fallbymyhands | [Week 2, Saturday: Ashikawa]

[Week 2, Saturday: Ashikawa]

[it had been a long and emotionally exhausting day]

[Mitsuru doesn't attend the campfire post-trial party immediately. not that she was angry or upset at anyone, but she needed some time to clear her head, to allow herself to focus on the task at hand. it was only week two, out of. . . what, a promised eight weeks? would every single week after this be just as harrowing and daunting?]

[she walks, more towards the lodge than anything else, allowing her feet to guide her and her mind to wander. she looks lost in thought, but hey. she can be bothered!]

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[Mitsuru did attend, and watching the others only made it exceedingly clear that his plan was not going to work out as smoothly as he'd hoped. Amamiya couldn't be relied on, not in his current state of mind. But he still needed someone...

Before Kirijo can quite return to her cabin, a young voice calls out to her.]

I need to speak with you.

[she slows to a stop, recognizing that voice, almost surprised to hear it calling out to her at his time of the night]

Yes? What is it, Ashikawa?

I've been speaking with Red, and she's told me... things.

[Or she did before Mitsuru got pissed at her.]

I don't think I'm the right person to act on them. I was hoping you would hear me out instead.

[and she straightens, because she has also been speaking with Red. and she's a little less angry at her, a little more willing to do what Red suggests]

Please, tell me everything she told you. I've attempted to get information from her, but I'm not sure I'm asking the right questions.

Evidently I've been asking questions that are too on the nose - if not something else entirely.

[But he's growing more and more confident that it's the former.]

When all of you disappeared due to Lenka's... mistake, I spoke to her. About what really happened to everyone, and things like that.

[He'll continue walking, guiding them a little bit away from the cabins, voice quiet.]

During that time, she told me we "really don't want the camp population to drop below ten before week seven."

[And after this week in particular, his faith in the others is. Not great.]

[. . . well. that's alarming. Mitsuru continues walking, following Ashikawa as he guides her, mouth pressed into a thin line]

Did she say why?

I asked her if that's the point of no return, but she would only say I could 'possibly call it that.'

[As Red does.]

I think by now you should understand why I'd rather not bring this up in front of everyone.

. . . I see.

[she believes she knows where he's going with this. Mitsuru likes Ashikawa-- she finds him smart and logical, something she admires, and there's still that part of him that reminds her of Ken. but because of that part that is so. . . Amada-like, she can understand why he's wary about bringing this up with people he may butt heads with]

So you'd like me to pass on the information instead?

Preferably without allowing them all to explode into an argument again, yes.

It seems like a reasonable request.

[I mean, preferably they'd keep the camp population at what it is now, but. . .]

What would there be to argue over?

Whether it's best to simply follow along with what they say and sacrifice the bare minimum of people across the weeks rather than try to learn more to escape earlier, with all of the risks that come with it.

[Lenka.]

I see.

[LENKA. . .]

There is a middle ground between those two.

And only so many people I trust to walk that line.

[Lenka ruined everything.]

...Especially now. [Amamiya's breakdown comes to mind.] I'm... not certain how they will recover after everything.

[Like he personally didn't much care for Talcott, but it's obvious many did. Enough to cloud their judgments terribly.]

[Mitsuru is a natural born leader. charisma isn't her strength-- being the heart of a team isn't her strength-- and she knows it. but she is great at organizing people, at motivating them towards a common goal. or. . . so she likes to think]

[her feelings on Talcott were neutral, and although she feels the emotional drain of the decision they were forced to make with regards to his crime and Chloe's death, she thinks. . . she's okay. compared to some, she's okay]

They'll have to. They have no choice.

[it sounds cold, but it's the truth. the raw, dirty truth]

I will do what I can to bring them together again.

Edited 2018-06-17 05:17 (UTC)

...Thank you.

[Not a politeness he usually gives people.]

Also, regarding Red - be careful how much you push her.

[they share a bond, the Mitsurus]

. . . what do you mean?

She's erased my memories - twice, now.

[Just. By the way.]

I didn't realize it at first, but after seeing all of you... She confirmed it for me.

I remember looking for her because I had questions, but as far as I could recall, I never found her. I think I must have invented that part to make up for the gaps left behind.

[Unless he tried something else, but he's pretty sure all other plans would have simply resulted in his death.]

[what the fuck]

Why-- would she do that?

[she knows it's pointless to ask tinysuru, but here we are]

I don't know.

[And that's pure rage creeping into his voice.]

If I did, I likely wouldn't have that problem in the first place.

[she super doesn't blame him for that anger, truthfully. she'd be infuriated if she heard Red had erased her memory more than once, too]

Have you tried asking her up front why she's erased them?

No. Only that either she did it personally, or that she took me somewhere to have my memories erased just as she did with you all.

Frankly, just the fact that she confirmed it made me too angry to stand talking to her for much longer.

[He got mad and stormed off, essentially.]

I understand your feelings, Ashikawa.

[to say the least]

But as frustrating as speaking with her might be, I believe it's important to keep that line of communication open.

I believe Red wants to help us, as much as she is able to.

[He makes an annoyed sound in the back of his throat shortly before looking down, gaze still narrowed.]

...I know that. But after all of this, stealing--

[...It pisses him off. Everything about this just makes that anger continue to well up inside him, and though he can do well enough at keeping his cool, it's perpetually boiling underneath his skin.

He releases a sigh. He needs to be rational about this.]

...I can try.

I know.

[he doesn't even have to finish that sentence for her to understand]

But you know I'm not asking you to trust her, or even like her. Just to use her as the resource we need her to be.

...Right.

[She's just a resource. It's easier, that way, not thinking of her as a person, as someone who deserves any particular mercy.

It's just like in Vision. Just do what needs to be done.]

I've been able to find out other details as well, if you'd like to hear them.

[that isn't quite what Mitsuru meant, but. she understands people who work on logic and reason over anything else. and thus, her encouragement is in that vein]

I would, yes. I'd like to hear everything you learned from her. I intend to compile our information into an easily accessible source.

[It's okay Mitsuru, you can't be blamed for Minitsuru having pretty much the worst mentality ever.

He will, however, go ahead and explain everything he found out.]

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[Week 2, Saturday: Ashikawa]

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