[text] @five [open]

[fogey]

[ well, there's no way to say it, except to say it, so: ]

One of us died today. Big guy, blond hair. I don't know his name. I found his body.

[ that's his schtick, isn't it? finding bodies. ]

What I do know is that he fell on some rocks near the beach. Looks like an accident, no foul play. The fall shouldn't have killed him.

[ could've, if the bastard really were that unlucky, but it's unlikely. besides: ]

But it did break his lantern. Seems like Winters was telling the truth about that after all. Before anyone asks:

1) No, I didn't see it happen.
2) Yes, I checked for a pulse.
3) No, I didn't do it.

[ juST COVERING HIS BASES THERE ]

One more thing. I had to step away to get my tablet. When I came back, both he and his lantern were gone. No one else was here, I'm positive. They just vanished into thin air.

[ ooc | so as of today, rosinante (callada) is dead :C feel free to threadjack in this post and use it for discussion or whatever! ]

Comments

[fogey]

That's smart. I wouldn't trust us either, in your shoes.

[ he certainly doesn't trust their entire group, as it is. as for the rest: huh. ]

Start with that. The chosen guide, the arbitrary rules. What are those?

[donttalktome]

When the lighthouse keeper decides to reset the town, she picks someone to shepherd the inevitable next group of unfortunates.
Typically this is the only person who survives.
Aside from Rastus.
The arbitrary rules are that he's not supposed to lead you in any one direction.
You're supposed to figure things out for yourselves.
To be quite honest I don't know if those are his rules or hers.
Though it was both of our decision to withhold one particular piece of information for the time being.
One thing at a time, you all need to get used to being dead first.

[fogey]

[ he remembers winters saying that will was a strange case. not precisely someone meant to survive. he doesn't ask about it now, but keeps it in mind. ]

Appreciate the honesty.

[ like, he thinks having to get used to being dead is bullshit, but. at least will's owning this. ]

We're supposed to figure things out for ourselves. This is about the performance of ours she's going to be judging?

[donttalktome]

Essentially, yes.
And before you ask, no, I don't know what her exact expectations are.
I have a feeling I know why our group didn't meet them, but I don't know what she's looking for.
The best guess is that she wants us to fix all this somehow.

[fogey]

Why do you think group didn't meet them? And fix what?

[donttalktome]

[There's a bit of a pause before the answer, where normally his replies come with rather predictable swiftness.]

I told you there were things I didn't much want to talk about.
This is one of them.
Let's say for now that there was a bit of a breakdown.
Certain people got hung up on a certain thing to the detriment of everyone else.
Ask Winters, maybe he'll tell you more.
But as it stood we weren't getting any closer to solving the problem.
The problem being, I assume, the state of this place.
It's locked in a perpetual darkness and a constant cycle of arrivals and resets. I believe she wants us to change that.

[fogey]

Change that how? I thought she was the one causing the resets.

[ the rest...the rest, he files away. something to keep in mind as their group progresses, and to keep in mind about will. winters, too -- five probably will follow up with him eventually. ]

[donttalktome]

She is, but she might not have to— and I say "have to" with a grain of salt here— if we accomplished whatever it is we're supposed to do.
Bring the sun back, stop the ferry, something.
Like I said, we didn't get all that close to solving the problem, or even figuring out what it is.

[fogey]

[ save the damn world. isn't that always the objective? ]

Who's pulling her strings?

[ it's not lost on him, how winters and will don't quite lay blame at her feet. the allusions to something bigger being at play. winters had said this mess wasn't her fault, and now this. you'd think a few survivors of resets would hate her more than any of them.

and if there's someone behind all this, there's a mark. ]

[donttalktome]

No one, as far as I can tell.
She's the highest authority, and I use that word lightly, that I've ever met here.
Winters would likely be upset if he saw me painting her in a poor light, so I'll leave it at this: we don't get along very well.
Point of fact, I feel something close to hate in her general direction.
So if there was someone else behind her actions, she probably wouldn't tell me.

[Yeah, you're not far off the mark there, Five.]

[fogey]

[ oh good he can go back to plan a then: kill the lighthouse keeper ]

So why does Winters like her so much?

[donttalktome]

[That sure is A Plan.]

He thinks of her as one of us.
Trapped in an unfortunate situation that's largely out of her control.
I tend to disagree.
She might be like us, I've never asked.
As in, she might be dead.
But she certainly has more control over all of this than we do. That alone makes her different.

[fogey]

[ a cog in the machine, he can hear the handler saying now. ]

I agree. Whatever else is going on, she's got power over us. That's not nothing