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She looked a little conflicted about it too, like how she was so sure that she was seven years old, but then she was realizing how weird that sounded as she said it... but in the end, I couldn't really prove it to her that she wasn't. Like... with physical evidence that she could see.

[ ...

He's several months late, but he just realizes that he could have used the fucking pictures they took to show Kido. God. He feels so stupid. He'll just shove that failure out of his mind now. ]

... Was there something else I should address? I'm not sure what we should talk about now... I think I covered a lot. Sorry, my mind is reeling from all the remembering I had to do, before uh... my shadow incident. It's been too many years.

[ And his torture session from Terrence because that was one giant mindfuck. ]

[ ... ]

I'm still just thinking about Nekogami and death.

It doesn't make sense. His whole thing is keeping Kido safe, with all the times she dies, but Kido just accepts them. So is killing off Kido one more time, so that a second can take her place, really what he wants to do? And why does Kido actually keep dying so much... is it just bad luck?

[He groans and starts messing with his hair. There's something they're missing, he's sure of it.]

...and, where was Kido herself, in that whole dungeon? Did you ever... see her?

I don't get it either. I can't figure it out...

[ gestures to pinpointing

terry

TERRY

Anyway, now that Akira mentions it... ]

... Not in person, no. But I know she's definitely there somewhere. That's not dumb faith either. I know she's there, somewhere in that messed up place. I just can't figure out exactly where.

Right, with your... scanning thing.

[He forgot what it's called.]

You can't get her exact location, though? If we knew where she was, we could get to her somehow without alerting Nekogami or the Shadow, but...

[ Calling it scanning is fine. The term was coined by himself anyway. It doesn't matter. ]

Yeah... I had the gist of where she was when it was midnight on the 11th, but even when I got deeper inside, I still couldn't get the exact location. Especially with all those doors.

[ Fuck those doors. ]

... Sorry. I wish I knew too. That plan would have been great to pull off.

It would have been so cool.

[ ................. ]

And also, you know, taken us straight past all the Nekogami stuff...

[He just wants to look cool.]

[ Honestly though, yeah. Who doesn't want to look cool? Terry understands. ]

... Yeah.

[ OH. HE JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING CRUCIAL!! He slams his hands down on the table. ]

Wait! I forgot one more thing!!

[ Wait. Wait... fuck. He got way too excited there. Calm down. Calm down... Yeah. ... His hands sting, but that's not important. Sorry if he scared you, Akira. ]

The reason why Kido isn't there! It's because Nekogami wants Kido to live, right? But she wants to die!

[ ... Rewind. ]

... Wait, I don't mean that she's suicidal. I talked about this with her a long time ago too [ that's why it took him so long to remember ] so now I remember. She said her family was dead back home. And when we talked abut the option to go home after all this is over, she said that she still wanted to go, despite knowing that she's dead there and won't be able to continue living once she's there. She said that it's because her family's back home... and if she wanted to die, she wanted to be with them. And even through all those... little changes, she still thinks the same about it. I heard it through her mirror image at the mansion.

[Akira jumps, like visibly jumps, but he pulls himself back together pretty quick.]

Wait, wait— she's dead?

[Hold the up fuck.]

Wouldn't that mean that Nekogami doesn't have to worry about killing her at all? The Shadow can just... go?

No! Like...

[ Ugh. Okay. How does he describe this. ]

Kido is alive here. But if she goes back, if she leaves through the exit that we're trying so hard to open, she'll just return to her place where she's dead. She's not going to automatically revive when she leaves. The world probably recognizes her as dead already. You can't just... change something like that.

[ He doesn't know if they operate on the same mechanics, but at least Terry is somewhat familiar with the laws of the universe. ]

... I met someone. He's one of the people who came from the other Hirajiro. He's supposed to be dead too, but he's alive here.

I think the fact that Nekogami is keeping Kido hidden away is because he acknowledges the fact that Kido wants to return home, where she'll be dead. And Nekogami doesn't want that.

Oh. God.

[His hand goes straight back into his hair.]

Because he can't trust her to make her own decision, when her own decision is to die for good...

...

Terry... I don't want to have to convince Nekogami that Kido deserves to die!

I don't want to either! We'll definitely think of something else!

[ Yeah like who goes around and says their girlfriend deserves to die???

??????????? ]

I still have no idea what I'm supposed to say.

[Think, Joker, think.]

I have to appease him, I guess, to get to talk to the Shadow. Do I just... agree wit everything he says? Reinforce all of his ideas about Kido? That's what made him happy last time...

Of course that pompous blowhard would be happy if you agree with him. He doesn't like being challenged.

[ While Akira is appeasing Nekogami, Terry was just full on criticizing him. lol... ]

Right. What Emperor does?

[He makes a face.]

That's what seemed to get me closer to talking to her, but... I can't just keep feeding into his rigid thinking. It's wrong. I understand why he thinks that way, but it's just wrong.

Yeah, so I figured I wasn't going to be able to convince him anyway, and with how he attacked me first the moment I opened the door, we just fought. There's an annoying invisible wall that separates the room between him and Kido's Shadow. Nekogami sometimes goes back behind it to heal or make fun of you for not being able to reach him.

[ y e a h

just kill the cat ]

[No. That's a great way to lose Kido forever if you ask him.]

The first time I saw him... I dropped all my weapons as soon as I walked in the door. Knives, gun, bombs, omamori.

[ ... ]

I still need to get my omamori back.

You dropped your omamori?!

[ Akira?!?!?

Holy shit, Terry looks appalled. ]

[Akira notices that look, and immediately he starts going on the defensive again.]

Because if I didn't, he'd assume I was going to summon someone from behind and attack him! If he's so fixated on safety, I needed to make sure I couldn't pose a threat!

[He huffs.]

It wasn't my best idea ever, but he gave me back the other stuff, so I should be able to get it back if I play my cards right!

[ Ughhhh... From that viewpoint, Akira is right. But... ]

You know that means you won't be able to suggest new ideas, right?

[Groan...]

I know.

I just hate ass-kissing, even if it's his stupid furry one... it feels so gross...

[ Big fucking mood, Akira. ]

You know what... I'll be right back.

[ He gets up to go his room. When he comes back, he has a glass container that has this in it. Terry just has the look "don't ask. don't question it". ]

It's a defensive item, so you don't need to give it up. You have to be safe too, so... Take this with you. I don't want anybody else to die.

[Akira looks at Terry. He looks at the jar. He looks at the godless abomination inside the jar.]

[And then he silently pockets it.]

What does it do? Do I have to activate it?

[ Yeah, it's... weird... ]

It protects you from a fatal attack, like a scapegoat.

[ Basically, it dies for you. ]

So use the chance to run away if it gets really bad.

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