[WEEK 5: Thursday morning, Room 116; Andersen]

[nowyouseeit]

[there are shuffling noises coming from inside Kaito's room! but he hasn't exited yet. knock knock, to see who's home?]

Comments

[nowyouseeit]

[drops his arm and turns to face Andersen again, lifting his chin to stare at him defiantly, angry fire burning in his eyes]

[what?]

[nowyouseeit]

[oooooh my god. closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath to calm himself, to push away the part that still aches with the fresh wounds of betrayed trust. because honestly? outside of Yukina and Jay. . . Andersen was the person-- no, the friend-- he trusted the most of all]

[he's angry. he's angry and hurt and so damn tired of this]

In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Author, there's five of us. Neither Girge nor Tsurugi are willing to accept the deal, and the Prophets? Get revived at the very end by the Unclean no matter what happens. They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. If you think we wanted to scapegoat them because we thought they were "bad guys" who "deserved to die," then you're sorely mistaken.

[it's a shitty, cold, dark plan, and it made Kaito feel like dirt underneath every single layer of his being. but only three could survive. only three. and Girge and Tsurugi were more than willing to go along with it, the Hunters willing to accept it as long as everyone is revived in the end]

[he doesn't think Andersen understands them enough to see what they were trying to accomplish]

And for what it's worth? You opening your big mouth put Girge in just as much danger as the Hunters. I'm fairly certain he trusts us way more than he trusts you right now.

[squares his shoulders again and turns on his heel, back facing Andersen again]

Stop us from taking people's lives, kill us this weekend, lynch us between the end of the trial and the execution, or take us out next week. If that's what you and the rest of the people here want? Then fine. We likely won't fight it.

But if you do that, then you're likely going to condemn sixteen plus souls to an eternity in a place worse than hell, unless you can find three other people you trust to save the dead.

[a beat]

And if you're blabbing everything to everyone, you could at least give them the whole truth instead of just half of it.

[nowyouseeit]

[rubs at his eyes again, because he just wants to Nap Forever at this point]

I can't save everyone.

[he knows that. he knows that]

But I will damn well try to save those I can.

[reaches out to steady himself on the stairwell railing, but doesn't descend just yet]

If choice is what you guys wanted so badly, then I hope you make the right one on Saturday. I hope. . . you are all okay with carrying this burden.

And I hope you can make a decision on who you trust to save the dead.

[nowyouseeit]

You're stupider. And there's way more to us than you think, too, Andersen.

[. . .]

[when he next speaks, his voice cracks a bit, b/c he's too exhausted to keep up the mask]

What was the favor you needed?

[. . . KAITO YOU JUST YELLED AT HIM FOR TEN MINUTES WHY]

[nowyouseeit]

I feel like shit. I wonder why.

[he says dryly]

. . . I can't nap. I have too many fires to put out, to make sure that people don't jump straight to the lynching option this Saturday.

[nowyouseeit]

At this point, death would be a release.

[he just. laughs. tired and humorless]

But I've got work to do, even if everyone else is working against us.

[nowyouseeit]

The dead still can't be revived unless there are only three survivors, Andersen.

I won't abandon them. Even if you and everyone else here will.

[nowyouseeit]

. . . you do realize the cycle is gonna continue, whether we save the dead or not, right?

[LIKE]

[THEY CAN STOP THIS RITUAL, BUT. ANOTHER ONE IS STILL GONNA HAPPEN]

[nowyouseeit]

[WHATEVER TINY GRANDPA!!]

[he's heading down the stairs now]