二夜 (Audio; Public)

[shikiller]

[Nanaya's gotten into a few fights since getting here. Obviously. However, though he very much appreciates getting do-overs if he finds a battle unsatisfying, he has to admit it also takes some of the fun out of it. It reminds him all too much of the time he left the world of the living. No fun in killing those who have passed away. No will to live in them. Though he still very much prefers going out and having his own kind of fun than genuinely interacting with the tower's other residents, even Nanaya can have a taste for variety now and then.]

Death's a funny thing. Every moment of fear and anxiety anyone has ever gone through is rooted, if not directly caused, by it. Every time you turn on the lights at night, and every time you decide to close your eyes and ignore something to live just another day, that's your thanatophobia at work.

[Subtle. Not like it's the first thing any blatant psychopath says in the comm. Then again, Nanaya doesn't much care about what people know or don't know about him here.]

If that really forms such a large part of us, then couldn't you say we're effectively half of our own selves just by being unable to be truly killed? How you round it up is your own business, but that's almost like not living at all.

Aa... Although, if you're going to consider yourself dead already, then you might as well consider this some sort of hell while you're at it.

[That made all kinds of nonsense, but as always, Nanaya's much more interested in the poetic beauty of the situation, rather than the actual facts. Worth noting, though, that this isn't some attempt at standing out or intimidating others. Nanaya's genuinely intrigued, and very much interested in what others have to say.]

Comments

[shikiller]

[Nanaya does not correct her. After all, the truth should become apparent soon enough, and though he takes at least a little pride in his real name, he doesn't look forward to making a habit out of correcting people. Shiki is Shiki, and Shiki is Shiki.]

[Well, yes, it could get a little confusing.]

And still the same instincts kick in. Our pupils still dilate and our blood pressure picks things up. Our history as humans has taught us a lot more about surviving than school, Yumizuka-san.

[The significance of having this conversation with her is not lost on him, no. He finds it amusingly ironic.]

[yumizuka]

But it also teaches us so much more than just survival!

[ This is something she's passionate about, so he's going to see the rare side of her standing up for what she believes in. ]

Love, harmony, and friendship. That's what we learn as humans and that's what helps us overcome the fears of the world. Even the fear of death.

[shikiller]

Hm?

I may not be the most suited person to say 'we' when referring to humans, but couldn't the same be said for you?

[yumizuka]

[ Gasping, her speech is stunted temporarily due to her disbelief. To be reminded of that... ]

That... that's not fair. [ Her voice grows quieter. ] I'm trying my best.

[shikiller]

I'm not going to deny how much hard work can change things, but could you really say your nature applies? You may see things differently, but in the end, we're both the same - predators.

[yumizuka]

Predators...

[ Why does he have to call her that? Why does anyone have to know that about her? ]

I'm not a predator. [ Instead, she denies the obvious. ]