Day 7 - afternoon

[pandatrash]

[After the execution, there's... nothing. The raccoons exit the stage, and the rest of you are free to do the same. The only update on your tablet reads: "You've been good, so we're going to give you the rest of the day off!"]

((Game nav
Recyclr

Reminder: Tomorrow, I'll put up something fun for anybody who is going to be around and playing, but there will be NO MURDERS or activity checks this week.))

Comments

[afailedmurder]

You still seem interested.

[gestures to Ichigo's own notes]

You can't tell me that's all poetry.

[suppressthedark]

[He just gives a mirthless chuckle at that.]

I was just...looking at them. My notes.

[He's silent for a moment.]

...If you really want to see them, it's fine.

[afailedmurder]

Ah. No, that's not it. Perhaps I'm the only one who finds that sort of thing calming...

[nothing clears up a case of the human emotion better than diligently doing your homework, amirite fellow kids?]

[suppressthedark]

[Ichigo just...pauses, because that's literally nothing he'd ever thought of doing before.

He's also sure it doesn't work for him.]

...I normally just write to calm myself.

[ULTIMATE POET]

[afailedmurder]

I see. Well, that's not so dissimilar...

[awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward]

Shall I leave you to it?

[suppressthedark]

[He thinks for a moment....and then shakes his head.]

...Stay. Please.

[Because if he doesn't talk to someone, he feels like he's going to explode under the weight of his guilt and regret.]

[afailedmurder]

...All right.

[what has he gotten himself into? but he takes a seat]

[suppressthedark]

[Sorry Akechi, you're in for the long haul now.

He's silent for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts together.]

...Did you meet Niles before....

[He trails off, but his meaning is pretty clear.]

[afailedmurder]

Only briefly. He was... not the sort of person I'd normally associate with.

[that's a way of putting it]

[suppressthedark]

...Yeah. Me either.

[Because Niles acted like a pervert, and Ichigo couldn't deal with someone like that - but now, he knows it was all an act to keep people away from him, and just thinking about it makes him hurt.]

....But he talked to me, the day before he was executed. And...

[He takes a deep breath.]

...He asked me to kill him.

[afailedmurder]

Did he?

[grimaces. no wonder Ichigo is all messed up.]

What a disgusting coward.

[suppressthedark]

He was scared, Akechi.

[It's a little harsh, but he looks at the other teenager seriously.]

He'd thought everyone betrayed him, and he - he didn't want to live anymore.

[afailedmurder]

So what? You can empathize with his fear, his sad life, or his messed up mental state all you want, but I can guarantee you he did not have a shred of remorse before it started looking like he wasn't going to get away with it. People like that never do.

And then, once he had to face the inevitable consequences of his actions, he asks a teenager who barely even knows him to kill him? How pathetic and selfish can one person be? You really feel sorry for that reprehensible piece of shit?

[suppressthedark]

[Jesus christ, Akechi. Ichigo visibly winces at that, unable to say anything for a moment.]

...How the hell else am I supposed to feel.

[He says it in a low tone, but flat and nearly lifeless.]

It's selfish and pathetic. I know that. But it's because of that - of what I do - that I...If I'd done what he'd asked, then neither him or Corrin would've had to suffer like that-!

[His teeth grit, and he places his hands over his face like before.]

I know that I shouldn't be like this - that I didn't know him, but...but...!

[afailedmurder]

But nothing. You didn't owe him anything, and if you'd gone through it, Corrin would probably just have blamed and hated you. Not to mention what the raccoons would do for breaking their rules. For putting you in that position, he deserves nothing but your contempt.

[a pause. he is aware that this is not the approach that is going to win him any friends. and yet, if no one else is going to be honest about this, maybe it falls to him to drop the truth bombs.]

...Well. What you're feeling right now, that's probably normal. But "normal" reactions aren't going to help you in a place like this. If you can't harden your heart, you're not going to survive.

[suppressthedark]

[...He knows he's right. That there was no good way out, not since the moment Niles made up his mind to kill Sigma.

And yet, he still can't accept it - mostly because of deeper seated issues inside of himself, memories of his past clinging to him. So he just...breathes out, shutting his eyes before lowering his hands.]

Harden my heart, huh?

[He gives a small laugh, utterly mirthless.]

...Sorry, but I don't think I can do something like that. Even if it tears me apart, I...I can't just shut people out.

[He looks over at Akechi, smiling just a little.]

You're harsh about it, but...thank you. For trying to comfort me.

[Because he's still assuming the best out of people, and, well. Akechi reminds him a little of Grimmjow, if Grimmjow were more polite and not focused on fighting.]

[afailedmurder]

[settles down a bit, content that his intent was understood]

Someone has to be harsh.

[suppressthedark]

More like someone has to be the one who isn't a bleeding heart.

[He smiles, but it's still strained - poking fun at himself despite his heartache.]

...and I don't think we're going to have another peaceful night like we did before.

[That time had passed - it passed the moment Sigma died.]

[afailedmurder]

[darkly:]

No. We're not.

[suppressthedark]

[He sighs, lacing his fingers together as they rest on the table.]

...It'll get easier.

I...I hate saying that, but I know it will. For us to find a body and suspect each other.

[afailedmurder]

[calmly, but averting eye contact]

Yes. It will.