hasteful | buzen holds vin up high

[his eyes narrow at the pods, confused, and then - ]

... at least if someone got injured last night if there was a fight, they may not get the chance to heal themselves.

[maybe.]

Prism? Malice? Everything went wrong in the exact right ways last night.

...Do you think someone else did this?

[she frowns at the idea, but she can't really discount it, either.]

I do have to wonder if the two were connected. [...] Last week at Kumon and Atsushi's party - you said that when you, Garou and Vax went to the kitchen, you had an urge out of nowhere to kill the two of them when you entered into the passageway, right? What did it feel like?

Something or someone had to have. If they have a body, they could risk getting injured. If they could face that risk, they would want to repair - but they cannot.

[so that's. something?]

... it felt like - hatred. I think. It's not something I've felt before. [that kind of discontent, bitterness, is so foreign to him]

I was mad that they left me behind. I thought they were going to trap me, and so I would have to kill them first before they succeeded. So I tried.

[she pauses for a long moment, nodding.]

When we all found ourselves in a different area yesterday... For most of the time, we had reason to fight, so I didn't feel any kind of compulsion to do so. But there was a point where we were transported to a separate location, and it was only Marceline there. The elements of that place that had forced us to fight were gone, but... I still felt like I needed to kill her. Like she was a threat to everyone I cared about. So I wonder if it is - tied somehow to what happened to you, and...

[whatever happened to ryunosuke, last night.]

[ . . . ]

You think someone could have been manipulated into hurting him? Because of - a feeling? A compulsion?

...That is my fear.

[a beat.]

But at least if that is the case - it's not because someone truly wanted to. It does not change what happened, and it would make me more worried about what might happen going forward, but...

[ . . . buzen pauses at that.]

So you're saying we shouldn't kill them?

[it's a genuine question. curious. he's not sure what the morality of that lies, and what humans do or don't believe.

but his mindset is still that of a weapon.]

...I hadn't been thinking of that.

[a beat.]

But if I am correct about why this happened, which I'm not at all sure about... I would think before jumping to that, we should see if it could be fixed. As soon as you left that place, you were back in your right mind, right? You didn't want to hurt the others anymore.

[he nods.]

That's right.

[a beat passes]

I'm not asking because I want to kill anyone, or because I think it'd be right to do so. That's a question for humans to ask.

I just can't let any more of you get hurt, so long as I can help it. [he has no problem playing executioner, if it means saving others. but he also has no delight or desire for it.] But if someone wasn't in control of themselves, and can recover, then I don't see any reason to harm them.

Edited 2022-02-26 01:55 (UTC)

[she pauses for a moment.]

I do not see it would not be a question for you to ask, too.

[he tilts his head at that]

... why would it be?

I'm just a sword.

If you can speak and think, I don't see why asking questions or having opinions is a bad thing.

[he shakes his head]

I have questions, and I have opinions. They come with this body whether I like it or not.

But I don't really interfere with the choices people make.

[she frowns.]

But... What about your choices?

Hm... I make a few choices. There are things that I get to decide, when it's in the moment.

But I mostly follow the mission, and my duty to humanity.

[so he'll never make a choice that really overrides what a group of humans want]

[thinking it over...]

I do not like that, I don't think.

[ . . . . well

he smiles a little at that, despite everything]

... that's kind of you, Vin.

[but also he doesn't seem to question his own priorities]

[she shrugs.]

I just don't like people thinking they are not as important as others just because of who they are. It's nothing to do with kindness.

I think it still counts.

It's easy to see us as weapons, because that's what we are, and tools to reach an end. Being told that we're important is... well, nice.

[even though he doesn't seem to really believe it]

It is... a low bar that you're praising me for.

[embarrassed.....]

... it might be higher than you think.

[people are cruel. buzen knows that. he doesn't mind being seen as a tool - it's just nice to hear that others might feel differently]

Either way, thank you.

We'll see what happens once we find whoever did this.

...I would doubt that, I think.

[people are cruel, but she still believes there should be a baseline of decency that anyone meets, even if it very often doesn't happen that way.]

You feel certain that we will find them, then?

Certain... Hm...

[ . . . . ]

I almost feel like we have no choice.

It would be worse for morale if we don't, and more dangerous.

Yes, but... Both of those are true, but they don't mean we'll succeed.

They don't.

But the desperation provides considerable incentive.

We can always prepare for what'd happen if we don't find them.

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