Chapter 2: Planting Seeds.
"Hey, how's it going?" Petra asks Jesse as she returns.
"Did you learn who the killer is?" Ivor asks, urgently.
"Ooh, I found something better than that." Jesse grins.
"Better?" Lukas raises an eyebrow "what is it?"
"It looks like Stampy and Stacy have a little somethin' go'in on..." Jesse sneers.
"OOH." Petra's interested, her eyes widen and her smile stretches, she knows exactly what that means.
"Oh no..." Ivor rolls his eyes "here we go again..."
"Huh?" Lukas is confused by this "what do you mean? what's going again with us?"
"You will see soon enough." Ivor promises.
"Are they hot?" Petra inquires.
"They're fucking hot up the ass." Jesse assures.
"Gooooood." Petra nods "are they resistant, or cooperative?"
"Ugh, well..." Jesse starts, "they seem pretty adverse to the idea, but did tell me they'd consider it, so..." Jesse tilts her hand side to side as if weighing their chances, "about half and half, not too bad, not great, but we probably won't get too much trouble out of them."
"Is there one that you have... particular interest in?" Petra questions, taking this very seriously.
"Stampy, if I could get only one, I'd choose him in a heartbeat." Jesse informs.
"I'll remember that." Petra nods determinedly "we'll go for two, but if push comes to shove we'll seize what we can get."
"Agreed." Jesse concurs.
"Excuse me for interrupting, ladies." Ivor interjects "but I'm curious: is finding the killer even a priority anymore?"
"Nope." Petra shakes her head, "we'll get around to them eventually, no matter who it is, right, Jesse?"
"Of course." Jesse insists, "besides, the longer we wait, the fewer suspects there'll be."
"Just as I thought..." Ivor accepts it, unimpressed "thank you for clarifying."
"I'm still confused." Lukas expresses.
"Wait, and all will be revealed." Ivor reminds him.
"Do you have a plan?" Petra asks her sister.
"Not yet, but I'm working on one." Jesse assures, "just wait, we'll get what we want, one way or the other."
"In the meantime, I'd advise speaking with our other victims." Ivor suggests "you never know what useful information might just... slip."
"Of course, you guys sit tight, I'll get more out of them and be back to tell you everything soon enough." Jesse nods, "see you then."
"Tch-tch!" Petra winks.
Jesse reassess her options.
1. Lizzie and Dan, who are still talking.
2. Cassie, sitting with her cat.
3. Captain Sparklez, who is asleep.
I could wake up the captain. Jesse thinks, chuckling.
After a moment of consideration, though, she decided to start lurking towards Dan and Lizzie, seeing if she could pick up on any consequential details of their conversation.
"And then it was just GONE, I know somebody had to have stolen it." Jesse hears Dan.
"Well, it wasn't ME if that's what you're thinking!" Lizzie responds.
"I know it wasn't you, it couldn't have been because you were doing a livestream at the time." Dan responds "I think it was Stampy, I'm asking you to work with me to get it back from him."
"...what's in it for me?" Lizzie questions.
"Next time Stampy steals something from you, I'll help get it back." Dan offers.
"Cheap." Lizzie snarks.
"OH-MY-GOD!" Jesse finally interrupts, suddenly leaning in between the two master YouTubers "are you two, like, a thing?"
"Whoa!" Dan's taken aback and almost falls out of his chair in surprise.
"Jesse!?" Lizzie gasps "were you spying on us!?"
"What? no!" Jesse plays dumb, "I just saw the two of you talking, then I came running because I realized how cute you are together!"
"Cute!?" Dan repeats "I-I'm not CUTE, I'm sexy!"
Meanwhile, Stampy and Stacy notice what's going on, they tense up, staring at the scene. Cassie also takes interest, as does Jesse's gang, and Captain Sparklez wakes up with a snort.
"You two are a thing!?" Cassie asks Lizzie.
"What!?" Lizzie reacts, turning her gaze between Jesse and Cassie "no! we're not! we're just friends, right, Dan?"
"I'm SEXY...!" Dan stresses, then turns to Lizzie "...oh, yeah, just friends."
"See?" Lizzie tells Jesse "we're not a thing."
"Well, you know what?" Jesse leans in closer, pushing to Lizzie's side, "you should be."
Lizzie's mindfucked, she stares at Jesse, her mouth slightly agape and her eyebrows twisted. She couldn't believe that this stranger had the nerve to stick her nose into Lizzie's love life, and INSTRUCT HER on how 'it should be'.
"We should!?" Dan repeats in surprise, sharing an equally perplexed glance with Lizzie "why!?"
"Just look at each other!" Jesse insists, "don't you want to be a thing?"
"I...!" Dan pauses to look at Lizzie, thinking about it "...I never really did, no."
"Same here." Lizzie agrees "I'm not interested in Dan."
"Oh, well thanks." Dan takes offense.
"UGH!" Lizzie facepalms "what I mean is that I'm not interested in a relationship right now, no offense to anyone."
"Well, same here." Dan folds his arms and looks away from Lizzie, bitter "I'm not interested in a relationship with you either, Lizzie, I already get all the ladies, what do I need you for? 'no offense'."
"What do you need me for!?" Lizzie gapes "how about getting back, YOUR ENCHANTED FLINT AND STEAL!?"
Stampy's eyes widen.
"Lizzie!" Dan freaks "I trusted you!"
"Enchanted flint and steal!?" Captain Sparklez reacts "you found it, Dan!?"
"SHUT UP!" Dan snaps at the Captain before turning back to Lizzie "how could you do this to me!?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Lizzie's not actually sorry "maybe you should get your groupies to fix it, they're the only girls you need, right?"
"Urrrgh, Lizzie!" Dan stresses "that was just to get you back for what you said about me! I didn't mean it, and it CERTAINLY doesn't justify betraying my secrets! it was never supposed to go that far!"
"I said NO, OFFENSE." Lizzie reminds him "you're the one who decided to 'get me back' anyway! it's your fault we've gone that far."
"NOOO!" Dan protests "nothing I said was anything close to harmful! it was just banter, you took things to a whole other level, one that actually hurts!"
"Nothing close to harmful!? PAH!" Lizzie scoffs "you said you didn't need me for anything!"
"I...!" Dan pauses "wait... did that hurt you?"
Everybody looks at Lizzie.
"...I mean, it wasn't pleasant to hear." Lizzie admits.
"Were YOU hurt, Dan?" Jesse asks, grinning "when she said that she wasn't interested in sexy, sexy you?"
Everybody looks at Dan.
"Well..." Dan thinks about it "...it, uh, wasn't nice to hear."
"It hurt you." Jesse nods "and you hurt her, so, clearly you two care strongly about what the other thinks of you, which means...!"
"They are so into each other." Petra finishes with a nod.
"Are not!" Dan and Lizzie both snap simultaneously.
"They even speak in unison." Jesse observes.
"Even I, the world's greatest, most brilliant scientist..." Ivor boasts "...am overwhelmed by the complex chemistry between these two... individuals."
Dan and Lizzie both huff in frustration and annoyance, turning away from Jesse's gang and looking down at their hands on the table. They were now embarrassed, regretful, angry, and of course, overwhelmingly, unbearably, sad.
They wished they had never come to this mansion.