[Week 5, Saturday: Magnus and Taako]

[purrtagonist]

[and now it's time for the obnoxious couple that always goes everywhere together. aka, Akira's new adopted D&D parents]

[he doesn't know what it is about these two, but they always manage to make him feel better. maybe it's because they obviously aggressively care about him? and he isn't used to being, well. aggressively cared about. especially not in these circumstances]

[but, either way. he's seeking them out when everything comes to an end]

For the record, I didn't go into the trial intending to confess or ask people to vote for me.

[. . .]

It just kind of happened.

Comments

[chaoticlootral]

[Taako is. Well, let's not say elated, because, people are still dying? But he's a little giddy, mostly on relief.]

Story of our life, pal. Story of our life.

[ruffboi]

[Yeah. That's kind of his mood too - relieved. This trial was a mess, but there were a lot of worse ways it could've gone.]

I think it was for the best. I'm glad everyone knows now - most of 'em paying attention did anyway, but this way they aren't making assumptions about you guys.

[purrtagonist]

[a mess indeed. and he still isn't sure he's okay with the results. he hates letting Seizaburo and Mutsu take the fall for him, but if it was really and truly what those two wanted. . .]

I think it would've hurt my case more to deny it when Mutsunokami asked. I would've straight up told him I was a Reaper too, but that's-- there are rules.

[and he makes a face when he says "rules," because by now he's so sick and tired of them]

[chaoticlootral]

No, I, uh, think you did the right thing.

Mutsu wasn't exactly subtle, earlier in the week, when he was talking about his plans and what we might have to do. I think of anyone, they were okay with it.

[As long as they, y'know bring 'em back.]

Well! Two more weeks.

[ruffboi]

Yeah. We just have to make it without everything erupting into chaos. [Though he hates to say it, but the fact that Ass is gone makes that. Much more achievable.]

...We never asked, you know, how you chose Velvet. If the plan was, uh, to get rid of him.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . oh]

[. . .]

I tried to make a deal with Shin, actually.

[ah]

I told him that if he let me live long enough to hit the time limit, then I'd let him have me in the last week. No arguments, no fighting back. [hm] He accepted, but I think. . . some part of me knew that he never intended to hold up his end. Especially after knowing people like Setz had tried to talk him out of coming after me, only to fail.

[. . .]

It was cruel, but we chose Velvet because she seemed dangerous. She was talking about killing everyone during our first week here, even if she never acted on it. And her being attached to Shin was kind of a. . . [he cringes at the word he uses next] Bonus? I don't know.

[chaoticlootral]

Yeesh. So that kinda seals the deal. No more negotiating with terrorists.

[He cringes, but only just a little, at the description of how they picked. He had an idea, but. Yeah. It's not a process he wants to particularly be involved in.]

Maybe, uh. Next week will be easier. We just have to ask someone. [And their partner take the fall in trial.] Assuming no one else blows up and goes rogue.

[ruffboi]

It's not cruel. It makes sense. It makes sense to choose these kinda, uh, pragmatically, if that's what needs to get done. Besides, at least she wasn't another teenager. I'm kinda sick of seeing teens die.

[He's sure Akira is sick of it, too. Maybe for different reasons.]

You need a partner next week, though. That's the part of it that's rough. You gotta partner up with the partner of whoever gets picked. But maybe that makes it easier for someone who wants to volunteer, if they know they aren't dragging their partner down with them.

[purrtagonist]

All of our choices were for pragmatic reasons.

[which. he hates to admit, because it makes it sound like he's reducing actual lives to nothing but pros and cons. but hey, that's neither here nor there. he has to live with his own choices, doesn't he?]

[and he nods]

Yeah. Maybe. Now that everyone knows, I guess that's something we can talk about in public before we're forced to make our choice.

[. . .]

But for what it's worth, I'm going to ask the Composer to give us another break.

[they did it once!! maybe they can do it again!! all he can do is ask]

[chaoticlootral]

[Hmmm! Hmm. Well, Akira maybe didn't hear the implications of what Magnus was suggesting there - though, maybe Magnus didn't either? Either way, he's barely listening. Instead of, uh, actually talking about this or processing what anyone's saying, he just rounds on Magnus and slaps the absolute shit out of him.]

Don't you fucking dare.

[Don't fight in front of the child, Taako!!!!!!]

[ruffboi]

[You didn't even pierce his AC, but okay! Just rubbing the spot where Taako hit him like it hurt a lot, even though it didn't. But. It still kind of smarts, to get called out.]

Geez. I didn't even say anything! A break week sounds A-okay to me.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . HONESTY AKIRA HADN'T EVEN PICKED UP that Magnus may have been willing to be one of those volunteers. he watches the exchange for a minute, blinking rapidly, before he just. snorts softly]

Considering how much you two helped me this past week? I'm on Taako's side on this one.

[DON'T YOU DARE MANGO]

I'll let you guys know what they say about another break week, though.

[chaoticlootral]

[ . . . shaking out his hand, because that did actually kinda hurt a lot. This backfired.]

Thank you.

And let us know. I don't think she'd like it as much if we asked.

[ruffboi]

She loves us, but she doesn't want to admit it. That's usually how it goes with the competent women we meet.

[purrtagonist]

I think she'd be okay with anyone asking, actually. It'd just mean more coming from. . . well.

[someone like him, who was. forced to Erase people??]