outdistanced | turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

At least until we find a way to stop it.

[ rubs eyes. ]

Tomorrow's going to be bad. I didn't think it could get worse than it was last week, but with two people dead... [ and those two specifically. he has to pause and take a deep breath. ] That means there are probably two killers, too.

[ really not liking the odds right now. ]

[ a tremor runs through his arms. it might be anger, or desperation. probably anger. ]

We can... stick together. Go looking. There were a lot of us, so-- we can vouch, at least.

[ his teeth grit painfully. ]

And we can only ever vote for one anyway.

[ nudges him gently. it's awful, but take it easy, man. ]

Someone's going to have to take a look around. I don't mind going, once we know where to look.

[ better than checking the bodies. there's no way he could handle that. ]

...That's what I'm worried about. [ the vote. ] I doubt we'd be lucky enough to have them both confess again, if we can even find them.

[ the space between fury, despair and resignation is a very strange place to be. he leans back at the nudge, hands flexing to try and ground himself. he's wound up without an outlet to scream at. ]

After last week, I really doubt it too. I wonder if... one was accidental, or self-defense, like-- before.

[ firefly. there was still something odd about all that. ]

[ sometimes screaming into the void is good, too. ]

Whether it was or wasn't, they might still try to pass it off that way. We'll have to be more careful thinking about it.

...Hate that we have to think about things like this.

[ growls and runs his hands roughly through his hair. ]

I hate it too! Isn't death supposed to be peaceful?! Can't we get a damn break?

Only the first few days of the week.

...I think it was supposed to be like that, though. Before whatever's screwing with us showed up.

Excuse me if I find it a little hard to believe that whatever was powerful enough to make this place can't figure out what's wrong with it.

[ he's already burning out again. crying took a lot out of him. ]

Guess I'm biased to thinkin' everything's closer than it seems.

If you believe the angels, it's because heaven is huge, a lot is happening, and god is always busy.

[ which - he likes the angels just fine? but that sounds like such crap to him. ]

But they also said the call is coming from inside the house, so... whatever it is is closer. Like that stupid apple tree.

[ gives him a Look. he hasn't believed a word the angels had ever said, pretty much. ]

I've tried to talk to them. I like Ramiel, but I've been through the catch more flies with honey thing before. They're at least not telling us everything.

[ shudders. ]

Yeah. Heavy-handed, and I'm off apples forever.

I think they're trying to help how they can, but it sounds like they have their own rules to follow.

[ snorts. ]

You and me both, man.

I think those rules should've been nixed the second at least the second person died.

[ sighs. he's so tired and it's not even noon. ]

Apple pie... miss you already, bud.

Sounds like they can't... But all these rules are stupid, anyway. Making us try to find a murderer or two in only nine hours? And we almost didn't, last week.

[ and that's the scary part. what if they fail? what if they get it wrong? ]

Today's message was... different, too. All those emojis.

[ after a moment of contemplation, he sits up slightly and looks at laurence with a frown. ]

...hey, did you wake up with anythin' weird in your pockets this morning?

Yeah, I've been trying to figure those out. Some of them make sense, but the rest...

[ what the heck do all those things mean? ]

...No, nothing I didn't have already. You did?

Someone unknown at this point is suspicious as hell.

[ after another moment, he nods, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a whole corndog. it's wrapped in cling film. ]

Really not sure what to make of this, but none of the options are good.

I'm wondering if it's a different angel we haven't met or something. It does start with the emoji with pigtails, like Mary.

[ their Wednesday bonding time angel.

...god okay. he stares at this entire fucking corndog. ]

What the hell. Is that supposed to point us to the fair? But we already knew Elysia was found there.

More of 'em, huh. Seems likely, but the other angels didn't seem to know 'em either.

[ also stares at it, nodding vaguely. ]

I wrapped it up just in case it was important, once I read she was found there. It was just... in my pocket, but I've got no damn clue how or why.

They can't know all the angels in heaven. Or... maybe they're not in heaven.

No, it's good to keep it just in case. They'll want to know tomorrow. I mean, if we already know she was found there, and someone else was awake looking around again... maybe they want us to look closer at the corndog stand or something? Like we had to look inside those chess pieces last week.

[ puts it. back in his pocket. it's weird carrying it around but it'd be weirder not carrying it at this point. ]

Yeah, but... why me? I didn't know Ms. Elysia all that well, an' it's not like I'm attached to the fairgrounds. [ rubs his face. ] Did someone jus' think I was fussy enough to hang onto it like this?

Well, if that's what they thought, they were right.

[ you are holding onto it my man. ]

It could be random, though. Or maybe they thought you'd want to try to help solve this and wanted to give you a clue. Who knows? Hopefully we'll have answers tomorrow.

...maybe. There's another option, too, but I don't really wanna think about that one.

[ said like someone who's definitely been thinking about it already. ]

Hopefully. Ugh, I feel like I need to pass out again.

It'd be a stupid way to try and frame you, if that's what you mean. You wouldn't be telling anyone if you were responsible for what happened.

...It always feels that way on Fridays, waking up to news like that.

Can't believe corndogs are joinin' the "stuff this place ruined" list.

[ he sinks heavily back into the couch and closes his eyes with a sigh. ]

At least... last night was nice. Before we went to sleep.

Heaven's pretty good at that, isn't it?

[ stares up at the ceiling. ]

...Guess that's really the best thing we can do. Make it a good night, just in case the worst happens and we don't have another chance.

[ he hates that a lot, though. ]

turbo heaven 🌼 chrono

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)