randori | 6/19: akechi

I'm talking about everything. Soo-Won and Dave and Gi-Gan and everything.

[ The murders. The game. Natsuo looks livid, like it's all Akechi's fault, and for once in his life, he's not shouting. ]

You're Crow, aren't you?

[and for a moment, Akechi is frozen in place. not because Natsuo brought up the three victims in relation to him-- Dave, Soo-Won, Gi-Gan, each one ripped from their stories before their time was up-- but because. . .]

[that name]

[he hasn't told anyone about that name. hasn't even used it since arriving in this castle. how would Natsuo know it even exists, much less be able to link it to Akechi so easily?]

. . . yes.

[he answers cautiously, carefully, as tense as a plank of wood]

At least, back home I was. I haven't invoked that name since arriving.

What does that have to do with this game?

[ He was hoping he was wrong. He was really hoping so, trying to will things to stop slotting into place, but in the end, he can only tell himself to stop guessing and to bank on Akechi telling him directly.

He drops his voice to a whisper, head lowered and slightly crouched like he's about to jump Akechi and throw him to the ground depending on his answer: ]

Are you a Historian?

[. . . ah]

[and suddenly, it all slots neatly into place, as Akechi remembers his wish from the week before, and the results of same. it's the only explanation that makes sense to him, on what knowledge he has]

I see.

[he's still tense, but his answer is honest]

I am.

Did you use a wishing well token to figure that out?

[ Natsuo ignores the question completely— it seems like the admission was the wrong answer, because he hurtles himself bodily towards Akechi to tackle him backwards, not caring if he slams into the bed frame or not. ]

THAT'S WHY YOU DID IT?! IS THAT WHY??!?! YOU'RE SO STUPID!!!

[aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH???]

[and Akechi goes flying backwards, right into the bed frame. it's fortunate that he smacks his back and not his head, although that still hurts]

N-- no??

[despite the clause of the Historian rule book that requires them to murder if someone is not partaking in the game properly, his murder last week was completely unrelated to his duties as Historian]

I told you. . . about the Blotters!

[and he would have in that past thread I'M JUST SLOW AND I SUCK]

[ Whether or not Akechi told him completely doesn't matter when Natsuo is as livid as he is, furious that Akechi did all that he did while he was a Historian— when he knew.

He doesn't even let Akechi have the chance to sit up when he falls back, pinning him down with his knees on either side of his torso, fists threatening to tear his collar. ]

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DO IT! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PLAY ALONG! YOU'RE A HISTORIAN! STUPID!!

[welp, Akechi sure is pinned against the ground now. and he instinctively lives his hands to grab at Natsuo's wrists, grip tight, his own voice raising on instinct]

Being a Historian has nothing to do with it! Historians can be Blotters, too! And being a Historian wasn't going to prevent them from eradicating my world if I had refused!

[I mean, Akechi hadn't really had much issue with the murder part anyway, but. . . the part about his world falling apart at the seams if he had refused to commit that crime was a damn good motivator]

[but that's also just like Akechi. always the lawful one, willing to work within a system to get what he needs, regardless of what the system may ask him to do]

Isn't it our job to ensure this game runs smoothly, anyway?

It is, and that's why...!

[ His hands don't move from its place on Akechi's collar, as much as Akechi tries to pry them away. Of course everybody has a role, and they have to play it. Natsuo knows this more than anybody, having sat with Tiger and Dragon every few days, reporting back to them all he's been up to, less a historian and more a story writer keeping them updated on each draft of the week.

He understands that it's important, but he doesn't believe in rules, and that's where they differ. ]

It's our job to make sure things go well. It's our job. Ours! Part of that job was making friends and gaining trust— why'd you make it so hard for me?!

[because he is a CERTIFIED MESS, Natsuo!!]

I just did what I was told!

[he yells back, knowing that's not an excuse. and immediately after, he deflates, hands falling away from Natsuo's wrist and thunking against the ground at his sides]

. . . like some kind of puppet. . .

[. . .]

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not really that great at the "trust" and "make friends" part of this.

Friends are easy! You just smile at them and hang out with them! [ and don't fucking murder people! that's an obvious friendship breaker there!!

But he relents, pulling his hands away but gripping Akechi's wrists in return. ]

You don't have to be good friends or best friends, and you don't have to trust people with your life or anything like that! It's enough for me if you just accept my help! If you talk with me! Work with me!

[HONESTLY. . . on Saturday night, after Natsuo cornered him in front of his room and demanded Akechi talk, he had. . . sort of reluctantly accepted that he'd be talking with, working with, and accepting help from Natsuo in the future, regardless of how he felt about it, regardless of how much he thought he deserved it. and that was well before the Historian reveal]

[now, he doesn't really have much of a choice, does he? Historians were meant to find each other. to work together. to see this game through to the very end]

You're the most stubborn person I've ever met.

[. . .]

But all right.

[as exhausted as Natsuo leaves him, that's a proposition he won't-- he can't-- refuse]

Stubbornness is my one talent.

[ He cracks a smile, and that breaks into a laugh. If there's one thing he can pride himself in, it's never giving up when there's something he wants, and he's glad he didn't give up on Akechi. ]

And I need your talent. I need you to deduce and induce for me.

[YOU SHOULD'VE GIVEN UP ON HIM NATSUO!! . . . is what he thinks, but secretly, he might be kind of happy and grateful he didn't?? whatever, feelings are complicated]

Of course.

But only if you get off of me first.

[ SHOUNEN PROTAGS DON'T GIVE UP

but he has to get off Akechi anyways, stepping off him and crouching down on the ground to feel around underneath his bed— he pulls out Fane's notebook, and tosses it on Akechi's lap. ]

I'm counting on you, okay? Open it up.

[AKECHI DID NOT ASK FOR THIS SHOUNEN]

[Akechi blinks a few times as he catches the notebook, remembering clearly how it was full of black pages at the trial. nevertheless! he opens up the notebook as instructed. what have we got, here]

[ The pages are a bit wrinkled for having been waterlogged and subsequently dried, but the book flips open to the middle, where five large pieces of fabric have been folded and stuffed there.

The one on top features a picture of a rabbit. The second one... Akechi's smart. He'd be able to tell at a glance how even Natsuo of all people had found him out. ]

[oh]

[yeah]

[with "crow" on his profile it is so damn obvious. although Akechi's gaze lingers on the rabbit]

This journal was Fane-san's, correct?

[ Shirasu had brought Natsuo some sweets shaped like a rabbit once, after seeing that descriptor on the top of Natsuo's tapestries. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have thought to check there to see if anything about crows or ravens or birds stood out. He was lucky this one was obvious. ]

Yeah, but I dunno if he has anything to do with this. That's just where I put them, 'cause I didn't have anywhere else to keep them and didn't want to carry them around.

[ He pulls out the piece of fabric under the crow one: a broken heart ]

The only other one I know is Rebecca. She was going to get married. She was going to be happy. And then her fiance turned around and left.

Where did you get them? I assume the wishing well.

[but Natsuo is free to correct him. his brows raise when he sees the broken heart, too]

I see. Bunch. That's quite a good clue for her, if that's what happened.

[a small sigh]

Last week, I asked for a hint to a Historian's identity from the well, and received a face full of scars for my trouble.

[THANKS WISHING WELL. . .]

They pointed to Sousei-san. I confronted him after realizing this, and confirmed same. We've been in communication ever since then.

[ He shakes his head at the wishing well comment, but it swept up in the excitement of another Historian that he just presses on. ]

You used your wish better than mine! So that's what happened! And why you couldn't tell me before!! [ Akechi actually had a legitimate reason... whoops. ] But I'm glad it's Sousei! He's this one, then?!

[ piece of fabric number four, this... whatever this is, I couldn't tell ]

[SURPRISE. . . he was trying not to let people know that his scars matched Sousei's perfectly]

I-- I'm not sure. We'd have to ask him.

[it's not a symbol that looks familiar to Akechi, at any rate]

And the last one?

Since you've been talking to him, hang onto that one and ask him next time you see him.

[ The last piece of fabric he pulls out is a magic circle-like thing. ]

I was trying to go by the tapestries, like I did for me and you. But there are a whole bunch of people who do stuff like magic.

[ BUT ALSO I JUST GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCHED IT LIKE I SHOULD HAVE FROM THE START AND I'M YELLING I THINK ITS POSSIBLY WAVER ]

[THAT'S A HEROIC SPIRIT SUMMONING CIRCLE SO IT IS ABSOLUTELY WAVER]

[not that Akechi knows this]

It looks like a magical circle, of some kind. I'm not sure who here performs magic in this manner. But we can, at the very least, narrow down our list of potentials.

[he folds Sousei's cloth into fours and stuffs it into his pocket]

Those who have magic, sorcery or alchemy listed on their tapestries in some manner include: Di Angelo, Chase, El-Melloi, and Varian-san. Have any of them been acting overly familiar with the setup of this game?

[ I DON'T PLAY FATE SO I DIDN'T KNOW lmao I was walking to work this morning wondering if it was maybe Varian and his ~*~*alchemy*~*~

Natsuo, unfortunately, doesn't know either. ]

Most of 'em I haven't talked to... But El-Melloi, that's the Lord guy, right? He came to see me on Sunday and he said he'd help me out however he can. The only other person who's offered me like that is Rebecca, so that's why I thought maybe she was a Historian, even before I found these. [ He takes the last cloth and stuffs it into his pocket. ]

I'll make him make good on that promise. Even if it's not his, maybe he'll recognize it and can point us the right way.

[SO CLOSE. . .]

That's a wise plan. I'd recommend showing him the cloth with the summoning circle, to see if he recognizes if. If he doesn't, we can try showing it to Di Angelo, Chase and Varian-san next.

It's simple process of elimination.

I'll do that! And if they're not, and they ask me about it and stuff, I can play dumb! I'm good at that!

[ playing... being... same thing ]

[a nod! Akechi is all business, now that the yelling is out of the way]

In the meantime, I'll inform Sousei-san of yours and Bunch's existence. Once you've finished speaking to El-Melloi, we should all meet and compare notes.

Yeah, we'll do that!

[ not that... he has very many notes to compare, actually. He's surprised that Akechi had took the initiative to find another Historian so quickly, and in comparison, Natsuo and Rebecca were just friends and she was somebody he trusted enough to ask even before he was 100% sure.

Pending Waver, I'll send out a PP! ]

[Akechi is, if nothing, very driven. that is one of his positive traits!1 except when he's driven enough to kill]

You never told me exactly where you got these strips of cloth. . .

I found 'em in the library! This one's mine, see? So I knew it's for me!

[ He picks up the rabbit cloth. It's a very... distinctive... rabbit. There is absolutely no way Natsuo could have mistaken it for anything other than it being meant for him. ]

6/19: akechi

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject