sacredpath | pc: Laurence

From:

I know. I guess... I'm just worried that it was like a catalyst. Like maybe they're possessed, but that's why they chose Yves, or something.

I never did ask why they chose who they did.

[ too busy trying to fathom why they'd kill someone at all ]

From:

sacredpath

From what Daigo said, it seemed almost a coincidence, but the others did act as though their chose their target out of some kind of strong, exaggerated emotion.

Like Neverah decided she hated Su Waner, as she was weak and useless.

From:

outdistanced

Maybe that's because he wasn't really possessed like the others were.

[ he nods... given how angry neverah seemed, that makes sense. ]

I can't really imagine hating Yves. But maybe there's something to it, then. [ rubs face. ] Not that it really matters when there are three people dead.

From:

sacredpath

Oh. I think he was really possessed. Claude was the one who wasn't.

[sorry to drop that bomb on you.]

It matters, but more than anything we have to find the ones who did this for their sake.

From:

outdistanced

...What? What do you mean he wasn't? How could he not have been, after...?

[ that murder was so vicious he truly never even considered the alternative. they had told him about claude having killed, but no more than that. ]

That's what I meant - finding them.

[ except now he's kind of reeling again. ]

From:

sacredpath

I don't think anyone here knew. He told me in a letter.

[but yeah. oof. she now is not sure she should have said anything.]

From:

outdistanced

[ well he's just going to slump against the wall for a minute. ]

Oh, my god. Does that mean he did - all that, just for an apple? It has to, right? But wasn't that going way too far?

[ ouughgh he's gonna be. so pissed about this later. a little too shocked for it right now, but. man. ]

God, what if the same thing happened last night... We don't even know where to start, yet.

From:

sacredpath

[she definitely fucked up by mentioning this, actually. who allowed her to talk to children. patting him...]

I know it's disappointing, but I couldn't say what was going through his head. For now, let's just... people can surprise us, can't they?

From:

outdistanced

"Disappointing" isn't the word I'd use.

[ god. ]

They keep telling us to "keep up morale," "trust each other," and shit like that. How are we supposed to do that like this? It was bad enough just that people are getting possessed at all.

From:

sacredpath

As far as I know, he is literally the only one of us who has killed for an apple - even Daigo may have been a possession case. And there's a garden of apples here promising infinite wealth, love, and godlike power. I would actually say that on the trust front, we're doing rather well, all things considered.

It isn't as though there aren't apples on that tree that tempt me, too. And I'm - I'm capable of some fairly ruthless things, if it concerns the things I want. But I wouldn't want to hurt those of you who put your trust in me, enough that I haven't even once considered trying to take one.

There is something about this group, about the trust that we have in one another, that is working. Please don't lose faith in that just because Claude made a mistake.

From:

outdistanced

[ shadowheart does have a point. he knows she does, but hes - stubborn, always at the worst moments, and hurting after losing so many just makes him feel even more rotten about it. he's upset, he's angry, and his heart aches. even knowing that they're all safe somewhere isn't quite enough to make that go away. ]

...I know, and I know we're supposed to believe in each other and stuff. It's just... really hard when this keeps happening. Even if some of us are possessed.

I trusted Firefly, too.

[ that one still stings. ]

From:

sacredpath

You were right to trust her. She didn't want to betray your trust.

[well, she doesn't know that's true. but it could be true.]

From:

outdistanced

I know she didn't. None of them meant to. I believe that, too, it's just - when you can't even see a difference in someone you thought you knew and could believe in. It's hard not to be paranoid, with all this.

From:

sacredpath

True. It is very hard not to be paranoid, when we can't ever know for sure whether someone isn't affected.

From:

outdistanced

Or even how many of them are...

[ what if there are three killers and all of them are afflicted? worst case scenario, and not one he likes thinking about, but just as likely all the same. five deaths in one weekend was a lot already. what if it's six, this time? ]

But, as usual, we don't have any choice but to deal with it somehow. I'm really sick of all this.

From:

sacredpath

So am I. I wish I could reassure you, but I am also very, very sick of all of this.

From:

outdistanced

Maybe if we had a way to find whatever is causing this and beat the shit out of it like Till said...

[ sounds impossible but soooo appealing right now. sighs. regardless... ]

...Will you be okay? You and Yves were close, too, weren't you?