week 2, friday, post investigation (caren, chuuya, assassin)

[doublesmall]

[one night they'd all gotten together to drink, and the next night had taken one away. their circle is short one person, but chuuya still gathers the other two in the same place they'd met before, partly for the alcohol, partly because it just... feels appropriate.

just like last time, he's started drinking pretty much immediately, but at first he's keeping silent; this isn't a conversation chuuya knows how to start.]

Comments

[shinssin]

[ The first thing Assassin does is drink. He loves drinks. He loves people. He loves many things.

He hates it when people take them away.

He's oddly calm compared to his unstable state earlier, but maybe it can be attributed to the empty bottle he sets down before him. ]

I'll start.

Caren, what was your entry fee?

[sexorcism]

[Caren isn't drinking at the moment. She's in her default state, quiet, reserved, but her eyes aren't focused on either of them.

This isn't like the game they'd played earlier in the week, but Caren answers immediately anyway. There's never been a reason to hide it.]

My beliefs. My faith. Whatever you want to call it.

[Even the prayer she'd try to say for Eleanor felt like a laughable joke in her mouth.]

[shinssin]

So you don't believe in God anymore. Given the context of this game, I'd say that's pretty damn hard to do, anyway. Believing, that is!

[ Trusting, he means. ]

Chuuya can't remember his past. Obviously, I can't remember my True Name and my titles. Caren didn't have any problems answering my question, so I think it's safe to say that none of us are Reapers. I hear that's what sets them apart from everyone else.

And, well. If any of you were, I think Caren, who's fully aware of what I am, would be too stupid not to kill me first.

[ They're talking about this now. They have to talk about this now. Before anything else can be discussed, before they address the elephant in the room, they have to trust each other. Assassin, of all people, is well aware of that.]

[doublesmall]

I remember my past, just so we're clear on it-- I'm not full amnesiac here. There are just... pieces missing. I can't remember why I did half the things I did.

[it still bothers him to think about. he's taking another long drink, hoping that it'll help him forget... well, forgetting.]

-I don't think you're working against us, either. Maybe I thought about it a couple times, but... not now.

[sexorcism]

I'll take that as a compliment, Assassin. I'll say what I will about Servants, but they are rarely liars. I have no desire to turn on you.

[And the truth is, they've all been through a lot together. Maybe it's a partnership of convenience, but they have some sort of synergy, the four of them.

The three.

After a very long valley of silence in which Caren folds a hand across her stomach as though it deeply hurts:]

...Assassin. She probably didn't feel it.

[shinssin]

[ Trust. He's been burned too many times for him to believe it's real, but between the three of them, he thinks he's got it. Cooperation between them might just get them through this game...

Besides, he can't say he hates working with these two.

The silence is deafening, and Caren's words cut deep. ]

... Yeah. I know. [ Please don't ask how he knows. ] But... I can't forgive what they did to her.

[ His throat tightens. ]

Eleanor... She didn't even want to win. All she wanted to do was keep everyone safe. [ He takes the magatama in his pocket and holds it tightly. ] Let's find those Reapers and end this game quickly.

[doublesmall]

We will, alright? Even if we don't manage to catch the right person tomorrow-- I know I'm not gonna stop until whoever erased her is gone.

[his grip on the bottle in his hands is tight, almost white-knuckled.]

I don't know if Eleanor told you this, but we-- had an agreement. An alliance, basically. She's the only one we were both working with like that. If Caren agrees...

[chuuya glances over to her, then back to assassin.]

I don't mind making the same deal with you.

[sexorcism]

Sometimes, justice doesn't look the way we expect it to.

[She had known a hero of justice once, hadn't she? Or a boy who had so wanted to be one. He wouldn't agree with their vengeance.

But someone else might have.]

I do not mind, either.

[shinssin]

Eleanor and I had the same deal. I don't want to say that any friend of hers is a friend of mine... But I trust you both.

... Tomorrow's trial will be tough. I don't know if I can look at the evidence properly.

[doublesmall]

It's a deal, then.

[he nods, as if to seal it, and then--]

We'll take care of it for you, alright? If you can't look, you can't look. Just do what you can.

[a pause, before...]

And try to keep your cool tomorrow, alright? You don't have a partner right now. We need to consider making sure you get out of this, too, and if you do anything too reckless...

[shinssin]

Hehe.

[ That's not a "yes, Chuuya" so........ ]

It's fine. I talked to Velvet. She's from the same world as Eleanor... If there's any way I can reach her, it's through Velvet. I'll make sure we survive.

Thanks.

[shinssin]

By the way...

We all know that Junko did it, right?

[sexorcism]

[Caren looks 100% unsurprised.]

...Your suspicions are also mine.

What led you to that conclusion?

[doublesmall]

Someone told us she was a Reaper. Did you get the same memo, or...?

[shinssin]

Weeell, Eleanor and Junko would have died at the same time if they were both targets, wouldn't they?

And... Well, you'd be right.

[sexorcism]

Similarly, it seems strange that we were waken up ahead of the normal time, by an alarm that wasn't set off before then.

If she was able to orchestrate that, she may have been betting on our collective ability to rescue her.