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Mm, but I do. [Weird as that may sound. There's a moment of silence before he says.] I met with Elios. A lot of my theories were right. But not in the way I expected them to be. In the end, I can help you. But no one can directly affect you aside from Piphron. Even so...if you have a balance between the two sides of his aspect, you will not fall.

This all comes down to your will, Hinata. We both already know you're capable of standing up to greater forces. He's just sick and unable to help it, unlike Enoshima. But I can work with you to craft a barrier - two Dunamis users however skilled or not with enough practice could achieve something like that.

I had thought to use my filled crystal. But that won't do it.

[ Hinata won't lie; it's definitely strange behavior, something he's still unused to. ]

I... see. Well, it isn't as if I haven't been thinking about it myself. But that's good to know.

I meant to tell you this much earlier as you'd have more time to prepare for whenever Piphron is called here. But as I said I was distracted. Mm, by the ruins discovery and then this representative talk...

[He sighs audibly and there's a faint sense of a thoughtful kind of concern riding down the link. Nagito isn't blind. He knows this is odd behavior from him in regards to Hinata. It's how he interacts with his friends here, and doing it with Hinata is...strange.]

I delayed handing over a copy of my notes because I have a lot more to add to them now. Exploring the site gave me a lot of new information and possible theories. ...but it will also have to wait a little while longer.

Even if it's a little late [ and honestly, better late than never ] at least you didn't tell me when Piphron was already here.

[ He can at least be grateful for that, as it shows in his voice; although he doesn't admit that he's never certain as to how he should be talking to Komaeda. ]

Anyway, you said you went to a ruin site, right? Do you know where it is?

[ Hinata might want to investigate for himself instead of just seeing things on paper. ]

I do! Mm, but it takes a bit to get there. You'd need flyinng transport. [He laughs softly but there's a thread of tension in his voice.] I did it once so. I'd...rather not go up in the...air again.

[Hinata is literally the only person aside from Silver that knows why he doesn't like flying. Except the later of the two has no idea about airplanes.]

But I'm sure Red or asking the airships to swing that way would work.

Ah, as for the rest. I would never wait that long to tell you. Especially with recent news as it is.

... Please tell me that you knew that you had to fly to get there.

[ His voice is so flat right now, Komaeda please. ]

No. Red didn't say how we were going until I walked out to see his dragon friend. [He doesn't get why Hinata's tone is like that.] By then it would have been rude to refuse.

...Why do you sound like that?

It's not important. [ In regards to the whole 'why he sounds like that', at least. He can't help but sigh, though. ]

Even if it would have been rude, you could have at least explained that much to him, couldn't you?

[ Komaeda, please... ]

[There's a faint hum of static as his confusion is translated into the link. Why is Hinata focusing on this?]

What's done is done, Hinata. It all turned out fine.

[He decides to change the subject, to escape whatever the hell is going on here.]

Anyway, as I said before. Giving you a copy of these notes is going to be delayed a little longer. Have you heard of the Arehtei Representatives system they're attempting to implement?

...

[ Maybe I shouldn't pry any further. There's no point in lingering on this subject. If Komaeda could see him right now, his look would be completely flat. ]

That's fine. [ At least he told him. ] I heard a little about it. Are you planning on trying to become one?

Yes. [This is one of the big reasons he had contacted Hinata in the first place. Nagito takes in a slow breath, schooling his mind into calm.]

There's going to be challenges and tests for who would be suitable for the representatives. I... [He hesitates. In the past he'd have said he wasn't worthy of anything like it. But-]

Peromei is my friend. I think I have a good chance of explaining and helping her bond with people. ...it's not just because I owe her so much.

Ahaha, I just. I care. [It's the surest sounding thing he's ever said. There's a certainty in that. The moment he says it, it feels like the road ahead is clearer than ever.]

That's good. I'm... glad you feel that way. Towards Peromei.

[ He might sound like a doting father at this point, but he really doesn't care. ]

I feel that way towards all of my friends. [He sounds a bit flustered. Nagito is a bit on the embarrassed side. Something in Hinata's tone made his heart thud a little faster.]

...

Hinata. When they call for the tests...I want you to come observe. ...not because I feel like I have to prove anything. Mmm, it's more...

[At first, he almost leaves it right there. But the words rush out.]

I want you to see who I am today.

...

[ Silence hits the air and Hinata can't help but be secretly glad that this is audio, rather than image. He can't see him, or vice versa. Although the teenage boy might hear the fluster in Komaeda's voice, he doesn't even register it; however, he does note it down, in case it becomes relevant. Not that he expects it will. ]

Yeah, I'll come. Do you know who else will be competing? [ Just in case something happens. ]

[He holds his breath when the silence descends, and he wonders if speaking up had been a mistake. Nagito waits, unsure if there will be a rejection ahead or affirmation. When it comes there's a flicker of shock followed by a wash of relief.

Komaeda takes a moment to calm down and breath. It's just...Hinata being willing to see. There's still the chance he'll avoid him once he sees what Komaeda is about these days. Except...except somehow he doubts that. Hinata won't leave him be. Never has.

Ah. That feels...warm.]

Well, I only know a few of the others of my alignment. I worked with one to keep Peromei from falling during Sosyne's attack...but other than that.

Enoshima is. She said so when I ran into her at the Charity drive.

[Peromei would never choose Junko. Never. But there is one who would be true competition...] ...if Sanae decides to take the tests, she'll win.

[He smiles unseen, unaware his voice has softened further. He talks about Sanae is an easy, light tone full of affection. Not the obsessive type from the islands. Just, one person fond of another.]

Have you met her yet? She's been very busy! But, she's always sees the good in others. No matter how terrible that person might be she's there for them. [She'd held his hands and remained his friend despite knowing what he'd been.]

To clarify. She knows what I was, seen it even in my ghosts during that night, and yet...

[He trails off, quieting.]

If Enoshima is going, then you better win.

[ His answer is immediate and full of HA HA FUCK ENOSHIMA (but not in that way) that Komaeda will honestly understand, being from the same world and all. ]

I know someone like that, from our world. [ No, he's not talking about Nanami. ] He was someone who decided to jump into the Neo World Program, even knowing the consequence of his actions. He saw the good in all of us, and even believed in everyone.

...you're referring to Naegi Makoto. Kirigiri told me about him when we had an in-depth discussion on the Night of Selenium. [And that's where he went after their really distressing argument. Essentially turning himself in.]

Peromei will pick anyone else before she'll go for Junko. She hates her as much as I do. But I have no intentions of proving less suitable than that, [He growls but he has his anger and hate under control. Not even a flicker gets through.] woman.

...

I still don't get why Enoshima said I was the sort of candidate she'd vote for. I've turned it around in my head and I can't figure out what her aim is.

That's right. When we were in the Neo World Program, during the final trial, Naegi showed up, along with Kirigiri and the real Togami.

[ NAEGI IS A REAL BRO.... under any other circumstances he's pretty sure they would have been friends. The truest abroges. ]

Well, I don't know, either. I'd probably have to get to know Peromei myself before I'd be able to figure that out. But it sounds like she's up to something. I'll keep a careful eye out.

Have you met any of the Arehtei yet? [He hadn't heard Hinata speak of them. But, he could bet not.]

Anyway, Junko is...odd lately. Ever since I got the better of her in an argument back in January.

Not yet. [ Which is rather unfortunate, really. ]

Perhaps I should talk to one of them sometime, though... but, do you think Enoshima is planning something, then? I've been keeping my distance from her for the most part, but if you think she's acting strangely, we should keep an eye on her.

[ Not that he plans on not doing such a thing. ]

She's always planning something. [Komaeda sighs, he's so exasperated with Ultimate Despair.] I just can't figure out what her agenda for the city is. The challenges will get her direct access to Peromei.

But that means the being that hates her more than anyone else and wants her dead, has access to her. It's possible she wants to die.

...but if the challenges are in showing we can experience and understand the aspects we're aligned to...hm.

Edited 2016-03-31 02:16 (UTC)

... Wait.

[ He heard about the challenges, but direct access? That's definitely a cause for concern as his brows shoot into his hair, mouth agape. ]

What if that's what Enoshima wants? If they have direct access to each other and she knows that Peromei hates her - what if she's trying to provoke a reaction that way? Rile her up to get her angry enough to do - I don't know, something. I mean, from the bits and pieces of things I recall from the real world, Enoshima died of her own volition, right? It's possible that she might wants to relive that.

Since Peromei is an Arehtei, similar to a god - [ but not quite, anyway ] it's possible that if they're connected during the challenges, Peromei could push despair into Enoshima, couldn't she?

[ ... ] Although that means that the opposite could happen, too.

[Silence. There's a faint flicker - images too faded to make sense of as Komaeda looks back over his own encounters with Junko. Threads of concern mix with anger to spin into a snarling wind before it all quiets down.]

It's possible she wants to die. I'm wondering if she just wants to see what Peromei will do. ...she's harassed me in similiar ways. [That's putting it politely. But he hasn't stopped to consider he's been bullied for months.] She's incredibly intelligent and thinks ahead.

Mm, she knew exactly what was doing when she gave me that copy of a Hope's Peak ring at Christmas. At the time her aim was to find a loop hole in Silver's conditions for her to attend 'Don't harrass Nagito'. If I caused a scene instead she was still keeping her word. I didn't.

But the damage was done and she seemed...gleeful with that.

In our recent fight, she told me she wants to see us grow and change. I assume it follows a similiar theme. Grow strong so it's that much more despair inducing if she drags us down.

She what?

[ No, he doesn't believe that it was just some simple harassment. Maybe he should be glad that he's not hearing this in person, because he can practically feel the dark emotions swelling up inside of him. ]

No, never mind - I know the significance of the ring. To an outsider, it would have probably seemed like a normal gift, even if you knew better. But Enoshima... I feel like she was always good at that. Bringing people to their highest points before dragging them all the way down to hell.

It was like that in the final trial, too. [ She'd give them a way to leave, escape, but then rub the truth into all of their faces to make them almost choose 'despair' over 'hope' before Hinata decided, along with everyone else, to choose neither. ] I won't allow that to happen.

We can't have a repeat of what she did to our world happen to this one. None of us will ever go back to despair ever again. I- [ A beat. ] We all have to believe that. That we can create our own future and never be used by her ever again.

Ugh! She's so disgusting! Hope is a promise to ourselves and others for the future! It's the bonds between people and ha, knowing where you stand. It's a thousand things and none of it meant to be a weapon against the person feeling it! [He can't hide anger. It's like a heat haze in the air. He forces it down, slamming the proverbial lid on it so he doesn't hurt Hinata.]

I won't have it! She can't have this world or us. Not ever again. [Except his rage isn't so easily contained. Like a terrible beast in the dark it roars down the link. He has to stop and breath for a few spans before it all settles.] Sorry.

Anyway, there's no doubt she's after something with trying to be a representative. I'll just have to do my best to stop her. I might have the best chance because of what I was and what I am now. Balance isn't just about the positive emotions.

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