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]

There's more. [Ohgodsohgodsohgods.]

...Dr. Lecter is who told me about the roles' jobs. He came to me and said that his surgeries on us have earned him enough merit to learn these things. He already knew about the Bounties when I spoke to him.

I told him I wished it was easier to figure out the roles and who they belonged to. And he said that he could imagine Hal picking the Bounties based on what he finds the most amusing. So...I asked him who the most amusing Bounties would be. And he said he initially thought it'd be people with a tendency toward violence, but now knowing everybody here he'd say it's people that're the opposite. People who want to do good. People who won't kill.

Hal told me that the Deputy is the "good guy" role. The Bounty Leader is the "bad guy." He said not to take character into account for the people filling the roles.

So I said it was unfair and that it was messing with morals, which...it is. And he said "that's why I think he'd find it amusing." So I asked how we'd figure out what Hal found funny. Dr. Lecter said...we'd have to put ourselves in Hal's frame of mind. Watch everything like it was a game. Said it was a dangerous frame to be in, but that being a little sociopathic is how you could predict what Hal's doing.

This was a week ago.

[elemancy]

[]

That's...

[incriminating.]

[hydrokinetics]

I know. [Fuuuuuck.]

[elemancy]

Looks like everything's piling up to give us a good lead to... solving this.

[assuming they're not wrong, but noct can't really see how they could be that far off the mark with how things are adding up.]

[hydrokinetics]

It's something we can have the Madame check, at least. That's the most important part in all of this. If they check and the story checks out, we have a basis to figure out what to do next.

[impulsiveness]

[JUST

A SMALL

KEENING SOUND OVER HERE.

EVERYTHING IS FIND IN THE TOWN OF WHOLE ASS.]

[hydrokinetics]

[YEAH. YEAH BASICALLY. Just a helpless look???]

[robitussin]

...He's a psychiatrist. He told me that after he saved me. So... He would know how people think. How to make sure people trust him.

[Until his boyfriend gets drunk and starts rambling about cows?? I guess. THANKS, WILL.]

[hydrokinetics]

See? This is why I don't like counselors. [MMMMM...] ...he's done more than just surgery and psychiatry though. I...[He looks a little shaken.]

...he told me how he and Will met.

[robitussin]

...How?

[hydrokinetics]

The FBI. Dr. Lecter used to be a profiler for serial killers.

[INTERNAL SCREAMING IN FULL HD!]

[robitussin]

No way.

[holy shit???]

[hydrokinetics]

It's what he told me, I'm not sure if it's true but I don't think that's something he'd lie about. He told me not to say anything because he didn't want to give everybody here false hopes about what he's really capable of in finding murderers. And that makes sense, but...with everything else it's a little weird, right?

[Or flat-out terrifying.]

[robitussin]

...I think he could be good at manipulation. I don't know if that means he is, but I think he could be.

[She chews at her lip.]

[hydrokinetics]

He said a bunch of stuff right under our noses that we didn't think about until now, didn't he? [He gives her a pointed look.] I don't know if that means he is either, but now that it's out there it's a little harder to take back, huh? I almost wish I hadn't said it.

[Except...it needed to be said.]

[robitussin]

He... [Ugh.] After the thing with the mines, he told me his specialty was in trauma, so I - went to talk about a few things with him. A few things might have turned into a lot of things?

[She shakes her head. She's leading up to something.]

Half the stuff he said, it's like he knew what I was thinking before I said it. He obviously knows how to read people. Again, it's not like that's conclusive, but...

[hydrokinetics]

Considering where you went...[...well. But he sees her point and he nods. On the other hand, hearing that prompts him to bring up one more thing.]

Dr. Lecter told me about Ezio. That he was guilty of a crime. That's...why I tried to confront him last week. I thought maybe he might have known who was guilty last weekend and he was deflecting to talk about the fact he was guilty in Manfred's murder. I knew for days before the trial. He told me and that was why he told me about his old job in the FBI.

[robitussin]

...I'm gonna talk to him again. I think he assumes I like him enough that I'm not suspicious of him at all.

[hydrokinetics]

Obviously do not mention any of this. And...talk to him without Will if you can. You need to stay away from Will when talking to Dr. Lecter.

[There are things about Will that Percy knows, but he's not clarifying. Not now. Maybe not ever.]

But after the trial, you mean?

[robitussin]

Obviously. Jesus.

Yeah. Yeah, it would seem weird if I came to him today, it's getting late. But - he knew Yuna, right? I think he did. I could always say I was checking on him to make sure he's okay after that. Bring up that I'm worried about Xion, because I think her and Yuna were friends. Ask him what he thinks I should do to help her, see what he says.

[hydrokinetics]

Sorry. This is just freaking me out.

But he knew her enough, I think. You can confirm with Jason but I think he helped Yuna last week after she fought the coyotes. Your approach doesn't sound like a bad plan, especially since it's not a secret you and Xion are close anyway.

[robitussin]

Yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about this possibility.

[A pause.]

We could also just get Will shitfaced again. [That. Is mostly a joke, at least.] I think... Yeah, no, that was a few days ago. Tuesday. If he thought I believed anything he was saying and it might be a risk for them, I think he or Hannibal would have already done something about it if they were going to.

[hydrokinetics]

I did just give Will a new bottle of whiskey after last week's trial, but he might've gone through it by now.

Getting Will really drunk seems like a bad plan, too, but...at least with that you know what you're getting into. [Ughhh.] Let's see how tomorrow goes. Then we'll figure it out. Okay?

[robitussin]

...Normally I would ask why you'd do that, but you know what, never mind.

[She nods.]

Living through tomorrow is definitely the priority. Just... Jesus.

[hydrokinetics]

Because I think as we've all seen, I make really, really stupid decisions sometimes. Call it a lack of impulse control. [He runs a hand through his hair.]

We're going to have to stick together. All of us. Watch things, lay low, be careful not to incriminate the wrong people or each other. That's the only way we're getting through tomorrow.