lio catch all

[burningrescue]

Comments

[burningrescue]

Thanks!

[Stretching, giving a big yawn.]

Ah, I could sleep for a week straight! How are you doing?

[madburnout]

[Honestly. Eh. Which is an upgrade from deeply sad?]

. . . We managed to solve it. Three of them.

[burningrescue]

Yeah! We did good. You were good. You were like, so are you the monster or not? Just confess!

[madburnout]

[Sighing. Then he just sits down on the edge of the bed. Which he's apparently thinking of using? Wow.]

I'm not sure I did much of anything helpful.

[burningrescue]

Really? I think. . .people listen to you, y'know?

[He kind of stands there awkwardly, like he's deciding what to do. And then he sits down next to him.]

[madburnout]

[Making a soft noise out of his nose, like he isn't quite sure how to take that. People do listen to him, because he is the boss, but also. It's that Galo's noticed?]

You voted?

[burningrescue]

[He notices everything Lio does.

Anyway, he nods.]

For Hunter. You?

[madburnout]

For Hunter.

[Getting up, at that, moving over to the couch to flip the cushion and dig through it again? Pulling out snack foods, inspecting and discarding them. Apparently he doesn't know what he wants. Oh-- twinkies. Pulling one out for himself, throwing one at Galo.]

[burningrescue]

You guys were friends...?

[Catching his! Wow, Lio got a twinkie just for him. He feels happy and grateful.]

[madburnout]

I had only spoken to him a few times. He seemed to be a good person. I suppose it doesn't matter, when the monster transforms you.

[Coming over to sit back down, mostly just rustling with the plastic.]

[burningrescue]

[Opening his, shoving it in his mouth.]

Yeah! That's what gets me mad, when people forget that. The monsters aren't the enemy, either!

[madburnout]

It's difficult to tell at what point they stop being themselves. Akira seemed to believe Hunter was no longer his own person, at the end of the trial. You mentioned the monster will do anything for self-protection. But Metryllis seemed to have something of herself about her - at least in the moments before midnight.

[Then, just, talking with his mouth full, which probably makes this next bit less dramatic]

At what point does the person end, and the monster begin?

[burningrescue]

Mm. Not just then. She wrote Toi a note, too. But I think he wanted to keep it to himself. It said she wanted to tell him.

[Which is just. Depressing.]

I think they're the person, all the way through. It's only that sometimes something awful happens.

[madburnout]

[That's . . . heartwrenching. Galo will feel tightness in his chest at that, something burning behind his eyes. Then it calms again.]

. . . The fighting game. Do you want to play it?

[burningrescue]

[That. Is not what he expected Lio to say. But he nods right away. After that just now, he wouldn't say no to anything Lio asked.]

In the game room, you mean? Sure.

[madburnout]

[It's the one night they . . . don't have to worry about anything truly terrible happening. He's spent all day being torn up about this. He just wants to not think about it for a few hours instead. Standing up quickly, already moving for the door.]

Hurry up then.

[burningrescue]

[Shoving the rest of his twinkie in his mouth and following after!]

So! Who was punching you earlier?

[madburnout]

[Marching on upstairs!]

Beau.

[Simply.]

[burningrescue]

Yeah. She likes to fight after trials. She tried to get me to fight her after the first week.

[madburnout]

Did you fight her?

[It seemed to make her feel a bit better.]

She is taking Hunter's loss harshly.

[burningrescue]

She was drunk, so no.

[If she was sober, though. Sure. If it made her feel better.]

[madburnout]

Mm.

[To the game room! Though he's walking slowly at this point, thinking it over.]

I hadn't considered drinking in this house. It is letting your guard down.

[burningrescue]

Do you usually drink?

[That would kind of surprise him.]

I think you could let your guard down sometimes, even here.

[madburnout]

No. I don't enjoy it.

[too lame to drink.]

I will keep it up if I want to.

[burningrescue]

Me neither!

[Too lame! Anyway, he snorts at that.]

Yeah, I know. You'll never stop doing anything if you don't want to. Just saying.