spinatalltale | [WEEK 4, FRIDAY POST-INVESTIGATION: Akira]

[if anything, Magilou is very much aware of what it's like to be kept in the dark. it's taken her four weeks to get the smallest bits of information she has now, and she holds onto it like a precious jewel stolen by a thief. it, at least, make her feel a little less helpless]

Based on what I told you. . .

What do you think the rest of us should do about the remaining Sirens?

[she has her own answer to this, actually. but she wants to hear his]

...I don't know.

[that's a pretty solid non-answer.]

If what the Sirens say is true, they're doing the best they can for us. [...] But they're still murdering people in brutal ways, and too slowly. If they need to outnumber us, shouldn't they be carrying out more to thin the numbers before they die?

[...] They're already down by two. That leaves three of them, assuming we didn't lose any last night.

[. . .]

[a breath. a small bit of honesty, that she wouldn't give to anyone else but him, because she knows how it sounds and she knows it would make anyone else extremely suspicious of her motives. hell, it'll probably make Akira suspicious of her too, but after yesterday she just--]

[she can't keep it to herself]

I want to believe in them.

[despite the murders, despite the brutality.]

I want to believe they are the only ones who can tear this game down from the inside out. Regardless of the cruelty they're forced to commit as per this game's rules.

[her honesty is... honestly really important. and it doesn't make him suspicious, because he knows this isn't something she would admit to him if she didn't trust in him.]

I know it's the game's rules. And I know they don't have a choice. Even if I hate it, I... believe in the fact that not playing by the rules would be more dangerous for them, and all of us in turn.

[that's not what gets him, beyond his fundamental opposition to murdering people for sport.]

But... I can't understand why they'd only kill one at a time and make it more risky for themselves and the rest of us. [...] It makes me feel like there's something missing that we don't know yet.

Perhaps they're trying to figure out a way to end this farce with as few casualties as possible. Look for a win condition beyond the one they were given.

Make their own rules, instead of blindly following the Chiefs'.

[it's yet another shot in the dark, but they're good at those these days]

Maybe.

[he's still not sure, and it's still really frustrating.]

With the way they are, it seems like it'd be hard to even find a loophole. Anytime we try to exploit one, they've already got a consequence for it.

The volcano spirit Battler mentioned

[there's a point to this]

The Chiefs are strict and prepared to retaliate every time we buck against the system.

But we know nothing about this supposed spirit, do we? The one who supposedly will erupt the volcano if no one kills in one week.

[he shakes his head.]

Battler was the first I heard of that, and really... the last. [does anyone even know about it or how they can exploit it?]

[. . .]

[a very conflicted look suddenly crosses her expression.]

-- well, anyway! It's something to keep in mind, hmmm?

[and it's gone in an instant]

[...]

What was that about?

[yeah, he caught that look, so what the fuck magilou?]

[guh]

. . . haven't you ever found yourself in a situation where you'd like to say more, but you can't?

[. . .]

Sigh! And usually I'm way more loose-lipped with information than this.

[she says in a purposefully nonchalant way]

...

[yeah, that's not helping.]

Is that all, then?

[his tone is definitely a little chillier at that. sorry, magilou, but he's so exhausted with secret keeping and her holding things back from him right now isn't a great feeling?]

[oh--]

[. . . ah. . .]

[. . . no. isn't this where it was always going to lead? everything else be damned. in the end, she is still herself. someone distant, someone untrustworthy, someone very much undeserving of the kindness he's shown her]

[. . .]

[she rocks back on one foot. her tone is quiet, her words careful. every inch of her demeanor is closed off]

Hm. . . you really are my critical weakness. . .

[. . .]

It doesn't have anything to do with tomorrow's trial. Just the game as a whole. A possible path to a desirable ending.

Can you-- can you wait? Until after.

[she wants to give him more. but she isn't sure she can break the promises she's made]

[it's a moment where they're both definitely much more closed off—it's a huge step back from last night.

and it stings a little, even if akira always knew this was a likely outcome.]

It's not like I can force the information from you.

[he says it dryly, uncharacteristically cold for him. it's been a pretty awful week for him, and the one thing that had looked like a bright spot clouding over is just—well, it's not something he's up for.

truthfully, he could force it from her, but that's not akira. that's not who he is, even at the worst of times. if he does something like that, he might break.]

But I can't help if I don't know how.

[it's really as simple as that.

magilou can take what he says and how he says it however she wants, because obviously... he's not forcing her even if his ego is taking a critical blow for it.]

[it's a very stark difference, and she doesn't-- she doesn't like it at all]

[she wasn't lying when she called him her critical weakness, either. she steels herself, lifting her gaze to meet his]

My source is in contact with a Siren. [oh. . .] The plan to confront the volcano spirit directly is theirs. I don't know how viable of a plan it is, but it's there.

Even so. . . it's the Siren's secondary plan.

The first is to locate the Wickie. To their understanding, the Wickie knows every possible way to end this game-- for better or worse. The Siren believes there's a chance the final Wickie doesn't have our best interests at heart.

[for a long while, akira is quiet. he's definitely processing what he's hearing. his shoulders slump after a moment, though.

relief?

there's honest relief, because she tells him. and that could seem underhanded, if it wasn't for the fact that this all has to do with personal feelings and not so much how the information may or may not affect them. he wants to help. he wants to end this game and save everyone both living and dead.

it feels like a duty at this point, to atone for how badly he's fucked up in so many ways.]

I don't know about appealing to the volcano spirit if they don't have leverage.

[...] But I think you might be right about the Wickie role.

[and her brows shoot up immediately, not bothering to mask her surprise]

You do? Why--?

Because it's a game.

[...]

Good vs. Evil, clashes of morality. They're what keeps a game, or any plot interesting. If the people in the roles exist to fulfill that, with the Sirens being "good," and the Wickies being "evil," it makes sense.

It doesn't mean the person in the Wickie's role is inherently bad, but if they have to play by the rules the Chiefs gave them, it would make for more "entertainment" to pit them against each other with everyone else acting as the pawn and collateral damage.

[an exhale]

Mmm.

It'd be the most "entertaining," wouldn't it? And while you're right that the final Wickie might not necessarily be inherently bad, the fact that they may know every way to end this game-- for better or worse-- and they haven't told anyone about it is. . . telling.

It is. But we also don't know what's at stake for them—

[a breath, and:]

Because I don't doubt there are some kind of bullshit conditions in place for the roles so they comply.

[she tucks her hands behind her back. links them together, before she hops forward a bit, eyes flicking towards the ground]

We know how the Sirens are forced to comply.

[kill at least one person a week or the volcano erupts]

. . . I can't imagine what the Wickie's are.

I can't either, but... it's probably something big. I'm sure every role is like that, probably depending on the role or who is in it.

[it just sounds like something they'd do, doesn't it?]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3 Inbox spam

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject