[ senri & ray are not okay ]

[usogi]

Comments

[usogi]

... yeah.

[ . . . ]

I'm going to ask the gods if there's any way to switch Shiks' team. She told me that she was going to switch this week, and where - she just... didn't get to it.

I think if she swaps, she'll have a higher chance of winning even now. Then her wish can still get granted, so long as that god wins.

Can you find out too?

[selfimmolates]

Sure. I can ask around.

[usogi]

Thanks.

[ . . . ]

Shiks has something of mine. It might come up tomorrow. I'm just letting you know now, so you don't think I'm hiding anything from you if it's a surprise.

[selfimmolates]

... What is it?

[usogi]

It's just a pin.

[and senri will tug on the right lapel of his uniform jacket - there's an empty spot where he used to have a heart pin. but since he gave it away to shiki, he started swapping the order of his accessories to just make it look like he was fickle.]

She gave me one too. We traded, because we made a promise to win.

[selfimmolates]

All right. I can't guarantee what anyone else will think, but I'll keep that in mind.

[usogi]

.... I know - but if people are wrong and think it's me, then that means we won't find who actually hurt Shiks.

[and that's what he's concerned about the most.]

[selfimmolates]

We'll find them—even if just for the safety of the group. If someone's going after the other participants, it's best to deal with them immediately, before they get the chance to do it again.

[usogi]

... Ray-kun. I have a question. But it's not really about the game, so something tells me you're not going to feel super inclined to answer.

[selfimmolates]

[considering he's immediately on guard now? probably not.]

What is it?

[usogi]

[oops. well, senri thought it would only be fair to mention.]

How come you're so prepared to talk about things like this? You said you're used to it - but I don't get why.

[he's just so - young.]

[selfimmolates]

[... oh, that. ray's mouth twitches into a mirthless smile.]

I don't really mind answering, but you're probably not going to like it. Though it's probably kind of obvious, anyway.

[usogi]

.... I don't know - if you feel like it'd be more difficult for you to say it yourself, then tell me to forget it.

[his brow furrows]

But it's been bugging me, so I wanted to know.

[selfimmolates]

[how to put this...]

Not much to say about it. Where I'm from, the people around me were sent to their deaths regularly. I grew up knowing it was happening.

So, you could say I'm pretty acquainted with the idea of people dying. That's it.

[usogi]

But you—

[lived in an orphanage. so there are two options here. the first is that the reason there's an orphanage is because people were sent off to their deaths on a regular basis.

the other is -

doesn't ray have a tattoo?

and you can sort of see how it

slowly dawns on senri in the most horrifying way possible]

[selfimmolates]

[well, ray doesn't know exactly what kind of realizations senri is coming to, so—]

What's that look for?

[usogi]

... nothing.

[and he'll shake his head. he definitely still looks surprised and haunted but.]

... sorry for not being more mindful, Ray-kun. I guess you've just had to think about a lot of stuff that I haven't.

[selfimmolates]

What are you apologizing for, idiot? I accept that my attitude to things is probably an outlier. I don't care about you being "mindful" or whatever.

[usogi]

[ray is.... a good.]

Just something I guess I should've thought about. A lot of people here come from really different things than I've ever had to experience.

This week is... really a wake up call for that.

[selfimmolates]

[... he seriously gets emma vibes from this guy.]

You really are soft-hearted, aren't you?

[to be worrying about something like that right now, of all times.]

[usogi]

[mmmmph.]

Save calling me an idiot over that for another day, please.

[because he's heard it a lot lately. that his kindness is stupid. well what's he supposed to do about it right now, huh....]

[selfimmolates]

... It's not something I'll ever be able to empathize with, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just have to figure out how to turn it into a strength.

[he thought emma's kindness was stupid, once. then he realized that he might've been the idiot all along. now, they've figured out how to make it work for them.]

[usogi]

Being soft-hearted makes me harmless, and making people happy is a strength. It's what I'm good at. People talk more when they're happier, so in this case I'm making it into an information game. Maybe if people like me, they'll hesitate to kill me too.

[ . . . he doesn't like talking about it so callously though. he just shrugs and shakes his head.]

I hate thinking about it like that, though. But if that's what it takes to figure out a way to get the least amount of people hurt, I'll deal with it.

[selfimmolates]

Good. Doesn't matter that you don't like it—if you're capable of thinking that way, that's a start. It's more than what some people can do.

[usogi]

[ . . . . and senri huffs a laugh at that.]

I guess that was probably meant to be reassuring, huh, Ray-kun?

Well, I'm not at a top academy for nothing. And if I don't get it together, it'll just put the people around me in a worse position anyway.