Well let's go back to the middle of the day that starts it all [W1 Friday]

[hydrokinetics]

[By the time they got back from the homestead they'd learned the news about what had happened with Tiara and where she was, what happened with her and the Sheriff that left all of them confused and unsure of what was to come. Everybody began to disperse from the scene, but while he knew Annabeth had questions for some people Percy turned to seek out someone else.

Spotting Noctis, he's quick to catch up and lightly put a hand on the other guy's shoulder to slow him down.]

Hey. Got some time?

Comments

[elemancy]

[he keeps his eye on mrs. o'leary too—while also keeping an eye out to see if umbra shows up. the dog does what he wants, for sure.]

Do we have a way of protecting them, though? If it's us vs. the Sheriff and whoever else is behind this—may not be easy to convince them.

[he wants to though. he really wants to make sure as few people fall victim to this as possible.]

[hydrokinetics]

[Dogs do as dogs do. He doesn't like the fact that he doesn't really have a good answer either.]

No. I've been trying to think of something since yesterday and you can see how that turned out. [He shakes his head again.] Let's focus on what we've learned today. Somebody managed to get out sometime last night or really early this morning and unlocked both Ao and Tiara's cells. But what happened after that?

[elemancy]

No idea.

[he's been puzzling over it too. ao turned up in brutal shape, but tiara wasn't harmed. but someone unlocked the cells and...

?

then what?

noct sighs a bit, electing to bring up something else that came up earlier.]

Milla said it may have been to set an example. [loath as he is to say this.] Sacrifice, to make a point. Ao and Tiara are the odd ones out in the group.

[hydrokinetics]

The lambs brought for slaughter to scare all of us into playing. Are you serious? [He feels indignant about that, disliking the Sheriff more for doing this to two innocent girls.] I wouldn't put it past him especially since they couldn't remember much. Or at least Ao didn't.

You said you talked to Tiara before now, didn't you? Did you learn anything from her?

[elemancy]

Just a theory, but I wouldn't put it past him. They stick out in too many ways.

[every theory raises more uncomfortable questions, though. and a particular notion that noct isn't even sure he's ready to entertain, even though he may have to.]

She didn't have much to learn from. Said she woke up in the cell already, and that the Sheriff told her she "had a purpose."

[which, in recalling that...

ugh. he really doesn't want to think about it yet.]

[hydrokinetics]

...[Oh...]

Do you...think she knew even then? That this would happen. If the Sheriff told her something she couldn't resist or risk she could have lied to all of us.

[elemancy]

She seemed like she didn't know either. Guess she could've been lying... or maybe he didn't tell her what the purpose was then.

[either way, it was kept under wraps by someone, for one reason or another and that raises.

a lot of suspicions, honestly.]

[hydrokinetics]

Even if she didn't know, you'd have to think of what the Sheriff told her after the fact. I don't know how well most people would take to "hey, I kidnapped you and by the way now you have to do what I say or you're never getting out of here alive."

[Which is sort of what they're all doing.] The murder itself was pretty messy, too. Not the work of somebody who's done this before, but that also doesn't mean the whole thing wasn't a set-up to frame Tiara.

[elemancy]

Could've been a frame job. Could've been her with the promise she'd keep her life.

[if they're entertaining all the possible theories. and then...

there's another that he's not crazy about.]

You think—maybe he never planned for Tiara to make it past this either? By making her doing it or framing her, whatever.

[hydrokinetics]

You mean he did it to make sure we'd put her on trial and kill her? [The tone's flat, a sign he doesn't like entertaining this theory either.] It's possible.

[He licks his lips, looking at the ground instead of Noctis as they keep moving.] People might have an easier time playing if we already go through with one trial and spill somebody's blood.

[elemancy]

[well, at least they're agreed on hating the theory, even if it's seeming... incredibly possible right now.]

Guess that's what would make it an intentional sacrifice to set an example, if that's what it is.

[noct draws in a breath, he's not sure he likes pointing fingers like this too much either.] Never wanted to be wrong about something more in my life.

[hydrokinetics]

And since we found Ao's body we have to hold a trial. In the rules and everything. [He snorts in disgust.] I normally don't mind breaking a rule or two but at this point? Not sure we can risk it.

There has to be a loophole in the trial. Something we're not thinking of right away, especially if we can maybe prove this was a set-up.

[elemancy]

Dragging out a loophole may be our key...

If we can make it work for us.

[the still have the sheriff to contend with, and noct doesn't trust that he wouldn't take insubordination out on them.] Seems like a start, though. Finding a way to stop this before anyone else gets killed, this may be a chance.

[and if it's not the last, then at least before too many others give their lives needlessly. this isn't war, this is senseless killing for someone else's amusement. they're all victims here, including the "roles."]

[hydrokinetics]

Things might get hectic tomorrow. We're still putting forty people into a room to argue about something we don't even know the truth behind. It's going to take work but we'll need to keep everyone on track to get them to understand this game's stupid and not play into the Sheriff's hand. At least not the way he wants us to.

[It's going to be hard and he knows there will be people who disagree, but if he can at least have an ally in Noctis that'll help, he thinks.]

[elemancy]

We'll just have to stay focused. Might not be able to sway everyone, but... it's better than not trying at all.

[that's probably all they can do for now. they've got some theories and enough of a moral compass—they just have to see what they can do for everyone else in the process, he thinks.]

[hydrokinetics]

I'm not that good at not trying anyway. [He whistles for Mrs. O'Leary not to go too far off track.]

I wish we could ask Tiara more questions. If we could prove she'd be safe with us, she might give us more information about what happened.

[elemancy]

We may get the chance tomorrow. But everyone's gonna have questions, it'll put a lot of pressure on her.

[meaning he's not expecting her to reveal any truths if she was put up to killing ao.]

[hydrokinetics]

So we might need to mediate that, too, so she doesn't get overwhelmed. I can trust you to help with that, can't I?

[elemancy]

Yeah. We may get more truth out of her if we keep her calm, anyway.

[and he is legitimately concerned for her well-being; he still thinks that if she killed ao, it probably was because her hands were tied—which makes her victim too. but he's sure percy understands that too.]