Camp: private conversations

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

Comments

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It is indeed a large number of redheads. I would suspect someone doing it to poke fun at me, except outside of one person I can't think of who would do that.

[le_mat]

Though, the only one with the same shade as you is Mitsuru-senpai.

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What, you don't appreciate the carrots?

[Ichigo, Kon, and Floe, she means.]

I think Kon was nursing a crush on you, even.

[le_mat]

I didn't say that, just... you know, it's different!

[He fiddles with his bangs]

You... really think he was? He had it pretty hard for Natsume.

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It's actually fairly normal to crush on many people, even if you're in a committed relationship. The point of commitment is to say 'sure, those feelings exist, but I'm choosing to ignore them because I care about you more'.

I doubt he would have done anything about it without effort on your side of things, he was a bit needy like that. But him liking one person doesn't prevent him from liking someone else as well.

[le_mat]

[He nods along... and it's nice, having that reassured by an adult. He knew he tended to like a lot of people at once, but he was with Talcott.

And Nine? He was still working that out

But back home it was a constant battle between what he wanted and what was fair to his friends. Maybe... being under so much stress was making it harder to remember that here]

AH... well... I mean, I wouldn't have minded it.

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[Look she is much older than him and has had her fair share of relationships, so she feels like it's her job to make sure these teenagers don't fuck things up too badly.]

I'm sure he wouldn't have either.

Though I would caution you against dating more than one person at a time in a serious relationship. It can be done, but even adults with years and years of experience with dating struggle with it. It's a very quick way for hurt feelings to develop, especially among teenagers.

[Since they. Aren't mature emotionally yet.]

[le_mat]

Yeah...

[Talzombo trying to break up with him kinda hammers that home, though he worries it's more his rock-addled head just misinterpreting something, either way, it's clear something is Wrong.]

...what about you and Archer? How'd you two get together?

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...

[She looks away, notably towards her sword, which is propped up against a wall.]

He reminded me of someone I knew, a long time ago. Someone who has long since passed on. I was...a bit lonely, then, I suppose. That first year I was here wasn't easy, for a lot of reasons, and he tried to make it a bit easier on me.

Though I will say it took a camper trying to kill me to get him to admit he actually did like me.

[YEAH UH. REMEMBER THAT VIDEO, REN?]

[le_mat]

[Akechi. Ren winces. But that's not what he chases after. Instead:]

The man in the coat.

[It's been awhile, but he remembers his time in her Palace well. He wouldn't have a cognitive version if he wasn't important in some way.]

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[Right you SAW HER INNER MOST THOUGHTS YOU MONSTER]

I still have that coat, actually.

[le_mat]

It's pretty cool, honestly.

...was that his sword?

[You keep looking at it Red, he noticed]

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...in a way, I suppose. This one here is just a copy, but the original one housed his soul after he was killed by it.

[le_mat]

Jeezus-!

Do... do They have it, erm, him now?

[The people running things. ]

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No, he's not in this world. Though given the state of my world, I'm not sure if that is good or bad.

This one here-

[She taps the sword]

-has a computer in it to do what he used to be able to do. But otherwise it's just a normal sword.

[le_mat]

Computer... is that why at the campfires you're like, hm, 'Function Complete' and stuff like that?

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Exactly. My powers function much like a computer, so it's easier to tell them to 'turn off', so to speak, by doing that.

[le_mat]

It's weird... we're part of this big machine. Parts to be used and destroyed when our purpose is fulfilled. Replaced.

[Ren pulls his legs up, resting his head on his knees]

It was the same in my home too. The Grail, Yaldabaoth, was just the Overseer for a big process. The will of the people, but a will without any morals or real intent. Just... playing out something that had to be done.

[He thinks of the video. Of the idea of being 'fake', just a machine of meat and imagination meant to do a task for it's creator. Ren shivers]

Heh, sorry. I'm just... thinking out loud. Tell me more about the Man- did you get revenge for him?

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[Red actually looks a bit troubled there for a moment when Ren starts talking about 'a big process' and 'playing out something that had to be done'. Bad memories from home, man. And she's a bit off-balance when Ren asks that question.]

I didn't- it wasn't as simple as 'revenge'.

[le_mat]

[If they weren't as close as they are, Ren might have pounced on that bit of weakness. Instead, he lets it go- he doesn't want to upset her.

he does tilt his head though, in case she is up for explainaing]

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[Thanks Ren, she doesn't exactly like talking about how she got to watch people get deleted and turned into computer programs because of a computer program following it's programming.

Unfortunately, that's basically the explanation.]

The people responsible for his death all died because of their own hubris. I did get to fight two of the four, but given how they turned out, it was hardly fulfilling.

[Two of the four.

'The four'.

Sound familiar Ren?]

[le_mat]

Ah...

[The four people in her Palace. They killed the man in the coat, but she didn't even get real closure.]

I'm sorry... I shouldn't have pried.

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You had no way of knowing, it's not your fault.

[le_mat]

Still... it's not okay. We can talk about something else?

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Maybe it would be-

[She stops suddenly as she notices a flashing light on her sword. Frowning, she turns to it and checks an image that shows up on the red dot in the center. Ren won't be able to see the full image, because Red is blocking it, but that sure is a lot of blood.]

Oh.

[She just sounds so defeated when she says that too. She flicks off the image and turns back to Ren.]

You can stay put, or I can drop you off at your cabin. Your choice.