Shot 54 (Accidental Video/Action)

[books_n_battle]

*The PCD starts recording as it clatters to the floor, giving a wide view of Jr. on his knees, standing in front of multiple rows of gravestones by the river. From the angle the PCD is at, the names Gaignun Kukai, Citrine, Canaan and Jan Sauer can easily be read, while a keen eye could make out chaos/Yeshua, Jin Uzuki and one stone just engraved

Comments

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

[Raven blinks when she sees the tombstone bearing her name. First, Red X and now Jr...]

Where are you, Jr?

[Video]

[books_n_battle]

By the river. It's hard to miss, there's an entire goddamn graveyard here. But...don't stay in front of one too long. Not unless you want to see some really depressing things.

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

I'm not coming for the graveyard, Jr. [She's coming for you. She thought it'd have been obvious.] I'll be there in a few.

[Video]

[books_n_battle]

I'm at the graveyard. And probably not going anywhere for a while.

*And he's not. When Raven gets there, he'll still be sitting in the same position with his fingers digging into the dirt.*

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

[Raven arrives a short while later, landing softly a few feet away from him.]

Hey.

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

*He sniffs a bit, then turns to look at her, raising one hand to wipe the tears off his face.*

H-hey.

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

You're not crying for any of us here, right? Because obviously we're all quite alive.

[As for the ones from his world, she can't know, so... Still, she can sense his sorrow and it makes her want to reach out for him, to comfort him. Azar, why does it always feel so awkward for her to do things like these?]

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

*He shakes his head and looks back at the first row.*

Too many people died back home. Most of the people here were my fault, too.

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

Your fault? Your twin's fault, you mean?

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

No, mine.

*He points at the grave with the numbers on it.*

I was their leader. They died because I abandoned them.

*And at the memorial.*

I was their leader, too. I wasn't there for them when they needed me, either.

*Citrine.*

I killed her with my own two hands.

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

[Raven gives him a quizzical look. But it's not a reproachful glance. Not at all. She's just trying to understand.] ...Why?

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

Units 1 to 665 were because I was afraid. The Durandal crew were because I was too goddamn stupid to realize what my bastard of a father was up to until it was too damn late.

Citrine...she was my sister. *He sniffs, curling up with his legs pulled into his chest, with his right palm turned out so he can stare at the number.* She sided with our father and tried to do her duty. To kill me, if I ever became a problem for the old bastard. She was my sister, but I still killed her.

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

[Manipulative fathers... No need to tell Raven about those.]

It's terrible because she was your sister but... She tried to kill you first, right? So you were just defending yourself.

[She stares at the "666" in his palm too.] Why were you afraid?

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

U-DO...it's what we URTVs were supposed to confront. But I realized we weren't expected to survive and ran like a goddamn coward without even thinking about protecting them. Every last one of them went insane and got killed in the Conflict.

[Offline]

[feel_nevermore]

If you'd stayed with them, you might not have saved them either but you'd surely have gotten yourself killed, Jr.

[Offline]

[books_n_battle]

But there had to be a better way than just cutting them off. Some way that could have saved them, too. A leader is supposed to protect his men, isn't he?