Camp: private conversations

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

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[fallbymyhands]

[that's. . . surprising. although in hindsight, Mitsuru realizes it was probably silly to assume that Red had purposefully given the disc to Lilith, to share with the living campers]

. . .

I know Mochizuki was the one who gave you that bracelet. [ah] Can you tell me how much you knew about him?

His existence was unique.

[backspacing]

[Her hand immediately goes to cover it, and she looks down. There's definitely sadness and regret on her face.]

He was a very sweet boy. Too kind for his own good. Out of everyone who ever came here, he's one of the ones I wanted to make it out of here the most.

But...knowing what he was, it's probably for the best that he didn't.

[She doubts herself even as she says those words.]

[fallbymyhands]

[. . . ah]

So you knew his connection to Nyx. No. . . of course you did.

The "incident ten years ago" you brought up with me is the incident involving my grandfather, isn't it? You know. . . quite a lot about us.

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It was, yes.

I was trying to be subtle, to get your attention without alerting the others that I was trying to do so.

[fallbymyhands]

I missed it. But that was before I realized what you all knew.

[. . .]

[she isn't sure if she wants to ask the next question, but. she does anyway]

. . . what happened to Mochizuki?

[backspacing]

...

An accident happened, and a camper died. The other camper involved was technically the 'culprit', but hadn't meant to cause the death.

Ryoji convinced everyone to vote for him, to spare the other person.

[fallbymyhands]

[her chest suddenly feels tight]

. . . yes.

[that. that's Ryoji, all right]

That sounds like him.

[backspacing]

He went peacefully, though. I couldn't-

[She couldn't be cruel to him, in the end. Despite her orders.]

I got in a lot of trouble for that.

[fallbymyhands]

How. . .?

[she feels like her heart is being squeezed]

How could they punish you for showing someone mercy?

[backspacing]

Because we're not supposed to get attached to the campers. We're supposed to remain neutral. Getting attached- crying over them- that's what gets you pulled from this job.

[fallbymyhands]

Compassion is not a weakness, Red.

[she lifts a hand up and clutches her arm, fingers tightening into the fabric]

Did Mochizuki turn into whatever Zaberisk is as well?

[backspacing]

Yes, he did.

[She looks like she wants to say more, but she stops herself there.]

[fallbymyhands]

[Mitsuru notices, and she hesitates before pushing forward]

What happened to him afterwards?

[she's pushing, she knows she's pushing. but she has to know. for Ryoji's sake. . . and for Lilith's sake, too]

[backspacing]

You have seen Lillith. I think you know what happened.

[fallbymyhands]

I know.

[god, she doesn't want to think of someone as bright (and annoying, admittedly) as Ryoji turning into something like Lilith]

But after he was turned into. . . that. What happens to those people? I don't see any others like Zaberisk around the camp.

[backspacing]

They're dead, Mitsuru. What do you think happens to dead bodies after a while?

[fallbymyhands]

They decay.

[the answer is curt and blunt. so even then, Ryoji hadn't been allowed to continue existing. it seems fate would never be kind to him, no matter the universe]

[backspacing]

Or get eaten, or sink to the bottom of the lake and never get found.

But you get the idea.

[fallbymyhands]

I do.

[god]

You know. . . quite a bit about me, don't you, Red?