time someone gets killed?

[retellers]

You mean the one they collected, or...?

[frostythehitman]

What? No, I just mean...all the nova. The general nova, wherever it is in this place. Does anything happen to it when someone's killed?

[retellers]

The flow gets disrupted a bit, but it's more the Realm itself reacting negatively to murder. It's a problem.

[frostythehitman]

So you don't get extra nova for murdering people.

...what's "reacting negatively" mean? I thought not having enough nova was causing it to be so weird.

[retellers]

That's a pretty popular theory with you guys, isn't it?

[ wolf sighs a little ]

Think of the Realm like... a stream, where nova flows. That flow's been disrupted, and that's causing the stream to flood in different places, and the current's not right because there's not enough water. Meanwhile, that first murder was someone nudging the flow in a different direction than its used to. It's a different kind of mess.

[frostythehitman]

Mmm. I didn't put much stock in the theory but I figured I might as well ask. Why's the Realm care so much about people getting murdered?

[retellers]

Less about the murder part, and more about "this wasn't planned" part. [ they ... can admit as much ] That's why it's not as bad with the follow up murders.

[ which is. great. just fantastic. ]

week 2, sunday

[retellers]

[ It takes a bit to get an answer, but not!Bucky does eventually get one! The text simply reads "bridge", and Wolf will be there, looking... uh, like shit. They seem exhausted and a little zoned out. ]

What?

[ hello to you too, ]

[frostythehitman]

[ Well, he WAS going to immediately start interrogating Wolf but before he can do that-- ]

Wow, you look like shit.

What was all that about earlier? Something came up on your devices, and now mine [ he holds up his PHS ] won't stop flashing your icon at me.

[retellers]

... People have been breaking the rules too much, and now the Realm's unstable. [ they shrug a shoulder ] We're holding it together right now.

[frostythehitman]

You mean there's actually consequences if we don't follow them?!

What does "holding it together" mean?

[retellers]

No, they're put there for fun and leisure.

[ they sound so annoyed. they lift a hand up to their forehead like they've got a headache, which. they might. ]

It means, we're trying to stabilize it, but it's taking a toll on us.

[frostythehitman]

I thought they were just "don't make us deal with you being assholes" rules. Not "the universe will literally fall apart" rules.

That still doesn't tell me what this flashing on my screen is, though.

[retellers]

To annoy me personally.

[ ...they could expand on that... ]

[frostythehitman]

Which means?

week 5, sunday

[retellers]

[ showing up to deadland is just walking into the door so like hi bucky you're super dead ]

... Hey.

[frostythehitman]

[ wow it really is a revolving death door ]

...Hey.

You guys can pass on gifts from us to the living, right?

[retellers]

Yeah. What is it?

[frostythehitman]

An arm. For Hua Cheng.

[ He pulls it out from--well, don't worry about it. But let's pretend he brought it to this meeting and it wasn't visible until just now. It's a metal arm that looks basically the same as the one he's wearing now. ]

I don't know if it'll work, but it's not like I have any use for it.

[retellers]

[ ........ looks at bucky's arm and then at the second one in a kind of "uhhhh" moment ]

Don't you need to... attach that, somehow?

[ how do metal limbs work, marvel, why don't you explain it ]

[frostythehitman]

Well, I--yeah, you must, somehow. I don't really know how it works.

But it's gotta be more helpful to him than just sitting around useless with me, right?

[retellers]

[ ... nods after a second like. fair enough. ]

Alright. I can bring it to him. You got something you want to say about it?

[frostythehitman]

I can attach a note to it?