inbox for saltburnt

[kobes]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK



USERNAME:
koby



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Comments

@african.grey

[transponders]

Hello, Koby.

I've read all your pamphlets. I want to thank you, they were all really helpful. Even the creepy recent one. It's good to know what to expect.

Listen, I think when you're not freaking out over visions, you're one of the only people here who has a finger on the pulse of this place. We should have an alliance.

Please wait until you're normal to reply to this, I don't have time for gibberish.

- Misty

[kobes]

[it takes a good handful of days for koby to be even semi-lucid -- he starts half a dozen messages with nonsense about it and choosing and what happened to crystal, misty? but he deletes them all before actually responding.]

I think "creepy" is a bit of a strong word, Ms. Quigley.

[he can read your posts TOO.]

But I'd be happy to assist, if I can.

[transponders]

No, I really do think it’s the best one.

How soon are you anticipating a repeat?

[kobes]

Of the stringboard? Never, hopefully. I'll keep those thoughts to myself.

[and to his quadruple-locked personal files, thanks.]

Or did you mean the game?

[transponders]

The string board isn't very efficient anyway, too many people. If we can get back to the manor, I'll teach you how to use Excel.

But I meant the hunts. Murder game, werewolf.

[kobes]

Is that a computer thing?

Werewolf. It's never repeated itself before, but apparently the oracles were convinced it would. I don't know how much to trust all that, but
We were right about a lot of other things.

Last year it started the first weekend in October.

[transponders]

Exactly. You can put in all your data and organize it however you want.

That's very soon. We should make a list of everyone and who might have motive to kill them. Even if they're not in control of the action, surely they have some agency in who they choose.

[kobes]

How secure is it? I don't know if anyone's reading what we put on the computers.

It depends. Some of it was based on past disagreements, but other kills were to take out major game players. We'll unfortunately know more after the first round, especially if the seers or doctors reveal themselves -- you can't play more than one role.

[transponders]

Depends greatly on the network. But definitely more secure than a stringboard. It's easier to break into a room than it is to hack a computer.

The strategy last time was pretty lacking, but I get what you mean. Wolves can always be smarter this time around, especially if they were around for the first one.

[kobes]

It depends on the knob. There were a few back at the house that gave me trouble.

It absolutely was, yes. If they can be smarter, we have to be smarter. Prepare ahead of time, keep accounts. I have some idea of the main schisms -- they're mostly the same from my stringboard.

Alliances are going to be important. We were in teams before, but people defected from those in favor of other loyalties. You'd stay loyal to your team, right?

[transponders]

Add lockpicking to the list.

The girls from back home, or the assigned colors? Yes to the former, undecided on the latter. Depends who's on it.

And you with your pirate crew, I assume. Does that extend to the whole restaurant staff? Because I think that's too many people. Statistically, one of them is gonna be a wolf.

[kobes]

What list? Do we have a list?

That's what I mean, if you had to choose, you'd choose your team. I'd choose my crew. Statistically we're just under the threshold. There are 97 guests, and if there are seven wolves, that's one every 13.87 person. There are 11 employees at the restaurant.

So. We might not be.

[transponders]

Excel, lockpicking, flora and fungi of the British Isles. We'll get you up to speed, don't worry.

Quentin makes twelve. Tim Laughlin's boyfriends make fourteen. Cellar Spider's husband makes fifteen. Whatever Silco is to Jinx, sixteen. Eddie Munson's creepy friends who were wolves last time, eighteen. Shanks' husband-wife, nineteen. And that's not even getting into your other job.

You see how that can get out of control?

[kobes]

I know most of that last part. I have a duck, I wanted to know what was and wasn't toxic for her, so I read a couple books.

[this is the part where it becomes very clear that misty wasn't bluffing or lying about having read everything, because all that information is discoverable, easy to perceive if you pay attention. this is also the part where a normal person would call her a nosy little freak.

koby is not a normal person. so:]

That's exactly right.
You're AMAZING at this, Ms. Quigley.

[transponders]

Perfect! You’ll have to let me know which ones are poisonous. In case any of the wolves end up using them.

Thank you for saying so, Koby. I’m a detective back home, between my skills with that and your experience here, I expect we’ll make a good team. If it does happen again.

[ Which she’s very much not looking forward to, or anything. ]

As long as you’re ready to accuse a friend, if it comes to it. Sounds like you’ve got a lot outside your crew.

[kobes]

I can provide my list -- it's divided into toxic when raw and toxic when processed. Digitalis especially is a problem, especially if anyone thought to preserve the seeds. The gardens at the manor were full of them.

A detective, really? You're from the standard Earth, then?

If the evidence points to them, then yes. None of my friends would want to remain free to harm people.

[a pause.]

Few of my friends would want to remain free to harm people.

[transponders]

Oh, foxglove! That's perfect.

I guess it's standard. Any place you come from must seem standard to you though, right?

A citizen detective, technically. But in some ways, that's better. You're not bound by the same rules.

Wish I could say the same.

[kobes]

There are apothecaries here, they probably have seeds or dried roots or something. We should keep an eye on that.

My world's mostly ocean. That's "standard" to me, so everyone else's homes aren't, really.

Citizen detective. Like a volunteer?

Right, the girls from the team seem [scary and brooding] intense.

[transponders]

I'm a "tender", I'm supposed to be helping everyone. I could keep an eye on the shops and note who takes too much.

Standard as far as I know, then. No superheroes or zombie apocalypse or any fantasy stuff like that.

Right! The authorities are so overworked nowadays. They can't even show up to a robbery within the hour, how are they supposed to solve actual murders? They need us.

When you've been through what we have, you have to be.

[kobes]

Ah, I see. Interesting that everyone who arrived late was given the same role, too...

I'll send you my timeline, but its not normal for people to arrive late in the month.

You're in the majority, then. What year?

I'm less familiar with authority in your world, but I know thats true for mine. Too much crime, too many places to be at once.

Of course, yes. I didn't mean to offend. It's astounding, what you survived.

[transponders]

Thanks. It'll help to have something concise.

2022.

Yeah, it was. Not to toot my own horn or anything. But we were surprised we did it, too.

[kobes]

I know I brought it with me, but it's probably buried under all the oracle nonsense. I should be able to find it before the end of the day.

Oh, I see. We have a few people after that, but the history books here only go up to 2008.

How did you escape?

[transponders]

I knew I'd be right to come to you. Good work, Koby.

You think if we can get back to the manor, we can make some investments?

Eventually we were able to get a radio signal out.

[kobes]

[the natural wariness around new people is immediately and thoroughly obliterated by the need to have approval and praise.]

Thank you. I'm pleased to have been helpful.

Investments into what?

Oh, I see. Do you remember how? We don't have one out here, but that could be useful?

[transponders]

Probably Netflix and Apple.

Natalie climbed to the top of a mountain. You want clear, open spaces, up high, so there’s nothing interrupting the signal.