❀ IC INBOX

[intoningly]

[ To the tune of a programmed animatronic voice ]

"This user's voicemail inbox is full. Thank you, goodbye."

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Comments

[intoningly]

What the fuck else am I supposed to do?

[extirpator]

Talk to people. Cook, garden, fish, exercise. You could even spar if you wanted to.

C'mon. It might be nice to try.

[intoningly]

[ She frowns, leaning in too closely so that all he sees are just her eyes, scowling, ]

I don't wanna' do any of that shit.

[extirpator]

Have you tried any of that shit?

[intoningly]

[ She hangs up ]

[extirpator]

[ give it 20 minutes until someone is knocking on her door. ]

[intoningly]

[ Bold of you to assume she answers her door. ]

[extirpator]

[ ugh.

his shadow hand slithers underneath her door and manifests in her room.

it waves hi. ]

[intoningly]

[ Oh my god. ]

What the–!

[ Zero sits up with a start, and flings a pillow in its general direction. ]

Get out!

[extirpator]

[ the hand catches it accordingly! ]

Nice arm. [ he says through the door.

anyways, the hand cuts the bullshit and vanishes into thin air. ]

You don't have to open the door. But you can't sleep all day either.

[intoningly]

It's really funny how you think you can tell me what I can or can't do.

[ She does not open the door, thanks. She opts instead to shout through it. ]

Fuck off, go plant a tree or something.

[extirpator]

[ a big brother is always gentle and patient. he does not raise his voice. that's not who he is, or who he was ever meant to be.

so instead it lowers, just the slightest bit guttural. ]

Why are you so opposed to being happy?

[ he doesn't leave the door, but he certainly doesn't move beyond it either. ]

Surviving and living are two different things. Trying isn't going to hurt you. Not here.

[intoningly]

[ He flips a switch, steps on something he has no business being near enough to so much as touch. Zero gets up like a woman possessed, stomping all the way to the door. She almost takes it off the hinges when she opens it, already red in the face from an anger she hasn't even vocalized yet. ]

Says who? You?

[ She grabs him by the collar of his shirt and jerks him down to her eye-level. ]

Trying is the only way anyone gets hurt. Being happy is a privilege only people who've never had to figure out how to survive get. I'm not one of em', and neither are you. So stop trying to make me take my medicine when you sure as hell aren't. The rest of these assholes might buy your flowers and sunshine bullshit, but not me.

[extirpator]

[ when she grips him by the collar, his gaze does not falter. instead he narrows his eyes, silent for a moment. ]

This place is different from your world, and it's different from mine too. I never told anyone I was a good person. But whether I am or not doesn't matter, because this witch decided that I have to live and that you do too.

Get over it.

[ he remains fixed in place, eyes flitting to the side for a moment. ]

No one is going to hurt you if you look at the flowers or take a walk. Maybe somewhere else they would, but not here.

But since you're finally on your feet, I'm going to make an offer. If you come somewhere with me, I'll leave you alone for the next few days. Got it?

[intoningly]

[ She grits her teeth and stares him down for a moment, grip on his shirt turning her knuckles white. But eventually, she relents– letting go with a shove before she slams the door to her room behind her and heads out into the sunlight, barefoot and disheleved. ]

Let's go– move it!

[extirpator]

[ he doesn't say anything — instead he does as he's told, until they're standing before the garden he'd been recording earlier.

there are three bushes worth of flowers, the very same ones he'd offered. i don't feel like seeing what they are so you have to go back and do it yourself. ]

Pick one. Whichever you choose, you'll be harvesting for yourself. After that, you're going to water some of these with me.

[intoningly]

[ She glances between the flower bushes with a scowl, looking long and hard at all of them. And then, after what seems like an eternity, she turns to Nier. ]

You grow anything medicinal?

[extirpator]

Uh, you mean herbs?

[intoningly]

Don't care what you call 'em. I just need to know if I can smoke any of the shit in here and kill a few hours.

[ She crosses her arms over her chest, very serious. ]

If you're making me take care of something I want it to be something I'd actually give a fuck about.

[extirpator]

[ he stares. ]

Sorry, haven't seen anything like what you're looking for in these parts. [ he says it so flatly you think he couldn't be sorry if he even tried. ] I think she wants us to be fully conscious. Now pick a flower.

[intoningly]

[ She silently stares back at him for a long time– well actually, its more like she glowers. Eventually she sighs, resigned and vexed all at once, and points to the white carnations. ]

Those.

[extirpator]

[ he laughs to himself, just a little. ]

You're just like her, huh?

[intoningly]

[ She turns her head slowly, annoyance softening just slightly to make way for curiosity. ]

Like who? Don't giggle about secrets to yourself like some kind of weirdo.

[extirpator]

[ he smiles the slightest bit, like an asshole. ]

Not sure if you know her, but those are the flowers I gave A2. You two are pretty alike, so I can't say I'm surprised.

[intoningly]

[ ... ]

Yeah, I know her. You could say I'm intimately familiar with her, actually.

[ She draws closer to the bush of carnations, frowning at them– reaches over and gingerly touches one of the flowers. ]

You say anything like that to anyone else here and I'll shove this whole bush up your ass. Got it?