[Text/accidentally unfiltered] just your run-of-the-mill existential crisis here

[youngerandwiser]

[The text is sent out late at night, when everyone should be sleeping. 'Should be' of course being the key phrase. Yukio doesn't sleep much anyways, and even less since the encounter with Minako's shadow.

He's sleep-deprived, and that's probably why he's acting so foolish. He should know to keep his mouth shut. He told Rin he would tell him if there was anything wrong... but if Rin doesn't ask, he shouldn't need to tell.

He really should stop now before he does something stupid like... send a text. He should be stronger than this. He doesn't want to be a burden. He knows he can rely on Rin, but his brother has enough to worry about.

He's being ridiculous. He'll only annoy Rin, or make him angrier. He doesn't need to do this.

But concern and worry and the sickening cocktail of emotions curdling in his stomach motivate him to send out a text anyways.]

Are you awake?

I'm not sure if anyone told you, but I had a run-in with a shadow. I'm not hurt. Maka got me out of there.

I shouldn't have had any trouble, but the shadow looked like Minako. It wasn't her, and I know that, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to fight it. I froze up.

Do you think it's okay to kill those things? Better than it is to kill demons?

If you're still mad, you don't have to answer. I'm sorry. I know this is confusing. I wish I knew for sure what was going on.

I don't like not having the answers.

[Eventually, a second text is sent, once he realizes this wasn't filtered to Rin as he had hoped.]

Disregard the last message. It wasn't meant to be sent.

Comments

[Text - Private]

[achievementhunter]

[How frustrating. Chara hadn't been sleeping anyway, but the message they receive- by accident, it seems- has them sighing quietly to themself as they shift out of bed, exiting the room before they disturb their roommates.

Frisk and Asriel are sleeping soundly, for once.]

It should have already been taken care of.

Where did you last sight it?

[They've already killed it once. The fact that it had decided to be as stubborn is Frisk's shadow in staying dead was of little consequence.

They'd kill it again.]

[Text - Private]

[youngerandwiser]

[For a moment, Yukio isn't sure what Chara is talking about. It's only after he goes back to his original text that he realizes that his private discussion with Rin wasn't private at all. He has to stifle a groan.]

A few days ago. I'm sure it's gone still. You don't need to fight it.

[He'd say they're too young to be fighting anyways, but he knows that won't go over well. If it's out there, he'll just have to... find a way to fight it himself.]

[Text - Private]

[achievementhunter]

A location would have been far more use, but thank you for your assistance.

[Like they're going to allow that child to handle this on his own. There's too many people involved with him that fall into Chara's priorities. As per usual, the adults are useless in this situation. A trend that would be alarming were it not so consistent.]

[Text - Private]

[youngerandwiser]

I encountered it on the bridge. If you want to pursue it, at least let me come with you.

[Even if they've supposedly killed it once, they shouldn't go out alone.]

[Text - Private]

[achievementhunter]

Haven't you chased enough flights of fancy with terrible ends befalling those who come to your rescue?

I assure you, I would work better alone.

[Without the potential of having to explain to Sans and others just why they'd allowed Yukio to follow them into danger, and not come back with him.]

[Text] [Private]

[miseris_socios]

I took care of it.

... There's no shame in not being able to kill something that looks like someone you care about. It's... normal.

Maybe it means you're not as far gone as I am.

[Text] [Private]

[youngerandwiser]

I assumed you did. Thank you for helping.

I'm sorry. I should have been more on top of it. I'm not even sure if the issue was that it was someone I cared about. I should have been fine.

...Regardless, the message wasn't intended for you.

[Text] [Private]

[miseris_socios]

It's fine.

... Then there's something else going on. Probably not my business, unless you want it to be. But it's... not wrong to not want to kill.

I figured. But I thought you should know.

[Text] [Private]

[youngerandwiser]

It isn't your business, but I can't stop you from reading what's easily accessible.

[Despite his attempts to lock it.]

I haven't had trouble with killing before.

[Text] [Private]

[miseris_socios]

Be more careful with it next time.

Is it because you were facing something that looked like a friend?

private audio; the next morning

[gempathic]

[ The second message says to disregard the first one. It wasn't meant for him. Or it wasn't meant for anyone? Steven could theoretically do as it asks and move on with his day, no harm done.

He's always been terrible at keeping his nose out of things. So he thinks on it, and he answers-- using the voice option, because some things are hard to relay over text messages. ]

... did I ever tell you about the monsters the Crystal Gems have to fight back on Earth?

private audio

[youngerandwiser]

[It wasn't really meant for anyone at this point. Yukio doesn't want to talk about his embarrassing message with anyone, not even his brother. But he can't stop people from reading the text now that it's out there. He just has to do his best to hide things again.

He almost leaves the audio message alone without listening to it, but he doesn't have the heart to ignore Steven, so he listens to it, and his curiosity is immediately piqued.]

I don't recall you talking about that.

private audio

[gempathic]

I thought so.

[ Hoped so. Getting an answer at all is a great step. ]

We've had to face a lot of them since I started going on missions. They were around for a long time before I was even born, and I don't think I've seen two that had a lot in common. But... all those monsters used to be Gems before they got corrupted. They had regular bodies and thoughts and- and feelings.

[ Friends. Goals. ]

I don't know what happened to them. We don't know how to heal them yet, either. They all... stopped remembering who they were. They don't remember their friends or their names; they don't even remember how to look like themselves.

private audio

[youngerandwiser]

...And how do you deal with them? With the monsters, that you consider part of a species worth saving? What do you do when someone you love gets twisted by change, and you know you need to kill them?

[He shouldn't be saying this. He shouldn't be getting angry with Steven. He's too young, just a child. Somehow, Yukio forgets that he himself had a gun in his hands eight years ago.

He was ordered to kill Rin.

He failed.

And now the same had happened with Minako. Was this good or bad?]

private audio

[gempathic]

The shadows remind me of them a lot of the time. Only we can't just bubble a shadow away and keep it safe until we know how to fix everything.

[ And that sucks. ]

I think it's okay if you can't make yourself fight something that looks like someone you love. That doesn't make you weak. I don't know if I'd be able to do it. [ Something that used to really be someone you love? He's not sure. He's never watched Garnet or Amethyst or Pearl or Peridot or Lapis turn into a Gem monster. ]

But no one I've met here would want to be a shadow that had to fight the people they love, either. If a part of the real them is still in there--

[ He falters a little. This isn't something he's really had to put to words before, even if he's thought about it. If even a small part of them is left, they must hate it. The Cluster was nothing but tiny pieces, and it still didn't want to destroy the Earth. ]

If they're still in there somewhere, I think maybe the only way to save who they really are is to... make sure someone stops them.

[postictal]

[Shadows is a word that keeps getting passed around like a curse, and he's come to understand it just means enemy. But they look like people? Did no one tell him this? It looks like people that...they know?

Tim disregards the latter message in favor of the former. As long as he's here...]

where

[youngerandwiser]

You don't need to worry. It's already been taken care of.

[And if it isn't, apparently Chara and Ken will handle it. Because he's still too weak to.]

[postictal]

are there going to be more

[youngerandwiser]

There will always be more shadows, though I can't say if they'll take on the shape of someone we know again.

[postictal]

great. that's just what we need huh

[He doesn't even know this person, and he already knows that he doesn't want it.]

text

[satanslash]

[It takes him a while to respond, staring at the message as the light of the phone illuminates only his face. Ryuji is sleeping next to him, one arm draped over his middle.

Others have already spoken to Yukio and he considers ignoring it, thinking they could discuss it later when they're face to face again, but he finds himself unable to fall back asleep, too.]

i dont have any answers for you on this one bro

all i know is that shadows dont usually have the same minds as demons theyre just sort of

zombies following the orders of the queen

but if it looked like minako

idk... how do we know the ones made from our friends dont think and feel the same way they do when theyre alive

im not mad i just wish id known sooner that her shadow was around

text

[youngerandwiser]

[After the other responses, getting a message from his brother, the person he expected to contact him, only makes Yukio more guilty. He does his best to ignore that.]

I didn't really expect you to have answers. I doubt anyone does.

I just was curious what you thought about this war.

I don't know about the shadows that look like our friends, but when I died, I do have some... small memories about the shadow that looked like me.

I don't know. I'm sorry I didn't mention this to you sooner.

text

[satanslash]

its fine dont stress over it friend-shadows are still shadows i don't like having to deal with them but we cant really let them run around attacking others right? i feel like that's something youd say

text

[youngerandwiser]

Yes, you're right.

I agree with you that we can't let them hurt other people.

If it's out of defense, then we have to do what we can.

text

[satanslash]

yeah see

you always have the right answers little bro (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧