[nope] - day 20, Shuichi

[afailedmurder]

[Once they get back to Akechi's room, his flirtatious mood completely disappears.]

This is bad. If no one is speaking up, that means they're not even pretending like it matters who killed whom anymore. There may a conspiracy in place even as we speak.

But I think we can salvage this. I have a plan.

Comments

[truthstranger]

No... it seems like Kaiba's plan didn't go over well. McGonagall was upset at being manipulated, and two of the other culprits weren't happy about the suggestion to vote for an innocent party.

[afailedmurder]

So it was just a matter of getting the votes...

All right, I understand that. I was essentially trying to do the same thing.

[truthstranger]

...What were you trying to do, exactly...?

[afailedmurder]

Control the vote. I wanted ensure that the killers couldn't band together and take out one of us.

[truthstranger]

Ah, I also wanted that, but... it seems like the danger of that was actually pretty low, in the end.

I also wanted to avoid this being decided by lies and people's snap judgments about who was most deserving of death. So, for that reason, I wanted to reveal the full truth, and make a proposal that people could follow objectively. Though, I'm not sure I really accomplished that, ultimately... even aside from the fact that the vote went another way.

[afailedmurder]

They still might have. But you undermined them brilliantly, breaking them down one by one. In comparison, my method was crude; I'd simply have coaxed one of them over to our side and rigged the vote in secret.

...But you're the one who did what a detective should and followed your justice. You don't owe yourself or anyone else any more than that.

[truthstranger]

I don't think what I did was all that brilliant. I really just asked them to confess. But... I am satisfied that I managed to reveal everything, at least.

...Are you... doing alright?

[afailedmurder]

You shouldn't sell yourself short. Anybody can ask, but you actually got them to confess.

[and at the question, he remembers to smile]

I'm fine. I wish I'd been a little more useful, but in the end we're both safe. That's the only thing that matters.

[truthstranger]

Ah... that's certainly important, but it's not the only thing that matters.

[afailedmurder]

You stuck to your principles, I kept my promises, and soon this will all be over. What else could possibly matter?

[truthstranger]

Lots of other things matter. But especially our feelings about all this. You wanted to work with Kaiba, right? I'm sorry.

[afailedmurder]

[goddamn it why do you notice everything]

There wasn't any good reason for me to want that. He and I were trying to get each other killed only three days ago.

[truthstranger]

[you weren't being subtle about that babe]

That doesn't mean you can't want that. That's... the sort of thing that happens in this game. I tried to get him killed before too, and I really didn't want to do it this time. I like him, and I think he really needs friends to support him. If you two are getting along now, I think that's good...

[afailedmurder]

I doubt we're getting along now. Besides, with any luck this will all be over tomorrow and we're never going to see each other again. It's not really worth the effort.

[truthstranger]

Of course it’s worth the effort. Would you really be satisfied leaving things like this?

[afailedmurder]

He'd only laugh at me if I tried. You can't show weakness in front of someone like that.

[truthstranger]

Mm, I don’t think so. I think it would be important to him. And even if I’m wrong... if this is all over tomorrow and you never see him again, what does it matter if he thinks you’re weak?

If you don’t try, you’ll never know.

[afailedmurder]

[EXTREMELY DUBIOUS, but if this is what Shuichi wants him to do]

...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try.

[truthstranger]

It's not your fault I called him out, anyway. You can be honest with him.

[afailedmurder]

No, but I made my own decision. Getting along with him wasn't worth standing in the way of your justice.

[truthstranger]

...It's not... about justice.

[sigh]

...Everyone has to make hard decisions in this game. He decided you were Erika's murderer and tried to get you killed. One decision doesn't mean things can't change later. And it doesn't mean you didn't still want to be his friend even so. I did, too.

[afailedmurder]

Your truth. Whatever you want to call it. I respect that it's still important to you.

[but all this talk about hard decisions brings up a question that's been lurking in the back of his mind for awhile now]

...What would you have done if I'd ended up as one of the killers?

[truthstranger]

...I... believed you wouldn't kill anyone.

[afailedmurder]

I decided that I wouldn't, but it's something I'm capable of. Circumstances may change in the future as well. You shouldn't take it for granted that I won't kill anyone.

[truthstranger]

I'm not taking it for granted at all. I believed it because of what we talked about.