[ Terra didn't stop by at the breakfast set up by Shirou just yet; something about two of his friends dying in the past few weeks made him want to skip it for the moment. He'd probably need to come back at some point because he still needed a balanced meal, but... sometimes you wanted to sulk where people couldn't see.

So that's what he's doing, sitting at one of the chairs in front of a computer with his hands on his face, thinking about what happened. We're doing fantastic today.

He's muttering to himself: ]

...Master...you would've stopped this by now, wouldn't you?

[ Or was he deluding himself? Even his Master couldn't fight back against not having much power...maybe if he had more power, this wouldn't have happened. He could've saved everyone by now. ]

Edited 2018-08-31 10:42 pm (UTC)

[ Akira had stopped off for breakfast - for the dual purposes of keeping things as normal as possible, and also to check up on Shirou himself.

But, once he's eaten and checked up on various people, he slowly makes the rounds of the university buildings, avoiding the gardens. Which is a shame... the gardens had been peaceful, and had reminded him of Hollyleaf, in a good way.

Now he's just reminded of Henry. And not in a good way.

As he's passing the computer labs, he spots Terra looking. Well. Less than great, and sticks his head in the door. ]

Terra-san?

[ He would've been taking a stroll in the gardens for that very reason, and then he hurriedly gets up from his chair, causing it to fall to the floor unceremoniously. He was just kind of surprised, and when he faces the other male, he's rubbing the back of his head. ]

Hey, Akira.

[ ... ]

Were you looking for something?

No, not exactly.

I just... didn't feel like going to the garden.

[ Terra's expression clouds again--but a part of him goes once more, Here we are again, going to have to deal with another loss of another friend. It was unavoidable, it seems...as long as they were in this position. ]

... I understand. [ ... ] It's going to be hard to go there for awhile now, isn't it?

Edited 2018-09-02 04:36 pm (UTC)

[ There's a pause, and then he nods. ]

For a bit. But I'm not going to avoid it forever. It was Hollyleaf's favourite place, and I had some good conversations with Henry there too.

Avoiding it forever would be rude to them.

[ When he puts it like that, Terra almost kind of wants to laugh (not one filled with humor, mind you.) But he knows even if Akira didn't say as much, it'd still be shameful if he did avoid it forever.

And that's not something he wants to do either. ]

I don't think I could do that for so long, either.

It wouldn't be right. [ ... ] And honestly, it's still a nice place to go for some peace and quiet...just not right now.

[ Not returning to the garden would be not alone shameful, but, honestly, awkward and a bit inconvenient when it comes to getting around. ]

Yeah. Not right now, but... eventually. There are good memories there as well as bad ones.

You're right.

[ Terra closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them, releasing a sigh. ]

... I don't want to keep you if you're looking to do something else too. I just need a moment to myself to clear my head, that's all.

No, not really.

...

Sometimes it's nice not to be alone at times like this. If you don't mind me being here, then I'm fine with staying.

[ There's something imperceptible in his expression at Akira's words, before his eyes flicker away from him. ]

... No, I don't mind.

[ He lapses into another moment of silence, and it's strange, but somehow it feels like the room's shadows have lessened even if the appearance of the room hasn't changed in the slightest. The desperation doesn't feel as suffocating, even if their situation hasn't changed--and his hands clench tightly into fists for a moment, before relaxing. ]

Akira, I--thank you.

[ He will remember this. ]

[ The difference between facing things alone, and with someone at your side - thinking of the year ahead of him, the hope at starting at a new school and the way it had been snuffed out because one man leaked his private information to the whole school, and then how Ryuji had been his fried anyway, and then Ann, and then Yusuke and--

...

It's striking, how much smaller things seem when people face them with you. ]

Any time, Terra-san.

[ Surprise Terra. If he was trying to avoid being seen, Akira almost seems to melt around one of the corners of the hall like he stepped out of the shadows themselves. ]

You look ticked.

[ He's observant. ]

[ Surprise, indeed.

Terra takes pause at Akira's evidently stellar observation skills. If he wasn't as pissed as he was right now, he might've laughed or at least simmered down a little. Instead he just sighs. ]

Yeah, I'd suppose I do. Just--here, take this first.

Before she died, Rebecca had written some letters.

[ Following those words, he holds one out to him. ]

[ Oh.

...

Akira just stares at the letter, before taking it, almost reluctantly. Like actually holding it in his hands is proof positive that Rebecca is really gone. He turns the letter over, slowly and carefully. ]

Of course she did.

... It's the sort of thing she'd definitely do. [ Leaving letters behind for them, just in case something happened to her. ]

[ ... ]

It is. She was always thoughtful like that, she--

[ He shakes his head...and he sounds more bitter than sad. He doesn't know if he can mourn like this, but maybe deep down he doesn't want to.

Terra knows he spoke to Tsukasa and suggested they wait until tomorrow to tell the full story. What they discovered, but at the same time he thinks letting Akira know why he's infuriated might better help this be a productive conversation. ]

Akira, she...she didn't do what she did because she wasn't thinking things through. She was lead into it. By the Headmaster.

[ That shoots through him like a bolt - cold and angry, and he ends up gripping the edges of the letter so hard he feels them close to tearing. ]

...

So much for them wanting us to resist the urge to kill each other. If they're luring us out to be killed, then everything's off the table, isn't it?

[ "We want you to live, prove your worth". What bullshit. ]

Yeah...it's clear that they've been lying this whole entire time.

[ It's disgusting.

None of this had been done for any good reason...not even desperation. So many lives lost--and for what? Really, for what ? ]

Suspecting it is one thing, but learning it...

[ There was no reason. No logical reason to lure Rebecca out there in the way they did, if they didn't think she was expendable.

Rebecca was one of the strongest out of all of them. Even with her own problems, she'd supported and helped them, and done everything she could to be there for everyone.

And she hadn't killed anyone. Not out of her own volition. She was exactly the sort of person they claimed they wanted, and they'd manipulated and killed her. For what? A chance to kill Han? ]

... What do we know about this headmaster? Other than his name.

[ Learning it is definitely a whole another thing entirely indeed.

If Terra wasn't handing out these letters or even talking to Akira right now, he might've gone ahead and tried to see how fast he could follow through with their talk of "holding Todd hostage" or something even more stupid. ]

Before this guy became the Headmaster, he was Head of the Science Department. Lyndon Axel was the headmaster before him. That's...all I've been able to find out about this guy.

James doesn't even have a photo anywhere, and I can't find one, no matter how hard I look.

...

[ The science department. ]

Terra, did you see the notes I found on Sunday? They were in briefcase on the new floor, and I found some further stuff in the chemistry lab desk.

...

"H"... One of the names on the notes was Harry.

[ Terra looks thoughtful at that. ]

It...could be H. [ .... ] If Harry is H, then Todd and Harry's relationship between each other must've changed somewhat compared to how things were before.

Edited 2018-09-22 12:11 am (UTC)

Who is Harry then, in relation to Todd? I know there are a lot of things to do with the background of the administration I haven't heard or still need to piece together, so...

[ Let's start with H, and Harry, and go from there.]

[ Well, it's a good place to start as any. ]

Just that they seemed to have some sort of business relationship. It's just...

We know that Harry knew of Todd back then, right? And Todd's the Head of the Mathematics Department. This guy clearly didn't like the idea of him being on the project because he wasn't a scientist. But, they're all still staff of the university, so they had to have known of each other to some extent.

With H, though, things get a little strange.

Todd doesn't even know who H is and that he thought Han was H. So, I don't think Harry and H could really be the same person. Maybe they might be, and I could be wrong, but I think we're still missing something here.

The only reason I mentioned that I thought things might've had to change between them in order for that to be true is...just because H seems to be regularly in contact with Todd. So maybe if Todd's memories had been altered and he doesn't remember getting friendly with Harry, that could be why H doesn't seem to have a problem with working with Todd anymore.

Edited 2018-09-23 06:53 pm (UTC)

... Do we think memory alteration is something that's definitely in play here?

[ There are some things he can't put his finger on that seem weird, and that might explain some of them. ]

Something seems off with what everyone believes and what we're being presented with. Like... the fabrication of a plot, with pieces in place to make it all plausible.

[ He'll nod. ]

It's...the only thing I can think of that'd make sense with everything we've learned.

[ He hesitates a little, but he's just trying to think of a bit to explain this. ]

It might be just that memories have been taken away from them, just like how they've been taken away from us. But, if that's the case, I imagine they'd be coming back to them too every week, like ours have been.

[ He nods as well. ]

I wondered this a few weeks ago but... it seems more and more like there's implications we're not the only ones who have had their memories messed with.

...

Why though? To make them all co-operate more?

[ "Because James is a piece of shit." Too bad Terra would never say that with such language. ]

If you have more control over people's memories, they'd be easier to manipulate, I guess. Which would make sense, if you think about it. Mess with someone's head like that, and they don't really have enough information.

[ A shame because it is true. ]

Blank slates, rather than fully formed with all the necessary information?

Yeah. It would be easier to get someone to do what you wanted if they didn't remember why they wouldn't want to in the first place.