( "he acts like we're friends, and i play along with it too, but the truth is that he kinda freaks me out. i only go along with it because i get the feeling he'll do something awful if i don't."
that's what was said, all those weeks ago.
...
mafuyu circles around, watching them- watching that man- coldly.
it really isn't a joke, is it?
if she stops and listens, will there be more to say? about friends, maybe? )
[There are more things that could potentially be discussed. 'Family' is an option for sure. And also, since all of the listed options were picked, 'Wish' is suddenly available.]
Yeah. If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?
[The teen thinks on this for a while. What does he even have to wish for? A wish of friends wouldn't result in genuine friends, and a wish of money could just lead to more trouble if Sou is the one granting it. besides, neither of those are what he truly wants...]
I guess...if I could wish for anything, it would be to meet my little sister.
[He knows of her. He remembers when his mom was pregnant, and the few times he heard his mom talk about the baby it was always with female pronouns. But his parents never brought a baby home, and he never met her. She would probably be in elementary school by now, he thinks.
The adult just grins.]
Oh, that's a wish I can grant.
Wait- you can?
Yes. Filtering through adoption records is easy.
Th-then you will-
I can, but you have to make a deal with me first.
[The adult pulls out a paper that says "I consent to devoting myself to Asunaro for granting my wish" with a line for a signature on it.
The adult hands this out to the teen, along with a pen.]
Now we're retracing his decisions, hm? [And experiencing what it was like for him.]
It's clear that Tsukimi, the Sou we know, tied his life to this man. His scarf came from this man and bears it to this day, and above all other correspondence, the only one he responded to was this person's.
Saying yes to the contract is what I feel he would have done.
[The teenager hesitantly looks over the contract. It seems too good to be true for one, and he's always been wary of contracts without fine print on them. He knows he shouldn't sign. He knows he should turn it down and walk away.
But he doesn't. He picks up the pen and signs "Shin Tsukimi" on the line.
Smiling, the adult takes the contract and pen back once it's signed.]
I'll be seeing you soon, Shin.
[A distance away, the group will see a version of the green-haired man they know standing there, though he is much more teal in color now. He's watching the events with sadness in his eyes.]
I should have said no. What was I even thinking? Why did I ever trust him?
[But before the group can say anything to him, he disappears.]
That guy said it was, though we both know his true intentions. We have the luxury of seeing this interaction as outsiders... [He lifts a finger.] But the trick to these games is to think like our opponent. Who's to say that Sou didn't accept such a poor excuse, especially if he were desperate for a friend?
... There's something else, actually... it was... from a coerced confession of truth in a trap the God of Conflict set, so I was reluctant to bring it up.
( ... she knows palaces bring out the worst truths, the deepest secrets... but she wanted to try to respect his privacy regardless, especially given that he didn't have a choice to share it. but...
...
she's so sorry. )
He confessed to having someone who acted like a friend, but that he only played along out of fear of retaliation.
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the vibes? atrocious. she is still holding atem's hand but...
what do they have to say about home? )
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You know...mom and dad haven't been home a lot.
Is that so?
Yeah. They're out working late tonight too. I guess they still have to pay off all of those medical bills from the last time I went to the hospital...
Sounds about right, medical bills can be pretty expensive. They must really despise you, for putting all of this onto them!
[The teen's face looks shocked and horrified, but the man just laughs.]
Kidding! Just kidding. I'm your friend, I wouldn't say stuff like that to you.
...
[The teen just looks away awkwardly.]
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Were you, really?
( she doesn't expect the man to answer. this is probably for the best. but- how dare he, honestly. )
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that's what was said, all those weeks ago.
...
mafuyu circles around, watching them- watching that man- coldly.
it really isn't a joke, is it?
if she stops and listens, will there be more to say? about friends, maybe? )
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Please wish for more than a life of crime my dude.]
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MAJORITY VOTE
Say, Shin, do you have a wish?
A wish?
Yeah. If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?
[The teen thinks on this for a while. What does he even have to wish for? A wish of friends wouldn't result in genuine friends, and a wish of money could just lead to more trouble if Sou is the one granting it. besides, neither of those are what he truly wants...]
I guess...if I could wish for anything, it would be to meet my little sister.
[He knows of her. He remembers when his mom was pregnant, and the few times he heard his mom talk about the baby it was always with female pronouns. But his parents never brought a baby home, and he never met her. She would probably be in elementary school by now, he thinks.
The adult just grins.]
Oh, that's a wish I can grant.
Wait- you can?
Yes. Filtering through adoption records is easy.
Th-then you will-
I can, but you have to make a deal with me first.
[The adult pulls out a paper that says "I consent to devoting myself to Asunaro for granting my wish" with a line for a signature on it.
The adult hands this out to the teen, along with a pen.]
Sign the contract, and we have a deal.
Discussion
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It's clear that Tsukimi, the Sou we know, tied his life to this man. His scarf came from this man and bears it to this day, and above all other correspondence, the only one he responded to was this person's.
Saying yes to the contract is what I feel he would have done.
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RESULT
But he doesn't. He picks up the pen and signs "Shin Tsukimi" on the line.
Smiling, the adult takes the contract and pen back once it's signed.]
I'll be seeing you soon, Shin.
[A distance away, the group will see a version of the green-haired man they know standing there, though he is much more teal in color now. He's watching the events with sadness in his eyes.]
I should have said no. What was I even thinking? Why did I ever trust him?
[But before the group can say anything to him, he disappears.]
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The less one thinks of themselves, the easier it is to get them alone...
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( ... she knows palaces bring out the worst truths, the deepest secrets... but she wanted to try to respect his privacy regardless, especially given that he didn't have a choice to share it. but...
...
she's so sorry. )
He confessed to having someone who acted like a friend, but that he only played along out of fear of retaliation.
I'm certain this is that person...