6/8: Belph

[randori]

[ He promised nothing would happen. He wouldn't let anything happen. Please don't let anything have happened—- ]

Belph! Belph! BELPH!!

[ screams his name up and down the castle trying to find him, leaping up the stairs two or three steps at a time, flinging open bedroom doors at random without a care for privacy, frantically searching everywhere he can for Belph, one hand cupped at the side of his mouth as he shouts.

There's something else clenched in his other hand, a tight fist that he doesn't relax throughout the entire time. ]

Comments

[axilium]

[at first, he's confused. why on earth is someone yelling his name? then he realizes it's natsuo, and—yeah, that seems in character for him.

... it's strange, having people worry about him like this. of course, assuming, that's what this is. maybe that's a premature assumption for him to make. either way, he makes his way to wherever natsuo is searching for him.]

Hey—I think the entire castle knows you're looking for me, now.

[randori]

That's just as well! Then they'd all help look for you too and make sure you're okay!

[ Natsuo's a one-man search party on his own, but he will rally up the forces if he needs to, slowing to a trot when Belph finally shows up, then clapping him on the arm with his free hand, as if checking that he's really here and real, and then hanging onto his shirt sleeve while he takes a second to catch his breath. ]

[axilium]

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't get much of a search party, but thanks!

[...]

Seriously, though, save your energy. I think you're going to need it.

[randori]

I'll get one! For sure I'll get one!! After today, everyone... Everyone will...!

[ despite his energy being apparently boundless, it wavers a little here.

Today, everybody set out in search of something wrong. Of a body. He doesn't want that to be the circumstance behind any search party he pulls together for Belph. ]

[axilium]

[... honestly...]

You know... I gotta say, it was pretty mean of them to bring someone like you here. You don't deserve this crap.

[no one really does, but he thinks that natsuo might least of all. how does the world look through his eyes, he wonders.]

[randori]

[ Right now, the world is a mess. But in his hands is a broom, and despite everything, he's still sure he can clean it up- or at least shove all the junk to one corner if he has to, to leave what's his clean. ]

Nobody does! [ He echoes that same sentiment ] But I thought, before, that it's okay that I'm here, 'cause I could do something about all this! I couldn't do anything...! I was asleep! I'll never sleep again!!

[axilium]

Whoa there. We don't even know when she was killed, or what'll happen if you try and break "curfew".

[randori]

Everyone's around during dinner, so between that and now, it only could've been at night. I'm not scared of curfew! And I won't go out at night without my partner either!

[ like they've been doing already... dangerous! ]

[axilium]

Well, there's a few hours between dinner and curfew, but unless anyone knows how to do an autopsy, I guess we can't know.

... But don't get yourself killed, geez. I might actually be a little sorry to see you go.

[randori]

It was a stabbing. They had time to wash off the blood. All that time, and none of us knew!

[ It's frustrating! it's so frustrating, and it makes him that much more unwilling to roll over and die for this game ]

I won't die. I'm not allowed to.

[axilium]

... I don't think the world works that way.

[randori]

I am not going to die. If somebody tries it, I'll take 'em down.

[axilium]

... You do realize Gi-Gan probably thought the same, right?

[randori]

Gi-Gan's a nice person! If it's one of us, she probably didn't think they'd do it, so that's how they got the jump on her!

[ pot, kettle

but that's why the buddy system overnight, at the very very least, because Dave distrusts just as much as Natsuo trusts ]

[axilium]

Then, who do you think might've done it?

[randori]

-—!

[ It's clear that he never really thought about it, for all his mouthing off of what could have happened. ]

...I think the ones who'd have an easier time of it are people she's close to. But that means her friends betrayed her, and that's too sad to think about.

[axilium]

... Betrayal happens, sometimes. Though I don't really know who was close to her besides Jae-ha.

[He... doesn't really want to suspect Jae-ha. Admittedly, however, the possibility can't be completely eliminated.]

[randori]

I don't know either... I didn't get to talk with Gi-Gan much at all before all of this. She helped me when we first all got here, and we were going down the halls, and I said how cool it'd be to wear that armor...

[ And then she turned up in the armor. And he feels absolutely sick to his stomach. ]

[axilium]

... These things happen. Don't beat yourself too much over it.

[randori]

No, they don't. They're not supposed to happen.

[axilium]

In an ideal world, maybe.