week 5 - ichigo - monday

[completelycrazy]

[It's late, but Newt is hanging around in the McDonald's, picking halfheartedly at a McFlurry that does not taste like victory and is therefore melting in its cup. He should've spent his rips on the real ice cream place this week.

He's also sporting a new outfit seeing as uhhhhhh Izaya trashed his old one. Thanks, asshole.]

Comments

[completelycrazy]

[Newt yelps when Ichigo slaps down the badge, his hand shooting up to his shoulder on reflex.

But the sudden pain dulls now that there's a thing on his arm. What?

Oh. Ichigo. Right.]

Um... Hey. [He looks down at the badge, prodding it with a finger.] ...Why?

[There's also a makeshift bandage tied around the hand of the arm Ichigo brutalized!!! Weird!]

[bladeisme]

Because I couldn't heal you on Wednesday.

[Since he passed out and all. He makes a noise when Newt pokes at the badge - an annoyed one, much like a tired mother telling her child to stop picking at their scabs.]

Shouldn't take too much longer.

[His eyes fall on the bandage, noting it - and he looks up at Newt, apparently considering something, before -]

...So. You killed Jacopo, didn't you.

[It's not said angrily, or even in an accusing way. It's more like he just commented on the weather instead of a dramatic murder accusation.]

[completelycrazy]

[Newt is quiet for a long moment. Goddammit.]

Izaya seemed to think I did. [He unbuttons the top couple buttons of his shirt and tugs it open to reveal his left shoulder, which is wrapped in a similar makeshift bandage. He pulls that off to reveal a nasty-looking stab wound that's... slowly closing before his eyes. COOL?]

[bladeisme]

[Cure drink is pretty neat - and it reminds him of someone. Someone he can't remember, of course, but it still tugs at him each and every time.]

For the record, I don't really care if you killed him. Hell, I'd even toss a few ripcoins your way.

[Ichigo? Did not like Jacopo.]

I just wanted to ask.

[completelycrazy]

[Newt frowns. Is this a trick? It's so hard to tell anymore. He's too terrible at figuring people out to play this game properly.]

Save the rips. I got plenty for pulling it off.

[Welp. This is where they're at now, he supposes.]

And don't beat yourself up about Wednesday. It was a calculated move on my part.

[bladeisme]

[It wasn't a trick - and honestly? He's glad that someone around here decided to fully trust him.

He shrugs, taking back his badge - Newt is all better now, all healed up. Even the bruises are gone!]

That's fine. Hell, Wednesday ended up working in my favor, too - Nobody questioned why my photos were shit, other than Caren.

[completelycrazy]

[Newt sinks into his chair a bit, flexing his hand as he pulls the bandage off. There's some scarring--the wound was a couple of days old, after all--but it doesn't hurt anymore. Thank fucking god. He was getting very sick of the constant pain. Hiding his injuries, too.]

Thanks. I owe you one. [But then he realizes what Ichigo has just said.] Wait, what?

[bladeisme]

[He probably could have gotten it to the point without scarring, but honestly? His batteries are still recharging, and he has a feeling he's going to need all the healing he can muster this week, considering.

He shrugs, leaning back in his chair.]

What? Come on - I'm not that great of a liar. I thought I was pushing it with my 'reason' for taking the hair, let alone messing up the photos a little.

[He's completely unconcerned - because Newt admitting to the crime is a point of trust, after all - and he's so tired of distrusting people.]

I'm tired, you know? Of this bullshit game, and of having to vote to kill someone every week, and not trusting anyone around me when just going the same way we have been isn't going to save anyone. So, when I woke up with someone needing my help, I did what was right without worrying about the consequences.

[completelycrazy]

[Newt lets out a hollow laugh. Man. This past week has been a wild ride.]

So Akira, huh? [This isn't news to him.]

This game looks like bullshit on the tin, but it isn't, not really. Remember that we're all getting a second chance at life, here. That's... Maybe worth breaking a few eggs for, you know?

[He shrugs. He's tired as hell too, though.]

Good on you for sticking to your guns though, I guess.

[bladeisme]

[He doesn't say anything at Newt's assumption, beyond look vaguely annoyed at the...air? the ground? Where even are the Erased right now, anyway.

Tl;dr goddamnit Jacopo.]

A second chance, huh. That'd be nice, yeah.

[Even if he's not sure he wants it.]

Is that why you killed Jacopo? Breaking a few eggs?

[completelycrazy]

That's what it is, plain and simple. Without this game, we'd all be dead. At least this way some of us can live, maybe.

[It's better than nothing? He's choosing to believe as much, anyway.]

I wouldn't phrase it like that. [Even though he just did. But he was talking in a general sense.]

At the time, I thought killing the Reapers was our best bet to winning the game. We had seven Reapers left and six weeks to go... We had to speed up the process if the Players stood any chance.

[bladeisme]

There could be a life after death where you're from, you know.

[That's said gently, but...he is a shinigami, after all. Of course he'd always think about that.]

...I see. That might still be true, but...I don't think it's the whole picture.

[All the hints they've gotten...it really points to something else.]

So - is that why you tortured him? For information?

[completelycrazy]

[Newt snorts.] Unlikely.

[But he'll leave it at that.]

I don't think it is either, not anymore. Or, I don't know, maybe I always knew there was more to it than that. But I wanted to, uh, bring the Player win within reach should we fail at solving the larger mysteries and have to rely on the backup plan.

[And then, mm. Newt grits his teeth. He's so sick of this.]

I didn't torture him. What Kaiba failed to mention about the truth serum I used is that it's primarily an anesthetic. The goal was to get him talking, yes, but the drug did the job. I only cut off his fingers because I couldn't get his damn ring off. He'd already tried to shoot me with his psych once. I couldn't take that chance again.

[He takes a breath, his eyes dropping to the side.]

The second dose was to knock him out before I slit his throat.