[Day 17, daytime: Will]

[purrtagonist]

[tiredly, but there's a layer of tension in his words, like he's holding back]

What did you say to Tsumugi to get him to kill Dazai?

Comments

[purrtagonist]

[a wry laugh]

Talked? No. Fought? Yeah.

I told him I thought the part about power dynamics was bullshit.

[theyregooddogs]

No, about you suspecting me.

[purrtagonist]

[oh]

No. I haven't. Why?

[theyregooddogs]

Thinking of his reaction, that's all.

[you know, what to do with that hour, etc]

[purrtagonist]

[. . .]

How do you think he'd react?

[theyregooddogs]

Depends on how you frame it, how it pans out. I don't want—to give too much of him away to you. At least, my understanding of him.

[purrtagonist]

[haa. . .]

I wonder if our understanding is the same, or different?

[theyregooddogs]

It's different. Because I can understand him.

[purrtagonist]

[no arguments there, but he does say]

I am learning to understand him.

[theyregooddogs]

Mmm.

[there's a brief flutter of a smile before will is back to normal, glancing off]

[purrtagonist]

[god. GOD!!!]

I'm really angry about Dazai and Tsumugi.

[so why does he just feel so. . . exhausted? and tired? instead of filled with his usual righteous rage]

[theyregooddogs]

I know. A lot of us are. That's why I'm not deflecting it, but I'm not going to lie either.

[purrtagonist]

No. But I do think you're pretty good at selective truths.

[theyregooddogs]

I am. But I wasn't involved with what happened to Dazai and Tsumugi beyond what everyone saw.

[purrtagonist]

[. . .]

[he finally stands up, wobbling a bit because, injured leg]

I don't think you killed Erika.

[he says, finally]

And even if the rules of this came don't consider you a killer just for manipulating someone?

The rest of us do.

[he says that, but there's no fire in his words, not heat in his voice. and with that, he is limping off]