he opens his mouth, like he's about to ask another question, but the screen lights up again as another, different scene starts to play.
Ryo is standing in a bathroom. On the floor in front of him is a man, barely conscious, and Ryo is pressing a gun against his temple. With his free hand, he yanks on the man’s hair as he speaks.
“Is the backup of the video on your computer back home the only one?” he asks.
“Yeah,” the man nods. “Please believe me.”
“I do,” Ryo says, and fires the gun. The man slumps over, dead, at the same time that a voice comes from outside of the bathroom–Akira. He utters Ryo’s name in disbelief, and asks why, as if the scene he just witnessed is completely incomprehensible to him.
“He knew your secret,” Ryo says as he stands up. There’s blood now splattered across his white clothes and he can see Akira reflected on the bathroom mirror. In Akira’s arms is an unconscious girl, around the same age as the two teenagers, and completely nude. Akira, meanwhile, is shirtless.
“Still… he’s a human.”
“So what?” Ryo scoffs. “No one can know your secret. We can’t let anyone see us.”
Akira stares at Ryo in confusion, and the expression on his face turns into one of understanding as some sort of realization dawns on him. Tears start to well in his eyes. Ryo, unaffected by this, continues to speak. “This isn’t just your problem. You and I, we share the same fate.”
Ryo lifts his gun and points it at Akira. Except… it’s not at Akira, actually, it’s pointed towards the girl in his arms. Akira shifts his position defensively, in an attempt to shield her with his body. He orders Ryo to put the gun down.
He doesn’t. Ryo moves, trying to get a good shot at the girl, growing further impatient as Akira refuses to listen. And, without warning, the two charge at each other until they meet in the middle, headbutting. Ryo continues to try to aim the gun at the girl, while Akira moves her out of the way. Where their foreheads connected, blood slowly seeps down.
“There’s a chance she knows our secret!” Ryo yells, frustrated, unable to understand why his friend can’t see this. “Choose, Akira. Either live with me, or die with her.”
They stare at each other. And then Akira’s phone rings. ]
[Hm. Why is Ryo always out here shooting people without hesitation.
It's a less jarring memory than some of the things he's seen, at least; he's able to retain himself well, and as the screen flickers back to nothingness, he just looks somewhat contemplative.]
... it might be. Miki was someone who was important to him. But I still don't know how I fit into it. Despite what that memory implies, I didn't actually want to go out of my way to kill her.
[ if he did, she would have been dead much sooner! ]
[The way he just automatically is thinking the same thing that these brackets are saying.]
I'm sure it would have caused more trouble than it was worth. [That's a man who just lies on the floor cradling Miki's head?? Abnormal behavior. He also wouldn't want to kill someone who'd invoke that sort of reaction.]
Who knows, in that case. Maybe something changed that made the net benefit of killing her worth more than the loss?
We met at a center for children. His parents were always traveling abroad, and I was an orphan. He was the first person I met there. And then one day a woman just came by and took me away. She said she knew me, but I didn't remember anything from before I met Akira.
[ he frowns. ]
I think sometime after that he moved in with Miki's family.
I think it's similar for Childe and myself, too. [He doesn't know when that dumbass died.] But knowing this place, it's likely something entirely arbitrary. It does make me wonder where we were before we ended up here if we did all die at different times, though...
...Yes, that sounds about right. I'm surprised they even managed to give us what they did, now that we have a better idea of how disorganized the whole system is.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He likely won't be for some time, if he ever ends up here at all.
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[ fuckin groups
he opens his mouth, like he's about to ask another question, but the screen lights up again as another, different scene starts to play.
Ryo is standing in a bathroom. On the floor in front of him is a man, barely conscious, and Ryo is pressing a gun against his temple. With his free hand, he yanks on the man’s hair as he speaks.
“Is the backup of the video on your computer back home the only one?” he asks.
“Yeah,” the man nods. “Please believe me.”
“I do,” Ryo says, and fires the gun. The man slumps over, dead, at the same time that a voice comes from outside of the bathroom–Akira. He utters Ryo’s name in disbelief, and asks why, as if the scene he just witnessed is completely incomprehensible to him.
“He knew your secret,” Ryo says as he stands up. There’s blood now splattered across his white clothes and he can see Akira reflected on the bathroom mirror. In Akira’s arms is an unconscious girl, around the same age as the two teenagers, and completely nude. Akira, meanwhile, is shirtless.
“Still… he’s a human.”
“So what?” Ryo scoffs. “No one can know your secret. We can’t let anyone see us.”
Akira stares at Ryo in confusion, and the expression on his face turns into one of understanding as some sort of realization dawns on him. Tears start to well in his eyes. Ryo, unaffected by this, continues to speak. “This isn’t just your problem. You and I, we share the same fate.”
Ryo lifts his gun and points it at Akira. Except… it’s not at Akira, actually, it’s pointed towards the girl in his arms. Akira shifts his position defensively, in an attempt to shield her with his body. He orders Ryo to put the gun down.
He doesn’t. Ryo moves, trying to get a good shot at the girl, growing further impatient as Akira refuses to listen. And, without warning, the two charge at each other until they meet in the middle, headbutting. Ryo continues to try to aim the gun at the girl, while Akira moves her out of the way. Where their foreheads connected, blood slowly seeps down.
“There’s a chance she knows our secret!” Ryo yells, frustrated, unable to understand why his friend can’t see this. “Choose, Akira. Either live with me, or die with her.”
They stare at each other. And then Akira’s phone rings. ]
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It's a less jarring memory than some of the things he's seen, at least; he's able to retain himself well, and as the screen flickers back to nothingness, he just looks somewhat contemplative.]
Did you eventually kill that girl?
[THAT'S A HEAD HE RECOGNIZES.]
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he actually looks thoughtful. ]
I don't think so. I think it's my fault she dies, but I don't think I was the actual one who did it.
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Is that why he's angry with you, do you think?
[If He Only Knew.]
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... it might be. Miki was someone who was important to him. But I still don't know how I fit into it. Despite what that memory implies, I didn't actually want to go out of my way to kill her.
[ if he did, she would have been dead much sooner! ]
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I'm sure it would have caused more trouble than it was worth. [That's a man who just lies on the floor cradling Miki's head?? Abnormal behavior. He also wouldn't want to kill someone who'd invoke that sort of reaction.]
Who knows, in that case. Maybe something changed that made the net benefit of killing her worth more than the loss?
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[ he goes quiet. ]
Maybe not. I think if I was the one who did it he wouldn't forgive me at all.
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Is she that important to him?
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[ it's said quietly. ]
Well, he's someone who cares too much, about everything.
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It's been a long time since I've met someone who feels about things so strongly. The two of you make quite a pair, you know.
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[ if he first met akira now, he would probably just think he's an annoying weirdo, honestly. ]
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He mentioned that. I'd say I'm surprised that you stuck with him, but he's clearly the type that's hard to shake.
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... well. easier to not explain. ]
We were separated for a while. We reunited fairly recently.
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Hm. What was it that separated you?
[Scaramouche who doesn't have a concept of modern life on Earth just like wondering if it was a war or something.]
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[ he frowns. ]
I think sometime after that he moved in with Miki's family.
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It's surprising that you managed to run into each other again after that. That woman could have taken you anywhere and he could have gone anywhere.
[Sometimes your fates are just cosmically intertwined though.]
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... obviously, considering where we are.
[ the stupidest place in the world. hell. ]
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I'd say that's more a culmination of bad luck and bad actions rather than any sort of oddity. [Why are they all cursed.] But I do get what you mean.
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[In the void of nonexistence??]
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Knowing this place, we were probably knocked out in a broom closet.
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...Yes, that sounds about right. I'm surprised they even managed to give us what they did, now that we have a better idea of how disorganized the whole system is.
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[He makes a face after he says that though, like he's thinking about how it is a Generous Estimate.]
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