Week 4, Friday

[foundationmods]

Another Thursday night comes, and everyone seems to know what that means. Even with the failure of last week, several people are out on patrol, trying to make sure no murders occur tonight. That motive had been tempting, after all, and keeping people in check when there's the promise of 'going home' on the line is difficult at best.

Moriarty, at least, seems intent on taking advantage of that motive. After slipping out of his room, he walks briskly towards the back yard. His intended target is out there, he knows it, and he wants to get this done quickly before anyone notices he's missing. The stipulation of 'don't get caught' has made this week's motive all the harder to obtain, and he has no intentions of letting anyone get the best of him.

However, Oda is not alone this week. Several people have decided to patrol with him, making for many witnesses to any possible crime. A fact that Moriarty sees instantly as soon as he steps outside.

For a moment, Oda and Moriarty's eyes meet. Oda frowns, because he can figure out exactly what Moriarty is doing out and about at this hour. But he can't say anything, not with the people around him. The goal is to avoid deaths, after all, and speaking up now will just result in Moriarty's death instead of his own. And since Oda won't attack with other people right there to get caught in a firefight and possibly die, he does nothing against this obvious threat.

Karen looks over the edge and sees Moriarty too. In turn, Moriarty smiles and waves up at the group, acting as if nothing bad had been about to happen. Karen waves in return, suspecting nothing. The exchange just makes Oda's frown deepen, but he still says nothing.

Then, once that pleasant exchange is made, Moriarty ducks back inside, heading back to his room before anyone can miss him.

The night passes with no deaths.

Comments

[allmyfriendsaredead]

[Saki merely nods, following. She isn't aware at all of the others beginning to make their own moves.

They end up stopped in hallway, and at that point, Saki speaks up again:]

Oda told me. The reason why you showed up outside last night.

[Her tone remains even, but there's anger in her eyes.]

Why?

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[Oh. So he was correct in the end, wasn't he?

Though he's still smiling, his eyes suddenly go very cold - the gaze of the spider, staring her down as if he's deciding what to do with her.]

Because I determined that was the best course of action, with the way he had been acting.

...Of course, I was thwarted - so in the end, it matters little, does it not?

[allmyfriendsaredead]

[It's fine. If she dies here, she accepts that.

Maybe she'd get to see Goro again.

As a girl of fourteen, she'd stared down the Board of Education as they plotted much the same, and although she's certainly scared, she doesn't balk.]

Barely.

What I want to know is why you risked all of us for this.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

...If my plan had worked, I would have improved our standing.

[Among the viewers, but he's not saying that implicitly where mics can more easily pick it up.]

I asked about the motive and if it could be offered to another for a reason - for Silver's sake.

[odasaku]

[ oda feels like his heart is about to leap out of his chest as he observes the conversation that’s taking place. he had told her, warned her to not make him her enemy, and now here she was, staring into the abyss.

if he waited any longer— would she be able to make it out alive? ]

Don’t move, James Moriarty.

[ oda’s voice and actions are practically automatic, compartmentalizing his anxiety to focus on the threat beforehand. he has his gun out, pointed directly at his head. ]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[He barely reacts, merely looking over - and locking gazes with Oda solidly, unwavering, cold blue boring into him.]

...I see. So - are you going to kill me here, now? After all, you missed your chance last night.

[odasaku]

I’d rather not. She wants me to protect lives, not kill them.

[ he says that plainly, but still not shifting his aim. ]

[allmyfriendsaredead]

[Her head snaps up when she hears Oda, and she's already murmuring under her breath, blocking the movement of the trigger.]

Stop this. We aren't fighting again here!

[hatesdeerstalkers]

Protecting, hm? ....Then what are you doing right now?

[He sees the trigger being blocked - and merely moves towards Oda, almost in his personal space, reaching up to grab the barrel of the gun.]

Are you that certain I'll murder now, that you would be willing to take me out before I even finish my speech?

...Perhaps I should have lured you out, after all. But I wanted to respect their efforts, the way they loved and trusted you.
'
I am a villain, and I stain my hands in blood and Evil with no regrets. But you -

[He leans in, his gaze sharp and almost piercing, seeming to see down into him as he suddenly yanks the barrel down, aiming it squarely at his chest.]

- will you discard everything they have worked for?

[odasaku]

Are you that eager to die, Moriarty?

[ oda does something that even he has a hard time believing from himself.

he lets go of the gun. ]

If you want to die, then find a peaceful way to do it, without troubling them or the audience. Don't bring anyone else into whatever stupid plan you made for yourself.

[ with both hands freed, he grabs moriarty by the front of his clothes, and slams his forehead against his. ]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

You-!

[But that's all he gets before the headbutt happens, and he reels back, placing a gloved hand to his head and giving a pained cry, snapping his gaze back up and...

....What's that look?

It's not cold, nor is it threatening.

No...for once, just like when Akechi died...it's a complicated mix of emotions, flashing for just a moment.

Sorrow, rage....shock and perhaps, buried under it all, something else much more self-loathing.

But it vanishes, as he drops the gun on the floor, gritting his teeth.]

...

[iblistriggered]

[ Silver is among those who creep up to listen, stealthily as he can — floating instead of walking

What he hears makes his heart sink, and he leaves just as silently as he arrived]

[eldritcheyes]

[Leo is right there with him, and when he hears that... when he sees Silver's reaction?

He gets mad.

Clenching his teeth, he marches out of hiding, right up to Moriarty, and grabs the taller man by his ear.]

What the hell! Silver just heard that, you know!

[iblistriggered]

Leo, don't.

[Silver tugs on his shirt a little]

... It's not worth it.

[eldritcheyes]

Yes, it is! I'm sick of people doing stupid shit! We're all a mess and a lot of it is our own faults!

[iblistriggered]

I don't want you to be angry with him! It's not your place! I can handle these sorts of things for myself! Just... I'll do it later. Please.

[eldritcheyes]

I just want him to think, Silver. I... you know the only time I ever stand up for anything, it's for my friends. Not even for myself. I'm tired of seeing you upset.

[iblistriggered]

I'm fine, Leo! I can handle my own problems. Ok? I'm not helpless.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

Ghk-!

[He was marching off to the yellow room, but he's caught - and he just glares.]

...Let go of me! I have nothing to say!

[eldritcheyes]

Yeah, you really don't. But you've got a lot of thinking to do.

[Leo only holds on so Moriarty doesn't storm off.]

You may be a villain, but you're not a bad guy. You just do bad shit sometimes. I still respect you for your good qualities, like your brain and your determination. But this? You care about Silver, you gotta make this up to him. Got it?

[And he lets go, frowning.]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

Do not tell me what I should do, whelp!

[He practically slaps Leo's hand away, rubbing his ear.]

And don't presume to tell me what makes a 'bad guy!' I am James Moriarty, and I am not someone who any of you should have trusted from the beginning!

[Yeah, sorry - Leo's touched a nerve.]

Your own foolishness in believing that I was anything remotely as I portrayed myself is what nearly caused another tragedy to happen!

[visionem]

[ You've encountered a random dropstar! He's been around but he's been staying out of it purposefully until he hears this. ]

For someone who preaches about Gods he certainly seems to style himself one. [ Alcor will let Moriarty handle his own battles though, but just in case- ]

Would you like to go somewhere else? I can teleport through all of this commotion. [ Extending hand take two, not to a paw this time. ]

[eldritcheyes]

[Oh, kiss his pasty white ass, Alcor. That's not what he's doing and you know it.

He's outtie, he can't put up with any more of this crap. Time for junk food and video games before the inevitable shitstorm tomorrow.]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[After the whole...Nora debacle, he definitely needs somewhere else to go - he's definitely injured as he nods, taking that offered hand gratefully.]

....Please. Thank you, Alcor.

[scarsnstripes]

....But Moriarty-san... Goro called you 'Dad'. If anything, that makes you a better person than you say you are.

[Because if there's one thing Atsushi knew, after the talks he's had with Goro... it was that anyone who'd gained that sentiment from Goro had earned it.

Maybe Moriarty was a villain, but he still meant something to people he was kind to.]

... He wouldn't call someone he couldn't trust that, and you know it.