doublesmall | week 4, Monday (chuuya, caren, assassin)

[mood.]

Let's say we wait eight weeks.

Are we really gonna live dangerously and let ourselves get killed before the game ends? Come on.

Assassin is not incorrect. None of us would be insignificant targets, especially for another Player who decided the eight week limit was too long to wait.

[Though her hands are clasped in their normal position in front of her, Caren is actually leaning forward into the conversation, arms draped over her knees.]

Sounds like we're on the same page, then. Waiting until time's up sounds like bullshit, if you ask me.

[he's also closer to caren than usual, just for the record.]

So the question's how we're going to help this game along. If we find out someone's a Reaper, obviously we act-- but just how careful are we going to be if we don't?

[y'all

But yeah, Assassin is closer to Caren, too.]

Okay, I got two plans.

Plan A: we make someone else do our dirty work.

Plan B: we fuck the Reapers.

[She pinches his ear.]

Don't make promises you can't keep since you don't know their identities.

[And also, it's a bad idea. Caren glances at the passing shadow waitress to make sure the booths behind them are still free of patrons and no one is coming to speak to them.]

We took matters into our own hands the last time because there's no one we trust quite so much as ourselves. If we sent someone else into the hellfire, it would need to be someone we could hold accountable to us.

We're not fucking the Reapers even if we do find them out.

[there can be some value in seduction, sure, but maybe it's a little late in the game for that.]

... and Caren's got a good point. There's a pretty short list of people I'd trust to actually do it-- there's you two, obviously, and I think I trust Monika enough, but not her partner.

Ow! I was kidding...

[GOD. Why don't any of these people have a funny bone...]

Izaya won't kill. Well, it's not like a blind man can do anything, anyway. But! Lucky for you three, I'm a really handsome guy. I got some aces up my sleeve.

[He sounds annoyingly confident about this. It's probably because he called himself handsome.]

Edited (sorry) 2018-04-03 08:26 (UTC)

[Too bad the fourth member of this ensemble can't call off her dog.

Just kidding.

Caren takes a sip out of her ice water, looking longways at Assassin.] Your regrets are strangely endearing.

[After another sip, she sets the glass down in front of her.] Monika isn't an option. Oh, I've no doubt she's capable; she is, as she says, not softhearted. But she'd know the plan immediately, and if we lost her I am certain we would lose the game.

[chuuya, meanwhile, is just stealing her glass to take a sip after she sets it back down. does he have his own? sure, but why not.]

You might be right about that. She's been a good source, I'm not sure we should try to use her for anything else. But--

[he raises a brow at assassin, there.]

What kind of aces, huh?

[ He flashes a cheeky grin.

Then drinks from the same glass Chuuya and Caren did, because why? not??? Anyway, they make a good point about Monika. Assassin would say the same as well — Monika's too valuable a piece to throw into the fray. ]

Ah... I have three.

[ He holds up three fingers, then one. ]

The first is Setz. You guys know Jacopo's partner, right? He mentioned this before, but I've sparred with him. He's a decent fighter. Got a good head on his shoulders to get him through a trial, too. I talked to him about his price — he's clean. I trust my gut on this one.

Well, it's not like he'd do anything to make me mad after that week...

[Wordlessly, she picks up Chuuya's glass and uses it to refill her own, then sets the empty one down in front of him again.

Her frown is a little uncertain when they talk about Setz; though their interactions have been limited, she's noticed his performance at the trials herself and kept an eye on his behaviors.]

I have reason to believe your faith in his innocence isn't misguided. An unorthodox choice for a murderer, however. You think you could convince him to kill?

I'll think of something. He's kind of a pushover.

[Which he will scratch out after Jacopo fuckin tells him he can't kill. Thanks, Setz. Ass hates you.]

Second—but only if she ain't a Reaper, which I'm pretty sure about!—Yang.

She's angry. She's ashamed of what she did last trial. Says she's not a murderer, but ehhh, we'll take those emotions and put 'em into good use. She trusts me. Actually, she wants to know if her partner's a Reaper.

So I told her I'd look into it.

-yeah, he seems like one, honestly. You could probably push him, but if you ask me, he seems more useful for other things.

Yang, though... I don't know to feel about her. If she turns out to be clean, I wouldn't mind it if you managed to use her-- it's not like I'm attached, it'd be fine if she got caught.

... I'd still rather that not happen to anyone working with us, but better for them to go than any of us.

Is there anything suspicious about her partner's behavior that makes her suspect him?

[As far as Caren is concerned, they are all Players and therefore all dangerous regardless of Reaper status or not. No one knows better than she and Chuuya, right now, just what Players are capable of with the correct tools.]

If done right, neither we nor our chosen assistant will draw suspicion in the slightest. The last time was truly too close for my comfort.

Don't worry, Caren. I don't let anything happen to my Master.

[He hopes the farce doesn't get to her head, though. It's just safer to operate this way. Servants are supposed to trust their Masters, and Masters should do the same with their Servants. Right?]

I told Yang to try and confirm that so we don't waste a week. Not expecting much, though...

[He'll start snacking on the garlic bread now. Yum.]

By the way, I don't mind if she gets caught either. Dealing with her's a liiiiittle difficult. [Actually it's been stressful, but he doesn't want to stress Caren and Chuuya out.] If she gets Erased, execution or not, it won't be our fault!

Anyway, last but not the least... Ah, I don't want to call her a piece, and I dunno if anyone's sick enough to go for her... But think of her as a trap I set up for our Reapers, just in case.

[whatever they've got is a separate thing, chuuya knows, but-- that doesn't stop him from silently sliding an arm around caren when assassin calls her master. there's a new scar on the palm of that hand, actually, if he's paying close enough attention.]

...Mary? She's the only one I figure you'd call people sick over.

We've been told she's clear, but-- I don't know. I still think if anyone would be a good Reaper, it's someone people wouldn't ever think is one, and I've known some pretty murderous kids...

[he doesn't trust like that, and q could seem like a perfectly nice child too, sometimes. not that it ever lasted long with q, but still.]

Do you trust her?

[Caren's just going to pretend this silent staring contest isn't going to get any worse. She reaches for a couple of breadsticks, too, since she's paying and wants to make the most out of it. One goes to Chuuya, and she keeps the other for herself.]

Mary's been set up before. Have you paid attention to the evidence left behind to misdirect from Reapers? A child's shirt, a toy theater...

Just because someone isn't a Reaper doesn't absolve them of the capacity to do harm; however, suspicions have been thrown on her already. We could easily blend in with the rest of them. [Though that feels a little sour to Caren, and probably tastes that way in her words.]

[ Don't think he doesn't notice that scar!!! ]

Thanks for confirming your low opinion of me, you lovebirds. I really appreciate it.

[ No, it hurts, but that's fucking fine. ]

... Mary trusts me. I trust Mary. But she's not just any kid, Chuuya. That's why I told her not to kill unless she had to.

[ Because she has the capacity to. Because she's like him. ]

And if she had to, no one would suspect a thing. Just trust me on that one, alright?

--oh, come on, it's not like that...

[that gets a slight frown from him as he takes a piece of the garlic bread for himself. he's a possessive shit at times, but assassin's still the one person besides caren that he really trusts.]

I'll trust your judgment on her, alright? You know you're the most solid ally we've got. If you think she's good, then I believe you more than I believed Monika on it.

Assassin, that's enough. You have a gut instinct for this. We're going to listen to that. Besides, I am quite fond of you and the child.

[If they had to work together with anyone, she'd probably choose Mary, as much as she's also compelled to keep her safe, as if drawn to a childhood she'd never really had.]

The question is this: Who do you want to bring to the finish line with you?

[ That's the thing. If they use Mary, there might not be a finish line for him.

He leans back into his seat. ]

You two and Mary, obviously.

[ ... They trust him so much.

That's what makes this so hard. ]

Well, those are my pieces. I might get another one this week if I'm lucky. Haha, they aren't very good ones, come to think of it. I guess I'm still Monika's number one ultimate weapon!

[ ......... ]

Hey... I've been thinking about what to do if I ever get caught in trial. It's kind of convoluted, though. Hell, it's worse than pretending to sleep with Chuuya.

Worse? Who's got a low opinion now, huh...

[he's teasing-- but that slight upturn at the corners of his mouth quickly fades. it's a more serious topic than that, chuuya knows.]

What's your plan, though? If we can help-- we'll back you up. We're not going to lose you at this point in the game, we're too close to finishing it for that.

... [She puts her other hand on Assassin's shoulder, so they're literally just draped all over each other in this booth.] It'll be all right. We aren't going to let you get caught. A Servant whose weaknesses are exposed would be useless, after all. [And despite the harsh reality of that statement, her words seem truly kind. That's all she has to say for now, though, unable to offer further reassurances until she knows what his plan is.]

[ When was the last time he worked with a team? This is almost nostalgic.

No, maybe this is the moment that he will remember fondly. ]

It's a long shot, but...

In the last leg of the trial, I'll pretend to out myself as a Reaper — the kind that's supposed to protect us. Then I'll out Akira. If we can get everyone to vote for him, Mary and I will be safe. Then we can get Akira killed without getting the blood on our hands.

--are you sure about that? What if the ones that're supposed to protect us know who they all are, huh? If any of them aren't on our side after all...

[chuuya's fingers clench, tightening into a reflexive fist at the thought. that could get him outed as lying, cast suspicion back on him and end up getting him killed just the same.

but it'd require a reaper to say they are one to prove assassin isn't, wouldn't it.]

If it's a risk you're set on taking, I'll... I'll back you up. I can just say you've told me your name after all-- but either way, you might have to just pick a fake name in case you have to prove you weren't missing it.

That is a significant risk you'd be taking. [Never mind a name; if all Reapers have wings, she wonders if some of the more skeptical among them would ask to see them, forcing him to admit there are none.

Her hand stays on his shoulder a little longer, until its weight and warmth feels completely natural. If he gives them a fake True Name, she'll make sure she remembers it.]

But you've realized it too, haven't you? Whoever comes forward to defend him most vehemently runs a high chance of being the other one we're looking for.

Bingo. Makoto and Yusuke are friends from his world. They'd naturally defend him, Reaper or not. He says he doesn't like killing, you know? It's against his nature.

[ He draws circles in the air, then points at Caren. ]

But whoever joins 'em... that's who we're after.

[ The perfect net with the perfect bait.

well i just have to be awake for it to happen but

Anyway, their eagerness to back him up worries him. Not because he thinks they're lying... He just wishes he could stay with them longer than this Game will allow. ]

Well, maybe calling myself a Reaper's too much. I'll just be whatever Monika's supposed to be. It's just hard when I don't know what to call her, you know?

Edited 2018-04-06 08:55 (UTC)

We'd call her a broker, in the mafia-- well. Nah, she's not really selling anything, so maybe she's just an informant...?

Either way, I like it better than claiming you're a Reaper. There's ways to disprove being one, but it's harder to say you don't just have sources that gave you a name.

[they've already lost one of their four, and chuuya would prefer not to make it two. not just because he's an ally or because he's trusted, but because he's someone chuuya genuinely likes.]

You could pass as someone like Monika. You have a face that some are inclined to trust, for some reason.

[It's a relief, albeit a surprising one, for both of them to be cautious with what they're proposing. Neither Assassin nor Chuuya are completely jumping into things headlong, which makes managing the plan between all three of them a little easier.]

Given the number of unknown elements, I'd advise choosing a few people to observe closely, instead of us all trying to monitor everyone.

Oh, good idea, Master. That'll be easier now that we know who Akira's friends are, too. Anyway, everyone likes a handsome guy! I've been doing my best to earn everyone's trust, you know? Even if I'm like this, I'm super charming!

But Chuuya makes a good point. I still need to prove I'm not just a Reaper trying to get Akira killed. That's why I need your help.

Chuuya, Caren, I found a copy of Water Margin in the bookstore. My name's blurred out. My titles, too. The Game really took it all away. It's solid proof I'm not a Reaper. There's just one problem...

Edited (I hate myself) 2018-04-06 21:31 (UTC)

I'm poor.

-what, so you need help getting a copy? If that's all it is, we can take care of that.

[if that's the one that he's from, it would be absolutely worth it, especially if it could be used to prove he's clear.

and besides:]

If we do, though... I want to borrow it from you later. Seems like it'd be good reading material, you know?

[of course chuuya wants to know more about it. about him, particularly.]

Water Margin? So you did find it after all... [She can only imagine what it must feel like to be so close to the answer and yet completely barred from it.

She'd felt a little like that, surrounded by all those spiritual books int he store, but she knows it can't be anything like what he's feeling.

Almost imperceptibly, Caren squeezes Assassin's shoulder before finally releasing it.]

Consider it done. Maybe you'll get lucky, and someone more familiar with the literature can use the process of elimination to find you.

I hope so. Feels like no one can.

[Caren's gesture comforts him, but there is a certain sorrow and frustration in forgetting who you are when no one else can seem to remember.]

Thanks, Chuuya, Caren.

... God, I hope none of us are framed this week.

-if we are, we'll deal with it, right? We just have to prove it wasn't us, and if we could manage last time...

We'll just have to do it again. They won't pin us down that easily.

week 4, Monday (chuuya, caren, assassin)

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