17; video/action

[asea]

[There's a dissipating shower of purple flecks behind Walter, this time with more black and belts, when the feed comes on. More than that, half the trademark severity from his features has gone—he's clearly not in the mood to punch someone's lungs out. Which is new.]

Vatheon—[he grasps the cloth wrapped around his hair and pulls it off, suddenly seeing no point in it. His tone is softer from its usual guttural gruffness.]

. . . What's a soul?

action;

[After a moment of waiting, Walter cranes his neck to the side. He hasn't come to the abandoned village in months; the area's about the same as the images his memories convey him. And now, he's a little more keen about disregarding appearances to dig around.

He slides in and out of the broken buildings, taking a moment to wander each interior before moving onto the next. His hands are smeared with grime in minutes, and he rubs the flat of his fingertips against his thumb at a juncture. It's all so familiar in a way, yet he feels nothing more than . . . apathy.

People lived here, once. Probably.

Outside, he leans against what remains of a wall and looks up, his arms crossed.]

Comments

wow rude!!

[tsundyne]

[. . . Yeah, she doesn't find the reason behind it to be too important either. When he shifts the subject, she's more than happy to shift along with him, though that might actually require a more specific response than a nod or a shake of the head.

She starts typing, at first hesitantly, but then quickly as if she should just get it over with.]

saw your broadcast|

[She stops there for a second before continuing, and them showing him the screen.]

did you get an answer?

always!!

[asea]

[He directs his attention at the communicator, then moves closer when he realizes that she means to speak with them via written messages. He stares for a bit before straightening.]

Even if I did, it didn't change anything.

[He did get an answer, though.]

It was too open-ended.

[tsundyne]

[Psh -- well, who's fault was that?

. . . No, no, she won't type that though. Luckily her brain-to-hands filter works a lot better than her brain-to-mouth. Typing everything kind of gives her a chance to think; and even though she'd definitely rather have her voice back, it's nice to know being a mute has its perks.

-- or something.]

well that doesn't have to be a bad thing

[Shrugging slightly as she tilts the screen back towards him.

Open ended questions tend to give more room for people to answer, not less. But she supposes the usefulness of that would depend on just what he was trying to get at here . . .]

[asea]

It wasn't.

[He straightens from having leaned slightly to see the message.]

It just went in an unintended direction.

[A direction discussing purposes, which he'd once thought so fervently in turmoil about. Now, while it gives him food for thought, it's only that—a concept, an ideal. A reminder. And he feels only the barest yearning for that he's come to accept he won't have.

That's what he'll get from someone soulless who died more than once, he supposes.]

. . . In Vatheon, there are differences between even the same race.

[tsundyne]

[It's hard to tell how he feels about that. 'Unintended direction' could mean anything, but judging by his final comments, the discussions actually kept him engaged. He was . . . interested.

She nods to agree with him, though her demeanor suggests it was something she already knew. Not all humans are the same; and she doubts all Ferines are the same, either.

. . . Well, she would, if she knew the first thing about them.]

why the sudden interest?

[asea]

[Why the sudden interest, indeed? He looks at her, then raises an upturned hand, explaining.]

The concept of a soul varies depending on the person. But the Radiant . . . Their opinions are about the same. It's because they can see it. [It, the soul. Something others have told him is intangible and cannot be seen.] Is it different for humans, or is there a race from another world that possess a similar ability? . . . I was wondering about that.

[tsundyne]

[The ability to see souls?

She doesn't move to type her response right away. He's given her a lot to think about in a rather short moment -- who are the Radiant? Why is he thinking about them now, and where do their abilities come from?

She doesn't dwell for too long, though. She'd rather pitch the questions to him, rather than speculate uselessly on her own; but she won't do it all at once, either. Timing and opportunity are everything --]

well... last i checked, there wasnt anyone from my world who could do it. but i met someone here who can, adn she's human as far as i know|

[Tap tap tapping away with her fingers. She pauses for a brief moment, staring at the blinking cursor before continuing.]

her name is maka but you probably don't know her i guess

[asea]

No. I don't.

[His gaze drifts for a moment as he thinks, before he refocuses on Yukari.]

Has she ever told you what they're like?

[tsundyne]

[. . . She looks a bit sheepish at that. Bah, even when he's being nice, he finds ways to make her feel a bit embarrassed or incompetent.

But she supposes it's not really his fault that it's been so long.]

its been a long time, so i'd prbably have to ask her again. i jus remember she could use her ability to find people if she needed to. y;know, like if they went missing or something

[asea]

[It sounds similar enough, so he doesn't see the need for her to pursue that topic again with this person. To emphasize this, he nods.]

The teriques can be used to find people as well.

[Among many other uses.]

[tsundyne]

[She nods back. Somehow it finally hits her that she's actually having a civilized conversation with this guy -- something she never thought would be possible.

Why the heck can't he be like this all the time??]

. . .

[There's a pause. Then, more typing.]

by the radiant you said...right?|

[At least it's easy to remember. Unlike that O word he had called her so long ago.]

who are they?

[asea]

[There's a great deal of things to be said about the Radiant, given his years of exposure to them. However, most of it, from an objective or academic standpoint, is unnecessary, so he extracts the most basic and significant of the pool.]

They call themselves the people of the water. Everyone else calls them the Radiant; their hair is said to glow in the water.

[And he knows that for a fact.]

[tsundyne]

[Glow, in the water . . .

She studies his facial expression for a moment on the off-chance that he might be pulling her leg. But he's as stoic and serious as ever, so she seriously ponders it a bit.]

that's... kind of cool. youve never told me that before

[. . .]

if it's magic, there must be some kinda reason for it

[asea]

[He folds his arms. Of course he never told her before. Things were different back then.]

Nearly all of their attributes come from their bond with the sea. Humans don't compare due to the lack of that affinity. Eres, that world's magic, also belonged to them first.

[tsundyne]

[A somewhat notable pause during which Yukari just lets the information sink in. A bond with the sea . . . how can you share a bond with the sea? What's it like?

She grew up near the sea (Tatsumi Port Island), and still finds herself wondering.

Finally:]

what about you??

[asea]

[That actually gives him pause.]

What about me?

[It's strange to be asked something like that, even when he's always thinking.]

[tsundyne]

[She's curious, and he's being loose-lipped. She has to ask . . .]

well, you make them sound like people to be worshipped...

i guess i wsa just wondering if you were one of them, thats all

[asea]

. . . No. I was stating facts.

[People to be worshipped? Hardly.]

Humans and Radiant have had a history of strife for four thousand years.

[tsundyne]

[Four thousand --?!

Jeez! Talk about your grudges . . . she actually looks surprised at that, though she luckily maintains a grip on her SFC. Her lifeline for this week, apparently.]

thats crazy... i woud've thought youd be happy to get away from all that

least for a while

[She knows it won't last forever, but it sure feels like long enough.]

[asea]

[It is a large number, to be sure, though he doesn't share her surprise. The gravity of that bloody history has been lost on him since the start of the week, whether for better or for wose.]

I was removed from the conflict toward the end. What follows no longer concerns me.

[He's being oddly euphemistic, but while he's known for being blunt, even Walter has qualms about blurting his lack of life. He's still being entirely truthful.

In any case — ] The war is over. There's little left to imagine.

1/2

[tsundyne]

[Removed?

That's an interesting way of putting it. Surprisingly, Yukari doesn't think of death right away -- merely a soldier who was removed from combat for whatever reason. Even if it's wrong, it's the kind of vibe, the image she gets . . .]

[tsundyne]

[She doesn't really know what else to say, at least not right away. She lets her fingers rest for a while as she considers everything she's been told. Everything she still doesn't understand.

Finally, rather than asking how the war ended . . .]

war never really turns out well for anyone involved

[asea]

Ultimately, it does for the victor. But the consequences are usually dire.

[Perhaps enlightening, too, come the aftermath. Even if this apparently took him over a year.]

Still, there's purpose. That purpose will continue to drive progress now that the war has ended.

[ . . . not that it matters to him.]

[tsundyne]

maybe|

[For a while, she only types the single word, staring at its blinking cursor. She still has so many questions, now that she has this chance -- but she also feels so limited.

Hnn.]

but does that progress extend to the loser as well? theyre still left picking up the broken pieces

[asea]

That's part of war. And the world.

[Win-win situations are few and far in between.]

Why else would they be fighting? It's because they want something, and someone has to lose for it.