voidseeing | [Accidental Voice/Action]

Entry tags:

[Accidental Voice/Action]

[The journal pops open as it hits the ground, the camera pointed straight upwards into the trees. There's nothing to be seen other than branches and leaves, and at first it may seem like just an accident... but the sounds that it picks up make it very clear this isn't just someone being careless and letting their journal fall out of a bag. In fact, the very first thing that anyone will hear is the sharp report of a gunshot, followed immediately by yelling.]

Law! Behind you!

On it. Room. [There’s a flash and the branches and leaves are now washed out by a blue glow. There’s the sound of a growl, the snap of electricity, and then an explosion.] Watch out! They’re swarming!

[Two more gunshots echo over the journals.]

Damn it... how many of them are there?

Can’t tell yet, Gai. [More explosions, and the crack of wood being torn apart. Then the groan and thud of trees crashing down.] They’re still coming out of the woodwork.

[Another shot.]

Guess we should be honored they felt we needed this much of a welcoming committee.

Goodness knows I’m flattered. [Metal clanging.] Perhaps this is what they think consists of therapy. [A crack.] Ugh. Well, if they’re offering, who am I to refuse? I’ve got a few issues to work out…

Too bad I prefer my therapy to be one on one.

[Another clang, then a thud. There's another wash of light, this time silver rather than blue-- a light that should be very familiar to a certain Shu Ouma if he happens to be looking into the journal while all of this is going down.

The sounds of combat continue for a while longer, at last dwindling down to an almost painful silence. This silence lingers for a long moment, heavy, until Gai's voice finally breaks it, exhausted yet triumphant.]

... they'd better not charge us for that session.

[Anyone who happens by the Battle Dome after this little spectacle will be treated to the sight of a battered and exhausted Gai and Law surrounded by droid fragments and damaged trees. They're in surprisingly good spirits considering what just happened, though some healing would be very much appreciated right about now.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHU. At least Gai can't complain too much, because he'd have to get up to answer the door either way.

This is the approximate expression he's wearing when he opens the door.]

[Shu notices that Gai's hurt...and while this isn't anything unusual he can't help but feel concern. He wants to reach out and ask Gai if he's alright, but something's stopping him from doing so.]

I didn't think you'd bother reading my message.

So, are you ready to talk?

Yeah.

[The bandages around Gai's ribs are more to support the still-tender area than anything else; he's gotten enough healing since the actual attack to heal all of his injuries, but he's still sore and probably will be for several more days. Those droids meant business.

He steps aside in a gesture to indicate that Shu should come in. This isn't a conversation he wants to be having on his doorstep, for obvious reasons.]

[Shu walks in, although he seems careful about it. He really doesn't want to be here.]

Why do you have the Void Genome? Don't lie to me anymore. There's only one reason why you could have gotten it in the first place.

You're really alive in our world, aren't you? [He might act like a dumbass, but that was something he thought of on his own terms. Without Gai going back home he wouldn't have the Void Genome.]

[Gai shuts the door behind them before he turns to focus his attention on Shu... and he's not at all surprised to hear that question. He'd known Shu would have recognized the telltale light from its use from the moment he realized that his journal had been open and recording the whole thing.

His expression remains neutral. He's not going to provoke Shu into needling him for details, not if it can be avoided.]

I told you, the Void Genome Inori shared with you wasn't the only one. Sephirah Genomics successfully cultivated three Void Genomes-- there are two others out there besides the one you possess.

You didn't know where it was located, so how and when?

We're still stuck inside of Loop 7. Did you find it before or after the incident was resolved?

[Shu seems to have finally relaxed, somewhat. He doesn't have a reason to be angry at Gai...yet. There's a back up plan for that.]

After.

[Technically, it is the truth.]

The GHQ is finished, and the Apocalypse Virus no longer exists. You succeeded. You should be proud of that fact, Shu.

[That came out of no where. Shu's honestly at a loss of words. Part of him feels happy to hear that, while another side of him can't help but worry more. Doubt remains in his mind, but overall he does feel a sense of accomplishment. ]

But what about you now? You don't still have the Virus, do you?

[Though, since Gai praised Shu for two seconds Shu actually brings himself to voice his concerns for Gai's health.]

[It's an awkward subject, Gai is well aware of that much. At the same time, he'd prefer not to lie outright if he can help it, so instead he's opting for revealing selective tidbits of truth. Maybe someday in the future he'll tell Shu the full story, but not today.]

I get to rest in peace.

That's what you really wanted and why you wanted me to kill you. I'm sorry, Gai. I didn't know what I was saying before and I screwed up. I think, at the time that I was just angry that I didn't know what was happening around me.

In the end, you are happy here. I shouldn't have said anything against it. To be honest, I'm a little happier here too. There's no need for me to rush anything and there's so many things I can learn. I've made plenty of friends as well.

Look, Gai. The other day I asked people to teach me magic.

I want to be able to help people when they need it. I don't see myself using Voids anytime soon, even if you did recently.

That's you and I'm me. We can't always be doing the same things we did at home. Life just...doesn't work that way. Not here.

Voids are only effective when you can create strong bonds with people...at least that's what Inori said.

We shouldn't be fighting over pointless things. Why did I have to fight with the only person here I know from my own world? It's been so difficult here. So hard that sometimes, I don't think I'm ready for anything. Then I realized that other people here, felt the same way that I did when they first arrived.

I think...we can make it through this. I just know that we'll be able to manage when we're surrounded by all these kind people. I want to get to know everyone more. You're a big trouble maker and sometimes you make my head hurt, but I need to get past that. A strong leader would do that, I guess.

[Shu's honestly speaking from his heart. He's not going to lie to Gai about his feelings if he's told him that much.]

[There we go. That's the Shu that Gai had trusted to pull through in the end, the Shu he'd told not to change. Even though he may have a way to go before he fully becomes that person, he's already on the right track. It assuages some of Gai's worries, at least.

Rather than respond to that verbally just yet, Gai reaches out... and rests his hand atop Shu's head. It's a bit of an awkward gesture, but Shu should realize by now that Gai has never been very good at expressing affection towards anyone. Just the fact that he's touching Shu at all (in a method that isn't punching) is a rarity.]

[Shu winces because he's afraid that Gai will punch him again. He looks surprised when it's actually not a punch, but something entirely different.]

What's that for? Gai, you're weird. [Shu sounds as if he's talking to a close friend as opposed to how he spoke to Gai earlier. He speaks using a gentle voice and he didn't really mean that as a complaint. Shu's just too confused!!]

[That's all it takes to destroy the atmosphere. Gai would've left his hand there, probably even made some attempt at encouraging words... had Shu not called him out on it. But now his action has been acknowledged as out of the ordinary, and it's just awkward.

So he quickly pulls his hand back and acts like he didn't just do that.]

Just forget about it.

[Gai being Gai as usual.]

Don't get so worked up over it. I wanted to say...thanks.

I've done nothing but worry the moment I got here. I think I can relax a little more knowing that I've done some good back home.

You did just fine. That isn't something you need to worry about.

[Again, that's the truth... sort of. Although Shu really screwed a lot of things up for a while there, he did come through in the end, and that was what was important.]

I understand, I'll accept what you've told me.

I felt so helpless, before. What was I supposed to do about the situation back home? At that time, I understood what it was like to be in your position for a change.

Now, I can move on and continue to grow because I won't be so worried about something I can't fix now.

Being a leader isn't easy, and it means having to make decisions that might end up hurting people. But that's why people look to you as a leader-- because they trust you to be the one to make those decisions.

Don't forget that.

But I'm not good at making decisions. I can't be trusted with anyone life.

You saw what happened to me earlier. Just for a moment I lost my cool and I wasn't able to see things clearly. What if I'd acted that way while I was supposed to be acting as leader?

Do you think I've never made mistakes that cost peoples' lives? Leaders don't automatically know everything they need to do the moment they become a leader. They learn the same way anyone else does: through experience.

You're saying I should just accept that? I don't have time to learn things through experience.

People are going to die in Loop 7. I'm going to have to decided if I want to use the Void Ranking System or not.

Do you know what I decided to pick in the end?

[Gai just gives a slight shrug of his shoulders, as if saying "Who knows?"]

I wasn't there when it happened. I didn't come back until you and the others had already escaped.

[Which is, technically, the truth.]

Then why did you show up? [That's...really suspicious Gai. He's poking at it.]

You weren't needed. Everyone already evacuated and you say the virus is gone. The GHQ's done so why?

What were you trying to do?

I came to see how you were doing after all of that.

[Another not-quite-lie. He's trying his best to be as truthful as possible without revealing anything too risky.]

[Shu thinks about what Gai's saying. If everything turned out well like he says it did then maybe he did worry too much.]

I'm so sorry for making you look after me all the time. Sorry for everything.

[He doesn't have much more to say than that.]

[But Gai just shakes his head, a tiny smile playing at the corner of his lips.]

You came through in the end... that's the part that matters.

[And that actually is the complete truth.]