I always put myself in destructive situations [W5, Friday]

[hydrokinetics]

[It took time. Everything took time as it always did. It took time for them to all calm down, it took time to heal physical wounds, it took time to properly remove the evidence of obscene crimes...but in the evening they were able to gather in one place away from everyone else. It hadn't been easy coordinating everything, but it was necessary.

And so here they were. All seven of them.]

...I don't really know where to start. [His voice is tight, but determined.] But we need everybody on the same page. Who wants to go first?

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

Yeah, pretty much. [He doesn't seem bothered by that at all.] Annabeth's had my back since we were twelve and she knows that she's way, way smarter than me. It's not that insulting. [He actually just doesn't care, but whatever.]

[thatsthespirit]

The reason I ask is because Higekiri's letter to me mentioned food as well. Thus, it stands out.

[I mean. that's assuming Higekiri's letter wasn't nonsense, of course]

[hydrokinetics]

...[And suddenly a thought occurs to him and he sort of gags. Uh, sorry.]

Di immortales. [WHY.] Is it possible that was a hint about Ana? Damian told me that her death was basically a mockery because she used to cook for people and we found her...pretty much everywhere. With her head in the fridge.

[UGH!!!!]

[thatsthespirit]

[she thinks about this for a moment]

And the reference to couples you're talking about could have meant Chane and Felix.

But what good would warning us about this week's victims be, if we can't do anything to actually stop the killing? It'd be much better if those who have died could warn us about the Bandits instead.

[hydrokinetics]

I don't think it's her fault. I think her letters are being delayed...she told me to stop hanging out at her grave. I haven't been there since about Tuesday. She might be able to see these things but Hal or somebody's delaying the delivery.

[thatsthespirit]

Hn. . .

[just. frowns. she's thinking hard about this]

Even so, I don't want to get caught up in believing Annabeth and Higekiri were trying to warn us about this week's victims since we have no way to confirm that was true. Look at the hint from all angles-- whether it points to victims, Bandits, the Deputy, or even nothing at all-- if you can.

[hydrokinetics]

Do you think it's possible the dead actually get told who has what roles? That's the one thing that would actually help out.

[thatsthespirit]

I don't know, but. . . perhaps. It'd be no different then telling them about this week's victims, right?

And it'd be another thing for the Sheriff to censor in those letters.

[hydrokinetics]

Well they're not having trials like we are, so it's possible. Hal censoring his letters is starting to piss me off, but if they really know things like she says they do, we just need to figure out how to get the messages through better.

I have to write her back this week. There's a lot I want to ask her.

[thatsthespirit]

[perks up a bit because this is relevant to her interests]

How do you write them back? I'd like to send something to Yuna, if I can. We discussed both her role and mine a few days ago.

She knows what we we're, and was willing to help us.

[insincerely]

I can try and get Higekiri to help too. He likes me, and said as much in his letter that he wants to help.

And we already know what his deal is.

[thatsthespirit]

[what we're doing*, oops typos]

Right. And I think he's already attempted to help. At least, that's assuming the picture of the roasted potatoes he gave me isn't just a random letter with no meaning whatsoever.

[it could be??? but it makes no sense??? so like?? she's hoping it has meaning???]

[insincerely]

Well, he seems like the kind of guy to dance around subjects.

... I haven't read my letters this week, so I don't know if he's sent me one. [...] Xion was the one who read them to me last week, but...

[He's not sure if he should enlist her help again, considering everything.]

[thatsthespirit]

[shakes her head]

If you don't enlist her help this week, it may look suspicious. Either you should get her to help you again, or you'll have to lie to her about receiving letters at all.

[insincerely]

Well, in the case of last week... I'd only heard about the letters at all from Percy pretty much immediately before I got her to read them for me.

It might sound plausible if I said that I just fetched the letters on my own time—now that I know about them—in which case it might not seem weird if someone else read them to me. Assuming she even asks, anyway.

[hydrokinetics]

I think it might be a good idea to implement a don't ask don't tell policy. If she doesn't ask, there's no reason to bring it up.

And anyway...the letters are showing up in our mailboxes. Who says we can't send letters that way? I haven't tried it, but why else would there be mailboxes for everyone?

[insincerely]

I don't plan on bringing it up. Though in that case, I'd appreciate someone here reading the letters to me. [He's going to regret this so much once he realizes what Higekiri wrote.] If she does ask and we think she'll get suspicious that I'm relying on others beside her, I'll just say no one else has yet and ask her to.

... It's worth a shot.

[hydrokinetics]

I have a feeling Annabeth's going to keep yelling at me, so I'll have to check my mail anyway. We can go together and I can read them over if you want.

If she asks...that's the best course of action. For her own good, too. If we're sitting here theorizing about letters, we don't know if she's doing the same, too. [A pause.] She knows about Annabeth's first letter to me. Not this one though.

[insincerely]

[no percy's one of the last people who should be reading higekiri's letter after he LAUGHED AT SHINNOSUKE but shinnosuke is blissfully unaware—]

Sure. On Saturday or Sunday, maybe?

[Assuming things don't go to hell.]

[hydrokinetics]

If we're both alive after the trial, we can go then, sure. It's on the way back anyway.