[WEEK 5, TUESDAY: Fie]

[spinatalltale]

[Magilou is out and about today, as usual! her usual energy is actually a bit muted (it was a long weekend, okay), but not muted enough for her not to be practicing cartwheels and backhand springs on the beach]

[do you approach, Fie!]

Comments

[sylfied]

[ ... she's honestly not sure she wants to.

In fact, she's slowly approaching but also keeping a very safe distance, because she'd rather not get cartwheeled into today. ]

[spinatalltale]

[her cartwheeling skills are much better than that, plz!]

[she pops up onto her feet, catching a glimpse of Fie from the corners of her vision. she whirls to face her, and lifts a hand to wave]

Feeling up to some beach gymnastics too, Berserker?

[sylfied]

I'll pass. I usually just save that much effort for fights.

[ Or dodging pitfalls. ]

[spinatalltale]

Eh. That's fair.

[a shrug!]

Can I help you with something, or are you just wandering?

[sylfied]

...

I guess I just remembered how grumpy you were when you weren't able to find out more about this place. Did you ever learn any more?

[spinatalltale]

[. . . ah]

[folds her arms, brows raising]

And here I thought you were too lazy for this "information gathering" thing.

[sylfied]

I'm not lazy. I just conserve my energy for when I need it.

[ There's a difference!! ]

[spinatalltale]

Oh please, that's just a fancy way of saying "I'm lazy!" Though I suppose the semantics do make it sound better.

[ha ha]

Why don't you tell me what it is you think I know, and I'll confirm or deny?

[MAGI. . . LOU. . .]

[sylfied]

[ ... she just raises an eyebrow. ]

You know, you could just tell me a thing and then I could tell you a thing.

Or I could just tell you what I know, but then you might already know it, but I'm tired.

[ She's. Tired. ]

[spinatalltale]

[BLESS FIE]

[she holds up a finger! look she's giving her a break]

Then let's start off with this simple question, which will determine the direction this conversation takes.

Are you a Siren?

[sylfied]

[ she's pretty sure the answer to that question is going to mean the conversation is going to go down the tracks of "how soon will I get to kill you if you are", but...

A sigh. ]

Yep.

[spinatalltale]

[WOW WHERE IS THIS FAITH?? Magilou's too lazy for murder]

[her mouth twitches]

I know the other four.

Who are they?

[her way of asking for proof]

[sylfied]

Serph. Battler. Raven.

I'm not naming anyone else.

[ She's pretty sure Magilou knows anyway, but Fie's got her own tired sense of loyalty. ]

[spinatalltale]

[that's good enough for Magilou, at least]

Fair. You pass. Was it the last one that sent you in my direction? Because I actually didn't know it was you until this moment.

[sylfied]

No. I remember Jack saying you didn't have a role, and even if that doesn't mean you're not allied with one, I wanted to talk to someone neutral. Ish.

... And you know, given Neku and his whole gun thing with Serph, I didn't want to get shot in a trial before I said anything.

[spinatalltale]

Yeesh, I don't blame you. Talk about hot-headed!

[thanks, Neku]

People here are so impulsive. They act before thinking, and barely contemplate the consequences of their actions.

The Sirens were never my enemies. In fact, they may be my allies, if what Battler and the final one of you-- whose name I won't mention, either-- are right.

[sylfied]

[ ... siiiiiigh. ]

That's what I wanted to talk about, actually. I'm pretty sure I figured out which one of the Chiefs is lying and which one is telling the truth, and I learned the conditions for ending the game.

1/2

[spinatalltale]

[. . .!]

[she immediately snaps to attention]

[spinatalltale]

Oho. . . did you?

Was I right about the key lying in their handwriting?

[PLEASE SAY YES SHE WANTS TO FEEL USEFUL]

[sylfied]

[ A nod. ]

One of us got a handwriting sample from both of them and we checked it against our rulebooks to see what made the most sense out of everything that's happened so far.

[spinatalltale]

[H E H]

I was the one who gave Pal's handwriting sample to your comrade. Unless they got a different one somewhere else.

[yes Magilou did a thing!! a good thing!! she thinks]

I'm impressed you got Hal's, though. He refused to give me his autograph when I asked.

Well? What were the results? Who is our liar?

[sylfied]

Pretty sure it's Pal. It's not an absolute guarantee, but it would make the most sense.

[spinatalltale]

Color me unsurprised. That's a nice shade of yellow, by the way.

[it does make the most sense, just from observing both Chiefs]

. . . so? Did Pal write your rules?

[sylfied]

[ shaking her head ]

They both did. We just had to figure out who wrote what.

[spinatalltale]

Just like on the public rules board. . . hm!

So. . .

[on to the next obvious question]

What are the conditions for ending the game?

[sylfied]

...

Someone willingly sacrifices themselves into the volcano. Everyone dies. Seven players are left.

... All of the Sirens die.

But I don't know which of those is going to get the best end.

[spinatalltale]

[she's quiet for a long, long while, searching for her words. and the ones she eventually does speak are carefully crafted]

. . . does the final Siren know this, too?

[sylfied]

Apparently... [ and Fie says this extremely dryly. ]

I was the only one who didn't know.

[spinatalltale]

[oh my god]

Well that seems a little unfair. You should dropkick the final Siren in the side for keeping that from you! What happened to all for one and one for all?!

[sylfied]

I guess even when you're in a group, no one really wants to trust each other.

[ BUT SHE'S STILL FAIRLY GRUMPY ABOUT IT. ]

[spinatalltale]

[WELL, MAGILOU CAN'T BLAME HER]

What did they think you were going to do with that information, anyway? Write it on a pamphlet and distribute it to the masses at large?

[sylfied]

I don't know. Maybe they thought I was the chatty type.

[ Picture that for a minute. ]

[spinatalltale]

. . .

Yeah, you definitely are, that's for sure. It's impossible to get you to shut up.

[SO DRY]

[sylfied]

Well, don't worry. That's all I had to say.

[spinatalltale]

[she nods]

Incidentally. . . with this information, what do you and the remaining Siren intend to do from here on out?

[sylfied]

... I don't know.

[ It's a very honest admittance. ]

Maybe at this point, most of the choices are out of my hands. There's really nothing I can do to protect anyone anymore.

[ Not even Mera. ]

[spinatalltale]

. . . hey. I get that. I know how it feels.

[it's how she's felt since the very beginning, when she was dropped on this island without a role or any agency to speak of]

Fie. Do you want to know a secret?

[sylfied]

Secrets are kind of wearing me out, Magilou.

[ But she actually called her by her name, so Fie simply tilts her head. ]

[spinatalltale]

[that's how you know Magilou is getting serious]

There's one person on this island who knows which of those endgame conditions gets us the best ending.

[. . .]

You should trust them. With your entire heart and soul. They are-- doing what is best for everyone here.

[sylfied]

...

I don't know if I have what it takes to trust someone like that in a place like this. [ she's been lied to from the very beginning, and she's aware of that. ]

But I'll take your word for it.

[spinatalltale]

I understand.

[she, better than most, knows how difficult trust is to come by. especially for the Sirens, who have been watching their backs from day one]

Huh. And I can't even ask you to trust me in their stead, since I seem to be the shadiest person left here.

But I believe in them.

[and it takes a lot for Magilou to come to believe in someone]

[sylfied]

Then I hope they can end this game.

... No matter what it takes.

[spinatalltale]

I believe they can.

[links her hands behind her back and exhales deeply]

That's all.

[sylfied]

Then that's fine.

[ She links her hands together behind her back and turns. ]

... Thanks, Magilou.

[spinatalltale]

You're welcome.

[bows her head forward]

And thank you, Fie.