[Week 1, Saturday: Madara]

[purrtagonist]

[what a fucking stressful day]

[like he does after every Erasure-- murder-- after every trial, after every execution, Akira wanders. the fresh air of this Shibuya doesn't taste or smell like home, but for some reason, he finds solace in it anyway. it clears his head, gives him time to think, to turn over the events of the day in his head]

[but sometimes, you know. he runs into people during his wanderings. the areas to which they are confined aren't very big, after all]

Mikejima-san?

[huh. head tilted]

Are you out here taking a scenic stroll, too?

[through the. trash-covered streets of Shibuya]

Comments

[speckling]

Yup.

[ this is spoken at 50% cheerfulness, which might be a sign that even he is feeling the post-trial stress. or reading the mood. ]

I want the fresh air, actually. I actually don't like being trapped in a building, one that smells like fried food and stressed people no less, trying to wrap my head around a murder mystery. I get restless, so now I am here with Akira-san.

[ they didn't even really solve it? he can't tell if the last trial was really that much worse than this. ]

[purrtagonist]

[considering he killed someone the first week here? even 50% cheerfulness seems like a lot for Akira, but he admires it nevertheless, and Madara's response earns a tiny little smile]

There are definitely worse places to be.

[he replies with a low chuckle]

Come on. The park, as messy as it is, might be a nice place to walk.

[they'll get. . . uh. mostly worn-down city park scenery, but hey! cherry blossoms!]

[speckling]

[ circumstances make him very resilient, so being the w0 murder wasn't the worst thing to happen to the game, maybe. he didn't snap or despair! anyway though, he nods in agreement ].

That's what they're meant for, right? Place should have simple purposes like that so they're used well~ But yeah, let's go.

[ he's say something like, "oh that's the first I've gotten to see you smile that wasn't for something funny", but let's aim higher. in the meantime, cherries! ]

Oh, the blossoms still look great at night! Even a messy place like this has lights from the bottom to make them look nice. It's something. Hm...

[ there's a look in madara's eyes that says he would like to climb a tree.... but it's gotta be a good one for that. ]

[purrtagonist]

[that's a good sign! someone here is pretty darn strong]

[when they do reach the park, Akira stays silent and lets Madara do most of the talking as he extends a hand to catch a falling sakura blossom. he does happen to glance at his fellow dead person just in time to catch that spark of. . . something in the backs of his eyes. and even if he can't read minds, he can sort of understand what it means]

[because he, himself, has worn it before]

Race you to the top?

[TREE CLIMBING CONTEST]

[speckling]

[ HELL YEAH. good news: the tree now closest to them is perfect. healthy, sturdy branches, and enough for both of them. ]

Hahaha, it's a challenge then~ I have something for you if you can beat me, okay?

[ so they each take a side of this big ol' tree, and on their marks, ready... ]

Go!

[purrtagonist]

[whoa, raising the stakes there, aren't you Madara! Akira isn't opposed, even though he hadn't meant for this to be a competition with a wager]

Right!

[he bolts forward on Madara's cue with a surprising amount of speed and dexterity for someone of his stature, vaulting himself from the ground to grab the lowest hanging branch and literally swing himself up like he's some kind of flippy acrobat]

[hm]

[Madara may have made a mistake]

[speckling]

[ oh yeah he definitely made a mistake. madara's not too shabby either, he's light on his feet when he needs to be move from branch to branch swiftly. but yes, he loses out to the phantom thief flippy tricks. maybe he got distracted. ]

I feel utterly deceived!

[ that's said without any negativity but a big grin, looking up at where akira is on the tree. ]

I don't think you're human at all. Maybe a crow in disguise?

[purrtagonist]

Utterly deceived? You're the one who accepted my proposal without asking about my skills.

[Akira teases from the top of the tree, where his legs dangle over the edge and his hand hangs onto the truck for balance and support]

[at the mention of "crow," his smile falters slightly. there's no way he can't link that word back to Akechi, and Akechi back to. . .]

Not a crow.

[he corrects]

But a cat, perhaps.

[speckling]

A cat works, we can both be cats! [ trivia; mike in mikejima is synonymous with calico. madara also means calico ] Just don't get stuck, okay? I'm not a firefighter.

[ he's aware of his mistake in that slight change to akira's smile, so he can move on, hopping down. ]

I can deliver you your prize on the ground, it's light and could get lost in the cherry blossoms if our luck with nature is that bad ☆

[purrtagonist]

[your name is calico calico, Madara]

Ooooh, now you've got me excited.

[and now he's totally dropping himself straight from the top of the tree to the ground, landing in a nicely poised crouch. HE REALLY IS A CAT]

What is it?

[speckling]

[ LEAVE HIM BE, HIS SURNAME IS THE TRADITIONAL WORD FOR IT AND MADARA IS THE MORE INFORMAL ONE THAT GOOGLE TRANSLATE LIKES TO CALL HIM.

anyway, madara actually claps for the 10.0 landing with his hands free from climbing now. ]

I found it in Wildkat, hidden in the cash register. Here!

[ he takes it out of his hoodie pocket and it's... a soft, almost impossibly white feather that's somehow intact despite its bigger than average size. it's also somehow immune to the pink overlay of the lights combined with the illuminated sakura petals casting over them? yeah, weird. ]

Pretend it's lucky? I want you to have good luck!

[purrtagonist]

[. . . huh. somehow, he wasn't expecting a feather? but he reaches out to take it, running his fingers against the fringes]

Ah. . . thanks.

[a small smile]

But are you sure it's okay for me to have this?

[speckling]

I'm very sure!

[ hands free, he holds them out like... well, what you think a "voila" looks like if you didn't have the magic of tv or anime to do special effects. ]

No matter what significance it may have or not, if it's given away as a gift, then it becomes special that way, doesn't it?

[ the answer is he doesn't know and he figures max won't help him much, so it's now akira's problem. ]

You had such a morose face earlier when we started this game, Akira-san. But now I know you can have fun, and your sense of humor is good. Never lose that.

[purrtagonist]

[it's fine, it's a problem Akira is accepting willingly??]

[especially when Madara talks about Akira's morose expression, coupled with pointing out that despite that, Akira is still capable of having fun. which. . . honestly? is extremely true]

I won't.

[he slips the feather into his pocket]

So long as you don't lose your energetic smile, all right?