[Prologue, Saturday: Hikage]

[doublecrows]

[hi Hikage!! this evening Akechi can be found making post-trial coffee in the kitchen, if you happen to stumble across him in the process of same]

Oh, Hikage-san. Good evening.

Care for a drink?

Comments

[doublecrows]

[the entire castle is into Akeichi's business THE ENTIRE CASTLE SHOULD BE INTO STEPHIKAE'S TOO]

[Hikage's assertion gets a slow blink from Akechi]

Why do you think there are titles working against us?

[psychedelica]

[ isn't stephikage what naruto wants to be ]

It's just a hypothesis... But the titles are divided into heroes, civilians, and villains. There were a bunch of things that showed up last week just to confuse us, too, like that armor. It would make sense if the heroes were trying to help us survive and the villains were trying to make us fail, wouldn't it? Especially if one side is Tiger's and one side is Dragon's.

[doublecrows]

[I DON'T KNOW I NEVER WATCHED NARUTO. . .]

I think that's a bit too simplistic.

[wow, blunt]

Villains are just as much a part of a story as heroes. If narratives are their theme, then I think it's less about heroes helping and villains hindering, and more about everyone achieving the end of a personal story arc.

That's what our objectives are for. Or, at least, doesn't it seem that way?

[psychedelica]

[ COME ON AL!!!!!

the bluntness doesn't bother Hikage in the least, because he's the same way most of the time. In fact, it seems like it makes him take Akechi more seriously. He raises an eyebrow. ]

Is that what your objective seems like?

[doublecrows]

[I'M NOT A NARUTO PERSON!!]

My objective isn't something that would benefit the whole of the group, yes. But it wouldn't harm them, either. It's something more. . . personal, and individualistic.

[psychedelica]

Then yours isn't like mine at all. [ a beat. He stares at Akechi. ] Are you one of the villains?

[doublecrows]

No.

[he shakes his head in response to that question]

I am a hero. Are you?

[psychedelica]

[ he shakes his head, too. ]

No. I'm a civilian. One of the princes.

[ he takes a sip of his coffee. look at him, actually sharing information. ]

[doublecrows]

[oh. he looks surprised, before he nods]

Cinderella's prince, or Snow White's prince. Curious.

[psychedelica]

I'll leave which one to your imagination. I don't know who the other one is, anyway.

[doublecrows]

[he nods]

Would sharing your objective give your title away?

[psychedelica]

Probably not, but I'm not going to tell you what it is when you haven't told me anything. You can only get information if you give some up, remember?