Make no mistake. I'm not going to soften the conversation with her. And I'm not going to tell her to forgive you or hate you less. [ just to be clear. ] ...but I do think she has to know there are outside factors in all of this that are in play because that changes things, and you know that as well as I do.
[ he's busy turning his attention back to danny, staring straight at him. ]
Did you have any inclination to kill Reigen prior to being told you had to?
It probably doesn't, because he's still dead and the way he died was...pretty bad, dude. I know--you already kind of explained what happened, but it's hard to grapple with. And I think...coupling it with losing Ace didn't help.
[ ... ]
Both of them mean a lot to both of us for similar reasons. I probably...should've been a little more mindful of the fact Sigrun had been killed, too, but we were only teammates and we didn't know that much about them. Reigen's someone who kind of saw so much about me, Nimona and Will and...he never judged us, you know? He actually kind of understood some things I haven't really been able to figure out. [ a pause. ] ...like why I hate my powers here, mostly. And Ace understood, too.
It's kind of one of those things where we had a lot of hope in these people, and it's something we're not used to, and now it's...they're gone, and we're trying to figure it out. I know you know this, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. [ probably because he hasn't really taken time to properly figure it all out outside of the initial burst of grief. ]
The good thing is we know we can bring them back. Otherwise there'd be absolutely no salvaging this.
[ he just looks down and nods. he doesn't quite understand, he never really got along with reigen (even though maybe, deep down where he doesn't want to admit it, he saw a lot of danny too) and didn't quite understand how much people cared for him until it was too late, but...he's learning.
and there's nothing he can really say to this anyway. it's more just reiterating the state of things: how bad he fucked up and why, and what to do next to fix it. ]
[ there's a slow, almost sleepy blink like he's not even sure why danny's asking. ]
Uh. I kind of meant the former but now I'm also curious about the latter. You brought me here for a reason. You told Nimona before you told me. Where do you want to go now?
[ damnit, that's the thing he's sensitive about. he sees those bubbles, watching them briefly and watching danny's expression and he raises an eyebrow gently. ]
...really? [ there's like zero judgment in the tone because again. the thing he is sensitive about. but he is obvious curious about that response. ]
[ he is hunched in so tightly, making himself so small, and gives the tiniest shrug of his shoulders ]
...I haven't had anything like that in over a decade. I forgot how...nice it could be. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started to have it again.
[ ...you really are making it so difficult to be angry right now. ]
...I'm not going to say I completely get it, because it was only about five years for me. [ or seventy-five. ] But after my mom died and then after Bianca died, I didn't exactly have friends or people who cared about me either. It's one of those things you don't really think you need until someone forces it on you very annoyingly.
[ the image in his head seems to be of someone blonde...but not quite will. ]
[ hewwo 🥺 i'm just a sad widdle murder maniac, pwease don't huwt me 👉👈🥺 ]
...yeah. Ten years since everyone died. And then another year or two in the thermos. But it's hard to tell the passage of time in there--it felt like it could've been an eternity.
[ stop i hate this also YEAH THAT'S WHERE HE'S AT AND I HATE THAT TOO god. the thing is that yeah, danny's a murder maniac but nico is at least able to recognize that he does want to change and he does want to build a better life so he's very much in the zone of "well. now what do i do."
it'd be much easier to be angry if it wasn't clear to him that danny's remorseful about it and actually has changed and doesn't want to be killing. it's possible that he's being lied to (again, because that just happens in nico's life sometimes), but...the thought sharing helps a little. ]
...the Lotus was like that. It felt like a month to me and Bianca, but it was really several decades. We didn't know it until we were out of there. It's disorienting to figure out what to do when you're trying to re-familiarize yourself with the world. [ he takes some time to think about this again. ]
...I want to still help you. [ but. ] I just...need to decide how I feel about all of this. I'm angry, obviously. I don't know how to forgive the fact that this happened, and that it also meant losing Ace. But I think I'm more angry at whoever told you to do this since it wasn't exactly your choice. [ .....although there's an important question here. ]
Would you have eventually killed one of us anyway if you thought it meant getting ahead? [ how can they be sure that's a habit danny won't just slip right back into, is what he's thinking. ]
At least you had some self-preservation. [ idly. but he's thinking about this and tumbling that around in his head a bit. ]
...you're right though. It's all bad, no benefit, no chance of changing for the better. I kind of wish that'd stuck with you before now, but...this happened. [ a pause. ] I am glad to hear that you recognize that though. But you're gonna owe both of them a huge apology, too.
Primarily for that, yes. Even if Ace himself would have wanted to own up to things he did. [ he frowns. ] ...you'll have to be open to those conversations when they come back. Even if it might suck a lot.
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Yeah, that sounds about right. [ mumbled. ] ...I can't guarantee she'll ever forgive you. But I can try to talk to her when she comes to me.
[ because he knows she will, because that's what happens when you're close to people, maybe. ]
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[ he's busy turning his attention back to danny, staring straight at him. ]
Did you have any inclination to kill Reigen prior to being told you had to?
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...I told her as much but I don't know that that makes much of a difference. He's still dead, after all.
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[ ... ]
Both of them mean a lot to both of us for similar reasons. I probably...should've been a little more mindful of the fact Sigrun had been killed, too, but we were only teammates and we didn't know that much about them. Reigen's someone who kind of saw so much about me, Nimona and Will and...he never judged us, you know? He actually kind of understood some things I haven't really been able to figure out. [ a pause. ] ...like why I hate my powers here, mostly. And Ace understood, too.
It's kind of one of those things where we had a lot of hope in these people, and it's something we're not used to, and now it's...they're gone, and we're trying to figure it out. I know you know this, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. [ probably because he hasn't really taken time to properly figure it all out outside of the initial burst of grief. ]
The good thing is we know we can bring them back. Otherwise there'd be absolutely no salvaging this.
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and there's nothing he can really say to this anyway. it's more just reiterating the state of things: how bad he fucked up and why, and what to do next to fix it. ]
...I know.
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...okay. So...what do you actually want to do now? Have you thought about that?
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What?
...you mean like here, or...in general? Philosophically?
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Uh. I kind of meant the former but now I'm also curious about the latter. You brought me here for a reason. You told Nimona before you told me. Where do you want to go now?
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[ he trails off, chewing on his lip hesitantly. as soon as the answer comes to him, he almost feels terrified of actually voicing it.
...I want to have more friends.
And then, with even more dawning horror, face starting to turn pink under a blush: ...I want to be cared about. ]
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...really? [ there's like zero judgment in the tone because again. the thing he is sensitive about. but he is obvious curious about that response. ]
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...I haven't had anything like that in over a decade. I forgot how...nice it could be. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started to have it again.
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...I'm not going to say I completely get it, because it was only about five years for me. [ or seventy-five. ] But after my mom died and then after Bianca died, I didn't exactly have friends or people who cared about me either. It's one of those things you don't really think you need until someone forces it on you very annoyingly.
[ the image in his head seems to be of someone blonde...but not quite will. ]
It's really been that long, huh?
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...yeah. Ten years since everyone died. And then another year or two in the thermos. But it's hard to tell the passage of time in there--it felt like it could've been an eternity.
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it'd be much easier to be angry if it wasn't clear to him that danny's remorseful about it and actually has changed and doesn't want to be killing. it's possible that he's being lied to (again, because that just happens in nico's life sometimes), but...the thought sharing helps a little. ]
...the Lotus was like that. It felt like a month to me and Bianca, but it was really several decades. We didn't know it until we were out of there. It's disorienting to figure out what to do when you're trying to re-familiarize yourself with the world. [ he takes some time to think about this again. ]
...I want to still help you. [ but. ] I just...need to decide how I feel about all of this. I'm angry, obviously. I don't know how to forgive the fact that this happened, and that it also meant losing Ace. But I think I'm more angry at whoever told you to do this since it wasn't exactly your choice. [ .....although there's an important question here. ]
Would you have eventually killed one of us anyway if you thought it meant getting ahead? [ how can they be sure that's a habit danny won't just slip right back into, is what he's thinking. ]
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I wouldn't now. It's just...all bad with no benefit to it anymore.
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...you're right though. It's all bad, no benefit, no chance of changing for the better. I kind of wish that'd stuck with you before now, but...this happened. [ a pause. ] I am glad to hear that you recognize that though. But you're gonna owe both of them a huge apology, too.
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...right. Since I threw him under the bus and all.
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Are you going to tell anyone else besides me and her? [ the implication is he's going to have to tell will himself and danny should know that. ]
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