Kinda hate this but I need to continue writing

The wait outside Elex's therapy room was long. The queue of Keralis, Wels, Mumbo, Stress, and an unwilling Ren were all growing impatient at Bdubs's session. Even Joe's best efforts at cheering everyone up were growing tiring.

'Does anyone want to suggest any other topics for haikus I can invent?'

'I'm sorry, luv, but we're all haikued out over here...' Stress replied. 'Ren, can't you play guitar?'

'I don't have it on me. And Doc's staking out this place to make sure I get this therapy.'

'Goodness gracious... How worried is he?!' Mumbo questioned.

'You do hate to see it...' Ren muttered. 'I know he cares about me, and I'm more stressed than usual but... it gets a bit overbearing, y'know dudes?'

'Absolutely.'

'He does have your best interests at heart, Sweet-face.' Keralis insisted. 'I've been thinking Princess should get therapy, because he's been acting off... but we're all stressed. Even Papa K is stressed, Ren. If we're all getting therapy from Evil Shashwammy.'

'He's not 'evil'.' corrected Wels. 'He keeps to himself and isn't to blame for many of the actions associated with him.'

'Where've we heard that one before...'

'It's true of Elex and it's true of Cub and Scar, Ren.' Joe quickly jumped to his friends' defence with. 'And Tango and False.'

'Cub and Scar are perfectly capable of causing chaos without being possessed. I wouldn't put anything past them, my dudes... after hearing what they did...'

'Agreed.'

'They were possessed.' Joe said. 'There's no evidence of them being possessed this time.'

'Vintage Kebab gave us plenty of evidence in that book.'

'He read one extract. If we're believing that over years of evidence then-'

'Then you think he lied?' was Mumbo's immediate conclusion.

'I'd like to believe he was just unknowingly misinformed.'

'Who else has permadeath magic except Cub and Scar, though.' Ren argued.

'Brian? Pearlie?' Mumbo's eyes widened at Keralis's words.

'What- Grian didn't do this.'

'It wasn't Grian or Pearl.' Joe agreed. Attention returned to him.

'How do you know that, dude?'

'Xisuma said so.'

'You're helping Xisuma with the investigation?' Ren frowned. Joe stepped back.

'No! I just... he trusts me enough to share information.'

'Why?'

'I don't know!'

'You don't know why he thinks you're innocent?' Ren stood, stepping closer. 'So you don't know why you're innocent?'

'Ren, luv. Calm down.' Stress took his hand.

'I know I'm innocent, but Xisuma doesn't necessarily think that. I can't judge myself for him.'

'I don't believe you. You're acting really suspicious, Joe.'

'That's your opinion. Now, let's try to calm down and make our therapy sessions even easier for Elex.'

'Agreed.' Wels was first to reply. Ren didn't stand down.

'Why is Xisuma trusting you with information, and what information is it that means Grian and Pearl are completely innocent?!'

'It's not that black and white.'

'Then what is it?'

'We need to calm down!' Wels insisted again.

'Why do you get special treatment from Xisuma?'

'I saw it by accident.'

'And he told you more?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'I don't know.' Another glance at the door through which Bdubs was hopefully finishing up his therapy session. 'I don't know why Xisuma trusted me.'

'Why shouldn't he trust you?'

'Because I saw Jevin last and no one can vouch for me. I know I'm suspicious, but Xisuma trusts me, and I trust Xisuma.'

'Or maybe you're so certain these people are innocent because you killed Jevin.' Mumbo's expression slowly shifted from concern to terror as the pieces fitted in his mind.

'Think whatever you want, I won't argue, but I didn't kill Jevin.'

'Of course you won't argue, you've got Xisuma believing all your lies!'

'I've been telling Xisuma everything that makes me suspicious! I added myself to the list of suspicious people when he didn't think I counted.'

'You helped him make the list of suspicious Hermits?'

'No, I just added myself.'

'Who else is on it?' Ren narrowed his eyes.

'That's confidential.'

'How many of us here?'

'Are Cub and Scar on it?'

'I'm not telling anything. It's confidential.'

'Or it's lies.'

'Ask Xisuma if it's true or not.'

'Has anyone seen Xisuma since the trial? Maybe Joe's bluffing because... y'know...' attention turned back to Ren as he spoke, then to Joe. The implication set in. Stress shuffled further from Joe. Wels reached for his sword. Keralis's eyes widened. Mumbo made a small, terrified noise.

'This is getting a bit extreme.' Joe searched for a friendly face. 'Seriously.'

'You killed him.'

'We can really easily prove I didn't.'

'What was the evidence he told you?'

'Confidential.'

Ren drew a sword.

'What was the evidence he told you?'

'Ask Xisuma.'

'If he's even still alive.'

'You can literally message him, Ren. And see if he responds.'

'Sweetfaces I...'

'What was the evidence he told you? How many of us are on that list of suspicious Hermits?'

'I'm not going to be bullied into giving information.'

'Ren, if he really is the murder geezer, you don't want to make him mad. He might kill you too.'

'I wouldn't kill someone there are witnesses of me getting mad at. That's stupid.'

'Are you calling Stress stupid?!' Ren immediately rose to her defence. 'Murderer.'

'No. But if you think I am then maybe you're-'

Ren clawed at Joe, sending him crashing into the wall.

'Ren, calm down this is getting out of control.' Wels grabbed Ren's sword as he raised it to strike, wrestling it out of his hand. 'Calm down!'

'He's the murderer dude!, Joe's the fucking murderer, he killed Jevin, and Xisuma, and he's getting omega special treatment for nothing!' Ren snarled back, shoving Wels.

'Me and Cleo found the clue that led to Xisuma finding this evidence. That's all.'

'How much does Cleo know?' Keralis questioned from behind the chaos.

'Just what we both saw... seriously, this shouldn't be that big a deal.'

'If it isn't, tell us what you saw!'

'Fine! Xisuma found scratches on Jevin. Which means themurderer either has claws or sharp nails... me, Keralis, Ren, you're all still suspicious! That's all.' Joe stood up. 'And clearly we're all going mad with suspicion, and we need to calm down.'

'Cub and Scar. They've got claws.'

'They couldn't be possessed then!'

'But Beef-'

'Beef's book is anti-vexling bullshit and shouldn't be believed over literally everything else the actual Vexlings on the server said. Go and fight amongst yourselves. I'm done.'

And Joe left the room, slamming the door behind.