deusexhormones | Hundred Fifth Explosion

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[OH and this is probably backdated to sometime in the earlier afternoon.

So Haruki has been in hiding since the end of the AU event. To be fair, he thinks he has good reason. What he doesn't suspect, or perhaps is still in denial about is the the other night... (which is a much longer thread in full and totally work safe and such if you're curious even if it's not quite done yet) and the deadly consequences of these actions. So now, coming out of the woods (he took to checking out some caves... quietly... the other day) he comes across-

His doom. From a distance, you might have heard him SCREAM in pain and horror, but by the time any character arrives, the deed will have been done. Do feel to find him at the edge of the forest in... the follow state:

Haruki is frozen solid. Yes, ice coats his entire body. His face is frozen into a face of terror and there's some minor cuts on his face and arms. His shirt looks like it's been partially ripped in a few places as if by a sword. His journal lays to his side with a hole stabbed through it by... something. But perhaps what is more shocking than him being frozen solid is that... the whole tree around him is also frozen solid. Yes, the whole tree (which also has a few chips and such in the bark) is all frozen along with him, leaving him quite stuck.

So yes, you might have heard the scream! You must just be here by chance! But either way come and marvel at the amazing frozen Haruki. Maybe talk to others who have rushed to see this scene too. And perhaps help him out of concern because, y'know, frostbite isn't a good thing

Or if it suits your fancy perhaps you can run into him after he starts to recover ~~I just need to figure out... where he ends up~~

EDIT Oh but feel free to break time and find him twice if you want. Free him twice too. It's all good]

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Huh? What do I have to be disappointed in you by?

[She shakes her head.] It's stupid. I just thought that maybe somehow I could have figured out how to stop it. Never mind.

...Okay, maybe that is kinda stupid. [He sighs and, releases his grip on some of the blankets, reaches and arm out to pull her into a one-armed hug. He's not sure why but he feels... compelled to do this]

I'd feel the same though.

Told you so. [Oh hey. That's cool, don't mind her leaning into that.]

I figured you would. Kind of one of the things you and I could agree on. I'm just getting tired of not being able to control it.

We're just like that, I guess. [He doesn't... quite say that he wishes he could control more in general, but it's obviously implied here]

...hey. Hypothetical question here. What would you do if you knew how to change things at your will?

[Destroy this world.] ...Did Neku ever tell you about- ...A gray world?

Yeah, he did. He said that a lot of people were stuck there. Why?

...I created it.

...I had a hunch when Neku mentioned you were there. Why'd you do it?

I... [He swallows and then looks away from her completely] I was gunna destroy this world. Make a new one. A better one.

...wouldn't that have killed us all?

Nah, that's why people were there, you see! Everyone was going to come with! Everyone into that new world that better one!

So what happened instead?

...I- ...I messed up. Or well, maybe the Malnosso did it. Maybe I didn't have enough control. ...People who should have been there weren't, and one person who shouldn't have been there was. And it lasted... longer than it should have, I think. Much longer.

[He hangs his head at this. He says it flatly, darkly. It's his greatest failure]

[Busy fingering at his hair a bit as she thinks on this.] Or maybe you didn't really want to and you just thought you did? Is that even a possibility?

No.. That world. ...I still want that world.

Why? Tell me about it...what would you have created it into?

Well... [and now his voice picks up a little] Classmates. We could all be classmates. You and Neku and all sorts of people. Winry slept in class all day just like Minato, but unlike him no one woke her up because they knew her job too a lot out of her! Sokka and Katara were there too, they were some of the stars in the gym and magic classes, respectively. The SOS-Brigade was the biggest and most influential group on campus. You were my neighbor on one side... on the other side there was Usagi. Usagi... and some other people - she lived with a couple of girls, he little Skirt Brigade. Leon transferred in late - he's an alien, after all. He was coming for fellpool-human relations, but we made fast friends. And Mitsuru was there too, of course. Class president. Minato didn't have to die, Tokyo never got in trouble, but Yoohoo came down anyway. She joined the Brigade pretty quickly. There was a bar down at the end of our street; Guy worked there and I made fast friends with him.

[He takes a breath now, trailing off for a moment before pressing on with-]

Luka too. Luka. Adell had her as his own Vocaloid. Adell was in the other class, but we saw each other a lot... oh! And Rena! Rena, Rika, Hanyuu, even Shion and Keiichi - they were all older then. They got to grow up, you know! Man, older Rika was attractive for being close to middle-aged... and Rena too. [He smiles a little, of all things, nostalgically at this.

Which should make two alarming points clear: he's talking about this in past tense and he has way too much detail in it to be a passing fantasy]

[She's just sitting back listening to him as he goes on and on. A lot of the things he's saying? They make sense in respect to Haruki. The people he'd want? Makes sense. The scenarios? Also makes sense. However there's still something weird about this idea, but she can't quite put a finger on it.]

...you've definitely given this a lot of thought, haven't you? Sounds like it kind of would have been pretty perfect. [A little too perfect, even.] How long did you spend planning it out?

I didn't spend any time, really... it just- [...] After the Closed Space- [...] failed, I was missing for a while. I dunno if you made it back in time to remember, but I bet Neku does.