putting together puzzle pieces [late week 3]

[finalizes]

[Laughs speaks up on the network very abruptly and sharply.]

What does everyone here know about Yakumo's overlay Edward?

[After moment, he adds: I have nothing definite yet, but as I said earlier, Phillip saw someone who looked like me try to post a batch of letters that looked like the letters of complaint sent to newspapers from various different people.

Edward's merlin sometimes looks like a nightjar, and humans have no sense of scent to speak of.

A guy [and he's lifestreaming the scent that will be recognizable as that of Utsusemimaru to anyone who can scent people as he says that] told me that Edward can imitate other people's writing.

So. What do we know about him?

[He might be overly suspicious because Edward now didn't just insult his poor toad baby, his pet tried to eat Saffron. But that's besides the point clearly.]

Comments

[razorblade_empress]

It probably goes without saying that it is very, very, very British, but there's not really a lot of personal touches - or maybe it's more accurate to say that there are personal touches, but they all revolve around being Very British. There's nothing in there to indicate otherwise - if we're right about him being an immigrant, he's determined not to acknowledge it.

[highsteaks]

Hm.

Okay. But I guess the question is, why would he pretend to be Laughs to mail letters? If Laughs is right and it is him.

[razorblade_empress]

Assuming it's him doing it... no idea. Unless he's looking to avoid getting blamed for sending those letters himself maybe, but that wouldn't explain why Laughs specifically.

[It also doesn't really sound right to Yukino, but she's having trouble articulating why.]

[highsteaks]

Maybe it isn't him, then. Maybe it's the Dark Sabotager.

[grimjeaper]

We-- uh, well. Might be worth checking out anyway, right? He sounds like he's gotta be hiding something.

A-and I know people keep saying turning invisible isn't a thing people here can do, but I sure can. Maybe I could give it a check-over...?

[highsteaks]

You can?

... maybe you should, then. And anyone else's room that seems suspicious. That's a really good idea, Barold.

Oh yeah, and livestream it to us too!

[grimjeaper]

Heh. Invisible and intangible, too, so I can't leave any fingerprints. [He doesn't know if he'll leave a scent trail but he doesn't think so.]

A-and, uh. Just Barry's fine. But, um. How do I... livestream, was it?

[highsteaks]

Barold is what your friend called you?

... oh crap. Please tell me you're not a ghost.

[grimjeaper]

That's just Taako's nickname for me. Which is fine, I mean-! It's just, kind of weird hearing other people say it.

I am not a ghost.





...technically speaking.

[highsteaks]

I thought it was your real name.

... technically speaking?

[grimjeaper]

[there is so much to unpack there quick let's not]

Nah.

Technically speaking, the main distinction that's relevant right now is that I have True Sight, which means I can see through illusions and stuff.

...which is actually also a spell I can cast, if anyone else was up to it. Since, uh. I don't exactly know what's going to be different if I go looking alone.

[highsteaks]

The nurse says that even if I can walk again I still have to take it easy with my leg. Otherwise I'd go with you to fight people for you.

[You know, since you're a pudgy dork that obviously can't fight.]

[razorblade_empress]

Maybe. Although that raises more questions about their goal for all of this.

[highsteaks]

I'm starting to wonder if the Dark Sabotager is just crazy or something.

[razorblade_empress]

Maybe they're trying to make Majesty's specifically look bad.

[highsteaks]

Well, if they're the person who writes those nasty letters about the school, that makes sense.

[finalizes]

He is the only person who has taken issue with me here so far.

[He discarded that connection at first, but Phillip did ask very pointedly about it and he keeps circling back to it.]

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, but that raises the question of why you over anyone else he's taken issue with - or whether you're the only one he might be imitating.

[finalizes]

There could well be more people he's imitating. I might just be the only one who noticed. If he's good enough at lying, he might be able to not let anyone notice with the others.

[razorblade_empress]

And most people right now are focused on the competition - or on the saboteur, assuming he's not them.

[finalizes]

...Even if they discover someone else. If he can imitate people, anyone they find out to be the saboteur might not have been that person but him in disguise.

[razorblade_empress]

True.

If he is disguising himself, I wonder if that includes his scent.

[finalizes]

If he uses the same technique that he uses for his bird, then he either doesn't care to disguise the scent, or he cannot.

[razorblade_empress]

So that's one point in our favor, at least.

[For those of them who can take advantage of it, anyway.]

Wonder why he's disguising his bird.

[finalizes]

...Humans sometimes make certain animals illegal?

[He has no idea, but he knows that that is a thing. Are merlins illegal?]

...Or forbid some people to keep them as pets.