"I believe most people would turn the other way. Self-preservation often wins out. The fear of retaliation, of shame... The belief that it's not their problem..."
Hm. He'd best finish this coffee before it gets too cold. Time for another, larger sip, then. "Ren was charged with assault, when he wasn't the aggressor. Kamoshida tried to spread rumors about his criminal record, but I did my best to intervene. With my assistance, things have marginally improved, particularly among the female students who perhaps feel more at ease knowing that he protected a woman in distress, but obviously there are still those who can't look past his record."
"Unsurprising conduct. He certainly did seem to insinuate that Ren and I had something going on even before we started dating, but Ren's approach was to own it, so his efforts didn't particularly land as expected. My sponsorship from Kirijo-san also gave me certain... status, I suppose, that left Kobayakawa sweating at his desk as he attempted to have his cake and eat it too."
Crow sets the cup down with a more audible thump, looking as though he'd just swallowed a sour candy.
His breath rushes quietly as his fists clench. "He knew nothing about her. Nothing! He objected to me on the first day—I suppose I was late. I wasn't the sort he thought should be in the school, you see? Beneath his notice. He saw my past addresses and—"
No, this is no good. He's seeing white; he swallows. Kamoshida is the past, and he got what he deserved. "Listen. What are we going to do about Ren? My Ren. The Palace."
Everything he's feeling, he buries with difficulty, like he's folding it all inside a perfect mirror sphere.
"If you need a moment to ground yourself, that's all right. We can figure this out when you're ready." It's clear that he's on edge. This was a poor shift in subject. He should've been more mindful of that. "But I believe we need to inform him, and then we need to formulate a plan."
Deep breaths. He's making a fool of himself here. Quietly, he reaches back for Lancelot, feeling that certainty and strength that sustain him no matter what; he licks his lips.
"You mean I need to inform him, I take it." Which he will. He won't entrust it to anyone else.
"I'd be willing to back you up, but if you believe that this is something only you can do, then I respect it wholeheartedly." At the very least, Crow understands why. It's so deeply personal. His presence might not bode well.
"No. It has to be me." Everything there's been between them, the potential depth of the betrayal—from both sides this time, not just one. Ren's halting explanation of what Magpie said to him in the park goes through his head. it wasnt that long after we got here and i wasnt used to like looking at ppl who looked like you without them being you
Lancelot's certainty slowly fills him—and, more than that, the peace of knowing what has to be done. Like in the attic with the others, with Futaba, the real one. If he wants to kill Goro, why not let him?
"I'm the one he wants to understand him. I'm the one he can't let go of, and can't accept. I'm the one who has to be there, no matter what we do. If I don't face him, here, now, and offer him a chance, I'll never be able to look him in the face again."
"And I respect that. Out of all of us, you're the one he's most likely to trust." If Crow is to blame for part of his distortion, then certainly not him. He'd run the risk of making things worse. "I wish I knew what to say that wouldn't sound like shallow platitudes. I'll wish you luck, of course, and should you need assistance, you know how to reach me."
But that's if. For now, he'd be better off supporting Frog. Letting him lead, for out of everyone here, he has the greatest stake of them all.
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Hm. He'd best finish this coffee before it gets too cold. Time for another, larger sip, then. "Ren was charged with assault, when he wasn't the aggressor. Kamoshida tried to spread rumors about his criminal record, but I did my best to intervene. With my assistance, things have marginally improved, particularly among the female students who perhaps feel more at ease knowing that he protected a woman in distress, but obviously there are still those who can't look past his record."
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His nails whiten against the countertop.
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Crow sets the cup down with a more audible thump, looking as though he'd just swallowed a sour candy.
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No, this is no good. He's seeing white; he swallows. Kamoshida is the past, and he got what he deserved. "Listen. What are we going to do about Ren? My Ren. The Palace."
Everything he's feeling, he buries with difficulty, like he's folding it all inside a perfect mirror sphere.
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"You mean I need to inform him, I take it." Which he will. He won't entrust it to anyone else.
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Lancelot's certainty slowly fills him—and, more than that, the peace of knowing what has to be done. Like in the attic with the others, with Futaba, the real one. If he wants to kill Goro, why not let him?
"I'm the one he wants to understand him. I'm the one he can't let go of, and can't accept. I'm the one who has to be there, no matter what we do. If I don't face him, here, now, and offer him a chance, I'll never be able to look him in the face again."
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But that's if. For now, he'd be better off supporting Frog. Letting him lead, for out of everyone here, he has the greatest stake of them all.