audience: aerith

[mygod]

Comments

[mygod]

[ shakes head ]

I have no preference. Somewhere quiet and away from people is all that's necessary.

Though the beach wasn't bad.

[ even though so many people died there ]

[residentflorist]

[we killed so many people at the beach, enough that she does kind of frown when they mention it.]

I liked it. It was...a nice break from the town. This just feels creepy in a whole different way. [offers them a bag of scawwy-brand chex mix?] But if this door appeared, guess there's really no way to go back to it?

[mygod]

[ famine peers over before accepting the chex mix ]

No, there shouldn't be. It appears to be a weekly shift, along with the sky.

[residentflorist]

[enjoy your snack.]

Wow. Guess Ashlyn was right after all. Not looking forward to hearing the "I told you so" from that. [she's not entirely serious about that, but damn.] Do we know if it was a weekly shift that caused Geto, Alfyn, Pickles and Todomatsu to disappear for a month, too?

[mygod]

Why would that be weekly? It only happened once so far. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again.

[ they're being pedantic and recognize it at least ]

I only vaguely heard what happened, so I cannot provide a definitive answer.

[residentflorist]

Just a guess. Everything else has been so far. [they are being pedantic and aerith is making guesses because of how the fog's behaved before. she was thinking that perhaps they knew more about it, but...she can concede to the fact that may not be true.]

I wanted to try to prepare early if we had any ideas, but if we still can't say for sure then I'll do my best. After what happened to Pickles...feels like nobody's safe. [we not only killed a child, we killed a sad and hurt dog.] Do you ever get the chance to talk to the monsters before we kill them on Sundays?

[mygod]

[ it's only what people talk to the npcs about... ]

No. There are moments of clarity, but there does not feel like there's a great need for it. There is not much for us to glean from what they know.

[residentflorist]

[aerith, overestimating how much anyone tells any of the overseers.]

I think that's what I wanted to know. How much of what I was told was actually the truth, and if there was anything that really could come from it. [...] Erin said she set a trap for whoever happened to show up first and Karma was coincidental. But...is there anything to explain why he might have been the one to wake up instead of someone else?

[mygod]

[ maybe they tell the others.... ]

Is there something that prompts you to think so?

Do you think there is a reason why the dog or the other one would be awake?

[residentflorist]

[a moment of quiet contemplation.]

Intent, maybe. But that wouldn't make sense then if Karma was just someone who was unlucky. [the way she says this implies she hates that answer. it's less about being unlucky and more she thinks the method to kill him was still needlessly cruel.] From what I heard, Aventurine had something Boothill wanted. If there was any part of themselves still in there on that night, maybe Nona picked Pickles because she still couldn't bring herself to hurt a person but the monster instinct couldn't be ignored. Maybe the other monster picked Ichiban knowing he could fight. But...I don't know. It feels a little silly to speculate, but at the same time it feels like we have to in order to understand what the monsters are thinking in the hopes of finding them all.

[mygod]

It is rather silly to speculate. [ to confirm ] Because you are going under the assumption that the monsters operate under reason.

You will not know the monster until you find them through evidence. Looking for something like 'motive' in these cases will be less fruitful than thorough checks and thoughtful analysis.

[residentflorist]

[she pouts up at them briefly. look man, she's doing her best.]

Maybe it works a little differently where I'm from then. [rather than elaborating on this though, she continues.] ...I've given it some "thoughtful analysis." Who might've been the third? But I don't know how to prove it or even what can be done about it.

[she is literally 5'3" and has a metal stick.]

Guess I was hoping there'd be something else that might change if a monster was summoned already and has been here for a while.

[mygod]

You can act upon suspicion, the way that the other monster was removed after the ritual. It's not a decision to be made lightly, of course, but it is one that I would suggest acting upon before someone else dies.

But your request for something else is a detour from your previous statement. I never said that their form would be stagnant. They will certainly be worsening in their condition from here.

[residentflorist]

It's not. [she'll agree. vin made the decision and aerith still isn't entirely sure she's okay with it, even if it's what they had to do. but famine has a point that they should maybe consider acting on that suspicion before someone dies.

she tilts her head, a little curious. there had been the speculation that the monster might be more aggressive, but with people's powers...would they be able to tell?]

What would you consider worsening in this case?

[mygod]

[ they bring up a hand to their chin in thought ]

Blood thirst, snappiness, aggression. They'll become more and more monster-like over time, if not found.

[residentflorist]

[hm...she mirrors the pose.]

And that might be hard to find if people keep using their powers to make people hate each other. [she says, not entirely aware she currently hates someone because she is simply not thinking about people she hates. fucking gojo.] Easy to hide in plain sight that way or write it off as being cursed by someone.

[there's a pause.]

I'm not complaining. I'm thinking out loud. [before famine says anything about how they just have to look harder and decide for themselves.] There's nothing really stopping either side from attacking before the fog locks us in place on Thursdays, is there?

[mygod]

[ shakes head ]

No. If you choose to kill in public and broad daylight, so be it.

[ off schedule murder! ]

[residentflorist]

[cool!]

...I don't want to kill anyone without being sure. Doesn't that just help the cult's ritual in the first place?

[mygod]

I wouldn't say so. It's not as if you all dying is a boon to them when they need you for later.

[residentflorist]

Some people were concerned the bodies of the people we lost were being used for other ritualistic purposes. [asa.] So it's a timing thing then. People die, and that doesn't entirely matter to them as long as enough of us are alive when the time is right to perform the ritual to summon the god.

[mygod]

Yes, that's correct. Though if too many of you die too early, they'll just do another summoning to 'replenish the stock', you could say.

[residentflorist]

[great.]

And...what do you think our chances are of them summoning another chimera again? [doing the math here....]

[mygod]

High.

So you should proceed assuming that the vote isn't enough.

[residentflorist]

We have a few people willing to kill on sight. [thank you, kanda.] But we're still too scattered over those nine hours. We really only found Nona because of Vin, and people are still refusing to even submit to patdowns. [a pause.] Which, speaking of, if we're going to be doing this is there a way we could get some sort of changing booth or a privacy screen? Maybe that'll help people cooperate easier and we'll waste less time trying to negotiate.

[this is rich coming from her since she refused the first week, but she did it last week. it's fine.]

[mygod]

[ nods ]

That should be a doable request. It's true that plenty of you seem prudish, even when lives are on the line.