caughtinanetwork | Thirteenth Transmission [voice]

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Thirteenth Transmission [voice]

[There is absolutely no sense in not acknowledging that something has happened, all the polite worries of "I don't want to be a bother" aside. This is a big change, and though Maka is not going to let it break her down, it still hurts like hell.

Thus, when the feed clicks on, Maka's voice is steady, but completely lacking in any sort of emotion.]

Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing, but Rin Okumura has gone home.

[She shouldn't be upset, she has no right to, she knew this would happen eventually. Nothing lasts forever.

No, she shouldn't be negative and mope, he might come back after all.]

I just thought anybody that knew him might like to know. [A pause before she adds:] And if you think that gives you a right to punch him when he comes back, you'll have to go through me first.

[That final confirmation reassures herself, falsely or not. Yes, he will come back, giving up hope is the absolute last thing she should be doing right now.]

Thank you for your time. Sorry for the bother again.

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How do you know that for sure?

[Because this is Yukio's first experience with people going home. 8D]

His soul isn't here.

[And if anybody can get a direct answer like that, it's Maka.]

...And he wasn't there when I woke up.

[Ah. Welp, that makes perfect sense.]

... I see.

[Maka must remind herself that she should be kind to Yukio in this case; it's not just her boyfriend that left Vatheon, it's his brother. He and Yukio were all each other had growing up, from what Rin told her.]

I know you never liked me, but please try to understand that I'm just as upset by this as you are.

[Huh. That... actually kind of irritates him. Sure, Yukio hasn't been the nicest guy around, but he thinks he's never been outright unpleasant toward Maka. He's sure Rin's told her about their brotherly disagreements, but the younger twin isn't completely heartless.]

Albarn-san, just because I don't approve of your... relationship configuration doesn't mean that I can't understand and respect your feelings at a time like this.

...Why do you talk like that? Saying configuration I mean.

[Oh, it looks like that talk with Yukio is happening now.]

When you say that, it sounds like you're talking about a squad that goes on missions together, not people that are in a mutual relationship.

I know it's hard for you to accept that things have changed...how do you think I felt when I realized that I had feelings for two people? It scared the hell out of me, I thought I was finally becoming like my old pervert father. It's easy for anybody to write it off as immoral or not legitimate, but there are still people involved in the relationship. People with feelings, people that have brains and have discussed things, we're not just a bunch of stupid kids that couldn't decide between people we liked and went with both. It was hard to even bring up the topic, I wouldn't have done it at all if it wasn't for Kid being straightforward like he always is.

[A beat.]

Yukio, why? Why did you have to talk like that to Rin? He loves you more than anything, he never stopped talking about his brother and how great he is, even before we originally started dating. But whenever I hear about how you talk to him, it's seems so cruel, and Rin just takes it because you're his brother and he loves you. I can't abide by someone mistreating a person that I love, even if they're family.

[... Not what he was expecting. Not at all.

Yukio falls quiet for several long seconds. When he does respond, he skips over the topic of Maka and Rin's (and Kid's) relationship entirely. He hasn't discussed it with Rin since that day at the carnival, and he has no desire to broach the topic again. If Rin was dating just Maka, or just Kid, it would've been an entirely different matter, but as things currently are? Their relationship is only inviting complications and heartbreak in Yukio's eyes, and he's not convinced that Rin fully comprehends the emotional chance he's taking.

But those questions? Those hit a little too close for comfort. He knows Rin is proud of him, looks up to him, strives to surpass him... Years ago that would've been exactly what the young exorcist wanted, but now it only makes a complicated situation worse. Yukio doesn't understand it himself half the time. That head of his is quite a mess, and he's done nothing but shove that mess further and further under the rug since he arrived in Vatheon.]

With all due respect, you don't understand the situation. [Except she probably does understand a big chunk of it. Stop being an ass, Yukio.] He is my brother, and just because I don't coddle him doesn't mean I don't care.

I don't expect you to coddle him, I expect you to not treat him like everything is his fault and you have the right to be angry with him for things outside of his control.

[It's not easy coping with things like that, of course. She knows. She's coped with some difficult things too.]

It's screwed up is what I'm saying. I don't understand it. You're so closed off and angry, but quietly so...it makes me sick in my heart, you're containing something that's going to boil over eventually and you won't let anybody in to ease that pain.

I...

[She pauses for a moment.]

I feel sorry for you.

[That simple statement strikes Yukio silent once more, and he's suddenly very glad that he chose to go with audio only.

How many times has he heard that same speech? Different words from different people in an entirely different world, but it's the same message... though no one has gone so far as Maka just did. Maybe Toudou did, but in a very different way.

It takes him a few tries to force out a response, and it's a pretty lame one when he does manage it, but what else can he say? He doesn't want anyone's pity. He can't be the sort of person who needs to be pitied.]

I can handle myself just fine, thank you.

...[He can't.

Not even she can handle things on her own all the time.

This isn't actually any of her business, but things like this can destroy a person, and Yukio isn't a bad person at all, just the opposite! She couldn't stand to watch a good person tear themselves apart.]

There was a man once named Asura...he was paranoid and didn't trust anyone, and so he isolated himself and destroyed everything that ever had a connection to him. He began to consume souls and warped into a demon god...and he set out to make fear and insanity consume the world, and there is nothing anybody can do to deal with Asura now but destroy him.

No man is an island, whether they're a god, a human, a demon or even half-demon.

["Half-demon" has no emphasis put on it, but it is last in the listing for a reason...she doesn't want him to think she's accusing him of having demonic traits.]

[What Maka intends doesn't really matter, because Yukio will always latch on to the option most applicable to his current mindset. Once more he's grateful for the lack of video, because someone doesn't have the best control over his face at the moment.]

... Sometimes isolation is necessary.

[Because sometimes you know your reactions are illogical, but you can't stop feeling the way you do. Sometimes telling the truth could get you tossed onto the chopping block right beside the person you're trying so hard to protect. Sometimes you sign a blood contract that forbids you from getting other concerns off your chest, on pain of death.

Sometimes you get so used to your questions going unanswered for so long that you can't trust anyone else to help you find a solution.]

Doesn't that make it easier for demons to take advantage of you?

[It's blunt, but she has absorbed a lot of the things that she and Shiro have talked about.]

...Wrath and pride, right?

[Damn it. He's not used to people being this forthright. At least when Shura does it he can brush her off. He's had loads of practice at that. Maka's a different story.]

I'll be fine.

[Now he's just being stubborn. He's a lot more like Rin than he'd like to admit.]

Will you?

[He really is similar to Rin, though at least Rin is working on his habit of taking all trouble onto himself...]

...Or is that just your pride talking? Training yourself for years to be strong and feeling a dip in confidence because of hang-ups?

To be perfectly frank, Albarn-san, it's really none of your business.

[Yeeeeep, sounds like someone's pretty done with this line of discussion. Such a jerk, Yukio.]

It will be, when you overflow with whatever is gnawing at you inside.

[She can be perfectly frank right back at him.]

[Yep, done with this. Done with Soul Perception and missing brothers and invasive questions from total strangers. 100% done.]

Don't concern yourself with me.

[And click goes the feed. He'll feel bad later about being so harsh about, but Maka did manage to hit quite a few sore spots.]

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Thirteenth Transmission [voice]

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