Ashbringer

Rashe’s eyebrows - as much as he currently had eyebrows - rose. So. He wasn’t the only person here with a magic sword. Good to know, though he’d assumed this place had others. Zymni herself… Rashe didn’t know much about her, as they’d been indisposed at similar times, but she didn’t fit in perfectly with this place. Not in an imperfect way, not like him, but something from a world connected but different. He’d only met someone like himself twice, and neither time was this… neat. People had seemed to accept him as Marton, and now people accepted him as Rashe. Maybe not Makazi, but even Coliver. Rashe did feel a twinge for manipulating her, but he needed her onboard. It was her nature not to trust… it was his to gain trust unearned. Besides, normally he’d do it through loops, and that had worked against him this time. ”Zymni, is it? When you have a moment,” Rashe called, his own blade still in a makeshift back-brace. He’d let her talk with Ap, first, but if nothing else he was curious.

Yes? … sorry, I’ve sleep-deprived but also do not particularly want to be the Mayor and try and pull a win from this trying to exe a functionally immortal Elim

Mistfallen

I’m confused how PMing code words helps in a world where 1) multiple Elims exist and 2) probably aren’t putting the Stone Mask on until last minute. And now the Elims have it? So how’s that plan seeming?

Interesting… though not sure it tells us much, since any Elim could have gone for Romani and not just E!Mist. Ngl I’m going to go to bed and wait to see what’s happening RP wise

Who had the Romani Mask Loop B?

I mean sure, if you want the elims having a 3/4 chance of getting it instead of a 3/6

Alright, who did it

"Because we're the ones who are here," Coliver said with a half-breath, following Kieran inside. "We're the ones that remember." And somewhere - whether it was Rashe, or Makazi, or Marton, or from greater beyond - something gave her a nod. Go ahead. They need this. You need this. "I died. Again. And believe me, I never want to do that again. But this time I did it for someone - for Ap. This time I chose it. And that's... that's important somehow. I... I don't want to do this again. I don't think I'd fault anyone for just turning, running, going South or North where things have already played out and just forgetting. But I'm not going to. I'm staying." The untrusting part of her pointed out the flaws in her arguments. That Ap didn't have a choice. That Coliver was one bad choice away from joining those running into the woods. That, if the Skull Kid had two of the great Masks, there were only so many more he needed. But Coliver couldn't change any of that, any more than she could change the moon falling. Not alone. "Termina needs us. But also... we need each other? And there's more than just us. Others remember too. We've seen them. And even those who don't remember everything - Viscen, Vale, everyone in Clock Town - they can help. It's just up to us to figure out how." It was about here that whatever was filling Coliver's sails went out with a sigh, and inspiration replaced itself with a sense of dread. Because it couldn't be all sunshine and unity, could it? Not when unity had carved out her heart? "... and who," Coliver whispered. "Because Skull Kid remembers, he's been there each time, but it can't just be him. Whoever is behind this, whoever's with him, someone there remembers too." Stick asked me to say that both Stick and TJ e!slipped in the dead doc. Me not being able to read (both Stick and the english language) missed that she also included herself, and also wasn't sure where TJ e!slipped, so I reported as "Stick says TJ e!slipped". Which most people seemed to ignore D3 because it wasn't really relevant. More interest now, though it's fun watching TJ and Stick debate it

Yeah, Circus can’t counter Stone. Keaton might be better to go for.

Rats. Blocking an NK would work, but that would be hard to pull off even if we have a good idea where-ish Elims are. Bremen Mask would be good for the Village to have if you're not going for Stone, hint hint.

Coco.

Makazi was nearly running ahead, now. Leaving Rashe walking comfortably behind, and Coliver strung between. "I don't think she likes me very much," Rashe said. "I don't like you very much," Coliver replied. "Are you doing this? Are you behind this?" "Honestly? I thought I was. But no, this is something else. Your friend Ap's? Unless you mean something other than the whole temporal recursion. I've been in that for a long time now, but it's usually my torment rather than a song." It said it so matter-of-factly that it was hard to take it for its word... and yet Coliver did. "Dying's always rough, though. Plus you found me out. That's hard for people to do, trust me." Trust it. Trust him. Coliver found herself... almost doing it. She could almost brush away that part of her that wanted to scream, that was saying he'd laced words with enchanted honey, that this wasn't what she should feel right now... almost. But even that part of her agreed that Rashe wasn't lying to her. "And why in the deeps should I trust you?" "You really shouldn't. But I have that effect on people. It's feast's way of helping, maybe. I'm no Dreamer." "Col! We're here, cmon!" Makazi interrupted, running into Thistle's shop. Coliver followed, before Rashe's hand lightly touched her shoulder. She still recoiled, and it pulled back. "I can explain who I am, more, to you and your friends... or I can just be the guy with a sword. Up to you." Coliver hesitated. For a moment. Then ran in toward her friends, hoping it would... hoping he would... just hoping.

Makazi remembered this time. She knew. She’d seen Coliver die… that had shaken her. But she seemed more relieved that Coliver was alright, and that she wasn’t crazy about the whole time-repeating thing. And fortunately, she was still ready to go. ”We can walk to Thistle’s while we talk,” Makazi said, side-eye-ing the spirit. ”Works for me!” it said, far too cheery. It became quickly apparent that Coliver had zero idea where they were going. Makazi, fortunately, did. It also became apparent that the Spirit was not one to lead a conversation, though it did seem like… “What did you do to Marton?” Makazi asked, in a tone of voice Coliver didn’t think she’d ever heard from her. The spirit was unfazed. “Nothing. He was dead by the time I arrived. You can call me Rashe, by the way. Since you asked.”

This is a whole lot of discussion and a whole lot of not RPing

I can confirm this, for any of the V!Survivors wondering Though technically I did what Stick said, just… only by half Not saying I trust TJ, I very much do not, but we’ve got other things to worry about. Maybe I’d be a popular Mayor, but that doesn’t mean I want to be one Which is probably why I got NKed early, if we’re being realistic. That being said: @Mistfallen Soldier, you’ve alluded to a plan you’ve been actively been working on, and I’ve been dying to know what it is, because I don’t think we or you have the time to wait and find out. Also @Doc12 how’s that paycheck looking, and are you about to do what I perhaps think you can do

Pretty sure e!Burnt would have funds for it today. v!Burnt wouldn't. Meanwhile e! or v!Mist probably would have funds for it. But I don't think that's information we can actually use. Also it wouldn't be too hard to prove who has the Stone Mask with voting. Depending on how Mayor-y I become.

Pretty sure they can buy it D1 and put it on N1, then they're invincible D2 onwards. Permanent for the loop or permanent for the game?

The music pierced the darkness again. Coliver blinked, then recoiled away from the open oven. No. No no no, she was not nearly burning herself this time, this was - this time? Moonfall, she'd been shot. That had hurt. She absentmindedly set down the tray of pastries, shut the oven, and slumped down to the ground. That... darkness... she didn't think anyone else had gone through it from Ap's friends, they wouldn't know how bad it was. She didn't know if she could do it again. If she died again, and Ap brought her back again, if she'd be able to stand, to get off this floor and go try and be a hero again. Moons, her legs were still debating that point. But while her body conversed and ached, her mind was making itself up. She'd saved someone. She hadn't been knocked out, kidnapped... stabbed... she'd taken an arrow for someone. Someone that something, deep down in the recesses that trusted, told her was Ap. It wasn't meant for her. But she'd taken it anyway. It was her. Choice. To make. And that was important, somehow. It was the decision she'd made on that cliff face, before it was taken from her for the second time in... three days? Six? How did you count this? Decisions. Actions. She needed to get Makazi and Vale - Vale would have been too far away, but Makazi would remember this time. She needed to find the others... Moons. She needed to find Zymni. If Thistle's friend had gone through what she had - she didn't know for sure. But that same trust didn't trust that Zymni would just be last. "Coliver?" That wasn't Makazi's voice. She turned to see Not, Not, Marton. From toe to neck it still looked like him, but its face... its face looked like Marton's was shining through that carnival glass that stretched it out, then was pushed together to look like a face, with the color blanched and the cheek scales drawn in and... something calmed Coliver's initial terror. It was a face. Just a face. Just... not Marton's face. And not Marton's sword, either. The spirit was in full appearance now. "Hi," the spirit said. "We should probably talk."

Because I think NKing Coco, Mist, or Burnt might result in the Village winning the loop

Pretty sure the reason is so there’s 3 living un-confirmed villagers by loop end instead of 2. NKing Hael, Doc, or TwinStorm would give us a good amount of info.

Hey, Ap! Hey, Coliver! … that hurt.

Coliver and Makazi got to the ruins of the temple late. Not too late, hopefully, but based on the earth shaking… late. There was a pit in the ground. Beneath were the sounds of the ground shaking, something heavy moving. Coliver shouldn’t have been able to hear anything else from where she was. And yet… there was the faintest voice… ”Thistle! Amora! Anyone!” she yelled down. “It’s Coliver! We’re up here!” Her words echoed. If there was a response from her friends, it would take its time. But the ground beneath her feet? The earthquakes moving everything? That responded immediately. And now it was Coliver’s turn to fall.

Coliver was alone again. It was really a bad habit she'd formed. She and Makazi and Vale had been at the rear of the Quartermaster's guard, only to watch as most of them walked forward into a minefield. Vale had wanted to stay behind and tend to the wounded, and Coliver hadn't had a good reason why she shouldn't. Makazi... couldn't decide, and so made her choice from indecision. But Coliver had to go on. Ap's friends, the other one's she'd left behind... they were all vanished. Sakon thought they might have headed to the temple, that's why he'd said to follow, but between the earthquakes and the nightmares, Coliver doubted that was his real reason. Or at least someone in his cohort had a real reason, but Coliver still couldn't get close enough to learn. The Wayward... whoever these killers were, she doubted they were bold enough to take on all of them. Some of them knew how to fight. But Coliver knew there was only one thing that would unite them to move like this. Dare she hope? That Ap could somehow be okay? That it wasn't all on her? She wasn't sure whether to call it hope or relief or terror, all she knew that one way or another she had to know. If Ap was dead, then maybe it was up to her. But if Ap was alive... Coliver would have to give everything to make her stay that way. "Psst!" Coliver whirled around, half-known images of knives in her mind... and behind her was Makazi. "Makazi! What are you doing here!" "Vale said she'd got it. You're the one who decided to trapeeze through a forest filled with explosives," Makazi replied, jumping down off a small rock as if she expected it too was a landmine. "This isn't like you, Col." "Yeah... but this is who I think I need to be." For a moment - just one, maybe two - Coliver thought about telling Makazi to go, to leave, to be far enough away to not have to face the music. She didn't want her friend to go through what she had, and if Coliver was right, there was a decent chance death waited for her up the road or in the ruins of that temple. But Makazi could help. She was stronger than Coliver, knew her way around, and was... usually better at making decisions quickly. But Coliver had had a lot more time to think about it. And maybe, just maybe, Coliver wanted to be the hero for once. But the moment passed. This problem still needed heroes, anyway. "Come on. Sakon's going to catch up eventually, we need to get moving."