Deer Country In-Box

[burnitblack]

un: dabi  *cla-chick* ... what?  *growl* [ that would be his omen ] [ contact through his omni stone can be text, audio, or video. contact through his omen can be visual, mental, or physical. ]

Comments

[swellter]

[ He simply waits for a response. ]

[burnitblack]

[does he really think he can out-patient a guy who's waited ten years?]

[swellter]

[ It's not about what he can do, it's what he's willing to do for what he wants. That's where they are very similar.

He will wait for his answer. ]

[burnitblack]

[...sigh...]

I already answered that.

[swellter]

[ Answer it again. ]

I want to know why you killed him.

[burnitblack]

Cause he tried to kill me earlier.

Happy?

[swellter]

No.

[ But he'll talk to Bakugou about it at another time. For now, he'll let it lie. ]

None of this makes me happy.

[burnitblack]

Kill or be killed world, Shouto.

[Trench has never changed its face.]

Forgot that already.

[swellter]

That's not what I believe.

[burnitblack]

That's cause you're naive.

[swellter]

I make the effort to use restraint.

[ He's never used deadly force, never will. ]

[burnitblack]

That's why I'll always be stronger than you.

[swellter]

Strong enough to save someone instead of harming them?

[burnitblack]

That's a choice, idiot. It's got nothin to do with strength.

If I felt like savin him, then I would.

But that ain't me.

[swellter]

If it was easy, then anyone could do it.

[ There's a pause after that where mismatched eyes stare straight at him, pondering something new at that remark. ]

... Who are you?

[burnitblack]

Anyone can save. Anyone can kill. It's a choice.

[he regards those eyes with his own burning turquoise gaze, not backing down at the comment or the look.]

No one. Just a failure.

[swellter]

Not anyone can save or kill. It's a choice.

[ He meets that turquoise gaze easier than he ever did his father's. For one, there's no burning anger or outright dismissal. He cares what Touya has to say. ]

You're not 'No one' to me.

Or a failure.

[burnitblack]

Think about what you just said and repeat it once ya understand your own words.

[touya drops his head back on the couch, not bothering to look anymore.]

Cute.

Too bad ya ain't that thing.

[swellter]

I understand. I don't think you do.

[ It's always been a choice for him; always will be.

Ain't that thing? ]

Are you... saying I'm not a failure?

[ The exact opposite of everything you've told him since he first met you during their summer camp. ]

[burnitblack]

Anyone can save. Anyone can kill. It depends on motivation.

[thus, it's always a choice. manipulated, coerced, forced, but still a choice.]

Of course you're not. You're the only one your parents gave a shit about.

Mom and dad's little perfect success.

[swellter]

Not anyone can make that choice.

[ Same answer, different perspective, but that's not what he focuses on when Touya brings up their parents so casually. No one brings it up, but he knows his arrival ruined their family, especially their mother. ]

... I wasn't her success.

[burnitblack]

You wanna test that?

[doesn't look at him, but his voice is pointed. amused. angry. bitter. sarcastic.]

Ya were till that thing poisoned you for her.

[swellter]

No.

[ Firmly stated. He's not about to participate in anything close to what that implies. You're not remorseful, are you? Killing Bakugou? Killing that innocent woman? It leaves him thinking about the future, about the things he wanted. A shared meal... it feels further than ever. I thought that we could... that you could.. He shakes his head, half listening to that reply. ]

I thought I was the poison.

[ A corruption that took root and ruined his family. ]

[burnitblack]

Thought so.

[that proves his point easily enough. everyone has their breaking point. shouto would kill and touya would save if their desires for something else overcame their resistance to the idea. simple as that. people are easy if you don't think about them so hard.

of course he's not remorseful. that would require him to feel something first.]

Enji was the one who ruined the family, Shouto.

[swellter]

[ It proves that Shouto isn't willing to use people as guinea pigs. ]

Is that why you hate him?