[Day 14, afternoon: Futayo]

[purrtagonist]

[DID YOU SERIOUSLY MAKE THIS INJURED KID WALK UP LIKE FOUR FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO FIND YOU IN THE AQUARIUM TUNNEL, FUTAYO]

[he's wheezing by the time he gets there, leaning heavily against the wall]

Fut-- [GASP] -- yo. . .

G-got a minute?

Comments

[cluelesscavewoman]

She did not, she said it was a personal matter.

[She'd offer you a drink but all she has is booze, oh wait offering anyway.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . lifts a hand and waves it at her to decline the offer. no booze, thanks. he isn't much of a drinker]

Mmm. I wasn't sure if she'd share it with you in private or not.

[a pause]

She did share it with me.

[cluelesscavewoman]

[She cranes her neck to look over fully.]

We did not have much time to speak yesterday.

Erika-dono is a confusing person, it is good that she has someone else that is wiser than I to talk to.

[purrtagonist]

[he isn't about to go into the details of Erika's "stick," but]

Her stick was bad enough that she asked me to kill her.

[BLUNT]

[cluelesscavewoman]

[Well that throws her off.]

Huh?

[purrtagonist]

[mmmmyep]

She was so desperate for a mystery that she asked me to kill her.

[he repeats, tone even]

Her own set of personal rules prevents her from creating a mystery herself by being the direct culprit. But it doesn't prevent her from orchestrating one as a manipulator, apparently.

Obviously, I turned her down.

[cluelesscavewoman]

[???]

I do not understand. Erika-dono said that she cannot be killed until the end.

[purrtagonist]

I imagine she said that before the "sticks" were released. But hers was compelling enough for her to willingly give up her position as the detective to prevent it from occurring.

[cluelesscavewoman]

[Thinks]

Judge, she said it before, during one of the other nights. Before you and Ichigo-dono were injured. She said that I had made a good choice in friends because she had to live and Ichigo-dono was likely to live as well...

[purrtagonist]

Circumstances change.

[he sighs, thunks the back of his head against the wall]

Can you understand why I'm bringing this up to you, Futayo?

[cluelesscavewoman]

I do not. You are being confusing.

[And she crosses her arms and goes back to watching the fish.]

[purrtagonist]

. . .

I was worried Erika may have asked you to kill Maki for her last night.

[it's not an accusation. it's a gentle, serious concern]

[cluelesscavewoman]

She did not ask. Before the night started we only discussed which areas we would explore.

[purrtagonist]

[he breathes out a sigh of relief, and nods]

All right.

Shuichi has already hinted at that theory in his conversations with Erika. I just. . . want you to be careful, okay?

[cluelesscavewoman]

[She's so confused right now.]

...Why do I have to be careful?

[purrtagonist]

[Futayo!!]

Because he may think you're the culprit at Erika's bidding, and thus put in his vote for you.

[cluelesscavewoman]

[Completely, utterly, unfazed. It's like you just told her water is wet.]

That is fine.

I have already placed my vote for myself.

[purrtagonist]

[startled]

What? Why?

[cluelesscavewoman]

Because this one wants Masazaumi to be safe.

[It's really simple.]

[purrtagonist]

[???]

And how does voting for yourself accomplish that?

[cluelesscavewoman]

Because you are supposed to vote for the people who killed someone else... I do not know who killed the others though.

[She's missed like 90% of this investigation.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . . . . . . . .]

That's. . . what we're trying to figure out.

[cluelesscavewoman]

I am not very good at this, so I cannot help.

[Hence the staying here all day.]

[purrtagonist]

. . . but you still put in a vote for yourself.

Knowing that people are supposed to put in votes for someone who killed another person.

[once again, subtly, asking her if she was the one who killed Maki]

[cluelesscavewoman]

Judge.

[You should know by now, subtle won't work.]