TAKSHAKA

[soulping]

[There’s room for seven in this weather-worn hut, with seven chairs around a table long enough for seven people.

The center of the table is adorned with wooden jugs of water and wooden snack bowls. It’s primarily fruits and nuts, although there are a couple brimming with Unidentified Raw Meat.]

Comments

[swordedpast]

Stupid. That first time you were in Nyssa's second game with us. We only got out of that without dying painfully because you were clever and calmed us down with a good idea.

I respected you after that. You listened to our wish not to hurt anyone, and even though you didn't agree with it, you came up with a plan that respected it.

[experiencepoints]

[She seems a bit thrown off by the line about respect.]

... And in the train game, everything I said got ignored and you still won.

[swordedpast]

Well, you might have to try not arguing against saving people. Even dream people.

--to be honest, I'm troubled by what happened in that game. Is it really all right for real people to suffer for dream people? But we were protecting our ideal...!

Ugh. It's difficult.

[experiencepoints]

They don't exist. The 'ideal' is to protect people, not figments of someone's imagination.

[swordedpast]

That's right, but they cried and they screamed just like real people. Will I need to harden my heart against such things to protect our ideal?

[experiencepoints]

If a parrot cries and screams like a person, that still doesn't make it any more of a person.

[swordedpast]

...you've got a way of putting these things.

But then our deaths were hardly real either, since we came back.

[experiencepoints]

...? Obviously. Why does that make it less real?

[swordedpast]

Obviously?

[experiencepoints]

... Yes? Why wouldn't you?

[swordedpast]

I hate to be the one to tell you, Nightingale, but listen.

People die when they are killed.

Normally, they don't come back.

[experiencepoints]

.... That is probably the stupidest thing you've ever said.

[swordedpast]

[pauses, SQUINTS at her.]

You're serious.

[experiencepoints]

Yes...

[I'M CONFUSED RIGHT NOW THOUGH]

[swordedpast]

What the hell would the point of heroes be if everyone came back from dying?! Jeez, no wonder you don't get the hero thing!

[experiencepoints]

... What are you talking about?

[swordedpast]

I--

[catching himself for a second, trying to force the troubled look out of his eyes, going on as calmly as possible]

I have a memory, Nightingale. A memory of walking through a disaster where all around me people were dying in pain and in despair. I knew then that that would be the last for all of them. Their lives would end there.

When I say I need to save people as a hero, it's from things like that.

[experiencepoints]

... What happened to their save point?

[swordedpast]

Their what...?

[experiencepoints]

Save point.

[swordedpast]

Those don't exist.