(no subject)

[vicedirector]

Who: Moles
What: Group meetings and some news
When: Week 9

[ When everyone arrives on Monday, Satori's manuscript is on the table. PRESUMABLY BREAK AND LIET HAVE LIFTED THE BOOKMARK, THE ARMOR, AND THE FRIDGE SO THERE'S THAT, TOO.

Leviathan's chilling in the chalk circle, talking to Miata in her usual stiff manner. ]

Comments

Thursday night

[neidvoll]

[ After having called an emergency meeting, Miata is relatively silent, stony-faced and leaning against the wall near the chalkboard. She waits for everyone to gather before speaking up. ]

...I'm resigning on Sunday.

[jackhole]

[ wait ]

... What the fuck?

[crazily]

[ Thanks, Rhys... Break is feeling the same thing, but he'll ask slightly more eloquently: ]

Resign? What is that supposed to mean, Miata?

[neidvoll]

I can forcibly remove myself from the system as an Overseer, and put myself back in as an Envy player.

[jackhole]

[ rhys is still heavily confused here. he doesn't understand what changed? why would you give up such a sweet non-deat-y spot? what happened? what's going on? is it their fault? he should probably say these things. ask them. out loud.

instead he just goes: ]

Wwwwwwwhhhhhhhyyyyyyy?

[neidvoll]

[ Well.... ]

[muties]

Resigning...? Wait, are you really like an employee?

[ roxy figured she was sort of doing this job for free under duress?? or something????? ]

[neidvoll]

It's a figure of speech. But I have a way to eject myself from the system, now that Leviathan's helping.

[ .... ]

I was going to wait another week, but there's been a change of plans.

[muties]

Ok... ok, but why now? ... Is this 'cause of what happened to Urashima?

[ since you were. you know, bluescreening hardcore at that. ]

[neidvoll]

[ She thinks this over a moment. ]

I guess so. Not really sure why, since it's not like we talked a whole lot, or whatever, but it's sort of....

[ another pause. Her voice is still distant and even, but surprisingly calm given how distraught she was earlier. ]

He never really had to be nice to me. I don't blame anyone who isn't, I'm the only visible, touchable link to your kidnapper. But he was, he was nice to everyone, so why...did he have to die like that?

Alisha...was hard, but she wasn't hacked into a million pieces. [ If any of them remember, she did seem angrier than usual during that trial. ] And Gilbert's was awful, of course, it's the same amount of fucked up and disrespectful as this, but I guess this feels more personal, or something. I don't know. Maybe he reminded me of Marta when she wasn't being a shitheaded kid? Maybe it's me not wanting to see anymore chopped up corpses and this was my tipping point? I know it sounds stupid and hypocritical.

Like I said, we're getting down to the wire. This'll make Katerina panic, if I'm legitimately in danger. She'll do what she can to protect me, and she's bound to screw something up if she's distracted.

[muties]

... He really was a good kid who didn't deserve this.

[ It's true, so true. And Roxy does remember Miata being more on edge for Alisha's, but that wasn't surprising since... #molefamily, really. But yeah, this murder is uh. Especially fucked up. Who. Nails a torso to a tree??? ]

It's not hypocritical, you're only human, Miats. You got feelings and shit like everyone else.

... So, if you step down then will Kitty... IDK, take over your job or?

[neidvoll]

Sure doesn't feel like it. There's more than thirty people whose lives are hanging in limbo, and I'm the only person who can fix that.

[ Another pause, and a nod. ]

She doesn't have anyone else who could be the "host"....she'll have to do it herself.

[muties]

You're not completely alone, tho. That's why you got us, right? To help you not be alone and shit.

What, is no one lining up to be hired for your job? I'm shocked, truly.

[crazily]

[ It's easy to see that this explanation doesn't sit well with Break, and it's not hard to guess why. It's incredibly personal for him, and considering that she even brings Gilbert up, his expression immediately goes flat at that point. But whatever he's feeling about it, he doesn't bring it up. It doesn't matter as much, because he still feels like there's a goal to accomplish here, and that's his only priority. ]

Then what does that mean for us? For the dead? We can't accomplish anything without you, so if this is just a random gamble, then I don't approve, to be frank.

[neidvoll]

It's not random. Like Roxy guessed, she'll have to take over in my place.

[ She figured as much that he wouldn't be pleased, but she's honestly out of fucks to give at this point. ]

That'll leave her vulnerable. She'll have to be out in public as much as I am, especially if she's going to try to protect me. Which I know she will.

[crazily]

Whether she takes over your role or not isn't quite what I care about.

[ Since really, he barely even cares about stopping the game at all. If they let it continue to the terms of completion, that would be fine with him, but Break is also terrible. ]

If she's vulnerable, what then? You're the one that holds the cards here, so I hope you understand why I have reservations about you putting yourself in with us. As much as I'd like to take a gamble of my own and cut off her head myself, I have a feeling I'm going to have some difficulty with an approach that direct.

[ that and this would just be stress relief and wouldn't actually do anything else, he figures, but that's implied ]

[neidvoll]

No, I get it. But I was planning on doing this from the beginning, you know, this just...prioritized it, I guess.

But I'll explain more clearly: I don't plan on letting it come down to only seven people left. I wouldn't say I'm as skilled as Katerina is in magic at this point, it's just a matter of time and impossibility, but I think I've got the resurrection ritual down pat. I tried it on a few animals, at first, and one of the nights I was gone, I tried it on a soldier near the border. He was fine. So we're solid in that area.

The thing is, though, Katerina's only got the edge on us as long as she has her book. It's a grimoire, a tome of magic spells, and she needs it to cast magic. I've been using an old notebook, so I guess anything similar is good, but it's an old black book with a buckle on it. If she's not carrying it, she'll keep it somewhere on her person. If you can take that book from her she'll be defenseless.

And if I get that book, I can use some of her custom spells. Not a lot, but it's good enough for what's going to eventually happen. Like Leviathan said, the other demons will need to be taken down. I'm hoping we can do the resurrections first, to have extra help against them, but it'll happen anyway. Leviathan giving us her help will come to light eventually.

[ she pauses to take a breath, then continues. She may as well just explain the entire plan while she's at it. ]

You can't kill them, but you can injure them so badly they have to go back to hell. And I doubt any of them are actually loyal to Katerina, so they most likely won't defend her once it's clear she can't finish the ritual. At that point, we need to only worry about them. Leviathan gave me some of their stats, but I can ask her to do a full report, later. Because they won't be fully summoned, they'll be partially weakened, like Satan was when she fought Undyne. Though, Leviathan will have a slight advantage because she has all of you giving her energy.

...and that kind of trailed off, I guess, but you get the gist. Point is, I'm not doing this blindly or without reason.

[muties]

[ did someone say take, roxy likes to take things let her steal the thing for you sweet miats

i mean, she listens to this whole plan but book stealing gets her roguish attention ]

I suppose just tackling her and grabbing the book would be a no, yeah?

[jackhole]

[ so rhys listens to this and it's totally a pile of crap to him because he is... an asshole. urashima's just some kid? who cares? she's alive so like, whatever. but he likes miata. she's way too soft hearted but if she goes -- who gets them next? what are they going to do? someone needs to be in charge but katerina fucking sucks so... ]

Hey. [ this is probably a stupid idea but. ] Hey, hey. If we need an Overseer, right? Someone we can trust to keep things going and make sure not all of us fucking die because Katerina's an insane bitch? And you're obviously... not at a point to do it anymore because like, trauma or whatever.

[ straightens up a bit!! ]

Let me do it. I'll take your place, you become a player, things aren't off but it totally changes things around, right? You're in danger. You can even make it like I forced you to. She gets mad at me, lots of shit going on, everyone's confused. It'll be great.

[neidvoll]

[ She actually seems to consider this for a second, but then shakes her head. ]

Katerina will know something's up either way, and I doubt she'll believe you forced me. Unless you have a more convincing argument.

[ .... ]

That's the thing, though...she won't bend any of the rules until 7 are left. As far gone as she is, she's still as human as I am. The only ones she's ever actually killed with her own hands are those three from Easter week, and she'd been nursing a grudge against them for over a year. She was still pretty shaken up about it behind the scenes...there's a lot she doesn't show you guys, just being a disembodied voice.

Not that I'm trying to excuse her or anything, don't think that. It's just that we've known each other since we were kids, I know her patterns and reactions well enough.

[jackhole]

[ he continues thinking on this because honestly, he'd rather not have katerina up in their shit. their strength right now is having an ally who works for this game, that's why despite everything, rhys still feels vaguely safe. miata giving that up freaks him out to the core and that makes the possibility of his own death a very real thing. ]

The truth then. Use it as a weapon. You don't approve of her methods. Embellish your connection with Urashima -- and with that reaction earlier, you won't have to -- say that it was the last straw and say that, I don't know, I came to you privately -- don't include the other moles -- about what's gonna happen next. You were pretty upset then, spilled some things, I suggested swapping our roles to freak her out.

I just -- [ he pauses here and looks visibly upset for a moment. ] I don't... trust this game without someone here working for it, on our side. If she's the only one in charge, what happens to everyone left? I-I can't, I don't... know what'll happen. I want all of us to live, dude. How's it gonna work out for any of us if suddenly we're down one ally and the only one we've got left is the psycho with all the power?

[neidvoll]

We've still got Leviathan. I wouldn't say I trust her, because...well, that's kinda stupid, but there's a partnership here whether you like it or not. She did give me the other demons' stats, and it turned out to be true in Satan's case, so I can at least say she's on our side until this mess is over.

[ She nods. ]

And I understand that worry, all of it, but there's not much else I can do to make Katerina act. I'm all she has left, so she'll go to any length to avoid me getting killed. That's one of your worries down. I need you to believe me when I say I know how she'll react. We've literally known each other since we were seven.

You told me that you trusted me. Do you still?

[herbgrace]

[Lithuania has been listening, but she thinks Miata needs to hear this:] I trust you.

[neidvoll]

[ she sure does ]

...thanks. Really.

[herbgrace]

[Lithuania will move so she's near to Miata. She's not protective or anything, no way...] So, you'll need us--or one of the others--to take the book from her. Do her shields work like yours do? [That is, not active unless someone is attacking her?]