fragileprophet | Week 1, Friday Post-Investigation

Week 1, Friday Post-Investigation - Souji

[Ion sighs, collapsed in a chair in the Wind Common Room. He's tired, and Souji, being of a somewhat similar condition and having found a dead body today, can probably relate. He's not smiling, but even with the events of the day in mind, once he realizes he isn't alone, he pulls himself up straighter, turning his lips just slightly upward.]

Hello. How...are you feeling?

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[HE IS FUCKING TIRED though honestly it's mostly because he spent the entire week running his body into the ground. Finding Dave sucked but it's like the 10000th time he's stumbled across a dead person...

In any case, he's still smiling, but boy if it doesn't scream "I need a nap".]

Well enough, given the circumstances. [Two dead... That's going to be wild to deal with at trial.] Are you feeling alright?

Yes...I wouldn't dare complain.

[Except, uh, I forgot to mention, once Souji gets close he'll notice that the right side of Ion's face is covered in scars. They definitely weren't there when the two of them trained together earlier in the week. Still, Ion doesn't make any mention of them.]

I think we're all quite heavy of heart, is all.

[WOW THAT'S A THING. Ion?! What did you do??? This isn't how anyone wanted to be able to tell Ion 1 and Ion 2 apart from each other!!

That said, even though he does look a little surprised upon noticing it, he won't bring it up immediately...]

--Yes, I'd think so. [Except the murderer(s) probably?!] ...I'll admit, I was hoping that we would be able to keep the bloodshed to a minimum for a little longer than this.

[YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT YOU WANTED BUT WHAT YOU GOT'S WHAT YOU GET ETC ETC. But bless you, Souji. Ion's kind of tired of...talking about it...a little bit...he expects it though...it's fine. This is just what they do as fellow "nothing is ever wrong with me" anime sick boys.]

I agree.

[His shoulders sag.]

I knew it was likely foolish to hope for a week where no one turned against each other, but to escalate from one to two attacks...

[Sometimes you just gotta pretend you're a-okay when you are Not, it's cool, he gets it. They have enough depressing things to talk about anyway!! No need to add new face decorations to the list.]

I can't say I'm surprised that it happened at all, though. Just a little surprised that it happened so quickly.

[RIP them, honestly. Ion’s smile has no humor in it as he responds to the thought.]

So is the unfortunate nature of war, I suppose.

[There's a little hum from Souji, quiet in his agreement. He'll also move to take an empty seat, since his ass is still beaten up from running around in the cold all week and he's Tired.]

Tomorrow is going to be difficult. Moreso than last week, I'd say.

Yes.

[Ion folds his hands across his lap as Souji sits down, his gaze seeming out-of-focus as he stares at nothing in particular.]

No matter what we do, it seems that an innocent person is going to be sentenced to death, based on nothing more than uneven numbers.

[That'd been a thought troubling him too, and his brow furrows.]

Because no matter what happens, one person will be left without a partner and without anyone else to be partnered with... right? That's double the amount of deaths from last week.

Right.

[Ion's throat catches, and he has to take a breath, struggling to keep his features from falling into an all-out grimace.]

It's just...so terrible.

[All of it's terrible. The murders, the executions...but at least, in a sense, that feels like a "fair" part of the game. Punishing the partners simply for a tie they never asked for...it's painful to think about.]

I wish I could do something.

[Souji's smile, for once, borders on something closer to bitter than what he usually shows. Feeling useless - that's something that absolutely doesn't sit well with him, and he's been dealing with it in spades for far too long.]

It would be nice if we could figure out a way to do that... But we'll be spending most of our time just keeping up with the basics of their "game", at this rate.

At least for as long as we can afford to.

[How many deaths will it take before they stop asking questions? How many before everyone turns against one another, merciless, afraid, desperate? Humanity is as terrifying as it is beautiful.]

I'm afraid that...

[He pauses.]

I'm just afraid, actually.

[THAT... is a really honest statement. He's pretty sure everyone here is feeling fear to varying degrees, whether it's fear of being targeted or just falling prey to bad fortune. Even the ones who took lives are afraid, he's sure - maybe especially them, considering what they were driven to. In any case, there's nothing he could say to alleviate this kind of fear, so he doesn't bother trying. Platitudes aren't his style, anyway.]

I understand. ...In this kind of situation, I don't know that there's anything for it.

[He wasn't expecting a platitude, anyway. He's accustomed, likewise, to not being coddled. He's the Fon Master. He shouldn't be weak, or at least he shouldn't admit to his weaknesses.]

I don't, either. So I'll have to make do, just like everyone else.

[He counts to three in his head, and then he's smiling again, just like a switch being flipped.]

And with all my heart, I'll continue to hope for better.

[Ion pauses, taking a hold of his walking staff, which is propped next to him on the edge of the seat, and pulls it into his lap to roll it against his palms.]

Ah, I'm sorry. I feel like I must be troubling you, speaking of all of this.

[Boy if he sees that unhealthy coping mechanism there!!!!!!

But he just pauses for a second, and decides to save addressing it for later - or never, maybe. The ball sure as hell isn't in his court when it comes to chiding people about literally anything relating to their emotions.]

You aren't troubling me at all. I would rather be speaking openly and frankly about these kinds of things, actually... I think it helps everyone when we can get them out where everyone can see, instead of keeping them close.

[Bad feelings with a tight lid on the container tend to Explode.]

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Week 1, Friday Post-Investigation - Souji

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