text; un: xiaoxingchen

[mingyues]

[ xiao xingchen is not someone who feels the urge to ask questions often. not of others, and even less so of strangers. for this, however, he'll make an exception, even if the words are hard to parse. ]

I have been thinking
The people that we are in this place, the people we become —
Is there a chance in this world for those who are destined to commit evil?
Or is it futile to expect that anything will change when we return to our worlds?

And if it is futile then... does anything we do here matter?

Comments

Video;

[mermaiding]

[god she hates texting she immediately switches to video and looks rather irritated, chin in her palm]

Chenchen.

You are so stupid.

video;

[mingyues]

[ he has the grace to look slightly embarrassed at being called stupid. technically, he does not feel oona is wrong. ]

I apologise. There are too many thoughts in my head.

video;

[mermaiding]

Why would it not matter? You will care either way. Do you mean to just turn off how you are feeling? Does not sound nice to me.

The thing we told each other, promises made. They do not matter to you? You are so heartless?

[mingyues]

That's not-! [ he looks up, and now looks properly embarrassed. ] I ... I don't think I am the type of person you think, Oona.

[ including how eloquent he's being now, derp. ]

[mermaiding]

I do not think of you as any person. You are Xiao Xingchen.

What else needs to be known?

[mingyues]

What I will do. I am not - [ he rubs his face, tired. ]

I am not a good person.

[mermaiding]

Of course you are not. You are human and all humans are terrible people.

[She shrugs] So? No one is all good.

aslkdaksldkladkjal omg

[mingyues]

[ he stops.

blinks.

the words sink in.

...well, she's not wrong. xiao xingchen would have argued for people not being terrible but— ]

Then you're already much wiser than I am.

[mermaiding]

[She laughs] Of course I am!

But, Chenchen, it does not mean you have to be bad. Asked, ‘does anything we do here matter?’ You are so stupid. Of course it matters. The people who are here now, ones who always live and will live here, do they not matter? The things we do to or for them, they do not matter? Think it only matters if it has to do with you or your world?

So selfish! So stupid!

It matters, because you matter. Because you matter to others.

[mingyues]

I know that! [ he sits up, perturbed. ] But what - the person you know, the person others know - I am just - what if I do something... wrong?

What if I hurt someone because I am... blinded? What can I do here that will make up for the evil back home? For the hurt I caused to those closest to me.

And what if while I am here, I hurt you. Or A-Qing or —

[mermaiding]

You are speaking a lot of things that have not happened here yet. Who cares what you know of in future? Has it happened yet? No. Why worry about it now? Is like being worried the apple will only be core when you eat it. Do you let that stop you from enjoying apples? No!

[She sighs a little. To her, this is a simple matter being vastly blown up. Mountains out of molehills.]

You will hurt me. And I will hurt you. It is risk when you have friends and people close to you. You hurt each other in small ways, sometimes big ways. But if you are really friends, can work through it.

If you were really really bad, you would not be asking these things.

If you are sorry, say sorry. Explain. Let them deal with it. If they are still mad, let them. If they forgive, accept forgiveness.

Chenchen, what more do you want? Do you want someone to say you are bad and terrible? Do you want permission to feel bad? I do not understand.

[mingyues]

[ he switches to text because he cannot find he voice to say these things. instead he has to write them because if he gives them voice then how can he ever unhear them? it's no more childish than wanting to unknow the future.

but he is young, still. ]

I want to find a way to save those I killed. To stop myself. And all the while... I also want to
to keep what I have here.

[mermaiding]

[She remains using video, making an annoyed noise as she leans in to read his response.]

So? Do that. So some people do not remember things when they go back. Maybe you will. Maybe when go back, creates new, ehh... world? There are so many. Who is to say?

It will never be so if you convince self it will not be.

[mingyues]

[ it should be easy.

he wishes it were that easy. ]

Do you really-

How can I believe this? I want to but I can't.

[mermaiding]

Why can you not?

[mingyues]

Because to believe those things you need some degree of trust and hope.

And...


I don't feel hope.

[mermaiding]

[She considers this a moment, humming thoughtfully.]

Xiao Xingchen.

Do you trust me?

[mingyues]

[ does he?

... ]

I want to. With whatever is left of me, I want to trust you, yes.

[mermaiding]

And, remember? We made promises.

I have hope. So, trust in my hope.

asjdkajskdakla F U C K KALYNASJASLKDAKSLDKASKA;SAK;SLKASL;S;AKS

[mingyues]

[ he is blinking rapidly and then


...then the tips of his ears are slightly red and then-


and then —]

Oh. I... I cannot promise you to succeed but I can promise you to try.

WHAT

[mermaiding]

[She grins broadly]

Good! Cannot have babies with someone without hope. There is no fun in that! Make terrible father. So depressing!

So try. Try and try and do not stop.

KLSJDAJLKSDJKLADJKLAKJLDA T H I S

[mingyues]

Have babies?


...Father? [ XIAO_XINGCHEN.EXE HAS CRASHED ]

LMAO THE ICON

[mermaiding]

[Oona nods along as if this is a totally normal and not thrown out of left field response she’d given]

Mm! You could make very pretty babies. I would also make very pretty babies, yes? So, together, babies would be prettiest! And very strong!

Are so sad now, but you have good heart. Would be good thing to pass along too. Have many good things— eh, traits—to pass to children. Would be waste not to!

renames icon to STRAIGHT PANIC

[mingyues]

[ is that a faint note of panic? yes. it may be. ] Oona.




Do mermaids make babies - how -
Do mermaids make babies the same way people make babies?

[ WAIT DOES HE WANT AN ANSWER TO THIS? ]

not here

[originalshen]

[WOW WHO'S THIS GUY YOU'RE PROPOSITIONING HOW DARE

he's nowhere near this post but he feels a sudden rush of petty irritation anyway.]