alchemenace | week 6, thursday w/ akechi

[buddy]

Do you speak raccoon?

[ Varian jumps and nearly breaks a beaker, fumbling with it a few times before catching it. why. why!!! he nearly gives himself whiplash turning but then sighs when he notices it's just akechi. local murder mascot. :/ ]

Ha ha, no. I considered working on a translator once, but it's kind of low priority. He's more like a ... soundboard. Right Rudiger?

[ rudiger is staring straight at akechi with his raccoon eyes and does not answer. is he judging akechi's sins or looking for food? ]

[I hope it's judging him because his sins are vast and varied]

I see. I suppose everyone needs their own incomprehensible quirks.

[talking to raccoons is yours, Varian!! anyway. he steps into the lab, and. . . closes the door behind him]

[hm]

A moment of your time, if you will. I'd like to discuss the identity of. . . [a beat] "A friend."

According to my village, I am nothing but incomprehensible quirks.

[ it's a joke, but then his eyes widen for a second when akechi closes the door, and he smiles a bit nervously. ]

What, did you find out who it was? Please tell me it's not secretly from an Editor.

[. . . :)]

I do wonder if it is, actually.

[leans his back casually against the door, hands folded in front of him. he is. blocking the entrance. his smile is pleasant!! he isn't trying to be threatening, but. he's. like this]

I know for a fact, thanks to my role as a Historian, that those with extra titles are offered the opportunity to inquire into the nature of this game every time they complete a task related to said title. Similar to how Blotters are given the chance to ask questions if they get away with murder.

[tilts. his head]

You never did tell me the source of the information you shared with me, Varian-san.

[ Varian fiddles with his goggles half-mindedly, a twist to his mouth ]

... I don't know any Editors, if that's what you're asking. [ he's obviously playing dumb, now, and he knows it, grabbing at his arm after saying that. ...but also: ] All eleven of you, and yet it's sounding to me like the flow of information isn't happening the way it should. Is it?

[just. arches a brow, because he definitely knows Varian is playing dumb. but he'll get back to that in a minute]

It isn't, but I suppose that's because our communication is inhibited by lack of trust.

[which isn't surprising Akechi is a KNOWN KILLER]

The letter-- and the jars, by the way-- was a far more clever idea in disseminating that information than the idea the other Historians and I came up with.

But you could have said something to me when I gave you said letter to share.

[ motherfucker. varian's mouth is definitely twisting in a half-sneer this time before he shrugs, trying to look blank faced and coming out annoyed ]

It's not that difficult to have a more clever idea than what you guys have come up with so far. [ okay, that's petty. ] I'd already prepared everything by the time you came to me, and I figured if they didn't trust the initial one, yours would be a pretty good back-up. ... And a pretty good cover for me.

[ but then he frowns ]

Who told you, anyway?

[just! smiles, clearly pleased, even though he did like. zero detective work in figuring this out. he's the worst]

I'll tell you if you answer a question for me first.

Are you one of the Editors?

[and then, he adds quickly, because he knows Varian has no reason to tell him the truth if he is an Editor--]

Rest assured, it isn't as though I could share the information with someone if you were. You have quite a bit on me at this point.

[since. murder. Evan. that is happening]

I'm simply curious.

[ well. that pleases him right back, since all he does is smirk ]

Nope. I don't have any role at all. Never even got picked for Blotter! Nice try, though.

[ he really loses nothing by admitting that. ]

[there's a heavy pause, thick like butter, where Akechi just watches Varian with a curious but neutral expression. it's difficult to tell what he's thinking, but context may help. . . I don't believe you]

[but whatever he might think about Varian's answer. . . getting the truth from him now doesn't seem to be a priority. so Akechi merely smiles and straightens his tie, fingers running across the edges]

Very well.

Who do you think told me?

[ ... ]

Well, I'd say as a detective, you could've just figured out that I shared that same info with you right before that letter went out. But I'm rather certain that, since most of the week has passed and you're confronting me about it, someone had to tell you.

[ is he stalling to be a shit or to think about it? it's a mystery. he pauses and snaps his fingers ]

So. Belph?

[. . . EVERYONE ALWAYS THROWS SHADE AT THE DETECTIVE PART!!! because it's legit, he sucks]

[a scowl]

To be fair, Belph-san supplied me with the same information you did at the exact same time. I thought he may have been the one responsible.

[SO :T :T :T]

But yes, you're correct. It was Belph-san.

[ learn to detect, akechi. ]

And exactly why did he think it was necessary to share that, anyway? It's not like it matters.

[ varian says, after being petty as fuck because he was mad he was outed ]

Because I enjoy knowing things.

[that's. that's it]

And I asked him to let me know if he found out who was responsible.

So he just... told you it was me. Jars and all. That's it?

[ why is belph, says his tone ]

He didn't say anything about the jars.

[oh]

That part was just an educated guess. I presumed whoever wrote the letter had to be responsible for the jars.

[ ... well. ]

Well. For once you presumed right. That was me. It seemed like the easiest way to keep track of things while also sharing the stats to everyone. It's not flawless, since no one is forcing people to put in things and obviously people can lie, but.

[ but it's his arts and crafts project. rip. ]

[it's a cute project, Varian]

The only thing I'm worried about is someone potentially manipulating the jars on purpose. [. . .] Particularly in light of a letter Sousei-san sent to Bunch from the Other Side.

[ deadpan ]

Was it about balance.

[just]

[pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Varian]

Continue along your ████. If this is what we must ██ ██ ████ our happy ending, then I must regretfully ████ ██ ████████ for it. It is ████ to ██████ ████ no villain objectives have been accomplished on this side. I have not spoken with ████████ here, but it seems unlikely at best. I will attempt to get more █████ ██████████ for you when I can.

Encourage those who remain to do theirs, if you can.

Additionally, be wary. I believe there is something out there attempting ██ ████████ us.

Abe no ██████.

[ ... he reads it and frowns, mouthing along the blanks and counting spaces as he tries to fill them as he goes ]

Continue along your path... do to get our happy ending... No surprise there about the dead villains. [ said with the sigh of a dead man. but. ... hm. ] Something out there attempting to sabotage us?

[ that's his guess, anyway. ]

Sabotage how?

We aren't sure. None of us have noticed anything overt. But perhaps there was merit to our previous discussion on the existence of some force attempting to tilt the game into Tiger-san's favor.

Yeah. If this is meant to be a war, there's too much stacked in Dragon's favor. Sure, her ending's harder to get, but who wouldn't want it? They've been doing this for way too long for things to be this straightforward.

[ ... then again. ]

Though Sousei said something, not someone.

[ hrrmmmmmmmm ]

That's right. We noticed that as well.

Something doesn't seem to imply another Narrator.

If I didn't think it was highly unlikely, I'd point the finger at Tiger and Dragon's own "writer".

. . . it's curious that you put it in those terms.

I asked Tiger-san what it is she wanted should she win this war game. Do you know what her answer was?

[a beat]

Freedom.

I asked them something similar. If they were in charge of their own story. That's why...

[ he shrugs ]

They're not as in control as they like to pretend they are.

They aren't.

[he echoes]

Because when I asked Dragon-san the same question, her response was "rest." And, of course, victory for all of us. Something to make our struggles worth it.

[a small shrug]

But who or what could be above them is beyond me.

Edited 2018-07-20 00:21 (UTC)

Whoever or whatever they are... I'd rather not have to deal with them. But if they're the ones sabotaging us... Well. Hopefully, they're not. We're having enough trouble as it is.

I'll bear this in mind for the next time I speak with the Crafters. I hope you do likewise.

[when he talks to them]

[during his like]

[weekly Editor meeting or w/e??]

You really think they could tell you if it was?

They talk about a little more with each passing week, don't they?

Perhaps, if they couldn't talk about it before, they can now.

Well ... it's worth a shot, if nothing else.

[ ... hm. ]

Have you tried leaving stuff at their shrines?

week 6, thursday w/ akechi

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