[She's leaned into him, but now she lets her head tilt sideways onto his shoulder, bringing an arm up to rub at her face. She isn't making eye contact - it feels raw and vulnerable enough to discuss this when she isn't looking at him. She's not certain if she could continue if she were.]
Whoever it is... You deserve - you really deserve to see them again.
If there's anything I can do to help, I - I know how hard it is.
[She's heard those words a thousand times by now - let me know if I can help. You can count on me. I'm there for you. She's hoping they sound less empty from someone who's experienced something similar.
When he asks that, though, it's almost like she sinks into herself. Her voice grows tighter when she speaks.]
I don't know what I want. I thought I did. When I came here, it was because I wanted him back. And - it's not like I don't still want that. Of course I do. I just...
[ Yu only lets her talk. He knows she knows. This is their shared pain, their shared reason. Death. He wonders idly how many other people are here for the same reason: to save someone they love.
He'd wager it isn't just the two of them.
Carefully, he'll only squeeze her shoulder when she trails off. He doesn't speak; the motion itself is a prompt, if she wants to continue. ]
[There's a pause as she tries to hold herself together, but - it doesn't quite work. She's talked to people about this before, but not anyone who she truly thought would understand the weight of it.
Even as she swallows and blinks to try and stop herself, it's almost like she's cracking apart. Her words are thick with tears; her face is a little bit of a mess, suddenly.]
What if, what if I bring him back and he h-hates me for it?
[ Yu breathes out. He doesn't gather her into his arms, exactly; but he pulls her a little closer, and he'll press his face into her hair, every hiccup of her tears stabbing at his heart.
This wonderful person shouldn't have to suffer like this, he thinks. ]
Zoe.
[ His voice feels rough in his throat.
What do you say to this? To this kind of loss? His friends died. But taking your own life...
Yu is quiet again for a long moment just holding her close, resting his cheek on her hair and staring at the water. ]
[If there's a hesitation before she answers his question, it's only because she's trying to force her voice to sound normal again. It doesn't work by any stretch of the imagination. She stares down at the ground, hard, sorrow and fear and anger all writhing around in her chest.]
[ God. He can't help it. He lets a breath go, winded like she just punched him right in the chest.
He doesn't say anything right away. He just, god, he hugs her tighter and wishes the world were fair. ]
... I guess the first thing I would say is that you'd be doing what you did to help. To set things right. And there's nothing wrong with that. The second is...
[ A pause. ]
I actually have a suggestion, but I'm not sure if that's the kind of thing you want to hear right now.
[She rubs a few tear tracks off her cheeks, sniffing, before she just nods. There isn't any verbal agreement, she doesn't trust her voice, but it's clear from her expression that she wants him to go on.]
[There's a pause, while she rubs some of the remaining tears off her face. They're slowing up little by little, especially when she glances his way with a new kind of realization.
It's still watery (not to mention how congested she sounds), but:]
[It takes her a while to connect that 'we' to the implied meaning, but when she realizes... The look on her face speaks for itself. She turns towards him for the first time in minutes to make eye contact, horrified and shocked.]
I was shocked when I heard Uchiha-san's reason for going after Misaki-san, all those weeks ago. And then it seemed... there might be a few of us here like that, after all.
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]
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Because he understands that, too: not knowing how to uncurl.
Hushed: ]
More than anything.
[ It goes without saying: ]
It's why I'm here. To save them.
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Whoever it is... You deserve - you really deserve to see them again.
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[ the force of his emotion hushes his voice, and he's staring out over the water, intense and unseeing. ]
No matter what.
[ ... ]
You don't need to tell me what it is you want. [ much more softly. ] But whatever it is, you know I'll listen.
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[She's heard those words a thousand times by now - let me know if I can help. You can count on me. I'm there for you. She's hoping they sound less empty from someone who's experienced something similar.
When he asks that, though, it's almost like she sinks into herself. Her voice grows tighter when she speaks.]
I don't know what I want. I thought I did. When I came here, it was because I wanted him back. And - it's not like I don't still want that. Of course I do. I just...
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He'd wager it isn't just the two of them.
Carefully, he'll only squeeze her shoulder when she trails off. He doesn't speak; the motion itself is a prompt, if she wants to continue. ]
cw suicide, just in case
[There's a pause as she tries to hold herself together, but - it doesn't quite work. She's talked to people about this before, but not anyone who she truly thought would understand the weight of it.
Even as she swallows and blinks to try and stop herself, it's almost like she's cracking apart. Her words are thick with tears; her face is a little bit of a mess, suddenly.]
What if, what if I bring him back and he h-hates me for it?
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This wonderful person shouldn't have to suffer like this, he thinks. ]
Zoe.
[ His voice feels rough in his throat.
What do you say to this? To this kind of loss? His friends died. But taking your own life...
Yu is quiet again for a long moment just holding her close, resting his cheek on her hair and staring at the water. ]
Can I ask who he is?
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My... My brother.
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He doesn't say anything right away. He just, god, he hugs her tighter and wishes the world were fair. ]
... I guess the first thing I would say is that you'd be doing what you did to help. To set things right. And there's nothing wrong with that. The second is...
[ A pause. ]
I actually have a suggestion, but I'm not sure if that's the kind of thing you want to hear right now.
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But her fear, her pain over thinking her brother might hate her for forcing his hand against a choice he already made--
It's all he can think of, even if it means she might not get him back. ]
What if you wished for the power to give him a choice to return? Wherever he is now... I'm certain the gods could reach him.
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It's still watery (not to mention how congested she sounds), but:]
Do you think they'd let me?
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[ He sounds certain. ]
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I'll have to think about it. Sorry, I'm...
[A mess. Anyways... That's enough about her, she decides.]
Can I ask who yours were...?
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[ firm, and he gives her a brief squeeze. ]
... my friends, you mean?
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Yeah.
[The 'only if you want to' is unspoken, but present nonetheless.]
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Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko... Teddie, Kanji, Naoto... and Rise, of course.
[ A faint smile, fond and nostalgic. ]
They used to tell me I'd helped them change... but really, I was the one who was changed, in the end.
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And they all...?
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[ ... he shakes his head. ]
We didn't win.
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...What?
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I was shocked when I heard Uchiha-san's reason for going after Misaki-san, all those weeks ago. And then it seemed... there might be a few of us here like that, after all.
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[It's panicked, even as she tries not to let the sheer force of her fear seep through.]
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[ He hears the panic and he shuts his eyes briefly before he ducks his head so he can look at her better. ]
... it'll be alright.
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How can you know that?
can't believe i have to shove you into this furnace.
i crawl out of the furnace and embrace you, setting us both ablaze