After...party...?

[diesifkilled]

[SO THAT SURE WAS AN EXECUTION, HUH

Shirou's just been kind of staring off into space, still holding on to Usagi's hand, ever since Kon and Natsume's deaths. Just when it starts to look like he might stay like that all hecking night, he suddenly blinks and looks around.]

I'm going to go get some food.

[And indeed, he disappears off to the lodge and returns a little later with a huge pile of beautifully made sandwiches and other snacks. Did he have them prepared, or did he just make them really fast somehow? Who knows.

Anyway, there are now sandwiches. And the shack might still be on fire. This is fine.]

Comments

[le_mat]

No-!

[He wheels around to glare at Cielo]

We're not sacrificing someone like they want. I won't allow it. You, or Ichigo, or anyone else.

[velocirainbow]

[ His hands curl into fists at his sides. ]

Why not? Why we gotta always sacrifice somebody when it ain't eva really deir fault, when you could jus' get rid of somebody dat already dead?

[le_mat]

If you start thinking like that, where does it stop though?

...I talked to Kon, last night. I... I knew he was involved in Clarke's death since then. Just not... how. I just knew he was planning to try and cover for someone. I assumed Ichigo, but... turns out it was Natsume.

He was so scared that... that eventually we would kill him to save someone else. Because he's not human. Because he's an artificial soul, and... was worth less than the rest of us. I told him we weren't like that. I refuse... I refuse to be made into a liar.

[velocirainbow]

... I don't... I ain't afraid of dyin'. What I'm afraid of is... anyone else havin' to die 'cause we failed.

[ He just. Brings his knees to his chest and curls up. ]

I'm already dead, bro, I died once, an' I'm gwon die again if I go back. ... I ain't even... I ain't like de rest of you. I ain't useful, or smart, an' I can't eva help none... what de heck am I s'posed to do? You guys... you see somethin', you know what it is. I don't... I don't even know dat...

[le_mat]

And if I was in your world I would have ended up demon food weeks ago. It's... it's not about practicality. Cutting off the dead weight so the rest live? Fuck that, it's not right.

I don't give a damn about what's the logical thing to do, this is about principles. I'll go down biting and screaming and spitting before they make me do that. I'll set that damn vote box on fire.

You're my friend Cielo. That's all there is to it. If you won't believe in yourself, I'll just... do it for both of us.

[velocirainbow]

[ ... He might be crying. ]

... S-stupid.

[ Cielo wipes his eyes. ]

Dat'll jus' go badly for all'a us, an' you know it... but you gwon fight anyway, ain't you? Even though we lost people... it's jus' like back den...

[ All he can think of is Heat and the others, and his heart aches, practically screaming for them, for how badly he misses them. ]

I jus' keep bein' de one dat can't protect nobody, feels like... place always gettin' broken under my watch... I ain't... I ain't strong enough. An' I dunno... how I'm s'posed to help. I can't patch people up if dey dead.

[le_mat]

...

[Ren thinks for a moment]

I'm going to go into the Metaverse again sometime this week if the headvoice doesn't do something that just fucks us. Kirijo too, probably Tatsumi. Come with us. Four people are the best size for a party.

[velocirainbow]

[ He looks up at that. ... Come with him?

It's something. Something he can throw himself into wholeheartedly. ]

You sure about dat, bro? I mean, I'm real good at followin' orders! I jus'... don't wanna get in de way.

[le_mat]

I mean it. Your skills aren't that different from what we use already. I could really use your support.

[velocirainbow]

[ He sits up, in possibly an overly-excited manner, clenching his fists. ]

... Awright, bro! I'll do my best! I can tell you what I got, if dat helps. I'm used to workin' wid a team an' everythin'!

[le_mat]

Sure, list them out. I usually do the tactical stuff with my group back home anyways.

[velocirainbow]

If you got questions, you can jus' ask me. Uh, let's see... dere's de helpful skills I got, like Sukukaja, Rakukaja, an' Drain Elec--you know, when you make shields for stuff for de party? An' den dere's Debilitate, for de enemy... an' my attack skills are Ziodyne an' Stun Wave.

'Course, I got Iron Stomach, too, but dat's jus' 'cause we, uh. Well, Ache is de worst. You don't want dat when you eatin'. Oh, and Quick Cure, but dat don't seem to be workin' super well. I haven't really had much time to test it, but it's s'posed to help offset what Dyaus is weak to...

[ You know. Ailments. Bleh. ]

'Course I can jus' do basic physical damage as Dyaus, too. Got a weapon on me. An' I got de Graven Shard, dat's about equivalent to a Diarama, or somewhere 'roud dere.

[le_mat]

Oh, thank god someone with some more 'kajas, I don't have very many of those. You and Tatsumi both use Zio... but I can cover any holes we have without issue.

[He's already plotting this out]

[velocirainbow]

I'm all about support, bro! Dat's my job. I usually healin' or helpin' out in some way. An' I'm real lucky, so it usually goes pretty well.

[ A smile. ]

Sorry about de lightnin', I'd normally jus' switch my skills an' be all, "hey, you want ice or fire or force, I'm dere!", but I can't here 'cause I can't access de Mantra Grid.

[le_mat]

Honestly, that's good, from what Kirijo and Tatsumi said she is mostly magic power and scanning and he's mostly physical, so having support is good.

[velocirainbow]

I figure softenin' de enemy up is usually really helpful if you don't know what you dealin' wid. It's how we fought Beelzebub an' Metatron, after all.

[ He smiles, putting his arms behind his head. ]

Dey were really rough, but we didn't have too much trouble wid a little support an' some smart use of dat kinda thing. If nothing else, de enemy wastin' deir time fixin' it, you know? Dat gives you time to do what you gotta do. Serph always sayin' an extra moment is really important.