[Fin] Murder in the Mountains (End)

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Then explain and I'll listen if you want, ok? I'm not heartless. Just... protective when there's a reason to be.

All right. You want my story, I'll give it to you. It was like 11 years ago, all right? Lost my damn job. My wife left me, took the kid to live with her, left me totally stranded. Had all these bills to pay and no support at all whatsoever. So I had this idea, to commit a little robbery. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking, but just hear me out. I went in, with my gun handy, Lloyd then pulls out his gun for dramatic effect, Demanded the clerk to hand over the money. He opened up the cash register and put it all in the bag. And then all of a sudden, I heard the sirens coming closer and closer, which scared the hell out of me and next thing I knew, BANG!!!! I quickly looked over, and saw the clerk's head burst open like a ripe watermelon. I was freaking out real bad. My fucking gun just went off. Don't know how the hell that happened. But I tried to take all the money I can and jet, but I got captured by police and sentenced. They charged me for armed robbery and the homicide, which I find a little unfair. Yes, I will own up to the robbery, because I was desperate for money, but getting me for murder was totally unfair! I certainly didn't mean to kill the guy, you know? Just seeing his head open up like that just scared the fuck outta me. But did the judge care? No! Did the jury care? No! Did my lousy-ass attorney care? NO!!! So I get sentenced to life in prison for something that was a total accident. I felt like I did my time and I had to get out of here. I feel bad as hell as it is between ruining my life and accidentally killing someone, I just couldn't rot in there anymore. I just couldn't take it anymore. You can all think what you want of me, but I'm just ready to start my life anew again. And I sure as hell won't let these cultists kill me!

[Kennifer]

"…"

…okay, congrats you stunned Amy into silence.

[PointMaid]

Ah... Right. Of course. Of course.

Chip still looks rather skeptical. Ada looks even more nervous now.

[KungFuCutbug]

"..."

[...Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah Tainted Soul's crying again.]

[MadameButterflyKnife]

Blue is also silent for a bit. I...I'm not thinking any different of you. I've crossed paths with people who've done worse, yet still made a point to make their lives the best for all around them. Lloyd, was it? Just know we empathize with you. And nothing's stopping us from finding a way to escape. If we have to make a run for it eventually...then that's what we'll do.

[Caret]

"...!"

Nellie almost blurts something out loud in response to Lloyd's story, but manages to hold himself back at the very last second.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Lloyd nods his head approvingly at Blue, before saying, Look everyone, you can think whatever you want about me, but I am willing to work with you all to get through this. And you all have my promise whatever you need done, I'll do my best to help.

[KungFuCutbug]

"b-but what if your gun accidentally goes off again? you could hurt us without meaning to!"

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

I don't think you'll have to worry about that, kid. I don't even think I have it in me to shoot anymore. I just have to gun for show, mainly. To get people to back off me.

[wingedcatgirl]

Nellie is a bit confused at what the voices even want to do with them. "Life... Death... those are your names? But I thought that you two were simply mere nonsapient forces of nature, not actual... oh, nevermind. What's the purpose of all this in the first place?"

"Strictly speaking, we're avatars of Life and Death, not the forces themselves. If, somehow, you were to kill us, people would still live and/or die."

"And the purpose of all this is my children brought you here to sacrifice to me. Thought I explained that already."

[LavenderDream]

"Life.. and Death? What kind of scam is this!"

[Zanreo]

"Yeah, seems like you're setting up quite a story there!"

[MadameButterflyKnife]

I've heard of avatars of death before. Rumors, beliefs passed through whispers in the depths of the city...but none of them were crazy enough to make sacrifices. Usually. And from what I heard of the beliefs of that one, she'd wouldn't be so...excited? Is that the word? Also, would it be rude to ask what pronouns these specific avatars have?

[KungFuCutbug]

[The Soul continues messing with their hood.] "...do pronouns matter for avatars of those things? i think they'd accept any. maybe call them it/its, like the things they're avatars of... i'm probably wrong, though... guess it can't hurt to ask."

[Cassie]

[The Soul continues messing with their hood.] "...do pronouns matter for avatars of those things? i think they'd accept any. maybe call them it/its, like the things they're avatars of... i'm probably wrong, though... guess it can't hurt to ask."

Death: "Eh, call us by any pronouns you want, we don't really care about it, and it's not like we have any genders anyway."

Life: "...that I agree with, despite of you."

[KungFuCutbug]

[The Soul fumbles the next thing they try to say for a minute before taking a deep breath in (can ghosts breathe? I don't know) and enunciating it slowly.] "...it/its it is."

[MadameButterflyKnife]

Blue raises their hand. And are there more avatars and personifications that we need to be aware of? Other mysterious voices?

[wingedcatgirl]

"Probably. But they're not here right now."

[PointMaid]

That's a good question actually, yeah. Provided you're both real.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Great. More freaks.

[Kennifer]

"I'm curious what they're personifications of now... we've got life and death so... comedy and tragedy? Heavenly virtues? Deadly sins? That... could be kinda interesting, actually. Like the personification of Sloth shows up and we're all too lazy to investigate or something, or Greed shows up and we all wanna rob each other, or yadda yadda yadda... probably a good idea if Wrath stays away."

...Amy what are you even on about.

[Weirdguy149]

"I'm a guy sometimes! Sometimes I'm just a monster. Sometimes, who knows, I could be a lady! And are we exchanging murder stories? Because boy howdy I have a doozy for later."

His eyes flashed white for a brief second.

[KungFuCutbug]

"...i've met the seven deadly sins before. sloth is okay. greed's a meanie who invades shops and won't let me buy things. wrath is like the bomberman guy from that one game..." [...What.] "i've met the four horsemen of the apocalypse, too. a couple versions of them... i don't like famine. he shows up everywhere."

[MadameButterflyKnife]

We're not exchanging horror stories, Freddy. She looks at his eyes, but then shrugs. Not the weirdest thing she's seen, even discounting the general fucked up weirdness of today.

[wingedcatgirl]

Noting for the record: If there's no hammer, night will fall in the Mountains at ~7:30 PM CT on July 20th. (Slightly under 4 days from this post.)