jelly 23, Video

[bakegarasu]

[Otoha looks flat-out exhausted when he hops onto the network.]

The creepy empty-eyed kid who barely spoke was me. Yes, there's reasons for why. People who know me probably can guess.

For everyone else, I'm... sorry.

[Ugh, that feels weird in his mouth.]

If you wanna yell at me for being freaky I'm in the greenhouse for a while.

Comments

[bakegarasu]

He takes a deep breath, then another. He pushes his hands through his hair, trying to pull himself together.

"... Thanks. It's... hard to understand why, sometimes. But it's still nice to hear."

[worthallthis]

"Yeah, I know. I didn't get it for a long time, either. When Misty told me she loved me. I didn't even. I had no frame of reference." They fold their arms across their upraised knees, drop their chin onto them. God, they miss her. "I told her I didn't know if I loved her back. If I even could. I figured it out, eventually, and of course I could, and did. But it took a while."

[bakegarasu]

"... What kind of love?" He's aware there are... multiple kinds.

[worthallthis]

They glance over, looking vaguely amused. It's a valid question, they suppose. "Not the kissing kind. I don't really want that. But I admit that's really all I can say for sure."

[bakegarasu]

"Okay. I'm just... hm." He shakes his head and looks at them. "... Do you wish she was here?"

[worthallthis]

"More than anything." They look back across the greenhouse car. "When I first woke up in Beacon. I was lost. I didn't know how to be without orders. So. I made myself handlers. She was one of them for... I don't now, six months, maybe. Up until I realized she wasn't, anymore, she was something else. She never really wanted the title or the role, but she still was careful and kind, and helped me in the ways I needed."

[bakegarasu]

“... Can’t replace her, and I don’t want to. But I’m here if you need me. Uh. Any of you need me?” He’s not sure anymore. “... I’m a fuckup in my own way, but I promised to protect you.”

How to put this... “I’m a protector of my city and the people in it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re part of my city.”

[worthallthis]

Otoha gets a small, sweet little smile. "Thanks." (Good kid. Team. Aw, Asset learned a new word.) "We're on the same team. Watch each other's backs."

Then, because they can, they add, "And I don't think you're a fuck-up. No insulting yourself when I'm around, got it?"

[bakegarasu]

"... I'll try." It's... hard. To shake that kind of conditioning. Even when he won and saved the city, there was still so much destruction.

He sighs deeply and stretches a little bit. "... Were you headed somewhere, or did you just come here to find me?"

[worthallthis]

Trying is all they can ask. "I came here specifically for you," they say with a lop-sided smile. "To defend you against anyone who might think to yell at you. For the kid thing. Not that I think anyone will."

[bakegarasu]

"That's... nice of you." He brushes his hair out of his face and tilts his head a little at Soldat. "... You hungry?"

[worthallthis]

"Otoha. I am always hungry. It's a thing." But they look kind of wry when they say it, self-deprecating rather than offended. "You offering to go get food with me?"

[bakegarasu]

"... Yes, Soldat, I am offering to go get food with you. If you haven't noticed, I'm bad at this talking thing." His tone is flat, but he can't help but break 'character' by smiling slightly.

[worthallthis]

"It could've been an attempt to distract me!" they protest, but lightly and with a smile, and push back up to their feet. They offer Otoha a hand up, too. "Come on. Let's see if there's any chocolate in the storage car. That always makes me feel better."

I think we can end here!

[bakegarasu]

He snickers and also gets up. “I can make a few things now. Taste test for me? Rich is too nice sometimes...”

and wrap!

[worthallthis]

Soldat laughs a little and says, "I will try not to be too nice."

To the kitchen it is!