paintitrainbows | call me out

[...What the hell does he even say to that? He's, momentarily, struck speechless. Acknowledging Naegi's words completely... everything, the intend behind them included... No, he can't do that.

Not now.

This isn't going how he'd planned at all. And he does so hate it when things don't go according to plan.

(Things haven't been going according to plan for a while now.)

...Compose yourself, Togami. This is no time to be falling apart.]

Actually... The power of stopping this has always been in your hands. I gave you the world's simplest game.

All you had to do to win... was do nothing. The exact moment you were doomed was the moment you decided to play.

[He crosses his arms, looking across the entire room.]

It was the same thing for outside. What I did, out there and in here, was simple. I set up the dominoes.

I'm not the one who knocked them over.

...And I'm also not able to stop them once they're in motion.

[He focuses his gaze back on Naegi. And for a moment, the look in his eyes makes it clear why he is Super High School Level Despair. The lack of any kind of hope in his eyes has never been more obvious than right now.]

The pieces are already falling and there's nothing to be done about that.

So I ask you... Stop this how? Even if I ended this trial right here and now... Even if I decided to unlock the doors, put an end to all of this... It still won't stop the falling pieces.

[ The dead look in his eyes as he explains himself... it's rather chilling, to say the least, seeing him with such an expression on his face, especially after seeing him be so expressive before, Naegi thinks.

And he was forced to admit... Togami was right, in a way. Even if they stopped his plan and killed off the source of despair at the source, well. There was still plenty of it left to be spread around even without him feeding into it with their killing game.

Yet... that wasn't it, was it? ]

You're right. Even if we did stop you right here and now... that wouldn't solve anything.

[ Cut off the head, two more grow in its place and all. But... what if... ]

We already know that you're Super High School Level Despair... there's no contesting that among any of us. You've put us all through the ringer... and we played. Oh, we played this game quite well, and you can't deny that.

But... I think there's something else you've been denying ever since we started this trial, isn't there? That there's more that you can do besides just simply stopping it...

Are you really Super High School Level Despair? Or... is that what you've been trying to tell yourself?

[ The fact that Togami had been wavering through the whole trial regarding his identity was not lost on either him or Kirigiri, apparently; if anything, that only proved to him that there was something else that they could do than just condemn someone else to death.

Because, in the end, wouldn't that prove the whole point Togami was trying to make? That hope was no better than despair where the costs or calculations were concerned? No, no... that would not do at all.

He promised he'd save everyone, and he was going to see that promise through to the end. Even if it meant getting hurt - or worse - trying to save Togami from himself. ]

Tell us the truth! Who are you, exactly?

...

What?

[Yeah, this line of questioning catches him off guard, that's clear. The rest had been unexpected in its own way, but it had still been a possibility he'd at least considered. But this question...

Naegi...

...

Just how much had he underestimated him?]

What the hell is the point of this? Who am I? What makes you think the answer to that question is going to change? Just because you say it's only what I'm trying to tell myself...

Are you this determined to win?

[He adjusts his glasses.]

Fine then! Let's keep this trial going!

You say that I'm only trying to convince myself I'm Super High School Level Despair?

Prove it!

[ can you feel it, Mr. ~~Krabs~~ Togami

. . . Naegi's not sure how to feel about his question getting that kind of reaction from Togami, but at this point he's bracing himself for the worst.

The easy part was confirming that he was right, to some degree, about his suspicions about Togami's motives. Now came the hard part - figuring out some concrete proof for it.

... but how would he do that? He's pretty sure he hasn't found any evidence bullets that would pertain to this question - and he's pretty sure that, considering this is the final trial and all, that there's no more evidence left to be gathered...

... well, this was gonna be a problem, wasn't it? Naegi crosses his arms, frowning heavily as he stared at Togami - what was he gonna say to him now, sorry, he couldn't think of anything that could-

. . .

Hey, wait a minute, is that...

. . . that just might be it. Naegi's mind is already working as he realizes just what he'd seen on Togami, and inwardly, he's digging his heels in because he knows that from this point on, it was going to be one hell of a ride.

Especially since, if he was right? This was... going to be crazy, to say the least. Here goes something...! ]

... unfortunately, I don't have anything to directly prove that you're trying to convince yourself otherwise.

[ That's probably what Togami was wanting to hear, wasn't it? ]

Super High-School Level Despair... that must be fun for you, I guess...

Is it really that rewarding to be despair? Casting off your feelings and your friendships with others just to prove that despair's the only thing of any value out there?

[ Naegi tries to sound matter-of-fact as he can about this, but. He fails at that - if anything, he sounds more like he's sad for Togami as he asks about that...

That's not any way to live, he thinks to himself as he studies Togami's reaction. ]

[Across the courtroom, Kirigiri is giving him a look. Not a judging one, though. It's more like... she's putting her trust in him. She even nods to cement the whole thing. She trusts you know what you're doing, bro.

If Togami notices, he doesn't say anything.]

Spoken as someone who doesn't understand what despair is in the first place. Naegi... You are operating under a number of misconceptions.

Despair isn't meant to be rewarding. That's the entire point. And that, in itself, is what makes it worth pursuing. There's no rewards. And nothing else, either.

[He's getting some of his earlier composure back now.]

...If I had to pick a word to describe it, I would say it is... liberating.

So it's absolutely nothing, then, as you put it? Nothing at all? No feelings, no rewards, nothing...?

[ . . . he doubts he'll ever understand what it means to be nothing but despair all the time. And to be honest, Naegi's not sure he really wants to, either.

Either way, he picked this route, and now he has to see it through to the end. It's the nightmare he's chosen for himself, so now he has to make sure that it ends as well as he can make it end under the circumstances.

Well, it's time to see where this leads them. He looks at Kirigiri out of the corner of his eye before glancing back at Togami. ]

So... that means we mean nothing to you, then? I just have to ask.

Haven't I made that clear enough already? Oh well. It can't be helped. Just this once, I'll spell it out to you, free of charge.

All of you mean nothing to me.

YOU'VE GOT THAT WRONG!!!

[ Naegi-kun, so dramatic.

He's pretty sure everyone's eyes are on him, because... that's not something you'd normally object to, right? So why... ]

... the brooch you're wearing.

[ . . . wait, what?

Naegi pushes on, as he gestures to the brooch that Togami's wearing - it's a small, golden brooch in the shape of a scarab, tied around his neck. And it's one that Naegi-kun knows very well. ]

If we really mean that little to you... then why are you still wearing it?

You know very well what I'm asking... I gave that to you. As a gift, for... your help during the second trial. If you're really as full of despair as you say, then... why do you still have it on you?

Ah--!

T-That's...

[And gone is that composure. The entire room falls dead silent for a moment, aside from some sputtering from Togami. Until...]

I knew it.

[Of course she did.]

Whoa... So Naegi-kun is the one that gave him that weird looking brooch? I didn't even notice it at all.

[G-Geez... is it finally time for the peanut gallery to comment?]

T-To give a gift like that to Byakuya-sama... Just how many flags did he trigger?!

Ah, is that really what you're concerned about right now?

[And then, there's a slamming sound. Ah, sounds like Togami just slammed his podium.]

[...It manages to shut up Fukawa, at the very least. Mastermind or not, she's still listening to him for now.

...Togami isn't saying anything. He just looks straight at the floor. Is he trying to think of a counter-argument? If so, it doesn't seem to be going very well.]

Edited (whoops spelling) 2015-02-23 21:51 (UTC)

[ Uh...

. . . suddenly Naegi feels like he's put himself and Togami on the spot immediately after revealing that little fact, because, uh. Wow, that reaction was... something...

Between looking at Togami, his classmates and Kirigiri, he can't help but sweat a little before turning to Kirigiri with a frown on his face, mouthing out his words just in case. ]

... did I break him or something?

...You may have just a little.

[Ah- Kirigiri, being blunt as always. Oh well. Togami's... busy having a small meltdown over there. Give him a moment...?

Well, Kirigiri is just going to keep talking to Naegi, because fuck the police.]

Naegi-kun... You won't let any of us fall to despair, right?

[...That's an odd change in topic.]

This entire time, you've been doing your best. Refusing to give up hope, even in the face of the darkest despair. So...

Someone with a title like Super High School Level Despair... Someone who already has fallen to despair... What will you do with someone like that, I wonder. Can someone like that even be saved in the first place?

I think... You might be able to.

Kirigiri-san...

[ That fact that she puts that much faith in him...

Naegi won't lie, it both empowers and scares him. On the one hand, he's certainly stubborn enough to not give in to Togami's illusions of despair grandeur where he's concerned, but on the other... he still feels like that it might not be enough. What happens if he can't pull Togami back from the abyss? Worse, what if he or Kirigiri or... everyone else, for that matter, gets dragged down with him?

He refused to give up hope. That's just how he was. But to convey that to someone who's already lost everything and more...

Naegi opens his mouth to say that he's not sure if he can do it, that Kirigiri's putting a little too much faith in him, that he can't promise anything - but the whisper that leaves his mouth says something else entirely. ]

... I'll try. No... I have to get through to him.

It's the only way we'll be able to save him from himself... right, Kirigiri-san...? I... I refuse to believe he's as empty as he says he is...!

...

Well, that was an interesting diversion.

[Ah... he's recovered? And acting like nothing even happened at all. Or... is he? Geez, it's hard to keep up with this guy...]

But I must say... I didn't expect you to notice a little thing like that. I wonder how empty someone's life must be that they considering something like that insignificant present so important?

[...]

...Yes. I kept it. Because... keeping it or not keeping it... doesn't really matter.

[Togami, you were just freaking out about it, you can't say it doesn't m-]

But the fact that you're bringing up something like that now... is really annoying.

[...Is he trying to act like that's the reason for his response?]

. . .

[ Wow, Togami, maybe he should have just kept it to himself like the selfish twit you want him to be, huh.

No, but... what is with the reaction? Naegi frowns quietly, more to himself, as he tries to figure out just what Togami's thinking... his words definitely aren't matching up with his actions, are they?

He seems like he's acting like nothing happened, that his breakdown was a thing, but Naegi feels more like he's hiding a lot more of a reaction than he's letting on. Huh. Well, might as well play along and see why, if that's the case. ]

How is it annoying? I honestly want to know why you'd think that...

Why? Because it's irrelevant.

[Ah, there it is. He's mad that Naegi is even pursuing this in the first place.]

The fact that I'm the mastermind behind this killing game and Super High School Level Despair has already been established. What meaning is there in arguing if I felt anything or not? You're just sidetracking this entire discussion.

...You're going off-script.

... I'm sorry, I wasn't aware there even was a script at all...

[ Can you feel the sarcasm in his tone, Togami. Can you feel it.

That said, Naegi doesn't seem fazed - if anything, he looks even more determined especially since Togami's doing the exact same thing by diverting their discussion on his own feelings. ]

You're doing the same thing, you know... those so-called insignificant feelings of yours?

They mean everything. We already know you're the mastermind and Super High School Level Despair - no one's disputing that.

What I'm disputing is whether or not you're really as empty as you say...

[ A pause as he glares down Togami. ]

Or are you just stalling this discussion because you already know what your answer's going to be?

Despair is emptiness. By disputing that, you dispute my status as Super High School Level Despair. And I will not have you disrespect my title so casually!

[His tone is ice cold, but Togami's been all over the place this entire trial. Well, what do you expect from someone as messed up as him? But more than that... It's like he's switching between several different versions of himself.]

You... Shouldn't your first priority be... solving the remaining mysteries in your path... Saving yourself and your friends... Escape?

And instead you only focus on me.

[...]

Why?

[ Togami, what are you even doing. Are you just, like, six different people at once, Naegi is wondering as he watches him switch between moods.

. . . that briefly makes him wonder if Togami really had a true self. There was the self who supported him, the self who was the mastermind, the self who was despair... but did he really have a true self in there somewhere? The more he thought about it, the more he had to wonder just how shattered Togami was.

To not even have an actual "self" in there... that's no way to go through life, is it? Regardless of the circumstances.

Either way, when Togami speaks up again, Naegi's expression sets into grim lines of determination as he looks at him seriously; he doesn't even have to stop and think about his words before he speaks up. ]

Because you're still my friend, Togami, even if you're also Super High School Level Despair.

Don't get me wrong! Solving the mysteries of this school... saving everyone... they've always been my priority, ever since going into this trial.

But you're still a part of that, too. My friend... and when I say I'm going to save everyone, that includes you, too. That's not going to change.

Even if I have to save you from yourself... I'm not leaving you behind, Togami-kun!

...I can't believe you. Are you really taking a big risk like this for... for what? For the Byakuya Togami that never even existed in the first place? It was just a mask I put on, nothing more.

You shouldn't even waste your energy. Well, I don't think you should waste your energy on anything at all, but especially not this.

...Will you honestly try "saving" someone who doesn't want to be saved?

. . . come on, Togami-kun. You already know the answer to that, don't you?

[ Naegi just gives him a look that belies both determination and slightly amused exasperation at Togami, the latter expression being something that Togami should be used to considering that he gave him that same look several times.

Especially when Naegi would often deduce how the culprit committed the murder by putting things together on the fly.

Yes, he's quite serious about this. ]

I intend to save everyone, Togami-kun. Including you... no, especially you!

So you'll go against my will no matter what? I see...

I can't say I expected this. You really are determined to win, no matter what. And to think... you're the first to actually make it this far. Hah, but... there's no way I can lose.

...It's completely impossible for me to lose.

[He doesn't sound particularly arrogant, despite his words. It's more like... apathy?]

I've never lost anything so far in my life. This won't be any different.

. . . really? Not even once?

[ Well, that's kind of surprising - Naegi has to wonder about that. Everyone's screwed up at least once in their life, haven't they?

Then again, Togami could be lying... or he might not, such was the power and influence of the Super High School Level Heir. It could go either way at this point. Either way, he doesn't seem to really sound particularly happy that he hasn't lost at all.

One would think that this would be a point of pride for him, but... it didn't sound that way, did it? ]

... you don't sound all that happy about it, though.

...It's just a fact of life. Plain and simple.

[Even so, he should be talking in that same prideful tone he usually does, right? If anything, constant success is the best reason to do so.]

Question. I've talked about this with you before. Do you remember why I stopped involving myself in the stock market?

I think I remember. You mentioned that you stopped because you found it too easy, right?

[ At least, he's hoping that his memory hasn't failed him yet. :|; ]

call me out - v3.0

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