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[epitaffio]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, PURPLEPIPER. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 541.26.365.77 *** PURPLEPIPER has joined 541.26.365.77 <PURPLEPIPER> Am I doing this right? <PURPLEPIPER> Pretty weird to just leave a message like this is an answering machine or something <PURPLEPIPER> ME leaving a message I mean! <PURPLEPIPER> You can leave one if you want and I'll just get back to you whenever I can.

Comments

[diffidentive]

Um... [You know...that's a very good question. And between Shuichi's lack of an immediate answer and the way his eyes return to their usual round state, it's obvious that the shade actually doesn't know the answer.] I'm...not sure?

Like I said at the party, it's hard to know whether or not he's serious or joking when he asks people to join his organization. But I don't think those questions were meant to be recruitment tools? He probably just thought they were funny, especially given who the party was for...

[Three career heroes and all.]

[epitaffio]

... Weird sense of humor he's got.

[And by weird he means BAD, because maybe if Doppio hadn't read that question out loud he wouldn't be having this conversation right now and...

Oh, who is he kidding? Shuichi already had it practically figured out by then, didn't he?]

[diffidentive]

[That gets an actual, genuine laugh out of the detective. A short one, sure, but even a short one is a fairly rare sound.]

I can't argue with that...he really does.

[epitaffio]

[Doppio really doesn't think it's all that funny. Sourpuss.]

So... That's it, right? That's... what you deduced? [If that's the case, hey! Maybe it could have been worse.] Wait, you're not going to tell Oma, are you?

[Because the conversation being less painful than he feared it might be doesn't make it one he wants to repeat.]

[diffidentive]

Of course not. Like I said, your secret is safe with me.

[Again, the shade's eyes crinkle slightly upwards as though smiling.]

And...yes, that's it, really. Though...making sure that I didn't offend or anger you too much in that dreamworld was really the main reason for wanting to talk to you. I really mean it when I say I consider you a friend, and that encounter didn't...end on the best note.

[epitaffio]

[... A friend? Even though he knows he's a criminal?

Doppio isn't saying it out loud, but he can't help but wonder if Shuichi really understands what his old job entailed.]

Um... Don't worry. You didn't offend me or anything.

[Besides, isn't he the one who yelled at Shuichi? If anything, he should be the one worrying about this.]

[diffidentive]

[He may not know the exact specifics, but he can kind of guess. And organized crime is sort of a weird, grey area anyway. It's not good, no. Not in the slightest. But that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone who partakes in it is necessarily evil or really even that bad of a person.]

[And so far, Doppio hasn't given him any reason to believe he's a bad person. He's going to continue to base his judgments off of what he's seen, rather than the sort of job Doppio used to have.]

I'm relieved.