week 6, monday

[digestif]

[ Shibuya is familiar, albeit more antiquated than the version they're used to; they can't help poking around a little bit to find what matches up with their memory and what doesn't. This odd little jellyfish aquarium certainly falls in the "doesn't exist in their time" group, but it's hard to tell if it's because it was demolished or because it simply doesn't exist in the real world at all. Not that it matters much. When they notice Catra inside, Mizuki waves immediately, offering a friendly smile. ]

Catra-kun! It's been a while. The jellyfish are cute, right?

Comments

[digestif]

What happened before we got here isn't relevant to me. Not that I approve of having murderers around, but if we start worrying about that, we'll never get anywhere...

[ just focusing on the people who have murdered here has been hard enough. ]

In any case, I have to assume we would. It's the cornerstone of the competition. I'm not sure what they'd make us do, though... It might end up being truly random.

[catraclysm]

Then at least the number of those kind of killers is lower.

[ yay? progress? ]

I guess they'd just make us pick which god we like the least instead of which we should "punish". But we'd still be the losers in the end.

[digestif]

... As much as I hate to say it, I don't think we'll ever find out.

[ their track record with not killing people is... bad. To say the least. ]

Especially not if we don't find out who the ones that got away are... Catra-kun, do you know Ambition-san very well?

[catraclysm]

Probably not. I guess we could always just ask.

[ she blinks at that (seemingly, for her, because she's dumb,) subject change ]

Ambition? Why?

[digestif]

... To be honest, I don't believe that Ambition was truly innocent last week for various reasons. I've been trying to look into her and her followers a little bit more.

[catraclysm]

Well, you've got one here.

[ ah. blunt. ]

And I didn't kill the kid. You can check it with one of those truth powers or whatever. Ambition's never asked me to kill any other participant, but I dunno about any of the others. I never figured out who else was on the team, and now they've ditched.

[digestif]

[ wow, she just came right out and said it. Mizuki nods, looking sympathetic. ]

I understand your feelings. The other person in my faction was a mystery to me until he was killed.

[ ... but there's not much they can do about that. ]

Thank you for telling me, Catra-kun. I believe you.

[catraclysm]

I found out Rachel was Ambition when she accidentally killed someone.

[ catra just wants to say she wins this awkward off ]

But it's fine. It's not a big secret. A bunch of people know already because they keep guessing it, since I've never switched.

[digestif]

Ah. That's worse, isn't it.

[ they'll concede. ]

Still, you must have some amount of faith in me to tell me point blank. I appreciate it.

[ especially because people apparently consider them suspicious, if the slashes on their arm mean anything. ]

[catraclysm]

You're one of the few sensible people here. That's all.

[ :T ]

[digestif]

[ they snort at that, but it's not disparaging. ]

I try my best. Being sensible doesn't seem to help much in times like these.

[catraclysm]

Is anything we've been doing actually helping? It all feels like a chess game gone wild.

[ she's joking. maybe. ]

god dammit

[digestif]

Maybe? I've been trying to work out a few things behind the scenes to help things go more smoothly.

it got worse <3

[catraclysm]

Yeah? Have you figured out anything? I know people want to like... get all the gods to agree on sharing wishes, or something.

spoilers: mizuki was in on it and this was really a double check

[digestif]

[ a nod. ]

We're working on an alliance between the gods so that there's no benefit to the killing. There are loopholes about wishes that can be exploited, too, if it works out correctly.

I'M CRYING A LOT THIS IS SO FUNNY

[catraclysm]

[ she looks surprised at first, but then turns back to the aquarium ]

You really think they'll go for it?

[ she sounds dubious, but not bothered ]

[digestif]

Mm, I do. They already are, actually. Beauty-kun, Indulgence-san, and Piety-kun have agreed to it, and I think that Love-kun and Sincerity-san are interested, too.

[catraclysm]

Most of those guys were already on the no-murder side, weren't they? So... you mean for the wishes, right?

[digestif]

They were on that side. The way we are now, they're all on separate teams. That's an important distinction.

[ don't downplay their efforts, catra!! ]

As for the wishes, I don't entirely understand how they work. But I think having a decent position in the pantheon in the end is enough to grant that god some measure of power. An alliance can help make sure that power is fairly balanced between all of them... That's my impression, anyway.

[catraclysm]

You ever get the feeling this entire competition wasn't well thought-out?

[ listen she listened to them talk but the fact that they can all apparently share power if they just allied makes it real dumb. god. just talk to each other, stupid gods*

*catra is a murderer ]

[digestif]

Well, have you spoken to many of them? I can't say I'm surprised.

[ they're all........... something. A group of characters, that's for sure... ]