duel 5. ( anon text. )

[puzzlingly]

You know what fucking sucks?
The Speakeasy
The owner is never around.
Just Who Does SHE Think She Is?!?!?!
She can't do shit right around here.
WE HAVE NEEDS!
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO STAND THIS HEAT WITHOUT MY BOOZE?!

「Hey, hey, Rey's friends... yeah, he's calling you out, come defend your friend, come show you care about her! He needs you... She needs you. Please.
The clock is ticking.

Yep, this is ruse. It WAS HARD, OK?! He feels terrible. It had to be done.」

Comments

[puzzlingly]

「Okay, phew.」

... What can we do? 「He might sound a little desperate there, despite of the incredibly forced tone of, everything is fine.」 She hasn't left the floor for weeks now...

「Forcing her to take a bath or eat shouldn't be a conversation topic, but hey... 」

Can't force someone to live if they don't want to...

「:(」

cw: mention of past suicide attempt

[hasitsthorns]

Of course you can, [ she counters. Rose, as some people know, has a bit of personal experience. ] Hiruma did it to me and I'll do it to Rey.

He got my ass up and in shape when I tried to off myself in Haven. And when I tried to do it here, it was Rey who made me come to my senses. So the least I can do is return the favor. It's not gonna' be easy and she might not appreciate it, but-

I'll do what I have to to lift her back up.

cw: mention of past suicide attempt

[puzzlingly]

「You can...? He supposes that shows the little experience he's got with this sort of thing.」

Please do it.

「He'll have to wonder later why she'd even think of death as an answer, mind you, only because it was something he had done before. He gave up his life for a supposed better future, not even knowing if it would work or not. Didn't it make him look like a hero or so? There is much more than simply sacrificing oneself altruistically, there is no such thing, he wanted to live, but not even he was devoid of monsters inside. He will never say it, even dare to think about it... How desperate he was then, how he chose death not only because it was the only option they had left, but because he didn't know how he'd go on without the people he loved. He couldn't save them, they made his choice easier.」

How can I help you?

「With Rey, of course.」

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose wishes she didn't have personal, first-hand experience with wanting to die. But she does and it's proven... strangely useful. While she'll never be glad for it, she can't deny that it's come in handy recently. ]

Just be there for Rey as best as you can. That's really all any of us can do. Even if she hates it, we gotta' get her up and doing stuff and... finding a reason to go on again.

[ An idea, then. ]

Your post had a point, you know. Maybe we should remind her about the Speakeasy. Set up another dance night or something. I could help. It'd be cool.

[puzzlingly]

「That's actually reassuring, for the first time in weeks he believes something can be done, enough for him to relax 」

I will.

「She can bet he will do all he can.」

You think she'd be interested in that again?

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose is happy to help however she can. Genuinely. ]

I don't know, but it's worth a shot. Rey seemed to enjoy it before... everything went to hell.

[puzzlingly]

We'll bring her back from there.

「He gives her little smile. Not quite there yet, but it will be.」

It will be hard but together, we can do it.

「He's just trying to reassure himself. And he slides off the booth.」

There is a lot to do, we better start, right?

[hasitsthorns]

[ The only way to go is up. As someone who's been at complete rock bottom, Rose should know. ]

I think so. And I'm sure it won't be only us going it either. Rey's got a lot of people lookin' out for her, whether she likes it or not.

[puzzlingly]

「Whether she likes it or not is something that he cannot still get totally behind, that's how he used to do things but now when he had learned not to do that, it seems a little contradictory, but she seems to know what to do, he'll trust her.」

If you can manage to make her drink more than alcohol it'll be a start.