[ it would've been very thematic to do a heart removal murder and i would have been very proud of you but also. yikes!!!! yikes. big yikes.
he reaches up with his other hand to rub slightly at the back of his own neck - it's sore from staring at his notes for god knows how long - and frowns down at them again, leaning back just slightly into the touch without really realizing it. ]
Yes. [ even he doesn't feel great about it. ] Aside from the fact that we are now at least two cases in the dark for our unfortunate quota from that letter... [ it was hard to miss the despair that ripped through some of their number. before he even came here, nimona cried on him so hard she sounded more like a feral animal than a child. it was heartwrenching.
and they succeeded sigrun - sigrun, who deserved to have her case solved, whose phoenixes will rest easier tonight, but the image that sticks to temenos most is the realization the group had as a whole, when they understood what was in the trash. ]
... What frustrates me the most of not finding the truth in this regard is not just that we didn't find it, but the nature of it. The kill itself. To remove someones' heart and tear it into shreds requires a sadistic streak - the others postulated it was an accident, but it felt far, far too deliberate for that. Perhaps I am not optimistic enough to think otherwise.
And so I return to my initial questions. Who would do that, and why? What drove someone to remove a man's heart from his chest? We should have solved both.
[ I should have solved both, he doesn't say, but it's obvious he's thinking it. ]
[ Wouldn't it be perfectly on theme? But no, it just makes Axel feel gross instead. Anyway when the other man leans into it, he gives a light, gentle squeeze. ]
...Yeah, even though we were scrambling, I can't picture this to be an accident.
'I lived' must have also been a message. I think Albedo was right about that.
[ Axel seems to close his eyes in thought, and thinking outloud, he says: ]
...It could be in reference to another killer we haven't caught. Norma's killer.
[ Which makes the red head actually unsettled. But the MO fits, at least to him, which is why he's pointing it out.
Though all the same, Axel is shaking his head, not having the answers to those questions, but wishing they did. The red head also slips crossword along, maybe hoping to distract him a little from any self-deprecation, which he can sense emanating from him a mile away. ]
We did our best, you included, but I think given the complexity, we just couldn't figure it out in time. Though, I also believe we shouldn't be looking down on ourselves about it, you know? Even if that might be a bit hard for you.
Maybe. I believe that scene was relevant to Ace though, and to be quite honest, I think Norma's was Chiemi. But - perhaps the person who killed Reigen is someone who already acted, which leaves us in a terrible place for a variety of reasons.
[ he drums his fingers on the counter for a moment, thoughtful and staring at his notes again, like he might just vanish into his mind palace...
though, the crossword coming into his vision surprises him. he huffs, a little laugh, and nudges out the counter seat next to him, going to peer over the crossword like a dog with a chew toy. ]
Logically, I know that our capabilities here are limited. My capabilities, even. [ for as much as he goes into the Mind Palace tm, here, it's not nearly so effective as it was back home. this is as close as he's willing to admit that yeah, he was grading himself very harshly on his performance, here.
he sighs, though, and taps the crossword, pointing out "key", starting to actually pore over it. ] I didn't notice this one before. Well done.
Right. Reminded once again how case-solving is real hard...but yeah, I do think it could be somebody who already acted before at least.
Which is pretty much still possible given one of the results of the trials.
Anyway, it's a hard pill to swallow still, right? You're also the type of guy that I know by now doesn't like to leave a mystery unsolved.
[ Which he can firmly understand in so many ways now, given their situation. But Axel believes that it hits in a particular way for Temenos, to be quite honest. At the spot of praise, he gives the other man a little smile in thanks, even if he might be looking at the crossword to focus still on that.
After a pause, Axel points to another word, thinking he might have missed another one. 'Brim', which is another diagonal going downwards, caught between 'Cobalt' and the beginning of 'Monday'. ]
Part of a hat, right? A top hat is what that mysterious villain guy apparently wears, you know?
[ teasing. you're so valid information sucks. he'll absently flip a couple pages in his notebook, if he wants to look at them, though, to a page neatly annotated:
while axel is examining that, he looks over the crossword, making a thoughtful noise as he highlights the word. "brim". he also points to another - between "moon" and "amethyst" ] "Most", here.
[ this probably means nothing but it's something to solve. ]
[ Axel looks at Temenos' incredibly organized notes in his notebooks...a vast difference to his chickenscratch by far. His eyes linger on Reigen's name, looking thoughtful. ]
Quizzing me on what? If it's math, I'm not sure how well I'd do.
[ He seems to find that part very funny but he begins to scrunch his eyebrows at the notes. There's a commonality, it looks like, because of the question marks and no guesses as to whom the killer may be in both Satan and Reigen's cases. As for Whisper's...he shakes his head, putting that one aside.
Still, he hums a little. ]
...So it was Yae instead of Satan, huh?
Both Satan and Reigen did die kinda real brutal, you know. I can see it being the same killer where they're both concerned, which doesn't help with identities, but...
...Hey look, it's my name!
[ He points it out with attempted (emphasis on exactly that) contained excitement atop Emerald's. Not Axel, he means, of course.
[ there's the little pet name, just sliding in casually - a little patronizing, a little sweet, all teasing, as he taps his notebook and lets axel look it over. ]
It was. He confessed to me the next day when I confronted him about it - he lined up with all of the evidence as expected. Truthfully, I cottoned onto him as her killer fairly quickly, but at the end, I was more focused on trying to solve Satan's, and it seemed like the Captain had it handled. Obviously, that was not the case.
[ re: reigen. she. obviously did not, considering reigen did not get voted for, but, that cookie crumbled weeks ago, so, he doesn't spend much more time on it. ]
And that is a fair point. [ re: brutality. ] It isn't impossible. Perhaps something to keep in mind...
[ though, he trails off, distracted by axel's bright excitement. his expression changes - shifts into something a little fond, and he props his chin in his hand. ]
So it is. Goodness, but I hope that isn't a bad sign...
[ don't joke about that you'd be so upset if a single hair on axel's head was harmed ]
[ Axel doesn't seem to mind the pet name. 'Dear' isn't such a bad nickname, sending the other man a cheeky smile after he gives that one in turn. I'm sorry. ]
Personally, I considered the thought he killed one of the two, but I can't say I knew who for sure.
[ Seeing as Temenos doesn't linger long on the subject, he doesn't see the point in lingering too hard on that either. At least they could possibly be in agreement with the brutality, so simply a nod there. Though, he begins to look thoughtful again, before a bit of amusement arrives too. He probably shouldn't be talking about this lightly, but... ]
Well, it wouldn't be the first time somebody wants me hurt for sure, if it was. I have a habit of screwing up villains' plans just by existing. But, it could also be a good sign too. Like that I'm so cool my name pops up on a crossword.
[ honeybunches gets a brief look, an eyebrow raise of really, but he lets it go otherwise, instead focusing down on the crossword. ]
Hmm... [ thoughtful. ] Likely the former. [ wow. rude.
but, he smiles a bit, tilting his head back, clearly amused. ] You and I have that in common. That's how I came about my nickname, derogatory as it may be.
[ ""the hound"" and all ] But do try to avoid getting hurt in the future, yes? We've not much time left, so don't trip at the finish line.
[ Axel looks oh-so-proud of himself, perhaps unsurprisingly so. ]
...Hey now.
[ Saying that gently in the face of Temenos' rudeness, which only seems to amuse Axel. Perhaps he is rather proud of his plan-disruptive status.
And that he shares this commonality with Temenos to boot. Funny how things work, eh? ]
Derogatory, huh? Well, I'm going to say people are pretty much jealous that we're good at kicking tail and taking names. [ Wink. ] But, I'll do my best to not do much tripping; I wouldn't look cool doing exactly that.
[ Oh, but this is a fine time for a memory to pop up (stops at 3:22), because someone seems to think why not one more for the road? Though, this gets Axel to simply shake his head with a snort in almost disbelief. It's a little embarrassing but it's not a bad memory by his estimation. ]
[ temenos is just as proud of his own - and frankly, he also likes that axel's the same. they're both naughty which is why they're both rabbits.
and he's going to say something else, maybe even something a little fond, but, oh! then the memory starts.
... first of all, his hair. second of all, this entire memory is very, very charming, from start to finish. the fact that he clearly gets his butt kicked by his new friend, the easy friendship between him and the one called isa, and the fact that despite all that he's been through, in temenos's estimation, he really hasn't changed.
he's smiling when it's over, chin propped in his hand, clearly full of mischief. cute... ]
My, my. A battle well fought. [ don't bully him ] That's your friend you snuck into the castle with?
[ It's truly one of the hallmark traits of being a bunny for sure.
Anyway, some things truly don't change. Which, perhaps, for Axel, might be a bit incredible even if he might not see it as such.
At the little bit of teasing, Axel is not even surprised. So, what does he do? Take refuge in audacity. ]
Thanks, I totally kicked butt so hard you can say that it was only a matter of time. [ Crying ] But, yeah. That's Isa. As you can say he's the more serious guy, though he's still got his unique brand of sense of humor.
...Something tells me you'd probably get along well with him, not gonna lie.
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no subject
he reaches up with his other hand to rub slightly at the back of his own neck - it's sore from staring at his notes for god knows how long - and frowns down at them again, leaning back just slightly into the touch without really realizing it. ]
Yes. [ even he doesn't feel great about it. ] Aside from the fact that we are now at least two cases in the dark for our unfortunate quota from that letter... [ it was hard to miss the despair that ripped through some of their number. before he even came here, nimona cried on him so hard she sounded more like a feral animal than a child. it was heartwrenching.
and they succeeded sigrun - sigrun, who deserved to have her case solved, whose phoenixes will rest easier tonight, but the image that sticks to temenos most is the realization the group had as a whole, when they understood what was in the trash. ]
... What frustrates me the most of not finding the truth in this regard is not just that we didn't find it, but the nature of it. The kill itself. To remove someones' heart and tear it into shreds requires a sadistic streak - the others postulated it was an accident, but it felt far, far too deliberate for that. Perhaps I am not optimistic enough to think otherwise.
And so I return to my initial questions. Who would do that, and why? What drove someone to remove a man's heart from his chest? We should have solved both.
[ I should have solved both, he doesn't say, but it's obvious he's thinking it. ]
no subject
...Yeah, even though we were scrambling, I can't picture this to be an accident.
'I lived' must have also been a message. I think Albedo was right about that.
[ Axel seems to close his eyes in thought, and thinking outloud, he says: ]
...It could be in reference to another killer we haven't caught. Norma's killer.
[ Which makes the red head actually unsettled. But the MO fits, at least to him, which is why he's pointing it out.
Though all the same, Axel is shaking his head, not having the answers to those questions, but wishing they did. The red head also slips crossword along, maybe hoping to distract him a little from any self-deprecation, which he can sense emanating from him a mile away. ]
We did our best, you included, but I think given the complexity, we just couldn't figure it out in time. Though, I also believe we shouldn't be looking down on ourselves about it, you know? Even if that might be a bit hard for you.
no subject
[ he drums his fingers on the counter for a moment, thoughtful and staring at his notes again, like he might just vanish into his mind palace...
though, the crossword coming into his vision surprises him. he huffs, a little laugh, and nudges out the counter seat next to him, going to peer over the crossword like a dog with a chew toy. ]
Logically, I know that our capabilities here are limited. My capabilities, even. [ for as much as he goes into the Mind Palace tm, here, it's not nearly so effective as it was back home. this is as close as he's willing to admit that yeah, he was grading himself very harshly on his performance, here.
he sighs, though, and taps the crossword, pointing out "key", starting to actually pore over it. ] I didn't notice this one before. Well done.
no subject
Right. Reminded once again how case-solving is real hard...but yeah, I do think it could be somebody who already acted before at least.
Which is pretty much still possible given one of the results of the trials.
Anyway, it's a hard pill to swallow still, right? You're also the type of guy that I know by now doesn't like to leave a mystery unsolved.
[ Which he can firmly understand in so many ways now, given their situation. But Axel believes that it hits in a particular way for Temenos, to be quite honest. At the spot of praise, he gives the other man a little smile in thanks, even if he might be looking at the crossword to focus still on that.
After a pause, Axel points to another word, thinking he might have missed another one. 'Brim', which is another diagonal going downwards, caught between 'Cobalt' and the beginning of 'Monday'. ]
Part of a hat, right? A top hat is what that mysterious villain guy apparently wears, you know?
no subject
[ teasing. you're so valid information sucks. he'll absently flip a couple pages in his notebook, if he wants to look at them, though, to a page neatly annotated:
while axel is examining that, he looks over the crossword, making a thoughtful noise as he highlights the word. "brim". he also points to another - between "moon" and "amethyst" ] "Most", here.
[ this probably means nothing but it's something to solve. ]
no subject
Quizzing me on what? If it's math, I'm not sure how well I'd do.
[ He seems to find that part very funny but he begins to scrunch his eyebrows at the notes. There's a commonality, it looks like, because of the question marks and no guesses as to whom the killer may be in both Satan and Reigen's cases. As for Whisper's...he shakes his head, putting that one aside.
Still, he hums a little. ]
...So it was Yae instead of Satan, huh?
Both Satan and Reigen did die kinda real brutal, you know. I can see it being the same killer where they're both concerned, which doesn't help with identities, but...
...Hey look, it's my name!
[ He points it out with attempted (emphasis on exactly that) contained excitement atop Emerald's. Not Axel, he means, of course.
"Lea". ]
no subject
[ there's the little pet name, just sliding in casually - a little patronizing, a little sweet, all teasing, as he taps his notebook and lets axel look it over. ]
It was. He confessed to me the next day when I confronted him about it - he lined up with all of the evidence as expected. Truthfully, I cottoned onto him as her killer fairly quickly, but at the end, I was more focused on trying to solve Satan's, and it seemed like the Captain had it handled. Obviously, that was not the case.
[ re: reigen. she. obviously did not, considering reigen did not get voted for, but, that cookie crumbled weeks ago, so, he doesn't spend much more time on it. ]
And that is a fair point. [ re: brutality. ] It isn't impossible. Perhaps something to keep in mind...
[ though, he trails off, distracted by axel's bright excitement. his expression changes - shifts into something a little fond, and he props his chin in his hand. ]
So it is. Goodness, but I hope that isn't a bad sign...
[ don't joke about that you'd be so upset if a single hair on axel's head was harmed ]
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[ Axel doesn't seem to mind the pet name. 'Dear' isn't such a bad nickname, sending the other man a cheeky smile after he gives that one in turn. I'm sorry. ]
Personally, I considered the thought he killed one of the two, but I can't say I knew who for sure.
[ Seeing as Temenos doesn't linger long on the subject, he doesn't see the point in lingering too hard on that either. At least they could possibly be in agreement with the brutality, so simply a nod there. Though, he begins to look thoughtful again, before a bit of amusement arrives too. He probably shouldn't be talking about this lightly, but... ]
Well, it wouldn't be the first time somebody wants me hurt for sure, if it was. I have a habit of screwing up villains' plans just by existing. But, it could also be a good sign too. Like that I'm so cool my name pops up on a crossword.
[ nyeh ]
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Hmm... [ thoughtful. ] Likely the former. [ wow. rude.
but, he smiles a bit, tilting his head back, clearly amused. ] You and I have that in common. That's how I came about my nickname, derogatory as it may be.
[ ""the hound"" and all ] But do try to avoid getting hurt in the future, yes? We've not much time left, so don't trip at the finish line.
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...Hey now.
[ Saying that gently in the face of Temenos' rudeness, which only seems to amuse Axel. Perhaps he is rather proud of his plan-disruptive status.
And that he shares this commonality with Temenos to boot. Funny how things work, eh? ]
Derogatory, huh? Well, I'm going to say people are pretty much jealous that we're good at kicking tail and taking names. [ Wink. ] But, I'll do my best to not do much tripping; I wouldn't look cool doing exactly that.
[ Oh, but this is a fine time for a memory to pop up (stops at 3:22), because someone seems to think why not one more for the road? Though, this gets Axel to simply shake his head with a snort in almost disbelief. It's a little embarrassing but it's not a bad memory by his estimation. ]
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and he's going to say something else, maybe even something a little fond, but, oh! then the memory starts.
... first of all, his hair. second of all, this entire memory is very, very charming, from start to finish. the fact that he clearly gets his butt kicked by his new friend, the easy friendship between him and the one called isa, and the fact that despite all that he's been through, in temenos's estimation, he really hasn't changed.
he's smiling when it's over, chin propped in his hand, clearly full of mischief. cute... ]
My, my. A battle well fought. [ don't bully him ] That's your friend you snuck into the castle with?
no subject
Anyway, some things truly don't change. Which, perhaps, for Axel, might be a bit incredible even if he might not see it as such.
At the little bit of teasing, Axel is not even surprised. So, what does he do? Take refuge in audacity. ]
Thanks, I totally kicked butt so hard you can say that it was only a matter of time. [ Crying ] But, yeah. That's Isa. As you can say he's the more serious guy, though he's still got his unique brand of sense of humor.
...Something tells me you'd probably get along well with him, not gonna lie.