Turn the Key
TITLE: Turn the Key
FANDOM: Tokyo Babylon
CHARACTERS: Sumeragi Hokuto, Sakurazuka Seishiro
TABLE: # 7 - Miscellaneous A
PROMPT: 08. Forgiveness
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: 464
SUMMARY: Hokuto and Seishiro and a random conversation over fast food.
Wars are terrible and the people starting them evil. Corrupted politicians who bleed their people are equally high on Hokuto’s list of evilness, as are rich movie stars (especially the male ones) in general. She likes to rant about them, but passionate hatred is not found in her words.
“What’s the point?” She shrugs, carelessly, when Seishiro asks her about it. “It’s too far away. I’ll keep my passion for things I can fight.”
Chewing on his burger, Seishiro wishes she would fight the badness of the fries in the fast food outlet where they are waiting for her brother to join them. “What about the police men who wanted to arrest your foreign friend just because she’s trying to make a living?” he offered something within reaching distance. “Do you forgive them?”
“Of course,” she says, chewing her fries as if her sense of taste wasn’t working. “They were only doing their job. I bet it’s hard having to be the bad guy every now and then. Maybe they’d like to turn a blind eye sometimes, but, if you see it from their point of view, where does it start, and where does it end? If they decided who to let go, who knows what kind of world we’d live in?” She winks. “So I took the decision from them.”
Seishiro can well imagine what the world in question would look like. Interesting, most likely.
“You’re very forgiving, Hokuto-chan. Even the guy who ran over that dog yesterday…”
“The dog was faster than his reflexes. It happens. I bet he feels bad now - also for not stopping.” Her voice sounds a little sour at the end. “I’m just glad Subaru wasn’t with us.”
“You’re too kind.” Seishiro glances at his watch. Subaru is late, as always. Surely his job took longer than expected.
“I’m not,” Hokuto corrects him. “I’m understanding, because I have to be. I tolerate a lot. It’s not the same as being nice.”
“It’s not?”
“No. Subaru is nice and understanding. I’m just understanding because I’m not nice. It’s self-serving. I know what I would do if I ever truly hated someone, and I don’t want to be that kind of person. So I’ve learned to look at things from every point of view before I act.”
“And as a result you never act.” There is a certain symmetry in that, and yet once again this girl managed to surprise Seishiro. He wonders what her dark side would look like, if ever it emerged. “Where does your tolerance end, then?” he asks. “Surely not even you can find an excuse for everything. What is the one thing you could never, ever forgive?”
All he gets in reply is a long, calculating look and a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
June 10, 2009
FANDOM: Tokyo Babylon
CHARACTERS: Sumeragi Hokuto, Sakurazuka Seishiro
TABLE: # 7 - Miscellaneous A
PROMPT: 08. Forgiveness
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: 464
SUMMARY: Hokuto and Seishiro and a random conversation over fast food.
Wars are terrible and the people starting them evil. Corrupted politicians who bleed their people are equally high on Hokuto’s list of evilness, as are rich movie stars (especially the male ones) in general. She likes to rant about them, but passionate hatred is not found in her words.
“What’s the point?” She shrugs, carelessly, when Seishiro asks her about it. “It’s too far away. I’ll keep my passion for things I can fight.”
Chewing on his burger, Seishiro wishes she would fight the badness of the fries in the fast food outlet where they are waiting for her brother to join them. “What about the police men who wanted to arrest your foreign friend just because she’s trying to make a living?” he offered something within reaching distance. “Do you forgive them?”
“Of course,” she says, chewing her fries as if her sense of taste wasn’t working. “They were only doing their job. I bet it’s hard having to be the bad guy every now and then. Maybe they’d like to turn a blind eye sometimes, but, if you see it from their point of view, where does it start, and where does it end? If they decided who to let go, who knows what kind of world we’d live in?” She winks. “So I took the decision from them.”
Seishiro can well imagine what the world in question would look like. Interesting, most likely.
“You’re very forgiving, Hokuto-chan. Even the guy who ran over that dog yesterday…”
“The dog was faster than his reflexes. It happens. I bet he feels bad now - also for not stopping.” Her voice sounds a little sour at the end. “I’m just glad Subaru wasn’t with us.”
“You’re too kind.” Seishiro glances at his watch. Subaru is late, as always. Surely his job took longer than expected.
“I’m not,” Hokuto corrects him. “I’m understanding, because I have to be. I tolerate a lot. It’s not the same as being nice.”
“It’s not?”
“No. Subaru is nice and understanding. I’m just understanding because I’m not nice. It’s self-serving. I know what I would do if I ever truly hated someone, and I don’t want to be that kind of person. So I’ve learned to look at things from every point of view before I act.”
“And as a result you never act.” There is a certain symmetry in that, and yet once again this girl managed to surprise Seishiro. He wonders what her dark side would look like, if ever it emerged. “Where does your tolerance end, then?” he asks. “Surely not even you can find an excuse for everything. What is the one thing you could never, ever forgive?”
All he gets in reply is a long, calculating look and a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
June 10, 2009