inbox - subnautica

[hopefragment]

[Art by 1815204]

「video | voice | text | telepathy | action」

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[sniptuck]

[ ah. that does explain some questions she has been wondering, like how he suddenly got very good at certain things that she (no offense?) knows he wouldn't have been great at before. at least, not on the first try. hajime's neutral expression doesn't shift except for a slight twitch of her lips, downwards. ]

What do you think about those talents, Number One?

[hopefragment]

Mm.

[He hums quietly, keeping his eyes closed so he doesn't try to analyze her expression.]

I was able to save all my classmates because of these talents. Leaving the program to have talent was never the goal, but... I can't regret it. Not when more than half of them would have stayed braindead.

[sniptuck]

Braindead?

[ from... the murders in the virtual world? ]

You always amaze me, you know. You do so much for the people you care about-- even before you had these talents here.

[hopefragment]

If you thought you died in the simulation... yeah.

[He opens his eyes finally, lips parting in a bit of surprise when she says he's amazing.]

I... I try to. It's why I want to do so much here now. If I have these talents, I want to help people with them. That's all.

[sniptuck]

It actually makes me very... hm, what is it? Angry, I think. I'm angry that people would ever treat you like you're worthless because of something like talent.

[ not that she sounds angry or anything, her tone is the same as always. ]

[hopefragment]

[He huffs a quiet, unamused snort through his nose and tilts his head, still keeping his cheek against her hand if she'll let him.]

I did tell you that you wouldn't like it. But... back then, I really thought that was the only way I could ever really matter. The only way I'd be worthy enough to stand among those with talent.

[sniptuck]

I have this friend named Rue-kun. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned him to you before, but he kind of had the exact opposite view of what your world seems to have. He believed the common people were more powerful than anyone with talent.

[ she smiles, thinking about it. ]

He even wanted me to quit being a Gatchaman, since he said that I was basically useless in the type of world he wanted to create.

[hopefragment]

Didn't you say yourself that being Gatcha was a feeling, and that anyone could do that...?

[This friend sounds Mistaken. Ordinary people are definitely only more powerful than talented ones if there are enough numbers to overwhelm them. He's seen it firsthand.]

[sniptuck]

That's what I believe! But umm, Rue-kun didn't want people to just sit back and let other people take care of things. He wanted to give everyone the power to help and make the world a place that's sparkly for everyone! So in a world where everyone is a hero, there's no need for the super.

[ she finally drops her hand, but instead goes to hold his instead. ]

It's just strange how where we're from can differ so much in things like that, when there are so many other similarities.

[hopefragment]

I can understand that kind of thinking, but I don't think either extreme is good.

[He lets her take his hand, wrapping his fingers around hers gently.]

It is strange, I agree. But...

[And he pauses, looks at her.]

Does knowing this change the way you feel about me...?

[sniptuck]

No. Why would it?

[ she's still annoyed about the whole gun incident, but she's spent enough time around komaeda to get that he's the kind of guy you need to go to extremes for. ]

[hopefragment]

I don't know. That's why I didn't want to tell you any of this, because... we're already friends. I didn't want that to change.

[He squeezes her hand gently and offers her a tired smile.]

If it makes you feel better, don't worry. I don't plan on doing something like that demonstration for Komaeda again.

[The dreamscape tho...... yeah no promises there.]

[sniptuck]

I'll hold you to that!

[ she smiles back but... yeah. she very much means that. ]

I'm just glad you're okay.

[hopefragment]

...Yeah. I have to keep moving forward toward the future.

[So, not exactly "alright" but not worse off, either? He's working on it. But he'd said he would be honest with her, and that's all technically true.]

Is there... anything else you wanted to know...?

[sniptuck]

Yup! [she just squeezes his hand back. ]

I'm not going to ask now though. I think this have been enough for one day.

[hopefragment]

[He huffs a quiet laugh through his nose and just nods, accepting her decision. If she wants to know... he knows now that she'll ask. And he won't rescind his offer to tell her more unless something extreme happens.

And while he knows logically that he shouldn't, that he shouldn't have even let her hold his hand... he wavers for a second before tugging her hand up and pressing a quick kiss to her knuckles, mimicking what she'd done for him back in the dreamscape what feels like so long ago.]

Thanks, Number Two.

[sniptuck]

[ she actually blinks in surprise at the gesture; she has noticed that hinata has been getting more comfortable with displaying affection with her over time, but she hadn't been expecting that.

she stares at her a hand for a moment, and a wide smiles spreads on her face. hajime launches herself at him, wrapping her arms around hinata. ]

You're welcome!

[hopefragment]

Whoa-!

[He wraps both arms around her to catch her so they don't overbalance, because that would be too silly. But he definitely isn't going to shove her away, either, because what kind of asshole would do that??

Instead he just laughs, shaking his head with the simple amusement that even now, she's still so difficult for him to predict.]

I should let you get back to your cartoons though, huh?

[sniptuck]

Oh! This is Dora.

[ one of her arms lets go of him to gesture at the show. ]

Maggy mentioned this show to me, so I decided to check it out.

[ she means magnus. his name is maggy now and he does not know this yet. ]

[hopefragment]

"Maggy"...?

[He... doesn't remember anyone named Maggy being on the base. Did yet another person inexplicably arrive that he somehow missed seeing?]

What's it about?

[sniptuck]

It's about this girl named Dora and her monkey friend, Boots! They go exploring together and there's this fox named Swiper who tries to swipe stuff for him! He's a very polite thief and leaves when you tell him to.

[ and yet he always comes back. such persistence. ]

It's for really little kids, but it sounded cute. And I wanted to tell Maggy that I know his references now.

[hopefragment]

I... see.

[He doesn't, but okay. If she's having fun watching a cartoon for children, he's not going to even try to stop her.]

Do you mind if I watch it with you?

[He's comfortable here with her... don't judge him.]

[sniptuck]

[ hajime's apartment is also used as a daycare so like... she does not find watching kids cartoons weird. she is probably extremely used to it in fact? ]

It'll be more fun with you. We can tell Swiper to stop swiping together!

[ she actually won't make him do it but she definitely will do it herself. ]

[hopefragment]

...I'll leave that to you.

[Is... she really a teenager?

But there's still something about that kind of innocence that's oddly refreshing, after everything he'd gone through back home. Where children made literal dioramas using corpses. For fun. #JustDanganRonpaThings]

Are you comfortable? I can move over if you need.

[sniptuck]

You're fine, Number One!

[ for a moment it seems like that's all she's going to say, and she even shifts slightly to lean against him. ]

Oh. And thank you for talking to me about all of this.