doublecrows | [Week 5, Tuesday: Hikage]

[ Akechi may find it harder than expected to pin Hikage down; he's been spending less time wandering around the halls and more time holed up in his room. Still, he doesn't spend all his time there. In the evening, he'll be able to find him in the library. ]

Akechi. [ he's sure there's a reason behind this visit. the two of them don't have the sort of relationship that encourages them to speak outside of business. ] ... It was a waste of time, but I'm still here.

[Hikage is right; this meeting is all business. an exchange of information between allies. nothing more, nothing less. in return for Hikage's protection (which seems less necessary, as the weeks go by, what the fuck other Narrators), he said he'd provide him with information]

[he's here to make good on his side of that deal]

As am I.

[WEIRDLY ENOUGH]

You've been. . . scarce.

[ it certainly does. in fact, Hikage assumed the deal was mostly off the table the moment he got his gun back - a symbolic act of his withdrawing his protection once the danger was over. Now that Akechi can summon Loki, something like a handgun is even more superfluous. ]

I have a lot to think about.

[ he's remembering things, and the more he remembers, the more "Hikage" he becomes. ]

You've been changing.

[something he noticed in their last conversation, the moment Hikage retracted what he said about it being too late for the both of them]

. . . are you pleased with the path your narrative is taking now?

[ it's a good question - one that he himself isn't sure how to answer at first. Is he? He's felt himself leaving behind a lot of things that he took for granted - things he thought would make him happy, things he thought he would always care about. Suffering. Despair. The kaleidoscope. He'd thought himself far beyond hoping for anything anymore.

But he saw her smile, and suddenly, he feels hope again. ]

... Yeah. I am. [ will it be a happy end or a tragic one? he doesn't know. either way, he's clinging to that sliver of hope. ] Are you?

Yes. I am.

[he reiterates that notion, and this time, it doesn't have to be a lie]

I'm still alive. I'm still capable of writing out the rest of my narrative. And when I return home. . . I intend to do just that.

[but of course, that's his focus. his mission. his story. not the other characters who have entered it, for better or for worse, along the way]

You're going to leave him behind?

[ it's none of his business - not in the least. Even so, he finds himself asking. He knows himself; he knows that he would cling terribly to anyone that still gave him the time of day, once everything was out in the open. Then again, he had nothing left to lose but what he's found here. Akechi might be different. Akechi is alive; he has more than Eichi, probably. ]

[ah]

[. . .]

I'm not here to make friends.

[. . . even though he can't deny that somehow, somewhere in the process, he did. he's made connections with people who know his true face. he's collected a group of individuals who call him "friend," despite knowing what he's capable of. he has a partner who has pledged to him loyalty and. . . something more. . . and yet--]

We will all have lives to return to when this is over.

[it's all temporary, isn't it? and, perhaps, in the end? that's for the best. having those sorts of connections would just distract him from what he really needs to do, anyway]

[ his wording there makes Hikage's eyes narrow into thin slits, irritated, perhaps envious, and the temptation to lash out rises quickly like bile in his throat, but he doesn't. He should have left his frustration and denial about his current state of being in the distant past. ]

... So you actually have a life you want to return to.

[ what he wouldn't give to have his witch eye back, to peer into Akechi's heart and steal his secrets to use against him - but for now, he can't. He'll merely have to stew in his surprise. No one with a happy life wears a mask like that. ]

This doesn't matter. [ a beat. ] I have a new objective.

[there's something akin to relief resting on Akechi's shoulders when Hikage changes the subject. even after all of this time, connecting with people is. . . terrifying]

Oh?

[his curiosity isn't faked]

What is it?

[ yeah, hikage can relate. ]

I need to push someone out of the tower.

[ dead serious. he continues: ]

I'd rather not kill someone over it. [ he's not confident in his ability to hide a body... ] Your partner's ability is super strength, isn't it?

[he immediately bristles, gaze narrowing]

Yes. It is. What of it?

Don't give me that look. I'm not going to do it without asking him.

[ he probably should have couched that comment in gentler terms before he brought Eichi up. Oh well!! ]

If there's anyone you know who could survive a fall like that, tell me.

[HISSSS HISSSSSSSSSSS]

. . . of course. Eichi having super strength doesn't mean he'd survive that fall, so I'd rather you choose someone else.

I'll compile a list of candidates and get back to you on this.

[ calm down he won't hurt your boyfriend. ]

There are a few other ways of getting around it, so don't feel limited.

[ for example, having someone or something at the bottom to catch them, having someone at the top to pull them back, announcing his intentions/objective in public and finding a willing candidate... but he'll save that for last in order to avoid probing questions. ]

Leaving that aside... I assume you didn't just come here to ask me about my week.

[he'd better!!]

[Akechi does relax when the subject gets changed, though]

. . . yes. I wished to speak with you about the results of last trial. My assistance in helping Miss Cardia complete one of her objectives allowed me to get an answer to the question, "to how many people did Tiger-san provide with the knife?"

Her answer was three.

... So two Blotters, and a third party that had nothing to do with it.

[ interesting. He also wonders what Cardia's objective was - but he doubts Akechi will part with that information. ]

Maybe that was Hijikata's killer.

Not necessarily.

[it may be true, but Akechi is hesitant to jump to conclusions]

Three people received the knife. Tiger-san would not confirm whether they used it to kill someone or not for me. But even if they had, don't you find it curious that she said there were only two culprits?

It seems like a discrepancy, doesn't it?

[ he folds his arms, brow furrowing in thought. ]

Not necessarily. In this context, isn't a culprit "someone who killed on this Thursday night?" Otherwise, she'd always include you as a culprit, too.

No. That's not the definition.

The answer she gives to that question is "the number of individuals who would be considered guilty that week."

This, notably, does not include individuals who killed that week but would otherwise not be considered guilty.

Edited 2018-07-14 05:13 (UTC)

I thought only the Blotters were considered guilty parties. Even if they didn't actually kill anyone, they were still culprits... That's what they said.

That may be so.

But then that raises the question: can someone who isn't a Blotter kill without being considered "guilty?" I, of course, asked Tiger-san this very question.

[he smiles, expression perfectly pleasant, but somehow mirroring that of a cat who happily caught his mouse]

She said that it was not outside the realm of possibility that a Narrator would not be considered guilty, regardless of the role they played in another Narrator's death.

[a beat]

In other words, certain Narrators may commit a murder, but Tiger-san and Dragon-san would not consider them guilty at the following trial. I suspect this privilege is related to a certain title.

And I believe that title is called "Editor."

Edited 2018-07-15 02:46 (UTC)

... You have some far-fetched "beliefs."

[ aka "this is information you've gathered, not a guess." Maybe he's not such a terrible detective, after all. ]

What makes you think all that?

Deductive reasoning.

[maybe, sometimes, he's a good detective!!]

I shared this information with one other person, who provided me with the word "Editor." They've received the name of the title, but hadn't received the duties associated with same.

But in the publishing field, editors exist to strike out unnecessary characters and plot lines, do they not?

It does make sense in the context of this stupid metaphor.

[ you win this round, Akechi. ]

If we knew what made someone "unnecessary," it would be helpful.

It certainly would be.

[aha]

At any rate, I suspect an "Editor" was responsible for the deaths of Strider, Toshizo, and perhaps Monika. There are, after all, two of them.

[ he nods. he'd suspected there was an independent party responsible for at least the first two murders rather than a Blotter; this would be a tidy answer to that suspicion. ]

I don't know who they are.

[Akechi is quiet for a moment, just watching Hikage with a curious, even expression]

. . . the magnifying glass was fairly clever. As was the shoe print and the letter that claimed my innocence.

They weren't helpful at all in solving the murders, but they caused quite a bit of chaos. Were you satisfied with this?

Edited 2018-07-15 04:22 (UTC)

[ oh, he doesn't like this question at all... because he realizes the instinctive answer that comes from his heart is "no." No, they didn't. When he looks back on those things, he doesn't feel anything but frustration. ]

... What does it matter to you? [ a beat. ] I fulfilled my objective. I'm not obligated to do anything to help you all.

You fulfilled it, and received another one, I presume. That does seem to be how this works.

[as someone who completed his first objective, Akechi's been sitting on a new one for a while now. but that is neither here nor there]

Regardless. . . I don't particularly mind if you help out at trials or not. I have no interest in catching murderers. All I care about is the completion of objectives.

[aha]

. . . but your title gives you the ability to throw off the flow of a trial in order to protect yourself, should you be a culprit. Doesn't it?

[oh]

That's right.

[ Akechi already knows that; he doesn't care about confirming it. He does give him a neutral gaze for his troubles, however. Hikage is sure he's being suspected of being one of the Editors right now. ]

I'd be an idiot not to use all my resources, Akechi.

[:)!]

[Akechi watches Hikage's reaction carefully, with a surprisingly keen eye. there's tension in the air-- something thick like butter, something easily cut through with a hot knife-- before it just. . . melts away]

You're right. You would be. And I can admire your resourcefulness.

[a small shrug]

At any rate, I don't care. Even if I may not necessarily need your protection any longer, you are still one of my allies.

... I know what you're thinking. Sorry, but you're wrong.

[ his word is probably worth next to nothing - Akechi also already knows that Hikage is a liar. Still, he might as well say it. ]

As usual, you're a lousy detective.

[HEY!1 rude!]

[Akechi frowns, a scowl on his features]

It's easy to deny that which is true. I've done that myself before, as you've seen first hand.

I don't expect you to believe me. But like you said, we're allies, so I may as well tell you the truth.

[ a beat. ]

But I'll throw you a bone for your efforts. You're not wrong to think I have a second role.

[-- ah]

[there's a pause, and an arched brow. Akechi gives no verbal reply, like he's waiting for Hikage to continue]

[ he clicks his tongue. greedy akechi... ]

That's all you're getting. You're a detective, so you figure the rest out.

[greedy Akechi wants to know!1]

. . . you aren't a Historian.

[he says that matter of factly]

And you claim to not be an Editor.

Vizier, then.

You're still wrong.

[ he smiles, faintly. ]

No one's mentioned my role yet.

[I KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW!!]

[but Akechi would not, unfortunately. so he just scowls again, gaze narrowing]

Then, if I correctly guess it, will you tell me?

Fine. When that time comes, you'll tell me what the Vizier is in return.

[ his role is useless, anyway... he may as well get information in exchange for sharing it. ]

Very well. So long as you tell me what your role entails in return.

[QUID PRO QUO!!]

We'll speak again later this week.

[Week 5, Tuesday: Hikage]

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don't make me SAD, AKECHI!!!

AKECHI IS FINE!!!!

[narrator voice] akechi was not fine

punts narrator

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