If he really was one of Blue's helpers and the author of those notes, then it really was imperative of him to keep it a secret. Telling even one person could've been his downfall.
[ah? he hates to put it like that, but. . .]
Because if he really was targeted by the house directly, then the house could have turned someone who knew Nick was Blue's helper into a monster. And. . .
[he trails off. he thinks the rest is self-explanatory]
[She pauses again. There's a seriousness to her expression that she's never held before, an urgent whirring of the mind underneath the sorrow and fatigue.]
...
Akira... have you been able to look through the stone that Ash has?
What have you looked at with it? I know you mentioned a couple of things during one of the trials, but... I'd like to hear it again. [Is... she going somewhere with this?]
[aha. if she is. . . he might have an idea of what she's getting at, here. it shows in the way he straightens]
The portraits were the first thing Ash and I looked at. After that, it was the new rooms that people broke into on the third floor-- the morgue and the infirmary.
Ash has looked at everything else-- the room we broke into on the fourth floor, the fake "Blue" we saw in that room, the entire room itself-- among other things.
Some things, like the portraits, don't light up at all. Some things light up blue, like the morgue and the infirmary.
We might want to, just to make sure, but... I think that's enough to explain.
Phoenix told me something this week. I don't know how he knew - maybe Ash spoke to him at some point - but he said that the only real colors that ever show up, regardless of location, are blue and red. Locked doors, I believe, are red, but turn blue once they are opened.
He... he mentioned a conversation with Blue himself, like the one you told me about. I don't know the details, and I... I wish I would have asked. But from what Phoenix had figured out... the house and Blue might be so interwoven now that they're hard to distinguish from one another. We... we might have to find a way to separate them before we can do anything else.
[She definitely looks like she wants to say more, but she holds her tongue, waiting for him to digest what she's already said.]
[he doesn't seem surprised by anything she's saying, but he listens very carefully, expression pensive. when she's finished, he corrects]
They aren't red when they're locked. The morgue, the infirmary, and the two new doors on the fifth floor were all blue before they were unlocked.
[so it's something strange about the Room of Requ-- itself, he thinks]
. . . Nick mentions the possibility of separating them to me, too. And he wondered if maybe that had something to do with the "source" Blue mentioned, when Blue was telling me how to stop the house.
[Ah, she concedes the error with a flustered look to the floor, but the moment passes easily enough.]
Blue has a center location, so... the house having one would make sense, especially if they are that interwoven. We've found Blue's, correct? And... I think we've found that of the house.
Akira... The Red Room allows for all sorts of things, as far as I've heard. All sorts of things. I doubt it would be as easy as asking for an exit, or wishing for the source or the heart or whatever it is to be there, but...
Blue could only be summoned in a specific way. So... I would like to try that in the Red Room.
I'd like to wish for a Red Bell, so that I can speak to the house itself.
[Akira is quiet for a moment as he mulls this over. truthfully, it's not too terribly far from what he was thinking, especially knowing that the room he and Ash and Ken and Missile broke into is one of the only ones flashing red, while the others are flashing blue. perhaps it's not exactly the same-- he wanted to send a calling card and seek out the source itself first-- but. close enough]
[quietly, he mutters something under his breath, audible but only barely so]
"Access to the source is available for those who seek it out."
[another pause]
. . . what do you think we'd gain from talking to the house directly, instead of wishing for the source itself?
...I'd like to not be forceful until we know we have to do so.
I feel once we go that route... there won't be any turning back. The house will know what we're after, and I... I doubt it will let us walk in without interference.
[...
Her expression falls a little, hurt and more than a little lost. It's... it's a lot to think about, and she's never had to be the one trying to come to a decision like this.]
Akechi would probably call me an idiot for saying as much, but I... I'd rather take the chance to learn why... rather than put everyone, everything at a possibly unnecessary risk.
Screw what Akechi thinks. To him, the most direct and violent method is always the right answer, even when it's unnecessary.
[and he says that firmly, because as much as he and Akechi have been able to (sort of) mend bridges since arriving here. . . Akira still knows how Akechi works. still knows that Akechi's solutions are not always the best solutions]
[but even so. . .?]
I don't necessarily know if I agree, though. Asking for the red bell to talk to the house might just put it on notice of what we're planning even more than asking for the source directly will.
[if they ask for the source, at least they'd get it, right. . .? even if the house would attempt to sabotage their efforts]
But--
[a breath out]
. . . I can't blame you for wanting to know "why." I do, too.
[Her expression, oddly enough, goes a little blank on the remarks about Akechi, as though she's not quite sure what to make of them. Her brow furrows, staying quiet until Akira moves on.]
I know. It's just a guessing game, so I... I guess it comes down to differences in approach, but...
It's why I originally intended to go alone. Before... before all of this happened, anyway, I thought it might not consider a single person as a threat. Now, though, I... I think that would be horribly unwise.
[There's a withdrawal in her body language, an expectation, like a child waiting to be slapped across the face.]
[Akira's brows raise when her expression goes blank, but she moves on quickly enough that he can't ask about it right away. he files it away, reminding himself to ask about it as soon as they're done talking about the house]
I'd like to go with you.
[she isn't asking him, but. . . Akira is making the request anyway]
[he has no reason to be upset!1 because while what Luna wants to do is dangerous. . . it's something that Akira was thinking about doing himself. and she also talked iwth him about it first, instead of diving headfirst into it all by herself. he'd be a hypocrite for getting upset over something like that, when he-- out of the two of them-- is the one who lost his leg]
[. . . he offers her a smile, chin tilted up, eyes bright]
Yeah.
[she did promise, didn't she? and it warms him from head to toe to hear her remembering it]
It'll be dangerous, but it's danger we have to face. It'll just be easier if we face it together.
A shy sort of delight takes over from underneath, a contentment that tries to lift the corners of her mouth, subtle and delicate. There's an awkwardness to it, as though she doesn't quite know what to do with whatever she's feeling, instead choosing to let her gaze fall back to her hands even as her smile only strengthens.]
I...
I'd like that, then.
If I had to put my trust in someone, and know that... I would be okay as long as they were by my side, then I... [There's a twist to her smile, an emotion that feels odd and new and out of place, that crinkles her eyes and makes that rush of pink flicker against her mask.]
[something about her saying that touches emotions that Akira still hasn't had time to think about yet. he sucks in a small inhale of breath, sharp and barely notable, before he lets it out slowly. it's fine. it'll be fine. so long as they tackle the danger together, they will be fine. right. . .?]
I won't.
[he made that mistake once! he won't do it again, if they intend to try and speak with the house]
[that's something Akira had assumed from the beginning. of course there will be consequences. of course the house is deceptive. of course it wouldn't be easy or smart.]
But if it helps us even the littlest bit, then. . . isn't it worth it?
Yes. I... I want to keep believing that. I just don't want it to affect the others negatively if we were to fail.
I do want to speak to Akechi about this as well. I... I know he will be frank about flaws, even if he's not necessarily kind about it. But I... I would really like his opinion.
He will be, but that kind of honesty isn't a bad thing.
[despite everything, Akira trusts Akechi's opinion. that blunt honesty is often correct, because Akechi is unsurprisingly sharp and perceptive]
It might be better for us to go in a group of three anyway, rather than just two of us. The more people we have to lean on if the house tries anything funny, the better.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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If he really was one of Blue's helpers and the author of those notes, then it really was imperative of him to keep it a secret. Telling even one person could've been his downfall.
[ah? he hates to put it like that, but. . .]
Because if he really was targeted by the house directly, then the house could have turned someone who knew Nick was Blue's helper into a monster. And. . .
[he trails off. he thinks the rest is self-explanatory]
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[She pauses again. There's a seriousness to her expression that she's never held before, an urgent whirring of the mind underneath the sorrow and fatigue.]
...
Akira... have you been able to look through the stone that Ash has?
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[. . .]
Yeah; I have. We found it together.
[though Ash is the one who was entrusted with its care, so Akira hasn't been able to use it nearly as often]
Why?
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The portraits were the first thing Ash and I looked at. After that, it was the new rooms that people broke into on the third floor-- the morgue and the infirmary.
Ash has looked at everything else-- the room we broke into on the fourth floor, the fake "Blue" we saw in that room, the entire room itself-- among other things.
Some things, like the portraits, don't light up at all. Some things light up blue, like the morgue and the infirmary.
The room we broke into? That lit up red.
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[but. . .]
You'll need to ask Ash if he's seen anything else red in the house.
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Phoenix told me something this week. I don't know how he knew - maybe Ash spoke to him at some point - but he said that the only real colors that ever show up, regardless of location, are blue and red. Locked doors, I believe, are red, but turn blue once they are opened.
He... he mentioned a conversation with Blue himself, like the one you told me about. I don't know the details, and I... I wish I would have asked. But from what Phoenix had figured out... the house and Blue might be so interwoven now that they're hard to distinguish from one another. We... we might have to find a way to separate them before we can do anything else.
[She definitely looks like she wants to say more, but she holds her tongue, waiting for him to digest what she's already said.]
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They aren't red when they're locked. The morgue, the infirmary, and the two new doors on the fifth floor were all blue before they were unlocked.
[so it's something strange about the Room of Requ-- itself, he thinks]
. . . Nick mentions the possibility of separating them to me, too. And he wondered if maybe that had something to do with the "source" Blue mentioned, when Blue was telling me how to stop the house.
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Blue has a center location, so... the house having one would make sense, especially if they are that interwoven. We've found Blue's, correct? And... I think we've found that of the house.
Akira... The Red Room allows for all sorts of things, as far as I've heard. All sorts of things. I doubt it would be as easy as asking for an exit, or wishing for the source or the heart or whatever it is to be there, but...
Blue could only be summoned in a specific way. So... I would like to try that in the Red Room.
I'd like to wish for a Red Bell, so that I can speak to the house itself.
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[Akira is quiet for a moment as he mulls this over. truthfully, it's not too terribly far from what he was thinking, especially knowing that the room he and Ash and Ken and Missile broke into is one of the only ones flashing red, while the others are flashing blue. perhaps it's not exactly the same-- he wanted to send a calling card and seek out the source itself first-- but. close enough]
[quietly, he mutters something under his breath, audible but only barely so]
"Access to the source is available for those who seek it out."
[another pause]
. . . what do you think we'd gain from talking to the house directly, instead of wishing for the source itself?
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I feel once we go that route... there won't be any turning back. The house will know what we're after, and I... I doubt it will let us walk in without interference.
[...
Her expression falls a little, hurt and more than a little lost. It's... it's a lot to think about, and she's never had to be the one trying to come to a decision like this.]
Akechi would probably call me an idiot for saying as much, but I... I'd rather take the chance to learn why... rather than put everyone, everything at a possibly unnecessary risk.
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Screw what Akechi thinks. To him, the most direct and violent method is always the right answer, even when it's unnecessary.
[and he says that firmly, because as much as he and Akechi have been able to (sort of) mend bridges since arriving here. . . Akira still knows how Akechi works. still knows that Akechi's solutions are not always the best solutions]
[but even so. . .?]
I don't necessarily know if I agree, though. Asking for the red bell to talk to the house might just put it on notice of what we're planning even more than asking for the source directly will.
[if they ask for the source, at least they'd get it, right. . .? even if the house would attempt to sabotage their efforts]
But--
[a breath out]
. . . I can't blame you for wanting to know "why." I do, too.
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I know. It's just a guessing game, so I... I guess it comes down to differences in approach, but...
It's why I originally intended to go alone. Before... before all of this happened, anyway, I thought it might not consider a single person as a threat. Now, though, I... I think that would be horribly unwise.
[There's a withdrawal in her body language, an expectation, like a child waiting to be slapped across the face.]
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[Akira's brows raise when her expression goes blank, but she moves on quickly enough that he can't ask about it right away. he files it away, reminding himself to ask about it as soon as they're done talking about the house]
I'd like to go with you.
[she isn't asking him, but. . . Akira is making the request anyway]
Will you take me with you when you try?
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...
It takes her a good long moment to unravel, looking at him with genuine surprise.]
I... [He would? She hadn't even asked, and...
...
Give her a minute as she fumbles through a few different expressions, her fingers nervously fidgeting as she tries to sort her words back out.]
I... um...
...
Only... only if I knew we could be safe. As safe as we could manage. I won't pretend doing this isn't just as dangerous as anything else, and I...
[Her words falter for a moment, finally looking back up at him with eyes that are soft, pooling with warmth but still oddly, brokenly uncertain.]
...I gave you a promise, didn't I?
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[. . . he offers her a smile, chin tilted up, eyes bright]
Yeah.
[she did promise, didn't she? and it warms him from head to toe to hear her remembering it]
It'll be dangerous, but it's danger we have to face. It'll just be easier if we face it together.
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A shy sort of delight takes over from underneath, a contentment that tries to lift the corners of her mouth, subtle and delicate. There's an awkwardness to it, as though she doesn't quite know what to do with whatever she's feeling, instead choosing to let her gaze fall back to her hands even as her smile only strengthens.]
I...
I'd like that, then.
If I had to put my trust in someone, and know that... I would be okay as long as they were by my side, then I... [There's a twist to her smile, an emotion that feels odd and new and out of place, that crinkles her eyes and makes that rush of pink flicker against her mask.]
...I-I'm glad it could be you, Akira.
[A beat. She considers, then sheepishly adds:]
Don't... don't forget your skull this time, okay?
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I won't.
[he made that mistake once! he won't do it again, if they intend to try and speak with the house]
One lost leg is more than enough for me.
[he keeps his tone light as he says that, too]
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...Blue said that this will have consequences. The house will be deceptive. They... didn't think it was entirely wise to do this.
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[that's something Akira had assumed from the beginning. of course there will be consequences. of course the house is deceptive. of course it wouldn't be easy or smart.]
But if it helps us even the littlest bit, then. . . isn't it worth it?
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I do want to speak to Akechi about this as well. I... I know he will be frank about flaws, even if he's not necessarily kind about it. But I... I would really like his opinion.
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[despite everything, Akira trusts Akechi's opinion. that blunt honesty is often correct, because Akechi is unsurprisingly sharp and perceptive]
It might be better for us to go in a group of three anyway, rather than just two of us. The more people we have to lean on if the house tries anything funny, the better.