[a little later...denji will receive a visitor who has mostly calmed down from everything that just happened. oh my god did he get to keep pochita, HIS POOR DOG. but regardless he enters the room and gives him a slight nod of a greeting.]
Sure, no problem. [but he will help himself to that slice!] Crazy's definitely a word for it. [along with shitty, unfair, and outrageous.] How're you holding up so far?
You've had a pretty rough life, haven't you. [he's picked up bits and pieces from denji himself and things people have told him.] But then again being a devil hunter probably doesn't mean you get a lot of gratitude and niceties from people.
[he. very much remembers how candid denji was talking about killing people. it's fine.]
Never really thought of it as "rough" or whatever, but when I talk to people about it they always kinda give me this look that makes me feel like it was pretty bad?
[there's a voice, not his or pochita's, but an old man's voice remembered: "you don't have human rights"]
Whatever it was, it was different to like, a normal life, that's for sure. [he munches on another slice of pizza]
[oh. don't like that. he immediately sort of frowns while he's chewing, trying to figure out what to say to that.]
...I think it's just because people think you deserve better. Everybody should get to experience things like...y'know. Going to school, having a home, playing sports and video games and eating good food and going on dates and stuff. Something to experience that makes you happy.
[although that. hm. does explain a few things. wow. what the fuck.]
[this is the worst i can't believe denji's slaughtering me right before he dies. all in all though...it's kind of nice to know.]
It's not like it's hard to be nice to you. [contemplative pizza chewing.] What's been the best thing you've gotten to do here? Even bad things like this have good parts.
Hmm...really liked that big party we all had, where everyone was all dressed up. That had everything: tons of tasty grub, cute girls in fancy clothes, music and fireworks...
[...]
...I know most people got their homes and stuff they gotta get back to, but I'd be okay staying here. Even if I was dyin' and comin' back all the time.
[there's a faint smile because yeah. winter ball was actually pretty fun? god that was forever ago, it feels like. but it's nice to think about all the same. even so, he shakes his head at the second part.]
Nah, man, come on. You don't want to stay here. There's a lot more stuff to do and see in other places. [...] ...we all have to go back anyway. But...maybe you don't have to go back to where you came from? Maybe you could find a way to go somewhere else, especially if there's a train that's taking us home or something. You can just get off at whatever stop you want.
[denji's voice, but again with the echo of memory: "if we ran...pretty sure we'd get the devil treatment this time for real..."
he shakes his head, as much to clear out all these old thoughts as anything]
Rita said it was like time was stopped here, so I wasn't too worried about slackin' off and enjoyin' myself, but...if I can go back then I gotta. I've got...promises and stuff I need to see through.
She's right. I asked the dorm heads, too, when we first got here. Everything in our own worlds is stopped, but I'm not sure if that means it's stopped until we leave this place, or if it's stopped until we return to where we came from.
[he wants to say something else, but he pauses then.]
Well, if I can get us all outta Hell and kill the rest of those assassins at the mall then I gotta help out with the mission to take down the Gun Devil.
[then maybe the three of us can... —the thought is pushed down]
I promised Miss Makima, and Aki'll probably get killed if he tries to do it by himself.
Hmm, well Miss Makima's my boss but she also gave me the real good life I have in Tokyo, and Aki's...my friend? Huh, I guess we're kinda friends now...
I just...for a long time no one counted on me for anything or praised me for doin' good work and I don't wanna let any of them down.
...make the decision you think is right for you when the time comes, alright? It's not an easy choice when you're stuck between knowing you have to go back and finish what you started or staying somewhere comfortable, but I don't think you're letting anybody down.
...when we were in the Digital World the first time, something happened and I ended up in a rift that took me and Agumon back to Earth while the rest of my friends stayed behind. We got to go back to my house, see my sister, eat a real meal and everything. For a little while I even thought about staying there instead of going back.
But Agumon couldn't stay. He had to go back to the Digital World, and I knew he needed me or he wouldn't make it on his own. And the rest of our friends still there and looking for us, too. So even though it meant leaving home and leaving Hikari and maybe never coming back for a while, if ever, I went back to where I was needed.
[...so the answer is that he'd do what denji initially said he would do himself because that's what you do as a protag.]
Figured you say somethin' like that. You've got that classic hero sorta vibe.
Guess I'd look extra bad now if I didn't go back and help 'em out, but...maybe if we were all able to get here that means we can do it again just, like, without the puppet master murder magic stuff.
I don't know about coming back here specifically, but...there has to be a way we can at least see each other again when this is all over. It wouldn't be the first time I've made friends who were living in other worlds.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w6 saturday
...hey man. Up for a visit?
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Oh, hey, dude. Yeah, pull up a chair.
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In case you're hungry later. You've probably still got a bunch of snacks, but pizza's always good. Easy to eat even if it's cold.
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[he just starts in on those slices, but he does hold one out to taichi as well]
So, pretty crazy, huh?
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Sure, no problem. [but he will help himself to that slice!] Crazy's definitely a word for it. [along with shitty, unfair, and outrageous.] How're you holding up so far?
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Pretty okay. I already told some people, but this isn't exactly weird for me, y'know?
[pochita whines and denji pats him gently]
I guess maybe the part where everyone comes and says nice things to me is...
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You've had a pretty rough life, haven't you. [he's picked up bits and pieces from denji himself and things people have told him.] But then again being a devil hunter probably doesn't mean you get a lot of gratitude and niceties from people.
[he. very much remembers how candid denji was talking about killing people. it's fine.]
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[there's a voice, not his or pochita's, but an old man's voice remembered: "you don't have human rights"]
Whatever it was, it was different to like, a normal life, that's for sure. [he munches on another slice of pizza]
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...I think it's just because people think you deserve better. Everybody should get to experience things like...y'know. Going to school, having a home, playing sports and video games and eating good food and going on dates and stuff. Something to experience that makes you happy.
[although that. hm. does explain a few things. wow. what the fuck.]
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And thanks to you and other people bein' so nice to me here, I feel like I got to finally do all that.
[he presses his head to pochita's]
Right, buddy? Pretty good week, huh?
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It's not like it's hard to be nice to you. [contemplative pizza chewing.] What's been the best thing you've gotten to do here? Even bad things like this have good parts.
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[...]
...I know most people got their homes and stuff they gotta get back to, but I'd be okay staying here. Even if I was dyin' and comin' back all the time.
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Nah, man, come on. You don't want to stay here. There's a lot more stuff to do and see in other places. [...] ...we all have to go back anyway. But...maybe you don't have to go back to where you came from? Maybe you could find a way to go somewhere else, especially if there's a train that's taking us home or something. You can just get off at whatever stop you want.
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he shakes his head, as much to clear out all these old thoughts as anything]
Rita said it was like time was stopped here, so I wasn't too worried about slackin' off and enjoyin' myself, but...if I can go back then I gotta. I've got...promises and stuff I need to see through.
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She's right. I asked the dorm heads, too, when we first got here. Everything in our own worlds is stopped, but I'm not sure if that means it's stopped until we leave this place, or if it's stopped until we return to where we came from.
[he wants to say something else, but he pauses then.]
...what kind of promises?
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[then maybe the three of us can... —the thought is pushed down]
I promised Miss Makima, and Aki'll probably get killed if he tries to do it by himself.
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Sounds like a pretty big job...Miss Makima and Aki are friends of yours?
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I just...for a long time no one counted on me for anything or praised me for doin' good work and I don't wanna let any of them down.
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...make the decision you think is right for you when the time comes, alright? It's not an easy choice when you're stuck between knowing you have to go back and finish what you started or staying somewhere comfortable, but I don't think you're letting anybody down.
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...when we were in the Digital World the first time, something happened and I ended up in a rift that took me and Agumon back to Earth while the rest of my friends stayed behind. We got to go back to my house, see my sister, eat a real meal and everything. For a little while I even thought about staying there instead of going back.
But Agumon couldn't stay. He had to go back to the Digital World, and I knew he needed me or he wouldn't make it on his own. And the rest of our friends still there and looking for us, too. So even though it meant leaving home and leaving Hikari and maybe never coming back for a while, if ever, I went back to where I was needed.
[...so the answer is that he'd do what denji initially said he would do himself because that's what you do as a protag.]
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he smiles at him]
Figured you say somethin' like that. You've got that classic hero sorta vibe.
Guess I'd look extra bad now if I didn't go back and help 'em out, but...maybe if we were all able to get here that means we can do it again just, like, without the puppet master murder magic stuff.
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but there's a slight grin in return.]
I don't know about coming back here specifically, but...there has to be a way we can at least see each other again when this is all over. It wouldn't be the first time I've made friends who were living in other worlds.