03: † audio

[salvagedsoul]

[An audio post begins, and for a few seconds it's just the sound of the rain. Then, a piano begins to play. Those familiar with classical music would recognize it as French Suite No. 4, a well-known work by German composer J.S. Bach.

The music goes on for about fifteen minutes. It's a piece with a sense of introversion to it - even as the music turns complicated and speedy in some areas, it maintains a restrained elegance. Emotional, without being passionate.

When it finally ends, there are another few seconds of rainfall before Kaworu speaks.]

The demands of human relationships are overwhelming when you consider just how much love a heart needs to survive.

But, conversely, a heart can give an infinite amount of love in turn. The world is less scary if you simply remember this.

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audio;

[salvagedsoul]

It's not the heart that does the fooling. A great struggle ensues when a person doesn't want to acknowledge their emotional needs.

permavid

[invocation]

[She frowns. He's so calm...there's something about it that annoys her.] Or it's the same as I told Sayaka. [Crossing her arms.] Not everybody needs that kinda thing. Everyone can't give love either. If they could, the world wouldn't be the way it is.

[She seems to remember something.] You're that kid, aren'tcha? The weird one from before...when everyone was younger.

perma audio

[salvagedsoul]

I keep hearing that a lot. "If that were true, the world would be different." [it's very interesting.]

Ah... yes. I remember you from back then, too. Kyouko, right?

[invocation]

Well it's true, right? [A shrug.] And yeah, that's me.

[salvagedsoul]

That assertion assumes that if people could love infinitely, they would. I never said that.

I never got to thank you for helping me back then.

[invocation]

[She opens her mouth to protest that...then scowls, apparently at a loss. Changing the subject.]

Eh, I didn't really do nothing. I don't need anyone's thanks.

[salvagedsoul]

Are you sure? [he's being very gentle.] You were so enthusiastic back then.

[invocation]

Don't worry about it. [Crossing her arms...] Stuff was a lot different then.

[salvagedsoul]

For both you and Sayaka. [It's pretty obvious.]

[invocation]

Yeah, I guess so. S'what happens when you grow up, I guess.

[salvagedsoul]

The pain of experience tends to dull youthful ambitions.

The two of you aren't very old, though. You don't seem much older than me at all.

[invocation]

Huh? [...] We probably aren't, but we have an important job. It's just part of being a puella magi.

[salvagedsoul]

Is it difficult, being a puella magi? [his voice is devoid of genuine curiosity when he asks - instead it's more calm and gentle.]

[invocation]

Yeah, I guess. [She sounds indifferent. She's fine with explaining the ins-and-outs of her life to those she was close to, but strangers made her uncomfortable, cagey.

She takes a small box of pocky out of the confines of her hoody, nibbles idly on a piece of the candy before continuing.] It's not the stupid game we used to think it was.

[salvagedsoul]

[optimism gave way to reality, it seems. adolescence is hard. but he still wants to know the details.]

You said you fought witches. What about that did you think was a game? We're they stronger than you anticipated?

[invocation]

[All these questions.] It's more than that. [She seems bothered.] What d'you wanna know for? It's nothin' you should be worried about.

orz phone autocorrect

[salvagedsoul]

I worry about Sayaka, and about you. Neither of you are happy.

1/2

[invocation]

Wha —

[she tenses up, and her initial surprise at his frankness gives way to indignation] What's with you? Don'tcha know how to mind your own...

2/2

[invocation]

[—ah. Sayaka.]

What's wrong with Sayaka? [She'd been watching, paying attention. She'd seemed fine.]

encrypted

[salvagedsoul]

She always seems quite unhappy to me, despite trying to hide it. You've never noticed?

encrypted

[invocation]

... [Her expression sobers.]

Yeah. But she's better than she was before.

encrypted

[salvagedsoul]

Is she?

You both sounded much happier back when we became younger.

gosh, late over here too

[invocation]

Not that. [shaking her head.] I don't mean when we were younger here. I didn't know Sayaka back then. When I met her in our world, we were enemies. Everything was different then. [...] By the time I stopped arguing with her, it was too late.

Here, we don't hafta worry about the same things. [She mutters, bothered at herself:] I dunno why I'm even telling you this stuff.

it's fine!

[salvagedsoul]

You two were enemies...?

[his questions are quiet and polite. he can tell this is delicate stuff for the both of them. with every answer, he's filled with more questions, but he tries to focus on one at a time.]

But I thought the two of you were both Puella Magi... why would you fight with each other?