Day 12 date - Akechi

[assent]

[ The first library isn't exactly somewhere she wanted to go on a date--though it isn't because of the fact there had been a fire here but Other Reasons she doesn't plan on bringing up.

She brings blankets for the floor though, along with a couple of books from the other library which will hopefully make more sense once Akechi arrives. She's wearing a blue dress today, and again has her hair down simply because trying to braid it all the time on her own is Painful.

There is a bottle of water and a small carton of juice that she brought with her, though not much else.

While waiting for him to arrive she already has one of the books open on her lap and is reading it. ]

Comments

[afailedmurder]

Y-yes, of course.

[He's doing it! Doing a date!!]

[assent]

[ !!

Now that she's here though it takes a burst of courage to twist around and lean back--whether he catches on and shifts himself so she can settle herself in the middle of his legs or she ends up on his lap is another story altogether.

She draws her own knees up once settled though with her head resting back against his shoulder and the book resting against her lap. It's clearer to see the title now, Affaire Classée - thankfully one of them definitely speaks French, so. ]

Some of these you may be familiar with, but I thought we could choose whichever seemed the most interesting?

[afailedmurder]

[He does catch on, for better or worse, and moves to accommodate her. For a moment he is hesitant, unsure of what to do with his hands, but eventually just goes for it, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling in to look over her shoulder.]

Why am I not surprised you can read French?

[assent]

[ She ends up swallowing hard when this just pulls her more back against him, her heart racing a little from how close they are now. ]

With my status I was expected to learn many languages, I can speak 30 in total.

[ She'll open the book to the contents now, while he lets... that sink in... ]

[afailedmurder]

That's incredible! That's a full 28 and 1/2 more than me.

[Probably slightly more than that, considering English education in Japan. More importantly, he's glad she can't see his face while they are this close. Where the hell is his chill? We would need a better detective to solve that mystery.]

[assent]

[ She is probably not so lucky given that she's in front of him, the flush on her face isn't going down anyway, whether he could see her or not. ]

Perhaps a little; however, the royal family has that we must learn so many to be able to be coronated into King or Queen. It... is rather useless now--or it would be if not for this.

[afailedmurder]

[pauses]

It's going to take some time to stop living about the past... but it's not useless. You'll find new uses for these things. At least, that's been my experience.

[assent]

[ She shifts slightly at that, tilting her head enough to try and see part of his face. ]

You still kept working as a detective, did you not?

[afailedmurder]

[his gaze is a little distant while talking about this subject]

Yes, but it's nothing like what I planned. It's been a long road getting here.

[assent]

[ She shifts again, twisting a little more with her legs dropping to rest against his. ]

Despite that, you have come quite far, no?

[afailedmurder]

I suppose I have. Despite everything, I'm very fortunate... not many can overturn their fate.

[assent]

I... I am glad you were able to, in that case.

[ She still doesn't have the full picture of what happened to him, but... this tells her something. ]

[afailedmurder]

[momentarily quiet and then just blurts it out]

I was dying or... perhaps dead. I'm not entirely sure.

[assent]

¡¿Que?!

[ She's startled by that, enough that she drops the book forward, twisting now properly to look at him because she did not

know

about this?????????? Akechi????????? ]

[afailedmurder]

I've made a number of mistakes...

[Nervous chuckle. Maybe he should have kept quiet?]

A-as you can see, however, I'm fine now.

[assent]

"Now"... [ She repeats the word much more quietly, concern evident on her face now as she looks at him. ]

Did you evade it with the devices given to you last time...?

[afailedmurder]

We weren't given devices last time. I was healed upon my entry to the game, and when I left, I returned to Kurusu's point in time rather than my own. After I'd already been... avenged, I suppose.

[assent]

My apologies, I have no idea how it would work I just presumed it was technology rather than magic... though I suppose it could be either.

[ Still . . . ]

I had no idea.

[afailedmurder]

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A computer was involved; I don't presume to understand how it worked. It was also different in that we subverted the game and escaped rather than allowing it to finish... or at least were led to believe that we had.

[That part is easy to talk about.]

It's fine. I'm trying to learn to leave the past behind me.

[assent]

Perhaps so, there are many worlds with different technologies too, yes? Perhaps teleportation has been invtented in those. Still... I am glad you were given this opportunity.

To meet Saihara-san, and even now for... this.

[ She pauses, then decides she probably should. Clarify. ] That we can spend this time together too, I mean.

[afailedmurder]

I am, too. I consider myself truly fortunate to have met you.

[Reaches up to touch her hair.]

[assent]

[ What is the appropriate response for something like this? Her skin flushes, eyes shutting as she lets him reach for her hair, whether he just rests his hand against her, strokes her hair or whatnot.

His words are enough that she needs a moment to recover a little too, given how her heart is racing a little more now. ]