[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}
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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.
no subject
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...]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
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.