week three - sunday, post execution (lief)

[eisenundblut]

[Prussia tries to catch Lief's eye before leaving the site of the execution. She's covered Newt's body with her jacket, because honestly... she doesn't know what else to do with it right now. She's holding Hayner's vest folded neatly over one arm, and a stick of sea-salt ice cream in her hand as she unlocks their door and pushes it open with her foot.

Then she just sags to the bed to wait for Lief to show up. She... isn't really hungry, but Hayner wanted everybody to eat ice cream, right? It feels wrong to just leave it.]

Comments

[reidentify]

[Likewise, Lief has far from an appetite right now, even if the idea of accepting food from their captors sat well, but... he doesn't want to disrespect Hayner's wish, and so he took a stick before leaving.

He enters the hut, worried and somber.]

... Prussia.

[eisenundblut]

...Lost my cool.

[It's... what she has to say in way of apology, anyway. Her voice is hoarse from crying, and her eyes are still rimmed red, but she just forces herself right ahead to the important thing.]

Knew they lied, knew it was too good to be true. Lost it.

[reidentify]

... I am sorry.

[That they lied, that is.

He moves to sit at the edge of his bed.]

But for whoever dies this week [assuming it won't be her], you may be able to assign them with Zuko. And... I have something to ask of you, Prussia, if you would hear it.

[eisenundblut]

[She takes a sullen bite of her ice cream.]

You're using all that fancy-speak. Must be serious.

[reidentify]

... I do not speak all that "fancy"...

[...]

The Wickies and the Sirens have been given conflicting information on how to end the game and bring everyone back to life—whether the Sirens must succeed or they must be stopped. This is, presumably, the heart of what they meant by "one Chief always lies, and one tells the truth."

The rules of their roles was written. [...] And if the rules board is any indication, the Chiefs may have slightly different handwriting.

[eisenundblut]

[Sure... you don't...

In any case, when he starts leading with that, she nods a few times. She missed out on all of that exposition because she literally just... left... as soon as the votes were shown, so this is news to her.

Then she frowns.]

So... you wanna see if my whole role could be a lie?

[reidentify]

No, I do not believe the function of your role would be false—it would be far too easy to prove, and the Chiefs do seem careful to avoid that.

[Which, you know, sucks.]

However, you are in closer contact with them than me or the person I have been discussing this with. I do not know exactly what you could do, but there are a few things of importance.

Above all, to determine which Chief is the liar, and which Chief wrote down the rules for the Wickies or the Sirens. To do that, we will need samples of each Chiefs' handwriting and the rulebook of the two roles.

... Of course, for the second one, that means we must find a member of either role.

[eisenundblut]

[She does exhale a quiet sigh of relief when he doesn't want to test hers, though. Her track record has been less than stellar, after all.]

I still have my rulebook. Was gonna burn it, but... figured if it came to somebody snooping through my shit, I'd be dead anyway. Hang on...

[She gives up the ice cream as a lost cause and sets it atop a hollowed-out coconut for now, instead moving to the trunk to fish out the journal she writes in every day. Tucked in between the pages is her role rulebook, which she passes over to Lief.]

The person you're talking to... that's Jacopo, isn't it?

[reidentify]

[Grateful, he likewise sets his ice cream aside, takes the journal, and starts flipping through it with his good hand. At the mention of Jacopo's name, he looks up.]

Jacopo? No. I will admit that I learned from him the item role's identity even before this trial, but the one I am working with is... [He pauses.] ... Magilou.

[... He knows she might seem like an odd person to be allied with.]

1/3? i think it's three

[eisenundblut]

...Huh.

[Magilou. Huh.]

[eisenundblut]

Eh?! For real?!!!

[She's still tired but that seems really?? Weird?!]

yeah 3/3

[eisenundblut]

How'd you figure that one out?

[reidentify]

Well, in the early stages of the game, we agreed to trade information. To be honest, I did not know if I would really stay true to that—after all, I had no reason to trust her. But I knew that I had to have at least one person as an "ally".

[Plus, in some ways, her "untrustworthy" demeanour makes Lief more inclined to believe in her, when he knows from experience that friendly faces can deceive.]

And as luck would have it, she was one of two people whom Jack Vessalius examined as per his role. She is without one. As such, I believe that she has been truthful with me this entire time.

—Ah, though I have never mentioned to her your role, and I have no intention to. But I do believe that in spite of how she acts, she is genuinely invested in seeing this game to a "happy ending".

1/2

[eisenundblut]

Huh...

[Well, she kind of wishes she knew that earlier, but on the other hand, she's impressed with Lief's ability to work with difficult people. She's not one of the difficult people, of course!! These other people are.]

I think most people here feel the same way. We just gotta find out which way is the real happy ending before more people get killed.

...

[She misses Newt. She even misses Austria? Which is stupid, there's no reason to miss Austria.]

[eisenundblut]

So I'll give you special permission to tell me what to do, kid. Maybe you're not my boss, and maybe you're not a king or a president, but I trust you to make the right decisions. I've done nothing but fuck all mine up since their stupid game started. Aaah, I guess that's why I'm the cool General and not a Queen!

[reidentify]

[To be honest, up until very recently, his and Magilou's "information trade" has been mainly them mutually going, "Got any info this week?? No??? Darn," so you really weren't missing much, Prussia.

And now Lief kind of freezes with an awkward look on his face, because hahahahaha about that...]

Well, we—we are all suited for different roles. But I will do my best to live up to that faith.

[eisenundblut]

[Ahahaha at least she doesn't notice.]

Then who do you think I should break? Way the Chiefs talked about it, sounds like they want me to break somebody's partnership that I think could be a Siren.

Any ideas?

[reidentify]

... The way they talked about it? What did they say? They want you to try and protect the Sirens?

[eisenundblut]

[She snorts an unamused laugh.]

Nah. It was Pal, he said I should use it to get rid of the Sirens.

[reidentify]

How? Is he suggesting that you break a Siren's partnership and then kill the Siren...?

[eisenundblut]

Probably.

[She's quiet for a long moment, pressing her lips tightly together.]

Pretend for a second we're not thinking about living, breathing, human people. Pretend it's a game of chess or something. One of those smart-people strategy games. It'd be a tactic, right? Taking out someone you think could be your enemy? Especially if you know their partner is safe...

[reidentify]

... Indeed. But even if that were the case, should the Sirens' conditions be the truth, then their deaths will kill us all without a chance at revival.

Until we can confirm that, it is unwise to blindly hunt them down.

[He's not sure of how Prussia will feel about this—he wouldn't blame her if she wanted the Sirens dead regardless to avenge Austria.]

[eisenundblut]

Yeah. That's the shitty bit. Not to mention I don't like playin' by their rules...

[Look, maybe she wants to kill the Sirens, but not because she's told to by the Chiefs!!]

I'd rather use it to save people from getting killed. ...Like Newt.

[She's silent again, sagging a little in her seat, before she forces herself to keep moving forward.]

At this rate, I reassign Zuko? Someone in that group of three gets offed, we end up with three dead people instead of two. I can't figure this kind of puzzle out!! Even though I'm super smart!!

[reidentify]

[...]

Perhaps reassign him to Katara and Inuyasha, as he is staying with them regardless... and then break their partnership this week? Or the next.

[He can't think of who might need it, aside from Jacopo, but he and Laphicet were already chosen last time, so.]

[eisenundblut]

Assign Zuko to Katara, break with Inuyasha... is that what you're suggesting?

[She tilts her head and hums, brow furrowed.]

Don't you think they'd assume Zuko'd get assigned to Katara, though? Like... if I was a Siren, it's what I'd figure. Then again, if I was a Siren, I'd probably look at taking out...

Mmmmmm...

[She's thinking very hard!! And eventually gives up and grabs her journal again, starting to write down everyone's names as she thinks of them. In the meantime:]

Maybe I can do that, ja. Zuko should be safe, at least. If our Sirens are really just trying to keep the number of dead low, they wouldn't touch him anyway.

[reidentify]

It depends on how your rules work, though I do not think the Chiefs would be very helpful in clarifying.

[He's bitter, though he imagines Prussia is even more so.]

I was thinking more that it would be possible to have Zuko, Katara, and Inuyasha as three, and then "protect" them... but I am not sure if that would work at all.

It is possible that the Sirens may kill Zuko precisely because he does not have a partner anymore, and they will assume that if he dies, no one goes with him.

[Which might make it risky to reassign Zuko to anyone, but if Prussia doesn't, then will Zuko die by the rules of the game instead? He can't tell.

He presses a hand against his head.]

If assigning Zuko to Katara would involve leaving Inuyasha out in the cold, perhaps it is better to forget it. [...] Is there anyone here who seems as though they might catch the Sirens? If the Sirens feared Lelouch, then that will help us determine who the next victim might be.

[eisenundblut]

What if I leave them as a group of three and break Erhard's partnership, in case they decide to go after that Kyouko kid? It works for a week, then...

[She's still writing, pencil in her left hand even as she hums along with what Lief is saying. She's working. Work has always helped her keep her head. If she stops working, she'll break down and cry again. No time for that. She has to be strong like a little bird!!]

...I'm gonna bet I can't assign him twice in a row. So I assign him to Katara, keep Inuyasha... then next week, assuming the three of 'em haven't gotten killed, maybe I can... assign Katara to Zuko? Or assign someone else to him, I wonder if that would count... Aaaah, this is complicated!!! And stupid! You can tell those robots weren't programmed by Germans, they'd be way more precise!!

[She keeps writing, starting to draw lines around names.]

...You know, if I was a Siren? And I wasn't your awesome partner, of course, I'd get rid of you. You make friends real easy. Makes sense that people would trust you. Akira's another one, but...

[She taps her pencil against her lips.]

Jaffar betrayed Lucina. Jacopo said she doesn't have an item-giving role or whatever, but... wonder if that would make her a target.

[reidentify]

[...]

If the Sirens dispose of me, they will be very sorry.

[Anyhow.]

It is possible that Lucina will be a target. [Though he might be biased in that he desperately wants Magilou to live.] Of course, it is also possible that she, Kirigiri, or Akira could be a Siren. I feel as though at least one of the people who appear to be helpful at trials is, in fact, working to mislead us.

[eisenundblut]

Damn right about that.

[Such a good kid. She's so proud of you all the time.]

You're vouching for Magilou, but I gotta say... that stunt she pulled with the Jacks? Pissed me off.

[She taps the pencil against her journal, studiously keeping her eyes on the paper instead of looking at Lief.]

I talked to Newt a little about this last night, but... sometimes when Hiro talks, he sounds like he knows a lot more than he lets on. I don't know the kid well, I just know he's skittish like a shy little bird. [he wouldn't let her pet his head which is... normal....]

If Akira's a Siren... ...

[She scrunches up her face.]

It's what I'd do, if I was running this stupid game and wanted his group to win. Take out someone close to him myself, give him reason to keep fighting to bring her back. Also makes the rest of us feel sorry for him. Aaah, shitheads...

[reidentify]

... I understand, and I will not ask you to like her, but at least understand that it was not out of malice.

[Lief nods.]

Hiro... He asks many questions and often contributes, but thinking about it, and knowing in hindsight that Mello was not the Sirens' work—I feel as though much of what he says, or the answers he seeks, would not actually harm the Sirens.

I know he is one of Magilou's suspects as well, at least, and she believes that even if he is without a role, he and Kirigiri may be up to something. [...] Akira, as well, is another person she is considering. So far, he has not said anything to give her room for pause, but she intends to see if perhaps he is hiding something. If he is a Siren, then she has faith that he would be willing to cooperate with us.

[eisenundblut]

Genau, ganz genau. That's what I thought about him. Newt disagreed, but Newt's a softy. ...Was a softy. Anyway.

Kirigiri too, huh...?

[She makes a small note on the page.]

If it's true, that'd mean Erhard is safe. Safer than I could make him by breaking his partnership, anyway.

[She scratches the eraser end of the pencil through her hair.]

We got... four Sirens left, oder? If we're thinkin' it's Hiro, Akira, Kyouko... That still leaves one left.

Anybody else tell you about their roles?

[reidentify]

I do not think it is both Hiro and Kirigiri, if only because they would take care to associate less during trials. I believe that the Sirens would avoid being seen as close to one another—at least, they would not publicly make plans to consult with one another, as Kirigiri and Hiro have done.

... If it is not Akira, then I suspect Raven. [Though he hates using that word because Raven is his friend, and he'd... like to believe that regardless of how this game turns out, that remains true.] But like with Akira, that is based more on following how the Chiefs might think than actual evidence.

[He sighs.]

So no. Which is no surprise, I suppose.

[eisenundblut]

Hmm... good point.

[She scribbles out that mark.]

Bellamy told me he doesn't have one. Me and Bellamy yell at each other a lot, so I think I can trust him.

[???? Sound logic.]

So right now, we got a couple guesses and nothing really concrete. We don't even know which one is the right side to be on, here. In trials, we supposed to vote for who we think did it, or just buy time as long as we can?

[reidentify]

[He nods, choosing to completely ignore that logic...]

Bellamy has been confirmed. He and Magilou were the two people that Jack Vessalius examined, so if he is guilty of anything, it is not through having a role.

[...]

I do not know. I imagine that discussion will come up, either this week or at the next trial.

[eisenundblut]

Tch.

[She closes her journal and flops backward onto her bed, throwing an arm over her eyes.]

I hate waiting! Can't even hang out with Newt and Jack anymore. That asshole even drank the last of the Jäger Austria asked for.