minato.

[nonbelligerent]

Comments

[nonbelligerent]

[he shakes his head.]

[compendiem]

Because... there's nothing you want from home? Not even something small to remind you of it?

[nonbelligerent]

Not particularly.

[compendiem]

[ ...Minato falls silent for a moment, and then changes the topic. ]

Are you having fun here, Shess?

[nonbelligerent]

There are a number of entertaining things.

[compendiem]

Yeah, there are. But are you having fun?

[nonbelligerent]

At times?

[compendiem]

...I'm glad for that, then.

[ Then, more slowly, like he's repeating something from memory and wants to get the words right: ]

Sometimes it's still hard to have fun here when everything's happening the way it is... isn't it?

[nonbelligerent]

It can make it difficult to focus on anything besides our duty at hand.

[compendiem]

That's true. The circumstances make it hard, but...

[ It was a good day for him, despite, you know, everything in general. Murders and darkness and seeing his friends get torn apart and then stitched back together, he also got chocolate and head pats and... it was one of his better days, that he's had his entire life. ]

Do you think it's wrong to be having fun, when things are like this?

[nonbelligerent]

I think it's important to do what keeps you going. Very few people can sustain themselves on duty alone.

All the more so for humans, where weeks can be quite a long time.

[compendiem]

[ Sometimes, a minute is a very very long time, and there comes to a point where the only thing that can keep him going is by... not going. By sleeping and hoping he doesn't wake up but he always does anyways, and Minato gives Shess a small shrug. ]

What keeps you going? You've lived for so long... How do you not get tired of it?

[nonbelligerent]

[... mm.]

Well, my life used to be more tumultuous, and I had to work hard to survive, so things are actually easier for me nowadays, to be honest. I suppose that helps... After all, if I was going to give up, I might as well have done so long ago.

And, perhaps, it's because life is difficult that I wait for the moments that make it fulfilling. Unlike humans, who can yearn for an end they know is coming one way or another, I have all the time in the world.

[compendiem]

[ Maybe it's that, that Shess can have centuries to wait things out, whereas Minato lived all of six years before wanting to give up, and has been dragging his feet for the last ten. ]

You're probably one of the only people here who isn't scared... I'm not either, but for the wrong reasons, probably. I don't have all the time in the world. I have less time than others. So doing things to make the moment fulfilling... that's probably wrong too?

[ Death seeker, risk taker, yolo, whatever you want to call it. The reason why Four and Emma and Lili and all those people are always so mad at him. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[admittedly, shess doubts his life is going to get better in the long run, but he doesn't say that.]

I think that if you're still trying to find joy in certain things, that means you haven't completely given up yet. A part of you is still trying. That, at least, is a good thing.

[compendiem]

Hm... I see. That's a good way to think about it. Here-

[ He digs into his bag for something and holds out his fist. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[?

he holds out his hand, though not without mild concern because it's minato.]

[compendiem]

[ It's!!!! a fun-sized chocolate candy bar. It's a little bit melted. ]

Are you able to eat this?

[nonbelligerent]

[uh, thanks.

he nods.]

[compendiem]

It's thanks for the life advice.

[nonbelligerent]

[well, he's going to pop it into his mouth to free up his hands.]

I don't know if I said anything useful, but you're welcome.

[compendiem]

[ It's good chocolate, but maybe only because it's wrapped and so it means Minato didn't make it himself. ]

Doesn't matter if it's useful or not. I just like hearing people talk about themselves.

[nonbelligerent]

[yay.......

also great, don't expect shess to do it again.]

Other people are the most interesting part of life.

[compendiem]

[ He didn't even expect it the first time, haha... Shess must be tired ]

I think so too. As a whole, they're kinda weird... but I really like the people here.

[ Like Hisoka. Also Shess? ]

[nonbelligerent]

[please do not put hisoka and shess in the same category?]

They're a colourful sort.