[Sol waits for Minato and Grim Eyes at the library today, waiting for the two of them to approach. They're actually sitting outside of the building with a book in their hands, the two notes acting as a bookmark as they wait. Hearing the footsteps they look up and yet they don't speak until the two are closer.
[ The answer is yes. But Minato also looks somewhat disappointed that they're not wearing the headband. He keeps his hands in his pockets, hanging back a little for Grim Eyes to talk, because this whole discussion is really for her. He's just being nosy and hanging out too. ]
They brought us into this core of the universe place, they must know about whatever's going on with us.
[Grim Eyes doesn't sound very convinced Sol had nothing to do with it, but...it's not like she can force Sol to talk. Much as she hates to admit it, her hands are tied when it's about getting answers]
Getting really tired of saying I didn't bring you here... [They don't sound mad, just exhausted. With that, they turn to face Grim Eyes, seemingly open to conversation despite that.]
The thing is? She wasn't the girl you knew anymore. The corruption had started to take over her heart and change her. If we didn't purify her...it'd be a little like rotting on the inside. Is that any nicer to her?
[They sound sympathetic at least. ] I'm sorry. I don't know why it chose her. Not really. But we had to save her, and this was the only way to help her and Tsurumaru.
The universe isn't always nice to people who blatantly ignore a problem.
[ Minato's quiet for a bit, because while that girl wasn't the one they knew anymore, she was still in there. It's still her, and there should have been a way to save her without... ]
...You said, at the beginning of the trial... that we were to find where the darkness was hidden, and decide what to do. We didn't... I don't think anybody wanted her to die.
[ He looks from Grim Eyes, seeking confirmation, to Sol, wanting to ask a question he already knows the answer to. Was there really no other way to purify her? ]
The purification... we don't know if it worked, do we? We're all still here, so this isn't the end of it.
You'd have to be pretty heartless to want her to die just like that. [She'd forgive as long as there was hesitation] So I'm having all these nasty dreams because I felt bad for her? Gee, thanks a lot, universe.
[She understands she was blatantly ignoring the problem but that sure won't stop her from feeling bitter over it]
Even this stuff will end someday. We just have to keep stomping out that corruption thing if it keeps popping up.
[She says, as if she had done much stomping out corruption last trial with her vote for herself]
No one said that we wanted to kill her. [A mild correction.] The universe doesn't really...I don't know if it actually understands feelings outside of what's "right" and what's "wrong." At least in the sense of "a corrupted person is bad, a purified person is good."
...this world is still experiencing corruption in different places. We're able to track some of it to cleanse the core. That's why we opened the gateway. The purification of Mary herself worked though. [They pause, as if they're going to say more but think better of it.] That's all I can really say about it for right now though.
Lune and I are looking in different gateways and paths to try and find a better solution for purifying those who begin to corrupt. But for now, this is our answer. Sometimes...you have to die to become whole again. I just wish we had a better answer.
[ Grim Eyes makes it sound so easy, just stomping out the corruption. The problem is that the corruption is still happening, that they didn't do enough to head it off because it's spread—- has it already spread? he can't help but split a look between Sol and Grim Eyes again— and they'll never get anywhere if they're constantly chasing after it. ]
Do you know what the point of the corruption is? If it's to kill, there's no reason to bring us here specifically to die.
[ Sol and Lune live here(? he thinks) so what's the point of them. ]
I dunno much about how this kind of thing is like, but if it's like what little I know then the corruption has no point. It just...will do whatever it wants just because it can.
[All she knows about evil for the sake of evil is from what a friend told her, and it wasn't even that much -- or very precise, but she doesn't know that]
She has a point. [Sol gestures to Grim Eyes.] The core itself was vulnerable and started to experience instability. Lune and I were at completely opposite ends of the universe before we were called here and asked to investigate. I still don't understand why us, but maybe I never will.
I don't think anyone was called here to die, but I do think the corruption is something unwieldy that can help or hurt the core itself. That's where you guys come in.
[ Hmmmmm. It's all these familiar words, but Minato understands nothing about it. He keeps glancing over at Grim Eyes, who seems to have a much better grasp of the situation than he does, and decides that if she's not particularly bothered, then he doesn't have to be either. ]
I don't understand what this "core" is, exactly...
[ A glance over at Grim Eyes, in case she does and it's actually universal knowledge and he's just the dumb one here. Somebody help him out. ]
Really hope you don't mean me. [A joke...but give them a moment before two items appear in their hands. A red crayon, and a piece of paper. Sol begins to draw as they explain.]
So this dot is the core. This is where we are. Kinda like a home world...as the core starts to develop and grow, it starts to branch out and make contact with other worlds. [Drawing, Sol draws lines and circles to represent other worlds.] As the universe continues to explain, all worlds find themselves somehow attached to this core. The core is reborn every now and then to start growing the universe around it. If something's affecting the core...then it affects all of the worlds around it. See?
[ Conceptually, yes, it's easy to see what Sol's laid out like that. But no, he doesn't get it. It takes a lot to resist looking over at Grim Eyes again with a pleading look, so instead, Minato tries staring at the crayon diagram a little harder.
.........no, he doesn't get it. ]
If the core is corrupted, does that mean it's to be broken and reborn again, to reset things? Is that what you meant by "sometimes you have to die to become whole again"?
[ What happens to the universe when the core resets? The universe is the universe... It's always existed and it always will, that's the only way Minato can comprehend all of this. ]
[It's like when there's a good leader in a community, everything is nice and happy. Then someone corrupt gets the role and everyone starts to suffer. Seems close enough]
This can't be the first time this is happening, right?
It's not really, but usually the core is able to be adjusted before the universe is thrown out of place. It's sort of like replacing it with a new part each time. If you replace it with a bad part, then nothing can be fixed.
The core can be broken and reset to help protect the worlds it's attached to. But some people might not want that as a way to control other worlds. That's why you're all here to make a choice on what to do.
[ The more words people say the less Minato understands and this is like Homestuck all over again.
That's.. fine. He doesn't have to make a choice himself, he can support other people's choices and that's... fine. It's fine. His goal here will be to play backup and get everybody else home with as few casualties as possible, so he won't waste time trying to understand something he can't. ]
Then... hm... [ if he's understanding at least part of it right, it's still a shot in the dark ] The core is connected to different worlds. Our worlds. Is it possible for Grim Eyes to talk to somebody back home, or at least check in and see if things are okay?
I wish we could, but with time stopped and everything I don't know if that'd even work. I could always try to ask, but...it may not be right away. To them, you guys haven't even been here that long. But I can try and see what they say.
[ "They" is what? The Universe? The Core?? Something or somebody in charge of all of this, but in the end, Minato supposes it doesn't matter who they are, just what they can do and what they need done. ]
I think my would will be just fine without me. [ It's already doomed. There's no saving it. But he glances over at Grim Eyes and smiles a little. ] It'd put people at ease knowing people homes are okay, though. That way, we can all focus on what's going on here.
[Nit right away. Figures. Nothing can be easy when it's about one's fears. But looks like that's the only option. Grim Eyes take a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down]
Fine. Ask 'em whenever you think they will agree.
[A 'maybe in the future' is better than a 'never ever', so she's not going to press too much]
So now let's focus on kicking some corrupted ass, I guess.
Hm... Exploring that place you were talking about, I guess. We should probably get back to it...
[ But nothing more than that. He has some little personal side projects he wants to work on, but all of that's on the backburner for later, they can wait. ]
Both of those sound like they're better plans than just sitting around...and hopefully the dreams stop soon, too. Let me know if anything comes up? I'll admit I'm kinda curious, too. You're likely to see more than we do when it comes to stuff like that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Week 1, Wednesday
The headband is also in their lap.]
You really want to turn me into a cat, don't you?
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[ The answer is yes. But Minato also looks somewhat disappointed that they're not wearing the headband. He keeps his hands in his pockets, hanging back a little for Grim Eyes to talk, because this whole discussion is really for her. He's just being nosy and hanging out too. ]
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You wouldn't survive not even one day as a cat.
[Nobody asked you, Grim Eyes. Still, she mumbles, clearly unhappy]
At least cats wouldn't put nightmares into people's heads.
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[At Grim Eye's statement however they pause. ] Cats wouldn't do that and neither would I. Sorry to tell you that.
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You don't seem surprised to hear about that, though, Sol... Do you know anything about it?
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[Grim Eyes doesn't sound very convinced Sol had nothing to do with it, but...it's not like she can force Sol to talk. Much as she hates to admit it, her hands are tied when it's about getting answers]
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You voted for yourself, right? And Minato didn't.
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Why would you vote for yourself? You know you didn't do it.
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...I just couldn't bring myself to throw that girl to the wolves.
[Hard to think of doing such a thing to someone whose first reaction to seeing her was go for a hug]
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[They sound sympathetic at least. ] I'm sorry. I don't know why it chose her. Not really. But we had to save her, and this was the only way to help her and Tsurumaru.
The universe isn't always nice to people who blatantly ignore a problem.
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...You said, at the beginning of the trial... that we were to find where the darkness was hidden, and decide what to do. We didn't... I don't think anybody wanted her to die.
[ He looks from Grim Eyes, seeking confirmation, to Sol, wanting to ask a question he already knows the answer to. Was there really no other way to purify her? ]
The purification... we don't know if it worked, do we? We're all still here, so this isn't the end of it.
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[She understands she was blatantly ignoring the problem but that sure won't stop her from feeling bitter over it]
Even this stuff will end someday. We just have to keep stomping out that corruption thing if it keeps popping up.
[She says, as if she had done much stomping out corruption last trial with her vote for herself]
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...this world is still experiencing corruption in different places. We're able to track some of it to cleanse the core. That's why we opened the gateway. The purification of Mary herself worked though. [They pause, as if they're going to say more but think better of it.] That's all I can really say about it for right now though.
Lune and I are looking in different gateways and paths to try and find a better solution for purifying those who begin to corrupt. But for now, this is our answer. Sometimes...you have to die to become whole again. I just wish we had a better answer.
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Do you know what the point of the corruption is? If it's to kill, there's no reason to bring us here specifically to die.
[ Sol and Lune live here(? he thinks) so what's the point of them. ]
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[All she knows about evil for the sake of evil is from what a friend told her, and it wasn't even that much -- or very precise, but she doesn't know that]
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I don't think anyone was called here to die, but I do think the corruption is something unwieldy that can help or hurt the core itself. That's where you guys come in.
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I don't understand what this "core" is, exactly...
[ A glance over at Grim Eyes, in case she does and it's actually universal knowledge and he's just the dumb one here. Somebody help him out. ]
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[Definitely not universal knowledge]
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So this dot is the core. This is where we are. Kinda like a home world...as the core starts to develop and grow, it starts to branch out and make contact with other worlds. [Drawing, Sol draws lines and circles to represent other worlds.] As the universe continues to explain, all worlds find themselves somehow attached to this core. The core is reborn every now and then to start growing the universe around it. If something's affecting the core...then it affects all of the worlds around it. See?
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.........no, he doesn't get it. ]
If the core is corrupted, does that mean it's to be broken and reborn again, to reset things? Is that what you meant by "sometimes you have to die to become whole again"?
[ What happens to the universe when the core resets? The universe is the universe... It's always existed and it always will, that's the only way Minato can comprehend all of this. ]
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[It's like when there's a good leader in a community, everything is nice and happy. Then someone corrupt gets the role and everyone starts to suffer. Seems close enough]
This can't be the first time this is happening, right?
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The core can be broken and reset to help protect the worlds it's attached to. But some people might not want that as a way to control other worlds. That's why you're all here to make a choice on what to do.
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That's.. fine. He doesn't have to make a choice himself, he can support other people's choices and that's... fine. It's fine. His goal here will be to play backup and get everybody else home with as few casualties as possible, so he won't waste time trying to understand something he can't. ]
Then... hm... [ if he's understanding at least part of it right, it's still a shot in the dark ] The core is connected to different worlds. Our worlds. Is it possible for Grim Eyes to talk to somebody back home, or at least check in and see if things are okay?
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[This is why she's starting to like you, Minato, you're not too shabby, kid]
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I wish we could, but with time stopped and everything I don't know if that'd even work. I could always try to ask, but...it may not be right away. To them, you guys haven't even been here that long. But I can try and see what they say.
You're worried about your worlds?
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I think my would will be just fine without me. [ It's already doomed. There's no saving it. But he glances over at Grim Eyes and smiles a little. ] It'd put people at ease knowing people homes are okay, though. That way, we can all focus on what's going on here.
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Fine. Ask 'em whenever you think they will agree.
[A 'maybe in the future' is better than a 'never ever', so she's not going to press too much]
So now let's focus on kicking some corrupted ass, I guess.
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Got a plan for what to do next then? [Grim Eyes seems pretty motivated.]
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[ But nothing more than that. He has some little personal side projects he wants to work on, but all of that's on the backburner for later, they can wait. ]
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[Foregone conclusion: won't work. Hah!]
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