[closed] give yourself hope, or i'll give you mine.

[agoodfamily]

Who: Nakama and Minato
What: Calming down and sharing dark secrets.
When: Day 9.
Where: Room 805, Heimdall.
Rating: PG? Probably a lot of talk of death.

Comments

[moribundity]

[ Minato is definitely coming. Knowing what he did about Nakama (little as it actually was), he felt obligated to help. She's not the only one angry and hurt, either. He harbors a lot of resentment toward Vriska, too - how could anyone be so deliberately insensitive? It's not as if he doesn't realize that there are bad people in the world, too, but to go out of your way to be horrible to someone who's been through a lot just to prove a point? He has a hard time accepting that that is anything but horrible behavior.

There's a knock at Nakama's door. And then a second one. And then he tries to door only to find it unlocked. Minato opens it a few inches, just in case she decides she definitely doesn't want him here, or more likely decides that she'd like to at least appear a little more put together - not that he'd mind if she wasn't. ]

Nakama-chan? It's me.

[moribundity]

[ Not being curled up in a ball of tense despair is progress. Minato's eyebrows knit together with concern, though. ]

The terms of the contact were simple. Just that I'd take full responsibility for my actions. What was yours?

[agoodfamily]

We... we just had to put our hands on a metal thing and say our names. But that locked us in to a cycle of fights, and when someone's turn came... well, each fight had a time limit. So if they refused to fight, the time would run out and the planet would be destroyed anyway.

[Her voice is distant and hollow, like she's out of sadness or hysteria about it. It's just a rote recitation of the rules.]

[moribundity]

[ That's unfair. Not to specify any terms... How were they supposed to know what they were getting into? Minato hadn't had a clue, either, but agreeing to be responsible for your own actions? That was an easy enough contract to deal with. There was freedom in it - his actions had still been his own, even though fate seemed to have it out for him anyway. ]

It probably doesn't mean a lot, but that was very unfair of whoever set that up. Using kids for something like that only makes it worse. [ He paused, giving her an apologetic smile. ] Not that you weren't capable of doing what had to be done.

[agoodfamily]

I don't think he had any choice. He took the first fight, to show us how it was done, so... he must've died, too. I think he was a tool just like we were.

But who set it up... I don't think even he knew. There was someone with us who knew more than we did, a sort of really bad boss, but he didn't seem to be completely in charge, either. There was so much we didn't know.

[moribundity]

And if you're gone, you might never know... [ Minato added, frowning with concern and a fair share of pity.

There were many times that he didn't know what to say, but at least he could pull from a pool of somewhat acceptable choices. Now, however, he couldn't even draw upon that, at least not at first. There is a long silence. ]

Someone left behind is bound to learn the truth. And even if they don't... [ He sighs, closing his eyes. ] At least you did your part to help.

[agoodfamily]

Koyemshi never told us anything until it was too late. [Angrily, she sits up a little, her hands balling into fists. Also, unless he's listening closely, it'll sound a lot like she just called someone 'Dung Beetle' in Japanese.] Two people died before he told us why they were dying. He just liked to play with us, to badmouth us and make us upset. And he was our only help.

[She sighs, sitting back again.] Yeah, I won my fight. The first four of us won. All I can do is trust everyone else now... [But she's still just depressed enough to admit:] ... I just don't know about some of them.

[moribundity]

[ "Dung Beetle"? Had he heard that right? Was that a real name...? At any rate, it was fitting - this guy sounds like a huge shit-head. "Dung Beetle" is actually a really kind nickname.

Minato shakes his head, frowning. ] It sounds like some higher power thinks manipulating kids is amusing. Not everyone is going to want to sacrifice themselves. [ He gets why she doesn't exactly trust the others to be strong. ]

[agoodfamily]

D'you think that's really it? [Seriously, a bit of her depression slipping away.] I try to wrap my head around what could do that... what kind of military could set up something like that, with robots that can warp in and out of view and can be teleported to and from, and what kind of weapon they could set up that could destroy the world on a time limit... and I don't know a lot about the military, but it just seems impossible.

And now, here, meeting real gods - it does seem like it, doesn't it?

[moribundity]

[ A higher power or an advanced society. Maybe both. Minato definitely thinks that's it. He deflates slightly and rests his head in one hand. ]

Weird things exist in the world. Stuff that can't be explained. I hope you get an explanation, though. [ He turns to her with a kind smile. ] You deserve one.

[agoodfamily]

[She turns away a little, blushing, but there's a soft smile on her face. He's so kind.]

Was it like that for you, too? Weird things you couldn't explain?