shiftingwinds | [7rings] catchall for mollymauk

[he's working on it!!! these things take time. as in, he's just not very fast at it.

molly will just immediately put his hands on either side of her shoulders, trying to steer her to sit down at least, so she can breathe a bit.]

Right. One of the illusions. Where did you stay last night?

[well. she sits!]

...the, the garden. The plants kept trying to hit us last night, and this morning, the roses had turned to stone. [...] Vlad was there, too. So were Primrose, Sheila, and Medb.

But as far as I know, none of the rest of us found blood on us, or had things go missing, or anything like that... [breathe, breathe...] Maybe... maybe Vlad took the shovel, when he realized something was going to happen...? To try to defend himself?

[Alright, alright processing all of that . . . he keeps his hands on her shoulders, just. comforting.]

Could be. Doesn't make sense to use your own damn weapon to kill someone if you want to get away with it.

[And why would he tell her about the boots in the first place if he wanted to keep it a secret.]

. . . Look. You're not going to like this question. I don't like this question. It isn't the kind of thing I'd normally give a shit about, it just changes the way we deal with things. I wouldn't vote for him. I'll still help you. But he says he didn't do it?

[Ah.

Her heart clenches uncomfortably just at the very idea, but she nods.]

He says he didn't do it. And I believe him.

[Nodding, quickly.]

Then I believe him too.

[moving to hold her hands instead.]

Were they the same boots he always wears? Or did they somehow become switched? Maybe-- the illusions tend to be hints, correct? Maybe it's just trying to lead us in the right direction. To the person that stole the shovel, perhaps.

[she squeezes his hands gently when he takes them, then breathes out.]

He said they felt too small - they were pinching. So, they must have been switched, somehow. [...] Right. That - that has to be it.

[Just nodding. That has to be it?]

... I think the later in the day this comes out, the worse it will look. [He thinks of what happened to Beau. Her knuckles. They'd found that and her staff so, so late. And everyone had made up their minds.] Fuck. Alright. What does Ming Yi think of it? All of this? That he's being framed, then?

[she nods]

He said he... argued with Vlad last week, during the execution... So he thinks that someone remembered that and is going to try and use that to hide what they did.

Everyone argued with Vlad. He was a shithead.

[HE'S DEAD. But also. Like. Everyone argued with Vlad.]

We won't let them get away with it.

Even I argued with Vlad. But he -

[she pauses.]

He... hold on. [she lets go of one of his hands so she can grab her phone again, then goes through her messages] ...out of the blue, he asked to join me where I was staying last night. "In case something should happen again."

[ace attorney alert noise]

Ming Yi carries that shovel everywhere. We all knew he had it-- maybe Vlad planned this. To take it.

...and, and both weeks so far, Ming-xiong and I have been together, so...

[asking to stay with her is practically the same thing as asking to stay with him]

Does he speak to you much? Would he-- Would you have expected him to want your company on a Thursday at all?

[Yeah. So. This is starting to feel very different all of a sudden.]

...we argued about Wrath during the trial. I can't say I was particularly fond of him, even if he did end up apologizing after I got on his case about it.

[...]

But he, uh, helped me find some alcohol that hadn't been tampered with this week, too. We didn't really talk a lot outside of that, though...

So not exactly someone he'd go to for protection.

[Not that she isn't able! Just. Well.]

Did anyone else in the room when you woke up see the blood on his boots? Or just you?

[she shakes her head]

I didn't notice it right away - it was only after I came back to find him after looking at the kitchen that he told me about it...

But, of course, the shovel was obviously missing.

[And Vlad, however.]

Okay. Alright. I think this is either-- It's either someone fucking with him, through some spell or power, or an illusion meant as a hint. We should check for ill-fitting shoes, blood spilled, things like that.

But I think he has to say it. Early. If anyone tries to pin this on him, I'll-- I won't let them do that.

I didn't notice that right away, either, but... I left immediately to go look for clues...

[which, she's feeling kind of bad about! but c'est la vie.

she nods, though.]

I think he's planning to ask about it first thing. So, that should help. And if it doesn't...

[she hesitates]

...I can make my vote count twice this week. If it looks close, I'll... handle it.

[somehow.]

[He doesn't ask who she'd plan to vote for in that kind of situation. He doesn't want to know? Just coming over to hug her, hand on the back of her head to pull her close.]

Alright. It's alright. They won't hurt him. You've got me helping too.

[just. hugs him back.]

...right. Thank you. I... sorry. Thank you.

No apologies.

[He'll just hold her tightly for a few moments, and then kiss her on the temple.]

We'll get through it.

[she breathes out, visibly more relaxed than she was at the start of this.]

...right, we will. [whew] Thank you for coming to check on me.

[7rings] catchall for mollymauk

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