voidtreckernet | Following that other one... [video]

Ple Two has seen war; seen a city destroyed by her master's machinations. Ple Two wasn't stunned by the display of gruesome violence, although it was certainly distasteful. The only thing upsetting to Ple Two was the relative peace of her home destabilized.

Someone else was apparently dealing with that.

Holding Madoka's hand seems more important now, and she leans closer. "...it's quite concerning... after all."

There's a slight dip of her head into a nod at that statement. 'Quite concerning' really is one way to describe it - and actually not too far off from what Madoka is feeling. She's seen a few horrible things back home too, and although she's glad she was saved from having to see it thanks to Maru, she's more worried about what this might mean. What it could lean to.

"I wonder if it's all going to be okay eventually.. Even the adults all look so worried."

Most of the children here are already suitably traumatized to be alright, but certainly not all of them.

"Violence in a situation like this is troubling. It will be fine, but... there ought to be a lot of discussion." Or they could all just take over different train cars and break down into tribalism, but that seems unlikely at this point.

"Yeah.. I-I mean, we have no idea if that person isn't going to do that again.."

And from what she's heard, what Xue Yang did really was bad. But if there's someone going around by themselves deciding to punish people, that feels doubly bad.. After all, what are their standards for punishing people? There are other people on the train who have killed before.

.. Like the girl standing next to her, judging by what Madoka has seen, right..?

That thought makes her grip on Ple Two's hand tighten just a little, even though nothing could take Ple Two away from her side right now.

"That's scary."

It's not a functional system - hopefully, though, it doesn't come up again. But the more people crammed into this small space... especially some of them knowing each other...

Ple Two squeezes back.

"Whatever's happening to them should stick with them," she says quietly. Hopefully it's deterrent enough.

She slowly nods. Madoka grows quiet, and it's hard to tell if she's thinking really hard about something, or if she just has no idea what to say in this situation at all. She tries really hard to be optimistic, but in this sort of situation it's hard even for her.

".. Do you maybe want to go sit down together?" There is a blanket fort going on now, after all. At least they'd be slightly more comfy.

Either way, Ple Two is happy to let Madoka have the time she needs - and not good at thinking of what to say herself.

"...somewhere soft... sure..."

"Okay.."

Thankfully somewhere soft is not hard to find with all the blankets and pillows that have been thrown all over the place. Thanks, Tony. Madoka is sure to find a spot that's a little out of the way though - mostly since she doesn't want Ple Two to have to deal with too many people if she's not up for it, but.. honestly? Right now Madoka isn't too sure whether she herself can deal with too many people. Everything feels too uncertain for it.

What she does make sure of, however, is to scoot as closely as possible to Ple Two once she's sitting down on some pillows. She's practically glued to the other girl's side like this. Madoka considers putting her head on Ple Two's shoulder, but doesn't do it quite yet.. Would it be going too far? She's not sure.

It seems like a lot of... fluff. Ple Two understands that this is distressing, but she's not sure hiding in a pile of bedding is what will comfort her, at least.

It keeps them all together and feeling safe, though, and stability is what they need to maintain. She's far more conscious of Madoka's closeness than anything, when she leans in, though, heart pounding.

Ple Two carefully reaches her arm out, and wraps it around Madoka's waist, and turns a little red as she holds her close. "...better?"

At least that arm around her waist makes the decision a lot easier. If Ple Two doesn't mind that right now - and can even initiate it, on top of that! - then it probably isn't too bad to just be as close as possible to the other girl right now. Because that's what Madoka wants right now.. and what she needs too, honestly, in order to feel a bit comfortable again.

So she does settle in a bit more against Ple Two's side, leaning into the hold and letting her head rest on Ple Two's shoulder.

"Hmm.. A bit." She doesn't want to lie and say she's fully better right now. But it is most definitely helping. ".. Sorry. It must look weird that I'm so worried.." Since Ple Two seems to have things together a lot more right now.

That should be a pretty clear sign. Whatever she needs to do to comfort Madoka when she's hurt, and scared.

It's not like Ple Two isn't nervous, but surely those with authority will work it out, right?

Madoka resting against her is comfortable. It warms her. She has to think about how to respond. "I... am probably not worried enough," she says quietly. "Violence is... normal... to me."

"I.. I really don't think there's something like not being worried enough."

Granted, Madoka is horribly biased when it comes to just wanting to comfort the people important to her as much as possible. She'd say pretty much anything in order to make anyone else think even slightly less negatively about themselves. But in this case there's a basis of truth to it, since--

"I mean.. Isn't it a good thing when you can keep a cool head in difficult situations..? E-Even though the reason you can is a little sad.. I still think it's pretty amazing that you don't feel scared like me."

Ple Two wasn't sure about that. Of course, she was personally fine to be so capable, useful to the family she'd made out of this place, but was it good? She knew she was capable of resorting to violence too easily.

"Perhaps." At least she would try not to traumatize Madoka if she had to inflict gruesome violence on anyone. "...fear is natural... as part of the human psyche, however."

She quietly turns the answer over in her head a few times while still leaning against the other girl.

Apparently she can't quite figure something out by herself, since after a few moments she softly asks, "Do you feel bad then that you don't feel it the way other people do..? Or, um, does it bother you in any way..?"

"Lots of people are... shocked and disgusted at what happened. Can't look at it without being physically repulsed." Ple Two wouldn't be allowed to be bothered by violence, if she was made to inflict it. "I... feel different. This reinforces it. I have more in common with the most jaded of adults."

".. it's okay." Her voice is still quiet, and it's as if she cuddles up even a bit more to the other girl's side as she says it.

Or, well, it's not okay, but what she's trying to say is.. "I.. I can imagine it must be really hard to realise you're so different from everyone else."

For as insecure as Madoka can be about things, she does at least know her own reaction of fear and discomfort is very typical for someone her age.

"But.. different and bad aren't the same. Um, you know what they say, right..? It takes all kinds of people. I had a friend back home who probably would react more like you than like me right now.."

Ple Two can handle violence like a seasoned soldier. Like a trained killer. Like the person she is.

She knows she's more than that, and having Madoka beside her keeps her from spiraling, but she's still different. "I'll never be... as normal as you are. And that's acceptable now. And it lets me protect people. But I don't know what my life will be when I'm not in such a... controlled environment."

Madoka can understand why Ple Two says she'll never be as normal as Madoka is like it's a bad thing, but at the same time it almost feels a little strange. After all.. Madoka thinks that her being as normal as she is is actually the problem to begin with.

If only she could switch that around somehow. So Ple Two could somehow live a normal life as a normal person, and Madoka could take Ple Two's courage with her to the fate that awaits her back home.

"Do you think there's anything I can help with..?" Madoka wouldn't even be sure where to start, but if Ple Two wanted help, she'd darn well try. "I.. want you to be able to have a happy life. Whichever kind of life you want."

Perhaps it makes Madoka less useful in a dangerous place like this - but it also might make her a happy, well adjusted adult. Even if she somehow follows Madoka home... Ple Two has no illusions that she'll be the same way.

"What you've been doing - it makes me happy. ...be yourself." How much more could she ask from someone who wasn't a professional therapist?

"O.. Oh."

It's a little hard to believe. That just her being herself could really be helping all that much. After all, Madoka doesn't believe she's anything special.. but on the other hand, it's clear Ple Two sees something special in her, or she wouldn't have said she liked Madoka to begin with.

So she does her best to shove the insecurity down. She has to believe Ple Two on this. It's important.

"I can do that.. But I'm still sorry it makes some things tough for you."

Following that other one... [video]

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