[ streusel goes to bump his head against lucretia while the rest of them mull over how terrible this situation is. he lets out a breath and nods. ]
We are not compelled to act. Ultimately, if people decide to look away, or to vote for us to be executed—that is their choice.
[ he doesn't sound resentful about it, though his thoughts are more morose. otome, i'm so sorry. ]
...However, you do not need to join us for this process, if you would rather turn away. We want to arm you with this knowledge, but making these choices and fulfilling these duties are something none of us would foist on anyone.
[wow excuse me manwol's not nearly as depressed as everyone else here, she just does look admittedly tense though because it IS a bad situation.
this is their kindness, she thinks, but she already has a feeling that Lucretia won't turn away. it's almost to whatever climax the voice and this place has prepared for them.]
...We've already decided who to kill this week, and Luxanna and Dimitri have decided to go.
[she glances at Ichiro, then at Lucretia. she said she wouldn't reveal them, and manwol trusts that, but she thinks too... they'll just accept it, won't they?]
[ ichiro just kind of Looks at lux while she's talking, brows knitted together, but is pretty much forcing himself to be no thoughts head empty. he opens his mouth to say something and then shuts it, focusing his attention on lucretia, instead. the thought she cuts off from makes his expression soften just a teeny bit, a little fond, and it works nicely as a distraction.
he nods along with the others after, though. ] Manwol-san and I are staying behind. [ and sort of gestures at his general state of being at the moment which is still pretty injured. ]
...I wasn't here for it last week, but I was here for the decision yesterday. [ so, i'm just as implicit, and will be from now on. ]
--no, if you're willingly sharing this, then of course I'm not going to turn away from it. You've been given a pretty difficult load to bear, here, and... I know none of you are exactly aware of my own history, but I'm not a stranger to making difficult decisions. Ones people shouldn't ever have to make.
[the thoughts at that are-- it's complicated. they probably catch how many were lost because of those decisions, in there.]
I'll help however you need me to. But-- are you able to tell me who?
[ lux was politely not looking at ichiro because they already had this argument, but none of them really changed their stance on it, so. it's tense.
but at lucretia's question, she glances around the room. she doesn't know who lucretia is and is not close to, so she doesn't want to be the one to say. ]
[unlike the others, Manwol almost immediately speaks up. She fixes her gaze on Lucretia,]
It's Sakyou.
[she doesn't add anything else to it. not he was our best choice, or he was the most fitting option. she doesn't say anything because the telling hurts her all over again, and how much worse would it be for the rest -- for Lucretia, who's in his dorm?
there's just an absence of thought from here, maybe a flicker of an image of Sakyou smiling openly at her, and then it's gone.]
[ ichiro's mouth pulls into a tight, miserable line. he looks at lucretia, and looks away, as all of that jittering finally stops, and his expression shifts into some mix between angry and sad. sakyou is his friend, one of his favorite people here, but - aren't they all, now? is there a single loss that doesn't hurt? how cruel, that they get to bring lucretia here, and this is the first thing he has to say.]
I'm sorry, Lucretia-san.
[ ...
and that's really all his thoughts reflect, too. i'm so sorry. ]
she's struck silent more or less immediately, just. looking down at her hands. manwol's image doesn't help, and there's something of an echo, of sakyou outside, a whisper of his voice asking how do you know who to trust?
it's followed by all the trust he's given me, and--
....fuck. she just puts her face in her hands. she's quiet for several long moments, and her voice is equally soft as she speaks.]
...I can-- try to get him his other sword. Before this happens. He hasn't obtained it himself, but if he's going to fight any of you, it shouldn't be with...
anyway. ichiro's quiet, too - he also can't even look at lucretia, and anger flickers across his face. god, he fucking hates this place, so much. ]
... We're going to get them all back. [ there's a fierce, angry determination to this, as his good hand curls into a fist. ] We're gonna put an end to this shit once and for all, soon.
No, I-- I'll do what I can. If it's him, then I especially can't just... turn away from all of this, knowing what's going to happen.
[even if it's kind of killing her, a little, thinking about it. but she's always been pretty good at covering up her feelings. a few deep breaths, and she straightens, looking-- more or less okay, if tired.]
Just tell me what I can do for you. I'll help.
[she doesn't quite bring herself to ask aloud, but her thoughts do it for her: who else was it?]
The only thing any of us can do is... Be careful of what we say to others while everyone figures out the bigger picture. And try our sincere best to solve any other murder that occurs.
[ But if they're possessed it's no different from another sacrifice... ]
...Yes. The greatest help we can receive is to solve the real puzzle of this world and end things once and for all. Based on all that we've heard, this place is likely to lash out against us soon. We are nearly there. [ we have to be. ]
[stop. please stop being emo in your brackets, even if Manwol is obviously not having a good time either.]
Considering the last few weeks, someone else will definitely be killed. [...] And if it's anything like Tsuyukusa and whoever killed Sieghart, then they'll probably be compelled too.
[ he exchanges a brief look in lucretia's direction at that. ]
... mm. We don't know anything about that, besides what everyone already knows. [ the compelled killers, anyway. ] ...we really don't know much about anything at all besides this.
[yeah, ichiro gets a brief glance back, a tiny nod.]
...solving the other murder was already my plan, if I could differentiate them, and now I can. I've talked this out with someone else, and-- we're not going to have an alternative option. We just aren't. If anyone tries to volunteer, they're going to be stopped, unless we have absolutely no other choice... and even then, it isn't going to go over well. It's going to be a fight and an argument over whether enough people can accept that outcome, or whether they can convince others to accept it. It's going to drive us further apart when we just can't afford it.
That leaves two options: you, who are performing a necessary if unpleasant role, and... those who are influenced into it. Of the two-- please understand that I don't like this either, I truly don't, but our best option is finding the compelled murderer and voting for them. It's our best hope of maintaining cohesiveness, over catching someone who's been involved with this longer and caused more potential hurt feelings.
I know you don't intend to try to stop anyone from choosing you, but I want you to bear all of that in mind and just... try to be as careful as you can. We'll focus on the other case, and I'll try to defuse any others who are angered by his death so they don't chase you too relentlessly.
The only reason I say that it is better for me to be caught than the alternative is because I am the only one of us that most people already seem to know of. I agree that we are better off not decreasing our numbers if we can help it.
[ it's not like she's wanted to hurl herself in front of people's votes - she just figures with how obvious it already is that she's doing these things... if it has to be one of them, it should be her.
but if it doesn't have to be one of them at all, that's better. not good, or comforting. but probably better. ]
[ he looks torn about the turn this conversation takes. he's not going to run from or towards death, but talk of prioritizing doesn't sit right with him, no matter how right the logic behind it all is, no matter how little malice any of them mean by it. so he just stays quiet, turning his gaze elsewhere for the time being. ]
[Manwol, in turn, looks relieved. This is exactly the kind of logic she'd tried to think and express herself, but failed because she can't talk that eloquently about it.]
I agree. I'm planning on following Luxanna and Dimitri on Thursday too, to help cover up the scene.
[it feels bad to admit, but she's not about to budge]
Or at least try to make it less obvious.
[spoilers: manwol will not be able to do this because she's actually a big weenie]
[ lucretia is saying a lot of the things he did, in a burst of frustration too - he hated it, then, and still hates it now, but the logic of it does make sense.
... and they can't just keep dying, this close to the end, so. he's quiet on his end, too, glancing at manwol, a little surprised? he missed that because she was whispering... he really did get put in hetero baby jail this week no murder crimes allowed.
after a moment's pause. ]
...I'll try to focus on solving the other murder, if there's another one. And.. I can make sure to go investigate locations, too.
...Just a little bit longer. That's what Hugo said.
[dimitri just gets a sympathetic look, when he's quiet like that.]
...this is all that we can do. In the absence of being able to ensure no one dies, we just-- we have to do what we can.
But I can help Ichiro with that, as well. Tell us what you can about where we may need to go, and I'm sure we can manage something.
And-- I know you've planned for this week already, but depending on how long this drags on, I... well, you've seen what I can do, I've used my barrier on both Caleb and Otome before.
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We are not compelled to act. Ultimately, if people decide to look away, or to vote for us to be executed—that is their choice.
[ he doesn't sound resentful about it, though his thoughts are more morose. otome, i'm so sorry. ]
...However, you do not need to join us for this process, if you would rather turn away. We want to arm you with this knowledge, but making these choices and fulfilling these duties are something none of us would foist on anyone.
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this is their kindness, she thinks, but she already has a feeling that Lucretia won't turn away. it's almost to whatever climax the voice and this place has prepared for them.]
...We've already decided who to kill this week, and Luxanna and Dimitri have decided to go.
[she glances at Ichiro, then at Lucretia. she said she wouldn't reveal them, and manwol trusts that, but she thinks too... they'll just accept it, won't they?]
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he nods along with the others after, though. ] Manwol-san and I are staying behind. [ and sort of gestures at his general state of being at the moment which is still pretty injured. ]
...I wasn't here for it last week, but I was here for the decision yesterday. [ so, i'm just as implicit, and will be from now on. ]
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[the thoughts at that are-- it's complicated. they probably catch how many were lost because of those decisions, in there.]
I'll help however you need me to. But-- are you able to tell me who?
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but at lucretia's question, she glances around the room. she doesn't know who lucretia is and is not close to, so she doesn't want to be the one to say. ]
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but he's left silent for a moment, too. ]
I do not think telling you would be an issue, but... [ are you certain you want to know? ]
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It's Sakyou.
[she doesn't add anything else to it. not he was our best choice, or he was the most fitting option. she doesn't say anything because the telling hurts her all over again, and how much worse would it be for the rest -- for Lucretia, who's in his dorm?
there's just an absence of thought from here, maybe a flicker of an image of Sakyou smiling openly at her, and then it's gone.]
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I'm sorry, Lucretia-san.
[ ...
and that's really all his thoughts reflect, too. i'm so sorry. ]
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[oh, boy. that's--
she's struck silent more or less immediately, just. looking down at her hands. manwol's image doesn't help, and there's something of an echo, of sakyou outside, a whisper of his voice asking how do you know who to trust?
it's followed by all the trust he's given me, and--
....fuck. she just puts her face in her hands. she's quiet for several long moments, and her voice is equally soft as she speaks.]
...I can-- try to get him his other sword. Before this happens. He hasn't obtained it himself, but if he's going to fight any of you, it shouldn't be with...
I'll see what I can do.
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Thank you. And... I'm sorry. Truly.
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[ his voice comes out hoarse and quiet. ]
If you cannot, it's—we will be all right. [ she shouldn't have to be a part of this when she didn't even help make the choice. ]
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Manwol turns her gaze away, gritting her teeth.]
...The bracelet should help even if he does.
[but she knows what lucretia means]
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anyway. ichiro's quiet, too - he also can't even look at lucretia, and anger flickers across his face. god, he fucking hates this place, so much. ]
... We're going to get them all back. [ there's a fierce, angry determination to this, as his good hand curls into a fist. ] We're gonna put an end to this shit once and for all, soon.
[ we have to.
i'm so sorry. ]
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[even if it's kind of killing her, a little, thinking about it. but she's always been pretty good at covering up her feelings. a few deep breaths, and she straightens, looking-- more or less okay, if tired.]
Just tell me what I can do for you. I'll help.
[she doesn't quite bring herself to ask aloud, but her thoughts do it for her: who else was it?]
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[ But if they're possessed it's no different from another sacrifice... ]
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...Yes. The greatest help we can receive is to solve the real puzzle of this world and end things once and for all. Based on all that we've heard, this place is likely to lash out against us soon. We are nearly there. [ we have to be. ]
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Considering the last few weeks, someone else will definitely be killed. [...] And if it's anything like Tsuyukusa and whoever killed Sieghart, then they'll probably be compelled too.
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... mm. We don't know anything about that, besides what everyone already knows. [ the compelled killers, anyway. ] ...we really don't know much about anything at all besides this.
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...solving the other murder was already my plan, if I could differentiate them, and now I can. I've talked this out with someone else, and-- we're not going to have an alternative option. We just aren't. If anyone tries to volunteer, they're going to be stopped, unless we have absolutely no other choice... and even then, it isn't going to go over well. It's going to be a fight and an argument over whether enough people can accept that outcome, or whether they can convince others to accept it. It's going to drive us further apart when we just can't afford it.
That leaves two options: you, who are performing a necessary if unpleasant role, and... those who are influenced into it. Of the two-- please understand that I don't like this either, I truly don't, but our best option is finding the compelled murderer and voting for them. It's our best hope of maintaining cohesiveness, over catching someone who's been involved with this longer and caused more potential hurt feelings.
I know you don't intend to try to stop anyone from choosing you, but I want you to bear all of that in mind and just... try to be as careful as you can. We'll focus on the other case, and I'll try to defuse any others who are angered by his death so they don't chase you too relentlessly.
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The only reason I say that it is better for me to be caught than the alternative is because I am the only one of us that most people already seem to know of. I agree that we are better off not decreasing our numbers if we can help it.
[ it's not like she's wanted to hurl herself in front of people's votes - she just figures with how obvious it already is that she's doing these things... if it has to be one of them, it should be her.
but if it doesn't have to be one of them at all, that's better. not good, or comforting. but probably better. ]
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I agree. I'm planning on following Luxanna and Dimitri on Thursday too, to help cover up the scene.
[it feels bad to admit, but she's not about to budge]
Or at least try to make it less obvious.
[spoilers: manwol will not be able to do this because she's actually a big weenie]
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... and they can't just keep dying, this close to the end, so. he's quiet on his end, too, glancing at manwol, a little surprised? he missed that because she was whispering... he really did get put in hetero baby jail this week no murder crimes allowed.
after a moment's pause. ]
...I'll try to focus on solving the other murder, if there's another one. And.. I can make sure to go investigate locations, too.
...Just a little bit longer. That's what Hugo said.
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...this is all that we can do. In the absence of being able to ensure no one dies, we just-- we have to do what we can.
But I can help Ichiro with that, as well. Tell us what you can about where we may need to go, and I'm sure we can manage something.
And-- I know you've planned for this week already, but depending on how long this drags on, I... well, you've seen what I can do, I've used my barrier on both Caleb and Otome before.
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I appreciate your willingness to assist us in a terrible thing. I'm grateful - and sorry to burden you with it.
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closes eyes bc i lost this notif
it be like that
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