cartesianism | Week 6: May 6th

Sixth Week

Killers and victims, killers and victims. Three of your own have fallen prey to murderous intent last week. Your numbers keep shrinking. Azura has fallen prey to Franciscus in the same night that Olympia betrayed her friend Millium and killed Cian who wound up in the crossfire. At this rate, is there anyone you can trust?

The townspeople's anger burns hotter than ever. Wherever they go, must they live in fear of stumbling on a corpse? They can't live like this. More than ever, the visitors are being shown that they are unwelcome.

Walking outdoors, cold looks are the norm. Shouted profanity isn't unexpected. Barely anybody is willing to still hold a conversation with any visitors.

Even within the motel, there is no feeling of safety any longer. Not only have two people died in this very place, no, now the townspeople also lost their fear of coming inside. While they don't enter private rooms, the daring among them vent their hatred of you by vandalizing the common rooms.

Cartesio has become a menacing place.

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again. Don't mind that some of them have been damaged in one of the attacks on the motel.

Links

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NPCs
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Sunday
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Thursday

[Welcome to the sixth week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What was his reaction when you asked him about Gabe?

[She thinks about that for a moment, trying to recall his reaction.]

Sometimes when I ask him things, he gets angry or yells or refuses to answer, but... He seemed more calm this time, I guess. I'm pretty sure he paused, but it wasn't like pulling teeth to get him to tell me.

...But he didn't seem surprised at all?

[She shakes her head.]

I think the first thing he said was, like... Oh, right, you all saw his name. Something like that.

[Frowning.[

So he's probably the one who cut the power at the casino that time then. Dunno if I'm right about this, but I have a feeling he may have made us burn down the diner to prevent the ghosts from telling us anything using the jukebox.

[For a moment, she looks like she's considering saying something, but decides against it.]

Maybe, but... I don't know why, but it didn't seem like he could tell what was happening inside the casino when we were there. I'm not sure he would have known to turn the power off.

[In turn, Keith goes quiet to consider that.]

Then how'd he know we saw Gabe's name?

[She crosses her arms, frowning.]

I've got a few ideas, but... We brought it up when we all met together afterwards, right?

Bugs. On us? In the buildings? Both?

[Frown deepening, Keith's going to wait to hear her thoughts on this before adding more of his own.]

...I'd say in the buildings is more likely, but I don't see why there wouldn't be one in the casino in that case.

[She frowns, thinking it over.]

We would have noticed if we had them on our person, right?

I don't know about that.

[And here... he's actually hesitating a little. Picking his words carefully.]

I keep thinking he's done something to our heads.

It's why we can't see some of the buildings, despite having them pointed out to us by the people in town, until he puts them on the maps. Why I can't read that police report I took from the station, while he can. Maybe it's just magic, but from the way he was talking, it seemed like they were relying on technology.

Just a thought.

[Almost immediately:]

...I can't think about that. Sorry.

[At that, Keith steps away from the console and moves a little closer to her.]

Sit. Take a minute to relax.

[Her hand closest to the door frame moves up to rest on the wood as she shakes her head, a little more forcefully than necessary.]

I don't need to relax. I'm fine, and I'm calm, okay?

[This is a very familiar situation, and Keith can't say that he really knows how to navigate this any better. His eyebrow remains raised, but after a moment he breathes out.]

Well I'm not. So I'm going to sit.

[Which he does. He takes a seat on the edge of Katsuki's old bed.]

[A moment passes, but now it feels strange just standing here, so she sighs and moves to take a spot next to him.]

Does sitting actually help at all?

Not as much as pacing, but pacing tends to make other people antsy.

[Right elbow propped up on his knees, he leans forward and rests his chin on on his hand.]

Meditating isn't bad either.

I'm used to people pacing. Have at it if you want.

[She gives a shrug, though.]

Can't say I've ever tried that. I didn't really have much time for it back home.

Nope, I'm settled now.

[Not that it'd take a lot of effort to get up and start pacing.]

So what did you do with all your free time?

[She pauses for a long moment, before:]

Right. Free time. That thing that most people are used to.

[The only reason he isn't sassing back is because he's... actually kind of curious. Wasn't Natalie claiming to mostly be from some mundane life aside from a complicated family situation at home....]

So what are you used to then?

What am I used to?

[She starts ticking it off on her fingers after a pause.]

Waking up at 6:30 so I can get to the bus by 7:15, starting classes at 8:00 or so, getting out of school around 2:30, leaving swim practice at 4:00, making it home between 4:30 and 5:00, eating dinner, starting piano practice at 6:00 if I’m lucky, then at 8:00, once I've done that and had a chance to shower, going through the several hours of homework that I have for each of my six classes.

[So, the American school system, basically.]