deernet | accidental video; un: A.

Entry tags:

accidental video; un: A.

cw: murder, firearms, blood, suicide imagery

[ The scene opens up to three people in an interrogation room: Akechi, Akira, and a uniformed police officer standing guard.

Akechi steps into the room, calm and composed - even as he lunges forward, steals the guard's handgun, and swiftly attaches a silencer. A single shot is all it takes to drop the officer, and then Akechi and Akira are alone. The former glances at the later, tone distant and icy. ]

I owe you for all of this.. Thanks.

[ Akechi lingers where he stands for a moment, explaining to Akira that this all worked out how he expected and how it's going to serve some other purpose in the end. It's not an elaborate monologue, but it gets the point across: however they got here, Akechi has clearly been planning for it.

When he finally falls silent he adjusts his gloves and steps towards the table. As he raises the gun to aim it directly at Akira's head, a deranged and gleeful expression crosses his face. ]

Case closed. This is how your "justice" ends.

[ Akechi pulls the trigger.

There's a moment of horrible, suspended stillness, Akira's eyes gone glassy and vacant as blood from the bullet wound in his forehead trickles down his face. The stillness only breaks when Akira - when Akira's body - finally slumps forward and over the table, splattering blood across its pristine white surface. Akechi stares down at him for the span of several heartbeats before he steps forward, nudging Akira's head with the barrel of the gun to ensure that he's really dead.

Staging the scene is incredibly simple. The silencer is unscrewed from the gun and tucked away in his coat pocket; the gun itself is placed in Akira's hand, his fingers loosely curled around the hilt and his index finger tucked just so inside the trigger guard. That's all it takes. Akechi steps away and turns to give the scene one last once-over, his expression one of thin amusement.

Then he turns around and walks away. ]

----
[ The scene fades away, revealing nothing more than a perfectly pedestrian home library, shown from the low angle of an Omen that assumes a smaller form. Akechi isn't in view, but his voice can be heard: ]

What was--

[ There's no answer, and the angle of the video feed doesn't change. After a long moment Akechi heaves a sigh, and the video finally cuts off. ]

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Uh.

Huh.

[ Buffering... buffering... Akechi won't want to talk about it... Kind of weird to see that side of things... What if no one dealt with their negative emotions about interrogation rooms? Hey that sounds like a great idea! ]

...happy birthday?

[ Nailed it. ]

[ Akechi actually really, really appreciates that Akira doesn't go right for the most obvious and necessary thing to comment on. He needs some distance from the situation and this is providing.

He can't just say that, however. ]

Have you ever taken a single thing seriously in your life?

I take a lot of things seriously! I'm very seriously baking you a coffee cake.

[ Insert Akira whirling to show that there is something in the oven. ] You just have to wait a little longer for it.

[ This is so damn stupid it's actually kind of hard to Akechi to be mad about it. ]

I'm surprised you know how to make anything besides coffee and curry.

There is coffee in the cake. [ Life. Hacked. ]

It'll be ready in a half hour or so... [ Their oven can be a little unpredictable, but at least it gets the job done eventually. ] So I'll bring it up then.

[ "And we can talk" is the unsaid part there. Akira can't be held responsible for the fact that any emotional conversation is better had when you're eating something and also have time to prepare. ]

[ "And we can talk" is unsaid, but Akira may as well have been screaming it. Akechi vehemently does not want to talk about it, but he thinks he probably doesn't have much of a choice. ]

If you insist. I'll be in the library.

[ Akira, actually, also doesn't really want to talk about it, so there's honestly a 50/50 chance he gets up there and just talks about coffee or chess or all the frogs that they haven't evicted from the house yet. ]

Hmm. If it's the library I'll skip the candles.

[ Flammable material... no-go, Akira thinks. ]

Considering you apparently have a habit of walking into poles, I wouldn't trust you to get up the stairs with lit candles.

Those were extenuating circumstances. I'm not usually that clumsy.

[ He has only stabbed himself once flipping his knife up to catch it, and it was in the metaverse, so there's no scar to prove it. It's like it never happened.

Just like the bruise from walking into a pole. ]

Uh-huh. And the time you tripped over Maurice was just... what? Extenuating circumstances?

[...Well. This certainly was A Way to learn some things. Sumire has more questions after the clear violation of Akechi's very private nature than she did prior, which is actually impressive given how little she really knows about the guy, but--]

[He wouldn't want to talk about it, and it's his birthday, anyway.]

[So she just sends him an entirely unrelated video clip, a colorful ribbon she uses for dancing looped around her finger, the stick end of it braced carefully between Kasumi's little snake jaw while she rests over Sumire's shoulders like a scarf. From the center of it dangles a little hand-written sign, which she gestures to, reading it off.] Happy birthday, Akechi-san.

[ Akechi's not upset about it, but he finds it a little strange that both Akira and Sumire has elected to dodge the matter at hand in favor of simply telling him 'happy birthday'. Is this just how these two deal with this sort of thing now. ]

Thank you, Yoshizawa-san - and Kasumi, too.

[ It always feels a little weird to address the Omen, given her name - but she is helping. ]

[Given she was never actually aware of..., anything involving the interrogation room, outside of "Akira killed himself" and showing up at Leblanc after being tipped off he wasn't actually dead, she doesn't really figure it's her place to acknowledge the change in information presented to her. She pats Kasumi on the head with one finger, and the Omen spits out the end of the ribbon for Sumire to set aside.]

Do you have any plans?

I can't say that I do. I've gotten used to not doing much to celebrate my birthday, given how busy I tend to be.

[ That and the only person that ever cared died a decade ago. ]

I suppose I don't have that excuse here, do I?

[She has the faintest of suspicions that it wasn’t solely because he was busy that he got used to not celebrating a birthday, but she doesn’t voice that. She smiles, Kasumi twining between her fingers.]

If you don’t want to, I won’t make you celebrate, but I would love to celebrate you if you’d let me. [And you’re getting hugged whether you like it or not, buddy.]

No, I think I'd like that.

[ He has no idea what it would even entail in a place like Trench, but he'd like to try. ]

I'm afraid you'll have to walk me through it, though.

[Holy shit she might pee in excitement like a little Pomeranian.]

Really?! Oh-- [She claps her hands together and mashes her face into her wrists a moment.] Yay, thank you! You let me know when you're available, and we'll make it all about you! [Be prepared for a lot of hugging and being spoiled, sir.]

[......Okay, so maybe murdering her was an actual reflection of his character. Or his... former character? She's not sure how to feel about this. Any of this, really, but it's not like it's her place to judge him based on this.

It's probably her place to judge him based on murdering her, but... well. She doesn't really hold a grudge.]

...Did he actually die? [Uh, wait, no, maybe don't comment on this.]

Um, actually, we don't have to talk about that. It's your birthday? Happy birthday? [It's what Sumire and Akira said!]

Edited 2022-06-03 00:08 (UTC)

[ Things have been a little a little weird with Adaine since the whole attempted murder thing - or at least, they would have been if he'd spoken to her at all since then.

So really, it's not like the situation can get much more awkward. So he answers the question. ]

That's right. The exact amount of time that's passed doesn't quite line up, but I turned 19 today.

[Oh, that feels bad. In fact, there's something about the pleasantness in his tone that sends a chill down Adaine's spine. She's reminded faintly of Penelope Everpetal telling her that her jacket or her nails look cute with a bright friendly smile on her face one morning and then come May, screaming and laughing in the throes of madness as she tried to kill everyone in her way, but even she never felt this... fake.]

Right. [She tries to think of something to keep going with but, she can't.] Hell of a birthday present from Trench, then.

[She switches to private.]

Are you doing okay?

[ If it seemed fake before, that'll be even more obvious when they switch to private. His expression slips, going from cordial and pleasant to cold and bored like a switch being flipped. Akechi knows that he should probably try a little harder, but he also knows Adaine has already seen some pretty damning stuff. ]

That's a strange thing to ask. I'm not the one that was shot.

[ Not this time at least. ]

I don't know Akira that well.

[She doesn't know Akechi that well either, apparently. Is Sumire hiding some dark secret other than the whole twin death thing?]

He ran into a post once and I had to walk him home. That's about it. [She frowns, contemplating why she's concerned. A year ago, she'd have felt betrayed and angry and would have punched Akechi's head off of his shoulders, but, well. Aelwyn's challenged a lot of her more morally black and white feelings of outrage. Now, she just wants to understand.] I've been shot a lot of times. I've also killed a lot of people, some I could care less about, others I wouldn't want to tell anyone about.

[Lunchlady Doreen... She still remembers staring at her brain dripping off the ladle.]

It's not really fun to have your dirty laundry put up for everyone to see. [A beat.] Also, there was the curse last month that made us try to kill eachother, so I feel like I should probably check in.

He--

[ Ran into a post. Of course. Akechi huffs out something halfway between a sigh and a laugh. ]

That sounds like him.

[ And the rest of it... Akechi is silent for a while before responding - partially to process what's being said, and partially to carefully readjust his assessment of her. ]

No, it's not fun.

[ He can at least admit to that much, since it's not like it's obvious. And... ]

I came to terms with this incident some time ago, so the annoyance of having my privacy violated is worse in this particular answer.

[ An outright lie, though Akechi doesn't entirely realize it. ]

Seems like you're both... friends? On speaking terms, at least? So I guess that makes sense.

[That should probably be more foreign of a concept to her, but... well. She still remembers how it felt to wrap her fingers around her sister's throat after humiliating her in front of the lowest of the low.

She still loves her. They both still love one another. Despite all the hurt.]

I assume he wasn't your first.

'Friends' is probably too strong of a word for it.

[ It objectively is not. ]

'Allies' is what I would use. I can't fathom why he would agree to such an arrangement, but he did.

[ Her next question, though... that's not one he was quite expecting, and he regards her for a moment before responding. ]

No, he wasn't. I'd been active for years before I finally targeted him. He was one of the last before I ended up here, in fact.

[She looks like she's between pinching the bridge of her nose and just straight up laughing, but she drops it.]

Active... You don't really strike me as the serial killer type. [Even after having seen how deranged he can really get. It still strikes her as... off.] So I'm guessing you were an assassin, of some kind?

[She frowns.]

I think the last person I killed before arriving here was my father.

[ It's not like Akechi thinks Adaine is dumb. Entirely the opposite, in fact. Even so, the accuracy of her 'guess' gives him pause. But finally: ]

That's right, though my targets tended to be too low profile for that to occur to anyone.

[ While he'd paused at her guess, his reaction to her next comment comes in the form of a pronounced lack of reaction. He doesn't blink or freeze or let his expression slip. He is, however, a little too perfectly unconcerned, and there's a note of interest a little sharper than he intends when he speaks. ]

That sounds a lot more personal than any assassination.

[Being the Oracle has it's perks, even if she's not always aware of them. Her potential as a paleblood is near-limitless. She nods at Akechi's words, frowning.

Assassin is easier to stomach than serial killer.

Then Akechi's reaction... well, everyone else she's told about this has given her a bewildered look, so it really says a lot that he doesn't even so much as raise an eyebrow.

Interesting. Adaine crosses her arms on the other side of the omni, then with a sigh, she elaborates.]

It was self-defense. But... [But she enjoyed it. She tries to enjoy it. Adaine isn't a sadist, she doesn't take pleasure in killing. It's only a means to an end. But she spent so long fantasizing about killing her sister, so many nights laid awake with fantasies of murder and revenge for every single flicker of mistreatment she received. It took her a long time to realize her blame was misplaced. That her own revenge would avenge her years of suffering too.]

He wanted to enter into my mind and... well, reprogram me. Make me pliant and obedient as a daughter. My sister stood up to him, and he nearly killed her.

So, I killed him. And took his sword, which was mine by right, but he'd stolen it because he was a dickhead. [She pauses, her expression twisting a bit, revealing a deeper hurt and bitterness because unlike Akechi, Adaine isn't any good at hiding her feelings. It's what made her so hard to love to begin with.] ...It didn't make any of it feel better, in case you were wondering.

[Maul can't tell with the pattern that's been going on if this is supposed to be a happy or sad memory for the person it's being broadcast from. So instead he focuses on the aspect of it that appeals to the part of his mind that still holds the thought process of an assassin.]

Did you get away with it?

[ After all the people that have been avoiding the subject, it's actually kind of refreshing to have someone acknowledge the plain truth of the situation. ]

To an extent. The allies of the young man in the video feed are aware of this particular incident, but not anyone else.

Clever. Very clever.

[There's a certain amount of respect conveyed in Maul's voice. As an assassin, he can appreciate being able to literally get away with murder.]

[Ada was still recovering, but at this point she at least had her voice back even if a bit off at the moment. So what she had seen was probably not something they intentionally were planning to show to people because something like that... well why would you?

But to her it seemed like killing people.... was actually normal for them. From a talk with someone before now she had thought maybe it was just because of wat was going on. But... this was something and she didn't know how to approach it.

At least for a moment before she finally decided to actually say something. Horse voice and all. She was trying.]

I will assume what we just witnessed wasn't exactly meant to be shown.

[ Well... fuck.

Akechi has always known that he'd likely run into Ada again, but he hadn't expected it to happen just a couple weeks after their encounter. This is... less than ideal, but Akechi schools his expression into one of aloof boredom. ]

No, it wasn't. Another strange effect of the town, perhaps.

[Ada assumed as such, which was kinda sad really. It wasn't very nice to have things publicly shown, although in this case it probably explained a few things. Sort of.

Only more questions after answering some.]

I guess so. I don't know the town enough to say for certain and didn't come across any books on the subject.

[Ada acting like she was perfectly okay talking to him when in fact she wasn't necessarily. But she had a set goal in mind she was trying.]

Um... So... [She didn't know if she should say anything and had in fact probably forgotten this isn't private either.]

With this in mind can I talk for a moment. You know what about.

[ Much as he wishes he could avoid it, he's not surprised by the request. So he switches to private as well, not bothering to answer her first question. ]

Go ahead. I can't promise you'll like the answer, though.

I mean I'm not assuming good answers are going to be a thing, but first of all. Have you told anyone?

[People were obvious aware of what happened to her, they just didn't know the who or what happened just yet.]

I haven't told anyone it was you yet, so I was just wondering.

[That was at least the first question she had wanted to ask to get a better idea.]

My other question is more about wanting to understand the why behind it?

I haven't told anyone, no.

[ He's not big on haphazardly confessing to murders, as it turns out. As for why...

He takes a moment to think about his answer, but what he comes back with is probably pretty disappointing. ]

There's not really a 'why'. But if I had to pick a reason... I suppose it's because you were there.

[Honestly...she couldn't be that surprised. With the one person she talked to there could be reasons behind it, but being there during that time... it would make some sense.

Plus as she now knows she was very much an easy target.]

I guess for a lot of people... that is probably the usual reason they pick a target. [Did she expect anything more? Maybe a little bit, but she didn't seem too disappointed either at least outwardly. Gave her a bit of an understanding.]

Can I just say something? That I'm not mad about what happened.

[ Ada's words finally chase off Akechi's chilly aloof expression, giving way to open shock instead. He doesn't even try to hide it, and after a moment the only response he can muster is: ]

Why not?

Because I have spent some time really thinking about the whole thing and came to the conclusion that the world really can mess with us in many ways. It's an interesting world, but a cruel one.

[Basically she had spoken to people and had experienced what this place can do. So she felt like she was getting a better understanding of the situation.]

At the time I didn't understand that and that was my fault for being naive. Plus, I'm just a very forgiving person.

[ Akechi genuinely can't believe what he's hearing. The first part is fine, sure. He thinks it's foolish to forgive someone just because the Pthumerians might have been messing with them, but he can follow the train of logic behind it. Mostly because he's used his powers to drive others to similar acts. The very last part is also foolish, and he doesn't understand it well himself, but he at least knows some people are just like that.

That middle part, though. That's what he's stuck on, and that's why his shocked expression twists into an annoyed scowl. ]

So.. what? You could have done more to prevent yourself from being murdered, so it's your fault it happened?

That's stupid.

No fault lies solely on one person. Mine was just naivety, but at the same time how is one to know what could or couldn't happen? One can can be sure.

[She uses it as a learning experience more than anything. She knew better than to be down on her guard at least here. She made sure of that now at least.]

It may be stupid, but it helps.

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accidental video; un: A.

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