katzepaw | Yamato

[Ah. Okay. He's awkward, he always is awkward in these situations, but he's concerned. There's still a lot of anger, but it's mostly concern, and then more than that, it's all buried under a layer of calm tension, like someone about to tackle a complicated math problem.

But the awkwardness breaks through that calm a bit, as he fumbles a little with his hand before deciding to place it once lightly on Yamato's shoulder.]

You can't have known that would happen.

No, I didn't. [ it's calm enough, considering the absolute mess of feelings yamato's holding under the surface ] But I knew she had the same kind of rules. We-- I wanted answers so badly I didn't think.

[ and, quickly, because he wants to keep that self-loathing to himself-- ]

I know it's this place. None of us knew or could've guessed, I just-- fuck.

[He gets it, and won't tell him he's wrong to feel that guilt or take it hard, but nods when he acknowledges that it's this place.]

Their old tactics weren't working to keep us in line so they changed it up.

... [ there's a shaky breath before he nods, but-- ] They want to get caught. It doesn't make sense, with what Yanagiya-san said, I don't--

[ they got one lie and someone died for it and he feels just as lost as before they heard it! ]

It doesn't, right?

[That's what is really sitting with him.]

She can't have believed herself to be lying, but. . . it doesn't follow. If killing us was saving us, then why have all the victims so far been adult men, rather than sparing the younger and more vulnerable? Why would Adora's death be a punishment rather than a salvation?

[ he nods, because he agrees with all of that, and he starts to pace a little ]

Is it that... there has to be one, every week? Like those stupid-- if it's a show, a "once an episode" thing in the script you have to follow?

[ he'll remember caleb does not have tv someday ]

That would make more sense to me. They clearly are trying to choose targets they can live with.

[He watches him pace. I'm sure he's read a little about TV by now.]

Let's think of the question carefully. Beauregard said 'Why are the kills happening, and what are they meant to do?' and Otome said 'I'm trying to save them from this world!'

Who is 'them'? The obvious assumption is the people she is killing, but that does not necessarily follow. What is 'this world'? This dimension we're in?

It has to be where we are. That's how we've always talked about it. But them is-- wouldn't it be you, if it was all of us?

Ja, you would think. So is there someone else she's trying to save, and some of us have to be sacrificed to do it. . . ?

... She always said how much she wanted to help everyone and get us all out. I don't think she was lying about that.

No. I don't think so, either.

So I can't imagine she'd sacrifice people for others. But I don't... I can't make it fit.

[ the information they did get. it wasn't worth it, but if they don't do anything with it, that's even worse, isn't it? ]

If they know the daycare is safe, that they can save everyone in the end, perhaps. But clearly it was quite painful for them. For Otome and Byleth both.

[A. . . very ugly thought occurs to him.]

You know. . . a theme in all of these field trips has been people we know from home, held hostage.

[ something in him seizes for a second before he calms himself ]

... But would they be so relieved to get caught if that was the case? If it endangered the people they were trying to save in the first place.

Perhaps not. I had thought they were being forced to follow orders of some kind, and they had hoped getting caught would relieve them of the burden?

I thought it was something like that too, but now...

[ now it's weird! now it's weird and confusing ]

If it work the same as Rita and I, then there's a Dorm Head in charge of them. Iris oversees us.

Iris does?

[Something was said about that, but he hadn't really focused on it at the time.]

. . . So it is not tethered to membership in any dorm, yes?

No. Rita's with Spring, so... Trying to pinpoint who else could have these is kind of a shot in the dark, but we know all the Dorm Heads are overlooking at least one "activity".

[ "what are they" please he doesnt know shit ]

. . . Ah. So then there is likely a dorm head who is overlooking the activity of murder, as well.

Yeah. I don't... I think it might be Hugo-- not out of any personal bias, but I think if Annie or Luke had been the ones who knew their rules, they might have... tried to stop Yanagiya-san.

I've talked to Annie and Riku about it - they both seemed as genuinely shocked about the rule as Otome was.

[ wow pretend i wrote fucking riku up there ]

Right. If they had any inkling this could've happened...

[I was pretending because it's a mistake I make constantly.]

. . . They would have stopped it, yes. But I don't know that whoever was giving Otome her instructions knew this would be the consequence, either.

No. No, they definitely didn't know that much. That's not what I'm saying. Just... they might have been more hesitant.

Ah. Maybe so. It's hard to say.

You haven't found anyone else with a special ability like yours?

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