audience: shirasu

[cyclists]

Comments

[cyclists]

...that...is a really dumb plan. [Spoken like a true child. And yet.]

Have you done much to try and get her to trust you so far? You're both kind of...y'know. Paranoid. [That's one word for it.] And what'd you even see in her memories anyway?

[wagashis]

We're both alive, so I'll consider it enough of a success.

[Like, Sol is not wrong, but he really did want to get rid of her and he wasn't going to risk ending up with a damn horse for a partner or something.]

I've made an effort, but each time it seems to be undone by things coming up. As for her memories-

In one, she was intent on killing those she saw as being bad people, regardless of whether it was true. In another, one of her sisters' teasing made her fly into the sort of rage I've rarely seen in anyone.

[A pause there, a shake of his head.]

I don't think it would take much for her to see me as someone she ought to be rid of.

[he knows he's not a good person.]

[cyclists]

Then you keep making efforts. [There's an annoyed little hum, but...that's also scary, wow, thanks Four? Thanks Four. He's silent for a second as he thinks of what to say. Somehow...it's not surprising to hear, even if it's a little sad.]

So you're striking before she can. I get that, but...what makes you so sure people would also choose to save you if she was voted for in the first place?

[wagashis]

Sympathy for the partner of someone unfairly executed, perhaps. I also intended to try to seek out the person with that capability, if I could. It was never a certain thing, but--

Take a risk to remove a risk.

[He's willing to act on such things, with his whole general situation being a big old question mark.]

[cyclists]

[...they fold their arms over their chest in thought.]

While I can admire that, I have to be honest with you. If you had pulled off this plan and taken away the opportunity from someone else, I can't say I'd be very happy.

[Not that Shirasu cares if the NPC is happy, but just. Leveling with him.] You take a risk to remove a risk, but that also doesn't explain why the bird. You put Minato in danger, too. And some other people.

[wagashis]

The bird was to ensure someone I could work with was partnerless, and of those options-- he seemed the easiest target.

[He definitely does not sound bothered by Sol saying they wouldn't be happy with him. In fact he sounds very casual through this entire conversation.]

I also had faith that enough of us here wouldn't let that boy die easily. He has many who seem to fret over him.

[cyclists]

...and your explanation for Hisoka being your accomplice? [Weird, Sol doesn't seem too torn up about the bird even if murder is still not great.]

[wagashis]

He's skilled, and willing to go along with me as long as he finds things interesting enough... though he's also proven much more useful than I thought.

[Hisoka's not on the list of people he thought would be a good information source? But here he is.]

[cyclists]

You realize he counts as a guilty party too, right? Which means if we had voted for him instead, it would be him and his partner. I don't care how useful he is. That's still a risk, too.

[wagashis]

Sol-kun, just what do you expect of me?

[He has to ask, all right. Shirasu finally leaves the tree, landing easily enough on the ground near Sol.]

I understood what all the risks were, and followed through regardless. You may make of that what you will.

[cyclists]

[...ugggh. It was somehow easier when Shirasu was in the tree because now Sol has to, like, look at him.]

...Lune and I aren't allowed to interfere, but that doesn't mean we don't have some biases of our own. It's my job to host these trials and help you solve them, and even though I actually like you consider yourself lucky that I had a bigger problem on my hands to solve.

[The fucking murder horse.]

I don't really expect the truth, but call it a risk of my own. Are you planning on doing this again?

[wagashis]

The horse. Of course.

[I absolutely had to say it I'm sorry.

But at that question, he pauses, leaning back against the tree with his arms folded. He's quiet for a few moments, but he finally speaks up-]

I have no current plans to, no. There's no reason for me to remove anyone else, and I'm not going to target her directly.

[cyclists]

[Stop this.]

...that's good to hear. [It helps, at least, and some of the tension from his shoulders drops.] I'd like to continue as we have with as few casualties as possible. However, I also know there's the likelihood the corruption will continue to strike.

I'd rather be aware of people who might do things on their own volition so we're not totally off-guard in this. That makes sense, doesn't it?

[wagashis]

It's understandable enough.

[He's not promising he won't act again, but-- he doesn't just do it for fun, so. Now that this has mostly failed, he isn't going to repeat it.]

And I'm not unwilling to work toward our goal, here, particularly if you might still be willing to help me work toward mine. You remember our last conversation, don't you?

[cyclists]

Yes. Of course I remember. [That's half the reason he's here, frankly.] I'm still willing to help even if it's at a risk. I just ask that you're honest with your intentions going forward while we're working together.

[...] You have stakes in this thing and so do I. I'd like to make sure they aren't at a risk of overlapping.

[wagashis]

My intentions are still as I said before: I have failures I'd like to change. That can't happen if everything collapses, so you don't need to worry about me working against that.

[His fingers tap idly on his forearm as he considers.]

I'm willing to work for you as well, if that helps.

[cyclists]

...how much can I trust you to actually keep quiet about working for me and helping me accomplish what I need done? [Like. He likes Shirasu but he's not that stupid.] Likewise, I can't have everything collapse either, but let's just say you and I have a bit of a conflict of interest in a way.

[wagashis]

I've shared some information about others with Hisoka, but we don't share everything with each other. That much has been clear enough-- and I don't often tell others much, including my own partner.

I'm very good at keeping secrets, given reason to.

[But- hm.]

Just what sort of conflict of interest do you mean-- in our end goals?

[cyclists]

Not necessarily in our end goals but more like in how we get there. You have people you want to keep on hand, and they happen to be attached to people I'd like to keep alive.

[wagashis]

If that's so, then I see no reason there should be a conflict-- as long as the people I'd like to keep around live, then so do yours, and the other way around.

[cyclists]

And what's the guarantee that you won't turn around and decide you don't want to keep those people alive anymore? That's the part I have questions on.

[wagashis]

Which people, specifically? We'll begin there.

[cyclists]

Axel. Xion. And Naminé. [...] And I guess Saix, which is the other reason I had to deal with Swift Wind today.

[wagashis]

Axel's tied to Hisoka, who's proven a good source of information-- and more willing to share, recently. Given his ability, I have plenty of reason to keep him and Axel both around. Xion, I have no reason to kill-- the same with Saix and Namine. I don't mind Namine's partner at all, either.

[he just sort of ticks all those off on his fingers, then shrugs.]

Beyond the fact that I don't intend to repeat a failure, it seems my partner ought to be kept alive for similar reasons as Hisoka, much as I doubt we'll truly build any trust.

[After a moment, he adds:]

Hisoka, Akane-chan, and Minato-kun. They're all quite useful; if she didn't seem like she'd be trouble, I'd have chosen Akane-chan's partner instead.

[cyclists]

With the gambit of hoping to repair Akane with someone else. [An interesting list, and he pauses as he thinks. Most of those are people he likes well enough. It's agreeable, and it's simple enough to nod along as he lists them off.]

I think those are all people we can favor and work with in keeping alive and working toward the same end goal. I gotta admit, that's more from you than I thought you'd have picked. [...they seem pleased though.]