Not Again! With Yams

[shortforever]

something something sweet potato

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Week 1, post-trial

[shortforever]

[He's over by the lake again! He's being angry and aloof and away from everyone, but he's available to talk to.]

[okitactless]

[HELLO CHUUYA-KUN have a pompom. It's not hard to hear him coming because he is still a sniffly boy but he is going to wander up and just, very easily--]

Did you kill him?

[He mostly just sounds curious, not accusatory.]

[shortforever]

No, I didn't.

[He figured people would ask. At least SOMEONE is being nice about it.]

[okitactless]

[Poor Chuuya. But Yasusada just nods, like he'd expected that.]

I didn't think you had.

[But he'd wanted to be sure, even though Chuuya could easily be lying. It seems pretty likely that all of their footprint evidence was pointless to begin with, though.

That said,]

Are you alright?

[shortforever]

As long as nobody attacks me, I'll be fine.

[Yeah he. Thinks people still suspect him. Which is why he's avoiding most people.]

[okitactless]

[He

holds up his sword

but it's kind of ruined when he sneezes]

Do you need a guard?

[shortforever]

Nah, I can protect myself. I just don't wanna have to, since defensive kills count as murder. Plus we barely know each other, I couldn't ask that of you.

[okitactless]

I suppose you'd be alright if you just maimed them, but that might be difficult. [Why are swords like this.

And while he's a sword and protecting is kind of his job, Chuuya has a fair point, too, so he doesn't argue.]

I'm sure Dazai-kun wouldn't mind, though.

[shortforever]

Dazai can kiss my ass if he thinks I need protection.

[okitactless]

[Chuuya please no more talk of asses today]

Do you at least have a weapon?

[shortforever]

I can fight.

[That's a no. No weapons.]

[okitactless]

[chuUYA PLEASE]

Do you know how to use weapons?

[shortforever]

Of course I do, how else would I defend myself?

[Nevermind that he can't get guns here.]

[okitactless]

[CHUUYA PLEASE!!!]

If you know, and you want to be alone, then you should carry it with you. That's what we're meant for, you know?

Week 4, post-trial

[shortforever]

[TIME TO VISIT THE DOOMED BOY

He's actually never visited someone in the isolation cabin, so he just. Knocks on some part of the door or door frame to announce his presence.]

Hey?

[okitactless]

[Yasusada's here! Black Shadows is with him, but they'll step out when Chuuya comes in.

Yasusada's sitting down, holding his Okita doll with his good arm. He looks very tired, but he's not screaming and crying anymore. He nods at Chuuya.]

Chuuya-kun.

[shortforever]

Hey.

[Time to sit down nearby, because standing sucks.]

I'm sorry. We tried, we really did. But we should've tried harder.

[okitactless]

[He shakes his head.]

It's alright. I was always supposed to be caught. [...He thinks Chuuya might understand, so--] These games are cruel. I did what I could to make it swift and honorable.

[If that counts for anything.]

[shortforever]

Trust me, I get you. More than most here, probably.

[He hesitates for a moment, but then he explains.]

When I killed someone at the mansion, I did it as quick and painlessly as I could. No point in drawing it out, yeah?

[So it does count for something.]

How'd you narrow it down to him or Magnus, anyway?

[okitactless]

[Chuuya gets it--and Yasusada's shoulders slump, just a little, in relief. It's always a risk, explaining his views on things like this to humans. He's grateful every time he finds someone who listens without judgment, who knows how things have to be, sometimes.]

Right. Exactly. Yu-kun was strong, and he fought well. [Yasusada wouldn't have been upset if Yin Yu killed him, instead.

But he'll explain.]

We met after the trial, to talk about the evidence again. Whoever fought Tomioka-kun had to have been bigger than him, strong enough to throw him out of the window and get his weapon away from him. The footprints, the fight--once we thought about it more clearly, it had to have been one of them. Yu-kun had a dagger, and Tomioka-kun had cuts on his side.

[Except now he's convinced that it was Magnus but that's neither here nor there.]

I'll tell you what I know for sure, though. I promise you Sanji-kun wouldn't have targeted Magnus without telling me.

[shortforever]

[Chuuya is quiet as he listens, taking everything in. This is in pursuit of the truth, after all, so he needs those good listening skills. It's such a change from his usual shouty self too.]

When I killed, I did it just before all the doors locked in the mansion. That way I could make it to hang out with a group for curfew.

When midnight hit, they all fell asleep, but I stayed awake. And it's the same here, right? Everyone passes out except the victims and killers.

So that's what I don't get. If you were with Sanji when midnight hit, you should have known he was awake. And if he was awake unexpectedly, you two would have planned around that, right? So what went wrong here? How did you not know he was awake?

[okitactless]

[He looks thoughtful, staring at the ground.]

I really don't know. It looked like he was asleep, when I left. [So either something was in place to keep Sanji unconscious, or it was an illusion.] I made sure I didn't tell him anything about what I was going to do. I didn't want him to get caught on accident, instead of me. If I'd known he was awake, I would have stayed with him.

[shortforever]

There's no chance he was faking it so you would go off without worrying about him, right?

[Because that's possible too.]

[okitactless]

[He thinks about it seriously--but ultimately shakes his head.]

I don't think so. I was more concerned he'd use his ability to try and frame himself or someone else. If he was going to kill secretly, he wouldn't have done it this week.

[...Fine. For Chuuya, he'll add, very quietly--]

...He saw a memory of mine. When my master died, holding me. And he was there when I was chosen in the castle, because I was afraid for Okita-kun. [He'd been innocent that time and everything.] He never would've left me behind like this, if he could help it.

[shortforever]

[...ah. Chuuya nods.]

I believe you. And you know, he's gonna be so mad if you show up on that side.

[If. Not when.]

...you need to fight seriously tomorrow, okay? I don't care who it is. Fight. You had a plan, right? To have one of each of you on either side of this game. So fight, and live, so you can continue your plan.

[okitactless]

[SANJI HAS NO RIGHT TO BE MAD WHAT A BUTT!! He... gives Chuuya the tiniest of smiles, but it's very tired.]

Even if I win, I doubt they'll let me set foot outside if the execution ring. [BECAUSE LIKE. He is guilty. But he'll at least say this much--] I'll fight as honorably as I can, though.

[shortforever]

If you win and anyone tries anything funny, I've got your back. I haven't used my power yet this week.

[He. Sounds serious as he says that too.]

[okitactless]

[Oh. That's unexpected--his brow furrows a little.]

Can you--is it safe to tell me what it is?

[shortforever]

[He shakes his head.]

It's better if you don't know, then you can claim ignorance. But it's a power for attacking others, and disabling or killing someone with it is very easy.

...for the record, I haven't used it yet either. Not even once.

[okitactless]

[It's clear from the look on his face that he hadn't expected to have anyone in his corner, considering his own guilt. But he nods, after a moment.]

I believe you. [He's probably a dead man walking next week, even if he does survive--but he promised Ookurikara that he'd fight honorably. He can do the same for Chuuya, and let fate do as it will.] ...I'll try, then. We still need to rescue Okita-kun.

[shortforever]

[Good, he understands then. Chuuya nods.]

It's up to you to get that far, though. If you win, you win, and nobody has any right to be mad at you over it. That's what's fair.

[But only if he gets that far to begin with.]

Make it through tomorrow, and then we can talk plans for saving people.