voidseeing | [Accidental Voice/Action]

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[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.]

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[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.]

Is it really okay for us to be relaxing here?

I mean, everything's fine back home.

Why wouldn't it be? Time doesn't pass in our worlds while we're here. When we go back, it will be like nothing even happened at all.

You're okay with that?

[Shu means something else by his tone and by something else he means Elizabeth. Gai should be able to understand Shu's intent.]

[Yeah, Gai picks up on Shu's meaning right away. It's something he's thought about many times, after all.]

I already told you that I get to rest in peace. I can't go back to our world.

It's all my fault too.

It's my fault you can't go back. [Shu's still blaming himself for it. He hasn't completely gotten over Gai's death.]

[Shu, don't you dare start. To stop this self-blame from going any further, Gai will just reach out to hit Shu (lightly) on the top of his head.]

Didn't I also tell you I was a dead man either way?

[Shu stares up at Gai's hand and he realizes that Gai's only trying to comfort him.]

But...[He shakes his head and tears become visible. This is upsetting him a lot and he isn't sure how to form coherent sentences.]

I said I'd help you and all I did was make things worse.

You did exactly what I wanted you to, right until the very end.

[Ugh, Shu, stop that, Gai doesn't know how to handle your emotional outbursts. Now he just feels awkward about this entire thing.]

[That eases his worries a bit and he calms down considerably. Although that makes him worry about something ELSE.]

Then what about the virus here? I haven't been taking the vaccine. Isn't that bad?

Edited (that was too hideous so im changing my reply guilty crown why WHY) 2013-11-02 07:17 (UTC)

... that I don't know. You should talk to Law so that he can get you started on the same antivirals I'm taking. Better to be safe than sorry in a situation like this.