[ Teej... what does that mean... also I love/hate that Hisoka's considering yeeting Minato back to the living because of return fire.
Minato leans back to consider Hisoka first, and then Shirasu. There are probably plenty of secrets between them, aren't there? On Minato's part, nobody asks and therefore he doesn't offer, and he can imagine the same sort of situation with either of them.
"Minato, Hisoka lied to you" is something he's been told time and time again too, each time with him responding "So?" because he didn't care. He cares very little for Shirasu's secrets too, unless they actively harm others. ]
Shirasu... is a good person. A good teacher. He's calm and agreeable and reliable. He went out of his way to take care of me. And he appreciates texture over flavor. These aren't really secrets, but... they're things people don't always realize, I think.
[hisoka gets an annoyed look at his prompting, but... minato's answer is thoroughly distracting, because he just doesn't know what to do with something like that.
to focus on those things, instead of anything else he's done or what he said before about not wanting to bother helping...]
You do remember I killed your partner, don't you, Minato-kun?
[he's had memory loss before this is a valid question
but it's also hard to reconcile that with minato then calling him a good person.]
Hmm. That's cute. Shirasu does make a good partner.
[Hisoka just smiles at Shirasu. Minato thinks you're a good person, dawg.]
Ah. We did do that. [Since Minato already knows about his end. Without any hesitation, Hisoka picks the ball right out of Minato's lap and puts it back onto the spiked top of the toy.] But we did it for a good reason, right? Because she was dangerous.
That's what matters. So you can still be a good person who appreciates texture over flavor.
[ Minato nods slowly, going back to playing with the toy because Hisoka's kind enough to explain all of that for him. ]
I dunno about dangerous, but you had a reason, right? Killing is a lot of effort... it's not worth it without a good reason. Will you tell me why, now? Shirasu. Hisoka.
[ Even if it's just a number's game, he thinks he'll understand. People who appreciate texture can't be all bad; they're the ones who understand there's more to things than what's readily apparent, that things are layered and overlap and influence things indirectly and unconsciously. ]
Ah, no one who asked me saw fit to tell you? That's a shame-- but all right.
[first of all-- shirasu shakes his head.]
You have things backwards. Killing is easy-- it's far simpler to remove a problem than it is to solve it, and there's nothing hard about ending a life. The difficult thing is leaving troublesome people alive.
[there's a hum, there, as he leans back and gets comfortable.]
Kazuaki wasn't troublesome, though. Your partner died for precisely that reason: he was your partner. If framing Four was successful, I didn't intend to leave it all up to chance-- I chose someone I wanted to be an available partner.
[Likewise, Hisoka unravels himself from Minato's shoulder and leans back, folding his arms over his chest. He doesn't look disgruntled or pleased; a kind of Mona Lisa-sort of thing. Somewhere between indifferent and amused maybe.]
No one believed Four did it, however. Mission failed. Funny.
This whole time, she was doing what no one thought she would do. Her role was "protective," Lune said. Not in the way everyone believed.
[ Listening to Shirasu speak, for the first time since he's arrived here, Minato looks shaken, holding his breath with his fists clenched in his lap because
Kazuaki died because of him
Somebody else died because of him, in a way that he couldn't have known or have done anything to change it but it's still his fault. Because he... probably because people liked him, they wouldn't kill him, and maybe that's why Shirasu thought he was the safest person to partner with? But everybody liked Kazuaki too? Shirasu could have just killed Minato and been done with it. Besides, how safe a partner could Minato be if he would just die on his own, if you leave him be? Maybe it was too early for Shirasu to realize that.
But, whatever... There's no use guessing why. Minato takes a breath and flops back, regardless of whoever's legs or torso is in the way, they're obligated to be his pillow now. ]
You really didn't get along with Four, huh... Sorry all your efforts went to waste. Both your efforts.
[ Also, hey, why did it take two people to kill one bird, what the heck ]
[it's probably hisoka who's a pillow now, I hope anna regrets saying he was behind minato
but at that, he exhales a slightly more annoyed sigh.]
I meant to try to work with her, after that failed, but-- they certainly threw everything into disarray, exposing me. They even went and made the task I was working on impossible to finish... but at least they found out a bit about how unpleasant she truly is.
[he's a little salty! but that's Fine.]
But here we all are now, I suppose. We'll see how well the others whittle down their numbers without people like us to do it for them.
It'll be easier to blindly guess with less people... I guess... Is the task you were working on something that last person can help with, or is it all for naught?
I feel it may be more frustration than entertainment, but we'll see. Perhaps there will be some entertainment in watching a failure as well?
[he has... so little faith.
but he shakes his head in response to minato.]
I meant it was one I took on here-- my exposure made the conditions impossible to fulfill. But I doubt most of them would bother to help with my business at home, either.
[ Shirasu... Minato literally asked the same question as Hisoka, just worded differently. ]
Hisoka's shy, so you'll have to cut him some slack... But you're right that I can't do anything to change what's already happened. What were you going to do about it. There must be something we can help with.
[ We = him and Hisoka, since Hisoka was curious too ]
[and hopping back in so we don't totally screw tag order up it's fine... also it's because hisoka is the way he is.
anyway, minato just gets a disbelieving look.]
Shy, hm. Maybe he should be that way more often.
[then again, minato believes shirasu is a good person, so he'll allow him a lot of slack.]
There wasn't much to be done about the loss, as things were. If I survived the water, I may as well have died regardless-- there was nothing left there to live for.
I'd hoped that through being here, I might influence my home and change the results... but at this rate, I might not live to worry about that.
[Glancing off, Hisoka just makes a face. There's no fun in simply sitting down for a little heart-to-heart chat, Shirasu, damn. That's the point.
When his eyes slide back, he just smiles wide at Shirasu. He's shy, believe him? Minato is taking up for him. Nevermind they both know he's full of shit.]
I'm sure Minato would vouch for you at the end. Even if I don't think there will be a chance for picking and choosing.
If there's a way I could do it, anyways. It looks like we're both waiting to be dead...
[ And it's not just because they're here, passing time on a crowded hammock, but because they're to be dead back home regardless. Maybe that's why Minato can be as reckless as he wants; he's already dead, so who cares? ]
Hisoka... you were also hoping to fight somebody, weren't you? A thief... Shirasu and I could help.
I suppose that explains a lot about you, Minato-kun.
[he can't say he's been too much different. he's taken risks he wouldn't have, if he knew he had a life to return to, anything left back there to protect.
he raises a brow at hisoka at that mention, though, returning that same curious glance he'd been given earlier.]
A thief, hm. One who took something from you, or...?
[Hisoka makes a kind of "ah..." face at Minato. Telling his secrets! Ah well. They've both got one each already, so it's fine.]
Hmm. I'm afraid you can't help me there. You see, he's someone I want to fight on my own. [His eyes flicker up to Shirasu.] He's the leader of a group of thieves. The Phantom Troupe.
I tried to fight him before, but someone got in the way. It's been postponed. So that's why... I'm not here to give up. I'm not dead back home, and I don't plan on dying any time soon.
Even if things seem hopeless, there isn't any point in giving up the fight.
[Reaching up, his fingers wrap around the front of Minato's throat. They don't squeeze, and the nails don't bite, but they're there. He stares at Shirasu instead, the flat displeasure in his expression.
STOP LAUGHING.]
I'll have access to my Bungee Gum. I would have won here, too, if I could have used it.
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Minato leans back to consider Hisoka first, and then Shirasu. There are probably plenty of secrets between them, aren't there? On Minato's part, nobody asks and therefore he doesn't offer, and he can imagine the same sort of situation with either of them.
"Minato, Hisoka lied to you" is something he's been told time and time again too, each time with him responding "So?" because he didn't care. He cares very little for Shirasu's secrets too, unless they actively harm others. ]
Shirasu... is a good person. A good teacher. He's calm and agreeable and reliable. He went out of his way to take care of me. And he appreciates texture over flavor. These aren't really secrets, but... they're things people don't always realize, I think.
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to focus on those things, instead of anything else he's done or what he said before about not wanting to bother helping...]
You do remember I killed your partner, don't you, Minato-kun?
[he's had memory loss before this is a valid question
but it's also hard to reconcile that with minato then calling him a good person.]
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[Hisoka just smiles at Shirasu. Minato thinks you're a good person, dawg.]
Ah. We did do that. [Since Minato already knows about his end. Without any hesitation, Hisoka picks the ball right out of Minato's lap and puts it back onto the spiked top of the toy.] But we did it for a good reason, right? Because she was dangerous.
That's what matters. So you can still be a good person who appreciates texture over flavor.
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I dunno about dangerous, but you had a reason, right? Killing is a lot of effort... it's not worth it without a good reason. Will you tell me why, now? Shirasu. Hisoka.
[ Even if it's just a number's game, he thinks he'll understand. People who appreciate texture can't be all bad; they're the ones who understand there's more to things than what's readily apparent, that things are layered and overlap and influence things indirectly and unconsciously. ]
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[first of all-- shirasu shakes his head.]
You have things backwards. Killing is easy-- it's far simpler to remove a problem than it is to solve it, and there's nothing hard about ending a life. The difficult thing is leaving troublesome people alive.
[there's a hum, there, as he leans back and gets comfortable.]
Kazuaki wasn't troublesome, though. Your partner died for precisely that reason: he was your partner. If framing Four was successful, I didn't intend to leave it all up to chance-- I chose someone I wanted to be an available partner.
So, of course, yours had to go.
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No one believed Four did it, however. Mission failed. Funny.
This whole time, she was doing what no one thought she would do. Her role was "protective," Lune said. Not in the way everyone believed.
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Kazuaki died because of him
Somebody else died because of him, in a way that he couldn't have known or have done anything to change it but it's still his fault. Because he... probably because people liked him, they wouldn't kill him, and maybe that's why Shirasu thought he was the safest person to partner with? But everybody liked Kazuaki too? Shirasu could have just killed Minato and been done with it. Besides, how safe a partner could Minato be if he would just die on his own, if you leave him be? Maybe it was too early for Shirasu to realize that.
But, whatever... There's no use guessing why. Minato takes a breath and flops back, regardless of whoever's legs or torso is in the way, they're obligated to be his pillow now. ]
You really didn't get along with Four, huh... Sorry all your efforts went to waste. Both your efforts.
[ Also, hey, why did it take two people to kill one bird, what the heck ]
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but at that, he exhales a slightly more annoyed sigh.]
I meant to try to work with her, after that failed, but-- they certainly threw everything into disarray, exposing me. They even went and made the task I was working on impossible to finish... but at least they found out a bit about how unpleasant she truly is.
[he's a little salty! but that's Fine.]
But here we all are now, I suppose. We'll see how well the others whittle down their numbers without people like us to do it for them.
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It will be entertaining to watch. I'll be very angry if they mess up.
[Which will... maybe be the case considering. It's not even a 50/50 chance probably. More like 70/30. It's fine.]
Ah well. We're all supposed to be here except for one. Good luck.
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It'll be easier to blindly guess with less people... I guess... Is the task you were working on something that last person can help with, or is it all for naught?
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[he has... so little faith.
but he shakes his head in response to minato.]
I meant it was one I took on here-- my exposure made the conditions impossible to fulfill. But I doubt most of them would bother to help with my business at home, either.
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What kind of business did you have at home...?
[He's looks horrifically curious and maybe pretty amused. Since, you know, he likes pushing Shirasu's buttons most of the time.]
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Yeah, what were you doing at home? I'll help.
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[he is straight up ignoring hisoka as he answers, honestly.]
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My, I should keep you around more often. He tells you so many interesting things about himself with you here.
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If you asked the right questions instead of trying to annoy me, you might learn more.
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Hisoka's shy, so you'll have to cut him some slack... But you're right that I can't do anything to change what's already happened. What were you going to do about it. There must be something we can help with.
[ We = him and Hisoka, since Hisoka was curious too ]
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anyway, minato just gets a disbelieving look.]
Shy, hm. Maybe he should be that way more often.
[then again, minato believes shirasu is a good person, so he'll allow him a lot of slack.]
There wasn't much to be done about the loss, as things were. If I survived the water, I may as well have died regardless-- there was nothing left there to live for.
I'd hoped that through being here, I might influence my home and change the results... but at this rate, I might not live to worry about that.
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When his eyes slide back, he just smiles wide at Shirasu. He's shy, believe him? Minato is taking up for him. Nevermind they both know he's full of shit.]
I'm sure Minato would vouch for you at the end. Even if I don't think there will be a chance for picking and choosing.
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[ Blindly, but... he'll do it. ]
If there's a way I could do it, anyways. It looks like we're both waiting to be dead...
[ And it's not just because they're here, passing time on a crowded hammock, but because they're to be dead back home regardless. Maybe that's why Minato can be as reckless as he wants; he's already dead, so who cares? ]
Hisoka... you were also hoping to fight somebody, weren't you? A thief... Shirasu and I could help.
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[he can't say he's been too much different. he's taken risks he wouldn't have, if he knew he had a life to return to, anything left back there to protect.
he raises a brow at hisoka at that mention, though, returning that same curious glance he'd been given earlier.]
A thief, hm. One who took something from you, or...?
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Hmm. I'm afraid you can't help me there. You see, he's someone I want to fight on my own. [His eyes flicker up to Shirasu.] He's the leader of a group of thieves. The Phantom Troupe.
I tried to fight him before, but someone got in the way. It's been postponed. So that's why... I'm not here to give up. I'm not dead back home, and I don't plan on dying any time soon.
Even if things seem hopeless, there isn't any point in giving up the fight.
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Hm... we should ask Xion to help you train, once we call get out of this.
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he's also just stifling laughter at that callout, this is fine...]
Ah, perhaps. The only way to overcome a disadvantage is to face it more often, isn't it?
[he sounds so amused... bad.]
With any luck, you'll live longer at home than any of us did here.
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I don't require her assistance.
[Reaching up, his fingers wrap around the front of Minato's throat. They don't squeeze, and the nails don't bite, but they're there. He stares at Shirasu instead, the flat displeasure in his expression.
STOP LAUGHING.]
I'll have access to my Bungee Gum. I would have won here, too, if I could have used it.
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