[Day 9] [erika and shuichi]

[very_good_end]

[she'll close the door behind them.]

Saihara-san.

Thank you for joining me here today. I would like to share the results of my investigation, still underway.

Will you hear me out?

Comments

[truthstranger]

Of course. I’m interested to hear what you have to say.

[very_good_end]

[smiles]

From what I recall, two detectives diverted in their opinions yesterday. One with a very naive view of the nature of the voting behaviors, and one with a reasoned, informed, logical view and expectation. The views were completely irreconcilable, it was only natural that one detective would be proven right, and the other completely wrong.

...You were wrong.

[truthstranger]

[just. sighs]

What did you find out?

[very_good_end]

Kaiba Seto was the vote placed on me. He states this was the result of a 'coin toss,' but I disbelieve him, of course. My alibi was never in doubt, for one thing. He was furthermore very blasé about the implications of his actions being construed as attempted murder.

Furthermore, I questioned an Illyasviel von Einzbern about her voting. She was rather upfront with her actions. She voted for Tomoe Hiyori. Not because she believed him guilty, but because she quote "doesn't like him," end-quote. She went on to state she was not concerned with attempting to kill him, because she has committed similar acts with other persons in her past. However, she denied completing a full murder on another person, despite attempts.

Therefore... your assertion that you "doubt" anyone would have voted out of "malice" has now demonstrably been proven false. By testimony that I have no reason to doubt.

[...]

Your reply?

[truthstranger]

Clearly neither of those people actually expected the person they voted for to die. If they have no idea who the culprit is, I don't see picking arbitrarily to be any more malicious than leaving it to random chance.

I don't actually want to debate with you about the definition of malice, though. Do you really think quibbling over people's votes is the best thing to do right now? The whole point of this is to turn people against each other.

[very_good_end]

That is irrelevant. The fact remains they wanted those people to die.

As for if quibbling over people's votes is the best thing to do, right now, the answer is: yes, it is.

You're acting much too naive in your pursuit of the truth, Saihara-san. These are only the persons who would admit to it. Do you really think there aren't people out there who know better than to outright say their intentions? If we have persons who are willing to brazenly say they wanted to see someone dead because they "don't like him," then why should we think there aren't more calculating individuals in our midst?

You have to make a decision, Saihara-san. Which do you care more about? Finding the truth, or telling yourself little lies like 'surely no one here is a malicious person'? You're deceiving yourself, and a detective who deceives themselves is hardly much of a detective.

Yes. I called you here to rub your face in the fact I was right, you were wrong. I won't insult your intelligence by denying it. But I also hope to try to, shall we say, set you on the right path?

There are very few here who want to pursue the truth or care to, Saihara-san. I am hoping you are one of them... in which case, I urge you: discard your ill-conceived notions of 'making people happy' and assuming the best from people. Now, before it's too late.

[truthstranger]

First of all, I didn't say that no one here was malicious. I'm well aware there are probably people here who would be willing to murder someone, even for what we would say are trivial reasons. I said that those people aren't likely to try to use the voting to do that, because there's no reward for the risk involved. If your argument was that we should be getting to know people to see who is willing to become a culprit, then I agree. But I don't think asking about votes is an effective way to do that. And, I also think we should try to stop them.

Second of all, what if revealing the truth is the wrong thing to do...? What if we can only escape this situation by concealing it? By lying? Or, what if the truth you're looking for isn't the truth at all, and by seeking it above all else you're just performing exactly the way our captors want you to?

—None of that is hypothetical. I'm not being naive. I survived the game that this game was modeled after. You have no idea what the right path is.

[very_good_end]

You said, quote "I doubt anyone would have voted out of malice of some kind. It's much more likely they were just mistaken." That is not the case. And of course there is a reward, they get to see someone dead without directly 'getting their hands dirty'. I mean, c'mon, as if that isn't obvious.

[pause]

The 'wrong' thing to do? ...Are you feeling well, Saihara-san?

[truthstranger]

No! I'm not! Obviously!!

I don't care if you think you're smarter than me! You probably are! I'm just—some guy! But if you're going to put this much effort in, put it into something useful, like trying to help people, or trying to figure out who's masterminding this whole thing!

You're doing—exactly the thing you shouldn't here. You're treating it like a game you can win by being right, by pulling one over on everyone else who's just trying their best too. I don't know—if you actually think that, or if you're just putting on the act rather than deal with the reality. But either way, that's absolutely wrong.

[very_good_end]

...Really.

[suppresses a sigh]

Is that what I'm doing? I thought I was investigating to find the culprit responsible for the murder... and those most likely to commit future ones. That's what I thought. Of course, there is surely a mastermind as well. But we've no real clues in that regard... beyond literal raccoons dancing around and dismembering the corpses for us.

And what's so wrong about what I do, Saihara-san?

[truthstranger]

There's no culprit to find right now, so there's not any more clues to that than there is to the mastermind. What do you think the mastermind's motive is...? I think I know. And I think you're playing right into it. Is that fine with you?

[very_good_end]

[grins]

Fine, I'll play along. Let me hear it, Saihara-san... your reasoning for the mastermind's motive.

[truthstranger]

This is a show for people to enjoy. And not a mystery, or an intellectual puzzle. It's for people who want to see gory violence and death, and despair, and people who were friends turning against each other. And who also, ultimately, want the emotional victory that comes from seeing people overcome all that.

1/2

[very_good_end]

... [laughs]

Oh really!? Who could have guessed! What about it, Saihara-saaaaaan? What lesson do you hope to impart to all the kiddies who no doubt are watching us from the other side of their TV-screens?! "Trust other people, even if you really shouldn't?" "Don't search for answers, just repeat to yourself that 'everyone's doing their best'?" "Don't be like that mean, delusional, Great Detective, Furudo Erika, be like me, the reasonable non-detective Saihara Shuichi and my goal of making others happy through investigating their lies?"

What a weird moral! You might want to think about that one, Saihara-san, you're liable to confuse the no doubt low-intellect of all the viewers left who haven't given up on this show and turned on something else by now!

[very_good_end]

[takes a few more deep breaths, before calming herself]

--Though I'll give credit where credit's due. You're not entirely wrong. I mean, it goes without saying the raccoons want spectacle. Doesn't it? But it seems you and I clearly disagree in methods.

There's going to be murders. There are no shortage of persons with the means, will, and motive to do so. There is no ignoring that. So either roll up your sleeves and help contribute to finding the next culprit... or stop calling yourself a 'detective'.

[truthstranger]

I don't want to teach any moral! I don't want to be here, I was done with this. We refused to continue! The game was over!

...But I didn't say I wasn't going to do anything. I've contributed just as much and been just as correct about our only culprit so far as you have, so calm down. When and if murders happen, I'll investigate them and find the culprit. I've done it before in higher stakes than this, and there's really no other choice. And in the meantime, I'm going to talk to people and try to understand what they're feeling before they kill anyone. That's the only thing I can do as long as everyone else is still trying.

[very_good_end]

[sneers]

That's the coward's way out, Saihara-san. You aren't judged by what you wanted not to do, you're judged by what you do, in fact, do.

[though she pauses, then re-adopts her ladylike tone when he says he'll keep investigating.]

...All right. Well then, Saihara-san. I look forward to future collaboration with you, if you'll have it. Indeed, I think it would be fascinating to further compare notes... and for both our investigations to be better for it.

Apologies for laughing in such an unseemly way. Please, don't think less of me for it.

[truthstranger]

...

It's fine. I would definitely rather collaborate with you than not. You actually... remind me a bit of someone. Though I don't think you'd like him.

[very_good_end]

Really? Who's that? I do hope you're not about to name a certain fictional detective with a distinct hat, magnifying lens, and cocaine habit. I would take serious offense.

[truthstranger]

No, he was a... friend of mine. Sort of.

[very_good_end]

... I can't help but think the way you say that means I should take offense.

[truthstranger]

Well, he was a compulsive liar and claimed to be the supreme leader of an evil organization.

[very_good_end]

Is that so? [she giggles] Then I must wonder how you have come to associate such a man with moi.

[truthstranger]

He was overly dramatic and had a personality that put everyone off, so he made a lot of enemies.

He also loved playing games, and was trying to fight the mastermind... in his own way.

[very_good_end]

... [grins]

I see. [shrugs] If it's any consolation, I've known plenty of idiots who couldn't bear to suspect the people around them of foul play, even as the murders continued piling up.

...But we're still in the early phases. I'm sure Saihara-san will come to the right conclusions, eventually. He may not be as smart as I, but he seems to have some experience at least.

[truthstranger]

Thank you, I guess.

...At the very least, I've already had to suspect the people closest to me. Even someone... not normally disposed to murder... could have their reasons.

[very_good_end]

Speaking of which... I found it interesting you deigned to visit me that last night, Saihara-san. Were you expecting to find a corpse?

[truthstranger]

...I just wanted to check on you. You weren't making very many friends.

And... the guy I'm comparing you to... didn't survive. So. I wanted to make sure the similarities didn't grow.

[very_good_end]

Don't be ridiculous. The detective can't die... not until certain circumstances are met, at least.

However, what about you, Saihara-san?

Tell me. We're alone. This is far from any venue that could reasonably be called "public."

Who are you planning to go out with on the next 'lovey-dovey couples night', so to speak?

[truthstranger]

...I didn't have any specific plans, yet. Someone I haven't been out with so far.

[very_good_end]

Is that so?

...That is a shame, you know. I would very much like to know who to suspect were Saihara-san to meet his unfortunate demise.

Although, for the sake of having a complete picture, perhaps you could tell me. Who have you already been out with? excusez-moi, I think perhaps my memory has failed if you mentioned it already.

[truthstranger]

Do I not count as a detective enough to not die?

[he doesn’t wait for an answer to that question, it is clearly rhetorical]

I was out with Akechi-kun the first night, and Harukawa-san the second, after I checked on you. I know her from... before.

[very_good_end]

[She answers it seriously.]

You? [scoffs] Count as the detective? Non! Van Dine's Ninth, it is forbidden to have more than one detective. You are serving as an 'investigator'... nothing more.

[Then she shuts up and listens.]

Is that so? Interesting. I was not aware of that connection.

Are you very familiar with her, Saihara-san?

[truthstranger]

...She's one of my closest friends, yes.

[very_good_end]

...Hm. Is she really?

Isn't there a contradiction with that statement and what you've already told me?

[truthstranger]

What contradiction??

[very_good_end]

She's "one of your closest friends"... who you knew before...

And yet, the very first night, you went out with Akechi Goro-san instead?

I have to do some imagining, but supposing I had this close friend who I trusted, I think I should want to go to her immediately and keep close to her. Tell her "We can at least trust each other, let's watch out for anything bad happening and keep each other safe, because we know we won't kill each other."

And yet... instead, Saihara-san goes out with Akechi Goro-san instead?

...Why?

[truthstranger]

I did try to stay with Harukawa-san initially, but Mae-san ended up pulling her away to make friends that night, which seemed nice enough, since Harukawa-san was worried about anyone trusting her. And then Akechi-kun was injured and needed someone to go with him, so...

[very_good_end]

Hm... Injured? What sort of injury?

[truthstranger]

He'd apparently gotten in a fight with Kaiba-kun over burning down the library.