catch-all: akira.

[miscakes]

Comments

[miscakes]

... Monday. You said she spoke to a group of you, and then wore a mask on the next day. The timing can't be a coincidence.

[Yikes. Yikes, yikes, yikes. Even Akechi looks appropriately disturbed, touching his mouth while grimacing.]

How did you find out?

[survivaltricks]

The timing can't be a coincidence.

[Akira echoes, brows furrowed]

I found out on Tuesday. She showed me during our conversation. I thought it was weird that she wasn't talking, but—

[he thought it was a cold!!]

[miscakes]

... She tried to play it off as something else initially, didn't she?

[Ughhhh... What a mess.]

Why would her sisters allow her to remain like this? Are they under duress?

[survivaltricks]

I don't know. I haven't been able to talk to them about it yet.

I don't know why Peach's mouth would be sewn shut for helping us if Master Blue really wants us to succeed, too. Unless. . . I don't know.

Unless part of the reason Master Blue is busy is because they've been ousted by whomever wants revenge against them.

[and the girls are caught up in that? mystery]

[miscakes]

We only know Master Blue wants to help us through word of mouth. Who's to say they aren't simply taking advantage of the faith the sisters have placed in them? It's not as if such things are unheard of.

[A mystery! Maybe Master Blue is a scumbag and deserves a bullet to the head.]

Did you discover anything else?

[Belatedly, the blue lollipop is getting a glance because ??? where did that come from.]

[survivaltricks]

[MAYBE?? it's hard to say. . . Akira trusts Triple-P but he absolutely doesn't trust Blue yet, so it's. . . fair]

[for now, Akira stops twirling the lollipop, gaze flickering down towards it along with Akechi's. he exhales]

Come sit with me. I'll tell you all about it. From the beginning.

[miscakes]

[There's a chair by the bed, apparently! So he will plop down there, crossing his legs and staring at him expectantly.]

Well? Let's hear it.

[survivaltricks]

[looking up at Akechi, silent at first, and then he speaks]

That room was an office. Sitting at the desk was a young girl like the sisters, with blue hair and dog years.

She introduced the room as Blueberry's— Blue's— office, but refused to confirm that she was Master Blue. But she acted like she was.

At least, she did at first.

[miscakes]

... "At first." But that all changed for the worst.

[Glances at his one leggy...]

What happened next?

[survivaltricks]

We sat down and talked to her at first. I didn't think she was really Master Blue, but I thought it'd be safer if we went along with her game.

[holds up a lollipop]

She gave us these and a dog treat to Missile, like she was trying to befriend us. She called us "fascinating guests" and apologized for not being able to help us more.

[AND THEN. . . he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a syringe of mysterious yellow/green liquid I forgot the color. it is a different color than the antidote used on Hunter!]

She said it was because she was busy working on a cure.

[he sounds skeptical he does not think this is a cure]

[miscakes]

[......... Ah.]

Did any of you consume the "treats" she offered you?

[He holds his hand out, as if asking for both the syringe and lollipop. Let him take a closer look.]

... Telling the sisters what you saw and found may be prudent. If you haven't done so already, I will. You're in no condition to be moving around anyway.

[survivaltricks]

What do you think we are, stupid?

[says the guy with one and a half legs]

Of course we didn't, but we took some with us just in case.

[he is going to gently place both the syringe and the lollipop in Akechi's hand]

And don't worry about it. Ash, Missile, Ken and I are going to talk to one of the sisters together. We'll just summon them directly here.

[so he doesn't have to move]

[miscakes]

Extremely.

[DRYLY.

But now that both items are in his hands, he's looking them over. Is there anything weird besides the fact that they're, uh, the murder equivalent of candy from a stranger? The fuck is this.]

I expect a full report from you after you do. For now... Continue with your story. How were you all so grievously injured?

[survivaltricks]

Yes, boss.

[Akira says a bit dryly, but there's amusement quirking up the corners of his lips despite his evident exhaustion and grievous injury. the syringe and the lollipop seem normal!! there's nothing weird about them other than the fact that they came from. . . well. Akira will explain it]

Anyway, after a while, I think Fake Blue realized we weren't buying her act. We had asked her for a black light, and she dug one out of her drawer but wasn't going to give it to us. She said. . . something about knowing a lot about how the mansion worked, and a lot about the real Master Blue.

[. . .]

I think she had some kind of vendetta against them.

[miscakes]

[Reaches over


and tries to flick him on the nose.

Binch.]

"Revenge is a dish best served cold"... [Hm.] Seems like Master Blue may have enemies, after all. Question is, how does she relate to the sisters and their master?

[survivaltricks]

[Akira is missing half a leg and is probably high on painkillers of course Akechi can flick him in the nose. he makes an indignant noise and jerks back, frowning deeply!!]

Maybe more than one enemy. Like with the zombies, this one posed as Master Blue and tried to mislead us. Make us think that Master Blue was something that they aren't.

As for how they relate. . . [a small shrug] I still don't have any answers for that.

[miscakes]

[REVENGE.]

There's clearly someone, or something, he upset enough for them retaliate. A past guest, or someone who goes even further back than the very first party.

[... Actually, he does pause at that, remembering something.]

Did you know the sisters have not been present for all the parties Master Blue has arranged? They were quite the prolific host before that, and they only came into their master's employ when they suddenly required the additional help.

[survivaltricks]

. . . yeah. I did know that. Peach told me early on that Master Blue and this house existed long before they arrived to take care of it.

[he remembers that conversation]

[miscakes]

[Nodding...]

If whoever Master Blue slighted came before the sisters volunteered to work here, then it's entirely possible they simply don't know.

[survivaltricks]

[mmmm. . .]

Which means there is only so much help they can give us.

[at some point. . . they're going to have to stop relying on the sisters and start piecing things together themselves]

[miscakes]

That is something we have known from the very beginning.

[... A beat. And he holds the lollipop and syringe out to him.]

We should be careful requesting help from the sisters going forward. It will be troublesome if they all end up receiving the same punishment, or worse.

[survivaltricks]

[retrieves his items and tucks them safely into his pockets]

I-- [. . .] Yeah. You're right.

[Plum and Pumpkin and Peach can't keep holding their hands through this, and Akira knows it]

I still don't feel like we have all of the pieces to figure out the answers, though.

[miscakes]

Of course we don't. The stakes wouldn't be nearly as high if we did. But this is something we must solve on our own.

[Akira would still have his leggy and Anya would still be alive if they had all the pieces, but. They don't. So!]

Was there anything else you learned from that room?

[survivaltricks]

No.

[UNFORTUNATELY]

After she pulled out the black light, she started melting. Her skin was oozing off of her skeleton, you know? She reached out for Missile, so I threw a paperweight at her, and--

[. . .]

It all went downhill.

[miscakes]

... I assume she attacked, and that's how you all ended up so injured.

[He sighs, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.]

What a waste.