[ch. 3] post-trial, w/ varian

[asswipe]

[You know what

she's just going to

grab Varian by the shoulders after Yams has been taken away

and haul him somewhere private.]

Akechi has one of the partner roles.

Comments

[alchemenace]

[ ... huh ]

Well it's a good thing he's alive.

[ HE'S NOT SURE WHAT ELSE TO SAY TO THAT ]

[asswipe]

But he's not the one who saved the previous partnerless. I don't know if he even intends to use his gift, or if there's some catch.

[SHE'S DYING. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.]

And we don't know how many partnerless the other role can save.

[alchemenace]

[ ... hm. ]

... Okay. So that's bad.

[ rip rapunzel and toob and other ion and souji??? hm ]

Did he tell you that himself?

[asswipe]

He did.

[rip, indeed.]

He wouldn't explain the specifics, though. I'm... going to talk to him later and ask what he plans to do, but I don't expect a straight answer.

[alchemenace]

And I'm guessing he doesn't know who the other one is?

[asswipe]

... I didn't think to ask, to be honest.

[WHICH, IN RETROSPECT, WAS DUMB.]

[alchemenace]

So there's still a chance they're coordinating this. Maybe.

[asswipe]

There is, I hope. I'll ask when I see him, but, again — I don't think the asshole knows how to be straightforward when it matters.

[alchemenace]

I don't think he knows how to be straightforward in general.

[ from what he has. seen. ]

But for now, that means there's nothing we can do except hope for the best. [ a beat ] As usual. [ :| ]

[asswipe]

As usual.

[This sucks, bro.]

... By the way, what did you think about Ion and Belph? Fitzgerald's Ion, not Natsuo's.

[alchemenace]

Ion told me the contents of it during trial, he has the Beast letter. We should talk to him.

[ that's straightforward and easy. but... ]

Belph knew something, but I think we should be more careful there. We don't know how he got that information.

[asswipe]

[She nods because, yeah. Talking to Ion is something they should definitely do. But as far as Belph goes...]

... Yeah, that's what I thought, too. [She hums, thoughtfully.] I've talked with Belph a lot and he doesn't seem— bad, I guess. But it's hard to connect with him outside of shooting the breeze. What do you think about him?

[alchemenace]

... Similarly, to be honest. It's hard to get a read on him.

[ not that varian is generally very good at people, but belph is. worse. ]

[asswipe]

[hm. unfortunate.]

I... usually talk to him after trials. Mostly to complain about how awful it was. [and insult akechi, but what's new??] I can ask what he thinks about the letters, and see if he says anything new.

[alchemenace]

It's worth a try, but... Do you think he'd tell you anything important?

[ regardless. ]

I meant to tell you, I learned what Beauty did to get them both banished.

[asswipe]

Not really. But it's worth a shot.

[belph is a mystery!! either way, she perks up at that.]

... What did Beauty do?

[alchemenace]

Beauty stabbed Tiger in a throne room. With a dagger. Through the heart.

[ maybe don't perk up. ]

[asswipe]

Oh. Holy shit.

[Y I K E S!!]

That wasn't in the book. Where did you learn that?

[alchemenace]

Someone had a vision of it. [ how or why?? mystery ] So that's. One way we shouldn't end things.

[asswipe]

... No kidding. Let's not play at stabbing Caesar with the Crafters, please.

[alchemenace]

Or tell Natsuo about it, apparently.

[ ok so he's still a little bitter ]

[asswipe]

We're not telling Natsuo anything ever. What the hell was up with him tonight?!

[alchemenace]

I, I don't know! [ throws his arms up in the air. or. well. the one. ] He came back insane, or he was always that way, but he's, he's, he's got no clue what's he's talking about.

[asswipe]

He wasn't like this before! Or, at least, not so openly! [He was giving shounen friendship speeches a couple of weeks ago!! It makes no sense!!] I'm worried he's going to influence some of us here.

[alchemenace]

Like Rapunzel's partner? [ he. he has a name, varian. ] I'm pretty sure that's why people voted for him in the end.

[asswipe]

Yama... Yamama... [...] Yes, like Rapunzel's partner. And anyone else who'd fall into thinking that death is a better answer.

[alchemenace]

... Most people reacted badly during the trial, but. Things are already bad. If they start going worse...

[ people do weird things when they're desperate! ]

[asswipe]

... We'll start seeing more bodies. And more bodies means that one of the faction could get wiped out.

[please save them from bad end.]

[alchemenace]

[ ... ]

So obviously we can't let him keep speaking like that. But what can we do?

[asswipe]

Put tape over his mouth and hope he doesn't know how to take it off?

[alchemenace]

... I might have something we can use. He could theoretically breathe through it.

[ VARIAN THIS ISN'T A LEGITIMATE OPTION ]

[asswipe]

[IT ISN'T LEGITIMATE

AND YET]

Theoretically.

[alchemenace]

Well. Rudiger could. I've never tested it on humans. It usually only reaches about to their ankles.

[asswipe]

... You're going to have to run me through how this works, because I'm just not picturing it.

[alchemenace]

Oh, because, um, usually it's thrown at the ground. To catch animals. It's a sticky, pink substance-- you know what, it's not important.