Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“The Comet goes out in a blaze of glory.”

“The Earth reaches victory, but never the end of his story.”

“Mars awaits oblivion on the shore’s sand.”

“As the Moon’s broken cry echoes through the land.”

“And so the Stars stand above it all.”

“Just as the Sun takes his final fall.”

“But through all the despair, this game cannot end.”

“Not ‘til We see blood spilt, as friend turns against friend.”

“In this duel of lies and wit, there can be only one.”

“Let this new Life begin…”

OUR.

WILL.

BE.

DONE.

.

.

.

They say Death is kind.

Even if it takes, it only ever takes what it’s allowed. It grants the fighters a final blaze of glory, a chance to prove their worth before they take their final breath. It assures the weakened that they did all they could, softly shutting their eyes for their well-earned rest. Death greeted every newly deceased soul with thee same love and warmth as a mother might show her child.

…

???: “...o…? Is……re…?”

…

Except, that was all a lie. Considering all his personal experience with Death, it was never that way.

Death was cruel. Death was hateful. And worst of all, Death had a sick, twisted sense of humor.

It never came as a solemn reaper. It came as an arrow, soaring in a perfect arc to shatter his skull into pieces.

It never assured him that he did his best. It only ever taunted him as a blade was driven square into his back.

???: “....it…Ji…! Ca….”

There was never a gentle pat on his back. There was only ever a claw wrapped around his throat, squeezing and squeezing until there was nothing left.

There were never warning signs ahead of time. There was only ever a stray track in his path, something he only ever noticed until it was far too late.

???: “Hey…ca….er m…?”

And even when it looked like he might have a chance, Death would always whistle along with that damn chirping. Seconds before those shrieks tore him limb from limb.

???: “....ke up….plea…!”

A final BAM before it all--

???: “....wake. UP!”

SMACK!

Jimmy woke up to a sharp, stinging pain to his face. He jolted forwards, nearly colliding head-first with….someone else. His vision was still so blurry, it was hard to tell exactly who.

JIMMY: “Gh?!”

???: “Oh dear! I-I didn’t mean to hit him that hard…”

JIMMY: (“‘Didn’t mean to hit that hard’? I’d be surprised if they didn’t knock a tooth loose!”)

JIMMY: (“....wait, wait, wait, hold on a sec’...I recognize that voice.”)

Still rubbing at his cheek, Jimmy rapidly blinked. His vision, slowly but surely, began to clear.

A pink-haired woman knelt by his side, with delicate fairy wings fluttering behind her as she moved. It was someone he could recognize anywhere, although he’d never seen her quite so concerned in recent memory.

JIMMY: “...L-Lizzie…?”

*LDShadowLady has been added to Player Profiles.*

LIZZIE: “Oh! I wasn’t expecting that to actually work. Are you okay?”

JIMMY: “I…am I okay? Did you just punch me?!”

LIZZIE: “No, I just slapped you.”

JIMMY: “That’s not much better!”

LIZZIE: “Sorry, sorry! You weren’t waking up and I…I just panicked!”

JIMMY: “Did you break into my house just to slap me awake?!”

Lizzie’s expression immediately darkened as she held a hand out for him.

LIZZIE: “...um…a-about that…”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, but took her hand anyways. She pulled him upright, as he finally got a better look around them both.

JIMMY: (“...t-this isn’t…where…are we?”)

Instead of the familiar surroundings of home, both of them were on the floor of a completely foreign library. There were desks dotted about, in between dusty bookshelves and wooden pillars. The windows were very loosely boarded up with old planks, with just enough gaps to let some stray beams of sunlight in. The room seemed to eventually open out into an equally unfamiliar hallway via two, large archways.

For all intents and purposes, it was an average, if very old library. And yet, just the sight of it made Jimmy’s stomach sink.

LIZZIE: “I woke up just a bit ago. I was taking a peek around when I found you just…lying on the floor in here and, um, I might’ve panicked a small bit when you didn’t respond. At all.”

JIMMY: (“…I wish I was only panicking “a small bit”….”)

JIMMY: “…so you have….no clue where we are right now.”

LIZZIE: “…Pretty much.”

JIMMY: “Then….do you remember how you got here?”

LIZZIE: “Do you?”

Jimmy thought for a moment, before his stomach sunk even deeper.

JIMMY: “The….last thing I remember is getting ready for something. And then….I had some weird dreams.”

All it took was a single glance at Lizzie to tell him that she was in the same predicament. Jimmy groaned, curling in on himself slightly and bringing his wings in closer.

JIMMY: “Oh my Gods, we’ve been kidnapped.”

LIZZIE: “….I mean, probably, but you didn’t need to say it out loud.”

The two sat there in an uncomfortable silence, as if trying to quietly brainstorm together. What else could they even do, anyways?

It felt like hours before Jimmy heard movement besides him. Lizzie had stood, her worried expression now replaced with a more…brighter (he couldn’t think of any other way to describe it) look.

LIZZIE: “…It’s not going to do any good just sitting here and moping about. C’mon, Jimmy.”

JIMMY: “Wha….? Lizzie, we’ve been kidnapped, what else are we supposed to do?”

LIZZIE: “Let’s escape then! I dunno how long we’ve been here, but I’m certain that Joel’s noticed by now. And if I know him, he’ll be driving himself mad trying to find us. If we can just find the exit, I bet he’s already waiting on the other end.”

JIMMY: (“….She’s right. If anybody could find us right now, it’d be Joel. He’d give me an earful if I just spent the entire time moping around while he’s tryin’ to save us.”)

He took a deep breath, before shakily rising to his feet as well, a new-found hope swelling in his chest.

JIMMY: “Right. Let’s crack on then! Where we lookin’ first?”

LIZZIE: “Yes! Alright, so like I was saying earlier, I did get a chance to look around a bit before I found you. I didn’t find…anything but books and a lot of dust, so I think we should start looking around outside. Like for a front entrance or something.”

JIMMY: (“I sincerely doubt they’d just leave the front door unlocked, especially if we’ve been kidnapped…but I suppose it’s a better goal than just nothing.”)

The two took a very cursory glance around the library as they made for the exit, although there wasn’t really anything of note.

Outside the library was a very simple, albeit large hallway. It split off into several different rooms, although none of them were as large as the library they had just come from. There were office spaces, small wheat farms, and even just completely empty spaces with nothing but a window to look out of.

That is, until they finally came across a fairly large storage room. The walls were covered with chests and barrels, some even overflowing with spare building and travelling supplies. Similarly to the library as well, it seemed as if the room was strangely unused despite the amount of supplies inside. A large cloud of dust had been kicked up by someone, still scattered through the air by the time Jimmy and Lizzie walked in.

But, more importantly, there were two people stood right by the room’s entrance, searching through some of the chests.

???: “....supply situation isn’t dire, at least.”

???: “I mean, is it? Most of the stuff in here is just a load of junk.”

???: “You…never know when you need string?”

???: “...What are you even making that needs that much string?”

One of them, a mustached man dressed in an immaculate suit, floundered for a moment, eyes darting everywhere but his companion before he noticed both Lizzie and Jimmy approaching.

???: “O-Oh! Oh, hello there! I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else!”

???: “You’re dodging the question here.”

???: “No, I’m not! There’s--”

LIZZIE: “Sorry, we’re not interrupting anything, are we?”

The other person, a green-skinned zombie(?) with curly ginger hair, turned to face them, their expression softening somewhat as soon as they saw them.

???: “Huh. And here I thought we found everyone. Did you two just wake up yourselves?”

JIMMY: “...yes? You wouldn’t happen--”

???: “‘To know what’s going on’? Hope I don’t disappoint, but we don’t. Nobody does, for that matter.”

JIMMY: (“Right. I didn’t think I was that predictable.”)

JIMMY: “‘Nobody’? How many people are here, then?”

The mustached man counted his fingers, furrowing his brow.

???: “Erm…I believe we’ve found 13 others. Although, I guess that’d be 16 if we include all 4 of us.”

LIZZIE: “16 people?!”

???: “I think….? Of course, I suppose there could be others like you both who woke up later than the rest of us.”

???: “Speaking of. Don’t think you two have introduced yourselves yet. Mind sharing?”

LIZZIE: “Oh! Right, sorry. I’m Lizzie. And this is Jimmy!”

JIMMY: “We woke up in the library, just down the hall.”

???: “….hm.”

???: “Of course, pleasure meeting you both. Although…I certainly wish it weren’t under these circumstances.”

MUMBO: “It’s only right we return the favor, right? My name is Mumbo K. Jumbo. But just…um….just call me Mumbo.”

*Mumbo has been added to Player Profiles.*

LIZZIE: “Mumbo….Oh! Wait, I think I’ve heard of you! You’re the super famous redstone engineer, right?”

MUMBO: “Ha…I….That does sound like me, yes. I don’t know if I’d call myself ‘famous’ or anything.”

JIMMY: (“Wow, talk about being modest. If I was able to make even one redstone doohickey, I don’t think I’d ever shut up about it, personally.”)

???: “…..”

MUMBO: “…Cleo, is something wrong?”

CLEO?: “…..”

Jimmy felt his feathers rise a bit, noticing the zombie was watching him rather intently. It was only once Mumbo spoke that she seemed to snap back to reality.

CLEO?: “….No. I’m fine. Just thought you looked familiar, is all.”

JIMMY: (“‘Familiar’? That’s odd, I don’t think we’ve ever met. I don’t recognize her, at least…..”)

CLEO: “Whatever, it’s not important, anyways. I’m Cleo.”

*ZombieCleo has been added to Player Profiles.*

JIMMY: (“…Can’t help but notice she’s still watching me like a hawk. I don’t have anything on my face, do I?”)

LIZZIE: “It’s a pleasure to meet you both! If I can ask, have you found anything around here? We’re looking around to try and find a way out.”

CLEO: “You and the rest of us, honestly.”

JIMMY: (“Definitely don’t like the way they said that.”)

MUMBO: “We…admittedly, haven’t found much on that front. There’s plenty of storage, but it looks as if most everything in here is for building. A part of me was hoping for more, quite honestly.”

CLEO: “Most of the junk in here is useless. ‘Cept for that corner back there.”

Cleo pointed to one of the corners in the back. Even peering through the shelves, Jimmy could catch the glint of metal hidden amongst the junk, along with various bows, all unstrung, hung across the wall.

A chill ran down his spine. Why did it look like an entire stockpile of weapons?

CLEO: “At the very least, we won’t have to worry about mobs.”

LIZZIE: “Hm…Interesting.”

JIMMY: (“No clue what to make of that, other than the fact that it’s a bit disturbing. And it doesn’t sound like Lizzie does either. Worse case scenario, maybe we can just…break through the walls?”

The two bid goodbye to Mumbo and Cleo, leaving them to continue searching through the storage.

Further down the hall, they eventually came across what looked like army barracks, which were retro-fitted to become an infirmary. There were three beds pressed up against one wall and a decently sized workspace alongside the other. 

A woman was looking around the workspace, dressed entirely in red with large, moth-like wings just barely visible under her cloak. The instant they stepped into the room, she practically spun on her heel to face them, her gaze sharp and wary.

JIMMY: “Uh…hi! We didn’t scare you, did we?”

???: “….No. It doesn’t look like you have weapons on you….”

It almost felt like they were being sized up. Or at least, it felt like that until the woman turned to Jimmy. At first, a look recognition flashed across her face, only to be replaced with confusion.

???: “….wait, hold on a second.”

She crossed the room, immediately grabbing Jimmy’s arm before he could flinch back.

JIMMY: “Wha-?!”

LIZZIE: “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

The woman ignored them both, instead poking Jimmy right in the cheek, her frown deepening.

JIMMY: (“Ow, ow, ow…Did she have to choose the one that got slapped?!”)

???: “….I’m really not hallucinating, everyone’s really….it’s actually you, Jimmy...”

JIMMY: “Oi! Let go of me, will you?!”

???: “Huh? Oh, sorry.”

Jimmy nearly wrenched his wrist free, only to nearly tumble back as the woman let him go anyways.

???: “I just thought….didn’t you and Tango…y’know?”

She drug a finger across her neck to emphasize her point. However, whatever her point was, Jimmy didn’t follow.

JIMMY: “I’m….sorry? Me and who now did what?”

???: “Gods, Tango had the same reaction when I asked him! You two were pretty much joined at the hip before. Did something happen between you guys?”

Jimmy couldn’t help but take a step backwards, as the woman groaned pinching at the bridge of her nose.

LIZZIE: “I’m…sorry to interrupt, but you two know each other?”

JIMMY: “No.”

???: “Yes.”

…

JIMMY: (“Awesome. Third person we run into here and she’s gone completely mad already. Lovely.”)

LIZZIE: “....ooooookay! Would you mind…introducing yourself then? For my sake at least?”

???: “....”

She glared at Lizzie, who let out a small yelp in response and tried to duck behind Jimmy.

PEARL: “....Pearl. My name is Pearl.”

*PearlescentMoon has been added to Player Profiles.*

PEARL: “Gah…goodness gracious, I’m actually getting a headache over this. What in the world is going on?”

LIZZIE: “So you also don’t know why we’re all here, huh? That’s a bummer…”

PEARL: “No, I’ve got an idea. And quite frankly, I’m pissed. Off.”

Pearl’s wings rose slightly as she spoke, which only made her look bigger and, honestly, much more terrifying. There was just…something about her that gave off a very, very dangerous aura.

JIMMY: (“Oooooh, I do. Not. Like how she said that. What do you mean you have an idea?!”)

LIZZIE: “Um…right. So…have…have you found anything?”

PEARL: “Nah. Just a bunch of potions and medical junk. Although…”

She suddenly opened up a nearby barrel and, after digging around for a minute, pulled out a bottle filled with an off-color green liquid.

PEARL: “Surprising amount of poison in here. I’d be more concerned if they were splash potions, but…y’know, still not a good sign.”

LIZZIE: “Well…It’s still good to have, just in case someone gets hurt!”

PEARL: “I think you mean “when” someone gets hurt, mate.”

JIMMY: “Awfully pessimistic of you.”

Once again, Pearl fixed him with a sharp look. And…a raised eyebrow. Lizzie gave him a slight punch in the arm.

LIZZIE: “Jimmy!”

JIMMY: “What? I’m bein’ honest!”

LIZZIE: “Maybe don’t antagonize the scary lady?”

PEARL: “....”

If Pearl had heard them, she certainly didn’t let it show, instead choosing to pocket the bottle and turn back towards the rest of the infirmary.

PEARL: “...I think I’ll stay ‘round here for a bit. Just let me know when it’s time to start, ‘kay?”

JIMMY: “Time to…’start’?”

PEARL: “Can’t be long now, right? See ya ‘round.”

JIMMY: (“...I literally have no idea what she’s talking about. But…it might just be for the best if I nod along.”)

At the very least, it was nice to know that they weren’t completely screwed over should their escape attempt go south. Moving back to the hall, there weren’t many other rooms before the hall took a sharp left turn.

But, before they could even see around the corner, Jimmy very nearly ran into someone, although he just barely stopped before they could collide.

JIMMY: “Woah there!”

???: “‘Ey! Watch out, ya nearly hit me!”

JIMMY: “Sorry, sorry. I almost didn’t see you there.”

Two new people stood before them, the shorter of the two immediately puffing up at that statement.

???: “Excuse you?”

???: “Relax. They were coming ‘round the corner, man. I don’t blame them, really.”

???: “...Oh. Yeah, guess you’re right.”

???: “Though, your height doesn’t really help.”

???: “HEY!”

The taller of the two snickered to himself, before looking back to Lizzie and Jimmy.

???: “You two must’ve just woken up too, right? Welcome to the party. None of us know what’s going on, before you ask.”

JIMMY: “Um…Right. Kinda figured that. You guys are looking around too then?”

???: “Yup.”

LIZZIE: “Then have you found anything? Oh! Like maybe an exit!”

???: “Gods, I wish. All we’ve found is a bunch’a empty rooms and some weird door we couldn’t even open.”

JIMMY: (“Disappointing, but I’m…noticing a very concerning trend.”)

???: “There is a dining hall place down the other way that a few others are looking in. They’ve probably found more, if you wanna ask them.”

LIZZIE: “That’d be very helpful, yes. Thank you so much…er…”

ETHO: “Name’s Etho. My buddy here is--”

???: “I can introduce myself, thank you very much.”

BDUBS: “BdoubleO at your service! Most folks just call me Bdubs for short, though. Charmed, I’m sure.”

*Etho has been added to Player Profiles.*

*BdoubleO100 has been added to Player Profiles.*

LIZZIE: “It’s nice meeting you both too. I’m Lizzie and this is Jimmy.”

ETHO: “S’up.”

BDUBS: “You two find anythin’ yet?”

JIMMY: “Nothing of note, unfortunately. Just a library and a bunch of rooms some others are poking around in.”

BDUBS: “Library, eh? Etho, let’s head there next then!”

ETHO: “We literally just wake up after being knocked out for who-knows-how-long and you’re already trying to find a nap spot, huh?”

JIMMY: (“I wish I could be that carefree, honestly. I can’t imagine laying down for a nap of all things right about now.”)

BDUBS: “So what, not comin’ with?”

ETHO: “Oh, no. I’m definitely coming along. I’d like to see what books they have here, personally.”

LIZZIE: “Aren’t you guys looking for a way out too?”

BDUBS: “We’ve been searchin’ for what feels like hours, and we’ve found absolutely nothin’. Can’t blame a guy for wanting a little rest, can ya?”

ETHO: “Someone’s got something set up, obviously. I’m much more content to see how this all plays out, personally.”

JIMMY: (“And here I thought Etho was actually being somewhat serious about this all. How are they both so casual about this?!”)

LIZZIE: “Well, I suppose we’ll leave you both to it. Stay safe, you two!”

BDUBS: “See ya!”

Etho just gave a small grunt and wave in response as the two groups split up and went separate ways.

Halfway down the hall was the dining hall that Etho had mentioned. It was large, much larger than Jimmy was expecting, actually. There were several wooden tables scattered about, with grand chandeliers lighting up the room. There was an iron door in the corner, likely leading to the kitchens, and a serving counter to the right of that.

As expected at this point, there was duo inside. Two men, one with small horns poking out from under his hair and one whose hair was literally on fire, were both sat at one of the tables.

???: “...definitely been modified in some way. I’ve never seen any with dining halls this big…”

???: “Is that, like…in a good way or bad way? ‘Cause I’ll be honest, man, this place is giving me massive creeps regardless.”

???: “Given our situation…?”

The horned man trailed off, his frown deepening. But, before he could say any more, he seemed to notice Jimmy and Lizzie approaching and instantly perked up.

???: “Oh! Hello! Here I thought we had already run into everyone.”

???: “Ha?”

The fire-haired man turned in his seat, blinking in surprise.

???: “Heya. You must’a just woken up then, right?”

JIMMY: “Pretty much. We’ve just been takin’ a look around, trying to find an exit.”

???: “Pfff. Good luck with that, man. Front doors were sealed shut, last I remember.”

LIZZIE: “Sealed shut? Do you mean locked, or…”

???: “Like, glued shut or something. Skizz was pulling at them for a good 10 minutes and barely even got them to budge.”

JIMMY: (“Every new bit of info we get…just makes me feel worse, quite frankly.”)

LIZZIE: “Then there must be another exit, right? Like…some super secret passage hidden somewhere!”

???: “Haha! I like the enthusiasm. I’m sure something will open up soon. In the meantime, we’ve just been trying to figure out the whole where of the situation.”

JIMMY: (“Ah, that must’ve been what they were talking about before then. In that case, him trailing off like that just does not bode well.”)

???: “We won’t bore ya with theories, though. Mind telling us your names?”

JIMMY: “Ah! Right. My name’s Jimmy.”

LIZZIE: “And I’m Lizzie. It’s nice meeting you both!”

IMPULSE: “Same here, guys. My name is Impulse. If either of you need anything, I’m more than happy to lend a hand….aside from the whole…y’know, escaping thing.”

*ImpulseSV has been added to Player Profiles.*

The other man remained silent, frowning.

???: “Jimmy….Hang on, that crazy lady mentioned you earlier. Pearl, I think her name was?”

JIMMY: (“...no way.”)

JIMMY: “Wait, wait, hold on. Are you that “Tango” person she mentioned?”

TANGO: “Gonna assume so. She said something about me not being with “Jimmy” or the fact that we…gk! Y’know?”

*Tango  has been added to Player Profiles.*

LIZZIE: “Then…you don’t happen to know him, do you, Jimmy?”

Jimmy frowned, trying his best to remember.

JIMMY: (“...Nope. Man’s a total stranger to me. I’m only more convinced that Pearl’s just completely mad.”)

IMPULSE: “Sounds like a ‘no’ then. If it makes you two feel better, she said something…kinda similar about Bdubs and I.”

LIZZIE: “She didn’t say anything about me!”

JIMMY: “Please don’t tell me you’re feeling left out, Lizzie.”

LIZZIE: “...Noooooo..?”

JIMMY: (“Exceptionally weird thing to feel jealous about, but go off, I guess.”)

BANG! CRASH!

Jimmy nearly jumped a foot into the air at the noise. From the sound of it, it seemed to be coming from the kitchen.

LIZZIE: “Oh goodness! That startled me!”

TANGO: “They’re still messin’ around in there?”

IMPULSE: “Are you really that surprised? Hang on, I’ll go check on ‘em.”

JIMMY: “Mind if I tag along? I’d like a look ‘round there myself.”

IMPULSE: “Sure. Just a heads up, Skizz can be a bit…intense, for lack of a better term.”

JIMMY: “I’ll be honest, mate, that doesn’t surprise me anymore. I’m pretty sure there’s not a single normal person here.”

As they entered the kitchen, Jimmy could just barely hear an annoyed…noise(?) from Tango’s direction. The kitchen itself was large and rather nice, if still covered with a thick layer of dust like everywhere else. Most of the barrels and chests in the room were practically overflowing with ingredients.

But, what instead caught their attention were the two men in the pantry doorway. Or more accurately, the two men sprawled on the floor of the pantry doorway.

???: “Well, that went poorly. Did ya see anything up there, B?”

???: “Ughhh….no, just dust and a bunch of bowls.”

IMPULSE: “Search not going well, huh?”

One of the two, a fellow avian with large white wings, immediately sat up as Impulse spoke, shooting him a small glare.

???: “The last thing I need right now is the static, man. Other than food, we haven’t found a damn thing in here.”

JIMMY: “What else were you expecting to find?”

???: “Secret passage? Notes? I dunno. Good to know we have plenty of food, at least.”

The other man sighed, dusting himself off as he stood.

???: “By the way….I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you stuck here too?”

JIMMY: “I mean, I’m pretty sure we all are, dude. I’m Jimmy.”

???: “Haha, you know what, fair. That’s on me.”

BIGB: “I’m BigB. It’s nice meeting you, even if we are in a freaky, kidnapping scenario.”

*BigBst2tz4 has been added to Player Profiles.*

IMPULSE: “He came to help me check up on you two. Which, speaking of, can I ask what you guys were doing? What was that crash?”

???: “That’d be me losin’ my balance with BigB on my shoulders. And us crashing.”

JIMMY: “Again, why? I know you said you were searching, but it barely looks big enough to fit a chest up there.”

???: “Because….! Gah, I don’t know. I just wanted to feel like we were makin’ some progress.”

Impulse pulled the winged man back to his feet, giving him a reassuring pat on his shoulder while he was at it.

IMPULSE: “We’ll figure things out soon, buddy. I doubt whoever’s behind this is just gonna leave us by ourselves with no instructions.”

BIGB: “….Or, we end up stuck in here until our food runs out and starve to death.”

JIMMY: (“I can’t decide which is more terrifying, honestly. How’s he able to just say that with such a straight face?!”)

He just scoffed in response, before looking back to Jimmy.

???: “Well, not to change the subject, but you said your name was Jimmy, right?”

SKIZZ: “It’d be rude not to give a good hello back, y’know? Call me Skizz, full name Skizzleman. Put ‘er there, homie-buddy!”

*Skizzleman has been added to Player Profiles.*

Skizz held a hand out, with a large grin now spread across his face. Jimmy took it, only to nearly feel his arm be ripped from its socket.

JIMMY: (“I know a firm handshake is great for first impressions, but this is just ridiculous. Oww…”)

SKIZZ: “So! You find anything on your end, Jimmy? Literally any news at this point is better than nothing.”

JIMMY: “Not…exactly? We've been going ‘round, trying to find a way out. And, I guess meeting everyone else here in the process. My friend, Lizzie, she’s back in the other room, and I woke up in a library earlier.”

SKIZZ: “Library, huh? Yo, Dipple Dop!”

IMPULSE: “Hm?”

SKIZZ: “You and Top didn’t find anything in the dining room, did you?”

IMPULSE: “Nope. We’ve just been waiting for you to finish up in here.”

SKIZZ: “Let’s go check out that library next then! There’s gotta be something there, like that is absolute ‘secret passage’ territory.”

IMPULSE: “Alright. Let’s just ask Tango and—Woah!”

Skizz didn’t even wait for Impulse to finish. He grabbed his arm and practically sprinted out of the room, dragging poor Impulse along with him. BigB chuckled at the sight, waving as the two disappeared.

JIMMY: (“I almost feel bad for Etho and Bdubs. It’s about to get much louder in there, that’s for sure.”)

JIMMY: “You’re not going with them, BigB?”

BIGB: “Nah. It’ll be crowded there, from the sounds of it. I’d like to take a closer look around here too. Good luck with your searching though, man.”

Jimmy offered a wave in goodbye, before heading back out into the dining area. Lizzie was still waiting for him, although he swore he saw Tango’s tail-tip disappearing back into the hall.

JIMMY: (“Skizz must’ve dragged him along too, by the looks of it. Those three seemed awfully familiar with each other, I wonder if they’re all friends too, like Lizzie and I.”)

Speaking of, the fairy was waving him over. He picked up the pace and jogged over to her.

JIMMY: “Sorry ‘bout that. I didn’t miss much, did I?”

LIZZIE: “Nothing useful, unfortunately. Tango did mention something useful though! He and Impulse both think this is a Woodlands Mansion, the kinds the Illagers make, but heavily modified.”

JIMMY: “An Illager mansion? Huh…I don’t really get it, though. Does that mean we’ve been kidnapped by Illagers?”

LIZZIE: “Maybe? That’d be a bit weird though, I’ve never heard of them kidnapping anyone before. Hm….what else, what else….”

She paused for a moment, tapping a finger on her chin.

LIZZIE: “…Oh! And he mentioned some guy named Martyn, I think. Something about him knowing more about everything going on right now. I think our escape plan is a bit of a bust at this point, so let’s try to find him next!”

JIMMY: (“….Martyn…? Why does that name sound so familiar? Whatever. I…I can worry ‘bout that later.”)

Jimmy nodded. The two made their way back into the hall, continuing down with very little issues. Just around the corner, however, they were met with…a strange sight.

???: “On three! One…two…”

THUD!!!

Another group of three were stood in front of a door. A tall, elven man with tiny crystals floating around his head was stood to the side, watching as a large, wolf-eared man and much smaller woman with deer antlers rammed it, to little success.

???: “…Gah! Dang it!”

???: “No…use…geez, what’s this thing made out of?”

???: “You made sure it was actually blocked, right Ren? Because for your sake, I hope it’s not just a push.”

The wolf man gave a loud, overly dramatic gasp, placing a hand on his chest.

REN?: “I am shocked you think so little of me, Smajor, of course I checked! Much like the hall’s exit, this door hardly moves, no matter how hard one pulls or pushes.”

The antler woman even tried the knob for herself.

???: “I’m surprised. I would’ve guessed you’d just ram in, head-first.”

REN?: “I cannot believe this. Both of your words wound me so—Oh. Hello there!”

All attention turned to Jimmy and Lizzie, completely cutting off the start of what sounded like a monologue.

???: “Newbies? Sorry if we startled you with all the noise. We were trying to get into here but…well, I think something’s blocking it.”

The antler woman knocked against the door, giggling to herself.

LIZZIE: “I suppose you guys haven’t tried it with the front door, have you?”

REN?: “We attempted, and with more people alongside us at that. And yet, not a shred of luck to be found.”

JIMMY: (“Geez, I was expecting nothing and I still feel disappointed…”)

LIZZIE: “Ah, figures. Well, it’s still nice meeting you three! I’m Lizzie and this is—“

???: “Jimmy.”

The elf, who had been silent up until now, suddenly spoke up, wiping away what looked like tears.

???: “….dammit…I didn’t think….do you…?”

JIMMY: “I’m….sorry? How do you…know my name….?”

He paused, only to sadly laugh as the tears only came faster.

???: “…right. I guess…you wouldn’t remember….I….Oh Aeor, I’m sorry….”

???: “Scott, is everything okay?”

SCOTT: “I’ll be fine…I just need…I need a moment.”

The elf, Scott apparently, quickly dashed off behind them, towards the dining hall, with his face buried in his hands.

*Smajor1995 has been added to Player Profiles.*

JIMMY: “….What was…that all about? I really hope I didn’t upset him.”

???: “No, you’re fine. I’m going after him.”

But before she could move, the wolf man stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

REN?: “I understand your concern. However…it may be best to give him space. For now, at least. He seems like a strong man, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

???: “But he—Ugh…Fine.”

LIZZIE: “How many people are you supposed to know here, Jimmy?”

JIMMY: “I don’t know?! I’d definitely remember meeting someone like that, I promise.”

REN?: “If it eases your mind, Scott had seemed to recognize me as well. And I can assure you, I have never met him prior to this…nasty business.”

JIMMY: (“Yeah, but I doubt he started crying when he saw you.”)

REN?: “But, let us not dwell on that. You said your names are Lizzie and Jimmy, correct?”

JIMMY: (“Right. I almost forgot about introductions.”)

REN: “Allow me to return the good will. I am the Ren, the diggity, the dog! ‘Tis a pleasure, my good sir and madam.”

*Renthedog has been added to Player Profiles.*

LIZZIE: “Goodness, I almost feel like my introduction was boring.”

???: “Don’t worry about that, I think he’s normally this melodramatic.”

REN: “I prefer the term ‘dramatic flair’, thank you very much.”

GEM: “Whatever, it’s my turn now. My name is GeminiTay, or just Gem for short. Hopefully this whole thing blows over soon, honestly. I’m getting bored just sitting around like this…”

*GeminiTay has been added to Player Profiles.*

JIMMY: “Guessing that’s why you two were ramming that door there, other than the whole investigation half?”

GEM: “Ren was the only one ramming, I was headbutting! And…kinda. I do wonder what’s behind the door though.”

REN: “Given the building’s layout, I doubt it’s an exit. We can only assume what lies beyond.”

LIZZIE: “Sigh…With how many people are here, you’d think we would’ve found something by now.”

GEM: “I mean, it’s pretty much a miracle we’ve made it this far, honestly.”

JIMMY: “I take it then that you guys haven’t found much, have you?”

GEM: “What gave you that impression?”

JIMMY: (“Does she always need to get the last word in?”)

REN: “If I may, Miss Tay, do you think we should try again?”

GEM: “Definitely! We must be getting close, right?”

LIZZIE: “Just let us get through first, please!”

The two of them quickly bid them farewell and continued down the hall. Just before they turned the other corner (this side had even less rooms to search than the other two), a tell-tale THUD sounded behind them, followed by grunts of disappointment from both of them.

The hall very quickly opened up into an entrance hall, complete with a grand staircase in the center and a fancy chandelier lighting everything up. But what they focused on were the large, dark oak doors all the way on the other end, framed by two massive windows. The final duo they had to meet (if Jimmy was doing his maths right, at least) was stood by the door as well, although the sight of them was even less reassuring than before.

One of them was…a man dressed up like a pirate, to put it bluntly. And the other…was way too familiar for comfort.

???: “...had a spawn like this. Most…Last time, we all just got plopped in the middle of nowhere.”

???: “Don’t care. Didn’t ask. I’m about to kick this door down myself, I swear…”

He raised his leg and firmly planted a foot against the door, glaring daggers at it.

???: “If I just had my car…hell, even if I had me trident, I could blast that glass away like nobody’s business!”

???: “I sincerely doubt that, man. If we couldn’t just pry the thing open, a trident’s not gonna do much.”

JIMMY: (“….Oh Gods. I recognize one of them. It can’t be…”)

LIZZIE: “N-No way…J-Joel?!”

The two men turned to face them, seconds before Lizzie latched onto her husband, hugging him tightly.

*SmallishBeans has been added to Player Profile.*

JOEL: “Lizzie! There you are, I was wonderin’ where you ended up!”

Laughing, Joel not only hugged her back, but even picked her up and spun around.

LIZZIE: “I’m so happy to see you, babe! Well, I mean, considering we’ve been kidnapped…wait! Why are you here?! Don’t tell me—!”

She immediately pulled away from him, eyes wide. Joel exhanged a very small glance with the other man with him, who could only offer a shrug.

JOEL: “Ah, well, y’see…um.”

JIMMY: “You were the last hope we had, man, c’mon!”

JOEL: “Oh, ayup, Jim. Didn’t see ya there. Uh…short answer, I did. I think. Hard to explain, really.”

JIMMY: “Great. We’re doomed, then.”

LIZZIE: “At least I know you’re safe. Unless this is all your fault and you’ve dragged us all down with you.”

???: “I can tell you this much, this isn’t anybody’s fault. And if it were anyone, it definitely wouldn’t be Joel’s. We’d be much worse off in that case.”

JOEL: “Oi! I’m right here!”

The other man just snickered.

LIZZIE: “New friend of yours?”

JOEL: “Friend is a very strong word.”

???: “I’m hurt, Joel. Really and truly.”

MARTYN: “The name’s Martyn, love. I’ll be here…for the foreseeable future.”

*InTheLittleWood was added to Player Profiles.*

JIMMY: (“This is that Martyn guy that Tango mentioned, huh? …Wait a second…!”)

JIMMY: “M-Martyn?! Big man, is that you?!”

Jimmy grinned, wings flapping excitedly. Except…Martyn didn’t seem to share that same enthusiasm.

MARTYN: “…”

LIZZIE: “Wait, you actually know him, Jimmy? Like, actually actually know him?”

JIMMY: “‘Course I do, we go way back! I thought that name sounded familiar. Please tell me you remember too, man.”

JIMMY: (“If he doesn’t, then I guess I’ll know exactly how Pearl and I guess Scott felt…”)

Martyn’s brow furrowed as he seemed to think, as if picking his next words carefully.

MARTYN: “….that shouldn’t be…”

JIMMY: “…Martyn? Everything good?”

MARTYN: “Hm? Yeah, yeah. Just…what do you two last remember?”

LIZZIE: “Like, before all this? Let’s see…I’m pretty sure I was finishing up a project before bed.”

JIMMY: “I was prepping for a project of my own, I think. Details are a bit fuzzy right now.”

Joel simply looked between the three, eyebrow(s) raised.

JOEL: “Sounds ‘bout the same as everyone else. Something up?”

MARTYN: “….Nothing they need to be concerned about. We can talk ‘bout it later. What we should be focusing on…is what’s happening right now.”

JIMMY: (“He’s completely ignoring my question. What’s going on here? Did…Did I just mistake him for someone else?”)

Martyn slammed a fist against the door, nearly making both Jimmy and Lizzie jump.

MARTYN: “We’ve been lookin’ around and haven’t found much here. And before ya ask, there’s just a bunch of bedrooms upstairs. Not much interesting.”

JOEL: “You two find anything cool? Or useful?”

LIZZIE: “Sadly no. But I’m pretty sure we’ve met everyone else here!”

JIMMY: “They didn’t give us much to go off of, though. Except that the door just…won’t open?”

JOEL: “Yeah. Doesn’t budge an inch, stupid thing.”

MARTYN: “Security’s tight. Which normally shouldn’t be the case. And that fact alone scares me.”

LIZZIE: “Hang on, You’re supposed to know something about what’s going on, right? Please tell me you do, all I want at this point is some form of answer.”

MARTYN: “….”

JIMMY: “Martyn, man, don’t leave us hanging like that. Just tell us…something?”

MARTYN: “….I have…a very rough idea. And this silence from Them….it’s not their usual M.O.”

JIMMY: (“Gh…there’s that whole “idea” phrase again. Is there a reason why he doesn’t want to just explain himself? And who’s this “Them” character now?”)

JOEL: “…I dunno exactly what he’s on about. But…it’s probably best that we listen to him. This…isn’t exactly a good spot we’re in.”

LIZZIE: “Nope, nuh-uh, you’re not about to start getting cryptic with me. What are both of you talking about? Are we in danger?”

Joel and Martyn simply exchanged another…even more concerned glance. However, before any of them could speak another word…

It happened.

DING DING DING!

Three loud buzzers sounded in Jimmy’s ears, makimg him flinch and immediately clap his hands over them. The others heard it too, although only Lizzie had the same reaction as he did. 

???: (Voice) “Hm. It would seem you all have awoken and acquainted yourselves with your surroundings.”

???: (Voice) “In that case, I ask that all Players report immediately to the Mansion’s Entrance Hall for debriefing. I promise you, I will have answers to all of your questions.”

???: (Voice) “Don’t be late. I don’t feel like repeating myself, today. Until then~.”

Jimmy didn’t know where the voice was coming from. All he knew for certain was that it made his heart race. It was unnerving, sounding more like a collection of different voices speaking at once rather than a single person.

MARTYN: “Shit…”

LIZZIE: “Wh-What was…?”

MARTYN: “That…That was what I was waiting for.”

JOEL: “About time, honestly.”

JIMMY: “…”

Slowly, the others had begun making their way to the hall, a distinct…silence hanging over them all. As large as the building had seemed when they were exploring, everyone seemed to gather quite quickly, filling up the hall in no time.

As everyone gathered, someone let out a sudden cry.

PEARL: “S-Scott!”

Pearl pushed through the group, practically tackling the man and hugging him tightly. Scott (his eyes still red, Jimmy noticed with a twinge of guilt) looked surprised, awkwardly patting her back in response.

SCOTT: “Pearl…? I…I wasn’t expecting to see you again.”

PEARL: “You…You jerk! I’m never gonna forgive you, you hear me?!”

Despite that, she still let out a small sob, burying herself deeper into his neck.

TANGO: “Not to break up the…’happy’ reunion, but we all heard that weird voice, right?”

REN: “I’d assume so. We wouldn’t gather here if that weren’t the case.”

BIGB: “So…Did anyone find anything? Or figure out why we’re here?”

CLEO: “No, but I imagine it’s absolutely not anything good.”

SKIZZ: “You could at least try to sound positive.”

CLEO: “Fine. I’m positive it’s not anything good.”

SKIZZ: “Wh—?! Come on!”

IMPULSE: “You kinda walked into that one yourself, man.”

jIMMY: (“14, 15, 16….17? Wait. Hang on, that doesn’t track. Mumbo said earlier that there was—“)

A chill suddenly ran down Jimmy’s spine, cutting off his thoughts. He could feel a pair of eyes staring directly at him, just…watching.

…No, not just a pair of eyes. It felt like there were hundreds of them.

???: (Voice) “It seems everyone has gathered. Excellent. It’s time to start, then.”

BDUBS: “I’m hearin’ voices again!”

GEM: “That’s called thinking.”

BDUBS: “Excuse you! I mean the freaky one!”

ETHO: “Watch your language.”

Bdubs looked about ready to tackle someone.

LIZZIE: “T-The same voice from before…”

JOEL: “Alright, enough dramatics here. You mind showin’ yourself already, I’m tired of this!”

???: (Voice) “….Fine. I don’t see why not.”

At the top of the stairs, purple smoke began to gather and form…a person. Dressed in deep purple robes and surrounded by far too many pairs of wings, they looked down on them all. Or, at least, he thinks they were? They were blindfolded, so…it was hard to tell.

That feeling of being watched didn’t fade. If anything, Jimmy felt it worsen.

???: “Welcome, everyone. Welcome to Mutual Life. The next in our little series of games.”

It was barely noticeable, but Jimmy could see Martyn stiffen out of the corner of his eye. And Joel seemed to step in front of Lizzie, holding an arm out protectively.

REN: “Mutual Life? I’m sorry, I don’t think I follow.”

IMPULSE: “Tango, this isn’t one of your games, is it?”

TANGO: “Excuse you, I make sure everyone signs a waiver before playing my games. I know for a fact I didn’t sign anything ‘fore this.”

GEM: “There’s no way this is just some messed up game show. What’s the deal here?”

???: “Quick on the uptake, huh? Well, I can explain further.”

The figure extended one of their many wings, reaching it out like a hand.

???: “I am…I am the Overseer of this game, not a Player like yourself. However, that does not mean I’m the one behind this. I am just…an observer.”

*The Overseer.*

SCOTT: “There…wasn’t an ‘Overseer’ before.”

OVERSEER: “…We have made changes.”

CLEO: “‘Before’? You’ve done this already?”

SCOTT: “….”

PEARL: “It's a bit of a long story, honestly..."

SKIZZ: “Tell it later. I don’t buy a single word this guy says, honestly.”

BIGB: “Yeah, I’m with him. This all seems kinda sketchy.”

OVERSEER: “…Let me explain the rules, then. It’s actually pretty simple.”

They paused, seemingly for dramatic effect.

OVERSEER: “Mutual Life is split into two…subsections. At the moment, we are currently in “Daily Life”, as I like to call it. During this time, you all are considered “Green”. The only thing you have to worry about is living out your days here.”

ETHO: “Days here…as in, stuck in this mansion?”

OVERSEER: “To an extent, yes. This will continue indefinitely. As in, you all are not allowed to leave this world until further notice.”

.

.

.

JIMMY: (“What..? We’re…we’re actually trapped? As in, can’t go home, get yourself cozy here, welcome to your new life in prison?”)

GEM: “You’re joking, right? This really isn’t funny anymore.”

BIGB: “I don’t…I don’t think any of us can stay here for that long…”

MARTYN: “What’s the catch.”

The Overseer frowned, tilting their head slightly.

OVERSEER: “…Clever as ever, I see. Yes, you all will be trapped here for the foreseeable future. Unless…”

MARTYN: “Unless..?”

OVERSEER: “Unless you kill another Player and successfully get away with it.”

.

.

.

.

.

…The silence was positively deafening.

Jimmy could feel his blood run cold. The way the Overseer had said it so…so casually. Like they were making a light suggestion or offering advice.

Their only way out was murder. Otherwise, they were stuck there for the rest of their lives.

Kill or be killed.

Die at someone else’s hands, or die from old age.

Nobody said a word. But someone broke through the silence regardless.

TWANG! THUMP!

The Overseer didn’t flinch. All they did was move their wing into the arrow’s path, sparing their blindfold at the last minute.

???: “Why, hello there! Hi, right over here. I have a question."

The 17th member of their group stepped forwards, dressed in a dark cloak and bow still raised, already with another arrow docked.

OVERSEER: “....”

???: “So! I just wanna make sure I got this right, I’ll just recap real quick. So you trapped me here with…all these others shadows - excellent work by the way, you’ve all really upped your game - and given a fairly simple ultimatum of knocking one of ‘em off. In that case…what’s stopping me from just firing an arrow up and seeing who the poor, unfortunate soul ends up being?”

JIMMY: (“Firing an arrow….has he gone mad?! He can’t be talking about just…killing someone now?”)

TANGO: “Hold off on the murder-y instincts there, pal. I think we’re still processing the first bit there!”

REN: “What purpose is there in…such needless violence? And why for the sake of our freedom too?!”

OVERSEER: “…”

The Overseer simply watched the stranger, mouth hung slightly open seemingly in surprise. The stranger simply chuckled, completely ignoring everything else as he pulled back on his arrow.

???: “Better yet. Give me one good reason why I don’t put this arrow between your eyes right now. I am the HotGuy, you know.”

One of the Overseer’s wings twitched. And that was all the answer the stranger needed.

TWANG!

…The arrow never reached its target. Instead, it soared in a perfect arc, only to stop midair in front of the Overseer. They simply kept their gaze fixed on the stranger, a purple aura slowly rising behind them.

???: “…huh, that’s new…”

ETHO: “Don’t think that was the smartest move there.”

MUMBO: “How…in the world is that possible? That’s not some sort of piston mechanism, or…maybe a glass pane barrier?”

OVERSEER: “….Any attacks towards Us will not be tolerated. Since this is your first offense…consider this Mercy.”

The entire area became…almost super charged with energy. It made the hairs on the back of Jimmy’s neck and along his arms stand on end. The arrow flipped back around, wobbling before landing on its target.

???: “Wh-Wha—huh?”

JIMMY: “Move!”

Jimmy didn’t know why he yelled, truthfully. His body moved on its own and suddenly, the next thing he knew?

BOOM!

The arrow rocketed directly for the stranger. Just as Jimmy tackled him to the ground.

JIMMY: (“Gh!”)

???: “Oof!”

They landed with a soft thump, followed by the clatter of the man’s bow skidding across the floor.

And then, there came the soft pitter patter…of blood falling to the ground. Blood from his own wing, as the arrow pierced the lower arm of it.

LIZZIE: “J-Jimmy!”

SKIZZ: “That’s it! Is it a fight you’re lookin’ for?!”

OVERSEER: “That was punishment. Consequence for breaking the rules. And if you had allowed me to continue, this could’ve been avoided.”

???: “…”

Jimmy felt paralyzed, his wing burning so intensely it almost felt like it had been sliced off. Was he sure that it hadn’t been? That arrow had been so fast, inhumanly so.

The stranger was stunned into silence as well, his hood knocked down to reveal…bright red eyes wide in horror.

???: “….you’re…you’re n-not a…oh my God…”

JIMMY: (“Yeah, you’re welcome. Gah…! Ow, ow, ow…!”)

Tears had begun forming, blurring his vision. Someone was already by his side, pulling the wing out further as gently as they could.

SCOTT: “Easy, it’s just me. I need a better look.”

JIMMY: “S…Scott…?”

SCOTT: “…It doesn’t look like it hit bone. But it’s still deep.”

IMPULSE: “Nobody brought health potions with them, did they?”

GEM: “Not like we knew someone was gonna get shot on our way here, so I doubt it.”

OVERSEER: “….Infirmary. First floor. First barrel, next to the counterspace."

JIMMY: (“…their voice changed…?”)

GEM: “Like we’d take advice from you! You’re one trying to get us to kill each other!”

LIZZIE: “N-No, no, I’m pretty sure they’re…they’re right. We s-saw it for ourselves!”

SCOTT: “Then, if we’re dismissed?”

OVERSEER: “…the second half is better explained in the moment anyhow. Communicators containing both Server Chat and Rules will be delivered to your bedrooms upstairs.”

The purple smoke returned, as the Overseer disappeared.

OVERSEER: “That is all. You are dismissed until further notice.”

Scott scoffed, before placing his other hand on Jimmy’s arm.

SCOTT: “C’mon. If we go to the infirmary, I can get the arrow out of you.”

LIZZIE: “I-I’m coming too! I…I’ll search for potions.”

Nobody seemed to object. Both Lizzie and Scott helped Jimmy back to his feet and practically began leading him back towards one of the halls. As they left, conversation…didn’t start up again.

After all, what was there left to say?

As of today, this was the start of…a twisted game they had no say in.

Their first day trapped within what was essentially a cage, with only one exit.

Kill someone and get away with it.

JIMMY: (“Surely…someone wouldn’t actually…”)

Jimmy managed a glance over his shoulder, looking back towards the entrance hall. As nice (even if strange at times) everyone had seemed, there was simply no way of telling what any of them truly thought.

JIMMY: (“…We’re doomed.”)

???: “Your demonstration went well. It won’t be long ‘til the first ring of death’s knell.”

OVERSEER: “…”

???: “And yet, upon peering into the crowd’s eyes, We cannot help but notice your surprise. Care to explain, ‘fore the moon is set to rise?”

OVERSEER: “….There’s 17 of them there.”

???: “Indeed.”

OVERSEER: “You…You both agreed on 15. We agreed on 15.”

???: “And so our terms have changed. Surely you understand? Worry not, it all fits—“

OVERSEER: “Knock it off with that. We had an agreement. You don’t get to go changing things all willy-nilly and just…just expect me to go along with it, no questions asked!”

???: “…You’ve made your choice, ̇/ᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ. And now you must live with it. However, we will keep to our promise.”

OVERSEER: “Like promises mean much to you lot anyways.”

???: “Upon Our very being itself, We promise you.”

???: “No harm shall come to them by our hand.”

OVERSEER: “And you’d better believe I’ll be holding you to that promise.”

END OF PROLOGUE

PLAYERS ALIVE: 17

Chapter Text

The trio’s trip to the infirmary was quiet. Scott pulled out the arrow with very little resistance (it stung like hell, however. Jimmy was vaguely annoyed he didn’t get at least a countdown beforehand) and tossed it aside. Lizzie helped bandage the wound, mainly because Jimmy didn’t…really feel comfortable letting anyone else do it. Not after that announcement.

JIMMY: (“I don’t want to think that way…Scott seems nice enough, even if he is a bit…oddly familiar with me. But I just…that same question keeps coming back to me.”)

What if?

That simple phrase kept repeating over and over in his head, spoken in a small, sinister voice that he couldn’t recognize.

What if someone’s already planning something?

What if they target you?

What if they target your only two friends here?

…What if it’s worth it? And you really do get to go free?

SCOTT: “Jimmy!”

JIMMY: “Ah! What?! Huh?”

Scott stood before him, holding out a violet potion. His expression was…hard to read. 

SCOTT : “I was saying that I couldn’t find any instant health potions. But I was able to find some regeneration potions. It’ll still hurt for a bit, but it’ll be faster than if you just leave it be.”

JIMMY: “Ah…right, right. Cheers, thanks man.”

Jimmy gratefully took the bottle and instantly downed most of it. His wing, originally tensed up from the pain, finally relaxed as it began to subside just a bit.

SCOTT: “...I’m kind of surprised you just took it. I could’ve easily have just handed you poison, you know.”

JIMMY: “Dude, come on. That’s not funny.”

SCOTT: “....”

JIMMY: “No, don’t go silent on me now. Please tell me you were joking!”

The corners of Scott’s mouth twitched upwards in a faint smile, as he just barely managed to stifle laughter. Lizzie tugged on the bandage one final time, making sure it was secure before fixing Scott with a glare.

LIZZIE: “Scott…”

SCOTT: “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

JIMMY: (“Was he seriously saying that just to make me squirm?! Rude!”)

LIZZIE: “I just…I don’t even want to think about it….Do you think somebody really would…?”

She trailed off, but the message was came through, loud and clear.

JIMMY: (“And we’re back here again…I just…I don’t wanna dwell on it like, at all. Maybe…maybe this is all just some prank. That any minute now, somebody’s gonna jump out and yell “gotcha!”. We get to go home and…and we can all just forget about this whole mess.”)

SCOTT: “...I wish I could give you a better answer, Lizzie. But…it’s just a matter of time, honestly.”

JIMMY: “Is it really? I know most of us only just met, but…I’d like to think better of everyone. I mean, who in their right mind would just…instantly resort to murder?”

SCOTT: “You’d be surprised.”

LIZZIE: “Then, in that case…we’ll make our own exit! That way, nobody has to die!”

Scott simply looked at her, his crystals dimming slightly.

SCOTT: “...I don’t want to crush those hopes. Just…don’t be surprised when history repeats.”

Before they could say anything else, he turned on his heel and walked out the door.

JIMMY : (“‘History repeats’? Then, what he was sayin’ before…has he really been through something like this?”)

Lizzie took a deep breath, standing and slapping her hands against her face.

LIZZIE: “...we’ll find a way out…we have to!”

JIMMY: “Already have a plan in mind?”

LIZZIE: “Sort of? I’ll come up with something better tomorrow. For now…”

She turned back to him with a very disapproving look.

LIZZIE: “Just what exactly were you thinking back there, mister?”

JIMMY: “Oh come on, the last thing I need right now is a lecture. I’m fine, aren’t I?”

LIZZIE: “The arrow Scott pulled out of your wing says otherwise.”

JIMMY: “Listen, the important thing is that nobody got killed. If I didn’t do that, I guarantee you that fella back there would’ve ended up skewered.”

LIZZIE: “...You have a point and I’m not happy about it. Just…at least give me a warning before you do something stupid and reckless like that. Alright?”

JIMMY: “Fine, fine. I’ll try my best.”

That earned him a playful shove from her. The two left the infirmary not too long after, originally intending to meet back up with everyone. The entrance hall, however, was empty when they got there, the sky outside the windows turning a dark mix of orange and black as the sun began to set.

It had been a long day, even if they didn’t know exactly when they had all woken up. And after all the…”excitement”, for lack of a better word, of the day, the rest of the group had likely headed for bed for the night. If memory served, Martyn had mentioned something about bedrooms upstairs earlier. The duo split up at the bottom of the stairs, wishing each other goodnight in the process.

Just to his luck, Jimmy found his room all the way on the other end of the hall. The bedroom itself was hardly remarkable, containing only the bare essentials such as a bed and small sitting area. He could hear a faint beep as he entered, scanning the room only to find that it was coming from a communicator left on the bed.

JIMMY: (“The Overseer mentioned these, didn’t he? Kinda weird that we didn’t wake up with these on us, but whatever.”)

He flipped off the cover, revealing the keypad and screen underneath. The device powered on automatically, flashing a “Welcome, SolidarityGaming ” before opening to a menu with several grayed out options. One of the only active ones seemed to be the rules section, so he ignored everything else in favor of it.

Rule 1 : “Players are not allowed to leave the Server without the Overseer’s permission.”

Rule 2 : “With minimal restrictions, Players are welcome to explore within the confines of the World Border . It is not recommended that Players venture outside the Border.”

Rule 3 : “Attacks on the Overseer will not be tolerated. Any attempt at doing so will result in swift and immediate punishment.”

(Jimmy felt his injured wing twinge in pain reading that one.)

Rule 4: “The doors to the Mansion will lock at 20:00 every night and will only unlock at 07:00 the next morning.”

Rule 5: “Unless dealing out punishment, the Overseer is explicitly forbidden from harming a Player.”

Rule 6 : “When three or more “ Green ” Players discover a body, a Server-wide announcement will be made.”

Rule 7: “Rules may be added or updated at the Overseer’s discretion.”

Failure to comply will result in punishment to the offending parties.

Just looking at these made him feel sick. Jimmy groaned, flipping the device closed and sitting nearby.

JIMMY : (“This is actually insane. I can’t believe this. I mean…we’re being given rules now to murder. Like, guidelines on how to slaughter one another. How’d someone like me get tangled up in all this?”)

He leaned back, letting himself relax for the first time today-

KNOCK KNOCK!

Only to immediately jump back to his feet, wings tucked tightly behind himself and every hair on end.

JIMMY: (“Who in the world?!”)

???: “Hello, hello? Anybody home in there?”

It took a moment, but Jimmy eventually recognized it. He cautiously opened the door, leaving just enough room for them to comfortably speak face-to-face.

JIMMY: “...Hi? What’s with the noise?”

??? : “Oh! I…I wasn’t actually expecting you to be there. I would’ve guessed you were still stuck in the medbay, all hurt and stuff. Speaking of, are you hurt? I think I lost most of my stuff when we woke up here but I might still have a golden apple in my trusty travel pack here. It’s the least I can do after--”

Sure enough, the same dark cloaked man from earlier now stood right outside his door. His bow was gone, instead replaced with a wooden walking cane (covered in lilacs and poppies) in one hand and a large sunflower in the other. He flashed Jimmy an award-winning smile as he talked rapidly, except that warmth never quite reached his eyes.

JIMMY: “Woah there, bud, slow down a bit?”

???: “Ah, sorry, sorry. Got a little overexcited there. I’m not lying when I say I bring presents, though. Here you go!”

The man held the sunflower out towards him, which Jimmy…again hesitantly took.

JIMMY: “...thanks?”

???: “Of course! Of course. I couldn’t just let such a good, heroic deed go unpunished, now could I? I still feel kinda bad about…y’know, your wing getting arrowed.”

JIMMY: “I mean, considering the alternative was you being dead, I’m fine with this trade, mate.”

??? : “... Not much of a loss the other way ‘round …”

JIMMY: “Er…sorry?”

???: “Nothing! Just…whew! Very dusty in here, mhm.”

JIMMY: (“...right, this guy’s gone mad.”)

JIMMY: “By the way, I don’t think I remember seein’ you before the whole…incident back there. My name’s Jimmy, it’s good to properly meet you now.”

???: “...what?”

The man looked at him with a profoundly confused expression for just a second longer than he would’ve liked.

???: “But I could’ve…no, I don’t think…”

He suddenly winced, hand flying to his head.

JIMMY: “Woah! Easy there! You alright, man?”

???: “No, no. I’m…I’m fine. Everything’s fine!”

Considering how tightly he was gripping his cane, Jimmy wasn’t entirely convinced.

??? : “It’s just…migraine. I’ve had the worst one since I woke up. And, unrelated to that, you remind me of a lap dog I knew long, long ago. So I might’ve gotten a touch confused back there. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

JIMMY : (“...I’m sorry, I remind him of a dog?”)

SCAR : “But! It’d be rude if I don’t offer an introduction of my own, now wouldn’t it? The name’s Scar , my friend. Propai…propria… owner of Trader Scar ’s, greatest shop this side of the Secret Keeper! Pleased to meet….well, properly meet, at least.”

*GoodTimeWithScar has been added to Player Profiles*

JIMMY: “…um, right. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

SCAR: “Well, not at the moment. Other than the whole “reward for heroics” from earlier, at least. Just stay safe, y’know? I mean, somebody like you? In a game like this? I’d be shaking in my boots if I were you.”

JIMMY: (“Gee, thanks.”)

SCAR: “Until then, just try to make it through the night, alright? I’ll see you around. Buh-bye! Have a wonderful night!”

Before Jimmy could get another word in, Scar left, whistling a small tune under his breath. Jimmy watched him go, before closing and locking the door.

JIMMY: (“And here I thought this lot couldn’t get any stranger.”)

Scar’s…interesting introduction aside, he was right about one thing. That thought of “ I’m the easiest target here ” weighed heavily on his mind, making his stomach twist and turn uncomfortably.

JIMMY: (“…is that…really how it ends for me, then? First dead in some crazy death game?”)

He fell onto the bed, trying to cover himself as best he could with his wings. As if that could, by some miracle, save him from…from all of this.

JIMMY: (“…I’d like to think not, but knowing my luck? It….”)

He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought. Instead, he did his very best to drift off to sleep, pushing all thoughts of death and murder from mind.

THEATRE OF LIFE

“Have you ever heard the phrase “canary in a coal mine” ?”

“…actually, what am I saying? Knowing you lot, you’re well familiar with the story.”

“Let me tell it anyways.”

“See, way back when, coal miners would take canaries down into the mines with them. Morbid as it sounds, canaries actually made for excellent gas leak detectors.”

“If the canary stops singing, then the coal miners know to get out quick as they can.”

“So, given the context, I’m sure it’s pretty obvious that being a “canary in a coal mine” is nothing short of a death sentence.”

“A death sentence not just for yourself, but for everyone around you.”

“If the canary stops singing, only death can follow.”

“I just wonder, is it possible for the canary song to not end in tragedy for once?”

“Or…is he always destined to bring about death?”

KNOCK KNOCK !

Jimmy very nearly fell out of bed at the noise, shooting upwards like he’d been shocked.

JIMMY: (“What in the?! Where?!”)

It took him a few seconds before everything, unfortunately, came flooding back to him. He fell back into the pillow, groaning.

JIMMY: (“Lovely. There go all hopes of this being some sick nightmare.”)

KNOCK KNOCK!

The knocking sounded again, much louder than before. It was only then that Jimmy wondered what time it was. He fumbled around for a minute, searching for his communicator before flipping it open.

JIMMY: (“….9 o’clock. Shoot, you don’t think—“)

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The knocking very quickly turned into pounding. He flinched.

JIMMY: (“Nope. People definitely noticed. What a way to start the day…”)

After making sure he at least looked presentable, he quickly answered the door, prepared for whatever lecture might be coming his way.

JOEL: “…he have done it himself if he’s so—Oh. Hiya. ‘Bout time you finally answered.”

JIMMY: “Morning. I…really didn’t mean to sleep in that late, honest.”

JOEL: “Uh-huh. Save the excuses for everybody else, mate. They’re the ones who think you’re dead.”

JIMMY: “You say that like I did this on purpose.”

JOEL: “Did you?”

JIMMY: “W—I—No?! Why would I?!”

JOEL: “Dunno. It would be funny.”

JIMMY: “Not in a death game.”

JOEL: “Enhances the joke, in my opinion.”

Jimmy had to take a deep breath in response, almost slamming the door behind him.

JIMMY: “I’m guessing everyone’s downstairs?”

JOEL: “Yep. In the dining hall. The plan was to have breakfast together and come up with like, escape ideas or something. I wasn’t paying attention.”

JIMMY : (“When are you ever paying attention?”)

JOEL: “If it helps, you’re not the only one late. I’m gatherin’ up some of the stragglers that everyone also thinks are dead.”

JIMMY: “Wait, not everybody’s down there?”

JOEL: “Nah. I think we’re missing….Bdubs, Pearl, Martyn, Skizz, and…Scar. Everybody else is down there waitin’. Speaking of…might wanna get down there soon, ‘less you want a long lecture ‘bout punctuality and all that.”

JIMMY: “Fine, fine, I’m going. Good luck finding everyone else.”

JOEL: “Please. With these muscles, I can easily break down a door or two if I need.”

JIMMY: (“That sounds like the worst way to wake someone up, honestly.”)

Regardless, Jimmy left Joel to it and began to head downstairs. Most of the group, save for the people Joel said were missing, were gathered in the dining hall. Some of the tables had been pushed together in order to form a much larger one that everyone could sit at together.

TANGO: “ ‘Eyyyyy! We got late sleeper #1 here.”

SCOTT : “That’s a relief. Do you know how worried… we were?”

JIMMY: “Sorry. Had a rough night and…well, didn’t realize the time.”

MUMBO: “I can’t blame you. I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep at all, myself…”

LIZZIE: “You’re not the only late one. I just hope everyone else is alright.”

Jimmy took an empty seat, scanning over the group before noticing a few other people missing.

JIMMY: “…Hang on, Joel told me about everybody that hadn’t come down yet, but there’s still a few extra? Where’s Ren, Impulse, and Etho?”

BIGB: “Those three? In there.”

BigB pointed over his shoulder towards the kitchen. Sure enough, he could just barely spot Ren and Impulse through the serving window, busy prepping dishes.

BIGB: “Ren insisted on cooking for everyone. But since it’s kinda a bit dangerous to have just one person in there, Impulse offered a hand.”

JIMMY: “And Etho is…?”

GEM: “He’s in there too, I’m pretty sure. The weirdo literally has people offering to make him food and he still insists on making something himself.”

ETHO: “I didn’t realize having specific tastes made me weird.”

As if on cue, Etho had walked through the door, holding a half-eaten sandwich in one hand.

CLEO: “I’d daresay he’s the smartest. I mean, considering there’s poison literally just down the hall…”

JIMMY: “If you don’t trust them, why aren’t you making your own breakfast too?”

CLEO: “1, don’t really feel like it. 2, it doesn’t affect me anyways.”

LIZZIE: “Etho, you didn’t see anything suspicious while you were in there, right?”

ETHO: “Nope.”

LIZZIE: “Well, there we go, problem solved!”

SCOTT: “So long as we have two people cooking at a time, I think we should be fine.”

TANGO: “Speaking of people, maybe we should come up with like, a solid time for everybody to come down at.”

BIGB: “We’re doing these meetings daily?”

TANGO: “Doesn’t seem like a bad idea, honestly.”

LIZZIE : “I actually wanted to run that by everybody. I was thinking…around 8 maybe? It should give everybody time to properly wake up and get ready for the day.”

ETHO: “As long as we let everybody know about it, I don’t see the harm.”

JOEL: “Somebody else better get everybody up in that case. Because this is the last time I’ll do it.”

With perfect timing, Joel finally walked in, dragging a half-asleep Bdubs behind him. Skizz followed close behind, a bit disheveled still but otherwise in high spirits.

SKIZZ: “Good morning, people! Sorry ‘bout the delay.”

BDUBS: “It’s too dang early to be this loud…”

GEM: “Uh…you’re still missing like, three people there, buddy.”

JOEL: “Yeah, well, I dunno if they’re literally deaf or just not there, but none of ‘em got up. And I was bangin’ on their door for a good 5 minutes.”

SCOTT: “If I had to guess…Martyn’s likely somewhere snooping. As for Pearl and Scar? I’m…not quite sure.”

IMPULSE: “Well, that’s a shame then. I’ll try to set aside some food for all three of them.”

Impulse and Ren had emerged from the kitchen, carrying an impressive amount of plates between them both. Jimmy actually couldn’t believe the amount of food they had cooked up, between the various eggs, grilled steak and fish, chopped fruits and vegetables, and even a full plate of bread, it was like a mini-feast.

REN: “Behold! The culinary masterpiece created by both Impulse and I! We tried to cover as much ground as possible, so I apologize if we are lacking anywhere.”

MUMBO: “Goodness! If this is what you consider “lacking”, I’m terrified to know what your full potential might be.”

BIGB: “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but….shouldn’t we be careful with how much food we use? It’s not like we have farms or a village nearby for supplies.”

IMPULSE: “Normally I’d say yes, but the Overseer actually restocks the place daily, apparently.”

SKIZZ: “How’d ya find that out?”

REN: “The fiend told us himself. The storage room is much of the same scenario. When we inquired why, he told us “starvation isn’t the outcome We’re hoping for”.”

LIZZIE: “That’s actually excellent to hear about. It means less time scavenging for resources and…more time figuring out an escape route!”

BDUBS: “Escape? Wait, we’re actually gonna try—“

LIZZIE: “No, absolutely not. Nobody’s gonna be murdering, not under my watch, at least.”

Lizzie rose from her seat, slamming her hands down on the table in front of her.

LIZZIE : “We’re going to find our own way out. Together!”

SKIZZ: “Alright! I like the energy!”

ETHO: “Well? What’s step one then?”

LIZZIE: “I….have not gotten that far.”

CLEO: “What a great bout of confidence there.”

JIMMY : “W-Well, what if we start with what we do know. That way, we can…work backwards from there?”

REN: “If I recall correctly, didn’t our searches yesterday bear no fruit?”

TANGO : “As far as I can tell, there’s no other way to leave the Mansion. Not only that, the doors are completely sealed shut.”

SCOTT : “Were they still sealed this morning? I thought the rules stated they unlock at 7.”

TANGO: “Maybe? We could always check there.”

LIZZIE: “So we’ve got a possible outdoors area…what about that door? The one nobody could open?”

GEM: “Still glued shut. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

IMPULSE: “We don’t know what’s behind there, so…maybe it’s for the best, honestly.”

GEM: “C’mon, aren’t you at least curious? It’s killing me not knowing.”

ETHO: “That could be where the Overseer is controlling everything. Y’know, like some super secret, mastermind control booth.”

MUMBO: “Considering everything he was doing…it would need to be extraordinarily complicated. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were even command blocks involved…”

JIMMY : (“If that… thing has access to command blocks….Geez Louise, I got off extremely lucky to have walked away with just an injured wing…”)

REN: “Regardless of such facts, I do believe we have a goal in mind, yes? Check if the doors are indeed unlocked and venture further into our cage.”

CLEO: “Unless anybody has any other bright ideas, that sounds like pretty much it.”

JOEL: “Great, awesome. Now, are we good to chow down now? I’m starvin’ over here.”

IMPULSE: “Go ahead! Ren and I made plenty for everyone.”

Everybody began to take their pick of food as lively chatter started up. It almost felt…peaceful. For just a moment, Jimmy found himself able to just completely forget about the whole “death game” business. Instead, it felt like he was surrounded by friends.

…friends? He’d barely even known some of these people for more than a day. As lovely as it was, these were still…strangers at the end of the day.

And at the end of the day, they were all trapped. No amount of jokes or small talk could change that.

Breakfast ended without much fanfare. Ren and Impulse offered to clean up, leaving everyone else to begin making their way to the entrance hall. Sure enough, when they made it, the door was wide open, inviting them all outside with a pleasant breeze and warm sun.

Jimmy lagged behind everyone else, fiddling with his communicator in the meanwhile. Aside from the rules, there was a “Player Profiles” option (which just brought up basic bios for everybody, including himself) and a “ Map” option. When he first opened the latter, it simply showed the Mansion’s layout, along with his current coordinates. But now, a new tab had opened up.

“Sun-Blessed Forest”, it read.

True enough to the name, the path cut straight through a thick, dark oak forest. A tall Watchtower stood high above the trees, with what looked to be an active forge attached to the side. There was a cleared area of land , equipped with training dummies and targets at varying distances. The path eventually split, with one half taking a sharp left turn into the woods, while the path straight ahead led directly to a massive wall made entirely of a blue-green energy.

Several other buildings were visible on the horizon, but only on the other side of the massive wall.

Jimmy frowned, before deciding to check out the watchtower first. It was massive, looking more akin to a castle turret than a simple watchtower. The forge attached to the side was small, but fairly cozy, with smoke actively curling up from the smokestack above.

IMPULSE: “This is impressive…! I never would’ve guessed a fully stocked forge would be out here.”

CLEO: “I’m a little concerned it’s in use. There’s nothing that screams “fire hazard” more than a giant, lit oven.”

IMPULSE: “It doesn’t look like anything’s inside the blast furnace. So maybe it’s just for decoration?”

JIMMY : “I think the open flame is the least of our problems. I’m pretty sure…do you guys hear lava too?”

All three of them fell silent, listening as the muffled, but telltale pop s sounded from the ceiling. Impulse frowned, before his eyes landed on the wall nearby.

IMPULSE: “Oh! Wait, it’s just a dripstone farm.”

JIMMY : “For lava?”

IMPULSE: “It’s not that bad of an idea, honestly. You let the lava drip into the cauldrons there, use a bucket, and then you have plenty of fuel for the forge. It’s practical and a neat bit of decoration.”

CLEO: “You do realize that bucket of lava equals a possible murder weapon, right?”

IMPULSE: “Ah…well…”

JIMMY : (“Ouch…that is not the way I’d like to go.”)

BDUBS: (voice) “Impulse! Cleo! You guys gotta check the view from here!”

Bdubs poked his head out one of the tower windows, looking significantly more awake.

BDUBS : “Oh, hi Jimmy! You seein’ this? This thing is huge !”

CLEO: “We’ll be up in a bit, Bdubs!”

JIMMY: “I’m guessing you guys didn’t find much down here?”

IMPULSE: “Nothing that could help us escape, unfortunately.”

CLEO: “Aside from whatever’s in that deathtrap of a watchtower. That’s an accident waiting to happen.”

BDUBS: “It’s fine up here! Not a single spot to be trapped!”

IMPULSE: “I took a peek inside earlier. As far as I could tell, there’s no chests or barrels in there.”

JIMMY: “Wouldn’t be hard to push someone off the top, would it?”

BDUBS: “Hardly! There’s plenty a’ rails!”

CLEO: “It’s still a hard pass from me. I’d rather nearly burn to death than fall, personally.”

IMPULSE: “I figured…hang on, I’ll come up, Bdubs!”

CLEO: “I’ll be down here to be a witness if either of you fall!”

Impulse responded with a nervous laugh as he disappeared into the tower.

JIMMY: “That’s a little morbid, isn’t it?”

CLEO: “We all have ways of coping. I didn’t ask for judgement, did I?”

JIMMY: “No, I didn’t mean--I was just--Pffff…I think I’m going to just keep looking around for now.”

Cleo snickered, before waving him off. Jimmy continued a bit farther down the path, eventually reaching the open clearing filled with training equipment.

Several more banners (similar to the ones on top of the watch tower) marked the perimeter, along with various tents filled with training equipment and crudely made bookshelves overflowing with books. An archery range and rough sparring square had been set up in the far corner, although there were a few arrows stuck in the trees behind the target circles. As Jimmy approached, he could hear the tell-tale thwack of wood hitting wood over and over again.

JOEL: “Hah!”

GEM: “Whoa! You’re faster than you look!”

JOEL: “Of course! I’m fast…and furious!”

Joel lunged forwards, only to be quickly parried by Gem. Their wooden swords clashed together far quicker than Jimmy could even keep up with.

JIMMY: “...this was not a pair I was expecting, I’ll be honest. How long have they been at it?”

LIZZIE : “They’ve only just started, actually. We were going to check out the border over there, but…well, these two got very distracted.”

JIMMY: “I could tell. Second question, is that…?”

LIZZIE: “Oh heavens no. They’re using wooden ones. I think all the actual weapons are in the Mansion. Except for maybe the arrows.”

GEM: “Hah! Got ya!”

They turned back to the sparring duo, as the sword was sent flying from Joel’s hand and he was sent tumbling to the ground. Before he could get up, Gem instantly had her own sword pointed at his throat. She giggled sweetly and made to offer a hand to him. But before she ever could, Joel, with a completely foreign and wild look in his eyes, dove straight for her legs, completely knocking her off balance and sending them both rolling across the ground.

LIZZIE: “Joel!”

JIMMY: “Woah there, easy!”

Lizzie rushed over much faster than Jimmy could, instantly pulling her husband off of Gem.

GEM : “Geez, I didn’t think you were that much of a sore loser!”

JOEL: “....”

LIZZIE: “Are you both okay? That looked like a rough tumble.”

GEM: “I’m fine, just a few bumps and scratches. What I wanna know is where that all came from?”

JOEL: “...I-Instinct. Sorry. I…I wasn’t thinkin’ straight.”

JIMMY : “Maybe we should save the sparring for another day. Before anybody does get hurt.”

GEM: “Ughhh…fine. If we have to.”

LIZZIE: “How about we check some of the tents here? There could be clues!”

JOEL: “You two have fun with that. I think I need a minute to cool off and all that.”

Joel, likely a bit more forcefully than he meant, pulled himself out of Lizzie’s grasp and immediately walked off.

JIMMY: (“What was up with that? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get aggressive like that out of nowhere. Is he alright?”)

He had half a mind to go bother him about it anyways, but…he thought better of it. Maybe once he’s calmed down, at least.

Instead, he noticed a path hidden by the trees, leading deeper inside. He quickly wished both Lizzie and Gem luck in their search before going to follow it. The path twisted and turned through the woods, eventually opening up to a sizable clearing with a stone platform in the middle. Worryingly enough, there were several faded red stains dotting the circle, just barely visible even up close. It didn’t look like he was the only person to have found it either, as there were more people here than he expected.

REN: “Hey! Jimmy, what’s happenin’, baby?”

JIMMY: “I wasn’t expecting so many people here. How’d you all find your way here in the first place?”

BIGB : “I mean, it’s hidden, but not that hidden. Though, I’m not really surprised given how this place looks…”

He gestured vaguely towards the altar.

REN: “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this were some ritualistic altar of some kind. Maybe a form of offering to the Blood God of old?”

JIMMY: “And what exactly does it mean for us, the people stuck in a murder game?”

REN: “...very bad things, I imagine.”

BIGB: “If it makes you feel better, we already have a list of potential sacrifices and you’re…not that close to the top.”

JIMMY: “It does not. In any sort of way. I’d say thanks for trying but I don’t even know if I can give you that much credit.”

BigB only laughed in response.

The bushes suddenly rustled from the opposite side of the clearing, just as both Etho and Skizz emerged from the forest, both covered in leaves and broken bits of twigs.

ETHO: “We went as far as we could.”

SKIZZ : “Literally nothing but forest, forest, and more forest. And the border, I think.”

REN: “I see. That is disappointing, but expected, I suppose.”

JIMMY: “How far back did you two even go? You look like a mess.”

SKIZZ: “I dunno. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up by the Mansion at some point.”

BIGB: “Considering how hard it is to navigate a dark oak forest, I’m actually surprised you guys found your way back here. I kinda envy your sense of direction.”

ETHO: “I could clear a maze like this in my sleep. It was nothing.”

REN: “Well, shall we continue on here, gentlemen? I can’t help but feel this clearing still holds many secrets from us.”

JIMMY: “Good luck with that, you four. I think I’ll check around the rest of the place.”

SKIZZ: “Just be careful gettin’ back, dude!”

Thankfully, he was able to follow the path back towards the training area without any issues. This time, upon getting back to the main road, he followed the left path first. It felt like hours before he reached what looked like a small farm, with large pens filled with both cows and sheep alike. There was a small farmhouse in the center, although it looked rather old and run-down in comparison to the watchtower from earlier. There seemed to be a lone tree off in the corner, surrounded by a vibrant field of poppies.

TANGO: “Now, I’m no ranch or farm expert, but dark spooky forests aren’t normally the ideal spots for these things, right?”

MUMBO: “Depends on the sort of person owning the farm, I suppose. It…is strange, though. As far as I can tell, there aren’t any crop fields here…”

JIMMY: “Kinda hard to put one in, right? There’s not much room with all the trees and flowers.”

MUMBO: “Oh! Jimmy, hello, you nearly startled me there.”

TANGO: “That’s what I’m thinkin’ too. It looks more like a regular base, if anything. Still some really weird priorities for mob pens, not gonna lie.”

MUMBO: “It would explain abit, yes…”

JIMMY: “Which reminds me, you guys find anything interesting in there?”

MUMBO: “Unfortunately, no.”

TANGO : “When we say the inside is barren, we mean like, barren barren. If you open that door, don’t be surprised to see a tumbleweed fly out.”

JIMMY: “Point taken. What about that spot there?”

Jimmy pointed to the lone tree. If he squinted, he could actually just barely make out two figures standing underneath.

MUMBO: “Scott went over that way earlier. I’m not sure who’s with him though…”

TANGO: “Maybe Pearl? Joel couldn’t get her, Scar, and Martyn up this morning, so maybe those three already began exploring before all of us.”

MUMBO: “Without telling anyone? That feels unlikely.”

JIMMY: (“I’m not sure about Scar, but both Pearl and Martyn seemed like they had the best grasp on this whole situation. Which also makes it mighty suspicious for them both to disappear like that…”)

Leaving behind Tango and Mumbo, Jimmy began trudging through the poppy field, careful not to crush any underfoot. There was a small clearing underneath the tree, only to reveal a simple, stone grave nestled between the tree roots. The only thing carved into the front was “A Loving Husband”.

Scott knelt before the grave, keeping a respectful distance. To his surprise, Pearl was not far away either, instantly perking up as Jimmy approached.

PEARL: “….Hey.”

JIMMY: “Hi, I…I wasn’t intruding on anything, was I?”

PEARL: “Nah, you’re fine, mate. Scott’s just paying respects.”

JIMMY: “Paying…respects…?”

SCOTT: “I don’t know whose grave this is, but…I’ve seen enough to know when one’s lonely. I just thought it’d be a nice gesture.”

With a final head bow, Scott rose to his feet and turned to the other two.

SCOTT: “How has the search gone for you then, Jimmy?”

JIMMY: “About as poorly as you’d expect. Nobody’s found a single thing and I’ve been nearly everywhere.”

PEARL: “Not surprising. This place feels more like just another arena for us.”

JIMMY: “Odd choice of words there.”

SCOTT: “I can’t help but agree, quite frankly. There’s not really much to do around here, other than fight or kill mobs. Which only leaves…”

JIMMY: (“They want us to get so bored…we just resort to murder? That feels like too much of a leap, quite honestly.”)

PEARL: “Whatever. Mind if I ask you two what you’re searchin’ for out here?”

SCOTT: “Right. You missed the little meeting we had.”

JIMMY: “Ain’t it obvious? We’re trying to escape! Or find some sort of clue to help us.”

Pearl chuckled to herself, only stopping when she saw the look on Jimmy’s face.

PEARL: “….Gods above, you’re actually serious.”

JIMMY: “Of course I am?! Who in their right mind wouldn’t try to escape a death game?”

Both Scott and Pearl exchanged what he could’ve sworn was a knowing glance.

PEARL : “…well, sad to say, sir, but there’s no way out. The border covers from the Mansion all the way to the back wall.”

JIMMY : “No, there’s…that can’t be true.”

PEARL : “See for yourself. Martyn was down by the border last I checked, so feel free to ask him.”

Jimmy set his jaw, before turning and beginning to walk off. As he left, however, he couldn’t help but overhear Pearl and Scott whispering to each other.

PEARL : “ You’re just letting this happen? ”

SCOTT : “… If I didn’t…it’d be like killing them all over again… ”

Jimmy’s feathers rose ever so slightly in alarm and, hopefully not too noticeably, he picked up the pace.

JIMMY: (“…’killing them all over again’….? Just…just who is he referring to?”)

Jimmy mumbled a sort of goodbye as he passed Tango and Mumbo again, practically booking it for the main path again. There was one spot he had yet to check yet. And hopefully it was enough to make those horrible, sinister thoughts go away for a bit.

The border cut off most of the path forwards, stretching endlessly upwards and likely downwards. Everybody knew what World Borders were, it was the only thing that kept a Server habitable, after all. But Jimmy had never really seen one up close like this before.

MARTYN : “Are you mad? An I.O.U. for a wooden boat ?!”

SCAR : “You won’t find a better deal than this, my friend. Imagine it! Everybody gathered ‘round, cheering you as the hero that conquered the Border itself!”

MARTYN: “As if I couldn’t just walk back to the Mansion and craft one myself.”

SCAR: “In this day and age? You’re not thinking of the risks, Martyn! What if a creeper emerges from the woods? Or what if some unseen assailant sneaks up from behind, ready to snuff out that flame of yours in an instant!”

MARTYN: “Or! Gods forbid! I trip on a rock and stub my toe!”

SCAR: “See, now you’re getting it!”

MARTYN: “….Sarcasm, Scar.”

JIMMY: “…do I even want to know?”

Scar yelped, nearly jumping backwards into Martyn.

MARTYN: “Ayup. Morning and all that. What brings you ‘round these parts?”

JIMMY: “I feel like I should be asking you that. Where have you guys been? We got worried ‘bout you, you know.”

SCAR: “Oh…well…um…you know us! We get around.”

MARTYN: “Pearl and I have been out here since the doors unlocked. The initial plan was to smash the bugger open, but we ended up not needing to. She wandered off and I’m…trying to figure out a way around this.”

JIMMY: “Right…and Scar’s here to…?”

MARTYN: “Pester me, I think.”

SCAR : “ GASP! Martyn, I would never! I’m only here to offer aid in any way I can.”

MARTYN: “Yeah. By scamming me for all I’m worth.”

SCAR: “Let it be known that I am doing my darn hardest to be an honest and trustworthy salesman here. Not a single trick up my sleeve. You can even check if you want!”

MARTYN: “Fine, my bad. You want to squeeze me for whatever value I’m worth. In a trade that’ll definitely benefit one party and one party alone.”

JIMMY: “Is that what the whole boat debate was about?”

SCAR: “All that pushback, when a uniquely hand-made boat could be yours for just a small favor in the future. Why, I’m practically giving it away for free!”

MARTYN: “You want my first-born while you’re at it?”

JIMMY: “Why do you even need a boat that badly anyways?”

Martyn placed a hand on the border, leaning against it as if testing the strength.

MARTYN: “An old buddy of mine taught me a trick to getting ‘round this thing using a boat. I’m not sure if it’ll work now, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

JIMMY: “You mean, you might have a way out…?!”

SCAR: “You’re forgetting an important detail, Martyn~.”

MARTYN : “….It’s not a fool-proof way out. Y’know how the rules say it’s “not recommended that Players venture outside the Border” or whatever?”

JIMMY: “Yeah? What about it?”

MARTYN : “How do I put this in a… nice way…”

SCAR : “Most normal Players start melting after prolonged exposure to the Void . Which is what’s outside that Border there!”

JIMMY: “M-Melting?!”

MARTYN: “More or less. Do me a favor, will you Timmy? Just…keep this on the down-low. Unless we can get the right protections at least. I don’t want the others to get their hopes up.”

JIMMY: (“…it doesn’t feel right, keeping something like this a secret. But…Martyn’s got a point. We might even find a better, much safer way out before it ever comes to that.”)

Jimmy stuck around a bit, quickly walking the length of the border to just get a sense of how large the area really was, before heading back the way he came.

JIMMY: (“…I’m pretty sure that’s everywhere of interest. Are we missing anywhere?”)

He took out his communicator again, quickly scanning the map for…well, anything. Any small detail that they might’ve missed. Any avenue or path they might have overlooked.

And he was met with nothing.

JIMMY: (“….Right.”)

Ping!

JIMMY : (“‘New Server message’….Lizzie wants everybody to meet up in the dining hall again to share everything we’ve found. Maybe…someone else found something?”)

All the same, he had that same sinking feeling from yesterday settling into his stomach. By the time he made it back to the Mansion’s dining hall, most of the group had taken their seats.

Once everyone arrived, Lizzie clapped her hands, gathering everyone’s attention.

LIZZIE: “Do we have everyone here? Including Martyn, Pearl, and Scar?”

MARTYN: “Hear you loud and clear.”

PEARL: “….”

SCAR: “Hello!”

LIZZIE: “Excellent! So, I think everybody’s had enough time now to look around, right? I think it’s best if we share what we found.”

IMPULSE: “Well, I can tell you we didn’t find much at the watchtower.”

BDUBS: “You can see for miles at the top of the thing though!”

ETHO: “Is it safe to be up there though? All it would take is a single push and…”

BDUBS: “Please, there’s plenty a’ rails. Unless you’re gonna be pickin’ somebody up and tossin’ them over, nobody’s gonna fall.”

MARTYN: “Still seems mighty dangerous to me. Broken bones won’t be as easy to fix as Timmy’s shot wing.”

CLEO: “Forge is pretty much useless too. Except for the lava farm.”

IMPULSE: “Dripstone lava farm, actually.”

TANGO: “It takes forever to get a full cauldron from those, I don’t think we have to worry about it right now.”

LIZZIE: “Let’s see…oh! Gem, Joel, and I found a training field!”

JOEL: “Good spot for a bit a’ sparring and target practice. Not much else there.”

BIGB: “There’s a weird sacrifice circle in the woods.”

SCOTT : “…a what ?!”

REN: “There is a hidden path just outside the training camp, which leads to a bloodstained altar deep within the woods…”

MUMBO: “That is absolutely horrifying.”

GEM: “But, unless you guys found a key or something, it’s kinda useless.”

SKIZZ : “Definitely not. We checked the woods around and couldn’t find anything else, other than, y’know, the border.”

MARTYN : “Speaking of, I was poking around by the Border myself. Bad news, absolutely no weak spots or breaks, which is kinda expected.”

JIMMY: “And the good news being…?”

MARTYN: “….we know how big our cage is?”

MUMBO: “Am I correct in assuming it’s impossible to just go over it?”

GEM : “It’s a World . Border. That’s not just something you can hop over or dig under!”

MUMBO: “I-I just want to make sure!”

IMPULSE: “It’s not like we could really do anything once we’re out anyways. But it’s good to know at least.”

TANGO: “Our turn then. We found a massive cow and sheep ranch to the east, but not much inside.”

BDUBS: “What’d they give us a bunch’a cows and sheep for? It’s not like we’re ever gonna run out of food.”

SCAR: “And just ignore everything we could use the leather for? Imagine the books, the enchanter setups!”

CLEO: “If only we had an entire room dedicated to books, like some sort of library!”

SCAR: “We have a library? Where?”

CLEO : “….I genuinely can’t tell if you’re that oblivious or if you’re joking.” 

SCOTT: “The only other area of interest is the gravesite. There wasn’t a name on it, before anyone asks.”

GEM: “Unless anybody wants to get cursed by digging up a grave…there’s not really anywhere else, is there?”

LIZZIE: “So in terms of potential escapes…”

TANGO: “We’ve got nothin’.”

Lizzie visibly bit her bottom lip, obviously trying to think.

LIZZIE : “Maybe…maybe we just overlooked something in the Mansion? Or…d-did we do a full perimeter of the Border?”

JOEL : “Lizzie, you’re gonna need to be realistic with it. There’s no way we can do a full sweep of this place twice now and not find something.”

LIZZIE: “B-But…there has to be something! If they can get us in here, there must be a way out!”

SCAR: “But there is! And a rather obvious one at that.”

Scar stood, a nasty glint in his eyes.

SCAR : “You all heard the Overseer yesterday. All you need to do is kill.”

The entire room went dead silent.

MUMBO: “T-That…does seem like the only other option we have…”

TANGO: “It ain’t the prettiest…”

GEM: “Please. Like that Overseer freak would even keep up his end of the deal.”

REN: “While that may be true, we have yet to find evidence of him lying.”

PEARL: “There’s nothing stopping us from just…not, y’know.”

REN: “Pardon?”

PEARL: “You guys are goin’ on and on about escaping, but honestly? Not a bad gig we have right now.”

JIMMY: (“She’s not wrong, is she? We’ve got food, supplies, and a massive Mansion to hold up in at night.”)

IMPULSE: “I don’t think the issue is with our living conditions, it’s more so…”

CLEO: “The fact that most of us have better things to do than sit around, waiting to die, for one.”

PEARL: “That’s not a luxury all of us have.”

SCOTT: “….I, for one, agree with Pearl. Nothing’s stopping us from just…living. It might be a better option to hang tight and see what comes next.”

LIZZIE: “….”

SKIZZ: “…in that case, I’m gonna propose this to everyone.”

Skizz slammed his hands on the table, grinning widely.

SKIZZ: “We’re gonna make friends. All of us. We’re not gonna be killin’ each other with swords or axes or any of that junk. We’re gonna be killin’ with kindness, baby!”

TANGO: “How very…’Skizz’ of you.”

BIGB: “So instead of escaping…we’re going to be just hanging out?”

JOEL: “Don’t hear any better plans, quite frankly.”

SCAR : “….hm. How… predictable.”

Scar turned and left before anybody could stop him. The meeting dispersed soon after, seeing as there wasn’t much else to talk about.

Jimmy found himself back up in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed as he thought.

JIMMY: (“…Pearl’s not wrong, is she? If there really isn’t a way out of here…maybe it’s best we get cosy and quick. It’s better than trying to claw our way out while also worrying someone might stick a knife in your back…although that could still happen, even if we—Stop. No. Stop doing that to yourself, Jim.”)

He sighed, before standing up.

JIMMY: (“I gotta get my mind off this. Maybe a cup of tea will help.”)

And so, he found himself heading back down to the dining hall. Surprisingly, Lizzie was still sat at the massive table, studying the map on her communicator rather intently.

JIMMY: “Lizzie? You’re still here?”

LIZZIE: “Hah? What?”

She looked up, quickly flipping it close.

LIZZIE: “Oh, it’s just you, Jimmy. Sorry, I was trying to think of more places to explore, that's all.”

JIMMY: (“Guess she’s still hung up on the whole escape business. Not that I could blame her, really.”)

JIMMY: “Looks to me like you need a break, honestly. Mind joining me for some tea?”

LIZZIE: “I don’t know…”

JIMMY: “Aw, c’mon. I can’t remember the last time we shared a cup together. Do it for me?”

He gave her his best puppy-dog eyes. She just barely managed to stifle a snort of laughter, shaking her head.

LIZZIE: “Alright, fine. Just stop looking at me like that!”

Jimmy grinned in response, before ducking into the kitchen.

When he returned, it was with two piping hot mugs of tea in hand. The two sat and made small talk for a bit, just simply enjoying the other’s company.

LIZZIE: “…Jimmy, do you think I was being a bit…’pushy’ earlier?”

JIMMY: “Sorry? Where did this come from?”

LIZZIE: “I’ve just been thinking about it, is all. I’m a bit worried I came off as bossy.”

JIMMY: “I thought you were fine, personally. You’re only trying to do what you think is best.”

Lizzie hummed in reply, tracing the rim of her mug absentmindedly.

JIMMY: “…something’s bothering you still, isn’t it?”

LIZZIE: “Am I that obvious?”

JIMMY: “A bit. Lay it on me, then. What’s wrong?”

LIZZIE: “….our current plan to just…live like normal. Or whatever our new normal is now. I’m just worried it won’t work out in the long-term.”

JIMMY: “…you think somebody’s gonna try something anyways, huh?”

LIZZIE: “Don’t get me wrong! I think everyone here is very nice and…I’m positive none of us would want to hurt anyone. It’s just…a gut feeling, I guess.”

JIMMY: “….if it helps, I don’t think you’re bein’ unreasonable. Most of these people are strangers so it’s natural to be a bit distrustful. But it’s also why it’s important that everybody gets to know each other better, y’know? It’s a lot harder to even think about hurting somebody you actually care about.”

LIZZIE : “But, what if we don’t get along? Or what if somebody willingly decides to kill one of their friends? Or what if—“

JIMMY: “Lizzie.”

He set his mug down a bit more forcefully than he would’ve liked, internally sighing in relief that he didn’t spill any on himself.

JIMMY: “Thinking about the what-ifs isn’t gonna help us. Let’s just take this all one step at a time, yeah? Right now, we enjoy tea and focus on makin’ it through the day, then we plan for tomorrow.”

LIZZIE: “….”

She looked surprised, before a soft smile crept across her face.

LIZZIE: “…when on earth did you get so mature about this, Jimmy? I was so certain you’d be so pessimistic about this all.”

JIMMY: “Oh come on, this type of stuff is like second nature to me. Do I have to remind you how abysmal my luck is?”

He reached over, gently placing a hand on top of her’s.

JIMMY : “One way or another, we’re gonna make it through this. Together. Alright?”

LIZZIE : “…. Together.”

As horrible as their situation was, it was at least nice to still have a familiar face besides him.

They finished their tea soon after, with Lizzie excusing herself first. Jimmy stayed behind to clean up after them, before heading back upstairs to his room.

JIMMY: (“That chat actually helped more than I would’ve thought. I’ve still got a bit ‘til the Mansion locks up, so maybe I should see if there’s anybody outside to hang out with. Wouldn’t hurt.”)

Truthfully, he already had someone in mind he wanted to speak with and a guess as to where they would be.

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the training field, he couldn’t see them. Martyn was there, however, practicing sword strikes against one of the dummies. As Jimmy approached, he unleashed an impressive flurry of blows, before lunging forwards and stabbing it just under its left arm.

JIMMY: “I didn’t know you were that handy. Geez.”

MARTYN: “Ah? Oh, heya, Timmy. I’ve been learning a few tricks, is all. What brings you here?”

JIMMY: “Just looking for….someone to talk to for a bit, I guess. You don’t mind me hangin’ around, do you?”

MARTYN: “You’re good, man. I can talk and fight all day long if I have to.”

JIMMY: “Really? How long have you been at it? Surely you could use a break by now.”

Martyn hummed in thought, yanking the sword out of the dummy. He pulled out a small, gold pocket watch from his pocket.

MARTYN: “…about an hour, 47 minutes, and…well, we just passed the 30 second mark.”

JIMMY: “You’ve been keeping track, down to the exact second?! How?”

MARTYN: “I’ll be fine.”

JIMMY: “Absolutely not. Come on, you’re taking a break.”

Before Martyn could even open his mouth, Jimmy grabbed him by the collar and practically dragged him over to one of the nearby fire pits to sit.

MARTYN: “Geez, what are you, my mum? I’m perfectly fine!”

JIMMY: “What are you even practicing for? Didn’t we agree to just wait things out for now?”

MARTYN: “Well, I can’t just be spending the time doing nothing, now can I? I’d rather be prepared for a scrap than caught with my pants down.”

JIMMY : “And you can do that later. After you take a break for your own health, man.”

He had to force Martyn to sit, before taking a seat directly across from him.

The two spent a while just chatting. And by chatting, it was more like Jimmy would try to ask him questions and Martyn would give very short, “yes” or “no” answers, in between constantly checking his watch.

JIMMY: “….Y’know, if you had to be somewhere, you could’a just told me.”

MARTYN: “Huh?”

JIMMY: “C’mon, you’re not even being subtle about it! You’re always checkin’ your watch, not to mention you’ve got your head on a swivel right now.”

MARTYN: “Timmy, if I had anywhere else to be, I wouldn’t have said yes to hanging out. I’m just…mindful of the time we got.”

JIMMY: “Okay, but why? We’ve got ages before the Mansion locks up. You’re allowed to relax, y’know.”

MARTYN : “That’s…It’s really , really hard to explain.”

JIMMY: “Try me.”

MARTYN: “….”

Martyn cast a glance around the area again, eyes focusing on several random spots in the woods.

MARTYN: “….sorry, mate, but I can’t.”

JIMMY: “….You’ve changed. A lot.”

MARTYN: “Have I?”

JIMMY: “Yes?! It’s been ages since we last saw each other, I know, but we’re still friends, aren’t we? Can you at least give me a hint to what’s bothering you?”

MARTYN: “…Because between the last time I saw you and the instant we woke up here…I was on a timer.”

JIMMY: “Timer…?”

MARTYN : “I nearly died, Timmy. In fact, part of me wants to say I did die. Next thing I know, I’m waking up here, perfectly fine, with no clue how long I have left. This stupid thing doesn’t tell me anymore, so all I can do is just…count.”

He gripped the pocket watch tighter.

MARTYN : “It’s just…killing me, not knowing. I’m living with such a...limited amount of time and I’m sure whatever sick bastard is behind all this knows it. And they’re loving it.”

JIMMY: (“Gods, I can’t imagine what that must feel like…”)

JIMMY: “I think I’m getting it now…that’s why you’re working yourself like this.”

MARTYN: “It’s the only way I know of keeping myself busy. Otherwise, I start thinking about it. Boom, bang, inevitable panic attack.”

JIMMY: “Hm…I think I understand now. Realistically, I know there’s not much I do to help with the whole ticking timer thing, but…I want to offer a hand in the distraction department.”

MARTYN: “….what?”

JIMMY: “Workin’ yourself to the bone isn’t helpful to anyone. And for all we know, it could start killin’ you faster.”

MARTYN: “I mean, didn’t need to say it out loud.”

JIMMY: “Which is why I think you need to find a new hobby. Something else that can keep you distracted for a bit.”

Martyn raised an eyebrow, leaning back and gesturing for Jimmy to continue.

JIMMY: “What about gardening? It’s still pretty physical and I’m sure we have plenty of seeds in the storage room.”

MARTYN: “I feel like I can barely take care of myself, and now you want me to take care of a plant on top of that? Pass.”

JIMMY: “Right…what about fishing?”

MARTYN: “I think an old buddy of mine would be cross if I did that. Hard pass.”

JIMMY: “Knitting?”

MARTYN: “…Depends. Do we got the supplies for it?”

JIMMY: “We’ve got plenty of wool, but I’m not sure about the needles. Maybe…we leave that on a “possibly”. What about baking?”

MARTYN: “Dude, the kitchen would be filled with stuff from me stress-baking. I’m pretty sure Ren would be livid.”

The two of them went back and forth, the mood lightening. Jimmy tried to name every possible hobby he could think of, before they finally landed on…

JIMMY: “Wood carving?”

MARTYN: “….actually, that might not be a bad idea.”

JIMMY: (“Wait, really? I was just throwing stuff out at this point.”)

MARTYN: “I mean, I can’t guarantee it’ll work but…I’ll give it a shot for you, Jim.”

JIMMY: “Thanks, man. I’ll be impressed if it works, though.”

MARTYN: “I’m the one who should be sayin’ thanks. If there was ever one thing you were great at, it was pullin’ someone out of a funk.”

JIMMY: (“I’m glad he seems to be feeling better. Even if it still looks like he’s putting on a show of it. He’s changed a lot but…deep down, he’s still the same Martyn as ever.”)

JIMMY: “Don’t mention it. Just…y’know, let me know if it ain’t working.”

MARTYN: “Fine, fine. Don’t be surprised when I come breaking down your door then.”

JIMMY: “Please don’t.”

MARTYN: “But what if my time’s up and I’m dying right then and there? You’re gonna leave poor ol’ me for dead?”

JIMMY: “No! Of course not! I just—That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

MARTYN: “And here I thought you were my friend. How cold of you, Timmy.”

JIMMY: “Oh come on! Listen here!”

Martyn chuckled in response, eyes flicking briefly to his watch once more.

MARTYN: “….it’s gettin’ late. I think it’s best we start headin’ back. Unless you’d rather spend a night with the mobs out here.”

JIMMY: “Ah, right, nearly forgot about that. Let’s get going.”

They headed back to the Mansion together, thankfully making it back before the doors locked, and split up to head to their respective rooms after saying good night.

By the time Jimmy made it, he was much more tired than he thought.

JIMMY: (“…I don’t like the idea that this is just…our lives now, but I like the idea of murder even less. If we’re lucky, maybe someone from outside is gonna come for us!”)

They just needed to stay positive still. Because that hope that maybe things will turn out alright…that was all they had right now.

THEATRE OF LIFE

“Isolation does some real funny things to your head.”

“You spend all that time alone, with nothing but your thoughts for company.”

“But I don’t think that’s what drives people mad. Players are, if nothing else, wickedly persistent and hard to break.”

“Some Players even go weeks or months in a World by themselves. It’s nothing new.”

“No, I don’t think isolation is what breaks people. I think it’s when you finally break out of isolation, that’s when you go mad.”

“When you spend so long by yourself, you forget how to act around other people. They start seeing you as odd, strange, and maybe even dangerous.”

“And so people start avoiding you.”

“But you’ve been so lonely, so you crave just the tiniest amount of interaction.”

“It’s an endless cycle of rejection, desperation, and pure, utter loneliness.”

“It’s enough to make anybody crave death .”

It was much easier to wake up this morning than yesterday. Though that might’ve had something to do with the lack of pounding on the door.

Jimmy made it down to breakfast earlier today, although he noted there were still a few people missing by the time he made it. The mood was…just a touch darker than it was the day before, although everybody still seemed in high spirits.

LIZZIE: “Do we have everyone here? It’s almost 8 o’clock.”

ETHO: “It looks like we’re just missing Pearl and Scar, again.”

SCOTT: “Oh, Pearl isn’t coming.”

LIZZIE: “What? Why?”

SCOTT: “I…couldn’t really get an exact reason why from her. She just said it’d be better if she kept her distance.”

SKIZZ: “I mean, at least we know she’s doin’ alright.”

JIMMY: “But what about Scar then? Is he…?”

MUMBO: “I actually saw him as I was coming downstairs.”

LIZZIE: “We know they’re both fine and breathing at the very least.”

CLEO: “Which is a very low bar we’re setting here.”

TANGO: “You do remember our current situation, right?”

BIGB : “Well, since it looks like everybody who wants to be here is here, are we still having a meeting?”

GEM: “Why else would we all be here?”

BIGB: “I was just a little confused. I know we’ve kinda decided to stay put for now, so I wasn’t sure.”

LIZZIE: “I think it’s still for the best. Even if most of us aren’t actively searching for an escape, we need to keep sharing everything we know.”

SCOTT: “We still needed the headcount anyways. But…I suppose we’re on our own from here on out.”

JIMMY: (“Which doesn’t feel too great, honestly. I don’t trust that Overseer by a mile, but… I personally don’t like how silent he’s been. He came in, told us to kill in order to escape, and then just went radio silent. Is he planning something? Or maybe…if nothing happens the next few days, maybe he might just…give up?”)

Breakfast came and went without much fanfare. The group very quickly split up for the day, leaving Jimmy to ponder just how to pass the time in the meanwhile.

JIMMY: (“…Maybe I ought to find someone to hang out with for now. It worked wonders yesterday, so it wouldn’t hurt now.”

Taking a small wander outside, Jimmy eventually found himself at the animal pens and flower field. At a glance, it didn’t look like anybody was around.

That is, until a pair of antlers popped out from the middle of the flower field

GEM: “Jimmy! Over here!”

JIMMY: “Gem?”

Gem waved him over, grinning widely. The second he came over and crouched down by her side, she plopped a flower crown right on top of his head.

GEM: “Oh thank goodness. I was worried I made it too big.”

JIMMY: “Wha—You made me a flower crown?”

GEM: “Kinda? I got bored and wanted something to do, so now I’m making flower crowns for everyone.”

JIMMY: “Awww, that’s sweet! Do you think I could join you?”

GEM: “I was just about to ask, actually. I could use a hand!”

The two sat together in the field, weaving together poppies into several crowns. Jimmy even made sure to make one for Gem herself (although with her antlers, the size was a bit tricky). They soon had a small pile of crowns littering the ground.

GEM: “You’re better at this than I thought.”

JIMMY: “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

GEM: “You look like the type of person to trip over a piece of string. But here you are, just banging out crown after crown like nobody’s business.”

JIMMY: “I’ll choose to ignore that first comment. I’ve just got experience with this sort of stuff, is all.”

GEM: “Oh? Let me guess, you’ve got a sister who taught you?”

JIMMY: “Eh…kind of?”

He paused, absentmindedly weaving in a few more flowers.

JIMMY : “Lizzie actually taught me when we were young. We’re not technically siblings, but she’s practically my sister.”

GEM : “Aw, that’s sweet, Jimmy. I kinda guessed you guys were pretty close, but I didn’t think you were that close.”

JIMMY: “I’ve known her and Joel for…practically my entire life at this point. Kinda hard to not consider them family at this point.”

GEM: “Believe me, I get it.”

JIMMY: “Really? Can I ask what they’re like?”

Gem hummed quietly, holding up her latest crown.

GEM: “Loud. And idiots, both of them. I love them a lot, but Gods, they’ll run into a pit of cave spiders if I’m not there to tell them it’s a bad idea.”

JIMMY: (“Sounds a bit like Joel, to be honest. I bet they’d get along swimmingly.”)

GEM: “But, I’m also not worried about them.”

JIMMY: “Wait, really? I’d be worried sick, myself. Especially if they’re reckless like you said.”

GEM: “No, they’re completely reckless, don’t get me wrong. But…well, they’re also stubborn. And not completely stupid, I guess. One of them is the best tinkerer I’ve ever met and the other…”

A sad smile crossed her face for a moment.

GEM: “…he won’t rest peacefully until he knows I’m safe. If there’s anyone out there who could find and save us, I have no doubts it’ll be him…”

JIMMY: “They both sound like amazing friends. Now I’ll definitely have to meet them once we’re out.”

GEM: “They would love you, honestly. Though…”

She looked him up and down, before smirking.

GEM: “…Fwhip would absolutely rip you to shreds.”

JIMMY: “….as in…like, physically or…? Please tell me not physically.”

GEM: “Whichever is funnier.”

JIMMY: “Gem! Don’t do that to me, can’t you just give me a yes or no for once?”

Gem simply giggled in response.

Despite that, they continued weaving crowns together, while sharing stories from when they were young (Gem had rather…strange stories about the friends she had mentioned earlier). Jimmy couldn’t help but notice that, despite how cheery she sounded, there was a distinct hint of saddness in every story Gem told. A small part of him wanted to press further but….now didn’t feel like the right time.

Eventually, they had more than enough flower crowns for seemingly everybody. Gem gathered up most of them and left to find as many people as she could. Jimmy, in the meantime, decided to head back to the Mansion, his own flower crowns in hand.

His wing was starting to hurt again, so he decided to head to the infirmary for another potion before heading back to his room. However, the last thing he expected was to find another person there.

CLEO: “….Oh, hi. I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Cleo was rummaging through one of the barrels one-handedly.

JIMMY: “This is the last place I expected to find somebody. Unless, please don’t tell me…”

CLEO: “Nah. Nobody’s hurt. I’m actually just looking for a needle.”

JIMMY: “A needle? What for?”

CLEO: “Stitches.”

JIMMY: “What?! But I thought you said nobody’s hurt!”

CLEO: “It’s for me. And I can tell you right now, I’m not hurt. I’m just doing a spot of…maintenance.”

JIMMY: “…I feel like I’m going to regret asking, but what do you mean “maintenance”?”

CLEO: “Counter-question. Are you squeamish?”

JIMMY: (“You should’ve just brushed this all off when you had the chance, Jim. Why did you keep asking?”)

He simply shook his head in response. Cleo grinned, before turning.

Somehow, someway, her entire left arm was simply gone. All that was left was an empty sleeve where the limb used to be, along with several broken threads presumably dangling from her shoulder.

JIMMY: “A-AAAAAAGH?!”

CLEO: “Stop screaming, or else someone’s going to think I’m murdering you.”

JIMMY: “But you—Your arm—How?!”

CLEO: “Pulled a muscle.”

JIMMY: “That’s not funny.”

CLEO: “Really? It’s hilarious, if you ask me.”

They suddenly let out a small hum, pulling a suture kit from the barrel.

CLEO: “There we go. Oi, birdbrain, you mind lending a hand?”

JIMMY: “A h-hand?!”

Almost instinctively, Jimmy held his hands close to his chest. She laughed at this, shaking her head.

CLEO: “Please. I wouldn’t want your hands even if you paid me. I just need you to hold my arm steady while I reattach it.”

JIMMY: “That’s…just possible?”

CLEO: “For you, probably. For me? Perfectly reasonable.”

Cleo sat on one of the beds, flipping over the covers to reveal their severed arm underneath. Jimmy instantly felt his stomach shift uncomfortably at just the sight.

CLEO: “…well? You in?”

JIMMY: (“….I cannot believe I’m actually doing this.”)

Steeling himself, Jimmy sat down beside them and held the arm close as Cleo began to reattach it. Thankfully (for him at least) they worked incredibly quickly, already pulling at the final stitch within 10 minutes of starting.

The arm suddenly tensed, causing Jimmy to let out a soft yelp and scoot away. Cleo raised it, wiggling her fingers with a satisfied smile on her face.

CLEO: “There we go. Good as new.”

JIMMY: “I’m still…so incredibly lost. You mean to tell me you’re like…an actual zombie? Like the “grrr, brains, bleurgh” fellas?”

CLEO: “If you’re going to insult me, at least get original material. I’ve heard the “brains” thing more than I can count.”

JIMMY: “No, no! I didn’t mean—I just—It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around somebody being undead, y’know?”

CLEO: “Relax, I’m just joking.”

They leaned back on the bed.

CLEO: “….but to answer your question, yes. I’m not some hybrid like you are, I’m completely undead. Only difference is I’ve still got a brain on me, unlike those other dolts out there.”

JIMMY: “Then…if you don’t mind me asking, how did this happen? Like, the whole becoming undead thing.”

CLEO: “Hm….dunno. I can’t remember.”

JIMMY: “You can’t remember?”

CLEO: “Cut me some slack, I’ll have you know that death is very traumatic.”

JIMMY: “I don’t doubt that! It’s just…you seem so casual about it, is all.”

CLEO: “Well, the way I see it, the old “human” Cleo isn’t me. Whatever she did isn’t my business. Same way that whatever I do isn’t her business.”

JIMMY: “Ah…well, I can’t exactly say I understand, but I see your point. It’s a really mature way of looking at it.”

CLEO: “The way you’re phrasing it, you make it sound like I’m a kid or something. I’m a grown adult, you know.”

JIMMY: “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

CLEO: “Pfffffft. Gods, you’re easy to tease.”

Jimmy tried to pout and look upset, before letting out a laugh himself. The two continued to chat for a bit, until Cleo eventually excused themself. Jimmy quickly grabbed the potion he needed, before heading back upstairs to his room.

JIMMY : (“I mean….today didn’t feel as bad as yesterday. So that’s gotta be an improvement, right? Everybody’s getting along, nobody’s tried anything, and we’re all…alive, still. Maybe…we can make it through this? Togeth—“)

DING DING DING!

Jimmy instantly felt his breath hitch ever so slightly, shrinking as he suddenly felt hundreds upon hundreds of Eyes on him.

OVERSEER : (voice) “ Attention all Players, I am calling a Server-Wide meeting. Please gather in the Mansion’s Entrance Hall as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in punishment.”

JIMMY: (“Me and my big mouth…or thoughts, I guess? Regardless, this is going to go…so incredibly poorly.”)

He really, really didn’t want to, but the threat of punishment far outweighed his hesitation. Jimmy left his room once again, meeting up with everybody else in the entrance hall just as they were asked to.

Once the door finally closed and all 17 Players had finally gathered, that same cloud of purple smoke gathered at the top of the stairs. The Overseer looked down on them all, frowning deeply as his unseen Eyes watched them intently.

OVERSEER : “ I do believe this is everybody, correct?”

BIGB: “There’s no need to sound so disappointed.”

REN: “Why have you called us here, fiend? You couldn’t possibly have had a change of heart.”

OVERSEER : “ I had my change of heart a long time ago. They are the ones who want betrayal.”

JOEL: “Well, tell ‘em that they’re bad at givin’ us reasons.”

MUMBO: “Escape is…preferable to being stuck here, yes. But…it’s too much of a risk, isn’t it?”

LIZZIE: “You’re expecting us to perform murder! It’s just…unthinkable!”

OVERSEER : “… predictable as ever.”

With a sigh, the Overseer waved one of his wings. At once, a splitting pain shot across Jimmy’s head. And judging by the yells and groans from the others, it didn’t seem like it was just him.

White text faded into his vision, the words somehow burned into his eyes even if he closed them.

“First Motive: First Blood Perk”

JIMMY: (“M-Motive…?”)

TANGO: “Ow?! Mind giving us a warning next time?!”

GEM: “Motive? So escape isn’t the only thing you’re going to give us?”

OVERSEER : “ Kind of. You see, I realize that murder is, as Lizzie just pointed out, unthinkable to some of you. It’s quite a daunting task. Hence the…hesitation.”

SKIZZ: “It’s not that! It’s because it’s wrong!”

ETHO: “What’s even the point of this? I’m pretty sure we’ve made it obvious that escape isn’t a big motivator for us.”

OVERSEER : “ I am here to offer…a small push for this game’s start.”

BIGB: “But isn’t that against the rules?”

OVERSEER: “It’s my game. No matter how it’s been hijacked, these are my rules to bend. Think of this as more of…a deal, let’s say.”

SCAR: “A deal, you say? Please continue, I’m interested.”

The Overseer’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.

OVERSEER : “ Let me explain. The First Blood Perk is simple. Whoever kills somebody else first will be allowed to escape with no strings attached. Which means being able to…simply opt out of the “Deadly Life” half of our game.”

TANGO: “You mean…skipping over the entire half of the game we don’t even know about?”

MARTYN: “That doesn’t even make sense?! What’s the point in making us play this way if you’re just gonna offer a get-out-of-jail-free card?”

OVERSEER : “ If you’ll allow me to continue…this offer does not come without risk. Even without “Deadly Life”, all rules will be followed to. The. Letter.”

MARTYN: “Right, you mean the rules we don’t even know about.”

OVERSEER : “… alright. Then allow me to give you just a smidgen more context.”

Bzzz !

Everyone’s communicators went off at once.

Rule 8 : “ Mutual Life will continue until a winner is decided.”

OVERSEER : “ I hope this clears a thing or two up. We will be Watching carefully. Until then.”

And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke once more.

The entire room was silent for what felt like far too long.

BDUBS: “So…panic time now?”

LIZZIE: “Absolutely not. We just…need to stay calm. And adjust our strategy here.”

PEARL: “You really think somebody’s gonna take that offer?”

ETHO : “I mean, it’s not that bad of an idea.”

MUMBO: “I envy that optimism. Quite frankly, it seems like an awful one.”

BIGB : “Or it could be our best ticket out of here.”

JIMMY: “Have you lost it? That’d mean killing someone!”

BIGB : “But it also means that someone could get out. Right?”

SCOTT: “That seems…way too good to be true.”

GEM: “Not to mention really icky. I mean, I don’t really like the idea of choosing who lives and who gets to leave.”

CLEO: “And our earlier plan of sitting around, twiddling our thumbs is much better?”

SKIZZ: “Listen, it doesn’t matter because we’re not taking it. Nobody’s dying, period.”

BDUBS: “Well, what’re we supposed to do then! Just sit around, waitin’ to die from old age?”

MARTYN : “We don’t know how long we can keep going like this. Even if we all agree to work together and not murder…”

IMPULSE: “Okay, guys, I don’t think this is going anywhere. We’ll just keep going in circles at this rate.”

REN: “…would it be wise to turn in for the night, then? It may be best if we have time to…process this all.”

LIZZIE: “I think that may be best. Just…everyone, please stay safe tonight.”

A soft murmur of agreement rippled through the room. Jimmy…just simply couldn’t bring himself to make a sound.

Exhaustion and fear weighed down every step Jimmy took upstairs. And for a moment, he was worried he slammed the door behind him. He triple-checked the door was locked, before just barely choking back a cry.

JIMMY: (“….dammit! This…this motive….this game…”)

He tried to take several deep breaths, feeling his heart leaping into his throat and pounding furiously in his ears. Instinctively, his wings curled tighter around him, as if that could protect him right now.

JIMMY : (“There’s no question about it now…someone…someone’s definitely going to die…”)

THEATRE OF LIFE

“I have a great deal of respect for cowards.”

“Cowards are impulsive and, well, cowardly. They’ll betray you in an instant if it means they can save their skin.”

“They’ll toss you under the bus without a second thought. They’ll stick that knife in your back the moment you turn it to them.”

“Cowards are honest. Predictable.”

“Liars, on the other hand, are a completely different story.”

“You never know what they’re thinking. You never know what they’re really feeling. If they can easily lie to other people, they can do the same to you.”

“You’re nothing but a stepping stone. A useful tool for getting what they want, one that can easily be thrown aside once they’re done with it.”

“…”

“….I was about to say ‘Never trust a liar, but always believe a coward’, but that’s a bit obvious, innit?”

“Aw man, and here I thought I was 3 for 3 on dramatic and thoughtful monologue endings.”

Jimmy barely got any sleep that night.

Every time he tried to drift off, the manor would creak or a branch would brush against the window and he’d be wide-awake once more.

It was only a matter of time before he could see the sun rising through his window. With a sigh, he decided that it would just be for the best if he headed to the dining hall, as tired as he was.

Breakfast was…significantly gloomier today, especially after the motive announcement. It was…as if everyone came to a silent agreement to just…not acknowledge what had happened yesterday. 

JIMMY : (“Granted, not much to say about that, is there? The whole “ murder” thing is hanging over our heads even more now, especially if we know that the first person is just gonna…be set free, no questions asked. Is…is it possible somebody is even planning something already?”)

It almost looked like it would end without anybody even saying a word. That is, until someone finally broke through the silence.

SCAR: “Geez Louise, everybody’s so gloomy today! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was a funeral.”

Scar stood in the doorway, eyebrow raised. His arms were filled with a rather large flower bouquet and an equally large flower pot to go with it.

SKIZZ: “Scar! I was worried about you, buddy.”

CLEO: “It’s not a funeral yet. Calm down.”

SCOTT: “Preferably, never.”

SCAR: “Semantics. What’s got you all in such a sour mood?”

JOEL: “Dunno. Might have something to do with the bloomin’ murder angel giving somebody a free kill pass. Were you just not listening?”

IMPULSE: “It…is a bit hard to be cheerful when we’ve got that looming over us.”

SCAR: “Well, well, well. Have I got just the news for you all then!”

With a grin, he set everything down on the table, before clapping his hands together.

SCAR: “I’m planning a party. And everybody here is invited!”

…

BIGB: “….a party?”

SCAR: “Well, I suppose it’s more of a little get-together, but yes!”

TANGO: “I really hope you realize how suspicious that’s makin’ you right now.”

GEM: “How do we know you’re not planning anything else?”

SCAR: “Because I’m not.”

SCOTT: “Not to sound mean or anything, but…you have a bit of a reputation, Scar.”

SCAR: “I’ll have you know I’ve given up the villain role. I never even wanted it in the first place! And this is my way of making friends. Weren’t you one of the first people to support the whole “make friends to not kill” idea?”

SCOTT: “….”

SCAR: “Regardless! I plan on setting everything up today and holding it tomorrow. If anybody wants to stop by, lend a hand, then feel free.”

With a small, two-fingered salute, Scar left, leaving the mood in the dining hall even more tense than before.

MARTYN: “…okay, so we’re all in agreement that nobody’s going to that, right?”

SKIZZ: “And pass up a chance to party? This could be the break we need!”

REN: “Should we not be worried about traps?”

IMPULSE: “Normally I’d say yes, but someone like Scar? Trapping a party?”

JOEL: “Scar’s traps never work, so even if he did try that, it’s not like it’d do anything.”

BDUBS: “I don’t trust the guy one bit.”

LIZZIE: “How about this. Show of hands, who’s planning on joining Scar?”

Skizz was the first to raise his hand. Impulse and, shockingly, Mumbo eventually followed suit.

JIMMY: (“…I mean, Scar hasn’t really done much to prove he’s dangerous like some others are sayin’. And…he’s not wrong about it being a good way to make friends.”)

Jimmy bit the inside of his cheek, before sheepishly raising his hand as well.

JOEL: “Seriously, Jimmy?! What, are you tryin’ to get yourself killed?”

JIMMY : “No! I just…I don’t think it’s a half-bad idea, really. And if other people are goin’, then there’s a better chance of not getting hurt!”

JOEL: “Well, in that case, I’m goin’ too. Somebody’s gotta watch your back.”

SKIZZ: “So that’s me, Dipple dop, Mumbo, Jimmy, and Joel so far. Anybody else?”

There was a brief pause, before Gem and, eventually, Etho raised their hands as well.

BDUBS: “Etho, what the heck? You can’t possibly trust that guy.”

ETHO: “No, I don’t. But I also don’t have anything better going on. So I might as well see what happens. You’re more than welcome to come too.”

Bdubs paused for a while.

BDUBS: “Yeah, absolutely not. I ain’t stupid.”

CLEO: “That’s debatable.”

BDUBS: “Hey!”

CLEO: “I’ll give you this, you’re not nearly as stupid as the rest of you. The fact that you’re actually falling for such an obvious trap is almost mind-boggling.”

MUMBO: “I’d like to believe in everybody here. Even Scar, as strange as he may be.”

CLEO : “To the point you’re willing to die in order to prove your point?”

MUMBO: “D-Die? Heavens no, I just…H-He wouldn’t possibly…”

SKIZZ: “I’ll say it again just in case you weren’t listenin’. Nobody. Is. Dying. Period, full-stop, no questions.”

Cleo only responded with a glare, before getting up with a huff.

CLEO: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She left before anybody could stop her. There was a brief pause before Martyn and Scott stood as well.

SCOTT: “Please just…be careful if you do end up going. Cleo might be harsh but—“

MARTYN: “She’s spot on. Dead right. And you’re a deadman if you think otherwise.”

Martyn stormed out. Scott let out a sigh, before following after him.

Breakfast ended soon after that, and the rest of the group split up for the day.

JIMMY: (“…Are Cleo and Martyn right? Is going to this party a bad idea? Maybe I ought to have a word with the man himself, and…well, lack of a better term, keep an eye out.”)

It took a bit of searching, but he eventually found Scar by the World Border, digging several holes along the path.

JIMMY: “Scar! You got a minute?”

SCAR: “Hm?!"

Scar nearly dropped the shovel he was holding. He almost hurriedly filled in the hole he had been digging, before turning to face Jimmy.

JIMMY: ("Poor start already.")

SCAR: “Goodness! You startled me there, Jimmy!”

JIMMY: "Sorry, I didn't mean to...I just...what're you doing out here anyways?"

SCAR: "Just a bit of gardening for the party tomorrow. This place is so drab and gloomy, so I thought it'd be nice if I added a lil pop of color, y'know?"

JIMMY: (“Ok, so just party decorations. That’s a relief.”)

JIMMY: “That’s….that sounds great, man. You think I could lend a hand? I’m not bad with physical labour.”

SCAR: “Could you? I just need a few more holes dug and, well…I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up.”

He patted a small bag hanging from his hip, presumably filled with seeds.

SCAR: “How about…you dig and I fill? We’ll get this done twice as fast and with far less breaks.”

JIMMY: “Sounds good to me. Pass that shovel here, eh?”

Scar tossed the tool over and, once he gathered his cane again, the two began their work. Jimmy dug a large enough hole and Scar dug into his bag and filled it as needed, before shoving the dirt back inside.

He had a surprising amount of seeds with him, leading to them both digging holes nearly to the crossroads. With the final hole dug, Jimmy stabbed the shovel into the ground and wiped at his brow.

JIMMY: “Geez man, how come you have so many?”

SCAR: “Hm?”

Scar filled the last hole rather quickly, before following Jimmy’s gaze.

SCAR: “Oh! Well, truthfully….I might’ve overprepared a teensy bit.”

JIMMY: “Just a bit?”

SCAR: “What can I say? I’d rather be prepared than caught with ma pants down.”

He visibly stiffened, clutching his bag tightly.

SCAR: “….How about we take a break for now? I’m…whew, I’m exhausted. And a strong man like you must be tired too.”

JIMMY: “Don’t have to ask me twice. Are you good, need any help?”

SCAR: “I’ll be fine. Come! I know a lovely spot just down the path.”

Scar led the way back towards the World Border and to a small alcove just on the edge of the forest. Most of the area had been cleared, replaced instead with some chests and a crafting bench.

JIMMY: (“Ah, so this must be where he’s planning on hosting everybody, huh? Not a bad spot, really. Though…I gotta wonder how long he’s been at it in that case. It’s small, but it’s still a lot to clear out in such a short amount of time…”)

Scar sat on top of one of the chests, letting out a short huff of relief.

SCAR: “…so. Is anybody actually coming?”

JIMMY: “What, to your party tomorrow?”

SCAR: “Of course! I mean, unless somebody decided to throw a rival party, which is very rude, I’ll have you know.”

JIMMY: “…well, a few people.”

Scar raised an eyebrow.

JIMMY: “To be honest, most of ‘em think you’re planning something.”

SCAR: “Planning something? Yeah, I’m planning a party!”

JIMMY: “No, I mean…they think you’re planning on like, trapping the place. Or killing someone.”

SCAR: “Ah, that.”

He frowned, idly toying with some of the flowers on his cane. The look in his eyes…was practically unreadable.

JIMMY: “…are you?”

SCAR: “Escape doesn’t appeal to me.”

JIMMY: “Huh?”

SCAR: “The entire point of this game is to kill someone and get away with it. That way, the winner gets to leave the Server and head home. Right?”

JIMMY: “I…yes? Where is this—“

SCAR: “I don't care about leaving. Believe me, my life outside of here? Absolute nightmare, nothing to look forwards to.”

JIMMY: (“…Alright, vaguely concerning but I get it. He’s like Pearl and Scott then, huh?”)

SCAR: “I understand everybody’s apprehension. Quite honestly? You’re all smart people, everybody’s going to see what I’m doing and why.”

He paused, eyes flicking over to meet Jimmy’s.

SCAR : “… And they’ll understand.”

Jimmy felt a shiver travel down his spine. If Scar noticed (or even cared), then he didn’t show it. Instead, he reached into the chest below him and pulled out, of all things, a diamond.

Before Jimmy could even process it, it was tossed his way. He very nearly dropped it.

SCAR: “A little token of thanks for the help, my friend. And…insurance, let’s say.”

JIMMY: “Wh—Insurance? For what?”

SCAR: “Let’s keep this whole meeting between ourselves, shall we? To be honest with you, I kinda wanted to keep the sunflowers a surprise for everybody coming. You need a hook to draw folks in and, well, maybe I can change minds when they see a spectacular field leading to the party.”

JIMMY: “Wait, just that? Really?”

Jimmy let out a sigh of relief.

JIMMY: “I thought it was going to be a lot more sinister for a moment there. Don’t do that to me, man!”

Scar chuckled, trying to wave it aside.

SCAR: “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m an honest man, just trying to make an honest living. And make a few folks smile. I just know they’ll fall head over heels for that surprise!”

Even if Scar was…unnerving at times, it didn’t seem like he had any ill intention. And for now, that was enough for Jimmy.

They spent a little while longer, simply chatting, before Scar shooed him away, citing decorations and that same “surprise” factor from before. With not much else to do, Jimmy found himself heading back to the Mansion with plenty of time to kill.

JIMMY: (“Hm…maybe I should go find Joel. I keep meanin’ to check in with him, like I did with Lizzie, but…I just keep getting distracted.”)

Thankfully, it didn’t take as long as he thought. Joel was outside the sealed door, slamming an axe against it so hard, it made the floor tremble as Jimmy got close.

JIMMY: “What in the—What’s all this about then?!”

JOEL: “Careful. I don’t wanna take your head off.”

Joel swung at the door again, embedding the axe head deep into the wood.

JOEL: “I’ve nearly got it this time, I’m sure of it! You’re welcome, by the way?”

JIMMY: “Uh-huh. Sure. And how long have you been at it?”

JOEL: “Not important.”

JIMMY: “I disagree.”

Joel just rolled his eyes in response, before wrenching the axe free and pushing against the door.

…

No reaction.

JOEL: “Come on! Stupid door, stupid mansion, stupid…”

JIMMY: “Joel…quick question for you.”

JOEL: “What.”

Jimmy felt himself flinch slightly, but forced himself to keep going regardless.

JIMMY: “…what’re your thoughts on all this? The whole…death game, “murder someone to escape” thing, I mean.”

JOEL: “Um, it’s pretty obvious? I hate it, it’s stupid, and I’ve decided I’m not playing along.”

Joel gripped his axe tightly, glaring daggers at the door.

JOEL: “It’s sick. And unbelievably dumb. I mean, who thinks they get to just play with our lives like this, huh? What gives ‘em the right?”

JIMMY: (“That’s…about the response I was expecting, honestly.”)

JOEL: “…There’s another reason you asked me that, isn’t there?”

JIMMY: “Huh?”

JOEL: “Oh come on, don’t give me that. You’re like an open book, Jim. What’s worryin’ you?”

JIMMY: “…”

He bit at the inside of his cheek.

JIMMY: “Back when we were exploring. When you and Gem were sparring…”

JOEL: “I already apologized for that. And Lizzie already gave me a full lecture about it.”

JIMMY: “No, that’s not…exactly what I wanted to ask about. It’s just…you’re not the type to do something like that. I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright, is all.”

JOEL: “…”

Joel rested the axe on his shoulder, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

JOEL: “…you ever have funky dreams, Jimmy?”

JIMMY: “I…guess? I’m pretty sure everybody has.”

JOEL: “No, I mean like, right weird ones. The kind where you’re almost %90 sure that you died in the middle of ‘em.”

JIMMY : “I do not like where this is going.”

JOEL: “Look, I don’t know how much of it I believe myself. Or if I can even explain it properly. But right before I woke up here, I swear on every God and star out there, I had a dream where I was being chased by zombies. And at the end of it, I fell to my death.”

JIMMY: “Ah. That’s…”

JIMMY: (“…eerily similar to what Martyn mentioned. Minus the whole timer bit, I suppose.”)

JOEL: “So, back when Gem and I were having a spar, I kinda…thought I was still in that dream, I guess. I dunno if I can explain it better than that.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

JIMMY: “And this has been bugging you for a bit, hasn’t it?”

JOEL: “No.”

…

JOEL: “…okay, fine. Maybe.”

JIMMY: “Well, in that case.”

Jimmy took a step forwards, before slapping Joel’s arm. He instantly jumped back, axe raised with that same wild look in his eyes.

JOEL: “What the heck, man?! Uncalled for!”

JIMMY: “That was me helping!”

JOEL: “By slapping me?!”

JIMMY: “By making sure you know you’re not dreamin’ anymore.”

Joel opened his mouth in protest, only to close it in confusion.

JIMMY : “Sorry, I’m probably assuming, but it kind of sounds like you’re having trouble figuring out whether you are still dreaming or whether you’re awake now. Did that hurt?” 

JOEL: “Uh, duh? Yes?!”

JIMMY: “Then that means you’re awake!”

JOEL: “…”

JIMMY: “Look, I’m not gonna pretend like I know what this dream was all about. Or why exactly it’s got this much effect on you. But…you’re still my friend. And I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

JOEL: “…Family helps family out. Can’t believe I forgot that.”

Joel lowered his axe.

JOEL: “Fine. As long as you…y’know, give me a bit of warning next time, then…let’s keep that strategy up.”

JIMMY: “I’m always here for you, man. Especially if it means I get a free pass for hitting you.”

JOEL: “Pff. As if I’d let you get off that easy.”

JIMMY: “Oh? And what did you—WAIT!”

Joel tossed the axe to the side, immediately pulling Jimmy into a headlock with a laugh. 

JOEL: “Revenge for the suckerpunch, lad!”

JIMMY: “C’mon, not fair!”

JOEL: “Next time, don’t pick a fight you can’t win.”

JIMMY : “I was helping you!”

JOEL: “I am just defending myself. You’re the one that attacked first.”

JIMMY: “You—!”

Jimmy managed to wiggle free, giving Joel a light shove. Joel simply grinned in response.

JIMMY: “…it’s good to see you feeling better, big man.”

JOEL: “Right back at ya, Jimmy. Now, mind lending a hand? I’m pretty sure we’ve nearly got this thing cracked.”

JIMMY : “You sure you want me helpin’ out?”

JOEL: “‘Course. You’re my family, man. And nothing. Is stronger than family. Definitely not some stupid door like this.”

Jimmy returned the grin in full.

The two spent the next few hours trying (and failing) to break the door down. Despite Joel’s insistence on the whole “family is the strongest thing” and “this door could be in pieces” thing, the door didn’t even budge an inch.

Eventually, they had no choice but to give up. Especially since Scott interrupted them, specifically looking for Joel. Jimmy welcomed the excuse, especially considering how badly his shoulder was stinging.

He made his way back upstairs and into his room, locking the door behind him and instantly falling back into bed.

JIMMY: (“At least we got the party to look forward to. Even if Scar doesn’t plan on trying anything…who’s to say nobody else is planning something.”)

His mind wandered back to the motive.

Whoever makes a kill first will simply be allowed to leave, no questions asked. It sounded way too good to be true. But the thought kept coming back to him.

What if…it wasn’t?

What if it was worth it ?

JIMMY: (“…I’m spiraling, just thinking like this. I’d better get some sleep…”)

With an exhausted sigh, Jimmy turned over in bed and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to finally take him.

THEATRE OF LIFE

“…I’m so sorry.”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“You weren’t…”

“…I never should’ve brought you here…”

CRACK! BOOM!

It felt like he had only just settled in for the night before Jimmy was rudely awakened.

Thunder shook the entire room, causing Jimmy to sit bolt upright in response.

JIMMY: (“What in the—?! When did it start storming?!”)

It was still dark outside, although the sky was completely clear despite what earlier lightning would suggest.

But before Jimmy could try investigating further, he felt Eyes on him.

And his heart nearly stopped.

OVERSEER : “ A body has been discovered. All surviving Players are required to report immediately to the World Border or risk further punishment. The Mansion doors will be unlocked shortly.”

A body…

A body had been…discovered?

Moving as quick as he could, Jimmy jumped to his feet and raced for the door. Several other people were out in the hallway as well, looking and sounding just as bewildered.

GEM: “Everybody else heard that, right?”

BIGB: “There’s no way that’s real…”

BDUBS: “You heard the thing!”

Jimmy kept his mouth shut and just kept running. Down the stairs and into the entrance hall where…

ETHO: “That’s nearly everyone now…”

IMPULSE: “No…w-we’re still missing…”

One of the hall’s windows had been smashed, scattering glass shards across the floor and letting a wickedly chill wind blow in. Nearly everybody else had gathered, save for a choice few.

JIMMY: “Where’s….”

SCOTT: “….outside. The window…it was…”

LIZZIE: “It was like that when we got here! M-Martyn and Pearl went to look outside and…”

MUMBO: “T-T-Then…the body must be o-out there as well…?”

SKIZZ: “No….there’s no way…”

CLEO: “Yes way. Now stop the blubbering and let’s go.”

Cleo pushed her way to the door, throwing it open with little issue. As they all began making their way down the path, exactly as they were told, Jimmy managed to find his way to Lizzie’s side.

JIMMY: “Lizzie…did Joel…is he…?!”

Lizzie just barely choked back a sob, instead pointing a shaky finger further down the road.

She pointed right at Martyn and Pearl. Pearl was the only one who reacted, turning to face everyone with a dark look on her face.

Not a single word was said. She didn’t need to. She merely grabbed onto Martyn’s sleeve and gently pulled him aside.

Allowing everyone to see what they were looking at.

Allowing despair to fully set in.

Half buried in a hole and with an arrow protruding from his throat, there lay the still form of GoodTimeWithScar, gazing up at them with a cold and cruel smile.

END OF DAILY LIFE

PLAYERS ALIVE: 16

Chapter Text

This wasn’t real.

It couldn’t have been real. He had to still be asleep.

Because…because if this was all real…

It meant that he was staring down at what used to be someone he knew. It meant that someone he had talking to just earlier today…was gone . It meant that Scar laid dead in front of them, forever silenced thanks to the arrow sticking out of his neck.

If this was real, then it meant they all were staring at the very picture of despair.

ETHO: “Oh snappers…”

REN: “Someone truly has perished?”

BDUBS: “I’m gonna be sick.”

LIZZIE: “...n-no…”

GEM: “It’s…it’s not a prank..?”

BIGB: “Oh my.”

SKIZZ: “You’re kiddin’...”

MUMBO: “S-Scar can’t just…he’s really and truly…gone?”

CLEO: “...”

IMPULSE: “Someone…actually did it…?”

SCOTT: “Oh Scar…”

TANGO: “But…why?”

PEARL: “Please, that answer’s obvious.”

Pearl’s wings fluttered angrily.

PEARL: “Somebody took the coward’s way out.”

GEM : “Hold on…you mean, somebody actually took the First Blood Perk?”

ETHO : “If that’s the case…it’s kinda suspicious that Joel still isn’t here.”

JIMMY: “H-Hold on! You can’t possibly think he d-did this!?”

LIZZIE: “Exactly! He’d never!”

ETHO: “I’m just saying.”

BIGB : “It’d certainly make for a pretty open-and-shut case. Joel stabs Scar, takes the First Blood Perk, and just…leaves scott-free.”

JIMMY: (“BigB’s…not wrong. But it’s just…J-Joel wouldn’t really do something like this…would he?”)

OVERSEER : “ That took less time than I thought.”

At some point, the Overseer had appeared behind them. His expression (or, what little they could see) was practically unreadable, as his Eyes scanned every face in the crowd.

SKIZZ: “Well, hope you’re happy now, dude. You finally got a body served up to ya on a silver platter.”

OVERSEER : “ I don’t think I could be less happy right now.”

CLEO: “Save your temper tantrum for someone who cares. Are you here just to tell us Joel’s run off? Because we’ve already figured that part out.”

OVERSEER : “ Unfortunately for you all, no. In fact, the killer has outright refused my offer.”

BDUBS: “Ha? Hold on, that doesn’t make sense.”

MUMBO: “Somebody killed Scar…but they didn’t want to escape? T-Then…why do any of this?!”

All the Overseer could offer was a shrug.

OVERSEER : “ That’s for you all to figure out. I’m only here to give you the rundown on what’s about to happen.”

Bzzzt!

Jimmy felt his communicator vibrate in his pocket. He fumbled about for a minute, before pulling it out and turning it on. A notification had popped up, stating that new rules had just been added.

Rule 9 : “The only way to win Mutual Life is by killing another Player and making it through the Server Trial without being caught.”

Rule 10: “Players will be given a brief investigative period after the discovery of a body. During this time, the “Red” Player is forbidden from killing additional victims.”

Rule 11 : “At the end of every Trial, Players will be given a chance to vote on who they believe is the killer. If they are correct, then only the killer will be punished. However, if they are wrong, then all innocent Players will be punished instead.”

Rule 12 : “In the event of two culprits, the ensuing Server Trial will be held only for the first victim to die. Any murders that occur after the first death will be considered irrelevant.”

Rule 13: “A “Red” Player cannot kill more than two “Green” Players at a time.”

OVERSEER : “ ‘Deadly Life’ is quite simple when you get down to it. As stated in the rules, you all will be given a brief period to investigate and find any clues you can. When that time is up, you will then have to debate your findings in the Server Trial, where the innocent “Yellow” Players have to answer the question of “whodunnit”.”

IMPULSE: “And this…punishment that’s mentioned. What exactly is it?”

OVERSEER : “ Execution. Which should be rather obvious at this point.”

JIMMY: (“T-Then…no matter what happens…somebody else is going to be dying?!”)

REN: “How are we even expected to solve this? If you combine our collective lack of experience, rudimentary tools, and our limited time, performing even the most basic autopsy seems impossible.”

BIGB : “I mean, it’s not impossible. Just really…really… really hard.”

OVERSEER : “ Luckily for you, I have prepared for that.”

Their communicators all buzzed again. A new menu had become available, simply labelled “Observation Files”.

OVERSEER : “ The Observation File is a compilation of everything We have…observed regarding the body. This will give you a cause of death, time of death, time and location of discovery, and even a list of any notable injuries the victim may have sustained prior to death.”

TANGO: “Yeah, that’s great and all, but can we really trust it?”

OVERSEER : “ You don’t exactly have any other choice.”

The Overseer turned sharply on their heel and simply…left, without any grand display or even the usual smokescreen.

Which just left everyone in the group with that one, horrible question.

MUMBO: “...one of us…actually did this?”

GEM: “And now, it’s up to us to figure out who.”

CLEO: “As if we don’t already have that answer.”

JIMMY: “If you say it was Joel…”

CLEO : “Can you blame me? He still hasn’t shown up. It’s either he did this, or he’s actually dead somewhere.”

JIMMY: (“I…I don’t want to think about either possibility…”)

TANGO: “Maybe a few of us should split up and look for him? We’ve already got one corpse to deal with, the last thing we need is two of ‘em.”

LIZZIE : “Let me help! I want--no, I need to know if he’s alright!”

REN: “I must say no, unfortunately. Miss Shadow, you will be coming with me to the infirmary.”

Lizzie instantly paled at that, almost instantly hiding behind one of Jimmy’s wings.

REN: “Ah! Relax, I don’t intend on harming you. I just want to make sure you don’t hurt yourself further.”

SCOTT: “I have a few questions I want to ask you two, actually. So, as long as you guys don’t mind, I’d like to come too.”

LIZZIE: “...um…o-okay…”

Ren simply offered a solemn nod in response.

SKIZZ: “Circling back to the “Find Joel” thing, mind if I take the lead there? I can give the place a quick, aerial sweep.”

As if to emphasize his point, Skizz spread his wings wide.

IMPULSE: “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

SKIZZ: “‘Course I will!”

GEM: “I don’t buy that for a second, personally.”

SKIZZ: “Hey!”

SCOTT: “Pearl, could you go with him, then?”

PEARL: “Absolutely not. I’m going with you.”

SCOTT: “We’ll be fine, don’t worry. In fact, you’ll be helping us all a lot by searching for Joel.”

Pearl’s glare softened ever so slightly.

PEARL: “...just…be careful. For both of our sakes.”

SCOTT: “I’m a tough man to kill, Pearl. You know that better than anyone.”

While she still didn’t look entirely convinced, she seemed to bite back any further arguments. Her wings began fluttering rapidly and, with a powerful gust of wind from Skizz, both of them took flight.

Taking that as their cue, the group began to split up. Lizzie, Ren, and Scott left for the Mansion as everyone began their own searches.

JIMMY: (“...so…that’s it then?”)

The air felt…unbearably heavy. The initial shock of what had happened was finally starting to wear off, except it had only given away for the full gravity of the situation to sink in.

JIMMY: (“...Somebody…one of us…killed Scar. Not to escape or anything. They killed him…for what? For fun? Just to prove that they could? Is this even something we can solve…? Or are we…are we--)

He felt somebody put a hand on his shoulder, instantly snapping him out of his thoughts.

MARTYN: “Woah! Easy there, mate, it’s just me.”

JIMMY: “M-Martyn?”

MARTYN: “You looked like you were panicking a bit there. You holding up alright?”

JIMMY: “Well…’a bit’ might be an understatement, man…”

MARTYN: “Fair. It’s not like I can really blame you. I’ve been out of sorts myself.”

He certainly looked the part. There was a sort of blank horror (or at least, Jimmy was assuming it was blank horror) that still lingered in Martyn’s eyes. And even now, he didn’t exactly seem entirely there.

JIMMY: (“...right, he was one of the first people to find Scar. I…I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now.”)

MARTYN: “But that’s besides the point. C’mon.”

JIMMY: “Huh?”

MARTYN: “C’mon. We’re on a time limit here, so let’s get to it.”

JIMMY: “...wait, wait, wait, hold on. Are you saying we should investigate…together? You do know who you’re talking to, right?”

MARTYN : “Yeah? I mean, I know I’m getting on in years, but I don’t think my eyes are that bad yet.”

JIMMY: “It’s just…why me? I’m not gonna be useful, in fact I’ll probably just slow you down. You’d be much better working with someone else.”

MARTYN: “Yeah, but I didn’t ask someone else, did I?”

JIMMY: “I’m being serious here!”

MARTYN : “Do you think Joel did this?”

JIMMY: “Wha--Absolutely not?! But what does--?”

MARTYN : “Alright, then prove it.”

JIMMY: “I…”

It hurt that he couldn’t give a real answer, right there and then. He could keep repeating himself ad nausem, insisting that “Joel would never”. But at the end of the day…it really was simply his word against everybody else’s. And right now…things didn’t exactly look good for his friend.

MARTYN: “...Yeah, that’s about what I thought. Listen, you’re not gonna prove Joel’s innocence by sitting around, feeling sorry for yourself. And we definitely won’t avenge Scar that way.”

He offered Jimmy a hand, giving him a smile.

MARTYN: “So…let’s do it together. Two heads are better than one, after all.”

Jimmy hesitated, far more than he would’ve liked to admit.

JIMMY: (“...somebody killed Scar. And now…it’s up to all of us to figure out who…I have absolutely no faith that I can do a thing to help, but…if it means proving Joel’s innocence.”)

With a deep breath, he finally took Martyn’s hand. His old friend’s smile only grew wider.

JIMMY: “Just…please don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

MARTYN: “Wouldn’t dream of it, Tim.”

INVESTIGATION BEGIN!

MARTYN: “Right! So…where do you wanna start?”

JIMMY: “Why’re you leavin’ this up to me?!”

Martyn shrugged.

JIMMY : “Gods above. Okay…um…maybe we should check out that Observation File the Overseer mentioned?”

MARTYN: “The what now?”

JIMMY: “Were…were you even paying attention?”

MARTYN: “Vaguely.”

Ignoring that, Jimmy quickly opened up the new menu, feeling Martyn shuffling closer and watching over his shoulder. The report itself was surprisingly small, although it did provide a picture of the crime scene.

“The victim is GoodTimeWithScar. The time of death is around 20:15. The body was discovered near the World Border at 20:50. The victim died of severe blood loss as a result of a deep stab wound. No potion effects were found in the victim’s bloodstream.”

MARTYN: “...huh. Interesting.”

JIMMY: (“I…guess? The way he says it makes it sound like he’s just reading the Sunday paper…”)

“Observation File #1” has been added to Truth Bullets.

MARTYN: “Now, before I forget, mind telling me what you were doin’ before the announcement went off?”

JIMMY : “I was in my room? It’s late and I--Wait a minute, hold on! You don’t think I did this, do you?!”

MARTYN: “If I did, I wouldn’t have teamed up with you for this.”

JIMMY: “O-Oh, right, sorry…”

MARTYN: “Don’t worry. I’m just getting alibis sorted, is all. Given the time, I’m guessing most people were in their rooms.”

JIMMY: “That sounds about right. Although…what exactly were you and Pearl doing then?”

MARTYN: “Somebody broke a window, we assumed they were tryin’ to get out, and we followed to try and find ‘em.”

JIMMY: “What.”

MARTYN: “...shoot, right, I’d better start at the beginning. See, Scott asked me, Pearl, Scar, and Joel to meet him in the library for a chat. Scar never showed, so at around…19:55 I wanna say, Joel went to grab him. We wait around, he never returns, and around 15-20 minutes later, we hear the window breaking. So the three of us come running.”

JIMMY: “Which is when I’m guessin’ you and Pearl went to go search outside until you found…”

MARTYN: “Kind of? Actually, we only found Scar because somebody shot an arrow at us.”

JIMMY: “They WHAT?!”

MARTYN: “Yep. And I can only assume it was the killer firing it. Thing is, we couldn’t really see anyone, it was super dark.”

“Library Meeting” has been added to Truth Bullets.

“Martyn’s Account” has been added to Truth Bullets.

JIMMY: (“...okay, so I guess…there’s really no way of putting it off, huh?”)

Martyn practically read his mind, as he immediately began to walk over to where the body was. Jimmy started to follow, but something else caught his eye.

JIMMY: (“Hm? Wait a minute…is that…?”)

On the ground, just a few metres away from Scar’s body, was a thin trail of blood and several bloody footprints. Oddly enough, they seemed to lead towards the nearby hole too.

JIMMY : (“...right, there’s no way that’s not important. It’s just…this must be Scar’s blood, so what’s it doing all the way over here?”)

“Blood Trail” Has been added to Truth Bullets.

Seeing as there wasn’t anything else in the immediate area, Jimmy quickly caught up with Martyn over by the body.

Quite frankly, it was…way worse seeing it up close.

A hole had been dug right in the middle of the path, and Scar’s body had, almost haphazardly, been tossed inside. His legs and most of his torso were completely covered by dirt. Hardest to ignore was the arrow buried deep in the man’s throat and his expression that peered over it, twisted into that cold and almost mocking smile.

BigB and Gem were knelt by the hole’s edge, diligently working to dig the body out of the hole. Meanwhile, Mumbo was stood off to the side, nervously fiddling with his tie and shifting from foot to foot.

JIMMY: “Scar…”

GEM: “I know, it’s…rough, to say the least. Honestly, my neck’s hurting just looking at him.”

MARTYN: “You guys find anything yet?”

BigB dusted off his hands with a sigh.

BIGB: “Not really…I’ve been trying to perform an autopsy of my own, but it’s…kind of hard when the body’s buried like this.”

MUMBO: “Um…is it really necessary? It’s…a bit obvious what happened to Scar, is all.”

He gestured vaguely to the arrow.

MARTYN: “Wait, hold on. Mind if I take a closer look?”

BigB just gave him a thumbs up. So, Martyn joined them by Scar’s side, gently tilting his neck to the side.

MARTYN: “...this is one of Scar’s own arrows, isn’t it?”

JIMMY: “Wh-What?! How do you know?”

GEM : “I mean, it’s kinda a matter of deduction, isn’t it? Scar was the only person to carry a weapon on him, it makes sense he’d have arrows on him too.”

MARTYN : “Actually, speaking of, has anyone actually seen his bow?”

BIGB: “Hm…I don’t think so. Honestly, if it was in the hole with him, we would’ve found it by now.”

JIMMY: “Do you think the killer stole it?”

GEM: “Probably. Unless Scar lost it before getting stabbed.”

MUMBO: “That…really doesn’t seem likely.”

“Scar’s Bow and Arrow” has been added to Truth Bullets.

As Martyn rose, BigB suddenly let out a surprised gasp, scooping aside another large handful of dirt. Part of Scar’s chest was finally exposed, only to reveal a large red stain underneath.

MUMBO: “B-Blood?!”

MARTYN: “They stabbed the guy twice?! Why?”

JIMMY: “H-Hang on, I’ll lend a hand.”

Both Jimmy and Gem began quickly helping BigB, clearing away even more dirt in just a few minutes. Most of Scar’s chest was completely stained with blood, with the largest patch centered on a spot just under his left shoulder.

BIGB : “...not just stabbed. I’m pretty sure he was shot. That looks like an exit wound.”

BigB slid a hand under Scar’s back, flinching and pulling it back only to reveal blood.

BIGB: “Yep. The entrance is on his back.”

GEM: “Geez, a bit overkill, don’t you think?”

JIMMY: “...is it? I mean, the difference feels like night and day.”

MARTYN: “Ay?”

JIMMY: “Um…because…just look at both wounds. Scar got stabbed in two places, but only one wound is super bloody like this. Doesn’t that just seem…off?”

MUMBO: “Could the killer have wiped off the blood? Maybe to hide the second wound?”

MARTYN: “Well, they failed at the first hurdle there. The arrow’s still in his throat.”

MUMBO: “O-Oh…right.”

“Additional Wounds” has been added to Truth Bullets.

“Lack of Blood” has been added to Truth Bullets.

MARTYN: “I think that’s everything ‘round here. You good to keep moving, Tim?”

JIMMY: “Mhm. We should probably…head back towards the Mansion now, right?”

MARTYN: “Sounds like a plan to me. You three keep safe, okay?”

BIGB: “Of course. Good luck, guys!”

Once again, Jimmy found himself lingering just a second longer. He cast a quick glance back towards the hole.

Back towards Scar…

JIMMY: (“...what…is it? That smile just…fills me with so much dread.”)

“Scar’s Smile” has been added to Truth Bullets.

Shaking it off the best he could, Jimmy quickly caught up with Martyn just a bit farther down the road. However, before they could even get far, something immediately caught Martyn’s eye and he immediately turned off the path.

JIMMY: “Huh? You find something?”

MARTYN: “Think so. Check this out.”

Martyn pulled back from the bushes, holding up what looked like a small handful of dark, tangled threads and what looked to be very light hair strands.

JIMMY: “I…I really don’t know what to make of that.”

MARTYN: “It’s probably from the killer, if I had to guess. These look familiar to you?”

JIMMY: “Um…well, not exactly? But if it’s from the killer…then it’d have to be someone with really light hair and…dark clothes, I guess?”

MARTYN: “...Geez, you weren’t kidding when you said not to expect much.”

JIMMY: “Hey!”

“Loose Threads and Hair” has been added to Truth Bullets.

As Martyn pocketed the evidence, the two continued further down the path. There was hardly anything of note, or at least, that is until they reached the crossroads.

Etho had Bdubs up on his shoulders, the latter trying his hardest to reach an arrow that was stuck high up in a nearby tree trunk. By the time they reached them, Bdubs just barely managed to yank the arrow free.

BDUBS: “Ha ha! Finally!”

JIMMY: “What’d you guys find?”

ETHO: “Not sure. Pass that down here, Bdubs.”

BDUBS: “Lemme look at it first! I worked hard for the thing so I--AAAAAAAAAAGH!!”

Bdubs very nearly fell off of Etho’s shoulders, almost dropping the arrow in surprise. Jimmy darted forwards and caught it, only to realize exactly why Bdubs reacted the way he did.

The arrow was completely coated in blood.

JIMMY: “Gah! What’s with this thing?!”

ETHO: “Yeah. Should’ve warned you about that, buddy.”

BDUBS: “Wha--You jerk!”

MARTYN: “...”

JIMMY: “...uh, Martyn? Something up?”

MARTYN : “...that’s the arrow that got fired at Pearl and I.”

ETHO: “You guys got shot at?”

MARTYN: “Yep. Which is really weird that it’s covered in blood.”

ETHO: “...then, this wouldn’t be the bow, would it?”

Etho pulled a small, wooden bow from behind his back.

BDUBS: “You’ve been hidin’ evidence from me? Don’t tell me--”

ETHO: “I only just found this, relax. I’m pretty sure it’s from the training grounds, which isn’t a bad spot to snatch a weapon, if you ask me.”

MARTYN: “Where’d you find it?”

He shrugged and pointed down the path, towards the ranch and flower field. 

ETHO: “It was…down that way, if I remember correctly.”

JIMMY: “...Martyn, do you think…?”

MARTYN: “There’s no way it’s not related. Thanks for the info, you two.”

“Bloodied Arrow” has been added to Truth Bullets.

“Training Bow” has been added to Truth Bullets.

BDUBS: “No need to thank us. We’re just doin’ our part!”

ETHO: “It certainly beats dying. Good luck.”

Leaving the duo behind, they continued on to the Mansion.

Just like they had left it, one of the entrance hall windows was now completely smashed. Several shards of glass remained in the frame and, as they got closer, Jimmy could spot similar looking threads to the ones Martyn had found earlier clinging to the edges.

“Loose Threads and Hair” has been updated.

MARTYN: “Timmy, I just wanna make sure I’m not going crazy. Can you take a closer look at this?”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, before leaning in just a bit closer.

The hole was definitely large enough to let a person climb through, though it was a tight squeeze given the broken shards. He moved his hand along the frame, only to instantly pull back his hand as a sharp pain tore through his palm.

JIMMY: “Ow!”

MARTYN: “Careful!”

Martyn helped him back to the ground, immediately grabbing his hand to look at the injury.

MARTYN: “...it’s just a small one. Watch yourself next time, will you?”

JIMMY: “Alright, alright. I don’t need the lecture.”

JIMMY : (“...I think I saw what he was talking about, though. I’m not the first one to cut myself, am I?”)

“Broken Window” has been added to Truth Bullets.

TANGO: “Oh! More people!”

The front door suddenly opened, revealing Tango to be behind it.

MARTYN: “Ayup. Any luck so far?”

TANGO: “Eh. It’s been so-so. Skizz just sent me a message about the whole “find Joel” thing.”

JIMMY: “Did they…?”

TANGO: “No, they haven’t. And they couldn’t find anything from above either, so they’re gonna be landing soon. I’m going to go fill ‘em in on what some of us have found so far.”

Jimmy felt himself very much deflate. Martyn obviously noticed and gave him a comforting pat on the back in response.

JIMMY: (“I just…I don’t get it. Where’d he run off to then? Does he…have something to do with all this?”)

“Missing Joel” has been added to Truth Bullets.

They gave Tango a small wave goodbye as they headed inside the Mansion. As expected, several glass shards littered the ground right under the windowsill. Completely unexpected, however, was the shovel that had been hastily shoved against the wall.

JIMMY: (“...right. That is…so suspicious it almost hurts.”)

“Shovel” has been added to Truth Bullets.

MARTYN: “‘Kay…so Scott, Ren, and Lizzie should still be in the infirmary, right? Do you mind if we take a quick trip there?”

JIMMY: “Not really. I…I want to check in with Lizzie anyways. A-And make sure she’s doing alright.”

MARTYN: “I figured as much. I got questions I wanna ask ‘em anyways.”

Thankfully, their assumption was correct. In a scene that felt almost all too familiar, Lizzie and Ren were both sat on a bed as the latter carefully bandaged up the former’s hand. Scott wasn’t too far, leaning against the wall as his crystals pulsed with an almost pensive light.

SCOTT: “...I’m surprised it took you this long to get here, Martyn.”

MARTYN: “Like searching every nook and cranny isn’t important right now.”

LIZZIE: “J-Jimmy!”

Lizzie shifted ever so slightly, only to wince in pain.

REN: “Please be careful, Miss Shadow! I’m almost done.”

JIMMY: “Lizzie?! What happened? When did you get hurt?!”

LIZZIE: “Um…long story…a-are you okay? Did you find Joel?”

JIMMY: “...no. Not yet. And I’m…I’m doing alright. Just…heh, tryin’ to help out where I can.”

Lizzie smiled sadly, just as Ren pinned her bandage properly in place.

REN: “There. That should hold for the time being. Just…please exercise more caution in the future.”

LIZZIE: “Right…thank you, Ren.”

MARTYN: “Before either of you dart off, I wanna ask you both a few things. Namely, what were you guys doing when the window broke?”

REN : “Ah. That. I had previously stopped by the kitchens for a late-night snack and was just about to head into my room when I heard the shattering. Not only that, but I distinctly remember the scent of blood. I moved to the hall with great urgency, as I’m sure anybody would do.”

JIMMY: “You could smell the blood?”

REN: “Indeed. I could never mistake such a rancid odor.”

SCOTT : “Ren is a wolf hybrid. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

JIMMY: “Ah, t-true…”

“Ren’s Account” has been added to Truth Bullets.

LIZZIE: “Um…m-my turn then, huh? I was just…checking the storage room, just to check if anybody took any of the weapons. And then I heard the window breaking and…well, y-y’know the rest.”

MARTYN: “Did you notice anything out of place?”

LIZZIE: “In the storage room? Not that I remember…”

“Lizzie’s Account” has been added to Truth Bullets.

SCOTT: “They both told me the same thing when I asked earlier.”

JIMMY: “Oh! Wait, that reminds me. Scott, you were with Martyn and Pearl when the window broke, right?”

SCOTT: “Mhm. I figured Martyn told you all about it. I also stayed behind with Ren and Lizzie when the other two went off to investigate.”

JIMMY: “All I want to know…is who got there first? To the window, I mean.”

LIZZIE: “T-That…that would be me, I’m pretty sure.”

REN: “That I can confirm. By the time I arrived, Miss Shadow was already by the windowsil. Martyn, Scott, and Pearl all arrived shortly after.”

JIMMY: (“I might just be overthinking things, but…better safe than sorry. I suppose.”)

“Arrival Order” has been added to Truth Bullets.

Thanking the trio for their help, both Martyn and Jimmy exited out into the hallway once more.

MARTYN: “Last place I wanna go, if you’ll just humor me here. Why don’t we try the storage room?”

JIMMY: “The storage room? Alright, I don’t see why not…”

As they walked further down the hall, they soon found that they were’t the only ones with that idea either. Cleo and Impulse were already inside, both searching through some of the chests. They looked up as the other two entered.

IMPULSE: “Hi! You guys having any luck on your end?”

MARTYN: “We’ve had a bit. What ‘bout you two?”

CLEO: “None of the weapons have been taken, so Gods only know how this kill even happened.”

JIMMY: “Honestly, that tracks with what we’ve found…”

IMPULSE: “Well, there might not be weapons missing, but there’s a few concerning materials that are completely cleaned out.”

MARTYN: “Such as?”

Impulse hummed in thought, opening the chest he was rummaging through further.

IMPULSE : “Let’s see…we’re missing concrete powder , a bunch of signs , and…at least one bag of redstone dust.”

JIMMY: “Uh….huh….”

CLEO: “You’re not the only one that’s confused.”

MARTYN: “…were there pistons missing?”

IMPULSE: “Yup. But not nearly as many compared to everything else.”

Martyn instantly tensed up, eyes narrowed in thought.

JIMMY: “Is there any way you could, y’know, elaborate for us? It’s a weird combo of materials, I’ll give you that, but I’m not getting what’s so concerning about it.”

IMPULSE : “Well, to put it bluntly, it looks like somebody’s was planning on making a trap. A pitfall trap specifically.”

CLEO: “You could’ve led with that, y’know.”

IMPULSE: “I didn’t want to make you guys panic!”

CLEO: “I’ll remember that while I’m falling to my death. At least I won’t be panicking then.”

“Trap Components” has been added to Truth Bullets.

JIMMY : “Hang on, are we… sure that’s all stuff for a trap? Scar was decorating for his party earlier and he might’ve taken all that himself.”

CLEO: “I’ll give you the concrete powder and signs, but the redstone feels like a reach.”

IMPULSE: “There’s a few other things missing, yes. Mainly flower seeds, a bunch of colored wool, and…I think a shovel?”

MARTYN: “Shovel tracks for a pitfall trap.”

JIMMY: “No, no! I actually saw Scar with a shovel earlier. He was planting flowers down the path for the party.”

IMPULSE: “Ah, that…kind of makes sense?”

MARTYN: “You didn’t tell me you saw him.”

JIMMY: “I went to go check on him right after breakfast. Actually, I hung out with him for a bit and lent a hand.”

MARTYN: “And…you didn’t notice anything suspicious?”

JIMMY: “No? Why would I?”

Martyn could only offer a shrug.

“Party Preparations” has been added to Truth Bullets.

DING DING DING!

The four of them all flinched.

OVERSEER : (Voice) “ Your time for investigation is up. I ask that all living Players gather around the sealed door within the Mansion. The Server Trial will begin shortly.”

MARTYN: “Tch. Guess we’re outta time.”

IMPULSE: “Oh dear…I’m…really not looking forwards to this.”

CLEO: “To be frank with you? I don’t think a single person here is. Except whatever sick bastard killed Scar.”

IMPULSE: “Yeah, I guess…we probably shouldn’t keep everybody waiting.”

Dread settled in his stomach, but Jimmy still mustered a simple nod.

The four made their way back into the entrance hall and over by the sealed door, where quite a few people had already gathered.

Jimmy, however, noticed Martyn hanging back and flicking through the rules section of his communicator.

JIMMY: “Something wrong?”

MARTYN: “Nah. Just trying to refresh my memory.”

He eventually landed on Rule 8, the one the Overseer had given them just after revealing the motive.

MARTYN: “”Mutual Life will continue until a winner is decided”…why choose this as “context” as he put it?”

JIMMY: “Wait, you’re thinkin’ this has something to do with Scar’s death?”

MARTYN : “This and the First Blood Perk. There’s gotta be a reason why the killer specifically refused it, right?”

JIMMY: (“I…I hope so. Because then, it’d mean Scar just…died for no reason.”)

“First Blood Perk” has been added to Truth Bullets.

“Rule 8” has been added to Truth Bullets.

More and more people began to trickle in. And with every new person to gather, Jimmy could feel himself growing more and more worried.

Until, at last, the exact person he had been worried about finally showed his face.

LIZZIE: “Joel!”

JOEL: “…”

Lizzie very nearly tackled her husband, burying her face in his neck instantly. Joel stayed completely silent, casting a stone-cold glare around at the rest of the group.

JOEL: “…’m sorry. Got…lost.”

SKIZZ: “Listen, the important part is that you’re fine. I thought you got, like, mauled by a zombie or somethin’, homie.”

JIMMY: “…You look like a mess, big man. Where were you?”

JOEL: “I already told you, I got lost out in that bloody forest. Probably had to crawl through like, twenty bushes just to get here.”

JIMMY: (“That explains the dirt and sticks. But it…doesn’t explain that red spot on his shoulder…”)

“Missing Joel” has been updated.

“Joel’s Condition” has been added to Truth Bullets.

OVERSEER : (voice) “ It would seem we have everyone here. I will open the doors now. Please continue down the stairs and into the Trial chamber.”

With a loud creak, the previously sealed doors finally opened, revealing a staircase leading down into pitch-black darkness. Everyone exchanged a wary glance, before dutifully following orders.

The walk felt like an eternity before they finally hit the bottom. Another set of doors, which were already swung wide open, led to a grand, circular chamber. The room was decorated with various red banners and paints, making everything almost painfully bright to look at.

In the center of it all was a ring of podiums, as well as a pedestal that towered over them all. Hauntingly enough, not all of the podiums were empty. A armor stand, adorned in a cloak eerily similar to Scar’s and wearing a pumpkin for a head, was already stationed at one of the podiums.

OVERSEER : “ I formerly welcome you to the Server Trial chamber. On each of the podiums in front of you, you should be able to see your name. Once everyone takes their positions, we can begin.”

GEM: “Yeah. Question before all of that. What’s…with the mannequin?”

OVERSEER : “ That serves as a way to…represent Scar, seeing as how he can’t make it to this trial given recent circumstances.”

REN: “Such a sick way of creating a memorial…”

TANGO: “Is that what we’re calling it? I much prefer “spooky, weird mannequin that stares into our souls”.”

SKIZZ: “Guys, c’mon. We can focus on…that later.”

It took everyone a minute to find their assigned podium. Jimmy was not at all pleased to find that his was right next to the Scar dummy, but…complaining wouldn’t help them right now.

JIMMY: (“…well, it’s now or never. Scar was…an odd fella, but he definitely didn’t deserve this. Someone here is responsible for…for doing that to him.”)

He took a deep breath and gripped his podium tightly.

JIMMY: (“They didn’t do this to escape…they must’ve had another reason for all of this. And if we don’t figure out who, then…then we’re all dead. I…I’m not sure if I can really do much to help. I know that, and…I’ve kinda accepted it. But…”)

JIMMY: (“I’ve got no choice, but to try as hard as I can!”)

It was now or never.

Either they find out who killed Scar…or the killer is crowned the winner.

Innocent versus guilty.

The spotless versus the blackened.

"Yellow" versus "Red.

Hope versus Despair.

The first Server Trial begins now!

ALL RISE!

Chapter Text

Observation File #1

The victim is GoodTimeWithScar. The time of death is around 20:15. The body was discovered near the World Border at 20:50. The victim died of severe blood loss as a result of a deep puncture wound. No potion effects were found within the victim’s bloodstream.

Library Meeting

Martyn, Scott, Pearl, Joel, and Scar were meant to meet up in the library. When Scar never showed up, Joel left at around 19:55 to go find him.

Martyn’s Account

While searching outside, someone fired an arrow at Martyn and Pearl. They found Scar’s body shortly after.

Blood Trail

There’s a thin trail of blood droplets and bloody footprints leading towards the body.

Scar’s Bow and Arrow

One of Scar’s arrows has been stabbed into his neck. His bow has also gone missing.

Additional Wounds

In addition to the arrow in his neck, Scar has a very deep arrow wound in his back. 

Lack of Blood

Despite the severity of the injury, both Scar’s neck and the arrow in it are completely clean of blood.

Scar’s Smile

Scar has a wide, eerie smile on his face. Did he know something before his death?

Loose Threads and Hair

Several tangled, dark fabric threads and light strands of hair were found caught on a branch near the crime scene. Similar threads and hair were found on the broken windowsill.

Bloody Arrow

An arrow that Martyn says was shot at him and Pearl. For some reason, it’s covered in blood.

Training Bow

A wooden bow from the training grounds that was found tossed in a ditch near the crossroads.

Broken Window

One of the front windows has been smashed in. Thin traces of blood were found along the shards still in the frame.

Shovel

A shovel was found underneath the windowsill in the entrance hall.

Ren’s Account

Ren was about to head into his room when he heard the window smash. He also reports smelling blood before he even reached the entrance hall.

Lizzie’s Account

Lizzie was in the storage room when she heard the window smash.

Arrival Order

Lizzie was the first person to reach the entrance hall after the window smash. Ren was very close behind her. The trio in the library arrived around 5 minutes after Ren.

Trap Components

Several materials have been taken from the storage room, which include; concrete powder, wooden signs, redstone dust, and pistons. According to Impulse, these materials can be used to create a pitfall trap.

Party Preparations

Scar spent most of the day preparing for the party he planned to hold. Jimmy came to help him right after breakfast and spent a few hours planting flowers along the main path.

First Blood Perk

Whoever kills first will be allowed to “skip” Deadly Life and leave. All rules will still be followed, however.

Rule 8

“Mutual Life will continue until a winner is decided.”

Missing Joel

For the entirety of the investigation, Joel has been noticeably absent.

Joel’s Condition

Joel is an absolute mess. He’s covered in dirt, sticks, leaves, and he has an odd, red stain on his shoulder.

“And so it begins! With the first trial underway and the tragic death of the enigmatic Scar hanging over their heads, the Players are just left to wonder. Who could have done such a thing? And why refuse such a generous offer of escape?”

COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!

OVERSEER: “Now then. Allow me to go over the rules once more. 15 of you have become “Yellow” Players, making you innocent. Your jobs are to figure out who the “Red” Player, AKA the culprit, that killed GoodTimeWithScar is. If you correctly identify them, then We will only punish them. But, if you end up being wrong, then We will punish everyone but the “Red”. They will be named the winner and be allowed to leave. You may now begin discussion.”

PEARL: “Actually, I have a question before we begin.”

OVERSEER : “ As long as it’s not “who is the culprit?”, then feel free to ask.”

PEARL: “Do we have a time limit? Or are we just meant to keep talking until we reach a consensus?”

OVERSEER : “… There is no set time limit. I will decide when it’s appropriate to begin voting.”

BDUBS: “So we got plenty ‘a time to just talk it out! That’s good!

OVERSEER : “ Don’t mistake that as you have unlimited time. If I think this trial’s gone on too long, I won’t hesitate to press that button.”

BDUBS: “Oh come on!”

SKIZZ: “Well, we don’t gotta worry then. Listen up people!”

Skizz slammed his hands down on his podium.

SKIZZ: “Whoever killed Scar, raise your hand now!”

…

To nobody's surprise, nobody moved.

JIMMY: (“…What exactly was he hoping for there?”)

ETHO: “I doubt the killer’s just gonna give up that easily.”

SKIZZ: “Well, I don’t have any better ideas!”

GEM: “If that’s what your bad ideas are, I’m terrified to think what your good ones are.”

SCOTT: “Guys, let’s not fight. How about we just go over what we know to start?”

REN: “There is no better place to start than the beginning, after all.”

CLEO: “Considering the level of “genius” we’re working with here, it’s probably best we start slow.”

SKIZZ: “Why’d you have to look at me?!”

JIMMY: (“Er…insults aside, that’s probably the best idea right now. Just gotta wait for the perfect spot to…try and cut in, I guess.”)

Hiya! Sorry to break up the flow, I’m just here to introduce our first Nonstop Debate !

Well, introduce it for anybody who’s unfamiliar with Danganronpa, at least.

Right now, everybody’s going to start presenting ideas and beginning the discussion. And that includes our man Jim here. Statements that can be refuted will be bold , like this! When that happens, that means it’s time to use a handy dandy Truth Bullet to call them out. The correct, refuted statement and Truth Bullet will be listed at the bottom, just to clear up any possible confusion.

Hopefully that’s not too confusing. You’ll see what I mean in a bit.

Until next time!

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Observation File #1

• Shovel

• Broken Window

Make your Argument!

TANGO: “Let’s just keep things simple for now. What did the guys by the body find?”

MUMBO: “Um…it doesn’t feel like much…”

GEM: “We spent most of the time just trying to dig Scar out, honestly.”

REN: “But why? It was fairly obvious what had happened to Scar.”

BIGB: “I just wanted to make sure the autopsy we were given was accurate, was all.”

BDUBS : “What for? We already know the guy was stabbed to death. You can tell just by lookin’ at him!”

IMPULSE: “Does that mean…we might already be missing something?”

JIMMY: (“…wait, hold on a minute…something didn’t sound right there. We can’t afford to be wrong here, so it might be best to nip it in the bud now.”)

Observation File #1 —> stabbed to death

“No! That’s wrong!”

BREAK

JOEL: “No need to shout, Jim, we can hear ya perfectly fine.”

JIMMY: “Shoot, was I really that loud?”

CLEO: “Extremely.”

JIMMY: “Sorry…I just, I wanted to make sure I was heard and—“

BDUBS: “The heck you mean I’m wrong! There ain’t no other way of lookin’ at it!”

JIMMY : “Well, if you’re only looking at the body, then yeah, it’s pretty easy to make that guess. But the Observation File specifically says Scar bled out, not that he was stabbed to death.”

IMPULSE: “Those are pretty much the same thing though, aren’t they?”

BIGB: “It really depends on the situation, honestly.”

SKIZZ: “Yeah, but why are we even bothering with the semantics about it?”

PEARL: “Whether he bled out or was stabbed feels irrelevant. Especially when the cause of either is right in our faces.”

LIZZIE: “That part…is fairly obvious, yes.”

JIMMY: “R-Right, sorry, I just…I didn’t mean to throw us off track or anything.”

GEM: “No, no, you’re all good! It’s better if we’re all on the same page with this sorta stuff anyways.”

SCOTT: “…Actually, I’d like to continue discussing the body itself, if that’s alright with everyone.”

ETHO: “Feel free. We don’t have any other leads anyhow.”

I hope you were able to follow that first debate, because the next one is coming in hot.

Now, bold statements can be refuted normally, right? But they can also be agreed with, as long as you have the right evidence to back that claim up.

But, just to make sure it’s obvious when something is refutable or agreeable, then there’s going to be a difference. Refutable statements will look like this . Plain, bolded text. Agreeable statements will look like this instead.

As always, the correct statement and Truth Bullet used will be listed at the bottom.

Understood? Because here we go!

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Martyn’s Account

• Additional Wounds

• Training Bow

Make your Argument!

REN: “Now that we’ve cleared up Scar’s cause of death…what more is there to discuss about our late friend?”

SCOTT: “For starters, I want to again ask the people who searched the body what exactly they found.”

GEM : “Well, there was an arrow in his neck…which we all know about anyways.”

LIZZIE : “Was there anything else? Like… any other injuries ? Or maybe something was missing?”

BIGB : “His bow was missing, if that’s what you mean.”

ETHO: “Are you sure you checked?”

BIGB: “There’s only so much dirt I can shovel through, man. If there was a bow in that hole…”

BIGB: “…I think we would’ve found it.”

MARTYN: “I think we’re getting off track here…”

JIMMY: (“Something about the body…that could be useful…ah! Wait a minute!”)

Additional Wounds —> any other injuries

“I can back that up!”

BREAK

JIMMY: “Lizzie’s completely right, there. Scar had other injuries, didn’t he?”

BIGB: “Just one injury, actually. There’s an exit and entrance wound on his chest and in his back, respectively.”

JOEL: “So he got stabbed in the neck…and then they bloody shot him?”

TANGO: “I mean, if I were a killer, and I’m definitely not here, I’d want to be absolutely sure the guy I was killin’ was dead.”

ETHO: “Not many people can survive an arrow to the throat, in all fairness. Shooting him in the back seems a bit…unnecessary.”

MARTYN: “Well, let’s look back at the Observation File then, shall we?”

Martyn pulled out his communicator, opening the file for everyone to read.

“The victim is GoodTimeWithScar. The time of death is around 20:15. The body was discovered near the World Border at 20:50. The victim died of severe blood loss as a result of a deep puncture wound. No potion effects were found in the bloodstream. ”

JIMMY: (“…why bring that out again? We already know Scar died from blood loss and the time of death doesn’t seem particularly important…”)

MARTYN: “I noticed it on my first read, but the wording is super specific, isn’t it?”

BDUBS: “Which part are we talkin’ here? ‘Cause I’ll be real with ya, it all sounds pretty vague to me.”

MUMBO : “I-I think I know what you mean. The part listing the cause of death, right?”

MARTYN : “Exactly. It says Scar died from blood loss, specifically from a deep puncture wound. But now that we know Scar was both stabbed and shot, something’s not adding up.”

IMPULSE: “Are you sure we’re not just reading into it a bit too deeply?”

REN: “Overseer!”

OVERSEER : “ Hm? About time. I was almost worried that I wasn’t needed.”

PEARL: “Count this as your lucky day then.”

REN: “If you could, could you clarify the wording on the Observation File?”

OVERSEER : “ I don’t really need to, do I? The Observation File was specifically written to be as clear and concise as possible, since not everyone has experience with autopsies.”

CLEO: “You know exactly what we mean.”

SCOTT: “If it’s possible, can we get a list of all of Scar’s injuries instead?”

OVERSEER : “… No. Because it’s unnecessary. I’ve already given you a full injury list.”

BDUBS: “I’ll show you unnecessary!”

JIMMY: “No you didn’t! It…It just says “a deep puncture wound” and nothing else!”

OVERSEER : “ Yes. And?”

ETHO : “It’s incomplete. We literally found evidence that Scar sustained two injuries.”

OVERSEER : “ And I’m telling you that it isn’t. Every bit of data inside the Observation File is factually correct. From the time of death all the way to even the smallest scratch, We have compiled every detail from the exact moment of death.”

JOEL: “This guy’s useless. Why do we even bother?”

MARTYN: “‘Cause he just gave us the last piece of the puzzle we needed.”

JOEL : “Wha— How ?!”

MARTYN : “Simple as. The Observation File records all the details up until the time of death . Now if someone was to…let’s say, stab Scar after he died…”

PEARL : “…then it simply wouldn’t show up in the file afterwards, would it?”

MARTYN: “Bingo.”

ETHO: “One of Scar’s injuries…is fake then, huh?”

TANGO: “I wouldn’t call it ‘fake’ per say, just…misleading.”

LIZZIE: “But…I-I don’t get why. Why go through all the trouble of hiding how Scar bled out…well, at all?”

REN: “Let us discuss that further, then!”

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Library Meeting

• First Blood Perk

• Scar’s Bow and Arrow

Make your Argument!

JOEL : “Why the hell would somebody bother making a fake injury?”

GEM : “The only reason I can think of…would be to hide the cause of death .”

MARTYN: “Well, clearly not, especially since we were told the cause of death.”

SKIZZ : “Maybe…they wanted to hide the time of death instead!”

REN: “That also seems unlikely, given the slim time frame.”

CLEO: “You all are only thinking about the Observation File. Clearly…”

CLEO : “The killer wanted to hide the weapon they used.”

BDUBS: “Oh yeah, real smart. Cover up the stab wound by making another stab wound!”

SCOTT : “Then…maybe we’re just overthinking it?”

JIMMY : (“There’s no way this was on a whim…one of these reasons has to be right, right?”)

Scar’s Bow and Arrow —> hide the weapon

“I can back that up!”

BREAK

JIMMY: “There’d be no other reason to cause an injury after Scar was already dead…unless the killer wanted to hide the weapon they used!”

CLEO: “Wait, seriously? I was just throwing things out there.”

MUMBO: “I don’t follow, I’m afraid.”

JIMMY: “Think about it like this. If you saw somebody dead with an arrow in their neck, you’d assume right away that the arrow was what killed them, right?”

IMPULSE: “I’m sure anybody would. It’s the only logical option.”

JIMMY : “But what if the arrow is just a distraction?”

PEARL: “Elaborate.”

JIMMY : “It’s just…I’m probably horribly wrong about this. But…”

JIMMY: (“How do I even begin to explain this? It’s more my gut feeling but…”)

He took a deep breath, relaxing his wings as best he could.

JIMMY: “…the arrow in Scar’s neck just doesn’t make sense to me. How was the killer not only able to get their hands on it, but also use it to kill Scar? Not only that, but why steal his bow if you planned on stabbing him in the neck?”

GEM: “Maybe they just shot him in the neck?”

JIMMY: “Then why shoot him in the back? Why bother at all with making a fake injury?”

REN: “But if that arrow wasn’t the implement used to kill Scar…”

JIMMY: “Yeah. The fake wound must be…”

What injury on Scar was faked?

• His neck wound
• His back wound
• Neither, they’re both real

JIMMY : “…the killer stabbed the arrow into Scar’s neck after he was already dead.”

BIGB : “ I don’t think so.”

INTERJECTION!

JIMMY: “Wh—BigB?!”

BIGB: “Sorry. Your idea is definitely possible, I’ll give you that.”

BIGB : “But it’s not the only possibility.”

JIMMY: “It doesn’t make sense the other way ‘round though!”

BIGB : “Not when it’s still possible the arrow was used to make both wounds!”

JIMMY: (“Okay, admittedly I didn’t think of that. But…no, there’s no way that’s right either. I just hope that I can prove it…”)

Oh my, what’s this? An Interjection ? That means a Rebuttal Showdown is about to begin!

For all my non-Danganronpa readers out there, a Rebuttal Showdown functions similarly to a Nonstop Debate, except it’s a one-on-one duel of wits!

In practice, it means defending against your opponent’s argument until you find a refutable statement . Then, you use one of your Truth Blades (I.E. renamed Truth Bullets) to strike them down! You don’t need to worry about any agreeable statements here either, just worry about defending and then calling out your opponent here.

Sounds simple? I hope so.

Let’s get this show on the road!

Rebuttal Showdown!

Available Truth Blades

• Lack of Blood
• Scar’s Smile
• Additional Wounds

Defend your Argument!

BIGB: “I don’t want to say your idea’s completely wrong…”

BIGB: “But it’s far from the only possibility.”

BIGB: “What if the arrow was used to create both wounds?”

BIGB: “The first one to kill Scar…and then the second to mislead us.”

Advance!

JIMMY: “If that’s true…”

JIMMY: “Then why even bother in the first place?!”

JIMMY : “There’s just no other explanation, the arrow has to be a red herring!”

BIGB: “It would be just as easy to pull the arrow out of the first wound…”

BIGB : “And then simply stab Scar afterwards.”

BIGB: “There’s nothing proving the arrow was never used at all!”

JIMMY: (“There is. And I just need to show him exactly what!”)

Lack of Blood → simply stab Scar afterwards

“I’ll cut through those words!”

BREAK

JIMMY : “No, there’s no possible way…because the arrow would’ve been covered in blood otherwise!”

GEM: “Yeah, wait a second! That’s actually a really good point!”

JIMMY: “Why’d you have to phrase it like that?!”

BIGB: “...ah. You…You’re right. Sorry, that’s completely on me.”

JOEL: “I am…insanely lost.”

JIMMY : “The arrow in Scar’s neck was completely spotless. If he was shot with it beforehand, it’d be absolutely coated in blood. Wouldn’t it?”

ETHO: “It’s not a bad way of covering up the weapon. Both wounds would look similar enough that, at a glance, you wouldn’t even question it.”

MARTYN: “Which also definitely rules out Scar’s neck wound as the thing that killed him too. Like the arrow, it’d be a bloody mess otherwise.”

TANGO: “So, using Jimmy’s whole theory about the arrow and red herrings, whatever the weapon was…must’ve been super incriminating, right?”

BDUBS: “If the killer found it damning enough to get rid of it, it must’a been.”

LIZZIE: “Um…b-before we do discuss that, I just…can I ask what happened before the whole…stabbing Scar in the neck and hiding the weapon part?”

SCOTT: “...Scar being shot…?”

LIZZIE: “No, no. I mean…before even that. Like…the whole ‘when’ of it, I suppose.

SKIZZ: “That’d depend on how long it took the guy to bleed out, wouldn’t it?”

PEARL: “BigB?”

BIGB : “Um…I…I don’t really have an exact time or anything, but given the location and how fresh the blood looked, I’d guess it only took him roughly 10 to 15 minutes to bleed out.”

TANGO: “Which means this all went down right before he died.”

LIZZIE: “And…it all happened outside then, right? But why was Scar…out so late?”

JIMMY: (“She’s got a point. There’s gotta be some reason why Scar stayed out so late. We just…need to figure out what that was.”)

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Observation File #1

• Party Preparations

• Library Meeting

Make your Argument!

TANGO: “Assuming we’ve gotten everything sorted regarding Scar’s injuries…why’d the guy stay out so late anyways?”

REN : “Perhaps he was lured out by the culprit? That way, they’d know exactly how to plan everything.”

PEARL: “The World Border isn’t exactly a place most people visit…”

PEARL : “...it’s not a bad spot to kill someone .”

ETHO : “It’s isolated. It’s far away from the Mansion. And there’s plenty of spots to hide.”

SKIZZ: “Super don’t like how casually both of you are talking about this…”

SCOTT : “Their point still stands. Especially since we don’t have any other reason as to why Scar was out late.”

JIMMY: (“Okay, so Scar was lured out there? Like…somebody left him a note tellin’ him to meet them there? Is that…really correct?”)

Party Preparations → lured out

“No! That’s wrong!”

BREAK

JIMMY : “Wait, wasn’t Scar already in the area anyways?”

REN: “Was he?”

JIMMY: “I mean, I’m sure he could’ve left at some point, but last I know…Scar was already in the area, preparing for his party. The killer wouldn’t even need to lure him out there in the first place.”

MARTYN: “I think it’s pretty safe to say he stayed, honestly. Somebody would’ve mentioned seein’ him before now.”

GEM: “Okay, but that also means that literally anybody could’ve come around and just shot him.”

MUMBO: “I mean…it does mean this wasn’t entirely premeditated, was it? With Scar in the area, the culprit didn’t have a chance to set anything up beforehand.”

BDUBS: “You don’t exactly go wanderin’ ‘round at night with a bow, ready to shoot somebody.”

MUMBO: “Yes, I know that much. There’s just something bothering me about the crime scene, is all…”

JIMMY: (“Something off about the crime scene? Does he mean…?”)

What is out of place at the crime scene?

• The location itself
• The treeline
• The hole Scar’s laying in

JIMMY: “Mumbo, you mean the hole that Scar’s body was lying in, right?”

MUMBO: “Precisely. I just…that hole seemed fairly deep, all things considered. And, considering the killer only had around 35 minutes before they were discovered…how did it get there in the first place?”

ETHO: “I kinda assumed it was just the killer trying to hide the body. Why else put a hole there, after all?”

JIMMY: “It clearly didn’t work, considerin’ we’re here now.”

TANGO: “Plus, like we just established, there wasn’t any way for the killer to set it up beforehand.”

SKIZZ: “Yeah, but there’s nothing else it could’a been used for.”

IMPULSE : “...no. Because the hole wasn’t originally meant to hide a body in it.”

JIMMY: (“...? What’s Impulse talking about?”)

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Shovel

• Trap Components

• Training Bow

Make your Argument!

IMPULSE: “The person that dug that hole…didn’t intend to use it to hide a body.”

GEM: “Yeah, news flash! That’s the question we’re trying to solve right now!”

SCOTT : “Is there something else that we’re missing?”

PEARL: “Well, what else can you hide in a hole like that?”

BDUBS : “Maybe…that’s where the real murder weapon was hidden!”

BIGB: “The dirt on Scar’s chest…hid his actual mortal wound pretty well.”

MARTYN : “Unless it was a crucial piece of evidence, we have to assume it was only dug to hide a body in it.”

MARTYN: “There’s just nothing else that makes sense.”

JIMMY : (“A reason for the hole…besides hiding the body. It almost sounds like Impulse knows already, but…why not just say it outright?”)

Trap Components → only dug to hide a body in it

“No! That’s wrong!”

BREAK

JIMMY : “What if…somebody was trying to make a trap?”

TANGO : “...Oh! Wait, like a pitfall trap, right?”

IMPULSE: “It’s all I can think of. Especially given the items missing from the storage room.”

REN: “If the culprit originally wished to set a trap, it would give us possible motive for their crime. Scar stumbled upon it, forcing them to dirty their own hands.”

CLEO: “Except, genius, it couldn’t have been the culprit who set it up. Scar was pretty much in the same area all day, there’s no way somebody could’ve set it all up without him noticing and telling someone.”

BIGB : “Then…what if the killer was the one who found the hole?”

JOEL : “That makes even less sense! That’d mean the killer finds the hole…and then somehow Scar is the one that dies for it?”

MARTYN : “...unless you’re suggesting that Scar was the one who set up the trap.”

.

.

.

The silence felt…deafening. Because if what Martyn had just said was true, it meant that some of them had been closer to death than they ever could’ve imagined.

LIZZIE: “...Scar’s party…was just a way to trap everyone then, wasn’t it?”

SKIZZ: “...n-no…there’s no…”

CLEO: “I don’t want to say told ya so. But…well, told ya so.”

MUMBO: “It doesn’t make sense though, d-does it?”

PEARL : “Does it? Other than maybe a pool party, there aren’t many kinds of parties that require a giant hole.”

IMPULSE: “There’s only one reason Scar was setting up a trap…and then inviting everyone.”

JIMMY : (“…Impulse can only be talking about that , right?”)

First Blood Perk

“I’ve got it!”

JIMMY : “…Scar was…planning on taking advantage of the First Blood Perk?”

JOEL: “Obviously. Not only that, but he was tossin’ out a pretty unnecessarily wide net.”

 BIGB : “The Overseer only really said the first person to kill, I guess the amount of people killed doesn’t really matter, does it?”

JIMMY : “But…But that’s just not possible. I talked to Scar about this and…and he said he didn’t care about escaping!”

CLEO : “Did you ever stop for a second and consider that he was lying?”

JIMMY: (“It…that just doesn’t feel like it’s the whole truth. Not after what he told me…but…”)

ETHO : “Whatever Scar’s reasoning was isn’t the important thing here. If Scar was the one who was setting up the trap, then it gives us a pretty solid understanding of why the killer did what they did.”

GEM: “And it helps flesh out our timeline even more.”

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Blood Trail

• Ren’s Account

• Shovel

Make your Argument!

SCOTT: “The culprit finds the beginnings of Scar’s trap…and then what?”

TANGO : “Well, that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? They kill him !”

PEARL : “I imagine they wanted to prevent Scar from ever using it…”

LIZZIE: “I don’t doubt that. It’s just…hard to believe that they’d open fire on him so easily.”

BDUBS : “Wouldn’t you? I know if I saw somebody in the middle of diggin’ a hole that big…”

BDUBS: “I sure as hell wouldn’t wait ‘round for nothin’!”

MUMBO: And then…once Scar had bled out…they decided to repurpose it as a means for hiding Scar’s body. R-Right?”

ETHO : “If they had enough time before somebody found them…I don’t doubt they’d have succeeded .”

JIMMY: (“Scar was definitely killed right after the killer found his trap, I don’t doubt that much. But there’s just…something that bugs me about the order. Is there a spot where I can mention it?”)

Blood Trail → diggin’ a hole

“No! That’s wrong!”

BREAK

BDUBS: “Again?! C’mon!”

ETHO : “Wait, now you’ve got me confused. I don’t think there’s any other time the killer could’ve killed him, is there?”

JIMMY: “No, there has to be. I’m probably not the only person who saw it, but there was this…trail of blood and bloody footprints leading over to the hole. And it has to be Scar’s blood there, right?”

BIGB: “We’ve already established that there wasn’t a fight, so unless the killer cut themselves before hand, that sounds right.”

MARTYN: “Was it just a single set of footprints, Jimmy? Or were there multiple?”

JIMMY: “...um…no, it was definitely only one.”

TANGO: “So this whole thing could’ve happened somewhere else…and then they moved Scar to the hole, huh?”

GEM: “I don’t think it was too far, otherwise more people would’ve noticed. Plus, I doubt they could’ve moved Scar that quickly and still have enough time to get pretty far in burying him.”

LIZZIE: “Then…maybe the killer confronted Scar first. And, when things went south…”

SCOTT: “...that must’ve been when they killed him.”

SKIZZ: “Which, brings us pretty nicely to where we were before, doesn’t it? What the hell did the killer do with the weapon?”

JOEL: “Get rid of it? Not like they could very well keep it on ‘em.”

ETHO: “In that case…it’s kinda obvious what the weapon could’ve been, isn’t it?”

JIMMY : (“...Ah! Wait, Etho’s referring to that…isn’t he?”)

Bloody Arrow

“I’ve got it!”

JIMMY: “There’s only one option. And that’s the arrow you and Bdubs found, right Etho?”

ETHO: “Pretty much. It’d match the wounds and, since it’s covered in blood, there’s no way it wasn’t used to kill Scar.”

BDUBS: “Which must mean…the killer’s gotta be somebody who can climb trees!”

PEARL: “...are you kidding me?”

JIMMY: “Um…I really don’t think that’s right. But…the fact that it was in a tree is absolutely significant.”

IMPULSE: “...then…I think I’ve got a list of possible suspects in mind.”

JOEL: “Don’t keep us waiting then, man. Spit ‘em out.”

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Scar’s Smile

• Trap Components

• Martyn’s Account

Make your Argument!

REN: “With the crime scene dealt with, it’s about time to begin building a list of suspects, is it not?”

IMPULSE: “I have a few people in mind, especially knowing what we know now…”

BDUBS: “Spit it out already!”

IMPULSE : “Well, for starters…who does the arrow incriminate ?”

LIZZIE : “...it’d have to be…someone who could reach that high, especially if they…they hid it in a tree.”

CLEO : “We’ve got at least three people with wings here, so mark them down as suspicious.”

PEARL: “...you’re actually joking, right?”

MUMBO : “That feels like flimsy reasoning, if I’ll be honest…in that case, we have to suspect simply anybody who’s tall , right?”

JOEL: “You do realize that means you’re on the list, right?”

MUMBO : “I-I’m just saying! There…There must be a better explanation for the arrow being up there!”

JIMMY: (“I guess this trial has been harder on us than we could’ve thought. Because…there’s a very obvious explanation as to how the arrow ended up in the tree. Urgh…I can’t wait for this to be over, one way or another…”)

Martyn’s Account → better explanation

“I can back that!”

BREAK

JIMMY: “Guys, this is…we’re really getting off-track here. The killer didn’t just climb up or stab it into the tree, they probably just shot it into the tree, right?”

MUMBO: “S-See?”

LIZZIE: “That’s on me…I was the one who suggested it in the first place.”

SKIZZ: “This killer’s been crafty, so I can’t blame ya there.”

MARTYN: “Timmy’s right. Pearl and I had an arrow shot at us when we went out for a lil’ look-see.”

GEM: “Then, that must’ve been the killer trying to scare you guys off, right?”

MARTYN: “It’s possible. Only issue is that it was too dark to really see who it was.”

PEARL: “...”

BIGB: “That’s unfortunate, but…I guess expected.”

ETHO: “So…we still have nothing then when it comes to the “who did it”. Back to the drawing board then.”

SCOTT: “...wait, Pearl. You didn’t see who it was either?”

Almost immediately, all eyes turned to Pearl. One of her antennae only twitched idly in response.

TANGO: “Woah, woah, woah, there. What’re you talking about?”

MARTYN : “I literally just said it was too dark to see, Scott. If I couldn’t see, then there’s no way Pearl could’ve seen either.”

PEARL: “...”

SCOTT : “Did you forget? Pearl’s a moth hybrid . Last I remember, she has pretty good night vision naturally.”

JOEL: “She WHAT?!”

CLEO: “Seriously? Well, why didn’t she say anything earlier? Unless…”

SCOTT: “Not possible. She was with Martyn and I at the time of death. Plus, she was also one of the first people to discover the body.”

REN: “Then why keep such an important detail hidden? The only explanation is…she had something to do with this.”

ETHO: “If you want to defend yourself, now would be the perfect time, Pearl.”

PEARL: “...”

JIMMY : “...please don’t tell me. Are you…actually working with--”

PEARL : “...No. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t lead us astray.”

JIMMY : (“Wait, what. Lead us astray?”)

PEARL: “Scott’s completely right. I can see in the dark better than most people here, I’d wager.”

MARTYN : “You mean…you actually saw the guy who shot at us?”

PEARL: “Kind of. I wasn’t able to make them out completely since they were fairly far away. But…I was able to make out their silhouette.”

Pearl paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. She raised a hand and pointed.

PEARL : “... Joel. If you have an explanation, you’d better start talking now.”

SERVER TRIAL SUSPENDED!

Chapter Text

SERVER TRIAL RESUME!

JOEL: “…”

Joel met Pearl’s glare with just as much intensity, a scowl already forming on his face.

BDUBS : “I knew he seemed suspicious!”

SKIZZ : “Woah, hold on, buddy. How about we don ’ t instantly jump to accusations?”

PEARL: “It’s not an accusation. I’m only stating the truth. It just so happens that said truth implicates Joel pretty heavily in this crime.”

LIZZIE: “No…I-I refuse to believe that. There’s—“

JOEL : “…. Prove it.”

JIMMY: “Joel, what are you—“

JOEL: “I’ve got no clue what you’re going on about Pearl. If you’re going to make some stupid accusation like that, then you’d better have evidence to back it up.”

TANGO: “I cannot believe you basically just said “pics or it didn’t happen”.”

MUMBO: “He’s not wrong, now is he? That’s a pretty big accusation to make, after all.”

PEARL: “Tch. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• Additional Wounds

• Library Meeting

• Rule 8

Make your Argument!

JOEL: “You wanna accuse me of murder, Pearl? You’d better have the evidence to back it up.”

PEARL : “I just said my evidence .”

PEARL: “I literally saw you firing that arrow at us!”

MARTYN: “It really doesn’t get more damning than that, mate.”

JOEL : “Idiot. Pearl is probably just lying.”

ETHO : “We’ve already deduced that whoever fired that arrow… has to be the culprit.”

IMPULSE: “Otherwise, it would’ve been disposed of in a different way, right?”

JOEL: “That’s all well and good. Except that doesn’t point to me.”

JOEL : “Like I said, Pearl’s lying. Especially since I have an alibi for the time of death!”

JIMMY : (“Joel…didn’t do this, right? He would never…right? Because if he really is innocent…why did…he lie just then?”)

Library Meeting —> have an alibi for the time of death

“No! That’s wrong!”

BREAK

JIMMY: “Joel, that’s…”

JOEL : “Jimmy, I know for a fact you aren’t that stupid. Don’t tell me you actually believe them.”

JIMMY : “…you… lied just there. About your alibi.”

JOEL: “…?”

JIMMY : “Martyn told me…he was in the library with you, Scott, and Pearl. But…you left at 19:55. It’s not just that, either…”

Missing Joel

“I’ve got it!"

JIMMY: “Nobody’s seen you during the entire investigation. Out of everyone here…you’re…you’re the only person with absolutely no alibi of any kind.”

JOEL: “…”

JIMMY: “Man, don’t go silent on me, please! Just…can you give me a reason? Something that explains—“

LIZZIE : “ I-I won’t believe it! Never!”

INTERJECTION!

JIMMY: “Lizzie?! Wait, hold on, please!”

LIZZIE: “I just…You and I both know Joel couldn’t have done this.”

LIZZIE: “He wouldn’t have…”

LIZZIE: “I refuse to believe it!”

JIMMY: (“I…I really don’t want to believe it either. It doesn’t feel right, but, if you look at the evidence we have…it’s hard to deny the truth.”)

Rebuttal Showdown!

Available Truth Blades

• First Blood Perk

• Shovel

• Joel’s Condition

Defend your Argument!

LIZZIE: “Of everybody here…J-Joel is the last person who would do any of this!”

LIZZIE: “There…There has to be something we missed!”

LIZZIE: “He must be innocent!”

Advance!

JIMMY: “Do you think I’m enjoying this?!”

JIMMY : “I don’t want to suspect Joel as the killer…”

JIMMY: “But…I also can’t deny the evidence against him!”

LIZZIE: “There’s no proof Joel really went outside! Just like there’s no proof that Pearl isn’t lying!”

LIZZIE: “All we have…is just her word!”

LIZZIE : “ Nothing else ties Joel to the crime!”

JIMMY: (“…Lizzie…”)

Joel’s Condition —> Nothing else ties Joel to the crime

“I’ll cut through those words!”

BREAK

JIMMY: “Lizzie…there is. In fact, it’s even in this very courtroom.”

LIZZIE: “N-No…”

JIMMY: “Earlier, we established that…the killer must’ve moved Scar’s body into the hole after shooting him, r-right?”

SCOTT: “It’s the only reason why there’s a blood trail.”

JIMMY: “...then, logically speaking…they should still have blood somewhere on them from doing so.”

Almost instinctively, Joel reached a hand up to his shoulder as if to cover it. Mumbo, the only person directly next to him, leaned over before he could, however.

MUMBO: “…There’s…quite a sizable stain there, yes.”

JOEL: “…”

CLEO: “Well, that’s proof enough then, innit?”

TANGO: “Again, are we really surprised?”

REN: “Have you nothing to say for yourself, sir? Or is this silence a confession of guilt?”

JOEL: “…”

ETHO: “I dunno, this just…feels too easy.”

BDUBS: “You did not just say that with a straight face. So what if it’s easy!? We deserve a simple answer for once!”

LIZZIE: “Joel…please…just…s-say something…! Anything, just defend yourself! I can’t watch this anymore!”

JOEL: “…Gah. You all are so, so annoying.”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He cast an icy-cold glare around the courtroom, lingering just a bit longer on the Overseer standing above them all.

Until…it finally landed on Jimmy.

JOEL: “Y’know, you really surprised me here, Jimmy. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

JIMMY: “…s-stop.”

JOEL : “No. Because if I’m going to die, I don’t plan on holding anything back.”

JIMMY: (“Stop talking. Stop it.”)

JOEL: “…this trial’s gone on long enough, if you ask me.”

JIMMY: (“Please just stop. Say anything else. Call me stupid or an idiot. Pull some miracle reason it can’t be you out of your ass for all I care.”)

JOEL: “I know when I’ve lost.”

JIMMY : (“This…can’t be right. So please… someone make it stop…!”)

JOEL : “You’ve caught me. I’m the one who killed—“

MARTYN : “ No! That’s wrong! ”

Martyn’s voice cut through…everything. The thoughts buzzing in Jimmy’s head instantly ceased, as that simple declaration silenced everything else.

MARTYN: “Absolutely not. I, for one, refuse to let it end like this.”

PEARL: “Oh, shut it, would you? We’ve got a confession here, that’s all we need.”

MARTYN : “Yeah. A confession. But not the actual killer.”

JIMMY: “….what…?”

MARTYN : “I don’t think Joel did this. I think he helped, maybe, but he wasn’t the one to kill Scar.”

IMPULSE: “But, isn’t Joel the only person who fits into the timeline we’ve created?”

MUMBO: “The person who fired an arrow at you and Pearl…that has to be the killer, trying to get rid of evidence.”

GEM: “And since it was Joel, that makes him the killer! Not to mention his missing alibi, the blood on his back…”

JOEL: “I’m already confessing, so why’re you making it harder you absolute muppet?!”

MARTYN : “No, because we’re still missing the reason Joel was trying to hide the weapon.”

SKIZZ: “Wh—Huh?!”

JOEL: “Are. You. Kidding. Me. Why are you still hung up about that?”

SCOTT : “I thought we agreed that the weapon was hidden…because it revealed who the killer was?”

IMPULSE : “Which would mean…whoever fired the arrow at Martyn and Pearl must be the killer, right?”

MUMBO: “Did we actually discuss that at length?”

PEARL: “It was a logical assumption.”

MARTYN : “Indulge me for a second here. Can we actually talk that through, then?”

JIMMY: (“What’s…what’s Martyn talking about? This didn’t come from nowhere, so…could he have figured something out?”)

Nonstop Debate!

Available Truth Bullets

• First Blood Perk

• Additional Wounds

• Training Bow

Make your Argument!

TANGO : “I’m not seeing how Joel’s reason for hiding the weapon is important.”

MARTYN: “Like I said. Indulge me here.”

SKIZZ: “Well…maybe we oughta start with reasons why?”

BIGB: “There’s only a handful I can think of.”