yogen | like a bitter stranger

Entry tags:

like a bitter stranger

Who: Everyone
What: Our monthly family meeting.
When: March 5th, 2000.
Where: Yogen dorms common room.
Warnings: Discussions of murder, suicide, child death...more?

[ A message goes up on the forums late Friday evening.

S.chidouin: Group meeting in the dorms Saturday. 12:00. No punching. No stabbing. I'll bring stickers.

If your character would not find a post from Sara worth listening too, Bonnie is wandering around, vaguely noting how important this meeting is, and how very much you should attend. No further details are forthcoming.

The meeting itself is a quiet affair. The fireplace is not lit, there are no snacks. Sara waits in the corner for everyone to arrive and get settled and then she clears her throat to speak. ]

As most of you know... [ It's hard to start, but her voice gets firmer as she goes on. ] We spent the last two months investigating Maya Arisu's murder. That case is solved. A few weeks ago, Bonnie-chan and I found the culprit.

Rantaro Amami killed Maya Arisu, Hiro Arisu, the vice principal and is presumably responsible for the scene with Keigo Arata. He is also dead. I just figured...everyone should know. To many people got hurt the last few months. I'm sorry.

[ She fiddles with her hair. That's all...she really has to say. There's not much more then that as the gist of it. ]

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[he could've just stayed quiet. he could've let Add leave. but no, Komaeda always has to be right. he always has to push and push and push

he pushes, and something finally decides to snap

Add whips around, hand outstretched, and... it looks like a wave of cracks that spread through the air, a pane of glass that's being messily shorn through. Has Komaeda ever wondered what it's like to have a portal opened inside your own body? Well, now he won't have to, because those cracks are headed straight for his chest. It feels kind of like being stabbed with a giant serrated hole punch, and someone else is trying to push that hole back together but the jagged pieces won't line up.

at least there's no blood.]

Wait, hold on-!

[ When Add whips around, an expression on his face that Sara can only catch out of the corner of her eye, there isn't much time. Both of them are too far, the situation too fast for Sara to think of anything she can say, anything she can shout to make them to stop.

...

Add is closer. When he raises his hand, the stange crackling glass energy of it boiling over towards Komeada - Sara's hand is there first, trying to shove the...the spell(?) away and down at the floor before it can go off. Her eyes don't even meet Add's so focused on trying to slam her entire weight into him and away from Komeada. For a second, it almost works, she got it down and away enough she's sure it won't hit Komeada or anyone else, and then the portal detonates.

The initial force pushes her back with a gasp, there's a sharp audible snap of white hot pain as her arm is forced back at the wrong angle by gleaming shards of energy. It hurts elsewhere too, the cracks spreading out through her chest and shoulder as she's paralyzed by strands of force. She can't move, and the suddenness of it makes it hard to think. She can't even regret it when its hard process what's happening. Sara tries to stumble back away from it, but the energy (magic?) that isn't real is as solid as iron for that one, terrible moment. ]

( he should have stayed quiet, but there's something to be said about selfishness, and selflessness, and other dynamics that twist and turn add's character. there's a lack of understanding and wanting to, and there's with everything else drowned out by the cracks and snaps that echo from the magic. if only it could remain that way until he hears a voice that stands out— it's neither his because he wouldn't prevent it, and knowing add, he's way past the point of stopping, and so to see sara rush between them two— a disgusting crack, and water snap of her arm.

splash damage, missed considering how successful sara is, but maybe that's due to how lucky komaeda can be; he decides he has it, that his luck is always ruining things. amami's dead, so no one else should be able to, he thinks that no one else should be willing, but it's a spectacle before his eyes as he watches the ability react, as his eyes widen.

immediately, )

C— Chidouin-san...!

( it was better when she was trying to kill him, why don't people ever team up to kill him, it would be better than watching how her arm turns to an angle that doesn't seen possible; or to notice the pained expression on her face. )

Add, get it off of her!? ( seconds feel like minutes, and the feeling that drops into his stomach makes him feel almost sick. ) You're supposed to attack me!

( damn, not my seven, so his dumble bumble ass is going to to walk over to pull sara with his prosthetic arm... but that sounds dangerous. ) Why can't you even do that right!

[by the time Sara jumps in the way, it's too late to stop

Add freezes, eyes wide, and at least the crack doesn't get to spread further. It still stings and bites like a cut filled up with glass, fragments grinding together as the wound tries its hardest to close, everything slowly rotating back the way it was, the way it's supposed to be... and Add can't do anything to speed it up, to make it stop, because he only ever taught himself how to break things, never how to put them back together.

like always, he can only make things worse. the correct choice is not to interfere.

his attention is on Sara, not Komaeda, his anger dissipated and replaced by guilt and dread... but his words still strike true, still squirm uncomfortably in Add's mind, why can't you even do that right?

he takes a step back, the shock passing, and...

scowls, turns sharply on his heel, and walks straight into a portal that tears open in front of him, sealing shut before anyone can try to follow.

also, the door slams shut... does the common room even have a door, if it doesn't he'll slam the next nearest one, gravity powers are cool like that. he just wants to slam something.]

[ Oh. She gets 3-spheres and manifolds now.

Her arm is...not where it should be. She's not sure how, she can feel it in five separate places. Like, part of her is here and another ten feet away behind her, and some places she can't see. It hurts. As the seconds crawl on she opens her mouth in a little gasping intake of breath, sweat beading on her brow.

She see's the shock on Add's face as he see's what's happened. She wants to say something, but as the fractal pattern of her arm rotates back the pain finally catches up with her brain and she lets out a choked little scream. Komeada's cold metal hand on her shoulder only makes Sara panic more, as he tries to pull her arm back and away from the force holding it away from where it should be.. ]

Hh...ah! S-stop! [ That was the point of doing this. She pulls back and back, struggling enough that even when everything dissipates and Add turns away, she's left her arm a mess, a mangled bruise of bone broken, her last two fingers still twisted in the wrong places. It hurts terribly, still buzzing with forign energy. At least there's no blood. ]

Add...wait just- [ She bends over with a groan, trying to hold herself upright. ]

[It's happening again. Why does this always happen?]

Sara...!?

[He's rushing over, grabbing at the blue scarf on the way, tugging at it, unwinding it... the markings on it flare bright cyan and it comes to life as he half skids to a halt next to her. That looked utterly horrific... but there's no blood?]

Just... hold still, okay?

[He gingerly holds her arm while the soft fabric painstakingly winds itself around it, anchoring itself at her shoulder, pulling her fingers back into alignment within a blue blob. He's doing his best to keep all the fragments where they reassembled so they don't move further, multitasking the careful movement of an extra limb and remembering how to bandage, but he was taught on a bullet wound and a stab wound not... this. At least nothing's broken through the skin. The scarf itself is adamant; once set in it's rough cast it does not move, the markings quietly pulsing. Shin's feeling the pull on his small magic reserves already, keeping his hand on her shoulder to not break contact with it.]

The nurse should...

[The nurse is on holiday. Oh no. Shin's head lifts, scanning the crowd for Clamor... or really anyone he knows who can heal. Is Senku here?]

( there's no point in her hurting herself anymore, telling him to stop when her life is being threatened. there's always something wrong— sara was at the wrong place at the wrong time, this wasn't supposed to happen. truly, this wasn't an outcome him or add had seen, but when sara pulls away despite everything. )

...Chidouin-san, you're going to hurt yourself even worse. Please, stop moving.

( anything else, she can do anything else, but even komaeda knows there's nothing he can do as he draws his hands back, and let them down by his side. touching her will only make things worse, and with add gone, that's probably the only person on her mind at the moment than thinking of herself.

he doesn't want to touch her anymore, he doesn't want to cause her pain and suffering either.

as shin rushes over, which won't be enough, but it's something. )

Someone's here... it'll be fine.

( even if he doesn't believe those words himself. )

E-easy for you both to say..!

[ It's not easy to stay still or quiet when someone is pulling your fingers back into place. Auuugh...who even taught Sou how to do this? ]

Oww..ow ow ow...I'm fine. I'm not...urgh...dying! [ She just broke her arm, in the worst way possible. The pain has gone back from superhumanly awful to just the normal agony of a broken bone. She's never going to forget how it looked as long as she lived... Which...she's getting kind of light headed... Sara pats Sou's shoulder with her free hand. Let her um...let her sit down for a moment. ]

Someone needs to go after Add...

[Nobody taught him how to do this in exactitude, I should have made him roll for it but we can give him a freebie high roll for once. He does wince a little when it gets to the fingers.]

Could have fooled me... I wouldn't call that fine...

[It's a tiny mutter as he sits down with her, one arm on each other's shoulders. He knew Add was powerful, but he's never seen this before and quite honestly never wants to again.]

Kinda need to be this thing's battery right now... Unless you want to do it, Komaeda?

[Shin stop sending him to the pool.]

She's here with you, that's what matters.

( it's fine, it's better than what he's seen. she's still breathing, she's still conscious, and that means there's still a chance that shin can help her.

he argues with himself, thinking of what he should do until shin speaks for him. komaeda doesn't do well with someone handing him orders, he's does the exact opposite. this time, he doesn't even what to do yet, instead he finds that they don't need him.

add doesn't either, he said it himself that komaeda should be dead, and that he should have left him to drop into the void.

he doesn't mind if shin just told him to leave, but that was already a thought in his mind. )

Mhm! Yeah, of course.

( he starts, but that's a lie, that's nothing more than a fib dropping off the tip of his tongue. he doesn't really do that, but there's nothing else that can be done considering sending him only means this will happen again. then who would be next after sara?

he looks down at the two, a slightly bit of worry in his eyes before he closes them, and turns around to leave the meeting. maybe this will turn out better once...

...

ah, that's for later. )

[ What could possibly go wrong in sending a person to chase after a man who just tried to attack them? It's not subtle at all, and there's something unforgivable about it, just as unforgivable as the scene that just transpired. But he's stopped being surprised.

He keeps his distance away from Sara and Shin, instead following after Komaeda. He'll try to catch him once he's out of earshot of the group, clustered together as they are, reaching out to wrap a hand around the wrist of his prosthetic arm. He doesn't take his hand, afraid that he might pull away too.

What does he say here? What can he say? It's a disaster, they're always a disaster, and Ranger thinks his help should be unnecessary next time. Exact time of death? Pharmaceutical and medical knowledge? Midori can handle that for the living and the dead. Any knowledge Ranger has passed on by now wouldn't evfen come close to matching the laser precision of someone in the field.

He doesn't really care about that right now though. ]

... You leaving? I'll come with you then.

[ He keeps his voice low, and there's a note of concern to it. He doesn't so much as pay a glance back. ]

The atmosphere here is unpleasant.

[ ASUNARO never had an unpleasant toxic air about it. ]

Edited 2022-03-07 00:51 (UTC)

( truthfully, finding add would only cause more problems, and as he closes his eyes while walking out of the common room; he does hope sara can forgive him for something so small. someone else can do it, besides he knows that he's the last person add wants to see. thoughts circulate through his head on how to parse shin's words, maybe that was telling him to die too— he's smart enough to know what it means to send komaeda on a wild goose chase after him right? he knows that he isn't stupid, and that phrase there was nothing more than a double entendre; komaeda has always flirted with the idea of dying, so why wouldn't it?

it's words to unpack, things to do, wondering if sara will be fine after this, or will it change the trajectory of everything; now he wonders if she'd hit him. it'd be good if that's where her feelings were, it means he wouldn't be breaking the promise of using what she gave him, because all he needs is a few extra pieces. they're obtainable, he thinks, but the best part of all is that she won't be mad at him. it's not like she has to know.

his beliefs are better than anyone else's beliefs, it's always been like that when komaeda's very self-righteous, but he doesn't have to be selfish about this. give them what they want, a part of him thinks, but it never works out properly because of his luck, but if he's desperate enough; oh if he thinks it's something good for them then— he doesn't feel it when someone touches him, but he can tell he's being held back from the tug, and he's quick to look behind him with his eyes widening before relaxing normally. he sees ranger, but he doesn't see him, he's putting together the formulas of why, where did he come from, and did he call him as soon as he was leaving?

it calms his mind down, shifting away from nasty thoughts to look down at his arm to see what's being held, and it's his wrist.

...

he hears him at least, but it's difficult to give an answer to the first question when yes, he's right, but he's supposed to be looking for add. a painful lie, but he doesn't pull away. he stands there, thinking over what happened, and then he looks up at the ceiling; there's nothing there. komaeda wants it to rain tonight so he doesn't have to hear his own thoughts, but that's rare in itself; and he looks back to ranger. )

I'm sorry... ( he starts, instantly he knows even when the other looks back. ) Aha... that's because of me.

( unpleasant, or maybe it was at the start, but komaeda blames himself regardless. why it went as sour, why he can't stand what he did. )

I'm pretty unlucky today, so... ( he searches, his mind comes up empty with what words he wants to say, so that poetic speech of his falls flat. ) I'm really unlucky, and you might be next.

( he'll end up hurting him too.

emotional response? or just simply stating facts? his luck hasn't been on his side. )

[ When he doesn't pull away, Ranger lets his hand slip down to lace his fingers with Komaeda's. He can't feel it, and he might have taken his organic hand so he could have that warmth if he weren't acutely aware of the fact that it would only cause more pain. ]

... Me too.

[ It's a response to both statements. He only has to look at the expression on his partner's face to imagine what thoughts are running through his head. He's human too. He bleeds if cut, feels pain when bones snap, thinks too much and cares too much and is hurt by those same feelings. Ranger isn't surrpised to be thrown away now, not when he had already been tossed aside by people who had never seen him as anything more than a means to an end, but acting in such a manner to someone who's done nothing but offer his assistance is different.

No one in ASUNARO was ever so kind, no one there was ever this vile. But that's what happens when people refuse to be honest, and it's what happens when they stop taking responsibility for their own actions. It's so much easier to vent their feelings on another person.

He moves closer, standing next to him and tilting his head slightly to look up. If he leaves now, who else is going to notice he knife in his chest?

Ranger doesn't want to return to the dorm room that they'd taken over. It's not a reminder he wants now, so he doesn't bother suggesting that. Really, he doesn't want to be anywhere near this disgusting place, not until they've opened all the windows and let all the poison in the air clear out.

Maybe the bad luck will be that nothing happens to either of them. The thought has a bitter taste to it. ]

Do you wanna go to the library? It should be quieter there. And...

[ There's the obstructors in there now, but he's not worried about those. As long as you're not shouting or setting off alarm clocks or something stupid, it's still a nice enough place to hold a conversation. He doubts anyone will be in there today. He'll lift their intertwined hands now, bringing them close to his chest and resting them over where a heart should be. ]

We should at least have each other.

[ They'll both just be alone otherwise. ]

( the library is an option, it's a... better option than any place in the world, it's comforting, and that's their last line of defense for anyone. no one can get hurt by him there, his luck can't tear anyone apart, and he finds himself biting the inside of his cheek as he watches the way their hands move to his chest; and because komaeda's prosthetic doesn't register touch, there's no need for it to flinch. if it could, it would. yet, ranger's given the luxury of not knowing what would have happened, but it's probably better that way because even komaeda couldn't tell what sort of flinch it would have been. painful? fear? responsive? )

Uhm... yeah, that's fine...

( he can't comment on the second part, not right now anyway, there's too much freedom where he thinks the floor will collapse under them. does he feel... wronged? no, he thinks he's done something bad, that he shouldn't have been here. there's a small snap in his mind that tells him to remember that hope is made through this, that something good will come even if he can't see it now. he doesn't even dare look up to check the room, and instead he stares into ranger's own. )

Confessions by Kanae Minato might be nice to read...

( it's not the perfect book, but that doesn't stop komaeda from suggesting it, and he's read it so many times that he wants to reread it again. something to get their mind off the meeting, indulging in another person's story, and there being no consequences for their opinions, but through the smallest despair... a bountiful hope is harvested; it'll just take awhile for them to pick it, to rinse off the dirt, and realize what they have in their hands.

it's that, and he can tell that ranger doesn't want to be alone himself. it's easy for him to understand with his comment, and the other must be lonely in a different way where someone else being there just doesn't cut it. he wants someone that matters. )

What do you think?

[ If he were a more emotional person, Ranger might be able to think of a way to offer comfort here. If he were more like Midori, he could at least offer the right words. But he's neither emotional nor so articulate when it comes to matters of the heart, and so he bites his lip behind the mask as he struggles to find anything to say to him. It's not his fault, none of this is, because who else is going to speak the truth if not then? They'll just spin on in their delightful little delusions.

But it's not like those words will mean much, no more than a person saying don't feel bad will dismiss the raincloud that's formed over his head. ]

... You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault that they won't try to understand you. Not you or Amami. They're gonna keep tearing each other apart like this until they start really looking at each other.

[ It's the truth, it's what lies at the heart off the matter, and it's why these incidents repeat in an endless loop. There's nothing worthwhile about a belief that will fade the moment a person doesn't match the ideal. They have to learn if they're ever going to break that cycle. It's not something he should say when everything he can say and do will only inflict more pain, but it's too painful to say nothing at all. He doesn't expect a response though, and he won't push any further.

Ranger gives his hand a little tug to show that he wants to stalk walking instead. The quicker they leave, the faster he'll be able to breathe. He moves on, not intending to push the matter any further now, ]

Confessions, huh? Yeah, I like that one... Maybe you can help me understand a couple things later.

[ The text is easy enough, but there's often little things that are lost on him, either due to his lack of experience or the need to contextualize emotions. ]

( if he was selfish enough, he could make this about himself, but it isn't about him, but rather his luck. it's a horrible talent that doesn't instill hope, and instead only complicates everything further— pushes, pushes, and pushes until no one can't handle it. it searches for weakness, it grabs that person, and breaks them down, choking them until their entrails come from the other end of their body. a mess, a strangled doll with stuffing left around the body, and no one will ever help, because they won't come back for something dead that they wish to discard. that's why his luck is so frightening to some, because if they do run back, if someone does decide to help, then it's easy to see the roof crumble before them, and crush the people right underneath.

blood is so familiar, he finds that he can smell it if that was the case. red liquid rolling from under the debris along with a visible blue fabric, and strands of orange hair, but at least the substance touches his shoe and then forms around it. he would be lucky then, because thats a reminder to stay away. a mix of individuals he would have to call them, because at that point, he wouldn't even know if that death was enough to dub them stepping stones. his stomach twists and turns, an uncomfortable feeling settling in, making itself a home in the darkest parts of him. with an exhale, komaeda coughs as if he can expel it, but it's still there biding its time until it cuts himself from the inside out.

no matter how he feels, he can't give up on his beliefs or his actions, so he shakes his head slowly as they walk. he knows that ranger was going for leaving it with his thoughts, accepting it as so, and looking at the faults of the group. while that is visible, he can still believe in them, it's all he ever does as long as they have hope. )

There's great hope to be made even after despair, because it's so insignificant that it could never put out everyone's flame. ( with his voice low, he continues like it's a secret, but he's actually tired, feels bad enough that he doesn't want to hear his voice. ) If they can get through that, why wouldn't they get through this, even if they tear and rip each other, break themselves down... it's with those hands they can rebuild, make one another stronger, and understand what made them do so in the first place.

( it's the same with him, how experiences mold a person, prepares them for next time, and how they can engage peacefully if that's their objective. all is not lost, and he won't let it be, not for ranger who was made by the hands of humans, knowing they're the creatures that gave his life meaning. he doesn't allow for that disconnect because the group has to stay together, komaeda has to help their hope, even if it means acting in ways they'd dislike. )

It'd be easier to do if you didn't so fast, you get to tbe part that confuses you before me...

( but he's still walking along, joking where he can, for both of them because maybe it'd be funny to mention; even if it's only them that'll find it hilarious. )

[ It does little to disprove his statement, but that isn't the purpose of those words. It was the wrong thing to say, but that comes as no surprise by now. The only response is a nod of acknowledgment. He has no rebuttal, and he doesn't disagree. They'll continue on this path as long as they refuse to change, but they can choose to do so at any time. Those who can't deserve to suffer and die as quickly as possible.

He still can't forgive what was done nor what was said, but his expression softens into something downcast. He's frustrated, hurt, and worried. He hates how tired the other sounds, all those little tells of the blows he took during that meeting. He could name several people there who disgust him, but none more than himself who can't offer protection nor help nor even comfort.

But he nods one more time, adding a quiet "you're right" now to seal in the idea that Komaeda had presented to him. It's sometimes necessary to break things down in order to rebuild them. It wasn't everyone either, and he knows that to be true when he really stops to think about it. There were others who understood, they just seemed quiet compared to those who didn't. ]

Ahaha, would it? I'll slow down if you'll pick up.

[ He does manage a little chuckle though. He's quiet for a little while, not wanting to force conversation now. He speaks again once they're out of the dorms and he can breathe clean air once more, ]

... Do you wanna hear a story? Well, part of one, anyway.

[ The entire thing would be too long, and his shorter stories too long, but this one piece should be just enough. ]

Now you know the end before me.

( he points out, and he slips his hand into his pocket as they walk, but the other is held onto by his partner, and so his only one slips into the warmth of his jacket. he can feel how warm his hand is there, but and he doesn't know how warm the other's is instead. he relishes in it, though, the half of him that can feel, and the other that can't touch a thing. he wonders if he's defected because of that, even add had gotten excited at the prospect if komaeda could feel through his prosthetic because the state of it shouldn't allow that. it was then he was so close to asking about it because maybe it was a good thing if he could, but doing that would mean being closer to a person— knowing when they hold onto him, catching when they squeeze his hand.

a quick glance down at their hands, and he looks back up properly to see him before looking forward again. it's to the wisteria tree first, because he knows the lightening had done something. he wonders if it's filled with electricity so that they glow even brighter as they carry on. )

About the keys...?

[ The glow of the wisteria tree stands out now more that storm clouds seem to be hanging overhead these last few days. The smell of rain is in the air now, and the overcast skies suggest that rain will come follow soon. It adds to the gloomy atmosphere. Ranger thinks of the petals that have been scattering about the field and into the forest. He does manage a thin smile. Ranger will always get to the end quicker, and he has to remember not to say anything.

But for this story... ]

It's one I heard back at the facility... It's not one with a moral, but it's not a bad story.

[ It's nothing with that dreamy yet grim storybook writing. If he were to assign a word to it, he supposes it might be inspirational. It's a little bit bit happy, it's a little bit tragic without being sad. ]

Just something to hear...

( something to think about and with no moral, there's no need to feel like they were wrong. it sounds like a story that he can make something out of nothing. what sort of character will he find in here? animal? human? dolls? there's so many considering the other came from the facility, and so he finds that it must be something in relation to just that. living in a facility does sound lonely, but it's a learning experience for ranger. there's so many books he can read. )

Tell me about it.

( as they pass the wisteria, he stares up at it for a moment, stopping. he squints, trying to see which one may be amami, and which one may be keigo; did they survive the shock, are they okay? he can remember so much about the tree, but petal placements are lost upon him, considering he wasn't able to see what it looked like after his desires, and then before the storm. )

...

There was a girl in a tower who split herself into five pieces. She mad herself into a beautiful young woman, and she thought of people as her playthings, and so she drew them into her tower to play with like dolls, and demanded obedience. The other four were based on those she knew before the events of the story - the scientist, the administrator, the mediator, and the child. Of all of them, the most important was the mediator.

[ There should be nothing surprising about that. He doubts there's any need to explain what that role entailed. It was a mediator to take charge of all of her conflicting parts as much as to protect and satisfy the needs of those disgruntled toys of her. If not for him, there would be infighting and unreset. It's not quite a story about morals or roles, but one of a child's memory.

As Komaeda has been in a medical setting so often himself, he might recognize the different roles that professionals can play. There are those who study and treat, those who calculate and crunch data, and those who offer comfort and reassurance during difficult times and encouragement when they do well. An ally.

He stops when Komaeda does, glancing up to the tree. It's not difficult to imagine what he's thinking, and there's a slight frown as he considers. He notices each and every slight difference, but even so he can't give an assured answer here. His heart sinks, and he continues on, ]

He did his job well. He was the image of neutrality. He could consider and emphasize with all sides while encouraging others to do the same. He found compromise and solution to every problem, and so he was the most loved at all of them. But caring about anyone in return ran contrary to his nature.

[ He pauses there to let Komaeda process the context of their story first. It's not a long one, nor a particularly deep one, and so there's no need to try and rush through it now. ]

( the mediator who takes the brunt of everything when it comes to any arguments. that role must be painful when the scientist, administrator, child and the young girl who split herself into five all had other things they could do. activities where they can get along, or they can stay to themselves, do what they do best, but the mediator stays hard at work because they must balance, balance, balance.

keep them humble, making sure nothing they did would display disobedience. it makes sense to be loved, he was on everyone's side, and then not at all. he fixed the problems, so he was nice to have around. )

...

( komaeda keeps silent though, it's just a story, and is it meant to be something he should apply to his daily life?

he watches ranger, it's an expression that reads for him to continue because he can get an answer from this story unlike the unknown one from the wisteria tree. )

[ Ranger nods as he continues, ]

He was kinder than the others, so those people that were nothing more than playthings for the girl and experiments for the rest found it easy to reach out to him. He wasn't attached to them, but others kept growing attached to him. He was just a fragment of a person's soul, just a role that was being played, but because of that after about a year or so of being poked and prodded and loved by people, he fell in love with them in return.

[ And at that moment, he ceased to be a mediator. It was a broken role, a tangle in the cord that should have never occurred. Sympathy, care, love - those lead to hatred for those who bring harm. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he became a fully realized person. ]

So in the end, he decided to find a way to save them... The obvious way would be to kill the source of the problem, right? But a fragment can't defeat the source, so he was branded a traitor - a "bad dog" - killed, and eaten on screen instead. I asked why, 'cause it doesn't make sense if you already know what's gonna happen, and the person who told the story just said that it was something that needed to be done no matter what.

[ Why that is, Rio still isn't sure. Was it because it hid his true intentions? Was it because humans have to try, no matter how small the chance of success might be? Was it because a major shock like that would cause such anger that it would spur others to act? Or was it because more than any words or attempts to offer small comforts, such a sacrifice would be undeniable proof that those watching were loved?

The storyteller isn't here, and so the answer is lost. ]

Either way, he must have known what would happen, and put effort into preparing for it. He left a message hidden behind, nothing more than a simple letter holding his feelings in it, and promising them he left behind something that would help them in his absence.

[ He pauses again there to let his partner process what's been said so far. Had he not left that behind, how might the story have changed? How much would it hurt to be responsible for the death of the one and only ally in a foreign world that seeks to break down its captives at every turn? ]

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evil again

THINKIN BOUT YALLS EVIL ERA

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