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[ She's probably spent the majority of the day sitting near Kuzuryuu while he was unconscious. When Nanami does come in, she was probably dropped off by someone.

When she notices the Host, she goes to sit on her bed, and simply waits for him to tell her whatever he needs to tell her. She's just straight up assuming it's bad news at this point.

Nanami is not sure how the news can be worse than Chizuru and Feferi dying, and Kuzuryuu and herself being next on the list of "that small group" Apollo had referred to (if they even had done this - who knew?), but it probably can be. It's best to just see what it is rather than speculate, though. ]

Edited 2014-07-23 07:33 (UTC)

[The host pulls out his usual notebook, opening it up and tapping his pen against the edge a few times. He seems to be contemplating something before he closes it and actually speaks for once.]

Chiaki-chan. [As usual, there's no telling what he's feeling, if anything, in his tone.] How are you doing?

[ That actually does startle her, and Nanami's left blinking at him in pure surprise for a moment or two before she answers. ]

...Maribelle-chan healed the wounds I had. Kuzuryuu-kun's, too.

[ So she is in one piece. That is...something. There is very little point in saying how she is doing other than physically, because the truthful answer is that she's mostly devastated. Or simply numb at this point of the night. She's said multiple times that she doesn't think she'll survive - and apparently she's not supposed to, if the video clip was meant to indicate how things are supposed to go - but she'd always sort of hoped that the others would manage to survive.

She's pretty sure Kuzuryuu won't let anyone die in his place if he goes, at this point. If they don't kill him before he goes. And then her. And then the Host? Maribelle and Glinda and the others might live, though. That's also something. Nanami decides she should probably focus on that. ]

...You?

As well as can be expected.

[He pulls up a chair and takes a seat.]

Things are finally starting to come to a head. I need to talk to you about how this game is supposed to end.

...All right.

[ Nanami wonders if she knows the answer or not. She twirls her hair around one finger, absently. ]

Hey. I, too...have been reset, haven't I? Already, once before. Marlowe, when she said something went wrong that time, for the scenario - that was a lie, huh.

[ What is the Foundation doing? That's something she doesn't ask. It doesn't really matter, in the end, since whatever they're doing, she's doing as well. Unless those portraits and trophies were false, she's already been doing it. Maybe it would have been easier with those memories. ]

...So, how is it supposed to end?

...I can't confirm or deny anything officially. But it seems like you don't need me to anyway.

[A nod.] You saw the video of a previous season, correct? A murder will be committed and a trial held where the players will be given the chance to catch and execute the mastermind. Until then, you cannot be killed. You must remain a living player until then.

[ No, she probably doesn't. Nanami nods, after a second. ]

Next week, or the week after? Will...Kuzuryuu-kun also go before that week?

[ He's probably going to say he can't tell her, won't he. ]

I can't say. [Yup.] But I can tell you that the trial for the mastermind will not take place until either all the designated killers have gone at least once or died, or until there aren't enough people left to hold any more trials afterwards.

...Ah. [ So, he'll go. When she dies, that promise of not having to do this again might still come true, though. ] ...Then...Maribelle, Glinda...Maya. Wriggle, Iceland, Athena, Klavier, Kaoru...Apollo, Mei, Sebastian.

Minus...whoever killed those two. And whoever Kuzuryuu-kun ends up killing...that's who will make it out. Nine people? He's not going to let anyone else take the blame for it, when he goes. [ In all likelihood. ] And...I don't think...he will refuse to go.

So, after he goes, that'll be when I die, too. That's okay, then. Sorry, I...already, they pretty much know. I can't survive that trial. Sorry. [ Maribelle will mind. Some of the others might, too. Maribelle also promised to kill the mastermind, though, so it'll be fine.

Or not really. She's going to see Kuzuryuu volunteer to kill and then die next week or the week after. As soon as he goes, she will herself wait to die. At the very least this will ensure that many people making it out. If he didn't go, there'd be less. ]

...The night before. That trial, to catch me. I'm going to be alone. Will you play cards with me, that night? ...Or...is that also not allowed?

[A long pause.]

I can't...promise that I will be around then either. The Foundation has not exactly been happy with my performance lately - there's a good chance I may be fired before then.

But I have some time. If you'd like, we could play a game now.

...Isn't that better? If you're fired...that means, you'll be alive somewhere. Being anywhere other than this game, for you, I think that would be a good thing.

[ Even if that means she's going to be alone whenever her trial comes around, it wouldn't be as though he could have done anything to support her during it. And she'd been worried he was going to die during it, too. ]

...That'd be ten people who lived.

[ After a second, Nanami nods, reaching over to her bedside table, where she keeps a pack of purloined cards. ]

Sure. Let's play...a game we both want to play. [ It can be a fun change of pace. ]

Perhaps. But as long as you're here, I'd like to see it through to the end.

[He'll take the cards from her and shuffle them with ease.] Do you have any preferences, Chiaki-chan?

For me, I'd just like you to live. But...thank you.

[ Preferences... ] Not really. Whatever game Host-kun wants to play is fine with me. I like all card games, pretty much...

Then shall we play a game of gin rummy? [And he'll deal the cards out to her.

Also I don't...actually know how to play gin...so just assume that while he'll put up more of a fight than Kuzuryuu, she'll be able to beat him.]

[ Almost anyone could put up more of a fight than Kuzuryuu, lbr.

Nanami seems to be a bit calmer as she plays; it's not quite a video game, but she hasn't played one of those in weeks, anyway. ]

Games like this aren't so bad, are they?

I can see why you enjoy them so much. [A pause.] If we can...I'd like to play more games with you in the future, Chiaki-chan.

I'd like to play lots more with you, too. Although in this place, I can't show you the ones I'd normally play - ah, I don't even have all the systems, but the one I have...

[ ...............hahaha actually she hasn't opened her backpack to check...it...but she had it in her backpack on her back when she went to the library and Nanami is not sure she wants to see what damage may or may not have been done to her precious PSP that doesn't have a charge anyway. ]

...but we can play the games that are here, or make up our own. And if you go away from here, Usami-chan and Alter Ego will also play with you, I'm sure.

[ Talking about games, and her siblings, is enough for her to smile for the first time since they'd opened the reading room door that morning. ]

As long as I'm able, I'll play with you, though.

I'm glad to see you smile again. [Another pause.] I won't lie and say the next few weeks won't be difficult, but I hope you'll still have things to smile about throughout them.

[Once the game ends, he'll start cleaning up the cards, shuffling them and putting them back in the pack.] Unfortunately, I don't have any time left to play another game. [He'll hand the pack back to her.] But keep this for me, okay? As a good-luck charm. Maybe we'll be able to play again soon.

Edited 2014-07-24 03:48 (UTC)

...I hope you will, too. I think it's harder for you than me, isn't it? After all, I...can speak to these people as a friend, even if no one trusts any of us from that list any longer. But...you know, even if I can't speak to you like that outside of these meetings, that doesn't change...that I think of you in that manner.

[ She takes the deck back, nodding. ]

Any time. I'll...keep it safe.

[There's a long pause where the host seems to be debating something, before he reaches for Nanami's hand and pulls her into a hug.]

Stay strong, Chiaki-chan. [As he hugs her, she'll feel him subtly slip a piece of paper up her sleeve where he's holding her hand, the movement hidden by the embrace. He lets go and nods to her.]

I'll see you tomorrow at the trial. [And with that, he'll leave the room.]

[ She will definitely feel that, yes. Reading it immediately after...no, she can't do that, because she knows that the producers are watching and this doesn't feel like something he'd want them to know about. If it were, he would have simply handed it to her without the pretense.

After he leaves, she'll pick one of the books off her desk and read that for a while. She keeps them there solely to read at night, anyway, so this isn't remotely weird. An hour or more after he's gone, Nanami will try to unfold the note as carefully as possible under her covers and read it against the book, half under the covers and out of the way, leaning up against her wall and curving in over the book.

This feels a little dangerous, but. ]

[The note reads:]

Whatever good luck charm I gave you tonight, keep it on you for the rest of this week. If towards the end of this week's trial, you're faced with an impossible decision - and you'll know what I mean if it happens - open it. It may help you. But don't open it until then.