On my way!

After coughing their way through a majority of their downtime, Phosphate manages to finish patching up the odd here-and-there injuries that had stuck around. Who can say why they're still wounded, or why what just happened even occurred. ... Well, maybe they can find some answers. Ducking out of the cabin, they wander in the general direction they noted her going in. Shouldn't take long to find him, they're not exactly allowed to wander far. It's the crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot, every fin of hers aglow in the unlit woods. Looking for someone in such bright clothing wasn't hard after all! Coming into view of them, she is a looming figure, with a cold sort of fury written on her face. "Elliot, right?"

@phos-saken

When Phos encounters Elliot, she's scowling at the ground, fiddling with her hair. The moment she notices their presence, she's got an instant customer service smile, looking up at them. ... Ordinarily this wouldn't be the worst, but considering what just happened... It's probably a bit eerie, and uncanny.

"That's me, yeah! Did you need something?"

In response to her smile their glare deepens, their scowl leaving an impression of more sharp teeth behind it. Crossing their arms, continuing to stand over her... "It sure is. All put back together, aren't you."

Nothing's happened so far. Taking a breath, she drops into a sit rather heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. Unless this is a new and unprecedented change, killers have never been put in the mice cage before. "Get real, and fast. What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes flick to the side a little, worried for a moment, but that customer service smile is cemented on her face.

"It's just... Something that happens from time to time! It shouldn't happen again for a while, there's usually a lot of time between it happening. For me, at least. You might want to watch out for Two Time, though. Theirs are pretty random?"

Not much of an explanation, Elliot!

Staring up at the canopy, their expression is unchanged. "You are wonderfully practiced at half-answering questions." Take out the cheery demeanor and retail-ready smile, and it'd almost be familiar. Their nose twitches in disgust at the thought. "Just enough for people to stop asking, isn't it?"

"Watching out for Two Time is the default." That's more than slightly rude. "One more chance to try that again. Anything with substance would be acceptable over a non-answer."

Elliot stops, fully looking at Phos in... Surprise? Not quite, but there's not a better word. She answers, chipper as always.

"People usually have better things to do than ask again!"

Customer service smile still full strength, she adjusts her visor.

"What exactly isn't clear? I'd be better able to help you if you'd say what's confusing you!"

Pausing to take an incredibly deep breath, the inner edges of her fins look a little brighter. Be normal, be calm, be a civil normal calm person... "You can start by dropping the fucking act. Let's talk to each other as people instead of set pieces." So much for calm. "... Is it acting like this that did it?" While they are often wrong about many a thing, they're at least confident in doing so. "Is that it? Being so sunny all the time would drive me to start killing people. Who's to say you're not the same? Not you, as of yet."

Oh, her customer service smile is gone, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.

"Wow, you're the first person to actually call me on doing that! Huh. Guess you really don't beat around the bush."

She blows a bit of hair out of her face, stretching out an arm.

"I mean... Maybe? I couldn't really give you one answer why it happens, still not totally sure myself."

Liar. Though... It's not clear she's lying by any sort of body language or tone. She's as nonchalant as if she was just stating a casual fact. How many layers of hiding does she have??

At the change they visibly relax, letting their hands drop into their lap. It's as if every muscle in their body had been tensed! "No, I don't. It's annoying to." They've never gotten a single real answer here, and now might be a chance to...! "You cannot be serious." She groans, lightly smacking her head against the tree as she covers her eyes with her palms. So much for answers. "We just have to expect others to turn on us, at any moment they feel like, and then go back to bunking with them." Her tone is a mix of anger and defeat, with the expected amount of growling. With a deep breath, her hands drop into her lap again. Expression resigned. "Should've seen it coming, with my luck. That's my fault."

She lets out a weak little laugh and shrugs.

"Thaaat's... How it is in this hell. If it helps, I've only ever seen a few people do it. It's not everyone. You might even be one of the ones that escape it!"

... Comforting words, surely, coming from the woman who just had a semi-successful killer round.

At her laugh, they huff in annoyance. Probably just at the world, but who could be surprised if they're annoyed with her. "Don't... Don't do that either." Shifting from one uncomfortable position to the next, they make direct eye contact. "Stop acting like you have to help me with everything- That it's your job to reassure me through this. I don't know if you noticed, but we're not getting paid for this."

Escape it, huh? That says a lot about her, actually. Suggests that the idea of murder isn't something she looks forward to. "... Tell me who else has potential to do that." Oh, how they differ from one another in that regard.

"It's more..." She sighs, looking for the words she wants. "... Force of habit? Than anything else now, honestly."

Oh, hold on, question. She taps her fingers together consideringly.

"Well.... There's me, obviously. Two Time, sometimes. They're eerie when they do. Taph is rare, but does happen? Nothing I could say could prepare you for that one, honestly."

After coughing their way through a majority of their downtime, Phosphate manages to finish patching up the odd here-and-there injuries that had stuck around. Who can say why they're still wounded, or why what just happened even occurred. ... Well, maybe they can find some answers. Ducking out of the cabin, they wander in the general direction they noted her going in. Shouldn't take long to find him, they're not exactly allowed to wander far. It's the crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot, every fin of hers aglow in the unlit woods. Looking for someone in such bright clothing wasn't hard after all! Coming into view of them, she is a looming figure, with a cold sort of fury written on her face. "Elliot, right?"

@phos-saken

When Phos encounters Elliot, she's scowling at the ground, fiddling with her hair. The moment she notices their presence, she's got an instant customer service smile, looking up at them. ... Ordinarily this wouldn't be the worst, but considering what just happened... It's probably a bit eerie, and uncanny.

"That's me, yeah! Did you need something?"

In response to her smile their glare deepens, their scowl leaving an impression of more sharp teeth behind it. Crossing their arms, continuing to stand over her... "It sure is. All put back together, aren't you."

Nothing's happened so far. Taking a breath, she drops into a sit rather heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. Unless this is a new and unprecedented change, killers have never been put in the mice cage before. "Get real, and fast. What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes flick to the side a little, worried for a moment, but that customer service smile is cemented on her face.

"It's just... Something that happens from time to time! It shouldn't happen again for a while, there's usually a lot of time between it happening. For me, at least. You might want to watch out for Two Time, though. Theirs are pretty random?"

Not much of an explanation, Elliot!

Staring up at the canopy, their expression is unchanged. "You are wonderfully practiced at half-answering questions." Take out the cheery demeanor and retail-ready smile, and it'd almost be familiar. Their nose twitches in disgust at the thought. "Just enough for people to stop asking, isn't it?"

"Watching out for Two Time is the default." That's more than slightly rude. "One more chance to try that again. Anything with substance would be acceptable over a non-answer."

Elliot stops, fully looking at Phos in... Surprise? Not quite, but there's not a better word. She answers, chipper as always.

"People usually have better things to do than ask again!"

Customer service smile still full strength, she adjusts her visor.

"What exactly isn't clear? I'd be better able to help you if you'd say what's confusing you!"

Pausing to take an incredibly deep breath, the inner edges of her fins look a little brighter. Be normal, be calm, be a civil normal calm person... "You can start by dropping the fucking act. Let's talk to each other as people instead of set pieces." So much for calm. "... Is it acting like this that did it?" While they are often wrong about many a thing, they're at least confident in doing so. "Is that it? Being so sunny all the time would drive me to start killing people. Who's to say you're not the same? Not you, as of yet."

Oh, her customer service smile is gone, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.

"Wow, you're the first person to actually call me on doing that! Huh. Guess you really don't beat around the bush."

She blows a bit of hair out of her face, stretching out an arm.

"I mean... Maybe? I couldn't really give you one answer why it happens, still not totally sure myself."

Liar. Though... It's not clear she's lying by any sort of body language or tone. She's as nonchalant as if she was just stating a casual fact. How many layers of hiding does she have??

At the change they visibly relax, letting their hands drop into their lap. It's as if every muscle in their body had been tensed! "No, I don't. It's annoying to." They've never gotten a single real answer here, and now might be a chance to...! "You cannot be serious." She groans, lightly smacking her head against the tree as she covers her eyes with her palms. So much for answers. "We just have to expect others to turn on us, at any moment they feel like, and then go back to bunking with them." Her tone is a mix of anger and defeat, with the expected amount of growling. With a deep breath, her hands drop into her lap again. Expression resigned. "Should've seen it coming, with my luck. That's my fault."

She lets out a weak little laugh and shrugs.

"Thaaat's... How it is in this hell. If it helps, I've only ever seen a few people do it. It's not everyone. You might even be one of the ones that escape it!"

... Comforting words, surely, coming from the woman who just had a semi-successful killer round.

After coughing their way through a majority of their downtime, Phosphate manages to finish patching up the odd here-and-there injuries that had stuck around. Who can say why they're still wounded, or why what just happened even occurred. ... Well, maybe they can find some answers. Ducking out of the cabin, they wander in the general direction they noted her going in. Shouldn't take long to find him, they're not exactly allowed to wander far. It's the crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot, every fin of hers aglow in the unlit woods. Looking for someone in such bright clothing wasn't hard after all! Coming into view of them, she is a looming figure, with a cold sort of fury written on her face. "Elliot, right?"

@phos-saken

When Phos encounters Elliot, she's scowling at the ground, fiddling with her hair. The moment she notices their presence, she's got an instant customer service smile, looking up at them. ... Ordinarily this wouldn't be the worst, but considering what just happened... It's probably a bit eerie, and uncanny.

"That's me, yeah! Did you need something?"

In response to her smile their glare deepens, their scowl leaving an impression of more sharp teeth behind it. Crossing their arms, continuing to stand over her... "It sure is. All put back together, aren't you."

Nothing's happened so far. Taking a breath, she drops into a sit rather heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. Unless this is a new and unprecedented change, killers have never been put in the mice cage before. "Get real, and fast. What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes flick to the side a little, worried for a moment, but that customer service smile is cemented on her face.

"It's just... Something that happens from time to time! It shouldn't happen again for a while, there's usually a lot of time between it happening. For me, at least. You might want to watch out for Two Time, though. Theirs are pretty random?"

Not much of an explanation, Elliot!

Staring up at the canopy, their expression is unchanged. "You are wonderfully practiced at half-answering questions." Take out the cheery demeanor and retail-ready smile, and it'd almost be familiar. Their nose twitches in disgust at the thought. "Just enough for people to stop asking, isn't it?"

"Watching out for Two Time is the default." That's more than slightly rude. "One more chance to try that again. Anything with substance would be acceptable over a non-answer."

Elliot stops, fully looking at Phos in... Surprise? Not quite, but there's not a better word. She answers, chipper as always.

"People usually have better things to do than ask again!"

Customer service smile still full strength, she adjusts her visor.

"What exactly isn't clear? I'd be better able to help you if you'd say what's confusing you!"

Pausing to take an incredibly deep breath, the inner edges of her fins look a little brighter. Be normal, be calm, be a civil normal calm person... "You can start by dropping the fucking act. Let's talk to each other as people instead of set pieces." So much for calm. "... Is it acting like this that did it?" While they are often wrong about many a thing, they're at least confident in doing so. "Is that it? Being so sunny all the time would drive me to start killing people. Who's to say you're not the same? Not you, as of yet."

Oh, her customer service smile is gone, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.

"Wow, you're the first person to actually call me on doing that! Huh. Guess you really don't beat around the bush."

She blows a bit of hair out of her face, stretching out an arm.

"I mean... Maybe? I couldn't really give you one answer why it happens, still not totally sure myself."

Liar. Though... It's not clear she's lying by any sort of body language or tone. She's as nonchalant as if she was just stating a casual fact. How many layers of hiding does she have??

After coughing their way through a majority of their downtime, Phosphate manages to finish patching up the odd here-and-there injuries that had stuck around. Who can say why they're still wounded, or why what just happened even occurred. ... Well, maybe they can find some answers. Ducking out of the cabin, they wander in the general direction they noted her going in. Shouldn't take long to find him, they're not exactly allowed to wander far. It's the crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot, every fin of hers aglow in the unlit woods. Looking for someone in such bright clothing wasn't hard after all! Coming into view of them, she is a looming figure, with a cold sort of fury written on her face. "Elliot, right?"

@phos-saken

When Phos encounters Elliot, she's scowling at the ground, fiddling with her hair. The moment she notices their presence, she's got an instant customer service smile, looking up at them. ... Ordinarily this wouldn't be the worst, but considering what just happened... It's probably a bit eerie, and uncanny.

"That's me, yeah! Did you need something?"

In response to her smile their glare deepens, their scowl leaving an impression of more sharp teeth behind it. Crossing their arms, continuing to stand over her... "It sure is. All put back together, aren't you."

Nothing's happened so far. Taking a breath, she drops into a sit rather heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. Unless this is a new and unprecedented change, killers have never been put in the mice cage before. "Get real, and fast. What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes flick to the side a little, worried for a moment, but that customer service smile is cemented on her face.

"It's just... Something that happens from time to time! It shouldn't happen again for a while, there's usually a lot of time between it happening. For me, at least. You might want to watch out for Two Time, though. Theirs are pretty random?"

Not much of an explanation, Elliot!

Staring up at the canopy, their expression is unchanged. "You are wonderfully practiced at half-answering questions." Take out the cheery demeanor and retail-ready smile, and it'd almost be familiar. Their nose twitches in disgust at the thought. "Just enough for people to stop asking, isn't it?"

"Watching out for Two Time is the default." That's more than slightly rude. "One more chance to try that again. Anything with substance would be acceptable over a non-answer."

Elliot stops, fully looking at Phos in... Surprise? Not quite, but there's not a better word. She answers, chipper as always.

"People usually have better things to do than ask again!"

Customer service smile still full strength, she adjusts her visor.

"What exactly isn't clear? I'd be better able to help you if you'd say what's confusing you!"

#thanks for calling! what's your order? | asks #was it a prank call...? | anon

do you have any attachments? has that smile ever been real, in the place that you’re in? how long can you pretend you’re alright? i bet you have a lot of practice, huh?

She smiles a thin, strained smile.

"It's been real once or twice, if you can believe it!"

She spins a bit of hair around her hand.

"Though... If you're asking that stuff, I'm going to bet you don't know. Don't know or haven't put the dots together on some things! Don't feel bad if you haven't, I don't think anyone else has either. Nobody's brought it up to me, anyways, so."

After coughing their way through a majority of their downtime, Phosphate manages to finish patching up the odd here-and-there injuries that had stuck around. Who can say why they're still wounded, or why what just happened even occurred. ... Well, maybe they can find some answers. Ducking out of the cabin, they wander in the general direction they noted her going in. Shouldn't take long to find him, they're not exactly allowed to wander far. It's the crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot, every fin of hers aglow in the unlit woods. Looking for someone in such bright clothing wasn't hard after all! Coming into view of them, she is a looming figure, with a cold sort of fury written on her face. "Elliot, right?"

@phos-saken

When Phos encounters Elliot, she's scowling at the ground, fiddling with her hair. The moment she notices their presence, she's got an instant customer service smile, looking up at them. ... Ordinarily this wouldn't be the worst, but considering what just happened... It's probably a bit eerie, and uncanny.

"That's me, yeah! Did you need something?"

In response to her smile their glare deepens, their scowl leaving an impression of more sharp teeth behind it. Crossing their arms, continuing to stand over her... "It sure is. All put back together, aren't you."

Nothing's happened so far. Taking a breath, she drops into a sit rather heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. Unless this is a new and unprecedented change, killers have never been put in the mice cage before. "Get real, and fast. What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes flick to the side a little, worried for a moment, but that customer service smile is cemented on her face.

"It's just... Something that happens from time to time! It shouldn't happen again for a while, there's usually a lot of time between it happening. For me, at least. You might want to watch out for Two Time, though. Theirs are pretty random?"

Not much of an explanation, Elliot!