EDELGARD;

[crashout]

Comments

[crashout]

Like a meeting. [...well, okay.] On the condition that I'm there as well. Okay?

[He nods about Dimitri because that seems like a moot point, but he's obviously trying to think.] Nobody from his room he was staying in seems to know either. That's the weirdest part of it. Just that he got up and left and they all thought nothing of it.

[hegemonstrous]

Yes. I agree to your terms.

[It still does bother her to think of Dimitri like that.]

I can't shake the feeling that someone was lying in wait for him. He isn't incapable as a fighter. And yet, there was barely a struggle.

[crashout]

Alright. I'll speak to them and we'll come find you. [i.e. let me flag the other player and I'll set up something tomorrow if everyone's chill.]

That's the other thing. There was only the water, and if the demons can make a person stronger shouldn't the victim be the one who died instead? It's too early in the week to do injury checks without it looking suspicious.

The only other thing we can really do right now is start checking where everyone slept last night and see if they recall people leaving.

[hegemonstrous]

Agreed, but I would be hesitant to reveal who did this to everyone before we have more information. We risk exposing someone who is potentially an ally.

[crashout]

Why do you think I was previously working alone? Once I started hearing the rumors and learned from Escha, I started trying to find others myself to scout then out and make sure they were an ally instead of...well, whatever. [But he frowns lightly.] I could use your help, if you're willing. It's the other reason I'm agreeing to connect you with our demon-detector.

[hegemonstrous]

Of course I’m willing.

[That goes without saying?]

I’m. Hmm. What did Escha tell you about how her role worked?

[crashout]

[He looks up for a moment.]

...everything. She told me her rules, how it worked, and the title itself. Every week she had to sleep with somebody and it would protect them from being killed if they were exorcised. But, of course, she couldn't tell them that's what she was doing. She sort of figured it didn't matter anymore if she spilled everything.

[Given she was, like, dying.]

[hegemonstrous]

[She’s still Frowning. These sort of indirect conversations are not her forte!]

Did she tell you anything about - [Pausing again. Ugh.] She never had any opportunity to observe her powers used successfully, did she? After all, the only exorcism was Monika.

[crashout]

She didn't. She picked the wrong people during her time. [It's fine, he can try to make this work...hopefully.] With that sort of lead in, I can only assume that you have. Which means...I've narrowed it down to one of two things. You can say yes or no.

Your job allows you to either protect someone from being possessed in the first place, bouncing it off to someone else, or it allows them protection from being killed by someone possessed.

Am I off?

[hegemonstrous]

Entirely, I’m afraid.

[crashout]

--shit, seriously? [WAIT. HOW? He actually looks 100% baffled he got this wrong, but if he's entirely off, then..] ...then what, you take on the demon yourself?

[hegemonstrous]

You’re used to feeling like the cleverest man in the room, aren’t you? [I mean that’s her impression of Junpei but she’s probably off base on that one.]

Maybe you should make fewer assumptions and deductions, and instead ask questions. When you’re so off track there’s little I can say to get you back on course.

[crashout]

Absolutely not. [And the fact that he seems very sincere about that seems to suggest...no. He's used to just kind of falling into things, working on his deductions, and this is kind of an outlier. But...he sighs.]

Hotter or Colder, or twenty questions. I'll even let you pick which game you want to play. [There's a pause.] ...in exchange, I'll explain why I'm trying to find out as much as I can, just in case you haven't heard.

[hegemonstrous]

Twenty questions. Yes or No questions only.

And I’d answer them for you either way. I’m not being difficult on purpose. But I would like to hear that answer.

[crashout]

[At least he offers her a smile.] I'm not either. It's just...there's a lot going on and trying to make sense of it all while we're missing context hasn't been the most helpful. I appreciate your help.

[Okay. Twenty questions. He's been doing this a lot, admittedly, so it takes a moment to decide on the basics.] Yours is a role where you can protect someone once a week.

[hegemonstrous]

Correct.

You also have a role, don’t you?

[crashout]

[...well. He has to take some chances here, so he nods.]

There you go. For my own reasons, I'd like to ask you keep that to yourself for now. [A grin. Hello.] You have to sleep with them to protect them.

[hegemonstrous]

Good. Yes, that’s correct.

And you also have to sleep with someone to protect them, correct?

[crashout]

I do not, actually. [A common theme then. ] By sleeping with them, if the person you choose is targeted you can be awake on Thursday to save them. Like a shield.

[hegemonstrous]

Incorrect.

Your role isn’t about protection, is it?

[crashout]

Nope. I'm just choosing to make it that way. [Whatever that means.]

It's something you've been able to do before, back where you're from. Something familiar?

[hegemonstrous]

Not in the slightest.

Your role involves investigating, though, doesn’t it?

[crashout]

You're one of the few to figure that out. [So.]

Yours...is a double-edged sword. It can protect, but it also might hurt if we're not careful.

[hegemonstrous]

You did make it a bit easy to guess. Are you able to check whether someone is a demon?

[She sighs, relieved when he says this.]

Precisely. Or rather - there are unknowns.

[crashout]

And yet most of the people I've talked to have no idea. [He shakes his head.] I wish I could, but I can't.

[There's a frown of thought.] The unknowns are that there's no guarantee the person you pick will be involved in anything. Right? That seems to be a common thing.