driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Ino
Broadcast: Video
Action: If you're on the Three Twins
When: After Robin's "murder"

[ Even if you don't know Ino, it's pretty obvious that she's absolutely furious right now. Everything about the way she's sitting in her chair to the expression on her face screams rage. (There may or may not also be a large dent in the wall behind her. What? It's stress relief!)

But when she's got the communicator set in place and she speaks up to address the other people who might be watching, her voice is controlled enough. At first, anyways. ]

I can't believe I even have to make a transmission like this, but you know what? Apparently I do, because some people in this fleet can't keep their damn hands to themselves! So here goes!

Guess what we aren't going to be doing any more of in this fleet? [ She says, as though she's in charge of everyone. But that's just how she operates. ] Did you guess attempted murder? Great! Good job! You were right.

I know some of you probably have some seriously itchy fingers, but in case you forgot, being dead is generally a very PERMANENT situation! And in case you forgot, we are all in this shitty situation together! Creating drama like this is exactly what the people running this want!

You wanna punch somebody? Okay. You wanna kick them? Fine! But the next time anybody -- especially the offender in question, and you know who you are -- goes full-blown MURDER on somebody else we're going to have a little chat!

[ She leans into the camera. Is it possible for someone's eyeballs to be on fire from pure rage? Maybe. Either way, she hisses into the camera ]

And it's not going to be a pleasant one!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From what I hear, you were pretty hard on him. I doubt he's looking to relive the experience if he doesn't have to.

Right...

He doesn't think I'm Zelos anyway, so it probably won't occur to him to ask even if he is crazy enough to relive it.

I guess that just depends on what kind of impression you make on him.

Not a mentoring one, I hope.

Not with that attitude.

[ GRINS. ]

[JUST A LOOK, INO. A LOOK.]

Relax, I'm just messing with you.

[ It's easier than being serious about it, okay. But -- ]

Nobody's expecting you to just pick up where he left off.

[ At least, she isn't anymore ]

[Where "he" left off. He catches that. It's hard not to, it's the first time he's heard Ino refer to that other Zelos as someone that's...not him. It had always been "you". Like he was just suffering from a memory loss or something. But if she's willing to call that one "him"...]

Does...that mean you believe me? That...I'm not him?

[ She opens her mouth to respond, but stops, sitting back in her chair for a moment and pressing her lips together. That ... is a hard question to answer. But after a moment, she manages, albeit a bit slowly -- ]

It's -- not the easiest thing to accept. I see a lot of the same things in ... in you, as I did in him.

But, I want to respect how you feel about it. [ Wait, that sounds bad -- ] How it is.

[There's a pause, before he finally decides to do something he usually never does- ask about the other one]

Were...you two close?

[ Oh, no ... :(

The temptation to turn the video off is high, but. A deep breath steels her, and she puts on a smile ]

Like family.

[There's a pause]

...O-Oh.

[Shit.]

[ Whoops. She sees that look ]

Like I said -- ! Nobody's expecting you to follow up any of that. I just --

[ Haven't gotten that close to a lot of people in a long time because she knew they might just up and leave? .... No, let's not talk about the abandonment complex, he probably feels bad enough ]

It's just a process, getting used to the way things are now.

[He's quiet for a moment, a bit at a loss as to what to say. Kaneis...knew how important the term family was - at least, to him. He can only imagine a term like that wouldn't have been used lightly.]

[But...he wasn't that Zelos. He would never be that Zelos- he didn't even want to be. They weren't family. He was just....a reminder of what she lost, wasn't he?]

...Sorry.

[ She's ... tense, almost, waiting for him to reply. And when he does, her shoulders droop ... both because she's relieved he hasn't shut off the communicator yet due to sheer awkward, but also because the last thing she wants is for him to be guilty about it.

Maybe she should have just pretended that they weren't that close. But ... she knows how observant he is. He would catch on, sooner or later, by the way she naturally acted around him. ]

There's nothing to be sorry for. I just hope you'll be patient with me until I can get everything straight.

[It's true, except he might've come to the conclusion they slept together and poor Ino would've had to throw up in her mouth. Either way, it's maybe better this way...]

Is there...anything I can do to help?

[ GROSS. ]

Just keep being you, so I can get to know you.