( week 5 ) friday night, kaito

[wristbands]

[friday's always, for lack of a better phrase, a tense time in yuggoth. a Lot sure happened today, and a Lot of people sure died. at least these two are still alive, for the time being.

wherever kaito is after the investigation findings have been shared, chie once again seeks him out this week.]

How's your jaw?

Comments

[nowyouseeit]

[honestly? he has no idea how long he'll remain in the state of being "alive." but. . . he keeps trying]

Chie--

[he stops, looking a little surprised that she wants to talk to him, and lifts a hand to rub his jaw]

Eh. S'fine. I've had worse.

[wristbands]

[to be fair, that punch looked a little nasty. she knows a good right hook when she sees one.]

Dirk seemed pretty pissed at you.

[nowyouseeit]

[it was a pretty good right hook. he may or may not have a split lip, now]

. . . eh.

He was already pretty mad at me before. I had it coming.

[wristbands]

[it's a shame they can't get any ice. rip, kitchen.]

Was it 'cause he found out about you guys, too?

[...yeah, she's not pulling any metaphorical punches of her own.]

[nowyouseeit]

[look, he isn't even surprised when she says that]

Duh. He gave me a big lecture 'n everything.

. . . not that I can't say that wasn't deserved, either. I accept his and everyone else's rights to be pretty pissed off at us.

[as long as everyone accepts HIS right to be pissed off at Andersen]

[wristbands]

Yeah, I heard it all from Jay the other day.

... I can't really be mad at any of you, though. [pause] Okay, maybe the Prophets. Or just Mira.

[nowyouseeit]

[BLANK STARE]

[JUST]

[BLANK STARE]

-- really?

[LIKE]

[IS SHE REALLY NOT MAD]

[HE'S NOT USED TO THIS??]

[wristbands]

—Are that many people actually mad at you guys?

[nowyouseeit]

[um]

Yeah? That punch from Dirk was a long time coming. And a lot of people are angry at us for taking away their choice, too.

[HE MAKES A FACE]

[wristbands]

[she's just frowning at this point, legitimately confused.]

I... I don't get it. Did we ever really even have a choice? We hoped no one was going to start killing other people before that first week, but... it's been five weeks, and the murders haven't stopped.

[nowyouseeit]

[a light, wry laugh]

To be fair. . . I guess we were gonna take away everyone's choice. [rubs the back of his neck, head tilting up so he can stare at the ceiling] Their choice to. . . have a say-so in how we end this, I guess.

I don't think everyone wants to bring the dead back.

[wristbands]

...That's not fair. I can see why no one would want to bring people like Mira and Kamui back, but... what about everyone else? They didn't—[ah, right, omega]—most of them didn't choose to die here, and we have the chance to save them!

[nowyouseeit]

I know.

[he says that firmly, with conviction]

Regardless of what everyone else thinks, we acted with that belief in our hearts, too.

Everyone deserves to go home. Everyone.