Yeah, his reason was dumb but it was a harmless wonderball so whatever. [ like. embarrassing, but for whatever reason he doesn't seem bothered about it right now. instead he chews his lip at that, thinking it over. ] Probably because he thought he was the least likable of the three of us left. And considering we're one of the bigger teams left...
[ Danny doesn't really know what to say to that; he never really got to know lillium well enough to like or dislike him. but maybe that's just it--maybe fewer people got to know him than they did nico or jolyne. ]
[ ...a hand scritches at shame's ears while he thinks. ]
...you know I don't expect you to actually know what to say about this kind of stuff, don't you? [ because he's thinking about how danny doesn't always know what to say and he's thinking about that aborted hand movement from earlier and he figures he should maybe make that clear, too. for no pressure. ]
...this weird city with a monster problem. There was this...barrier, keeping out monsters most of the day, but at night, it would go down and monsters would roam the streets. No one could touch them without getting poisoned, except for girls who had magic. It was normal to us--we all thought we'd lived there our whole lives with...our families, and everything. In that place, my parents were "monster researchers."
What kind of monsters? I mean maybe that doesn't matter, but call me curious. [ magical girl cyoa??? ] Another one where you got the false memories though. I'm starting to hate those.
Did you guys have anything to help fight against the monsters? Magic or anything.
They varied. Some were like small bugs, some were like weird fused rats, some were like giant flying worms with teeth.
...we did. Normally only girls got magic there for some reason, but we were the first boys in history to get it too. So it was like...a whole Big Thing. We had to train for like three months together before they would even let us go out at all.
Sounds pretty weird. But that...explains why you were talking about what happened to your hand as if it was something from a while ago. And it also sounds like a pretty big historical event if you were the first guys to have powers.
[ give him a second to stare out at the water as he thinks. ]
So what then? You were out fighting monsters after that to protect the city?
For about six months, yes. It was...a lot like what I used to do back home, before everything was ruined.
That last night, though, monsters broke through the inner barriers--the last defense against them for most people--and started attacking our friends and families.
Was that good or bad for you? [ he's genuinely asking because sometimes it's nice to have something familiar, and sometimes it actually sucks when it's something you do not have any longer. ]
How'd the monsters get through? What'd you guys do? [ ... ] I'm going to take a guess that those people couldn't fight back either.
At the time, I didn't remember having any other life. I was just happy to save people and help my parents with their work. In hindsight... [ he doesn't say anything, but he does hunch over in his sitting position a little with a weary sigh ]
...that inner barrier isn't very strong. Any monster can break through it if given enough time and opportunity, and these ones did, I guess. They could defend themselves a little--Tama was there, she was beating one with a lamp, I think, and my dad had a flamethrower--but only magic could kill them. So they could hold them off if they were lucky, but it's a waiting game unless someone with magic deals the final blow.
[ ...he reaches over to pat him on the shoulder. yeah. he can kind of guess.
so he does not press on that and focuses on the monsters instead. ]
You'd think as the last line of defense it'd be stronger, but if there are other barriers outside maybe they didn't think it had to be. And I mean...our barrier at camp sometimes is weak, too, so maybe anything can be busted with enough time and coordination. Sounds like our monsters, too. Only certain types of materials can really hurt and kill them in the longrun, even if mortals can use other items to hold them off for a bit. That happened back in the Battle of Manhattan.
[ but moving on. ] So Tama and your dad and others were holding these guys off until you came in to fight. Were they okay when you got there...?
No, it was more like three separate attacks. We all lived in different places and split up to take care of the monsters near our homes. Ryuki's family was alright because Tama lived nearby and used to be a magical girl--she couldn't finish them off anymore, but she knew how to handle them. My family wasn't too bad off because my parents had weapons to hold them off until I could take them out.
[ they can talk about that later, right now he's more interested in this. also it finally occurred to me that this was probably inspired by sleepless domain. anyhow. ]
Makes sense. Take care of your own territory first to protect your home. How do you just...stop being a magical girl? Having an expert is better than nothing at least. And at least your parents could fight back long enough. Makes it a little less worrying about not getting there in time.
[ and then he registers that and his reflexive thought that doesn't get thoughtshared is "why was i there." ]
...man. Even in other people's adventures monsters still wanna kill me. [ a dumb joke. ] ...hence monsters trying to eat me like plankton or whatever, I assume.
[ ty i was so fucking excited when i realized i was on a cyoa for a canon i actually knew ]
It just...happens. Every single one loses their powers by 18 or so. Maybe we would've too, but we were kind of already in uncharted territory.
[ he huffs a lil laugh at the dumb joke tho ] I guess so. Thankfully Ryuki and I got there in time and you could get out, but...it was closer than I'd have liked.
[ i'm so glad, that's the best. makes a note to read this later
he thinks it is maybe unfair to lose power at 18, but he also kind of goes "well i guess if you live that long that is always a possibility in some places." demigods aren't always known for their longevity. ]
I think being the first magical boys or whatever probably changed things. Also Ryuki's, like, old already as it is. [ be nice to ryuki. but with that he does tilt his head curiously, watching him briefly. ] Guess this is the part where I say thanks for the assist. Were you that worried?
Thaaat's even weirder. [ because that means albedo had to have been even younger which also doesn't track to him. but, well, then again what does he know? he spent an entire cyoa as an animal crossing wolf.
but to that other point, he's taking that into consideration. it's weird to think about a version of himself that can't defend himself, because he's always kind of had to for the last five years. it's not like he always had people who could come and rescue him. so to hear this, he's both a little curious and a little weirdly envious in a way he can't explain before he flicks the thought into his mental recycling bin. ]
...then I guess I have my answer. [ mm. ] But we all got out because you came in time. That's the good thing. [ is it weird to say thanks for rescuing a version of me that's not actually me? wait, i already said thanks. gods, whatever. ]
I don't know. I want to say maybe yes, because those are still people you saved. On the other hand, I want to say no because you're very obviously yourself and you're here and not there. [ and everyone they left behind in their own adventure is not something he wants to think about either. ]
...I think it's complicated to think about when all we can really do is think about ourselves and the world we're actually in. If we worry too much about places we left behind and won't be going back to...makes it harder to move forward. But I might not be the best person to ask either.
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...do you know why he thought he'd be targeted?
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[ Danny doesn't really know what to say to that; he never really got to know lillium well enough to like or dislike him. but maybe that's just it--maybe fewer people got to know him than they did nico or jolyne. ]
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...you know I don't expect you to actually know what to say about this kind of stuff, don't you? [ because he's thinking about how danny doesn't always know what to say and he's thinking about that aborted hand movement from earlier and he figures he should maybe make that clear, too. for no pressure. ]
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I know, Nico.
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...where did you actually go yesterday? Can I ask? [ maybe a distraction, but he'd been wondering anyway. ]
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What kind of monsters? I mean maybe that doesn't matter, but call me curious. [ magical girl cyoa??? ] Another one where you got the false memories though. I'm starting to hate those.
Did you guys have anything to help fight against the monsters? Magic or anything.
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...we did. Normally only girls got magic there for some reason, but we were the first boys in history to get it too. So it was like...a whole Big Thing. We had to train for like three months together before they would even let us go out at all.
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[ give him a second to stare out at the water as he thinks. ]
So what then? You were out fighting monsters after that to protect the city?
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That last night, though, monsters broke through the inner barriers--the last defense against them for most people--and started attacking our friends and families.
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How'd the monsters get through? What'd you guys do? [ ... ] I'm going to take a guess that those people couldn't fight back either.
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...that inner barrier isn't very strong. Any monster can break through it if given enough time and opportunity, and these ones did, I guess. They could defend themselves a little--Tama was there, she was beating one with a lamp, I think, and my dad had a flamethrower--but only magic could kill them. So they could hold them off if they were lucky, but it's a waiting game unless someone with magic deals the final blow.
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so he does not press on that and focuses on the monsters instead. ]
You'd think as the last line of defense it'd be stronger, but if there are other barriers outside maybe they didn't think it had to be. And I mean...our barrier at camp sometimes is weak, too, so maybe anything can be busted with enough time and coordination. Sounds like our monsters, too. Only certain types of materials can really hurt and kill them in the longrun, even if mortals can use other items to hold them off for a bit. That happened back in the Battle of Manhattan.
[ but moving on. ] So Tama and your dad and others were holding these guys off until you came in to fight. Were they okay when you got there...?
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No, it was more like three separate attacks. We all lived in different places and split up to take care of the monsters near our homes. Ryuki's family was alright because Tama lived nearby and used to be a magical girl--she couldn't finish them off anymore, but she knew how to handle them. My family wasn't too bad off because my parents had weapons to hold them off until I could take them out.
...then one broke right into your room.
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Makes sense. Take care of your own territory first to protect your home. How do you just...stop being a magical girl? Having an expert is better than nothing at least. And at least your parents could fight back long enough. Makes it a little less worrying about not getting there in time.
[ and then he registers that and his reflexive thought that doesn't get thoughtshared is "why was i there." ]
...man. Even in other people's adventures monsters still wanna kill me. [ a dumb joke. ] ...hence monsters trying to eat me like plankton or whatever, I assume.
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It just...happens. Every single one loses their powers by 18 or so. Maybe we would've too, but we were kind of already in uncharted territory.
[ he huffs a lil laugh at the dumb joke tho ] I guess so. Thankfully Ryuki and I got there in time and you could get out, but...it was closer than I'd have liked.
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he thinks it is maybe unfair to lose power at 18, but he also kind of goes "well i guess if you live that long that is always a possibility in some places." demigods aren't always known for their longevity. ]
I think being the first magical boys or whatever probably changed things. Also Ryuki's, like, old already as it is. [ be nice to ryuki. but with that he does tilt his head curiously, watching him briefly. ] Guess this is the part where I say thanks for the assist. Were you that worried?
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...you were a close friend of mine. To the version of me that had always lived there. And you didn't have the kind of defenses that my family did.
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but to that other point, he's taking that into consideration. it's weird to think about a version of himself that can't defend himself, because he's always kind of had to for the last five years. it's not like he always had people who could come and rescue him. so to hear this, he's both a little curious and a little weirdly envious in a way he can't explain before he flicks the thought into his mental recycling bin. ]
...then I guess I have my answer. [ mm. ] But we all got out because you came in time. That's the good thing. [ is it weird to say thanks for rescuing a version of me that's not actually me? wait, i already said thanks. gods, whatever. ]
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Well, do you?
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Do you think everyone there keeps existing once we leave?
I wasn't myself when I was there.
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I don't know. I want to say maybe yes, because those are still people you saved. On the other hand, I want to say no because you're very obviously yourself and you're here and not there. [ and everyone they left behind in their own adventure is not something he wants to think about either. ]
...I think it's complicated to think about when all we can really do is think about ourselves and the world we're actually in. If we worry too much about places we left behind and won't be going back to...makes it harder to move forward. But I might not be the best person to ask either.
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