[Admittedly, "tag along with me while I go challenge Hamelin to a duel because I don't know if I'll be able to make it back to our rooms without help when I'm done" really wasn't the best sort of invitation to be making to someone. He's almost surprised that Tenn agreed to come along at all, though he supposes the "and I didn't tell Phil" footnote was probably also a contributing factor to that part.
He honestly does feel a bit bad leaving him outside Hamelin's office to wait for whatever state he might emerge in, but... there really isn't anyone else here (besides perhaps Suga) that he trusts enough to help him should he wind up badly injured as a result. He'll have to be sure to apologize later...]
[ This is a really bad idea, but at this point in the day, Tenn is not up for lecturing anyone. He also knows that anything he tries to say will fall on deaf ears, so he's just going to accept that Marcus is doing this and wait outside of Hamelin's office. ]
[He nods. The plan is to come out of this with as few injuries as possible, of course, but after last time, he's not quite sure just how feasible that is. He's hopeful, but he'd also like to think he's at least a little realistic about this.]
No matter what you hear, you stay out here and don't come in. Got it?
[Because the very last thing he wants is to end up putting Tenn - directly or indirectly - in danger.]
[ He doesn't want to leave Marcus in there if he's in a lot of pain, but he also understands the risks. He knows Hamelin won't kill Marcus over this, too -- assuming that it's the same deal as the last time.
You bet I will. I plan on giving just as good as I get and then some.
[And it should be easier this time now that he's not letting his anger go to his head and cloud his judgment... or so he hopes. With a grin, he reaches out to ruffle Tenn's hair, then turns back towards the office door.
[ The hair ruffle is reassuring, but as soon as the door closes behind Marcus, Tenn feels the anxiety start to settle in. He closes his eyes, hands clutching onto the bandages he brought for him tightly, heart pounding in his chest.
He shouldn't be worried...but he is. And he just hopes Marcus makes it out in one piece. ]
[The silence is perhaps more ominous than obvious sounds of combat would be. But there's nothing issuing from behind that door: no yelling, no sounds of blades clashing, nothing except what might be the faint sound of a perfectly calm conversation... or it might be nothing at all.
It's hard to tell how long it lasts-- five minutes? Ten? But at last the door opens and Marcus emerges, looking no worse for wear aside from a tear in the sleeve of the boutique jacket he'd grabbed for this purpose. From the looks of it, the blow that caused it didn't even manage to wound him, if the lack of visible blood is any indication...]
[ Huh. That was...incredibly bizarre? And way too quiet for Tenn to be comfortable. He looks at Marcus once, seeing if there's any blood, but there's nothing, save for that tear. ]
[Physically, perhaps. Yes, he certainly seems all right in that sense. But... he's clearly agitated, his jaw clenched, gunblade still in hand rather than on his back where it usually hangs.
He stops for a moment to take a deep breath, almost as if trying to calm jangled nerves, and then:]
[ Something's not right. Something definitely happened in there -- and in fairness, Tenn's been pretty on-edge today, too, after talking to Hamelin...
But first, he needs to look out for Marcus. Tenn nods and puts a hand on Marcus' shoulder before he leads him out of the general vicinity of the office. ]
[That gentle contact is enough to start shutting the adrenaline off; he follows obediently, though he isn't so quick to put his weapon away just yet. He's very clearly rattled, if nothing else.]
I don't know. I honestly don't know.
[Another inhalation, followed by a slow, deep exhalation.]
[ Because he's really curious about it, but also, he knows how hard it is to trust people here. It's why he's been withholding information from Marcus, though that's really no fault of his. It's more like Tenn wasn't sure what to make of Phil. ]
You remember what he said at the end of the trial, right? About how he had his own reasons for wanting Raven out of the story?
[It's clear he was not pleased with the results of the trial at all...]
Well, I wanted to know what those reasons were. So I challenged him to a duel, and he agreed to answer a question if I won. The conditions were supposed to be that the loser was whoever was no longer able to fight.
He's quiet for a moment, brow furrowed like he's debating something. ]
He just won't be straight up with anyone, will he?
[ A sigh, then: ]
I think I have an idea, actually. ... I've been talking to a few people recently, trying to figure out how to stop the traitors and get out of this game alive. Only one other person who's alive now knows about this, though, but I may have the answer to your question. Among other things.
I'm going to trust you with it, Marcus-san. I believe in you, and I really don't think you're one of the traitors. You trust me too, right?
[ He's certain he knows the answer, but he wants to hear it for himself, too. ]
[He nods, his own expression neutral yet determined.]
At this point? I trust you more than anyone else here besides Phil, and maybe Suga. And I'll tell you straight up, I'd sooner kill myself than do anything that might bring any kind of harm to Phil.
The same goes for Phil. I've had a window into his emotions for my entire existence... I may not have it here, but I know him well enough to know if he was acting funny. So if you trust me, you can trust him too.
[ He understands, because he'd be feeling the same way about Riku right now, if Riku were still alive. But he believes Marcus, and he takes in a deep breath. It doesn't feel right to share this...but Raven's gone. Tenn can't protect him anymore. ]
Okay...okay. I'm not sure if this is exactly what Hamelin meant, but I think he's aware that Raven-san had a role. He had a role that was actively messing with the game, because he was The Knight. He could protect one person each week if they were being targeted, and I had asked him to protect me this past week.
[ ...he also didn't know Raven was going to do a murder though, so that was...fun... ]
That's why I think Hamelin wanted him out of the game. I'm not sure what that has to do with Raven-san being a disappointment, other than maybe Raven-san didn't fulfill his role by committing a murder himself rather than continuing to protect people...
Hamelin wants us to play our roles, right? We saw what happened when... [he has to swallow hard] when Nageki refused to play his. And if Raven killed someone, that would be going directly against what he was supposed to be doing, which would make him a pretty big disappointment in Hamelin's eyes for messing with the story.
[...]
There's still a chance it could be referring to something else, though. We shouldn't close that door just yet.
Yeah. That's what I was thinking, too. But you're right in that it could be referring to something else; it's hard to tell with him. I'm not sure who else Raven-san told, though, so it's possible he disclosed that information to one of the traitors without knowing. Maybe that's how Hamelin knows, but I don't know for sure. It's just a theory.
[ ... ]
There's something else I want to tell you, though. It's...
[ He's struggling to say it. He's talked about this a handful of times already, but... ]
It's not good. But I want you to know, because I trust you. And...maybe you can tell me what to do. I just -- [ He bites down on his lip. He doesn't know why it's so much harder to talk to Marcus about this than some of the others, but it really hurts, thinking about this piece of information he's about to share. ]
I don't want you to hate me. I'm not a traitor or anything like that, but I made a mistake that I'm going to fix this week.
[The shift in tone - Tenn's obvious distress - doesn't go unnoticed. Whatever he's about to say is serious; that much is obvious, and it speaks to the level of trust he has for Marcus that he's even considering saying it at all. No way is he about to betray that trust-- not just because this information could be critical, but because Tenn is a friend who deserves that much.
Softly:]
It was a mistake, right? It'd be pretty hypocritical of me to hate someone else for making a mistake when I've made plenty of my own.
It was. It was stupid, and it may -- it may cost me my life, if I'm being entirely honest.
[ He's glad to hear that from Marcus, though, and Tenn takes in a shaky breath before he begins. ]
On our first day here, Riku arrived without his inhaler. I was worried, especially when Hamelin showed himself and explained our circumstances. I just...I didn't want Riku to go down without a fighting chance here. So I approached Hamelin right away and asked if he could provide Riku with his medication.
He said he would, but it wasn't going to be without a price.
[ Here's where the regret's starting to kick in. ]
In exchange, Hamelin told me to destroy an object for him. I reluctantly agreed, because I was concerned for Riku's safety. ... Turns out that Hamelin had actually tricked me into doing it, because I found out the fairies were planning on delivering Riku his medication anyway.
[ So, yeah. Hamelin's a huge piece of shit, news at ten. ]
I won't do it. Not if it's going to put everyone in danger. And if I die for it, then so be it.
[The color slowly drains from Marcus' face. That's... a lot to take in, for multiple reasons, and the words "I didn't want Riku to go down without a fighting chance here" cause his heart to constrict with painful sympathy. He'd feared much the same thing for Phil until the fairies had so graciously provided his medication - medication he knows Tenn has seen during the trials by now - but had they not done so, he finds he can't deny that he might have been willing to do the very same thing to help Phil.]
... that son of a bitch.
[It's the harshest language Tenn will have heard out of Marcus yet.]
If he tries anything while I'm around, he's gonna have to answer to me. That much is a promise.
[He doesn't know if he'll be able to keep it, but by god, he's going to try.]
[ He appreciates it, Marcus. He appreciates the understanding and level of trust Marcus has in him; this could've easily painted Tenn as being untrustworthy, considering how long he's withheld this information from Marcus. So he's glad that it seems to be received....well, in Tenn's favor. He suspects that might be because of what he knows about Phillip, but Tenn decides against mentioning it. ]
I'm sorry to drag you into this. I really am. I'm going to do what I can to make sure he can't get his hands on that object, though. Because I'm sure that if I don't destroy it, the traitors will.
[ Another deep sigh. ]
There's...been a lot going on outside of this, actually. A lot that you may have not heard about. I think it's about time that I told you, if you'd like to hear it.
[Marcus just nods, both as acknowledgment for the thanks (not that he thinks Tenn really needs to thank him for something he would do as a matter of course, but) and an indication for Tenn to continue. There's no judgment here, not when he could easily have tried to go to the same lengths to get Phil's medication for him]
Hey, don't be sorry-- if it means I can help protect you, then I'm glad you did. And you can go ahead and tell me anything that you think might help.
[He pauses, then adds.]
Just so you know, I'll be telling Phil all of this. I figured I might as well be honest about that up front. He's the one who's been doing the majority of the investigating and piecing together the clues on our end, so the more info I can get to him, the better.
[And it goes without saying that his trust in Phil is implicit, as is his confidence in Phil's intelligence and abilities.]
I was expecting that, so don't worry. I trust that you and Phil are doing the right thing.
[ He says that with utmost confidence, too. He really does believe in them; there's no way they're working for Hamelin. ]
Okay. I'm sworn to secrecy on this, but I've already told three others who are alive right now. I can't afford to keep this hidden from everyone, because there's too much information that I need to relay to you guys. I don't want everyone to know about this, but I want the right people to be in the loop. So.
[ Here we go...! ]
The dead are able to relay messages to us because I'm their channel. I'm their messenger. I'm the one who sets up the areas for the notes each week, and I've been relaying what I can from our side to them, too. Furthermore, I've been in contact with someone outside of our group who's been helping me gather information on the traitors.
I have my suspicions on who at least one of the traitors might be, but I'll let you ask any questions you might have first before we get to that.
[... he's just silent for a moment after this revelation, letting it all sink in. In a way, it's strangely heartening to hear-- that even after their deaths, the others are still fighting so hard to help in whatever way they can, and knowing that the information channel flows both ways opens up all sorts of new possibilities. If they can still communicate directly with William, for instance...]
Phil's gonna be glad to hear that, I can tell you that much. And I can tell you for sure that he's gonna have some messages to send to William in particular.
[This... is great. It's really great, actually, if they have the ability to reach out, maybe ask for specific information...!
And then his face darkens at the mention of the traitors.]
... I have a feeling we're thinking of the same people.
[The same people that he and Phil had invited to stay in their room last Thursday for a reason, and set a trap to catch should they attempt anything...]
Okay. I'll try to relay it Moriarty-san when I send messages next. If Phillip-san can give me his message by Wednesday, I can see if I can get it to him by Thursday.
[ He's already sending one message over, so hopefully his third party will be generous enough to allow a second message...! ]
I'll tell you the one person I've been eyeing closely. It's Jack-san.
[ He has his doubts about Yuri, actually... ]
There are two defining traits I was given about each traitor. It's nothing heavily specific, but the one that applies to Jack-san is that one traitor is more dangerous than they act. At first, I was suspicious of Huaisang, too...but we were able to discuss things and I'm almost completely sure he's cleared.
[ Almost. There's that small bit of him that's paranoid, but Huaisang has done quite a lot for the group behind the scenes, so... ]
The second bit of information that I was given this week is that the other traitor has qualities that make them dignified and compelling. There are a few people I have in mind for that one: McGillis-san, Alexei-san...and, to an extent, Yuri-san.
[ He does not feel good about naming her, though. ]
[And now it's Marcus' turn to nod, pursing his lips. No, he's not surprised to hear that name... not in the slightest.]
Yeah, I kinda had a feeling. Phil and I didn't just have a slumber party on Thursday for the heck of it.
[He's got something to share regarding that, too:]
We set a trap that would let us know if anyone left the room during the night, and the two of us swapped keys so that anyone who tried to take Phil's room key out of his pocket would get mine instead. They'd end up locking themselves out when they tried to get back in.
Traitors or not, Jack and Yuri didn't leave our room on Thursday night. Our trap was untouched.
If they didn't catch on, do you think you can try that again? Also, I'd like to hear why you suspect Jack-san and Yuri-san. There's more information I have on the traitors that are generalized, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on why you and Phillip-san think it's those two specifically.
I think we're planning to. For better or for worse, they seem to trust us, so we might as well use that to our advantage.
As for why we think it's them... there was that note from last week about golden waterfalls and honeyed words. Emeralds and sapphires. Pretty accurate descriptions, don't you think?
[...]
Also, I can tell you something else: that note from William was meant specifically for Phil. Before he was executed, the two of them worked out a code involving the clock face so they'd have a way to communicate in secret without anyone else knowing what that was about.
They are, yes. But...we have to keep in mind that unless they know something that I don't on that side, they're probably getting all of their traitor information from me. So... I don't know if this is speculation on their end or not, but I did tell them to provide us with more concrete evidence if they're sure it's Jack-san and Yuri-san.
[ This is mostly just him not wanting to believe it's Yuri, though, he realizes. ]
Still, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on them. Especially Jack-san. Yuri-san trusted me with a different side of her, so I'm a little less inclined to believe it's her...but I won't rule out the possibility, either. I don't know McGillis-san well at all, but he definitely strikes me as fitting the "dignified and compelling" description the most out of anyone here. Next would be Alexei-san.
That's just my opinion, though.
[ Sorry, Yuri.
Time to address the code that Phil and Moriarty have established, though. ]
Moriarty-san is always thinking ahead, isn't he...? I hope Phillip-san was able to do something with that code.
Man, any of those three would be dangerous, honestly. We can only hope it's not Alexei...
[Or McGillis, but he doesn't know how much skill the man has with a sword. Alexei, though? The man is a career soldier, and Marcus isn't so foolish as to think he'd stand a chance of taking him out easily should it come down to that.]
I don't know all of the details of the code, but I do know that Phil knew what it meant right away. That's the important part. As long as they use that code, we can keep whatever info it contains out of the hands of anyone else.
[ A nod at that. Tenn also hopes it's not Alexei... ]
That's good. I'm glad Moriarty-san found a way to talk to him; I'm hoping that continue to provide us with more information this upcoming week. I'm trying to do what I can on my end, too.
[ A beat. ]
Before I say more...I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. It's not that I didn't trust you; I just...couldn't get a good read on Phillip-san. But I've been speaking with him more lately. It seems like he has a good head on his shoulders, just like you.
Phil's a good person, even though he's got the exact opposite opinion of himself.
[It's said with conviction and a certain underlying warmth.]
He's never been very good with people, and sometimes it makes him hard to read. If he had his way, he'd be happy to live locked away in his room with his books instead of other people.
[For multiple reasons, but most of them are ones that Marcus isn't really at liberty to go into.]
But even then, he'd always be trying his hardest for everyone else's sake.
[ He finally gives Marcus a smile. He trusts him, and that means he'll trust Phil, too. It's settled. They're a team now, aren't they? ]
It does feel like a relief, somewhat, that we're able to be open like this. I've been debating on talking to you about all of this for a while. I still have more information to share, but a break seemed like it would be nice.
And I'm glad you decided to trust me. There's not much of that to go around lately, that much is for sure.
[For... obvious reasons, really, and it isn't like he blames anyone for it. It is what it is, and he and Phil haven't exactly been trusting anyone else either.]
Not that I can say that not trusting people is such a bad idea, either.
[ And that's obviously not the case anymore. Not trusting anyone, that is. ]
Believe it or not, I wasn't open about myself back at home. I was more closed off here, too. But losing Riku made me realize that I can't keep cutting myself off from people.
[ Especially in this particular situation. ]
And...with people being so insistent on making sure I don't lose hope, it's hard to go back to who I was when I first got here. So I owe you, and other people for that.
Yeah, so've I. I had good reasons for it, but... it's hard to undo something you've spent years needing to do, you know?
[He sighs quietly, his smile faltering just a bit.]
I had every reason not to trust people other than Phil, so I never saw much point in trying. Most of the time it didn't matter anyway, since it's not like I had anyone else to care about.
[Except for one person who just up and disappeared without a word for years!]
But it's kinda ironic that you're saying you owe me for something I'm terrible at myself.
[ He relates to this on every level, but the only person Tenn really trusted back at home was himself. Here, though, he's learned a lot about trusting others, for better or worse -- and this is a decision he's making in good faith. He doesn't think Marcus will take advantage of the belief Tenn's put in him.
He looks at him a little more seriously. ]
I know you and Phillip-san are close, and you have each other. But... I want to make it clear that if you feel yourself starting to lose hope while we're here, I'll do what I can to pull you out of that rut, too. Just like you've done for me.
[ A small smile. ]
We're...friends, right? So...as your friend, I'll do my best to support you however I can.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Friday, post-trial
He honestly does feel a bit bad leaving him outside Hamelin's office to wait for whatever state he might emerge in, but... there really isn't anyone else here (besides perhaps Suga) that he trusts enough to help him should he wind up badly injured as a result. He'll have to be sure to apologize later...]
Wish me luck, I guess.
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[ This is a really bad idea, but at this point in the day, Tenn is not up for lecturing anyone. He also knows that anything he tries to say will fall on deaf ears, so he's just going to accept that Marcus is doing this and wait outside of Hamelin's office. ]
Be careful.
[ He's also here with bandages, just in case. ]
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No matter what you hear, you stay out here and don't come in. Got it?
[Because the very last thing he wants is to end up putting Tenn - directly or indirectly - in danger.]
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[ He doesn't want to leave Marcus in there if he's in a lot of pain, but he also understands the risks. He knows Hamelin won't kill Marcus over this, too -- assuming that it's the same deal as the last time.
So he nods. ]
Make him work for it, though. You've got this.
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[And it should be easier this time now that he's not letting his anger go to his head and cloud his judgment... or so he hopes. With a grin, he reaches out to ruffle Tenn's hair, then turns back towards the office door.
Well... here goes nothing. And in he goes.]
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He shouldn't be worried...but he is. And he just hopes Marcus makes it out in one piece. ]
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It's hard to tell how long it lasts-- five minutes? Ten? But at last the door opens and Marcus emerges, looking no worse for wear aside from a tear in the sleeve of the boutique jacket he'd grabbed for this purpose. From the looks of it, the blow that caused it didn't even manage to wound him, if the lack of visible blood is any indication...]
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[ Huh. That was...incredibly bizarre? And way too quiet for Tenn to be comfortable. He looks at Marcus once, seeing if there's any blood, but there's nothing, save for that tear. ]
Are you alright?
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He stops for a moment to take a deep breath, almost as if trying to calm jangled nerves, and then:]
... let's go.
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But first, he needs to look out for Marcus. Tenn nods and puts a hand on Marcus' shoulder before he leads him out of the general vicinity of the office. ]
What happened in there?
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I don't know. I honestly don't know.
[Another inhalation, followed by a slow, deep exhalation.]
It was almost like he was a different person.
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...He didn't fight you, did he? I didn't hear much of a commotion in there.
[ Definitely not what he was expecting, that's for sure. ]
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And that's why it's weird. The first time we spoke, he provoked me until I lunged at him, and then he didn't hesitate to stab me.
[It was absolutely not what he was expecting either.]
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[ Because he has things he wants to discuss with Marcus, too; things he should have discussed with him earlier.
If Marcus will allow it, then Tenn will escort him to Room 3. He'll let Marcus say his piece first, too. ]
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[He will absolutely allow it, because he too has things he'd like to say, and Tenn is one of the few people here that he feels he can actually trust.]
... so you're probably wondering what was so important that I was willing to fight Hamelin to get the answer.
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I am, if you're willing to tell me.
[ Because he's really curious about it, but also, he knows how hard it is to trust people here. It's why he's been withholding information from Marcus, though that's really no fault of his. It's more like Tenn wasn't sure what to make of Phil. ]
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[It's clear he was not pleased with the results of the trial at all...]
Well, I wanted to know what those reasons were. So I challenged him to a duel, and he agreed to answer a question if I won. The conditions were supposed to be that the loser was whoever was no longer able to fight.
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[ He goes a little quiet, at that. ]
So he just gave up and decided to tell you, it sounds like. What did he say?
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He's quiet for a moment, brow furrowed like he's debating something. ]
He just won't be straight up with anyone, will he?
[ A sigh, then: ]
I think I have an idea, actually. ... I've been talking to a few people recently, trying to figure out how to stop the traitors and get out of this game alive. Only one other person who's alive now knows about this, though, but I may have the answer to your question. Among other things.
I'm going to trust you with it, Marcus-san. I believe in you, and I really don't think you're one of the traitors. You trust me too, right?
[ He's certain he knows the answer, but he wants to hear it for himself, too. ]
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At this point? I trust you more than anyone else here besides Phil, and maybe Suga. And I'll tell you straight up, I'd sooner kill myself than do anything that might bring any kind of harm to Phil.
The same goes for Phil. I've had a window into his emotions for my entire existence... I may not have it here, but I know him well enough to know if he was acting funny. So if you trust me, you can trust him too.
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Okay...okay. I'm not sure if this is exactly what Hamelin meant, but I think he's aware that Raven-san had a role. He had a role that was actively messing with the game, because he was The Knight. He could protect one person each week if they were being targeted, and I had asked him to protect me this past week.
[ ...he also didn't know Raven was going to do a murder though, so that was...fun... ]
That's why I think Hamelin wanted him out of the game. I'm not sure what that has to do with Raven-san being a disappointment, other than maybe Raven-san didn't fulfill his role by committing a murder himself rather than continuing to protect people...
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Hamelin wants us to play our roles, right? We saw what happened when... [he has to swallow hard] when Nageki refused to play his. And if Raven killed someone, that would be going directly against what he was supposed to be doing, which would make him a pretty big disappointment in Hamelin's eyes for messing with the story.
[...]
There's still a chance it could be referring to something else, though. We shouldn't close that door just yet.
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[ ... ]
There's something else I want to tell you, though. It's...
[ He's struggling to say it. He's talked about this a handful of times already, but... ]
It's not good. But I want you to know, because I trust you. And...maybe you can tell me what to do. I just -- [ He bites down on his lip. He doesn't know why it's so much harder to talk to Marcus about this than some of the others, but it really hurts, thinking about this piece of information he's about to share. ]
I don't want you to hate me. I'm not a traitor or anything like that, but I made a mistake that I'm going to fix this week.
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Softly:]
It was a mistake, right? It'd be pretty hypocritical of me to hate someone else for making a mistake when I've made plenty of my own.
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[ He's glad to hear that from Marcus, though, and Tenn takes in a shaky breath before he begins. ]
On our first day here, Riku arrived without his inhaler. I was worried, especially when Hamelin showed himself and explained our circumstances. I just...I didn't want Riku to go down without a fighting chance here. So I approached Hamelin right away and asked if he could provide Riku with his medication.
He said he would, but it wasn't going to be without a price.
[ Here's where the regret's starting to kick in. ]
In exchange, Hamelin told me to destroy an object for him. I reluctantly agreed, because I was concerned for Riku's safety. ... Turns out that Hamelin had actually tricked me into doing it, because I found out the fairies were planning on delivering Riku his medication anyway.
[ So, yeah. Hamelin's a huge piece of shit, news at ten. ]
I won't do it. Not if it's going to put everyone in danger. And if I die for it, then so be it.
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... that son of a bitch.
[It's the harshest language Tenn will have heard out of Marcus yet.]
If he tries anything while I'm around, he's gonna have to answer to me. That much is a promise.
[He doesn't know if he'll be able to keep it, but by god, he's going to try.]
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[ He appreciates it, Marcus. He appreciates the understanding and level of trust Marcus has in him; this could've easily painted Tenn as being untrustworthy, considering how long he's withheld this information from Marcus. So he's glad that it seems to be received....well, in Tenn's favor. He suspects that might be because of what he knows about Phillip, but Tenn decides against mentioning it. ]
I'm sorry to drag you into this. I really am. I'm going to do what I can to make sure he can't get his hands on that object, though. Because I'm sure that if I don't destroy it, the traitors will.
[ Another deep sigh. ]
There's...been a lot going on outside of this, actually. A lot that you may have not heard about. I think it's about time that I told you, if you'd like to hear it.
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Hey, don't be sorry-- if it means I can help protect you, then I'm glad you did. And you can go ahead and tell me anything that you think might help.
[He pauses, then adds.]
Just so you know, I'll be telling Phil all of this. I figured I might as well be honest about that up front. He's the one who's been doing the majority of the investigating and piecing together the clues on our end, so the more info I can get to him, the better.
[And it goes without saying that his trust in Phil is implicit, as is his confidence in Phil's intelligence and abilities.]
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[ He says that with utmost confidence, too. He really does believe in them; there's no way they're working for Hamelin. ]
Okay. I'm sworn to secrecy on this, but I've already told three others who are alive right now. I can't afford to keep this hidden from everyone, because there's too much information that I need to relay to you guys. I don't want everyone to know about this, but I want the right people to be in the loop. So.
[ Here we go...! ]
The dead are able to relay messages to us because I'm their channel. I'm their messenger. I'm the one who sets up the areas for the notes each week, and I've been relaying what I can from our side to them, too. Furthermore, I've been in contact with someone outside of our group who's been helping me gather information on the traitors.
I have my suspicions on who at least one of the traitors might be, but I'll let you ask any questions you might have first before we get to that.
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Phil's gonna be glad to hear that, I can tell you that much. And I can tell you for sure that he's gonna have some messages to send to William in particular.
[This... is great. It's really great, actually, if they have the ability to reach out, maybe ask for specific information...!
And then his face darkens at the mention of the traitors.]
... I have a feeling we're thinking of the same people.
[The same people that he and Phil had invited to stay in their room last Thursday for a reason, and set a trap to catch should they attempt anything...]
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Okay. I'll try to relay it Moriarty-san when I send messages next. If Phillip-san can give me his message by Wednesday, I can see if I can get it to him by Thursday.
[ He's already sending one message over, so hopefully his third party will be generous enough to allow a second message...! ]
I'll tell you the one person I've been eyeing closely. It's Jack-san.
[ He has his doubts about Yuri, actually... ]
There are two defining traits I was given about each traitor. It's nothing heavily specific, but the one that applies to Jack-san is that one traitor is more dangerous than they act. At first, I was suspicious of Huaisang, too...but we were able to discuss things and I'm almost completely sure he's cleared.
[ Almost. There's that small bit of him that's paranoid, but Huaisang has done quite a lot for the group behind the scenes, so... ]
The second bit of information that I was given this week is that the other traitor has qualities that make them dignified and compelling. There are a few people I have in mind for that one: McGillis-san, Alexei-san...and, to an extent, Yuri-san.
[ He does not feel good about naming her, though. ]
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Yeah, I kinda had a feeling. Phil and I didn't just have a slumber party on Thursday for the heck of it.
[He's got something to share regarding that, too:]
We set a trap that would let us know if anyone left the room during the night, and the two of us swapped keys so that anyone who tried to take Phil's room key out of his pocket would get mine instead. They'd end up locking themselves out when they tried to get back in.
Traitors or not, Jack and Yuri didn't leave our room on Thursday night. Our trap was untouched.
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[ It's a very good plan, actually. ]
If they didn't catch on, do you think you can try that again? Also, I'd like to hear why you suspect Jack-san and Yuri-san. There's more information I have on the traitors that are generalized, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on why you and Phillip-san think it's those two specifically.
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As for why we think it's them... there was that note from last week about golden waterfalls and honeyed words. Emeralds and sapphires. Pretty accurate descriptions, don't you think?
[...]
Also, I can tell you something else: that note from William was meant specifically for Phil. Before he was executed, the two of them worked out a code involving the clock face so they'd have a way to communicate in secret without anyone else knowing what that was about.
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[ This is mostly just him not wanting to believe it's Yuri, though, he realizes. ]
Still, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on them. Especially Jack-san. Yuri-san trusted me with a different side of her, so I'm a little less inclined to believe it's her...but I won't rule out the possibility, either. I don't know McGillis-san well at all, but he definitely strikes me as fitting the "dignified and compelling" description the most out of anyone here. Next would be Alexei-san.
That's just my opinion, though.
[ Sorry, Yuri.
Time to address the code that Phil and Moriarty have established, though. ]
Moriarty-san is always thinking ahead, isn't he...? I hope Phillip-san was able to do something with that code.
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[Or McGillis, but he doesn't know how much skill the man has with a sword. Alexei, though? The man is a career soldier, and Marcus isn't so foolish as to think he'd stand a chance of taking him out easily should it come down to that.]
I don't know all of the details of the code, but I do know that Phil knew what it meant right away. That's the important part. As long as they use that code, we can keep whatever info it contains out of the hands of anyone else.
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That's good. I'm glad Moriarty-san found a way to talk to him; I'm hoping that continue to provide us with more information this upcoming week. I'm trying to do what I can on my end, too.
[ A beat. ]
Before I say more...I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. It's not that I didn't trust you; I just...couldn't get a good read on Phillip-san. But I've been speaking with him more lately. It seems like he has a good head on his shoulders, just like you.
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[It's said with conviction and a certain underlying warmth.]
He's never been very good with people, and sometimes it makes him hard to read. If he had his way, he'd be happy to live locked away in his room with his books instead of other people.
[For multiple reasons, but most of them are ones that Marcus isn't really at liberty to go into.]
But even then, he'd always be trying his hardest for everyone else's sake.
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[ He finally gives Marcus a smile. He trusts him, and that means he'll trust Phil, too. It's settled. They're a team now, aren't they? ]
It does feel like a relief, somewhat, that we're able to be open like this. I've been debating on talking to you about all of this for a while. I still have more information to share, but a break seemed like it would be nice.
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[For... obvious reasons, really, and it isn't like he blames anyone for it. It is what it is, and he and Phil haven't exactly been trusting anyone else either.]
Not that I can say that not trusting people is such a bad idea, either.
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[ And that's obviously not the case anymore. Not trusting anyone, that is. ]
Believe it or not, I wasn't open about myself back at home. I was more closed off here, too. But losing Riku made me realize that I can't keep cutting myself off from people.
[ Especially in this particular situation. ]
And...with people being so insistent on making sure I don't lose hope, it's hard to go back to who I was when I first got here. So I owe you, and other people for that.
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[He sighs quietly, his smile faltering just a bit.]
I had every reason not to trust people other than Phil, so I never saw much point in trying. Most of the time it didn't matter anyway, since it's not like I had anyone else to care about.
[Except for one person who just up and disappeared without a word for years!]
But it's kinda ironic that you're saying you owe me for something I'm terrible at myself.
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He looks at him a little more seriously. ]
I know you and Phillip-san are close, and you have each other. But... I want to make it clear that if you feel yourself starting to lose hope while we're here, I'll do what I can to pull you out of that rut, too. Just like you've done for me.
[ A small smile. ]
We're...friends, right? So...as your friend, I'll do my best to support you however I can.