voidseeing | Appointments Post

It took you away and put you in a cave and that's why you haven't come to see me?

[He's just trying to get the facts straight here. Honestly, this all sounds like it could be Shu's usual rambling rather than the truth.]

[Wow, Gai. He's starting to feel bad again. All Shu can do is slowly nod.]

It tried to protect me. [He frowns and sighs. It's hard for Shu to explain and so he looks troubled.]

[That... okay, Gai can sort of understand that, as Shu does come across as the kind of person who needs protection. Even Inori had felt the same way about him.]

I see. And I don't suppose it told you what it was trying to protect you from.

Everything including myself. [Still leaving out the fact that Shiemi's involved in all of this. He doesn't want her to get in trouble.]

[That answer almost, almost gets Gai to laugh outright. He doesn't, though. What he does do is smirk a little, amused.]

I can't argue with that. At least it seems to have done a decent job.

... want something to eat or drink while we're here?

[Shu does look somewhat tired and bedraggled...]

[Shu would like to spend some time with Gai. However, now that he's actually here he doesn't think that he should accept it. He stares off for a moment, wondering what he should decide.]

It's fine. I'll just get in your way. [He knows Gai would at least want part of the truth. Shu's just searching for any topic he can speak of that would make this more bearable.]

Gai, you should be more careful. I don't want to keep looking after your mistakes.

Edited (i suck) 2013-12-06 04:24 (UTC)

[Sigh. This apparent kidnapping hasn't done anything to change Shu's attitude, that much is obvious. Really, though... Shu knows Gai well enough by now to know that Gai wouldn't even bother making an offer like that if it were too much trouble for him.]

It'll take me some time to get my things together anyway. You can help yourself to whatever you want in the meantime.

[Then his eyes narrow slightly.]

My mistakes?

[Is this what Shu really wants? Does he want to keep being distant with Gai and beat himself up over things he's done in the past? They all said they were fine with it and he's been getting so much encouragement from his friends. Truth be told, he did already make up his mind before thinking it through.

He just over complicated it and made it the worst scenario he could possibly imagine. Five whole minutes pass by and then he finally speaks.]

I'm sorry! [How many times has he said that now? Shu thinks he's becoming some sort of broken record and he isn't quite sure what he's sorry for.] I didn't mean any of that.

I said we talk. I'm not going to run away anymore. I should have just let Skarmy protect me if I wanted to be that way. Avoiding my friends isn't going to solve anything.

I won't abandon anyone. [Shu just walks over towards Gai and takes his hand smiling.]

That means I'll be by your side too.

And I already told you, I'm not upset about anything. What's done is done-- there's no point in dwelling on it. Even you should understand that much.

[It's a little irritating, almost, how Shu feels the need to apologize repeatedly even when he's been told that it wasn't his fault. To Gai, it's something of a foreign concept, as he hardly ever apologizes for anything. He really doesn't see why it matters so much to Shu.

But it clearly does, which is why he isn't protesting the apology as much as he could be. When Shu takes his hand, he won't pull away from that either, instead just standing there and allowing it.]

But I'm glad you've finally realized that running from your problems isn't the way to deal with them.

[A slow nod. Shu cares too much about little things and overcomplicated it. He still wishes that he could be more like Gai.]

The steel bird belonged to Shiemi. She apologized to me even when I told her it was fine.

I saw myself and I knew I had to change. [He sounds a little happier by knowing that Gai's pleased with his actions. ]

[Change, huh? That could either be a very good thing or a very bad thing, knowing what Gai does about Shu's future and what he becomes in it.]

So what will you become now?

[He wants to hear it straight from Shu.]

[In this context, it's a bad thing.]

More like you.

[He looks away as he says it because that's all he really can do. Becoming more like Gai's something he's always done. This maybe the first time he's said it to Gai straight.]

[Although it's the answer Gai was expecting to hear... somehow, when he hears it, it doesn't make him happy at all. Perhaps it would have, before everything had happened. Now, though, he knows quite well that he isn't a person anyone should aspire to be like, especially not someone like Shu.]

... you don't want to be like me.

[He too looks away as he says this, because he isn't proud of what he'd become, necessary though it was.]

No, you're all I want to become.

[Being similar to Gai goes against everything Shu is. They're different and Shu's aware of this. Despite that, he doesn't care about any of that if it means that he'll get more confidence.]

Don't make me say it again.

You should want to become yourself, not me. Inori chose you for a reason-- don't forget that. She chose you because you weren't like me.

[Even now, he still has to struggle against the soldier instincts that have been so ingrained in him, still has to remember that his way of thinking doesn't line up with most normal people. Shu is human, and that's the way he should stay.]

Inori wait for me. [He almost breaks out into tears and stops himself from doing so. Instead of crying, Shu sighs. ]

I won't forget. I made sure of that. [Shu has been writing up documents of everything that he's experienced. The last thing he wants is to forget everything again.]

Good. Then you've already made the first step towards changing yourself.

[Because Gai knows that Shu can and will become a strong person and a good leader; it's just a matter of getting him to that point. Perhaps, here in Luceti, it's something that can happen without the missteps he made along the way in their world.]

But what about you? What will you do? [Because Booker does not sound like a fun person to be around when he gets angry.

Shu may as well spill the beans. He almost did earlier in their conversation.]

I spoke to Booker.

[Knowing Shu, Gai can't even say he's surprised to hear that. It only stands to reason that the boy would end up getting mixed up with the rest of Elizabeth's "family" at some point; it was just a question of when it was going to happen.]

I'm surprised you made it back in once piece.

[Booker seems like the type of person who would chew someone like Shu up and spit him back out.]

What do you mean by that? [Dealing with Booker when he gets angry isn't as bad as dealing with Gai when he gets angry. Shu hardly noticed anything strange, asides from some exhaustion. That much seemed normal.]

Booker's not a bad person. [He's completely shocked that Gai would even say that. Nothing about Booker's behavior suggested that he was a threat.]

It was a joke.

[Surely Shu didn't think Gai meant he expected any ACTUAL harm to come to Shu... wait, this is Shu we're talking about.]

[Just...give him a moment to process that. Sorry, Gai. Shu doesn't have a sense of humor.

He's standing, confused and everything.]

What did he say to you?

[Let's just... change the subject here...]

Booker didn't say much. He looked tired.

I offered him coffee. [Shu's leaving out all the important details. Gai does not need to know anything about how they spoke about Elizabeth. Nope.]

[Gai doesn't believe that for one moment. He's pretty damn sure there were words exchanged about him and Elizabeth, though he's not entirely sure just what those words are. Not that it matters-- he'll find out eventually either way.]

That was thoughtful of you.

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