I ask, you answer. That's how this works, my little school mystery.
[ so yeah hanako's 100% right it makes him nuts. also something something inquisitor ]
Now, it is a trade, of course. It will not take long. [ he wiggles one of the cards with a smile on his face. ] My first question is thus. Are the deaths of Danny and Vane your responsibility?
[ he holds up the mika card and clicks his tongue in a tsktsk. ] Not yet. Once I've received both answers, you may have them both. I'm quite fond of you, Hanako, but I've my own scruples to stick to.
[ but in a gesture of good faith he brings it down so it's within reach, holding the other one up and not relinquishing his grip on either. ]
My second question. Have you been involved in the murders that resulted in unsolved cases, besides Danny and Vane?
[ i fucking knew it also. he sets the card in his hand, but doesn't immediately let go, though this time his usual inquisitor smile shifts a bit, into less scary questioning and more placid normalcy, if a bit judging. ]
Your confession is safe with me. But, [ a little more serious, now: ] you ought to tell Datz. All of these answers will come out when the dead return. He cares about you far too much to have to hear those words from someone else's mouth.
You also ought to apologize to Tama. She was very, very upset.
[ and now he releases the cards. all yours. double mikas!! ] Thank you for your cooperation.
[ Double Mikas!!! but at what cost....... a low one, apparently, because Hanako looks more unsure about telling Datz than he does about admitting his crimes. ]
Tama needn't worry about Satan. Satan's immortal across time and space- it's why I chose him. And Datz...
[ he looks at the Mikas in his hands for a moment, before looking back up at Temenos ]
Datz always told me I should bring him along if I felt like I had to do something. Why would I ever tell him?
[ immortal across time and space, but he doesn't push that, beyond it, instead focusing on the bit about datz - meeting hanako's eye contact evenly, mouth pulling into a little frown. ]
Because he thinks I'm a little kid that needs protecting. He and Ryuki are always like that, telling me not to do anything dangerous— and then they both go off and get hurt themselves!
Have you ever considered it was because he and Ryuki care about you? And that perhaps withholding this information from them makes them feel as though you don't trust them?
I don't, though? [ uh ] I mean, I love them, but for something this important, I can only rely on myself. You get that, don't you?
[ bringing other people into it means too many uncontrolled variables. he just doesn't trust easily, if at all, never had anybody else in which to place that trust ]
[ he doesn't trust easily, either, so, yeah. he does get it. there's one (1) single person in this entire place that has earned even a modicum of his, so maybe that is part of what makes this feel genuine as an offer.
he pulls his hand back. ]
...But you just confessed to me for two trading cards. Perhaps now, with the dead returning to us any day now, you ought to tell them.
[ ??? confess to them that he's a serial murderer, who acted on his own without regard to anybody else, who trusted neither his teammates nor his friends, who kept quiet while they tried so hard every week to figure out the truth, who not only refused to trust but betrayed the trust given to him
nothing good would come out of it. at least Temenos had trading cards ]
[ oh, sweet hanako. his mouth pulls into a frown, and he's quiet for a second, thinking that over. this conversation feels familiar, somehow. ]
... Will they? Or will they hate it more that you hid it until the very end? What happened to Danny and Vane is still fresh, if you chose to tell them just that. And, there is a certain kind of bravery in being willing to own up to what you've done, after the fact.
Vane and I were quite close, you know. I don't hate you, for what you did to him; beyond the answers, I am glad that you told me, even if I had to bribe it out of you. [ the last part is said with a bit of humor, a wry smile, before he continues. ]
I don't know Ryuki as well, but I do know it would mean the world to Datz if you told him. If they wanted to keep you safe if killed, why would that stop when you did?
[ Ryuki's a police officer. He'll definitely hate the idea of living under the same roof as a murderer regardless of what Hanako's reasons were. Datz might understand his reasons, but he's also a nice guy in general- there's no way he'd forgive so many transgressions ]
The same reason you'd want to keep a puppy safe, until it grows up to be a wolf that's killed half your flock. I'm the evil spirit of a murderer, Temenos...
[ he's the furthest thing from a sweet innocent child ]
You have to give other people the chance to decide on their opinions of you fairly. Otherwise, you only assume. You do the people you care for a disservice by leaving them in the darkness.
[ and it's... hard. it's hard, for a moment, because he thinks of the events of thursday, of vane, of the implications of the evidence, and he thinks of kaldena and the way she threw crick to the side as collateral damage, for knowing too much. i'm the evil spirit of a murderer, he says. he died because there was no sense in living in this dark world of despair, arcanette's voice echoes.
...temenos falls silent, for a moment, and it takes him longer to speak because of it, but when he does, it's measured and serious. ]
...I cannot tell you what to do one way or another. But I can warn you, that you have a very precious window of time to confess to them of your own volition. If you want the two of them to support you, you will have to give them that chance honestly.
[ That's not what he wants. If they hate him, it'll hurt, but he'll survive. If they want nothing to do with him ever again, if they decide to cast him aside and leave him here he might be able to live with that too, but. ]
I just wanted to get my team home. That meant doing what those two wouldn't.
That's right. I couldn't have them hold out at the very last second— I couldn't take that chance.
[ He couldn't trust the Fox team to pull through, he couldn't just leave them alone, he had to make sure, and the only way he could make sure was if he... ]
I told myself that I would do anything— anything— to save her. So that's why I...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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the two mika cards from trial. ]
Well. It comes down to these. They are just sitting in my possession, after all.
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somehow, this is worse ]
And what do you want for them...?
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[
it's time for some questioning :) ]
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It really bothers you not knowing, doesn't it?
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[ so yeah hanako's 100% right it makes him nuts. also something something inquisitor ]
Now, it is a trade, of course. It will not take long. [ he wiggles one of the cards with a smile on his face. ] My first question is thus. Are the deaths of Danny and Vane your responsibility?
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[ unrepentantly
holds his hand out for card number one. ]
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temenos hums. ]
Very good.
[ he holds up the mika card and clicks his tongue in a tsktsk. ] Not yet. Once I've received both answers, you may have them both. I'm quite fond of you, Hanako, but I've my own scruples to stick to.
[ but in a gesture of good faith he brings it down so it's within reach, holding the other one up and not relinquishing his grip on either. ]
My second question. Have you been involved in the murders that resulted in unsolved cases, besides Danny and Vane?
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Yep.
[ holds out his other hand ]
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Your confession is safe with me. But, [ a little more serious, now: ] you ought to tell Datz. All of these answers will come out when the dead return. He cares about you far too much to have to hear those words from someone else's mouth.
You also ought to apologize to Tama. She was very, very upset.
[ and now he releases the cards. all yours. double mikas!! ] Thank you for your cooperation.
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Tama needn't worry about Satan. Satan's immortal across time and space- it's why I chose him. And Datz...
[ he looks at the Mikas in his hands for a moment, before looking back up at Temenos ]
Datz always told me I should bring him along if I felt like I had to do something. Why would I ever tell him?
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[ immortal across time and space, but he doesn't push that, beyond it, instead focusing on the bit about datz - meeting hanako's eye contact evenly, mouth pulling into a little frown. ]
Well. Why do you think he told you that?
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Because he thinks I'm a little kid that needs protecting. He and Ryuki are always like that, telling me not to do anything dangerous— and then they both go off and get hurt themselves!
[ ugh! adults. ]
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and bonks hanako on the forehead with it. bonk. ]
Have you ever considered it was because he and Ryuki care about you? And that perhaps withholding this information from them makes them feel as though you don't trust them?
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I don't, though? [ uh ] I mean, I love them, but for something this important, I can only rely on myself. You get that, don't you?
[ bringing other people into it means too many uncontrolled variables. he just doesn't trust easily, if at all, never had anybody else in which to place that trust ]
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[ he doesn't trust easily, either, so, yeah. he does get it. there's one (1) single person in this entire place that has earned even a modicum of his, so maybe that is part of what makes this feel genuine as an offer.
he pulls his hand back. ]
...But you just confessed to me for two trading cards. Perhaps now, with the dead returning to us any day now, you ought to tell them.
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[ ??? confess to them that he's a serial murderer, who acted on his own without regard to anybody else, who trusted neither his teammates nor his friends, who kept quiet while they tried so hard every week to figure out the truth, who not only refused to trust but betrayed the trust given to him
nothing good would come out of it. at least Temenos had trading cards ]
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... Will they? Or will they hate it more that you hid it until the very end? What happened to Danny and Vane is still fresh, if you chose to tell them just that. And, there is a certain kind of bravery in being willing to own up to what you've done, after the fact.
Vane and I were quite close, you know. I don't hate you, for what you did to him; beyond the answers, I am glad that you told me, even if I had to bribe it out of you. [ the last part is said with a bit of humor, a wry smile, before he continues. ]
I don't know Ryuki as well, but I do know it would mean the world to Datz if you told him. If they wanted to keep you safe if killed, why would that stop when you did?
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The same reason you'd want to keep a puppy safe, until it grows up to be a wolf that's killed half your flock. I'm the evil spirit of a murderer, Temenos...
[ he's the furthest thing from a sweet innocent child ]
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[ and it's... hard. it's hard, for a moment, because he thinks of the events of thursday, of vane, of the implications of the evidence, and he thinks of kaldena and the way she threw crick to the side as collateral damage, for knowing too much. i'm the evil spirit of a murderer, he says. he died because there was no sense in living in this dark world of despair, arcanette's voice echoes.
...temenos falls silent, for a moment, and it takes him longer to speak because of it, but when he does, it's measured and serious. ]
...I cannot tell you what to do one way or another. But I can warn you, that you have a very precious window of time to confess to them of your own volition. If you want the two of them to support you, you will have to give them that chance honestly.
Perhaps it is time to be brave.
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I don't want their support, I just...
[ That's not what he wants. If they hate him, it'll hurt, but he'll survive. If they want nothing to do with him ever again, if they decide to cast him aside and leave him here he might be able to live with that too, but. ]
I just wanted to get my team home. That meant doing what those two wouldn't.
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And you didn't want to take any chances, in case something about our revolution of this system went wrong.
[ he gets it, in a sense. it doesn't change anything, but he can see the logic. ]
... Is that why you had Vane kill Danny? To try and force him to take responsibility for Fox?
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[ He couldn't trust the Fox team to pull through, he couldn't just leave them alone, he had to make sure, and the only way he could make sure was if he... ]
I told myself that I would do anything— anything— to save her. So that's why I...
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... ] How did you utilize the drum?
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[ Temenos' insatiable curiosity ]
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