[scien IS an edgelord i think todomatsu should say it

that said scien picks up on the weird vibes and based on what information just released, he'll hazard a guess - ]

Oh? Should I dissect you next?

[is he joking? he's probably joking.]

[ hey it's your vibes that are weird his are perfectly normal!!! please!! ]

Paaaass.

No? I could give you four arms, or even a face that doesn't obviously broadcast your judgment to the world.

Nope, I'm happy with the face I have, thanks! I've already got a weird scientist on speed dial anyway.

Are you sure you're not the bizarre one...

[the audacity to say this]

I'm pretty sure.

[ oof, he's tempted to do a big 180 and walk right back out when he sees scien at the observation deck, but then he thinks about how fondly dahut had talked about him, and how maybe he really is just another socially incompetent dark-aura loser like ichimatsu-niisan, so. he doesn't. ]

Hey...

[ he's still kind of in shock himself, and the emotions are sort of a sad, confused static, because what the fuck. ]

[todomatsu deserves so much better than this he's being so nice and scien's out here being a freak

because he's in the middle of checking every nook and cranny in the observation deck, as if it's going to give him any clues because he doesn't know how murdergames work. also in his emotions there's this odd, strange feeling of anger coming from him. it's still not exactly the right manifestation of the emotion, but it becomes more and more recognizable the stronger it gets. and it is building slowly - until it stops. disappears. and then... builds again. like a constant cycle in the background, grinding at the nerves.

his eyes narrow for a moment before his brain supplies Dahut's roommate]

Did you notice anything?

[ yikes... not like he can blame him. ]

No... He wasn't in the room when I left last night.

[ goes over to the window and looks out, like he's half expecting dahut to come cartwheeling by in a space suit on the other side again. that's what's supposed to happen, right? this isn't supposed to be some heavy, dramatic atmosphere. it's too early. ]

He was with me, and half the ship. Observation Deck. Luke also died there.

[said in that sense of like

'in case that's relevant to you']

Did he report anything strange to you in the days prior? Aches in his chest? A cough?

[ well, now he's turning to look back toward the center of the room. ]

Eh-? So, right here...?

[ fuck. though at the same time, it's a little reassuring to know dahut hadn't been alone that night. he really would have felt like shit if he'd left him in the room by himself.

he tries to think back to their conversations, but if anything like that had come up before, it's not coming to mind now. he shakes his head. ]

...Mm, nothing like that. [ ... ] I know he was... having a hard time, feeling so many strong emotions from everyone, but...

Closer to there.

[he just points toward where the locked door was. help.

but scien just frowns at the mention of fucking emotionshare knocking out his stupid lil dahut]

That wouldn't have been enough to kill him. At least, likely not. Disorient, perhaps, but he was still fully conscious and responsive before we passed out even though everyone was falling apart.

[ well.

todomatsu will wander over the holding cells eventually. he feels a little weird about the idea of intentionally going to see scien after how all their previous interactions went, but he'd like to get a little more closure on all of this if he can. it ironically seems clearer than ever now that he and dahut really had cared about each other in their weird way. which is... relatable, honestly.

he raises his hand in a little wave, but tries to keep some distance. ]

Hey... [ ... ] That glass doesn't like, give you a barrier against everyone's emotions or anything, does it?

[ because having to deal with the feelings of everyone who comes in here now seems like it would be Rough. ]

[scien is

horizontal again i'm sorry this man is really splayed out on the ground looking at the ceiling. his emotions are still in that tight little box bundle, but the strongest one that leaks through is this sense of being lost.]

It doesn't.

But it shouldn't be enough to overwhelm my memory bank again.

You're brave for coming to see me.

[he'll acknowledge it since.... yea]

[ i mean fucking valid tbh. and he's feeling pretty lost himself for his own reasons. ]

Mm, I don't think so.

[ it's not like you can dissect him from the other side of the glass... and he kind of got over that fear after hearing dahut talk about him before anyway. he's just standing back now because of the emotion share thing, though he goes ahead and steps closer after that answer. ]

You're probably sick of people asking you what actually happened, but I'm going to ask it anyway.

It's important to gather information.

[which is his way of saying that he doesn't mind. he closes his eyes again]

As everyone else passed out around us, Dahut and I remained awake. I— [there is a curling feeling of violence. an echo of it. scien pauses, as if trying to parse the emotion]

... I wanted to see his heart. So I did.

[ he blinks. he's not sure what he thought the answer was going to be, but it wasn't that. ]

Even though you made it in the first place?

[ ...or maybe that was why? if he wanted to try to see what those feelings that shouldn't have been there looked like, or something? ]

Dahut made modifications on his own. I realized it at the beginning of this week, when I sensed that his range of emotion was beyond mine.

He didn't report his findings to me, though he did explain to me how it was done... even though his work was still incomplete.

[sooooooo

auction items are unlocked :) which means that in the stasis bay, where scien had been spending a solid amount of his time, he's looking at the now glowing, active, awake reliver machine. it thrums with a foreboding energy and scien is at one of the monitors, running a diagnostics check. when totty wanders in, scien just says:]

Dahut isn't here. He looks hilarious today though, if you need a laugh.

[is that who he's looking for? probably right?]

[ well auction items being unlocked also means totty's ass looks amazing right now, so!! fyi!!!!! i know scien is very concerned about this

he is not looking for anyone, actually, he's just taking a quick look around the locations he had on his list yesterday that he never got around to... but he's only human so of course he's intrigued by the prospect of someone looking funny ]

Huh? Hilarious how?

[help!!!!!! totty your incredible ass!!!!!!

but well, scien has a sense of humor even though everything else about him is pretty broken]

He's very cursed. I think he's being rather bold about it as well. I won't spoil the surprise.

[ is he bald..........

either way, clearly he does need to see this, so he will just file that away for later. ]

All right, I'll keep that in mind.

[ peeks... ]

What are you working on?

Ensuring my item from the auction is functional.

[it's... clones!!!!]

[ clones............ gazes ]

Which is... related to your work back home, I guess?