(Untitled)
[In the library car sitting Indian style in one of the rather plush chairs that was definitely meant to sit a bear of a person sits the horribly dwarfed Echizen Ryoma. He's scowling at yet another chair, partner to the one he is currently sitting in, arms over his chest.]
I don't believe you. How is that even possible?
[Yeah sadly he makes it a ( Read more... )
I don't believe you. How is that even possible?
[Yeah sadly he makes it a ( Read more... )
Um... who are you talking to?
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A ghost. Who says he knows you.
Shut up already! I get it!
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I'm sorry, I don't know of any ghosts...
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[Brat snorts] When he was alive.
And no I won't let you possess me to talk to him. I don't care if you have something you need to tell him.
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[Sam just stills. There have been only two people who were really close to Sam who had died, and only one of them was a man. Sam really hopes this kid is just pulling his leg, even though in the pit of his stomach he knows he isn't.]
[He shakes his head.] I wouldn't want to put you through that again.
Who is it?
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Says his name is Gan-- ... Grant. [Glaring at the cloud.] Well if you'd stop distracting me with odd "experiments" I might actually get to say your name right.
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If it's possible for Sam's face to get any whiter, it does. He just stares.]
...Grant?
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... Yes. Actually know him?
[sldkgwa Distraction was enough, that cloud hits Echizen square in the head, rocking his head back against the chair.
After a few moments the twelve year old takes the eerily familiar stance that Grant would take when talking with Sam late in the evening after a long day. Even the air around him starts to change and exude one of extreme knowledge.]
Sam. [The brat's voice is deeper even, like he hit puberty but there's a richness in it.] It's been a while. You look a little worse for the wear.
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Yeah, he---
[It takes him a moment to realize what's going on, but once he finally does his whole body stills. Holy. Fuck.]
[Sam swallows very hard.]
Grant... [He stares for a moment before shaking his head.]... it's... been rough in the last few weeks....
[He shakes his head. This is ridiculously strange.]
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Obviously if you're not in the lab I gave to you to safeguard. I suppose the others didn't take too kindly to me leaving it in your care.
[If Sam didn't think this was real then he probably does now, no way the brat would know that.]
But seeing as I've been detained in this car for a while go ahead and tell me what's been put you through the wringer.
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It's... [No, it's not fine. Grant would have known that. And it being complicated would have just made him laugh. Sam decides it's best to go with the truth.] No, they didn't. Roz is gone.
[He's not going to even talk about the plasmids. Sam looks up at the kid, brow deeply knit.] ... they were children.
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At least until Sam says that, then he frowns just slightly.]
Despite what we were doing Roz was a good man.
[Then he's quiet for a few moments, brooding and trying to maintain control of the borrowed body.] I could say it was necessary but you know the truth of the matter if you read my research journal. Which, I trust you did.
[He makes a temple with his fingers, leaning forward in the chair slightly.] I regret it Sam. Every time I saw another girl brought down and turned into one of those mindless Gatherers. You have to understand I was scared of what would happen once I took it to the Surface.
Angry parents and townsfolk would rush down to Rapture to rescue the little girls and try to take the slugs out only to kill them. I couldn't let that happen.
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[He listens quietly, not being able to bring himself to look at the Kid. It's strange, hearing his mentor's voice coming out of the Little Guy. And at the same time, it's a little endearing. He wonders if the Kid likes ice cream.]
I know why you... I understand. ["I've come to grips with that," the tone says. Sam does not approve, but the past is past for a reason. He takes a deep breath.] One of them is on the train.
[This gets him thinking of the conversation he had with Dean, who was so convinced that Sam was his brother. His brow furrows deeply.] Did Big Sister only take girls?
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Grant!Ryoma raises an eyebrow.] Oh? Do you know which one of the girls?
[He actually gets up and starts pacing, hands clasped behind his back as he reasons how to say this in a way that won't have Sam doing something reckless.] Normally yes. But for the raising of New Rapture... [There's a very tired sigh here.] Big Sister needed young and incredibly intelligent new scientists to make it happen. Most she was able to coax down. You...
[He turns to look at Sam, taking off Ryoma's hat and putting it on one of the tables.] This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You were taken while you stood on a pier, probably no more than six or seven years old. Given to the Thatchers because of Alice being barren but they still wanted a child.
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[The pacing catches his eye. He recalls Grant ever doing this when he was particularly stumped. And so, Sam frowns.
... until he pales and stares at the floor. If it's possible for one to become a human statue, Sam has. The only movement is that of him blinking.]
He was right.
[There's a long pause, and he blinks again, slowly looking back up.]
... You knew?
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Who was?
[As far as Grant knows they shouldn't be anywhere near Sam's family, if they're still looking for him.]
I knew, yes. Big Sister asked that I refrain from telling you, she didn't want to lose one of her best and quickest rising "stars". Only I meant to tell you your next birthday even though I knew there was a rather large chance you would leave Rapture to find your family.
It ate at me Sam, just like the kidnapping of the little girls. I probably won't ever be able to apologize enough for it but know I am truly sorry. I had nothing to do with it except keeping the truth from you, you were like a son to me, a son I couldn't bare losing.
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