[day 7, not-night]

[very_good_end]

[Erika will quietly pull Ichigo aside to her room, if he'll come with her.]

Kurosaki-san.

I would like to speak with you.

Comments

[suppressthedark]

[Even though he doesn't like her, in his current state - emotionally numb, traces of tears on his face, red and swollen from crying - he figures that even if she's absolutely horrible, he won't rise to whatever she says.

So he follows her into her room, quiet and somber looking, visibly exhausted in every sense of the word - waiting for her to say whatever she wants to say to him.]

[very_good_end]

[she makes sure the door is shut and Futayo isn't in the room next door before turning to him.]

Kurosaki-san. I am, of course, aware you do not like me. I am not fond of you either, for the record.

However, I have determined that your continued survival is very much desirable.

Therefore, I would like you to tell me who you have plans to explore the night with. We are not in public, so we are violating no rule talking about it.

[suppressthedark]

[He listens to her proposal in silence, wondering to himself why she thinks that it's so important that he lives. There are others that can lead everyone along - Akira, for example - but him? He's just someone who can't stop himself from feeling for others.]

...I'm going to explore with Akira. We haven't talked about it yet, but there's no one else I'd trust more right now.

[He pauses for a second, and then decides to just ask.]

...Why me? Why is it important to you that I survive?

[very_good_end]

[Hm, she nods.]

You want to know why? It's quite simple. Because the nature of the game is going to change the more people are killed.

Haven't you realized it? This time, we honestly deduced that Niles was the killer, and the majority of persons involved voted for his condemnation...

...However, a few people did not. There were votes for people with confirmed alibis. Myself included. What is the nature of the person who would use their vote for an innocent person? It must be the logic of the person, who otherwise would not murder, believing to themselves: "I can't know who really killed someone, because I did not witness it, so I will instead just vote to kill off someone I don't like. That's good enough."

Slowly, but assuredly, the amount of people playing the game will dwindle, and the result will be that those sorts of persons will outnumber those who would 'play by the rules' and vote for the person who they believe really did the crime. In fact, we may even reach a point where someone openly and grossly admits they committed the murder, and then through their connections and personal charisma, directs everyone to instead cast their vote for someone else. Someone they don't like. Someone who has been getting in everyone's faces and on everyone's nerves. Someone who is clearly not needed to solve any 'mystery' anymore.

...

I am of the opinion you would not go along with such a thing. Therefore, I want you to survive.

[suppressthedark]

[Wow, that's...it makes sense. Ichigo wouldn't vote for someone who he thought wasn't guilty of murder, and would even beat himself up for getting someone innocent. Especially if someone does like she says and admits to murder, but manages to manipulate everyone towards voting another way.

Slowly, he nods - it's a grim outlook, but one that could happen, especially as time goes on and they get more and more worn down.]

...I understand. That's a decent enough reason for wanting me to stay around.

[He sighs, quietly leaning against a wall.]

...You're right that I'm not fond of you. But...I do know that all you want is the truth.

['Even if it tramples on other people's hearts.']

And in this game...we're going to need people like you, too.

[very_good_end]

Exactly. I want the truth. But it is not enough to have the truth. I must expose the truth. So that no one can deny it.

Therefore, whoever would hide and obscure the truth is my enemy.

...Do you know to whom I refer?

[suppressthedark]

[Erika? Listen.

He's so sleep deprived right now that it's a miracle he's even able to talk as coherently as he is.

So he just...slowly shakes his head.]

...You'll have to bring me up to speed. I'm not doing so great right now with catching things.

[very_good_end]

...Akechi Goro. I'm talking about Akechi Goro.

He burned the library and erased all of the information there. That's unforgivable. Furthermore it only puts me of mind to wonder 'why'...

...Are you going to be able to stay awake much longer, Kurosaki-san?

[suppressthedark]

[Oh. That...made sense. And before he can stop himself-]

Because Akira told him about how things went without him in their world, and he got upset.

[-Shit. He at least has the grace to look a little panicked and upset after he says it, shaking his head.]

...Don't share that with anyone else.

[very_good_end]

...

Kurosaki-san, are you asking me, the detective, who just told you it is her goal to expose the truth... to keep a secret?

[suppressthedark]

A secret that doesn't involve any kind of case, and is just about Akechi in general.

[He's...serious about this, locking eyes with her. And even though his gaze is tired and worn, he still manages to convey that, despite everything...

He's trusting her.]

[very_good_end]

Is it?

[She locks eyes right back.]

...Well. I certainly would like to maintain Kurosaki Ichigo as something of a ally. Given I have already outlined how I likely would benefit from his continued survival... of course, he doesn't have to be happy with me in order to still be alive... but perhaps I can make this one, small allowance as a show of good will?

After all, Kurosaki-san has told me something very interesting. That Akechi-san and Kurusu-san knew each other before they arrived here? That is certainly fascinating information. A new morsel of knowledge that I, Furudo Erika, had not quite reasoned out... yet.

What else can Kurosaki-san tell me, I find myself wondering? Surely there must be some interesting tidbits to hear... that he could feel confident sharing with this detective who is so graciously listening to his requests for... discretion.

...

Of course, you need not tell me everything about everyone, Kurosaki-san. You are clearly stressed. Take some time, and know you can confide in me if you feel it appropriate.

Put all thoughts of this secret of "Akechi-san burned the library because he was angry about, or trying to hide, a version of events written in a book about his backstory that were written supposing he never existed."

--Actually, I am not fully confident that is the full story, to be perfectly honest. If it were so, why burn the entire library and not just that book?

[suppressthedark]

[Oh god, he's made a terrible mistake. Why was he so tired he just blurted that out?

But he lets her talk, not confirming anything - right up until she mentions about the full story.]

I don't know - Akira didn't really tell me very much, and I didn't ask. Maybe he just thought burning it all down would make the Raccoons upset, somehow.

[very_good_end]

... [she tilts her head.]

Now why would Kurosaki-san start telling I, Great Detective, Furudo Erika, half-truths, when he already asserted it wasn't at all related to any sort of... 'case,' so to speak.

One would think that if it was really unrelated, he wouldn't mind telling the whole story.

[suppressthedark]

I already told you - I'm not telling you a half truth, I'm telling you everything I know. Akira didn't tell me the reason behind why Akechi was upset beyond that it had something to do with their world.

[Except he's absolutely keeping silent about the specifics, considering Akira's told him enough about his world and that he's pieced together a few things. But he's not showing it, at least.

[very_good_end]

...

[staring at his face, watching for any little twitch]

That's odd. [Pause.]

I was told by Honda Futayo-san that Akechi Goro's reasoning for burning the library was to check to see how the raccoons would respond to such an act, and if he would be punished, and to what extent. That was his motivation for doing the crime. As in, something he had decided before actually setting the library alight.

Yet, the way Kurosaki Ichigo describes it, he makes it sound as if that was an afterthought, at best. "Maybe" he thought burning down the library would cause some reaction. At best, a secondary objective. At worst, an ad hoc justification... to mask the real purpose.

So, it seems Kurosaki-san's words produce two possible conclusions for me to make.

One: that Akechi Goro is of such unstable emotions, he would be driven to extreme acts by mere provocations such as "Let's suppose a version of reality where you don't exist."

Two: that Akechi Goro has something so noteworthy in his past, an entire conspiracy is taking place to hide it. Consisting of his friend Kurusu Akira, and, by extension, all of the unquestioning dupes they managed to fool with that stupid lie. The question is, if this is the truth, is Kurosaki Ichigo-san one of the 'dupes', or a willing, active, knowing conspirator?

--Though if it's the second, I'd like to think Kurosaki Ichigo is simply doing all this to protect a friend's feelings. Oh, but not Akechi Goro-san's. Rather, that Kurusu Akira is more invested in no one overly questioning or suspecting Akechi-san.

Then again, if it's the first, the question then becomes "when will Akechi Goro-san make another emotionally volatile, impulsive move? And will people be hurt by it this time?"

Though I should also note: these aren't mutually exclusive.

...

Just from Kurosaki Ichigo hesitating and hedging his words when he offered an explanation for why Akechi Goro burned the library, see how far Furudo Erika's reasoning has taken her.

What do you think, everyone?