week three ❧ saturday

[learnings]

[Hey Serph.

Knock knock.

YOU'VE GOT A VISITOR.

Surely this will only be pleasant and go well--in fact, Nino seems to be fidgeting in place, as if uncertain about the topic she's going to raise.]

Comments

[varunastra]

[ Serph...doesn't do nervous, really, but there's something uncertain in his eyes when he opens the door and realizes who's here. Because if anyone deserved to get out of here in one piece, it was definitely Nino.

And now there's not a thing any of them can do to make that happen. ]

Nino.

[learnings]

Serph, I...

[...Yeah, this is hard to be sure. She wasn't at all ready to have this conversation, but--

She's out of time.

They're all out of time.]

...S-sorry, I... I wanted to ask you something.

[varunastra]

Would you like to come inside?

[ Because whatever she's here to ask, it seems like it's going to be hard enough without awkwardly standing on the doorstep. ]

[learnings]

Yes...please.

[Nino just nods quietly and uncertainly, shuffling into the hut quietly.

Give her a minute.]

[varunastra]

[ It's okay, he's patient as hell.

Sit down, get your thoughts straight. He'll be here. ]

[learnings]

[Much appreciated, Serph!!

And eventually, she lifts her head a little, and:]

I... you've been a really good friend, Serph. And... I want you to be okay, no matter what happens here. So...

...So... my... my body--

[It's not like she'll need it anymore, right?]

[varunastra]

[ Oh.

It's not the first time he's had someone's remains offered to him, granted, but it doesn't really seem comparable. Akira coming to him after the fact, deciding that Haru would've wanted suffering abated where it was possible, was one thing. Serph was willing to trust that Akira had a better idea of what Haru would've approved of better than any of them, but it was still a big thing to offer. A big decision to make on someone else's behalf, for whatever reason.

And here was Nino making that decision for herself.

For a moment he's - well, silent, as usual, but clearly, visibly surprised, while that sinks in. She has so many other things to be worried about right now, so many other things she could do with her last night to live.

But here she is.

And then he leans in, and hugs her. Not like during the trial, because he wasn't quite sure how else to offer comfort. This time, he's not sure how else to offer gratitude. She deserves so much better than the hand she's been dealt. ]

I'm sorry.

[learnings]

[...Ah.

She leans into that hug willingly, arms slowly reaching up to wrap around him in return. Nino has always been the sort of person who has craved physical touch and care--and this is exactly that. She's received more of that in the past few weeks here than she has back home her entire life--she supposes that's a blessing, in a way.

She's grateful for it, if nothing else.

But she shakes her head at his quiet words.]

I just...I want you to be okay. I'm sorry that you have to survive in a place like this, but... I think you can.

[Of anyone, the calm and stable and certain Serph can certainly survive, right?]

So... I have to do my part too. [In making sure he will.]

[varunastra]

[ She deserves so much better than this.

Most of them do, really, but Nino more than anyone. ]

Is there anything I can do?

[ What he'd really like to do is, make this all go away and not even happen, but that's a pipe dream. Still, if she has any last requests that are in reach... ]