lucky son-of-a...

Maybe the little bit of disbelief in her voice said more about Darcy than it did about anything else, really - cause she certainly wouldn't admit to a lot of things in her past, even if it was just in a simulation, while not every single person's immediate reaction would be to deny a secret. But the question was out there already, no taking it back, and really, people weren't openly coming forward left and right about what their secret was, so other people were thinking along the same line as she did to some degree at least.

And once she saw the tiny piece of tape that Chance got, her stomach dropped, annoyed at herself for insinuating that she'd lie about her own secret if it came down to it. Cause this little piece of paper in her hand... if it was about her, there was no way she would admit to it.

This was one of the worst ones, somewhere close below the one about murdering people. Then again, it could be about other people, too? It didn't have her name plastered onto it - and that was the fucking point.

Chance's words about missing the point was what shook her out of the spiral she was slowly going down and she reacted instinctively, without even really thinking about it as she looked up to him finally, "Oh, you haven't figured that one out yet? It's exactly that - to turn us against each other. To sow distrust. That's why there are different levels of secrets. Cause it's that much more easier to admit to an affair that doesn't even affect people around here or to something smaller and more embarrassing than anything. And once there's that confirmation that all the secrets are real, everyone else starts looking at each other about the shitty ones. About the ones that contain secrets where you don't want to be on the same beach with the person it's about."

Her mind was spinning, really - maybe she really shouldn't have spelled it out like that. Something she's been thinking about since she realized she wasn't the only one who got a piece of tape and especially since Selin told her what her tape said. About somebody being a murderer among them. Cause really, who cared about a little affair when a killer walked among them. But then again, if she didn't start theorizing, if she didn't solve something so clear and simple while she was holding that fucking piece of paper Chance gave her, wouldn't that make her more suspicious. Whether it was about her or not, if she just tried to bury it, he'd immediately suspect her, right.

Which also meant, after a small glance down at the tape in her hands, she glanced back at Chance, raising it up. "This is one of those people would absolutely not want to admit to and others wouldn't want to be on the same beach with. Somebody sees this and suddenly, it's that much easier to admit to an affair at work, right?"

And the big question, really - who it could be about. "God, all of these secrets really just make me feel like I am the worst at getting to know people cause I keep having no clue," Darcy chuckled, scratching her forehead. "Like, I figured out this entire beach, I should be able to figure some of them out at least, right? But nope. I have no clue and I feel bad for my first thought wondering if it's Adarsh cause the amnesia would be a really easy lie to hide basically anything." Okay, not first thought, but that she would keep to herself.

"I think it would be easier to say who I would rule out - you, for one. Nobody would actually get their own secret and if you did and this was yours, you just wouldn't show it around. Calamity is also out - there's no way to keep lying about literally everything when you have a sibling on the island and your stories would have to match. Too many chances for slipping up. Based on the same logic, probably Tej and Zaid are also out. Alex we all know really was a tv show host, so we know for a fact he is not lying about everything. And Akhila has to have an actual medical degree, otherwise somebody would have already lost a limb and we'd be in much worse of a case, so she cannot be lying about everything either. But the rest... well, most of them I'd still say that I cannot possibly imagine them either, like can you imagine somebody like, say, Lokni, lying through his teeth? Cause I really can't, but then we're back to square one on who it actually can be."

Absolutely not. Even though he's sure that the secret he recieved was not about him - in that he doesn't lie about 'everything' - he lies about enough. Fuck these people. His life isn't for them to peruse.

"...I haven't heard anything so far that might sound like it's about me. And what would be gained by hiding stuff. I don't think there's anything that I would need to keep secret that badly. Like, sure I've done some embarassing stuff... But I doubt that would bother people here. So - yeah - I'd be okay about admitting it."

LOL. Liar liar pants on fire.

He does, however take the chance to look between the little strip of paper between Darcy's slender fingers and back to her face. Those puppy-eyes quite evident blinking in wide-eyed innocence before asking very, very quietly...

"Wouldn't you?"

Oh, the implication was clear from the moment the words left Darcy's mouth. That perhaps she might not be so open and honest about her secret. Whether it be this one or something else. Which also implied that the little astronaut here might really have something worth hiding. Ditzy Darcy really did just get more interesting by the minute.

But then Darcy is pulled back by his question 'why'? Of course, he doesn't correct her or let her know that - yeah - he's already worked it out, he just lets her continue until the end, spelling out his own suspicions with her words. At least, that one thing they can agree on, the sowing of discord among the ragtag populace. Just a few little pieces of paper and everyone was squinting, judging and suspicious. It really hadn't been hard to do at all - well played Flowr. One hand raises to his mouth as though to cover a mild shock about Darcy's revelation. That the idea would never have occured - though she does add a tidbit to the theory that hadn't occured to Chance yet - mix in the mundane secrets with the spicy ones. Validate a few and the rest had to be real, right? Nice work, little astronaut.

But then she laughs, as though she's brushing it off. As though the problem of secrets is hers and her's alone to solve. Spitballing about names of people who she might rule out. And he listens as she runs through them obviously dismissing each ons of her theories... it's not like couples didn't have secrets from each other - or siblings for that matter (not Chance and Cala though. One of the things that kept them strong and solid was the shared joy in each others - darker - delights). She finally mentions Lokni, and Chance just pulls a slight face.

"I dunno. The only time we talked, he was outside of Selin's hut when I showed up. Seemed to get real mad at me for just being there and then left without even knocking. Seemed a bit... Uh.... Weird."

Which - for a change, was actually the absolute truth. Of course, Chance had rather enjoyed the attempt at posturing, rather taking advantage of Lokni's clear defensiveness over the whole situation. That had been a fun little interlude.

And while he's not outwardly accusing him of anything, Chance does like to sow those little seeds of doubt here and there. And now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

However, when Darcy asks what he thinks, Chance decides it's time for curveball number two-o.

He doesn't waste his time procrastinating over who might be the owner of said secret.

"What if... Some of the secrets... aren't secrets at all?"

"I mean, like you said, if some of them turn out to be true, then people will assume they all are. So... Maybe some people had secrets shared that they wouldn't mind admitting to... To... Y'know... Validate or something. And the rest are just bits of paper with awful things written on them - but they don't actually belong to anyone?"

"What if people aren't owning up to a secret because... Well... There isn't one about them. And the... uh... meaner ones are just there to throw more shade and rile folks up, get them all suspicious over nothing? Like... We can't prove or disprove that they are ALL real... Y'know?"

If Darcy could just coo, she'd make the perfect pigeon.

"Wow, well. Aren't you sweet?" Calamity's laugh was rushed, gurgly, as she gave Darcy's arm a squeeze. A quick motion; she was terrified of touching the other woman. "All's well that ends well, yeah?"

And when Chance appeared, she exhaled in relief to have him there. The pair of them, both long and angled and wibbly-wobbly, siblings but not. And Darcy, beaming and apologetic. It couldn't be more perfect.

"Ooooh, right the secrets! What'd you get Darcy? I got something about plagiarism at work." She grinned at Chance, sidelong, then innocently added, "Chance's was verrrrry illicit. What about yours?"

She stood pertly as Chance so naturally and easily brought up the tunnel, the door, what Darcy was needed for. Chance had assured Calamity that Darcy would be more curious than cautious, but just in case, Calamity soberly added, "I suppose if you wanted to make it up to me, I think your help would really help."

She split from her brother like an atom, bounding towards the forest and pointing down towards a slightly swampy looking area. "The cave's just down there! Takes about 5, 10 minutes of cave-trekking to reach the doorway, easy-peasy."

And then Chance showed up and of course he had to bring up the secret note. Darcy shook her head at the question, "No luck yet. Can't really start going around the island asking everyone if they are lying about their entire life. Nobody would actually be admitting to that. And based on your question, you are not closer to figuring out who it could belong to, either, right?" She might have been paranoid about Chance reading more into her reactions, but she would have been paranoid about that with anyone involved, anyone telling her about that secret. And really, no reason for Chance to suspect she had anything to do with that.

"Plagirism? There's nobody who is openly an author or journalist or anything, so it must have been something very specific field related thing, right?" she asked Calamity, adding it to the list of secrets she collected from people. "Oh, mine is about an affair at the work place, though I haven't figured out who it belongs to either." Gave a cheeky grin to the two siblings, "Neither of you were having any spicy time at work, have you?" Not that she actually thought either of them were the subject of her own secret, neither of them really seemed like the type of person who would actually consider it something that needed to be kept a secret, something that would be considered shameful, especially on this place.

The topic shifted, the two of them telling her about the door they found and then quite literally turning into puppies with their eyes as they laid out just why they wanted Darcy's help. It was amusing, really, as they tried listing all kinds of reasons as if she had to be convinced. As if she'd say no if they didn't look at her with those pleading eyes, as if they didn't ask nice enough. Calamity even brought up Darcy saying earlier that she wanted to make the splitting in half thing up to her.

She tried to keep her face expressionless just to see just how long the two would continue with their reasons, tried to not give her amusement and excitement away right away, but eventually she couldn't help the chuckle bursting out of her. "What would you guys even do if I actually said no after all of that?" Would definitely be an asshole move, but still.

"Of course I'm going to help! I want to get through any door, and if it leads to any kind of information, I want to know!" Part of her wondered just where they'd arrive to once the door was open, what kind of revelations it would bring and she just felt excited, eager to get going. "Let's go, show me the way. What kind of door did you guys find? Chance, you said something about some light coming through under the door, right? Are you guys sure there is shadow behind the door I could jump to? Anything you guys heard from behind it? Any other graffiti maybe, like on top of the Tower I saw?"

"It's like that door puzzle... y'know, the - one door leads to certain death, one is the path onward - and you have to ask 'em. Only one door always lies and one always tells the truth and you don't know which is which... Kinda. Ish. Maybe not."

Chance shrugs as though the matter of the secret is something rather matterless to him. It's not entirely materless... He honestly could give a fuck about the pissant little secrets - but the knowledge that there were juicier ones out there just made his teeth itch with curiosity. And honestly? Darcy hadn't admitted to anyone coming forward with 'her' secret (then again neither had Chance, and he doubted very much dearest Cala would be giving much away)... So she was still very much on the list of potentials for this one.

Cala is right though. Between secretly knocking boots at work with someone and plagirism... Chance did seem to get the meaty secret (cala-meaty hah!) - at least of the three they had between them.

"Yeah, I've totally copied someones homework before. So you're probably right in that it's not your run of the mill copy-pasta I'm guessing. Something professional? Do grown-up's do that stuff?"

Said in a way that Chance clearly didn't consider himself an 'actual grown-up' (he really doesn't).

At the grin from Dacry, her teasing, Chance jumps at the opportunity, stepping forward and flinging one of those long arms around Darcy's shoulders.

"When your 'workplace' is a dark room full of games consoles, the only affair you're having is with a box of tissues..."

He grins back, waving his afforementioned 'affair-partner' (aka his hand) close to Darcy's face, grinning back just as widely at his own tease. Shameless, and clearly not the subject of either of those little secrets. Really though? How wholly uninteresting would your life have to be to have either of those as a 'deep dark secret'. Pathetic.

But when Darcy practically vibrates out of her own skin at the potential of exploring a new place, Chance knows they have her. That eager excitement practically visible in the air as a whole stream of questions come tumbling out... And after the determination she'd showed trying to tackle the tower, he'd really have put money on this exact reaction.

"Awesome!"

That arm starts steering her in the direction of the tunnel, guiding the eagerness one footstep at a time, answering each question in turn and waiting for Cala to chip in. He doesn't, however, make any mention of Mr Chuckles. That odd voice that seemed like an echo - until it wasn't. The voice which guided them to one tunnel of three - which led to the door itself... And he waits for just the right moment, when Darcy is so swept up in asking for details, when her attention is clearly focussed on the discoveries as yet to unfold - when he snatches a moment to glance at Cala... Not a wink. Nothing so overt or absurd. But she will know the look... Chalk one up to the Darling siblings...

“Lucky and unlucky, it would be cool if you could manipulate the odds… I don’t know why you’d want to give anyone bad luck… but maybe it works on creatures too.” Giving the hornets some bad luck didn’t sound all that bad. Though they had no idea what would happen to them.

“OH! I saw some cards in the warehouse, we could play poker. I don’t have anything to play for though, but that would be a fun experiment, and  much bigger than coins.” To see if Chance would win every single time. Though if it was lucky and unlucky, was a game far enough? 

They nodded expressively. His thoughts too on the fifty / fifty. But it was Chance’s power, not his own.

Smiling brightly, they nodded. Chance obviously the kind of person they could look up to. Someone who believed that helping was the way to go, that tryin gto be good as well. How else were they going to survive these challenges. “Yes,” they agreed. “Together we can get through this. I want to help, I want to get my power under control so I can help more.” 

Baskar chuckled. “They’re a bit warm, and itchy,” they admitted. “I tried noise cancelling ear buds, but those did nothing… Sometimes I try to focus on like… uhm.” They made a gesture with their hands, rubbing their fingers together. “Focus on this, but that does mean I can’t really hear anyone else. I’d like the world to be at a normal volume, and then consciously turn on my ability.” 

How nice would that be? 

But they had no idea how to turn it off. 

Another of those noodle like shrugs from Chance when he's asked if he knew about his power at that time. Yes, he did, but no fucker else needed that little tidbit of info. And having acted tha part with the angry 'big-dog' he doesn't want anyone else to dissuade him of that illusion any time soon.

"Took a while... I honestly thought I was a dud, dude. Like... I couldn't shoot lazers from my eyeballs. Or turn into a wolf. Or..."

A gesture toward his current companion in the pillow fort.

"...Hear things a mile away. It's not like it was something obvious, y'know?"

And that's actually a partial truth. It wasn't obvious... Until it was. Until he could almost see those threads spinning out. Nothing physical, nothing he could see with his eyes or touch with his hands. It was a present concept within his mind, manifest as something he could manipulate.

"I found out more by accident than anything else."

Chance just shakes his head at sad-axolotls nest theory.

"Nah, I don't think I can change other people's luck. I can maybe change my own - to something useful, but changing theirs directly? I don't think that's in my wheelhouse."

Which was also frustrating. The ability to change someone elses 'luck' or manipulate their probability of success or failure would be rather useful. But so far Chance can only see probability in so far as it relates to him.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Even without this ability, you probably wouldn't beat me at poker, fam. I'm a gamer, yeah. And poker is just another game, right?"

He offers the axolotl a quick wink and a beaming grin, as though he's letting them in on some grand conspiracy.

"It's how I paid my bills back home. So... Maybe not that good of a test... No... I need to get my hands on that roulette wheel. A true game of chance..."

He does, however lean forward (noting the cards in the warehouse, he'd have to get his hands on a pack or two of those), giving sad-axolotl his full attention with a sympathetic gaze as he talks about his own - apparently constantly 'on' - ability.

"I wonder why yours is different?"

A quiet musing, (well, everything was quiet in the pillow fort right now).

"Have you tried taking off the bracelet? See if that has any effect?"

Alas, they were different games. Not games of chance, he suspected. Perhaps something else in Chance’s life that connected to such a thing. Or perhaps it wasn’t chance at all, Chance simply knew how to win his games.

Ever the doctor, Charlie noted the stretching. “Does your neck hurt after using your abilities?” he asked. The explanation was still vague enough, but of course he believed Chance blindly, what reason would anyone have to lie. “I think that already is a good way to explain it, the just knowing. More than a feeling. Perhaps it goes much further than simply guessing games. Have you used it in any other situation?” 

“I will, thank you for your concern and warning,” Charlie said, warmly. He took the bracelet back and put it on his wrist. Chance was right, better he try it out when he was on his own. He did not wish to harm anyone. Though he did not think his power would be anything harmful. Though if it was connected to his job, perhaps? He wouldn’t want to be able to stop someone’s heart on command. “Caffeine withdrawal, interesting. That doesn’t seem to be connected to your ability at all.” 

"Not unless it was a tournament, no."

Generally, Chance despised the streamers. Sure there were a few that didn't make him want to topple their precious little 'popularity-palaces', but they were few and far between. And the ones he couldn't stomach were now so far beneath his ambitions as to be unworthy of the effort. If it was too easy, then really what was the point. A trivial and trite little victory. Not exactly what Chance was about.

"Nope. But - I do find it helps to loosen up physically... Even though my ability isn't specifically physical. I mean, some of them are. One person can change their size. One person can turn into a wolf. One can teleport through space... But y'know - I think those people should be the ones to talk to you about their abilities direct. Plus... imparitality might give you a unique perspective on things. For your.... Uh... Research."

Have you used it in any other situation?

Yes. Yes he has. But for now, Chance is keeping those cards closer to his chest. He's offered quite enough to Charlie without getting much in return. And other than being a potential information gatherer and self-professed doctor (moderate but limited use so far), Chance isn't exactly sure how much it's worth investing in this guy just yet. How much fruit would that research bear? And if he did manage to glean anything from it, would he be willing to share? Or would he (like most academics) also keep those discoveries close to his chest. And with an unknown ability lingering - there's only so much he'll do to be the friendly cooperative guy... And Chance has just about reached his sharing limit...

"Uh... It's kinda hard to tell really. Like, I could tell you what hand you held your bracelet in, but those choices were wholly yours to make. I didn't influence your choice. I just understood the probabilities."

He does, however, visibly relax as Charles pops the bracelet back onto his wrist. Unstable and unknown powers weren't something to be taken lightly... Even to sate Chance's curiosity. There's a nod at the thanks, Chance raising his brow at the next question...

Ahhh... He's hearing what Chance has to say, but is he really listening.

"Nah man. It feels like caffeine withdrawal when I take the bracelet off. Piercing headache. Like someone is taking an ice pick to my sinuses. Putting it back on is immediate relief. Other people have experienced different things. Whoever made these things made sure to dissuade people from removing them sure enough."

"I've just been mad with guilt, you see," Calamity had found and cornered Darcy, coincidentally(?) close to the pathway that led to the cave. The cave, where she and Chance had discovered a huge vault door. And Darcy, the Darlings had decided, was the best candidate to open it. By some luck (? Chance?), Darcy just happened to be roving very close to the path.

Chance must be nearby! So Calamity accosted Darcy, to gauge Darcy's temperature since, well. Since their last...horrible...terrifying...adventure. And to maybe persuade Darcy to join her, yet again! See, this was why she needed Chance. It couldn't just be Calamity and Darcy alone.

Too many memories. Would Darcy even be bothered by this? Or was it all just...on Calamity's side? She felt a little antsy around Darcy now, and maybe Chance was a good buffer for both women.

"I keep thinking about what we did and...I wanted to apologize, honestly. It was all panic and instinct, me! I've had a rough life, so I react to things poorly, like. Trauma. So much trauma, and triggers! Sooooo much triggers. Not an excuse, but a reason, yeah?" Calamity blinked winsomely at Darcy, holding her hands together in breathless anticipation. "Can you forgive me?"

Movement at the corner of her eye, and Calamity gave a tremulous (and genuinely relieved) grin. "Oh! Here's my brother! Chance! You two are already good friends, yeah?"

But that was the thing - it just could have ended badly, but it didn't. And that was due to Calamity. And having that knowledge, having Calamity there, somehow made Darcy feel so much safer automatically.

(Granted, yes, she knew that it wasn't that simple and it wasn't something Calamity could do without an end, it wasn't a bottomless use, but it made the difference then and Darcy believed it could make the difference in life and death situations.)

"What? Calamity, no, please-- you don't need to apologize. I split you in half and you just didn't want that to happen all over again, I totally understand that. You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone, it's me - I should have never been so overconfident and tried to take you along, I should have known it could end up hurting you. I am the one that's sorry."

She followed Calamity's gaze shifting, glad to see that smile on the woman's face, her eyes landing on Chance. She felt so unsure around Chance since she realized what slip of secret Chance got, but for now, she just greated the other with a smile. "Yeah, good friends. Really, if it wasn't for your brother, I would probably not even be here, him saving my ass at the Tower."

"Ah! There's our little astronaut!"

A cheery greeting from his own lips as he saunters closer, his gait all noodle like and boneless. The carefree, chill of a man with no weight on his shoulders. Stepping up next to Cala, it was more than obvious that the Darlings were not biological siblings. Striking in their physical differences. But by luck or fate or... chance... They had been brought together and formed a bond - likely stronger than those made through blood - this was a bond of kindred spirit. Aligned souls.

"Any luck on your investigation into the secrets? Found out who was playing away from home yet? Or who the liar might be?"

It's a casual ask. Though with enthusiasm, as though Chance was invested in Darcy's detective work. But he's more interested in her reaction to the question than in any answer she might have forthcoming. And with not one but two sets of Darling eyes upon her, there would be very little place to hide...

"Oh... Wait, the door! Yeah, Cala found a door!"

He gives whole credit to his sister. After all, she's the one who persuaded Mr Chuckles to choose a path. She's also the one who managed to 'out' the voice as independent, rather than a simple echo. Though he doesn't mention their new 'friend' to Darcy just yet. Maybe Chuckles would be there on their return... Maybe it would be watching, waiting... Maybe it would decide to play another game... Wouldn't that be fun? He also doesn't mention that they'd somehow managed to tie the words on the tower to the tunnels to play their previous game... Given that Darcy had almost plunged to her doom from the tower, he doesn't want to dissuade her from this little adventure.

Can't have the key walking away now, can we?

"Some underground bunker type thing, I think. Weird glow coming from under the door."

"We can't get in. There's no handle or... Well. We can't get in and, well... It was just a thought - and you can totally say no if you don't feel up to it, of course... But maybe with your, uh... Shadow popping... You might be able to help us open it?"

Help us.

Saying 'no' to someone asking for help was a dick move at the best of times. And Dear Darcy. Helpful Darcy. Darcy who was definitely NOT lying about EVERYTHING (ehum)... Might just have a point to prove? A sappy puppy-eyed, pleading look then (one Cala would be overly familiar with as he'd used it on their parents on many occasions).

"Will you? Help us?"

She smiled, amused, as Chance wondered aloud what his secret might be, and wondered if that was really all he had that could have made it onto the little papers.

"I feel like if you're so willing to talk about those things, that might not be what gets onto the tape about you," she couldn't help but point out, her voice light and teasing. "But who knows, right? Like you said, it doesn't matter that much here if somebody cheated, so those might be what is written about you.

"So that means you don't know what the little things say about you?"

A raised eyebrow at Chance calling his own little tape mysterious. Darcy was just about to ask him if he was going to hold out on him for even longer when he handed over the small, little paper. It looked like the same as what she got, but the text was definitely shorter than hers.

'I am lying about everything, I'm not who I say I am. Who am I?'

Darcy read it once, the text barely registering it was so short.

She read it twice - could that be about her?

Three times, but no, that couldn't be about her. She wasn't lying, it was different. It was--

Four times but no, it was so completely different, not at all lying.

After the fifth time reading it, she looked up at Chance. "This is it? This feels-- I don't know, it can be anything. What does it even mean, lying about everything?"

Looked down and read it for the sixth time. It couldn't possibly be her, she tried to convince herself, cause really, how would anyone know (aside from the fact that all of these little pieces of paper included information that nobody could possibly know unless you saw everything in the simulation, of course, but she was pushing that fact aside in the moment) and really, her heart needed to stop beating so fucking hard out of her chest.

Then she goes on to probe a little about what may be written about Chance.

"I'm an open book. I'm sure whoever got a secret about me will be sorely disappointed. I mean, it's not like I'm a saint or anything, but I don't think a few pranks are going to hit the big time on the ticker-tape radar. If someone wants to know something about me, all they have to do is ask, y'know?"

"Nah, I dunno. No clue what it is or who got it."

Oh, but he hopes it's a meaty one. Something to cause a knot in their stomach. Something to dredge a pit of dread into their core. Something to prey on the mind and give sleepless nights... That would be fun. And even though the paper he handed Darcy would certainly be applicable to him - he doubts that it's about him. What would be the point of handing him his own secret - he knows all of those. Plus, it wouldn't be entirely accurate. He's not lying about everything. Most of what he's said is the truth... If only in part. So it'd be really dissappoining if these little snippets of revelation were imprecise or erroneous. Or just plain bullshit.

He's just waiting. Watching... As Darcy takes the paper and studies it. Actually - studies it. Not just a glance or a quick read. Fifteen words. Fifteen words didn't need that amount of focus or mental absorption. She's not studying the paper (if she had been, she'd have turned it over at least once in her hands, and she doesn't), just keeps staring at those fifteen words.

There's an itch in his teeth. A burgeoning suspicion. Nothing concrete yet... But it's only fifteen fucking words.

And when she finally manages to drag her eyes away from the paper, all of that enthusiasm about secrets and mysteries seems to have fizzled out like a firework in a thunderstorm.

Definitely an itch. She speaks and there's even hesitation there. Not the usual hundred mile an hour string of crackpot theories. This secret has her... Confused? No maybe that's not quite the word for it. But something about those fifteen little words seem to have sent the little astronaut spinning into space.

"I think it means what it says. Lying about everything."

She asks if he has any idea who it could be about.

"Nope."

Yes. Well, maybe now he has a hint. Maybe...

Again, he honestly gave a flying fuck who it was about. If it was about Darcy, it might at least make her a little more interesting. He wonders how good a liar she might be. Whether those big does eyes and skittish brain were just another mask - a cultivated charade (not unlike his own - he'd be eminently impressed if it was)... Is that something that ditzy Darcy was capable of? If it was, then what's the motivation? What's the end goal? What's the root of those lies... Is it calculated or compulsive? Deliberate or delusional?

Is she capable?

Next observation... Set the scene - observe the reaction.

"I dunno, Darcy. We might be missing the point here. Whatever these things are - why the hell were they sent? What's the purpose? Do the 'flowpowr' entities just want to piss people off and stir up shit? Seems like everyone is running around, wondering about what secret belongs to who and being morally offended by anything that doesn't conform to their world view and getting mad about it... "

He's giving her an out - something not about the secret itself, but rather a joyous little conspiracy theory that should trigger her simulation brain... He wants to see how fast she grabs onto that lifeline... How quickly does she want to move away from the content of the secret which was 'oh, so important' only moments ago.

Turn the tide. Focus back on the secret again. Which way will she turn? Which directions will she take. Quick and easy conspiracy. Or delve deeper into those fifteen words.

"...But, I suppose... With a secret like that, at some point the secret itself becomes irrelevant. The fact that you kept it does not."

The thrill of the (slightly) upper hand, yes please!

The skipping down Tunnel of Mystery had Calamity bounding, two warped scarecrows keeping easy pace with each other down a hallway that had nothing to do with cheery yellow or even scary forests. But Calamity was the farthest thing from scared, especially when they turned a corner and - bam! What looked like a vault door from a movie. Warning and everything.

"Makes you wonder what was down Scourge and the Calamity tunnel, doesn't it," Calamity said, as she squinted at the door. She let go of Chance and meandered towards it, getting her hands all over the door. A pretense of getting jolted by electricity, before she threw out a laugh. Chance, grandly quoting Gandalf behind her.

"No doorbell, no handle..." Calamity knocked on the door, but her rapping barely made a sound in the heavy thick metal. Maybe another echo? "Helloooooooo, anyone in there? Let us in!"

Still nothing, aside from a strange light that glowed from under the door. It throbbed at the sound of her voice.

Calamity spun to face Chance with a grin. "I know who can help us. We've got to come back here, with our dear new friend - Darcy! Darcy the Simulator Queen! She's - erm - she's got this - these powers, yeah. That...teleport." For a moment Calamity looked nauseated, like she might throw up. She held herself back.

"Sorry. Sorry, I'm fine, erm. As I was saying. We grab her, chuck her at a shadow on this side of the door, yeah? Make her go to...whatever's beyond this, and open up for us! We just can't touch her! Don't touch her when she does her shadow thing, please. Don't - just don't." Calamity shook her head roughly, pulling her arms up and against her. "Bad things."

He does twitch momentarily as she reaches out for the door and mocks a jolt. Poking his tongue out at her at the flash of dread and panic subsides from his gut.

"Cowbag."

He grumps. Not serious. Still to hyped with their discovery to be angry in the slightest.

"Maybe Mr Chuckles forgot the key?"

He quips, brow furrowed again in thought, though no inspiration was immediately forthcoming. The same couldn't be said for Cala however as she blurted out a name...

Darcy!

...Yes. Darcy - their 'friend'. That might just work.

"Brilliant once more, dearest."

There's a grin peeling onto his face again. It's not a nice smile. Nor a particularly friendly one. Dear Darcy, the batshit astronaut. And Calamity confirms the teleportation. So at least there was a definite power there. He suspected as much after the birds and the tower, but hadn't had been 100% sure.

He does, however, notice the quick shift in Calas demeanour. Suddenly insular and twitchy.

"Hey, hey... It's okay. No touching. I promise."

The grin is replaced by genuine concern this time. Chance reaching out and wrapping one long arm around Calas shoulders, steering her away from the door and back along the tunnel. No humming. No skipping. Just a quiet presence. He doesn't push for what's in her mind, or why he shouldn't touch. 'Bad things' is enough for him.

"C'mon. Let's go get our 'key'."

In his mother’s stories all the actors were animals, perhaps the powers were a link in such a way. And he’d simply watched too much Heroes with his kids.

They played the game of chance for a few turns, and Chance guessed correct every single time. Not even guessed, therr was some way about him as he answered that seemed more certainty than guess. But it wasn’t manipulation. 

When he shoved it into his back pocket with barely an additional move, Chance caught it too. 

He retrieved the bracelet and let out a laugh. “You’re doing more than guessing, correct? You know which hand, or pocket in the case of the last. Mon dieu, remind me to never play cards with you.” Could Chance thus be the fox character, or the monkey? Perhaps even the spider. As long as he was not against Charlie, he did not worry.

There were also the online poker tournaments, blackjack, standard gambling fayre, but they leaned too easily into Chance's power - he'd like to see what Charlie made of the generic gamer charade. That and he wonders just how many of the acronyms he just spat out might be recognisable to the other.

When the 'test' is over, Chance just rolls his neck again, loosening out those slightly taut muscles. While it didn't feel like any kind of stretch of this abilities, there was still anough focus there to feel a difference when he let loose those threads, stopped following their paths and let them stream freely once more. It wasn't the thump to his chest that he'd felt when battling the Bobs with Selin. It wasn't the incredibly unlikely shade from a flock of startled birds as it had been with Darcy. This was the small fry stuff. The tetering on the edge stuff. The low probability, low effort, basic gambit stuff.

"Yeah, more than guessing. It's not a certainty, but I think, somehow the likelihood of it being one thing or the other is something I kinda just know? I... Honestly don't know how to explain it."

He honestly does - he's just not gonna. He really does want to see what conclusions the doc comes to via his own observations. At least that way, he'd have a gauge of how accurate his 'survey' of the other powers might be. Or not.

"Aye, well. Be careful. If y'don't know what your ability is... Taking off the bracelet can cause them to become... uh... unstable. So like, if you can vapourise people with a thought, I'd rather not be a target? Maybe find out what you can do before you risk turning someone inside out by accident?"

As if to prove a point, Chance is currently scooting his chair backwards, trying to create a little space, in case of another 'Maria' blunder.

"When I take mine off, feels like I'm having a caffeine withdrawal. Headaches.... Dizzy spells..."

Baskar had never had a lot of money, but the idea of having enough to just own a house or a car had always excited them. They could’ve probably had a car if they hadn’t wasted money on useless stuff off of amazon and aliexpress. 

“Lucky! Like with that Adarsh showed up to heal you!” That made sense. Because what were the chances. “The casino on the cruise ship probably doesn’t work anymore.” And Baskar really didn’t want to go on the ship. They recalled the Las Vegas sounds from movies they’d watched suddenly, and realised their plan was bound to fail anyway if they didn’t learn how to control their power. 

They gave Chance a sympathetic smile. “Guess we do. Though I don’t mind not being able to shoot lasers,” they admitted. “Healing or super strength would’ve been nice. At least more helpful. But kindness does a lot too. And you’re kind!” they pointed out, trying to make Chance feel better.

Even though sad axolotl is obviously trying to cheer him along and be somewhat encouraging about Chance's power (not that there's any need to, Chance is more than happy with his particular lot... Keep your x-men showstoppers, the ability to manipulate and/or sway probability suited him just fine), he still points out that there's every chance he could have made it out of there unscathed (equal chance not also)...

"...And then lucky, that it happened to be the chap who could pop my guts back in and magicy away the impending doom."

Axolotl makes another stunning mental leap stating that the casino is probably non functional. No fucking shit, Sherlock. That doesn't mean that Chance can't pick up a few packs of playing cards. Maybe even extract one of the roulette wheels. While the slots and the gaming machines were likely all defunct and too big to manouvre off the cruise ship, there would still be plenty of game related pickings that didn't rely on plugs or power... Dominoes... Draughts... Maybe even a chess board. Games, games, games...

He just nods solemnly at Axolotls observation.

"You're probably right. I don't think anything on the ship was working anymore. But it might be worth a poke around. I don't really know how else to try out my power... Other than with the coins..."

...Yes he does, but fuck that noise (pun entirely intended)...

"...and I don't know how 'lucky' it is to get a fifty percent guess right."

...Yes he does. Again, fuck that noise. And it's not fifty percent. He knows that too.

And you’re kind!

Ew. He may had just thrown up into his mouth a little. Another marshmallow pits paid to the momentary taste of bile. But - that was the aim of the game after all. Chance the 'good guy', the 'nice guy', the 'kind guy'. In so far as it suited him to have these morons endeared to him at least.

"I think everyone needs a little bit of kindness right now. It's a scary place with scary shite. We can at least try to help each other, right?"

Ew ew.

Managing a soft chuckle at the rather impotent scenarios when their abilities may come in handy (mental note, axolotl can hear the laundromat from inside the pillow fort inside Chances hut... Quite clearly. He needs to go calculate that distance at some point) Chance just offers up another marshmallow.

"Enough about the coin tossing anyway. Have you thought of anything that might help - you? I mean... The earmuffs are flattering and all, but it's gotta be driving you nuts, dude?"

But she couldn't help but notice that in all of that, he never told her what his secret tape said.

And damn it, she wanted to know. Wanted to know if it was something equal to what she got or if it was something like what Selin got. If there were any more like Selin's out there.

So whether the texts were an invitation or not, she decided to take them as such and headed over to his place, leaning against the doorframe and watching him tutting about the kitchen.

"If we have bees, I really hope they are normal sized. I have had enough of giant robot insects for a lifetime," she said and then went inside, took a seat with Chance.

"The affair might not be the biggest deal, but it must be big to the person whose secret it is, right? Otherwise it wouldn't be that hard to figure out who it belongs to. But really, I just wanna know if they are real or not cause there might be wilder and worse secrets floating out there than what we got," Darcy explained as she took a little snack.

"Or whatever I got, since I don't actually know what you got," she looked at him pointedly. "Did you accidentally get your own secret and you just don't want to give it out? Or is it something you already figured out?"

It definitely doesn't matter to Chance. He gives a shiny shite who people decide to do the horizontal tango with. If they decide to betray whatever vows they made, to cross some self-defined line of morality... That's entirely their bag.

Chance just shrugs at Darcys question.

"Maybe, I dunno. I don't get why it would matter - here - if someone had done the dirty. It all just feels a bit - gossip girl - to me. Riling people up for no real reason."

There might be wilder and worse secrets.

Oh gods, he hopes so. That there aren't just pithy, trivial little pissant rumours. He has casually wondered what his secret might be... And kinda hopes it's a juicy one. It's not like there weren't a plethora to choose from. Of course, tying Chance to said secret, well - that'd be tricky. He's the nice guy...

"Not a clue what my secret could be. Maybe the time I dine and dashed when I was thirteen and realised I didn't have enough to cover my hotdog and fries and paniced. Not my finest moment. I did go back and apologise two weeks later."

"Or when I hid a two week old mackrel in the locker of Jason Jones. Typical jock arsehole. He kinda deserved it."

But as he's talking, he's rummaging in one pocket, pulling out a slightly crumpled paper. He pops it onto one knee and tries, slightly fruitlessly, to smooth it out.

"Yeah, yeah. I got one. Not mine. Sounds.... Mysterious...."

Of course - it could be Chances. As could a myriad of the others probably. Cryptic and ephemeral. However, Chance doesn't read it out loud. He just sinks slightly deeper into the couch and offers the little bit of paper to Darcy to read for herself.

...Purpose, twofold:

She'd be able to confirm whether it was the same paper, the same format, the same as the secret she'd recieved.

What the fuck. Steve had left that voice note untitled and unfinished. Who was he kidding, really? It wasn’t like Bret, or anyone for that matter, was going to be receiving any of these. Despite sprucing up the bar area, which had clearly been a thankless task, everyone was still miserable. Steve had taken it upon himself to at least see if the pit was total bullshit. Movie-magic if you will. He’d envisioned entering from stage right into a clusterfuck of props, fake bodies, and ill-advised 'blood' splatters. Stood at the rim, Steve’s nose wrinkled with poorly contained disgust at the stench. Someone? Had taken the time to cover what had been left behind with tarpaulin, but it wasn’t doing enough.

First the creepy drone graveyard, and now whatever-the-fuck-this-was. He was severely not interested in hanging around a grave––black apparel was purely an aesthetic. Not a lifestyle. Steve spun free of his fleeting morbid curiosity, except there was someone else skulking. “Hey…” Pretty boy, what you looking at, and why? “Stupid question…is this really real?” There wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to be climbing that rickety rope ladder, or peeling back plastic to find out.

Better to just ask someone–delegate.

“Here I was thinking everyone just took their initiations super seriously.” Steve made no effort to hide the way he looked him up and down. Gorgeous people, on a gorgeous beach resort, what was he supposed to think? Sun, sex and suspicion, apparently. How unethical was it to flirt near a mass grave? It kinda did give him the ick. Gaze having lingered, he caught a flicker of…obsidian? No. The bracelet contained a midnight gemstone, but it was cracked with a slither of green. He could foresee a future of wine and gemstone cataloguing with Lindi. For now, Steve refocused on green eyes, vivacious. “I’d say it’s lovely to meet you but…anyway I’m Steve, who are you?”

Peered being the key word. Trying to stay somewhat downwind - but the light breeze seemed to flit every which way, carrying light gusts of death-pong with it. What should have been a refreshing ease to the constant blue and sunny skies, was rather just a gross reminder that paradise wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

At the 'hey' Chance glances around to the other side of the pit. Another new face. New body. New potential - or possible waste of time - was apparently attempting to chat up a storm.

Face morphs from a slight depression of brow in thought, to something more easy breezy as he strolls around the edge (at sufficient distance to make sure a slip wouldn't have him up to his armpits in corpse).

"Initiation?"

A quick question, but then he's giving a bony shrug.

"Apparently on good authority - aka, we've got a couple of bona-fide doctors here now - yep. Really real. The realest of reals."

Of course, that really rather depended on whether those claiming to be medical professionals were bona-fide themselves. Anyone could claim to be pretty much anything and there really was no true proof or contradiction to those claims.

"Smells real. Real funky. The only time I've smelled anything like this was when I came across a dead sheep in the woods in the middle of summer. Looked like foxes had been chewing on it for weeks. That was... Same kinda funky."

He notices the once over, not that the other guy was hiding his obvious appraisal. At least this one didn't disappear behind furtive glances and sneaky peeks. It bothers Chance not one jot. After all, appraisal and judgement went more than one way. Though Chance's tended to be less about the physical. Always looking for that hook. The key to turning a stranger into an ally. (At least, that's what they might think... 'tool', 'pawn', 'puppet', 'stooge' - were probably more appropriate terms).

Though initial thoughts passing into the 'new-guy' mental filing box included the words - groomed, polished, bold, confident... Sounded like another septic, but with a twinge of something else. Hard to determine with those few words.

"But... We're standing next to what appears to be a mass grave after being kidnapped and dumped on an Island with a bunch of strangers?"

Chance hazards a guess at the short pause.

And once again, she'd randomly done something that pulled Chance out of his brief irritation, made him bloom with enthusiasm. Calamity screeched and clapped - she didn't really know what happened, she was just excited that her brother was excited. Leaning into his smackeroo on her forehead, she then bounced back, eager to see what new brilliant idea had sprung up in her brother's wicked-genius brain.

Brain-soup sounded about right, and she made a show of a few 'modest' curtseys for Chance. "Right, yeah! So...what'd I do. What are we doing."

Chance demonstrated, and Calamity held her breath and watched as he addressed the ominous void beyond. This time less irritated, more contrite (hilarious). Seemed the void liked that, pulled out of its sulk (Calamity assumed) with some well-placed charm from Chance.

She grinned at Chance. "Inviting a third to play our game?" And the 'third' happened to be a faceless, mystery that they couldn't discern? Why not?

(Calamity was starting to understand Chance's point, about being stranded here. Where else in the world would they be able to make a chump out of a void? Who else would ever dare try, but a Darling?)

"This sounds fun, play with us!!" she yelled after Chance made the offer to the echoing nothingness beyond. She pranced towards the entrance of each tunnel, with a flourish as if she was in a game show. "Here we've got le tunnel de la Scourge! All manner of scourgey things! And this ist die Calamity! What it says on the tin, this one! And finally, el Mystery, oooooOOooOh! Who knooooows."

She ran back to Chance, hanging off his arm and still yelling out (slightly mocking, challenging). "Go on, give us your preference! We'll tell you if you're right." She paused, then yelled: "Scourge! Calamity! Mystery! Scourge! Calamity! Mystery!"

mmmmystery.....hahaha

If a sudden chill ran down Calamity's spine - not at the response, but the subsequent laugh - she just swallowed it down and looked at Chance. "Is it right? Does it get the prize?" Meaning them, taking the right-hand Mystery tunnel. She pointed between them. "With me being able to reverse, and your brilliant luck..." She shrugged.

"What can go wrong?"

Because of course Calamity would brazenly ask that question, and think nothing of it.

--(huh.. Maybe that had something to do with Cala's ability to grab time and yank it back - maybe... but that was something for futher consideration. And given that Cala was the one who gave him his name, and now his subsequent ability, he has to wonder at the manifestation of powers... How linked they are to a person - to their core... To the very essence of their being).

As quick as she is chaotic, Cala gets it immediately, starts talking to the echo in the tunnel. Tempting them further to play the game, giving them the final decision, the choice of their onward path. After all, why not? There's nothing starkly different about each of the options ahead, not that they can see from here anyway. So why not throw that choice into the hands of 'fate'...

mmmmystery.....hahaha

Chance practically snaps himself in half with the sudden tension that thrums through his body - hands coming together once more in a resounding 'clap' as Cala ushers forth an answer from the void.

Because the laugh. THAT - is the first thing that has been uttered independently of their words. Everything else had been a hissed echo - the unreliable shouting into the tunnel bringing back echo at some points and not others could have been explained away - he supposes - by acoustics and direction and all sorts of bollocks. But that was NOT an echo.

"Got you."

This time Chances own words were barely more than a hiss. A sharp cutting whisper between himself and Calamity, glancing over to his sister with a quick wink.

"Well, I don't see why it isn't right. If you're Calamity and I'm Scourge, then maybe Mr Chuckles here is Mystery."

"Perhaps it does want to play. And who are we to decline such a lovely invitation. We're coming Chuckles. Hope you put the kettle on!"

Brow quirks and he's catching Cala's arm again, the tunnel wide enough for them to skip along side by side quite easily, Chance humming 'follow the yellow brick road'.

Chance calls out as they wind their way deeper. The 'mystery' tunnel the same smooth walled, clearly manufactured-man made... Or perhaps 'Chuckles'-made... As it had been at the junction. It doesn't look as though there are any offshoots, no connecting paths, just a slight up down left right as they go. Though the lights do thin out slightly, not so well illuminated - a shade to their progress which feels ominous. (Another trick? Something to get the more faint of heart to turn back?).

Rounding another sharp left turn, Chance pulls up short and grabs a hold of Cala's hand. The end of the tunnel. Just suddenly stopped. A wall of solid rock with a metal door and a very clear 'Authorized personnel only' sign emblazoned across the door.

"Well. We're authorised. Mr Chuckles said so. We were invited!"

Chance raises his voice slightly - after all, the accusation of 'poking where they shouldn't be' is what had triggered the rolling mass of Bobs to chase him and Selin.

The door doesn't have an apparent handle. Or lock to pick.

"The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

Chance mutters to himself faced with another puzzle.

"What do you reckon?"

He turns and looks at Cala once more. Her comment about their powers still thrumming in his mind. If they can somehow figure out how to knit them together... Open the door...

Not a care in the world. Peaceful. Even after such a stressful and dangerous encounter Selin smiled, sighing to release the pent up anxiety from her chest. "Yeah...Ok. We'll give it a minute."

Which, was honestly super helpful. Who would have thought taking a moment to breathe, look up at the bright blue sky and not panic could so effectively calm you down? Selin also felt Chance's presence was a factor in her mind slowly unwinding. He just brought that aura of not giving a fuck that Selin knew she never had in her life. He was easy breezy while she overthought everything.

"You know, I feel like Akhila isn't the type to stock playful bandaids when the normal ones work just fine." She joked in return, trying to stretch out her back and massage her shoulder muscles. She was definitely going to be sore for the next few days after this.

Selin gave Chance an appreciative smile as he handed her a piece of fabric from his shirt to wrap her wounds. She let him playfully chatter on about what kind of shots he might need, watching him with a twinkle of admiration in her eyes over how he could be so cool.

No immediate danger. No more of the monkey balls clipping at their heels... For now. He does have to wonder if there might not be another barrage at some point. Whatever was controlling them, and apparently most things on the Island, seemed to hold petty grudges. Well, fuck that. fuck it. Fuck them... Whatever. The whole episode had only made Chance even more determined to dig deeper. The more it threw at them, the more exposed it became, the more they might find out.

He waits while Selin fusses, until she finally seems to calm. Takes a beat. A breath and....

...there it is...

You saved my life

Yes he fuckin' did. That's two for two. Zaid and now Selin. Notching up the 'good deeds'. Because that's exactly the outcome he wanted. All it had cost was a bite and a few scratches, but now - in Selin's eyes, he'd cemented a vision of Chance the nice guy, Chance, the guy who saved my life... Perfect.

Patting Selin's hand gently, all of the mental triumph is buried under that bright, breezy exterior.

"Hey, we made it. That's what counts. All appendages attached."

Another of those beaming grins and he's pushing up to his feet. Purposefully saying 'we'. Not claiming any credit. Not basking in her gratitude, sinply holding out a hand to help her to her feet.

"C'mon. Lets go see if we can't find some more interesting bandaids on the way. If only to see Akhila make 'the face'."

Chance clearly had some lingering feelings about his own power, despite it having manifested around day ⅘. 

Charlie had always liked House, it was often very inaccurate and played up for dramatics, but he had liked the side of it where people were discussing symptoms and trying to come up with solutions.

Chance had no idea how eager Charlie was to grasp the opportunity to do a survey, a study. To find out answers. It would give him a better understanding of the people, and also help him figure out who fitted the roles his mother always spoke about in her stories.

“That isn’t such a bad idea. Especially as a newcomer, I suppose most needed vocations have already been taken.” Though he figured he could help at the medicentre. 

“A coin toss,” Charlie repeated. “Probability. But you can’t manipulate it… more than take the correct guess.” He smiled, took the bracelet - yet another of the island’s mysteries - off of his wrist and took it in his hand, then held both hands behind his back and nodded at Chance. “Just coins?” He asked.

Give a little, get a little... Usually people enoyed a little altruism to their connections. Or at least, what they liked to presume was altruism.

Oooh, but here's Charlie, asking all the RIGHT questions.

If he managed to keep this up with the rest of the islanders, probing about their abilities, he may be less of a plank and of potential use after all. His demeanour and non challenging manner would likely have most of the chumps on side. And his professed profession would also probably encourage a certain level of trust from most too... Suddenly Charles here was positively glimmering with possibilities.

Because yep - he sure as hell can manipulate it. And Charles here is the only one who's managed to dig that far now. And more... A test. Chance watches as the bracelet is removed and disappears behind his back. Chance, for his part, nods, understanding, then rolls his head, loosening out the muscles in his neck, gives those bony shoulders a shrug, shaking his arms out.

"Left."

It's not a guess. As he focusses on the little white plastic item, those threads almost seem to appear, the strongest one looping around and over Charles' left shoulder. Of course, to Charlie, it might just seem like a good guess...

Follow the threads...

"Right."

Spinning out - possibility and potential, not just simple probability. All of those things combined to give one outcome or another. Finer threads now, not quite as certain... But still there to pull on... To observe. Seeing those outcomes, maybe before Charles had even made a conscious choice in his actions. But the point is... He would make them.

"Left. Left..."

A pause, and a grin.

"....Then you tuck it into the back of your pants."

"Hn. Remember we tried to make up a language once? So we could chat without mum and dad knowing. Drove them mad to hear us, but they loved how creative we were." Calamity laughed at the memory. "Talk about positive reinforcement, that."

Cala was of the same thought; a problem for another day. Baskar had mentioned though: "Reckon I could imitate the sound of white noise...shhhh. Shhhhhshuhshhhh." Satisfied with herself, Calamity let it go for now.

Because the coin game was much more fun, if a little dizzying. Chance wanted one more go at it after the results changed, but first -

First.

A rant, apparently, towards the all-seeing void. Calamity rocked back on her heels and watched in proud amusement - that's my brother! You tell that nameless omniscient presence what's what! - as Chance went as far as to accuse the whatever of being boring. "Ouch..." Calamity said under her breath, chuckling slightly. It was fun and funny, to see Chance so aggravated. Not that he was funny, but his fearlessness to chastise their gatekeepers. Chance himself was something else, though. Interesting, maybe? No, that was too cold and analytical, and Calamity would never analyse Chance.

But it wasn't often that Chance got genuinely annoyed by something that he couldn't put an immediate and decisive end to. Chance was king of the anonymous; he could out-troll anyone. Engendering Elmo-fire levels of aggravation and then skipping away from the resulting chaos was just another walk in the park, for him. Calamity was pretty sure that 'broke the internet' was a term coined for Chance Darling.

She'd never seen him break though. She'd seen him bite into a particularly juicy challenge with a determination to fuck everyone over - and he either he did; or he knew when to cut his losses and ditch. Either/or, so long as he came out the winner.

This instance wasn't about Chance breaking, either. This was Chance being slightly inconvenienced. But did he come out the winner?

The ensuing silence, seemed to indicate he did.

"To be fair," Calamity said, because she loved playing devil's advocate (what a silly term it was, so of course she enjoyed embodying it). She pointed laxly towards the three tunnels. "To be fair, we are here. A mysterious lit hallway, split into three mysterious choices - one, two, three, Scourge, Calamity, Mystery - and we've been ignoring it to play some coin tricks." She grinned, all sweet and saline. "Maybe your mysterious big boring friends don't like being ignored when it's handed us a big clue, miladdio. Oopsie."

She pranced forward again though, coin at the ready. "Right - what's our next mutanty powers experiment? Still with the coin, or something else?"

"What did we call it? Oggalosh, Oobmalosh - - Oogmilish? I remember there were either a lot of vowels... Or none at all. Lots of vowels for words we liked. No vowels for words we didn't... I can remember trying to pronounce 'bath and beddtime' and almost dislocating my jaw. Xyxt un Cxhxztym... Something like that?"

Their parents. The opposite of helicopter parents. Not quite hippy free spirits. Still practical enough. And wealthy enough to indulge their two 'special chosen children' with almost everything their hearts desired. Encouraging everything unique, every trait, every idea. Not once were they told not to dream, not to explore, not to reach...

...Which is probably why Chance is so frustrated with the Island. So many things to discover, but always a consequence. There was no celebration of achievement. No cheers of accomplishment. Just a smack on the nose with a rolled up newspaper like a naughty pet. He hated that.

Chance just stands there in silence for a moment. He's still trying to figure out how their mojo could work in simpatico to make the most out of these new abilities, when Calamity clangs a giant fucking gong in his ears.

He claps his hands together, grabs her by the shoulders with a beaming grin on his face and plants a kiss on her forehead with a loud 'MWAH'!

Pay attention Chance. He's there digging through the details, while Cala - as ever - is the one to bring the bigger picture to his attention. Which makes sense. Chance's world was most often a darkened room in front of a computer screen (with Miss Piggy busy doing her snakey piggy things nearby) a place of quiet and solitude where he could easily focus on the detail - the minutae.

While Cala... Cala was the one -- o u t t h e r e -- dipping her toe in every pond. Moving and exploring in the real world. Being the face, the voice, the hand of the Darlings. She was the noise to his silence. The gregarious to his solitude. The world view to his tiny corner.

Of course Cala sees - THIS. Chance is looking at a single coin, while Cala is stealing the fucking Hope diamond.

"You have a beautiful, magical, sparkling soup in that noggin' of yours."

"Excuse me again."

Turning back to the tunnel;

"Okay, maybe that was a smidge... Harsh. BUT if you'd like to chat, as I said, feel free to join in."

Joininnnn.

Well chatty was back. But it was still only repeating.

"Why don't we see if our friend out there has a preference?"

He gives Cala a nudge. She was the one with the vision, it's only fair that she was the one to ask the question.

"Which tunnel should we take? Scourge, Calamity or Mystery?"

Apparently 'echo' was listening and seemed - possibly to understand. None of Chances latter words were repeated. Only a poised silence, awaiting it's next prompt.