give your friends a surprise

[closewithnewintown]

Who: EVERYONE
What: FAMILY MEETING
When: 8/4, right after school closes.
Where: Student council room
Warnings: Eventually, probably.

["If my friends back home were acting like this, I would've already locked them in a room and forced them to figure out their feelings."

the job puts all of her considerable superspy skills to the test. she knows where every normal kid's locker is; it's easy enough to slip the note into each that morning. if it's someone who she knows would be unable to read the note, she tells them its contents, but keeps her own involvement out of it. lies of omission don't count.

the note reads:]

I have very important information about this place. Please come to the student council room after school ends today.

- Nao Sato

[and if the text looks just a bit girlier than you'd think she'd write, hey, you don't know her. she's got layers.

either way, it's a pretty interesting proposition: the student council room door is, for the first time in seemingly ever, wide open. anyone can walk inside - and, hopefully, most everyone should. because it's only when Stephanie thinks that she's got enough of them inside that she actually enters the room, shutting the door behind her.

click.

it locks. she grins, spins the key on her finger, and slips it into her pocket.

"How are you supposed to do that with grownups?"

the exact same way, she's decided.]

We haven't had any meetings since, um. Well. The last one. But, I'm pretty sure nobody has no more murders to report, so it shouldn't be too bad, and we can all just focus on the most important task: Getting along! All of us are on the same team, but most of us barely even know each other; some of us even hate some of the others! [SHE SAYS, LIKE SHE DOESN'T ACTIVELY DESPISE KOKICHI] So, I figured we could spend the evening fixing that problem. Play some games, talk about stuff we've discovered since the last time...

And, maybe, if everybody does a really good job, I'll unlock the door!

[smiles]

Comments

[radnarok]

Oh...

[ They nod slowly. The news just makes them feel a little dead inside, and they don't know how to deal with that. But they manage to meet Steph's eyes. ]

I guess I'm glad he wasn't tired of me. I was worried...thank you Miss Stephanie.. Do you know what happened?

[silentabyss]

[Noah sitting nearby turns white as a damn sheet at that name, which says a lot, because Noah's already a very pale kid. He's not saying anything, just slouching a bit in his chair.

Clamor's not here to help him through this, so he's debating saying something... The door's locked. This isn't ideal.]

[radnarok]

Huh...?

[ Its big news when you're unsubtle enough Crona notices somethings up. ]

Are you okay? Were you friends with him too...?

[silentabyss]

Um... n-no, not... not really.

[Noah sinks a little further into his chair. By the El, how he wishes he could disappear right now.]

...he... attacked me. About 2 months ago now. We got pulled into the void, and... I...

[Memories flicker behind his eyes for a quiet moment before Noah shakes his head.]

It was my life or his. I... I'm sorry. I didn't want to...

1/2

[radnarok]

He attacked you...two months ago...?

[ They sit stunned for a second, blinking over at Noah. ]

2/2

[radnarok]

A-and...you didn't tell anyone??

[ Crona's voice pitches up a little as they feel...more upset then they thought they might. Because...they had been really worried for Jekyll. They'd looked for him. People dying is fine, its normal, its okay, they don't need to be upset about Noah killing him, because Noah probably had some reason or another and people die all the time for reasons that don't make sense which is why Crona hates people, generally but just. They'd been worried. And nobody had told them? That was the thing they couldn't deal with. ]

I...how cruel do you have to be. I was worried. I can't deal with being worried. Or lied to. I don't know what I want to feel right now.

[silentabyss]

...feel whatever you want.

[Noah's not dealing with this.]

What was I going to do? Get on the intercom and say that I had to kill someone because I was attacked? I had to come to grips with what happened too, you know. I didn't want that to happen. I tried to run.

[He's sitting down now, but something in his clenched fists says he might get up and try to break the door down to get out at any moment. It's Noah, after all, he's pretty impulsive.]

I don't know about you, but I didn't hear anyone asking after him. I didn't hear a single person acting like they cared for Hyde. Maybe that's just because I'm not around enough, maybe I don't hang out in the right circles, but...

...anyway, I don't see those of you who run around killing indiscriminately admitting to anything. I don't see why I have to play the role of the bigger person when no one else is.

["Those of you" isn't targeted at Crona specifically, but to those nearby who might be listening. You know who you are.]

[radnarok]

I don't know!!

[ They're just twelve and they're sad!! They can't deal with that! They just stare at Noah with wide eyes as he clenches his fist. ]

I don't know! I never knew someone who died before. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Or you're supposed to do. But it taking two months to find out someone nice died feels awful!

You aren't that big. [ Taking things literally again. ] And I killed lots of people. So maybe I don't get to be upset, because that makes me weak. But I don't like that you lied. You said I could feel what I want, so I'm going to not like lying forever.

uhh cw for light mentions of... gruesome murder

[silentabyss]

I don't like that I lied, either. I don't like that I have to live with the guilt of killing someone who didn't deserve it every day — but I do, because I decided that I wanted to live for the people who want me to live, and if I had a choice I would have saved both of us.

[But he couldn't, not with Hyde's unrelenting kicks and punches and the knife that met Noah's side, the way he grabbed the boy by the throat and slammed him against the wall, the knife between Noah's eyes, and the inevitability that he'd come back alive because of the one secret he has left — the "blessing" from a long-dead elder brother.]

Be mad at me. Hate me. I don't care what you do. Sorry your friend had to die.

[radnarok]

And I...ugh don't put words in my mouth I didn't say that I hated you!!

[ They don't like Noah's expression so they've stopped looking at it, instead addressing the wall. Wall-kun isn't looking scary and sad at the same time. ]

Saying you don't care is mean, okay? I'm mad and I don't know what to do, but I've never hated anyone before [ Except Mommy dearest ] and I don't know how I'd deal with hating you. We could fight? Is that why you're saying this? Plotting out revenge takes a long time, and Ragnarok isn't even here to help me.

[silentabyss]

...what are you even talking about?

[Crona's no longer looking at him, and so Noah's not even going to make an attempt at reestablishing eye contact, instead sitting there with his arms crossed.]

I don't want to fight you. I don't want to fight anyone here. But if someone killed one of my friends, I'd hate them. I'd hate them and I'd want to make their life miserable — isn't that just the natural response?

[Hate him, hate him, please, it's easier, Noah's a cursed child anyway — anyone who he gets close to and cares for dies in the end, Crona.]

[radnarok]

Sorry, but I'm talking about really important stuff!! [ They jab a finger at Noah without looking at him. They're talking about...feelings! And friendship! And not hating you for whatever weird reason! ]

Its true. I don't want to fight either. If you could beat Mr.Hyde you could probably hurt me. That makes you pretty tough, and I haven't fought anyone tough since I made friends.

[ They'd probably have a shot, though. They're pretty strong! If they'd walked in on you fighting Hyde they'd have tried to stop you both! ]

I'm not good at natural things. You look pretty miserable already, so what do I need to do? I just want to punch you, not hate you forever. Forever is a really long time.

[ Crona's cursed too! ]

[silentabyss]

[...

Feelings and friendship, huh...

...]

Why don't you, then? I won't hit back. If it helps you feel better, I don't see a problem...

[closewithnewintown]

... Huh. You know, it's kinda weird, but... I'm glad he had somebody that would miss him. [she misses him, a bit, but in the same way you miss the tick on your ankle.

a brief glance at Noah] It's not my story to tell.

[radnarok]

I-I'm weird? He was weirder! [ They frown. Is missing people weird? Should they not be missing him? He talked to them, thats good enough right? ] He told lots of weird lies...but thats fine. Mr.Jekyll was nice and Mr.Hyde was a lot like Ragnorok, and I can deal with him.

...Um... [ They square their shoulders at both her and Noah, kicking their legs under the desk. ] Well..I want to hear it! I..I really do! Keeping secrets isn't nice!

[closewithnewintown]

No, you're not-- [pauses] That's not what's weird. It's just... weird to care. About somebody like him. For me, I mean. That's what's weird.

[radnarok]

Um...no this can't be right. You're a way nicer person then me?

[ The values of the universe are shifting beneath Crona's feet. ]

He was nice to me...just like you or Nene or Komeada are. He helped me when I asked...Isn't that enough? To care about someone, I mean.

[closewithnewintown]

It can be. [she gives them a wry grin.] You try to care about everyone. That's what you're supposed to do. Caring about remorseless killers is just... harder. I never had to do it before I got here.

[a pause] Honestly, I'm not really sure what "nice" means anymore. Everything seems different than I always thought it was, so that might be different, too.

[radnarok]

Don't ask me please... [ They respond to her grin with a shaky smile of their own. ] I'm probably just too dumb to figure it out.

[ They started caring about people like, four months ago? Also they don't really care about if you kill people or not. It doesn't seem very indictive of anyone's kindness as a person in Crona's weird worldveiw. ]

Well, if Mr.Jekyll and Hyde are dead I guess you don't need to worry about them any more... [ Even if they frown saying it, they push forward, because Stephanie is a bit younger then them, so they should probably try to say something nice. ] So maybe its not worth your stress. You don't have to deal with things if they're hard.

[closewithnewintown]

... Of course you have to deal with hard things. Why wouldn't you have to deal with hard things?

[youngest person here. also only person with basic emotional maturity.]

[radnarok]

Because....they're hard? I'd run away if I could. I don't think thats bad.

[ Don't clown on them like this. ]

I mean yeah...I deal with hard things every day. I'd like to deal with something easy for once. Like corners.

[closewithnewintown]

Running is good, but running from your problems is actually pretty bad. The problems are still there, and they're still as bad. You only think they look smaller, but they haven't gone away, and you can only run so far.

[radnarok]

That's so scary!!! Never ever??!?! I can't deal with that.

[ They'll have to kill everything if thats the case. It's the only way. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[visibly brightening as the conversation continues.]

It only sounds scary at first; once you're used to it, it's not so bad. Nobody's born knowing how to deal with problems! You learn, from experience and from people that know more.

[radnarok]

[ Thank goodness for Steph. ]

Um...I don't know how to deal with you being so cheerful at me. Cheerful people are scary. [ They sink deeper into their chair.]

I am getting used to people here. I am. But, you know...I was just saying that if people are really super hard you don't need to deal with them. The people here are all nice, so its fine for me...but if people are mean to you and its hard then you should just make them leave you alone.

Maybe?