Camp: private conversations

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Respond here for a private conversation with Red! All comment threads are screened.

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You sure your absence won't be noticed by the others?

[Not that she minds, but the others might get freaked out.]

[le_mat]

I don't know if they want to have me sleeping around them at this point.

I'll try but... having the option might... help.

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...

You can stay Thursday night.

[Try to work it out the other nights though.]

[le_mat]

...

[He nods]

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You'll be fine. With the medicine your mind will be clearer.

[Is she saying it to reassure Ren, or herself?]

[le_mat]

I hope so. But I guess I don't really need anyone to like me to get things done.

[He knows Ichigo and Mitsuru are in his corner. He's not sure about the others yet though]

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...Ren. I read your file. Don't give me that 'I don't need anyone to like me' nonsense.

[le_mat]

[He turns pink at that]

H-hey... look, I've been trying but...

[Killing a kid in front of everyone is a Lot]

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[She knows, she does it every week.]

You can be honest with your feelings. Tell others that you want to be their friend.

[le_mat]

...that simple, huh...

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Not everyone can go into people's minds and see their inner desires. You have to tell people what you want.

[le_mat]

Ichigo.. said, after last Sunday... that people don't know who I really am because I never show them. Am I... really like that?

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To some extent, yes. You're very guarded, you know. You don't let people see the real you.

[le_mat]

...I see.

[But unlike when Ichigo had said the same thing, this time Ren is... thoughtful. Maybe a little sullen, but considering, at least. Instead of terrified]

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[She considers something, while Ren is quiet. It gives her time to think about something as well.]

...music has power. Did you know that?

[It's relevant to the conversation, promise.]

[le_mat]

Uh... literally or figuratively?

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...well I meant figuratively, but I HAVE met people who can fight with song.

[le_mat]

[He chuckles]

Okay, than yeah, I know what you mean.

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[bards, man.]

The point is, I was a poplar singer where I came from. My concerts sold out weeks in advance, and there was never an open seat to be found. I write all of my own music in addition to singing, so to have so many people moved by what I have to say, it feels nice.

But with that comes the unexpected downside of people putting you on a pedestal and acting out because of your music. People saw meaning in what I had to say, but the danger was that not everything that people found was good.

Even if nobody ever directly blamed me for it, I felt responsible. And I started meeting fans face-to-face much less because of it.

[Closing herself off, not letting them see the real her, that kind of thing.]

[le_mat]

... ah.

[He looks down at his hands.]

Words have power. You can bring someone courage or hope... but being in a position to do that you have to put yourself apart from them, in a way.

[Like the Phantom Thieves. They literally took out criminals and abusers, but their goal was always more to inspire others to save themselves too.

...but then people started depending on that image, warping it- it was why they made the Grail, too.]

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[Which is, ironically, something that happened to Red too.]

When you have that kind of power, and people see you as a figure rather than a person, they develop perceptions of you that might not be true.

Which is why you should show them the person you are, that way they know you as the real 'you.'

[le_mat]

I thought, if I could urge everyone to not give up by not showing any fear or doubt, it'd help...

All it did was shake them up when I couldn't hold it together anymore.

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I thought the same too, when a calamity hit my world. I knew what was going on, so I tried to warn the people of my city. Given my fame, people would listen.

But instead of just saying 'stay away from the monsters, run', I found myself backspacing and retyping my messages, all because of the power of my words. I was afraid of causing more of a panic if I said too much.

[And Ren already can guess how that turned out.]

[le_mat]

Red...

[And that's how her world ended up that way. Why she has no one left to return to]

I won't make the same mistake. I promise.

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Good. If I can keep all of you from making the same mistakes I did, then you'll all turn out alright.