humanic | week 4 | trial

[Inside the panel, there is a notebook that can be pulled out. Behind it is a gun.]

I suspected it would be revealed. So...now it seems my life is in your hands.

In my hands? You're the one with a gun! From the popular prize a couple of weeks ago, yeah? Do May and Yuzu know you have this?

Of course they do not. I obtained it upon reading the clue myself, and then joined them in their fruitless search. They believe it to be lost, or perhaps in Rapture's hands.

[He sounds almost smug about this, proud of his own cleverness, but still serious.]

It is in your hands all the same. This weapon was not used in this crime. A gunshot wound would be all too obvious. However...should we be unable to reveal the true culprit, who do you believe those sheep will choose to deem worthy of execution? It is a pity, a pity indeed.

Oh my god, we're not going to execute you just because you're better at solving riddles. Though keeping it secret does not reflect well on you, I hope you know that. Kind of gives off more a 'I will murder someone in the future' vibe than a 'this is only for self-defense' vibe.

[A pause.] It'd be obvious...unless someone stabbed her afterwards where the gunshot wound is to disguise it. She doesn't bleed, so there wouldn't be any splatter or other sign that she was shot.

...the list that week said that this gun comes loaded, yeah? Was it fully loaded when you got it? [A revolver's older than what he's used to, but he's seen his dad unload and reload enough guns to know the basics, so he'll start examining the gun to see whether it's loaded and how many bullets it can carry.]

You have far too much faith in the others. Ukraine was lost merely for being the least sympathetic. I have no delusions that I am more "sympathetic" than she.

[He waves his hand dismissively.]

It is loaded, examine it all you like. I contend there is no way a gunshot could have resulted in that wound.

No, she lost because we couldn't figure out the trick fast enough and we didn't have enough info on the motives. I doubt anyone will think you killed Rin to get a yearbook.

[He begins unloading the gun.] But you kept it a secret. I get not wanting most people to know you had it in case they tried to kill you for it, but May and Yuzu don't exactly strike me as that type. So why then? Were you planning on using it?

[He shrugs.]

Perhaps. Perhaps not. At the time, even I knew I could not predict what the future would entail.

Whatever my intentions, theirs was to destroy it, and I believe they would not have been persuaded otherwise. It is...far too valuable a tool. And if none believe it exists on my person, none will be persuaded to use it against me.

[He counts the empty chambers and the number of bullets in his hand.]

Guess you didn't use this to kill Rin after all. But that's what a gun's for. To kill people. Which I'm not that against because there are some real monsters around, but in this mansion? Even if you kill someone in self-defense, you'd be either condemning your own life or someone else's. And they aren't easy to use either. You can try aiming somewhere non-fatal, but unless you really know what you're doing, you'll probably wind up missing or killing them anyway.

Knowing that, you still want to keep it? It's basically a prescription for murder.

Do not accuse me of being unable to face the results of my own actions. I would not condemn another to death thusly.

Hm...you assume so readily I took it only for protection, though I said no such thing. Your nature is generous, but masks your ability to discern the intentions of others.

Yeah, that's a real fatal flaw of mine. Always assuming that people aren't out to murder each other. I should get that checked.

[He taps the gun against his leg, eyes narrowing.]

You realize that if you do plan on using this to kill someone in the future, there's no way I can let you keep it. And seeing as how you just basically admitted that....

I don't intend to. Were I to make my move...it would have been the week prior, but circumstances...persuaded me otherwise. So you see...if it were not for that incentive, there is no incentive that could compel me to act.

I merely confess that at the time I obtained it, that was my intention.

That...doesn't really help your case, seeing as how the killer could still get last week's incentive this week by killing a deadweight. Which is exactly what happened.

[He sighs.] But I'm not about to let what happened last week interfere with what happens this week either. You're right - it probably would bias a lot of people against you if this got out. And it'd be totally unfair if the real killer got away because of it. So I'll keep my mouth shut.

But you're not getting the gun back unless you can give me a very good reason for it. If you were ready to use it last week, you might be ready to use it another week.

I cannot allow you to take it. You would be more easily killed than I, and it will fall into the wrong hands. But you are welcome to reveal my duplicity.

If I had any remaining intention to play this game, I would have allowed you to continue believing it was obtained for protection. I am telling you I did not, could not have missed my opportunity last week. It would have been all too easy. Each one of them was convinced the weapon was in Rapture's hands. It would have been so simple.

Believe what you will, but if I choose to reveal my nature to you, do not deny it.

Dude, I'm gonna toss it into the pond or over the fence, I'm not about to keep the thing in my room. I know how it's a freaking miracle I'm still alive at all in this game.

[crosses his arms] Okay, then why are you so eager to keep it if you don't plan on ever using it to kill someone? In that case, it's better for it to be destroyed.

I do not care if it is destroyed, though I would prefer to keep it for the protection of certain individuals. Should I kill another, I will accept the consequences. Still, destroy it if you will.

But I will not simply hand it off to you.

I'm not looking for a fight, man. You can watch me toss it over the fence if you want - or I'll watch you do it, I don't care. But you killing someone doesn't just mean consequences for yourself. Being dead is a pretty huge consequence for someone else.

[Still...he's extremely wary about having a gun around, but he also recognizes that it could possibly be an advantage at some point against a killer. He just doesn't know if he trusts Gundam enough with one.]

If I do let you keep it...I'm not gonna keep the fact that you have it all to myself. You might want to get rid of me just for knowing about it. I won't tell anyone in public because yeah, there's probably some assholes in this place who'll kill you to get their hands on it, but this isn't just gonna be between me and you.

...

You are not revealing my betrayal to all of them, then?

[He seems a little surprised, a little uncomfortable.]

Hm, I have no objections to that.

Like I said, it'd seriously suck if people started suspecting you based off of stuff that happened last week. We're out to find the real killer, not people who might have been tempted by the incentive.

[He sighs and gets up.]

This is probably the worst idea I've ever had, but I'll leave the gun with you for now. I might change my mind later on though.

I..I see.

It is not my way to make requests such as this, so I do not...but thank you.

Hey, we regular teenage humans have to stick together, yeah? We're starting to become an endangered species around here.

Besides, you live like right next door to me. If someone comes barging into our wing looking to murder one of us, a gun might not be such a bad thing to have around.

Regular teenage...

[He looks like he's going to get offended or protest, but then deflates entirely and mostly just looks a little bewildered.]

Y...yes, well. I would certainly prevent catastrophe. Hm.

[claps him on the shoulder]

Cool, I'll be counting on you to do that. We live right across the princess wing full of tempting targets too, so your gun might actually come in handy - though now that I think about it, they're doing a pretty damn good job keeping themselves alive than the rest of us are. Just remember - there's no such thing as a guaranteed non-fatal shot, especially not from an amateur. If you ever actually have to use that gun - and I hope you don't - use it to threaten someone into backing off, but don't actually pull the trigger unless you're sure of yourself.

week 4 | trial | gundam's room

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