FOR MALIK

[duranduel]

Comments

[godcards]

Stubborn and helpful. People like that.

[duranduel]

Do they...?

[He seems surprised?]

[godcards]

Have you seen this place? Of course they do. And these people are willing to forgive the gravest mistakes if they like you.

[ like otome....................... ]

[duranduel]

...

[He just...nods like. That makes sense somehow? Yeah.]

I think...people will go against what they don't like, and go for what they do like. People are weird. They're kind of...hypocritical that way?

[godcards]

They are. Convenience is what matters most... you've seen how people react during trials, when the truth is right in front of them but they make a scene because they personally like the killer. The facts are the same regardless of personal feelings. That's another downside to getting emotionally involved... it makes it harder to look at the truth.

[duranduel]

...

[Hm.]

A while back, when Catra was alive...I remember when in the trial, she was...worried, I think, about me checking her whip. Because she didn't want to be judged if something was off.

[...]

People jump at the sound of a gun to find something that...makes them stop feeling emotional? It's confusing to me, but...emotions really just...get in the way of everything. It blinds people.

[godcards]

Now you see why I keep my distance.

[ although malik's emotions don't behave like normal, but the idea is still the same. ]

I don't know much about Catra, but it sounds like she had her own emotions to deal with... Otherwise she'd let you check the whip. Manwol was trying to convince during the last trial to try and seem less suspicious, but I didn't do anything wrong, so I don't see why it was worth getting upset about either. I told her that if anyone was going to accuse me because I wasn't going along with their stupid little plans, then the problem lies with them, not me. It's the same-- jumping to conclusions or to blame someone because of their own feelings they have no control over.

[duranduel]

Well, she let me check the whip, but only when I promised her I wouldn't judge her. And I didn't.

[He seems to mull over that for a moment.]

...Hm. Wouldn't it be nice if it were a world where we could make logical decisions without that kind of mess involved?

[godcards]

Logical decisions... At least being able to get people to see reason. Emotions matter less in that case.

[duranduel]

Ah, but Lalli told me earlier. People are going to start fighting, he thinks. They'll let their emotions take control of them.

And then, I think...it's much harder to get them to see any reason.

[godcards]

[ he's quiet for a little while. ]





I think Lalli might be right.

[duranduel]

...He has something to knock out Beau, just in case she...picks fights, she said.

Fighting isn't going to help us get answers.

[godcards]

[ quiet again hahahaha. ]

...I think we'll need it tomorrow.

[duranduel]

[Looks at him again. His own expression a little impassive, but his words:]

Are you worried you might be hit? You can hide behind me if you want. I'll take the hit for ya.

[godcards]

She already harasses me at every trial, except for the one after I got this. [ points to the eye on his forehead, with the hand that also has an eye on it!! ]

I am going to stay far, far away from her. I'm not going to take any chances.

[duranduel]

[Squinting at that eye. Huh! Eye!]

Yeah. Not worth the trouble. [A beat.] She might come after me, too. I think.

[godcards]

Then I won't hide behind you. [ hilariously, malik is also taller. ]

...But what has she got against you?

[duranduel]

No, she can take me down and focus on me. Distracts form you.

[also wow let mandi have manlet rights]

Um. Hm. [He really has to think about this for a moment?] I think she might think that I killed Otome because.....hm. Otome killed...Wang Lu? Yeah, I think that sounds right.

[He seems very confused about this.]

[godcards]

Did you kill her?

[ he's noticing that confusion but we'll come back to that in a second. ]

[duranduel]

No. I didn't. [He is sure about this!] I even made a promise not to like, go out and kill a killer.

[godcards]

Oh. [ mild disappointment. ]

So no revenge story... Although it didn't look like she was very bloody, so it seems like her killer took more care into getting rid of her. [ a beat ] I guess if you wanted revenge, you wouldn't have taken the time to bury her, either.

[duranduel]

[wow malik KILLING IS BAD??]

Maybe? I wouldn't really know. I mean, killing is killing? I don't know how I would...well. Um. I wouldn't think too much about that stuff.

[godcards]

[ it sure is! ]

You have a sword?

[duranduel]

A wooden sword. I haven't used it.

[godcards]

You could probably still kill someone with it if you wanted to... Otome didn't look bloody, like I said, so I believe you're telling the truth.

[ just. completely disregarding mandi's feelings on the topic. ]