drops of jupiter.

[redbellion]

[ so that was a lot, especially since it was keith’s first time coming face-to-face with a commander. he knows everyone must be tired and emotionally drained, but they have a lot of things they need to talk about. things that can’t wait to be sorted out. he has to collect his thoughts first, though--he’s not sure how to feel about this exactly, but he knows he’s feeling a lot of things. keith needs time to process everything, and he goes off to be alone for a little while.

eventually, michael, kayneth, ignis, camilla, and bucky bring over some food for the gang. it’s a much needed meal, and maybe some people want to eat in peace. unfortunately, keith is keith, and he thinks now is the best time to have a discussion. ]

Look, I know I’m not in the best position to say this, especially after how I acted back there. But unless anyone has any better ideas, we need to go to that lake and see the Guardian. We have to try. If that’s part of the solution to saving these people and going back home, then there’s really no other option.

[ he’s saying this with a calm head this time. he’s frustrated, clearly, but he’s speaking firmly and with nowhere near the same aggression he held earlier, back when he wanted to attack jupiter.

he doesn’t believe that he can be the leader anyone needs him to be. not here, not back at home. but it’s not going to stop him from trying to do what he feels is right. ]

And if we need someone to scope it out before we act, then I’ll do it.

Comments

[eudaimonikos]

[Mmmmmmmm. He doesn't care for this.]

If you're sure. But we'd better keep an eye on it. We're going to need to go to the lake eventually, and we aren't leaving you here.

[says mr. "i'm gonna sacrifice myself to the evil beneath lake acuity it's cool"]

[bloodspent]

Wouldn't want you to.

[...About that.]

Sorry for bitching at you earlier, by the way.

[eudaimonikos]

Ah. Well. [A slight pause.] You were hardly the only one.

[Even if you were the only one he actually paid attention to.]

[bloodspent]

Yeah, I know.

[On all counts, he knows.]

I get that the kid is kind of a bleeding heart and Ignis is so far up his own ass he's wearing himself as a hat, and in the end you're gonna do whatever it is you're going to do. But we do like you. You're one of ours, you know? It'd fuck up the group if you weren't here, even if you're not dead.

[eudaimonikos]

I'm certainly not going to change my plans because Ignis said "no" very loudly.

[Really, the increasing volume just made him want to argue more. And Ventus...well, Ven was coming from a different place, so Michael's not too fussed about him, but he still didn't make an argument beyond "because I said so".]

You're the only person who had an actual reason. So - [mmmmmmmgh] - thank you. For that.

I can't make any promises. I've been there before, and I know that I...can't. But it isn't for nothing. Not just going to throw myself under the trolley willy-nilly.

[bloodspent]

Hey, don't mention it. And if shit happens, it does. No hard feelings from me, because I know how that goes. I spent a long time doing shit because it was just the best way to get a job done, and if I died in the process then I didn't really care.

So I'm not asking for any promises. I know better. I just want to make sure that's not the plan going in.

[eudaimonikos]

No...no. I think making that the main plan would be a cruel thing to do. And I wasn't lying about wanting to keep this body, I don't want to get cut off from the rest of you either.

[He sighs and shifts to lean back against the wall.]

When this started, I thought maybe I could get back home by killing it and traveling on my own. I probably would have tried, if it looked like we'd get caught again. But now...I don't know, I think I'd kinda hate that.

[bloodspent]

[Huh. He'll kind of take that in for a moment; it's sort of beyond him, but...]

Hey. I'm glad you didn't, okay?

[eudaimonikos]

I am, too. No matter what happens, I'm not just going to ditch the rest of you here and fly off.

[Which was, yeah, also part of that other plan.]

[bloodspent]

Good. Because I'd be really fuckin' pissed at you if you did.

[...Entirely seriously, he'd be fucking furious.]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael chuckles.]

That's fair. Wouldn't be thrilled with myself, either, and this guilt thing you guys invented is a real bitch. So, we're stuck together, that's that.

[bloodspent]

You say that like I should mind.

[eudaimonikos]

[He was downplaying his emotions, Jake, damn.]

I don't if you don't.

[bloodspent]

[Look, if he's had to have entirely too many feelings in the past like twenty minutes, then so do you, buddy. Also: goddamn fever.]

Of fuckin' course I don't.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael grins, pleased and embarrassed in equal measure. Humans.]

Then we're good.

[.....hm. He runs a hand through his hair; he gave up styling it a day or two into Snow Hell, and it's starting to get long enough to hang into his face when it's not slicked back. He probably needs a shave too.]

You still look terrible. Anything I can get you?

[bloodspent]

I'm probably going to look terrible for the next week or something. If it gets worse then we're going in the wrong direction and I'll let you know. I don't...think there's a chance that things are gonna get all weird and melty? But if things get all weird and melty in an unholy kind of way, just skip trying to figure out where the fuck Shirou went and get the flamethrower.

[...Jake.]

[eudaimonikos]

[..........]

I'll keep that in mind.

[bloodspent]

[...]

People do some weird shit with viruses where I'm from.

[eudaimonikos]

I'm sure that if humans where I'm from could bio-engineer a deadly...melting virus, they would have already done it.

[Somebody would have, at least.]

We've actually got quite a few melting-related departments, so the concept's definitely out there.

[bloodspent]

...The melting's just the first part. Sometimes people stop there and just wander around all disfigured, but usually the melting hardens over and makes this chrysalis that they break out of once they're done mutating into a fucking abomination. They end up all full of parasites that explode out of their spines and stuff.

We've also got these things that melted to the point of getting all skeletal and waxy. You break 'em apart and they just shove themselves back together. They can literally rip their limbs off and beat you with them and then just stick 'em back on, and the whole time they're making a fuckawful noise that your bird would fucking love.

[eudaimonikos]

...well, going to Hell is probably going to be a pretty easy transition for your world.

[He's not really taken aback by the descriptions themselves, because, well, but the fact that these things are just happening willy-nilly on Earth is a little yikes.]

What's even the point of that? Was it accidental, or did somebody just really want to kill their enemies very hard?

[bloodspent]

It's how we fight wars.

[...So yeah, it's kind of the latter.]

Bioterrorists pretty much run the world nowadays. Most of the time they're just out to make money or raise hell, but we've had two genuine attempts at ending the world in the past four years.

[eudaimonikos]

Gotta say, your world sounds like it's on its way out anyway.

[Kinda funny? Vaguely depressing? His newfound sympathies towards humans are once again conflicting with his general personality and sense of humor.]

There's only so much killing people need, you know, to be dead. Melting flesh abominations just sound like a PR stunt.

[bloodspent]

I didn't say they weren't sick fucks on top of, y'know. Trying to end everyone.

[He doesn't sound like he minds that first comment, at least.]

Pretty sure one of them was doing it on the logic that he was saving the world. Too many people treating each other like shit. Pretty sure there was pretty bad brainwashing involved with that guy.

[So yeah, he doesn't like this whole Team Galactic thing.]

[eudaimonikos]

Seems like a theme lately...

[God, who here doesn't have nasty history with brainwashing? Just him?]

At least it makes more sense in your world than here in the no-weapons, no-killing utopia. Still delusional, don't get me wrong.