[Fin] The Murder-Free Hotel

[wingedcatgirl]

"Either that or we're having repeated visions," Y'shtola says. "But others have also mentioned a similar experience... as well as that, Echo visions don't quite work like this anyway. So, yes, time loop."

[Kennifer]

-Kennifer's Room-

Kennifer nods.

"I thought I'd dreamed it, after the first one. But then everything was too familiar, and I wasn't the only one who remembered."

She sighs.

"Okay. The first time through, I'd had some wine, and... Timefriend, I think his name is was there. We shared some cheese and crackers and he kind of... I don't know what happened, it was... glitchy or something? Anyway I went into the living room and talked to some other people and kinda just relaxed. Fell asleep. When I woke up the lights were all out, and then there was crashing and something fell on me, and... I died. I didn't see what happened because it was dark. But I remember a lot of pain, like all my bones breaking, internal bleeding... and then I was walking into the kitchen like none of it had ever happened."

She pauses, then continues.

"So I was freaking out because, well, I'd just DIED, and then instead of the living room Cass brought me back to my room here, so I wouldn't get crushed again. Some things were kind of different though? The lights didn't go out. And Timefriend came in and said he was sorry but he didn't seem to know why? I'd seen him in the kitchen before I went up to my room. And then there were bees, with that virus in them. Not the cat one, the other one with the cult and the fragments and everything. And I got stung, and... I think some others did too, but a few minutes after that I was walking into the kitchen again. And I decided to come back here, because at least it had stopped me from actually dying."

She sighs loudly.

"And... that's all I know. Here I am, waiting for some other godawful thing to happen and the whole thing to reset again. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who's noticed, I'm not sure how I'd get people to believe me and help me get out."

[Dookie]

"So it seems we're going to have to stop any infections or death...Third time's the charm, right?"

Cass thinks of a way to stop Kennifer from dying...

[Kennifer]

-Kennifer's Room-

"Yeah. Unless that was just the initial catalyst and it's gonna keep looping whether anyone dies or gets infected or not."

[madface7]

But suddenly, Timefriend feels a sharp pain in his head and gets drowsy.

Why... what is...? Am I forgetting somethi...

He clutches his head, and then remembers everything that's happened in the past few loops... and screams...

and he's eating a sandwich in the kitchen.

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Hibachi is once again in her room.

Okay, I didn't even release any bees that time and that Kennifer girl didn't even die...

Hibachi teleports to the Arcade.

[Kennifer]

Kennifer walks into the kitchen.

And screams.

[madface7]

Timefriend looks TERRIFIED at Kennifer screaming.

M-Mx, can you please be q-quieter- wait, y-you don't- you d-don't have to-/

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"Sorry, I just... AUGH I don't want to do this again!"

[madface7]

D-do what again, Mx?

[Dookie]

Cass is back in the kitchen.

"Goddammit! And that time nobody even died!"

Cass holds TimeFriend's shirt.

"WHAT DID YOU DO???"

[madface7]

Timefriend starts crying heavily.

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"Did... did you do this? Why? Can you stop it? It's... I mean I'm glad I didn't die or get stung or anything last time but..."

[madface7]

I d-don't even know what's going on, it's- I-

His crying turns into bawling.

[wingedcatgirl]

Dining Room
The three catfolk are back at their table, sandwiches in hand.

Y'shtola groans. "Menphina's sake..."

"That thing Kennifer said about the virus..." Sylvi mutters. "... I think it's time to show you why my hair changed color." Metabomb. I think we need your help with this.

[Dookie]

"...Ok."

Cass lets go of him.

[madface7]

Timefriend sits on the floor in fetal position, still eating the sandwich.

[PointMaid]

Ruby has been in the kitchen... again... eating her BLT. She's listening to the catfolk's conversation. She also feels something strange. She had her hair change color too after her gene splicing adventure. But she'd assumed it was because of the Timeline Master DNA...

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"There's a way to make this stop, right? I hope..."

Kennifer grabs a bottle of wine. She doesn't want to think about how many times this shit's gonna happen.



Meanwhile, Holly is... once again eating a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, but this talk is making her remember something.

"...wait, bees. I remember something about bees, one of them stung me. I think I was trying to investigate it."

She pauses.

"..whoa."

[PointMaid]

Ruby is staring at her friend Holly. Is there something different about her hair? The way she's looking out of focus...

Are you okay? Are you... seeing different things at the same time? That happened to me. What is it?

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"No, but I'm remembering one of the other loops now. Where I got stung by that bee I was trying to examine, and I got infected with a virus. There was red... I'd had a red streak in my hair, I think. I don't have it this time, but I remember seeing it."

Holly pauses.

"It's quite interesting, from a scientific perspective anyway. Although I worry that despite time resetting, there may be some kind of lingering effect."



Meanwhile, Kennifer has opened her wine bottle and is drinking again.

[PointMaid]

Ruby nods. Huh. Time loop. That is interesting. I wish my friend Aaron was here. He's a physicist. Or Lucie, she's an engineer. I'm afraid my biochemistry probably isn't going to be much help investigating a time loop.

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"Neither will my biochemistry or botany. The most I could do is see if I've suffered any lingering effects from that bee sting, but that can wait until time is flowing normally again."

Holly fiddles with a strand of her hair.

"Although as far as I can tell, all of my hair is platinum blonde again. I think that's probably a good sign."

[wingedcatgirl]

Dining Kitchen Whatever Area
"Timefriend, Kennifer, virus bees," G'raha says, counting off on his fingers. "Any other areas of interest to investigate?"

[Kennifer]

-Kitchen-

"Just... please figure this out..."

Kennifer was starting to sound desperate.