{ EVENT } The Train That Couldn't Stop - Main Dining Cabin

[Lucifer Force]

Kasumi shifted backwards in her chair. She had one more chance. Just one more chance before she was targeted by the attacker, and one more vision. She missed one in her list - very quiet, she was, named Andrugora. The monster was so quiet and in her haste, Kasumi seemed to have missed her. So she had a 20% chance to have a vision that showed her the truth, or at least, name someone else innocent. Mentally tallying the numbers, instead of four left, there were five: Andrugora, Kashi, Kentarou, Lumidee and Nukpana. Kasumi wasn't positive, but Nukpana looked innocent. Still, she couldn't risk assuming anything until after her next vision.

"I thank you, all of you, for allowing me one more chance. At least you know I am next either way. Andrugora, you've been very quiet. So quiet in fact, that I missed you in my list of remaining. I am not sure who yet to meditate on but... either way, I'm out of the running after this."

Kasumi walked to a chair by the wall of the train and sat, watching. Who would be next? She had to think on this strategically. "Oliver," and she turned to the pirate swabby, "Vic, you are both innocent. I need to find out who the attacker is, and quickly. If I prove another innocent, then at least that increases your odds. Still, I am not sure yet who to meditate on..." Kasumi shook her head and looked at the hands in her lap.

"If either of you have suggestions, let me know. Since Petra is no longer here, we will have to try again..."  

[Artymus]

((I work all day, hence why Andrugora is so quiet. XD; And she's starting to think it's Kentarou again...he IS a werewolf after all.))

Andrugora looked up in surprise when Kasumi said her name. "I'm....sorry? I don't mean to be quiet. Usually I'm not. But the nights events have been very...shocking", she told her. Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, she looked over the remaining passengers. Andrugora was going to go back to her gut instinct and assume the attacker was Kentarou.

Looking back up at Kasumi she cleared her throat. "What about Kentarou? You say Oliver and Vic are innocent, but I think Kentarou has tried a bit too hard to come off as innocent", Andrugora told her sitting up straighter.  

[x_Nata_x]

((Psh, that's ok, we understand completely xD You've been 'louder' than some anyway <3))

Ok, now that one was actually hard to watch. For some reason Nuk felt a pang of sympathy as Perlie fell, mere moments after they'd switched the votes. It just seemed cruel, to snatch away her 'victory' after essentially saving herself from their accusations. She'd even smiled. And while he wasn't the warmest or nicest person ever... ok, so he was a giant a*****e, but that didn't mean he couldn't still sympathize sometimes.

The real question though was -- why hadn't they bumped Kasumi? She was the smartest one to get rid of, silence her before she had the potential to sound the alarm. There was only two reasons he could think of that they (they being the attacker,) wouldn't: a) that the berserker hadn't been paying very close attention, and therefore hadn't realized she'd revealed herself (although with that dramatic chair-standing announcement, it was hard to wrap his brain around that one) or b) that Kasumi herself was the berserker, and could obviously not get rid of herself. It raised little red flags, and Nuk wasn't stupid enough to think Kasumi was the saint of the situation just yet. He was pretty sure Vic felt the same -- the ghost pirate just didn't seem like a likely candidate to let her guard down.

The trouble was, when did they finally turn their suspicions back on the monster girl?

Shaking his head a little as if to clear away some unwanted thoughts, Nuk scowled a bit, unfolding his arms to rest his chin on his palm, still leaning up against that same chair. "Check her," he finally said out of nowhere, looking over at Kasumi and nudging his head in Lumidee's direction, "She's been talking, and I'd rather bump a quiet one." He had no idea WHICH quiet one yet, but he'd think of something. Hopefully.  

[Lucifer Force]

(( Kasumi is making up for the fact that her player can't count. >_> Maybe Kasumi should go to the Academy for math too! XD No worries at all, Arty! ))

Kasumi sat quietly in her chair, watching everything. She obviously couldn't do math and missed someone, but regardless, she could prove someone innocent or guilty with this last vision. She knew for sure she had to be a goner next, providing everyone with another try, essentially, since her fate was sealed at this point anyway. She looked about the cabin and listened as Nukpana suggested the time-slip as the last candidate for a vision. Kasumi nodded her head in agreement.

"Very well. No offense meant to you, Lumidee but... we'll find out soon where your allegiances lie. In the meantime, I'd suggest keeping an eye on each other. If anything, I'm the next to go. I just hope I'm correct."

Kasumi took a deep breath and relaxed, waiting for her next vision.  

[Arrien]

While everyone else was focus on making important life-and-death choices, Vic was distracted by a project of her own.

"But it ain't me own sword!" The ghost was positioned close to Ghaun, her voice insistent. "Y' can't take th' Captain's sword! Do ye know what th' Captain does to the blokes what steal from him?!" In case the host wasn't getting the point, Vic drew a sharp finger over her neck, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in mimicry of Ghaun's impending doom. Not to mention, hers when the Captain found out....  

[Discordancy]

Lumidee glanced worriedly at Oliver, who had yet to say anything. At least he was really innocent - or so he was if Kasumi was telling the truth. She was still watching him when Perlie fell, causing the phantom to spin toward her with wide eyes. A hand went to the back of her head as sympathy pain shot through her skull. "But we just..." Lumi bit her lip. Just stopped accusing her, were the words she lost. That was just cruel.

But it made sense. "It wasn't you." The phantom breathed, looking up at Kasumi. Her stance shifted a little, agitated. "It makes sense that it wasn't. All this time...the ones hurting us have tried to distract us, you know? When we all pointed fingers at Haku, Haku was framed for Ahikiko getting hurt. Salali got hurt to prove to us that the lights didn't need to be off. Faint was hurt just we thought that maybe it was over." She breathed, and it trembled. "And now, just when you might be the one person who can help us find the berserker, they spare you...in order to discredit you. To make us waste time taking care of you ourselves." It was probably the most Lumidee had spoken since she'd gotten on the train, but she really did believe every word.

But all the same, her face paled (more than usual) when the monster girl said that she'd be meditating on her. "No!" Lumidee gasped. Her face turned sad once again, dreading the result she knew would come. "If you only have one more chance, don't waste it on me! I know I'm innocent!" But of course, practically, no one else did. Why was she so quick to take the skin-walker's advice, anyway? He was suspect too!  

[Shia bean]

((Oliver is at the point where his decision is easily swayed...he has his doubts about Nuk still. ))

It had taken him a whiile to settle down, especially when the skin-walker made his disgruntled remark...but finally the monster turned to face Lumidee. Those blue eyes pinched some in a pleasant grin, thankful for her efforts to ease him, especially in such a frenzied state as he had apparently been in. Oliver was about to thank the ghost when Perlie hit the ground...at which point his jaw slacked in surprise.

Again. Again. He also wondered where Petra had gone...or what she had even looked like. Hmm.

And when the focus fell on Lumidee, the boy became antsy. He felt...comforted by the girl, and if she turned out to be a berserker well--it would be his own fault. It would be sad, but his own fault. Glancing over to her curiously, waiting to see what would happen next, Oliver sighed. He too wondered why the lot were so eager to side with Nuk and Vic.  

[x_Nata_x]

((Kentarou's just as good as the next guy, in Nuk's opinion.))

Kashi's statement brought a quirk of an eyebrow from the skinwalker, gold eyes staring with mild intrigue at the fox. It wasn't very often people gave him the benefit of the doubt, but surprisingly, this guy was. Not only that, he was describing him as a decent guy! That never happened. Laughing a bit, he gave Kashi a toothy smirk in response. "Don't get me wrong, I like fighting as much as the next guy, and I have no problem starting one. Maybe a little more than the next guy. But it's the fight I like," he replied with a noncommittal shrug, "If I'm gonna inspire fear, I'd much prefer to do it where everyone's lookin."

If Kashi's comments had made him feel lighthearted, however, Lumidee's immediately wiped the grin off his face, his expression contorting back to the frown it had been not moments before. "Why are you so upset about being read then, if you're not guilty? At least we'll be sure, and you won't have to worry about being accused," he scoffed, jerking his thumb over at Kasumi, "She's using her last chance on you, to wipe you of guilt. Would you rather I accuse you, because I can do that."

Lucifer, he was actually beginning to develope a connection with these guys. Or worse, a conscience. Kasumi's speech had made that feeling come back that he'd had when Perlie had seemed so horrified to be accused... guilt? Regret? Whatever it was, it was coiling in the pit of his stomach again, listening to the monster thank them for giving her one more chance. Her last chance. Hells bells, that was pathetic. There was nothing they could do about it, either. Absolutely nothing, except catch the guy. If the next person they accused was the berserker, maybe they'd be able to save her.

Uch, he'd never thought he'd think those words. It kind of disgusted him. He was suppose to be a bully, after all.

As if looking for an excuse not to think about Kasumi's fate, (and his own grinchy heart growing three sizes that day?) Nuk's attention snapped towards Vic and the host as the sounds of their squabble reached his ears -- apparently, the train personnel had taken her sword. Pushing away from the chair, he stalked over to where the two were face to face, Vic seeming rather annoyed about the situation. Which he didn't blame her, at this point. The host had been started to wear on his nerves too. Standing just behind the witch, the skinwalker scowled at Ghaun, growling. "Oh for Jack's sake, give her back her bloody sword -- the thing's not even dangerous! And we have more important things to worry about."  

[Discordancy]

( Lumidee accuses Nukpana. )

Even though Kashiyoru was the one she heard, the one Lumidee addressed first was Nukpana. Her head shot up, turning toward where he now stood with an irritable tilt. "I don't feel guilty, because I haven't done anything. I'm upset because we could be using Kasumi's last meditation to find the berserker...and we're not." Because you said so! She wanted to scream at him, and how weird was that? Maybe the skin-walker was the berserker all the time, just trying (and succeeding, for some reason she couldn't understand) to save face.

And as for Kashi... The look she turned on him was hard, and a bit reproachful - and more than a little hurt, no matter how much it flickered. When she turned away from him, she left it at that. She had a feeling the fox had a thing against girls, and the prejudice was going to make her more upset than she already was.

In fact, Lumidee's reactions in general were quickly slipping out of the realm of fear, and into that of anger. She had no fondness for bullies, the kind of people that preyed on the weak: the kind of monsters that Vic and Nukpana seemed to be. Maybe Vic was innocent, but Lumi winced inside to realize that she didn't trust the garrulous ghost. She didn't trust either of them.

To Oliver, though, Lumi smiled reassuringly. It caused her a whole different kind of pain to see the angst when he looked at her. "It's still okay." She murmured softly, wishing she could say anything to the monster to assure him of her innocence. But she couldn't - not until Kasumi had her say.  

[x_Nata_x]

Well this was an interesting development.

"Woman, you're throwing a hissy fit over being scanned," Nuk started slowly, a curious look crossing his features as he stared at the Time-slip, turning his body away from Vic and Ghaun to address the suddenly vicious girl, "Does that seem suspicious to anyone else? We're not accusing you, sweetheart, and yet you're acting as if that's exactly what we're doing. Maybe in your the end result would be the same?" Quirking an eyebrow, the skinwalker tilted his head a bit to the side, the corner of his lips starting to curl in a mirthless smirk. They'd caught her. They'd got to of. It didn't make any damn sense for her to be making the fuss that she was over something that, yes, might be useless, but was completely harmless to her. They weren't accusing her -- the worst thing that could happen would be they find out the berserker. Which, naturally, would make her upset.

He was feeling very smug at this point, although part of it might have been the fact that he was still, at his core, a bully, and Lumidee was making it far too easy to rile her up. Flopping down in a chair once more, Nuk gave a nonchalant shrug, hooking his elbows over the back of the chair. "Go ahead and accuse me, if it'll make you feel better. You seem to think your accusations should worry me or something -- I can assure you babycakes, don't bother me at all. But even if you all accuse me and I end up going to the accused cabin, scan her Dracula," It seemed Kasumi had picked up a new nickname. Perhaps Nuk just wasn't good with names. "What do you have to lose? If I'm the berserker, won't matter anyway. If neither of us is, you'll still be down two suspects."

Despite his amused smirk, Nuk's eyes held to Lumidee's form, suspicious as all get out.  

[Lucifer Force]

Kasumi finally stood and took her last bow, having her vision and finding the truth behind the ghost. "She's white - innocent. That leaves four: Andrugora, Kashi, Kentarou and you, Nukpana. I tried my best - I really did. I wish you all the best of luck."

The monsteress sat back down and awaited her fate.  

[Discordancy]

Lumidee actually stared at Nuk for a second. Just stared, that was it; trying to figure out if that skull sitting on top of his pelt was somehow digging into his brain. That had to be it. There was no other way for the monster to not be getting it by now.

The phantom pressed her lips together and sat now, her dress spanning her crossed legs on the floor in front of Oliver. Her eyes didn't leave the skinwalker's as she spoke. "Bear with me, now. Just for a second, because clearly you aren't hearing me." She lifted one finger.

"We have one woman. A seer, if you will." Lumi blushed a bit, hoping Kasumi didn't mind the moniker. "One woman who, just by thinking, can tell who is and who is not the person we're trying to catch. Follow?

"Now, this seer has a limited amount of time left. Time enough for one more think. Think about if she...I dunno, tested Vic again. It'd be pointless, since we know Vic isn't the bad guy. I'm upset - try to follow me - because I know I haven't hurt anyone. I know I'm innocent." Her hands fell into her lap.

"And knowing this, I also know that no matter what, we're going to waste out last chance to catch the berserker easily. Because singling out the innocents is slow going, compared to catching the baddie in one shot."

But even as she said it, she was shaking her head, knowing full well it would make no difference to the offensive skin-walker. She could even feel his eyes on her; a bit of the old fear crawled over her back at the realization. She couldn't even stand up to people like him here, in the most dire situation she could imagine, Lumidee thought in a sort of fury - and hoped her hair hid the way her lip trembled as she did.

And no sooner had she than Kasumi spoke. Lumi showed no relief, no smile. If anything, she wilted a little. "I told you so," the phantom managed to whisper. It felt a little like they'd just wasted the three wishes of their own personal genie.  

[x_Nata_x]

Nuk's face visibly fell at Kasumi's words, the smirk immediately wiped from his face. For a second he looked between Kasumi and Lumidee, as if he must have heard wrong, and looking between them might reveal some sort of truth. Because that couldn't be possible. No offense to the girl -- good for her, in fact -- but... he had been so sure. SO sure.

The skinwalker gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well I'm glad you're innocent, but see my side of it, will ya? No one ELSE knew you were innocent. Say you WERE the berserker, telling us you're innocent makes it true? Don't be so jacking stupid. If I told you I wasn't the berserker, would you believe me? I doubt it." A pause. "And you were so LOUD about it."

He was more upset than he'd been the entire trip, and it showed in every move he made, his muscles coiled tightly like a jack-in-the-box. He'd thought they'd caught the attacker. He had honestly believed with everything he'd had that she'd been the one, and this whole thing would be over. But she wasn't. She was innocent, and that left four of them. Three, not including himself, but it was pointless claiming innocent. He knew that -- he hadn't believed Lumidee, why should anyone believe him? Looking away from the group, he bit his lip with a canine tooth again, masking his disappointment with a foul attitude.

"Accuse me if you want, I'm casting my vote for Kentarou."  

[Arrien]

((Vic is forming ranks and also accusing Kentarou.))

At some point, it seemed, the pirate must have given up her sword for (temporarily - it had better be temporarily) lost. Enough to sigh when she heard that Kasumi had failed to scry the right person; enough to grimace on seeing her compatriot coming under suspicion.

"I'd see Kentarou off long before Nuk," Vic sniffed. If everyone was taking Nuk to be so bloody suspicious, then they ought to have spoken up sooner about it - the sea-bound spirit wasn't going to turn coat without damned good reason!

That settled, Vic wandered over to one of the tables. Specifically, she wandered to one of the tables that no one was sitting at, and which kept some distance from the rest of the dwindling group. It was time to find a new napkin and start writing again - but this time, instead of a message meant to explain some near-immediate action, it was a notably grimmer task. After a couple scrawls that had been hidden by her hunched form (at the expense of some droplets of water obscuring a few letters on the paper), Vic folded up the napkin neatly, and wrote on the outside:

IN CASE OF MISFORTUNE.

(Though really, it was more like "In cAsE oF miS-FoRcHune" - with the droplets of water, even more like "In c*sE o* miS-F*Rch*ne" - but that's all besides the point, right?)

This folded napkin, she placed neatly on the table. Vic addressed the group briefly - "I don't wants to see any o'ye goin' near this if I ain't flat on the ground, aye? Any o'ye." What threat she was backing this demand up with was unclear, given that her sword wasn't in her hand - but it was a simple enough request in any case, wasn't it?