come out of hiding, i'm right here beside you

[barehands]

[A while after the execution has ended, everyone will find a simple note slipped under their door.]

If you don't want to be alone after everything that's happening, some of us will be in the dining room. Even if you decide not to come, please remember that you aren't alone here.

[The note isn't signed, but the handwriting is feminine and neat.

For anyone who decides to come, there's a good array of food laid out on the table. There are some small and simple cakes, cookies, and pastries, a healthy amount of okonomiyaki, okayu, and other Japanese dishes (with a focus on rice and eggs), along with curry. In addition, there are pancakes, and a large pot of soup. It looks like a few people collaborated to make enough food for everyone here.

Just like the meal they shared together earlier in the week, the candles from the storage room lend a more peaceful light than the fluorescent lights above.]

Comments

[georgeous]

[ After he's finished his curry, George leaves the party rather quickly. He only meant to check the foyers quickly, but in spotting Kogami he can't help but approach. ]

You seemed to enjoy this.

[ It's not judgmental, it's just... a statement. ]

[carnivorously]

I enjoy this. I... enjoy being a detective.

[And a hunting dog. He enjoys cornering his prey. He enjoys it a little too much.]

It seemed like you enjoyed picking on people yourself.

[georgeous]

My work and yours are not that fundamentally different. It's just that I dispose of aliens who mean harm to humans and for you it's... other humans.

But in this situation... Ah well, I can't judge you for enjoying this position you hold. I have passion for mine as well.

[carnivorously]

Precisely. It's my job to protect others.

[Protect everyone, but mostly, he enjoys hunting down baddies. There's a thrill he gets.]

I'm there because Sibyl knew it would be a good fit for me and recommended it.

[He's pretty sure he's going to get confusion, but he going to take a drag of his cigarette right now.]

[georgeous]

[ Behind the sunglasses, George indeed raises his eyebrows. ]

You mentioned Sibyl earlier today as well. Is it the acronym for your government?

[carnivorously]

It's the system that governs us. Sibyl does what it can to ensure everyone is at their happiest. They find jobs that they believe make people the happiest, partners, schools-- almost anything you can think of. We are governed by Sibyl and those who oppose are isolated from society. Even people who try their hardest to be good are rejected by Sibyl. I'd say 'people like me', but that's far from the truth.

[Very, very far from it.]

[georgeous]

[ That's... incredibly counter-intuitive to George. He is not the kind of liberty-focused spirit that would get upset about the idea of being ruled so completely, but something about it still strikes him weirdly. ]

And yet, even in your world, people get so unhappy they commit crimes against one another?

[carnivorously]

They do. Humans are still human no matter what governs them.

[History has shown that, he thinks.]

[georgeous]

Well, I won't lecture you on the efficacy of your system without having ever seen it.

[ He'd generally like to think people living to the maximum of their potential won't be criminals, but oh well. ]

I think for most of us, there is nothing like it though. My career is something I have worked on since I was a child, by my own choice.

Ah, one way or another, it doesn't look like the choice made for you was wrong. Good to have someone like that here.

[carnivorously]

I don't think it was wrong either.

[He doesn't really say more on that, either. Just that for some reason he has faith in this system that rejected him.

Or he has fear in this system.

One or the other. Or both.]

[georgeous]

[ Falling silent is too bad because that gives George adequate time to think about Kogami's profile in relation to this gained knowledge on his world.

And apparently he has nothing better to do than to pry into what Kogami left unspecified last time it came up. ]

So why did it mark you down as a latent criminal despite never straying from the law anyway?

[carnivorously]

Because I thought about committing a crime. I really, really did.

[But he never acted on it. He couldn't, to be honest. However, that didn't change the fact that he really wants to commit this said crime.

He truly is a latent criminal.]

[georgeous]

Thought crime, huh...?

As much as I want to punish my agents for thinking up stupid ideas some days, I legally can't do anything about it unless they act on it. And if they're really fools, they do.

[ And get demoted, suspended or kicked from the job. There's no room for liabilities and kindness in sensitive operations. ]

The others have self-control.

[carnivorously]

That's how it used to be. Most ideas I'm sure Sibyl just gives a warning for, but for massive ones that would get anyone jailed, those are the ones that are considered latent criminals.

[Because of the fear that maybe they will act.]

It's best to keep us locked up where they can keep an eye on us.

[georgeous]

You're a funny one to agree with what is being done to you, but knowing your place in hierachy isn't a bad thing.

[ Smiiile. ]

Does anyone need to keep an eye on you here?

[carnivorously]

Don't we need to keep an eye on everyone here?

[Just a rhetorical question. The 16 year old girl committed murder-- no one is safe-- no one is innocent.]

[georgeous]

You have a point.

[ He chuckles. Good answer. ]

You're as much watched as watchdog just like all of us now.

[ Hurray for social equality?? ]

[carnivorously]

I suppose that's true. Welcome to my world where no one trusts me, yet somehow because of my experience, my opinion may matter most.

[It's upside down and weird, but it's nice in its own way.]

[georgeous]

If the group is willing to listen to reason, that is. After the trial I have my doubts.

[ But hey, he's got your back, Kogami! As long as he considers your opinion logical, anyway. ]

[carnivorously]

Well, we got what we needed without us all getting killed, so that's a plus.

[Two people died instead of 29. He'll view it that way even though it's wonderfully morbid.]

[georgeous]

I pray we get better at distrust and fast.

[ Arietta wouldn't do it! Asgore wouldn't do it! Funny how people can be so sure about one another after so few days. Funny how wrong they can be. ]

[carnivorously]

I'm sure others will. There's nothing like hurt and betrayal to make that happen.

[And that totally happened! So that will make things easier.]

[georgeous]

A valuable life lesson.

[carnivorously]

Sadly, it is. And sometimes it's also a turning point in our lives.