Trent’s knuckles stopped before tapping on the door frame. He hadn’t expected Adimabua’s office to look this busy. There were boxes filled with hanging folders piled all around his desk, and the desk itself was buried under more open folders than he could count at a glance. They were spaced so that none covered another, presumably so he could read their contents without trying to restructure the whole layout over and over again. Adimabua wasn’t looking at any of them. His head was down staring at a single sheet of paper. The pencil in his right hand moved around the page but made no contact. By all appearances he had not noticed Trent’s arrival.
If he hadn’t had his questions directed to the man by name he wouldn’t know him. Hence the hesitance; there were enough volatile personalities in this operation that disrupting someone in the thick of it was liable to get something hurled at you. The pencil was the most threatening thing in his reach, though. Trent finished the motion and coughed for good measure. “Sorry to bother, but do you have a minute?”
His pencil slowed, then stilled. Adi set it down and adjusted his glasses. When he turned his attention to Trent his smile was tired. “Mr. Camden. Pardon me, I did not see you. Please come in.” He gestured to the chair across from his desk, but Trent shook his head. “I won’t be long, seems you’ve got quite a lot without me taking up your time!” Adi took the pencil back up and tapped its eraser against the desk.
“Are you familiar with my work?”
“No? Not more than the other bean counters that is, it’s not much my business now is it?” Speaking of his business it was too late to be on the run around, but curiosity got the better of him. “Why?”
Adi chuckled and circled something on the page. Now that Trent was closer it looked like a list of names. “Bean counting, yes, I would like to get back to that. My role is more to count the counting. Some of the numbers, they do not add up properly, and if I can see that…” He shrugged. “It is a problem.”
It was hard to say without looking closely, but Trent didn’t recognize any of the names. His knuckles rapped on the desk before going before brushing through his hair. He started walking to no place in particular, a sort of half lap that took him past piled up records and remnants of meals from...days? Weeks? He wasn’t paying close enough attention. “Can I ask how bad it is?” There was a chuckle behind him. He kept moving.
“For us? I cannot say. I am sure we have seen worse. Do not concern yourself.” Adi paused. His glasses folded in his hand to rest on top of the sheet. It was a heavy thing that he was being asked, not by Mr. Camden but by his duties. He had not allowed it to bow his head while the task was at hand but now that it was finished and could be shared with another perspective, mm. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. “Those who might expose us should not be so relaxed. I am...in this line of work, so to speak, because I risked exposure but was judged useful. Are these,” his fingers brushed along the page, “useful? I cannot say. But I expose them. I will not see them, but should they, mm.” Words needed to be chosen carefully. “Should I no longer see their name in our ledgers. I am responsible. Wouldn’t you say?”
There came no answer. Ah. Not careful enough. It was foolish to voice his, it was not accurate to call them concerns, more ethical curiosities. They could sound like dissent, though, like risk. There was no way of knowing that was not what this man had come to feel out. Look up and he would know, but he could not. Adi sat in darkness afraid of what he might see when he opened his eyes.
After some time, he coughed. “Mr. Camden?”
Nothing.
Minutes would pass before he settled back in his chair to an empty room. He had no way of knowing that as soon as he assured him it was not his problem, Trent Camden was out the door. Could you blame him? He was a pharmacist, not a therapist. His late reimbursements could wait for a less moody accountant at a more sensible hour.
Tracen strolled over this announcement desk with a smile fixed to his face. It had been a simple day, a normal day, after a few attempts at getting out of their situation it appeared that the students had finally settled down. At the very least, those that had been trying to escape had settled down following the failure of their peers, either way, it was reason to be in a good mood.
“Good morning all! I hope you are all enjoying yourselves now that you know you are all on the path that leads to the end of our game. There is a still a while yet, but I suggest keeping it in mind, just in case you need a morale boost in the coming days. In fact, speaking of boosts I have just the thing to perk you all up this morning. How about we run through those of you who passed on yesterday? Sound good?"
Tracen paused for added effect before finishing his statement.
"I thought so.”
A brief sound of shuffling papers signaled the beginning of the run down.
“We begin today with a quiet, mood piece as Catherine Zier died as a result of wounds inflicted by Michael Froese. It wasn't quick or clean, but the job got done and that's all we ask for at the end of the day.
“Our second kill today comes as Parker Green was caught off guard by Ace Ortega. It's unfortunate really but at the same time, it's good to see Ace make the best of the hand he's been given.
Tracen tutted as he read the next name on his list.
“I believe we warned you about head injuries kids, but despite our warnings Axel Fontaine succumbed to blunt force trauma inflicted by Lorenzo Tavares, notch one up for ghost Lorenzo, wooooo spooky.”
Tracen chuckled to himself and took a sip of coffee before he continued.
“Adonis Cohen was next up to meet his maker as he was shot by Emmett Bunnell. This was after Adonis had already mortally wounded Cecil Salazar-Loveless. I'm sure it was all very sad and emotional, but the important lesson here is to never trust anyone."
“Who's that familiar figure approaching over the horizon? Why it's Blaise d'Aramitz! And look there, they've killed Megan Summers! Please refer to what I have said about trust previously.”
Another gulp of coffee passed Tracen's lips as he read a bit ahead and made sure he was happy with his lines.
“Jeff Greene and Max Rudolph had a fight in the waterfall cave and both ended up dying when Max Rudolf detonated Jeff's collar and caught some of the shrapnel himself. Personally we were all rooting for one of them to...what's the word you kids say...yeet? Is it yeet? Anyway, we were hoping one of them would yeet the other off the waterfall itself but alas it was not to be.”
“Next up Amber Yates took two shots in the dome from Erika Stieglitz but trust us when we say she isn't getting up from the second one. Unless she's a hydra.”
“In our only double kill of the day Blaise d'Aramitz struck again and shot Billy Trevino after a brief scuffle. Good try Billy, but you just weren't good enough.”
“And finally, in yet another example of why you shouldn't trust anyone, Declyn Grayson-Anthis was shot by Myles Roux who then just watched him bleed out. Cold."
Tracen finished off his coffee and set the cup down with a cheerful exhale.
"Right, so, this is the part where I tell you what section of the island we've turned into a danger zone. But today there is a key change to how things work, danger zones are permanent from now on. That means if you go into any of the areas we say going forward, then boom, you're out. Since you may not have been expecting this and need a reminder of the previous one, The Upper Wilds are staying blocked off and we're adding The Menagerie. Don't expect us to give you reminders again, this is a one and done deal."
"And finishing off today we have the announcement of her best kill award. Thankfully it's not a tie this time, so congratulations to Arizona Butler! Your prize of a new weapon and chicken and waffles, with syrup and a pitcher of grape flavor-aid can be found in the Menagerie itself!"
"With that done I am afraid I must bid you adieu for another day kids. I know you love hearing from me, but I promise we'll be able to talk again tomorrow, bye!"
And with that Tracen clicked off the speakers.
Weather: The island has remained very humid and sticky as it continues to be fully exposed to the sun without the presence of any wind. The temperature has stayed steady however with highs of around 99 degrees F, 37 degrees C. The moon is still in the waxing crescent phase. The eighth announcement will come at 9 AM on June 18.
Below you can find those selected by the rolls this round.
Summary:
1. Justin Greene (MK Kilmarnock) Tonya Collins (Emprexx Plush, Hero Card used)
2. Arizona Butler (Deamon) Aliya Kimia Nemati (Deamon, Swap Card used)
3. Morgan Dragosavich (Cactus) Lizzie Lebowski (Slam, Hero Card used)
4. Lori Martin (Ruggahissy) Tirzah Foss (Ruggahissy, Swap Card used)
5. Theophilus “Theo” Walterson (Jan de Witt)
Please remember all the etiquette surrounding rolls, kill requests, etc. Once again, there are three days (72 hours) for cards and Danger Zone posts, and a further seven days for Danger Zone exits.
Additional congratulations to Fenris for winning BDA for the death of Axel Fontaine, we'll have a quote nomination thread up shortly.