3rd Rainy Day [Action/Voice]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[Well, now that the whole Kin'coran debacle is over, Souji finally has time to sit himself down and contemplate what's happened...and there's quite a bit to go over.

Rather, one specific detail that really made him cross...

...There were starving children out there, and they were liable to have been victimized by some of the experiments. Children, being used as part of the Malnosso's tests. Young boys and girls that were most likely scarred from the abuse they'd been put through at the hands of mad scientists. Frustration wasn't normally an emotion he would let himself feel, but this was one occasion where he'd let himself burn with it.

It hit too close to home, thanks to a certain bastard who callously had someone else drag his cousin into the TV. He didn't want to remember that fateful November evening, but this whole mess drove it into his face in the worst way possible.

He wished they would just mercifully send those poor souls home, instead of bringing them back to that damned enclosure.

It took him little time to decide what to do today; he was going to head out and get himself some fresh air. Maybe a walk will do him some good...and if he comes across anyone of interest, spending time getting to know them.

Not long after he returns, though, he sends out a message on the journal network.]

...Do you have any relatives back home?

Comments

[emp3thy]

[From Minato's perspective he's spent zero, so far. But knowing it'll happen doesn't mean he can't nap now.]

Really? [...he tries to sit up now, slowly.] Did you try to call?

[The journal is just sitting beside him. ...He'd probably have woken up. Maybe.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[Fair enough--still, he shakes his head. He'd have thought of that if not for his need to get out for a while. Besides, there's no guarantee that he would. He's the heaviest sleeper, period. 8|] Not really...but I needed a little fresh air anyway, so I just walked here.

[emp3thy]

[Minato doesn't seem to mind the interruption either way.]

It's a good day for it.

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[That's good. They probably both need the distraction after last week anyway.] Mm.

So how have things been over the last year?

[emp3thy]

Chaos one day, peaceful the next.

[he shrugs.] That's Luceti.

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

So, not any different from last week then? [...He feels a little wry for joking about that, but that's as good a way for him to get away from his thoughts as he'll get. It probably won't take Minato long to see through it, though.]

[emp3thy]

Not really. [He doesn't mind it. Although, Souji's demeanor...]

Did something happen?

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[...He cradles his head a little.] No. Nothing bad's happened recently...I'm just thinking too hard on what's passed--that's all. [...Doesn't make him any less bitter. There's a subtle undercurrent of that in his tone, even where he tries to keep it held in.]

[emp3thy]

...Want to talk about it?

[Because, he's here to listen. If Souji had been looking for him it must be important.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[A little nod.] ...If it's okay. [He doesn't want to burden him with this sort of thing, but he seems trustworthy enough...]

[emp3thy]

Of course.

[...Once, they'd been close enough that this wouldn't even have been a question. But Luceti again manages even to break the power of Social Links.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[The boy takes a deep breath, before just...staring out at the sky above them, through the leaves.]

...What happened two weeks ago left a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm not going to beat around the bush about that. Those children...they deserved better than to be pulled into the Malnosso's 'work'...

[Nothing seems to change. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just turning a blind eye to the silver lining...but there's so little good news to find relief in. That undercurrent comes back again, if for a brief moment. To say he's hung up over the Kin'coran kids is an understatement for the record books.]

[emp3thy]

[He's quiet for a moment. The children... there's really only one thing it comes back to, with this guy.]

Are you thinking about Nanako-chan?

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

...It was that obvious, huh?

[...He was here long enough the first time to know he'd been around at least once, before. It wasn't surprising that the other boy would recognize Nanako in passing.

He nods a little.] It brought back some...terrible memories.

[emp3thy]

I'm sure those kids have people who look after them in Kin'corra, too. Just like the kids here do.

[He doesn't think it's right that children have to be in these enclosures either, but the ones he's met seem happy and cared for enough. No one would just abandon a child.]

So damn late, sob.

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

But they don't have the same conveniences that we do. It can't have been any easier, even with their parents looking out for them...

[That was something he couldn't ignore, after he'd heard some of them yell about their enclosure not having the benefits this one had...]

[emp3thy]

It can't be. But they're still not alone.