Day 15

[loveandwillpower]

Akira's not in the infirmary, which is just as well. Or in his room, which is... actually a pretty good sign, if her third guess is on point.

Her third guess is Ichigo's room, so that's where she's knocking. And hoping that Ichigo's the heavier sleeper between the two, and also that they're asleep. She's not interrupting anything, she knows this because she is naturally in tune with the power of love. Or because she had her ear to the door for a minute and nobody's that quiet. It's totally the power of love, though, nobody can prove otherwise.

Comments

[purrtagonist]

[ah. so that's why she was so stubborn about not letting Ichigo overhear what she needed to say]

You're not the only one.

[Akira is too, of course]

I talked to him last night, though. And I think I managed to calm him down.

[loveandwillpower]

What happens the next time?

He reminds me of - someone else, someone who had to lose a lot of people. If he loses you, he's not going to make it.

[purrtagonist]

I know.

[he absolutely, positively knows this]

Are you worried I'll do something stupid again?

[loveandwillpower]

Of course!

We're not going to beat the raccoons if we only do what they say, so someone's got to do something really stupid at some point.

[purrtagonist]

[WELL HE CAN'T DENY THAT. . . and it is the kind of logic that spurred him and Ichigo into getting hurt]

Minako. . . in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly in any condition to do something stupid.

[gestures. to broken and bandaged self]

[loveandwillpower]

Just because you're not doesn't mean you won't.

[ How'd Ichigo rip out his stitches again?? ]

[purrtagonist]

[THAT WASN'T HIS FAULT]

Are you going to worry about me even if I pinkie promise that I won't do anything to endanger my life or his?

[loveandwillpower]

That would help.

[ Dead serious, take the pinky. ]

Swear to swallow a thousand pinecones if you lie?

[purrtagonist]

[TAKES THE PINKIE]

Swear to swallow a thousand pinecones if I lie.

[loveandwillpower]

If you come up with some kind of dangerous idea anyway, tell me so I can do it before anyone else does.

[purrtagonist]

[MINAKO??]

I'm not going to send you off on a potentially deadly mission just because you asked me to.

[loveandwillpower]

Then do it because I've got the best chance of surviving one.

[ Minako. ]

[purrtagonist]

. . . you cut the rope into the morgue so you and Illyasviel couldn't get out.

[Minako]

[loveandwillpower]

You can't get a better alibi than that!

...I didn't know our tablets wouldn't work down there.

[purrtagonist]

Is that why you cut it? To create an alibi?

[loveandwillpower]

Yeah, like one of Erika's tape rooms!

[purrtagonist]

[squints at her. . .]

You could have just spent the entire night together. There was no reason for you to manufacture an alibi by cutting the rope.

[loveandwillpower]

Like Corrin and Niles spent the night together? It's not much of an alibi if one of you falls asleep!

[purrtagonist]

[. . . okay, point]

Did you have reason to think Illyasviel was going to run off on you?

[loveandwillpower]

No way - she acts tough, but she's more likely to be killed than to kill anyone herself!

[ You know. Just in case they didn't have enough reasons to worry about Ichigo's sanity. ]

[purrtagonist]

[THANKS MINAKO. . .]

She really needs to stay alive for Ichigo's sake too, you know.

[loveandwillpower]

And she cares about living even less than he does.

[ Between the two of them, it's not going to be easy. ]

[purrtagonist]

Yeah. I've noticed.

[WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE. . .]

[loveandwillpower]

And we can't stick with the same people night after night...

We could talk them into sticking with each other for sure once, maybe twice, and then they'd get split up, like - like Futayo and Erika.

[purrtagonist]

[. . .!]

Rin is going to look after Ichigo tonight. But what about the next killing night? Illyasviel and Ichigo could pair up then.

Ah, but then who would pair with Illyasviel tonight. ..