[Voice/Possible Action] Toughening Up

[everyonesconfidant]

[An unusually tense Hiro can be found in the Battledome today, practicing his techniques (which basically boil down to how fast he can push buttons on his cell phone because he's more of a mage-type, but of course there's a bit more to it than that) and getting his battle on. He leaves a voice message:]

If anyone wants to see or talk to me today, I'll be in the Battledome. I need to do a bit of training. I kind of woke up on the wrong side of the bed today... sorry, guys. I'll be checking my messages in between battles, though, so there's that.

[Like he said, he'll be checking his voice messages in between battles. Also, if you want to actually go bother him at the Battledome, go right ahead.]

Comments

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Um, if you don't mind... What are you training for?

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Oh, I'm not training for anything in particular. It's just... a little stress relief, that's all.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Oh. That sounds like it could be helpful. [He smiles a little, attempting to show understanding, though really, it's not something he can relate to.] Is something bothering you, then? I mean, you don't have to talk about it, but...

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

I'm a little bothered by some things that've happened recently... like, the incidents with the Kin'corans. They really did a number on us.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Oh... I can't blame you. [He sighs quietly.] That was pretty rough.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

We... well, some of us, anyway... tried to help them, and they responded by attacking us. Sometimes, I feel like I didn't help enough to stop them from doing that, even though I tried my best.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

I-I'm sure you did the best you could, Hiro. I don't think a lot of people actually wanted to fight with them. It's not our fault they were so... angry, though.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

That's what everyone says. I just can't shake the feeling that I didn't do enough, though.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

I think I understand. I wish I could've done more, too, but... I wouldn't even have known where to start.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

I started by just trying to help people. If they were separated from friends, I tried to reunite them. If they needed supplies, I tried to get them... things like that. My offers to help got rebuffed a lot, though.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

I guess sometimes, it doesn't really matter how hard you try to help if they don't want your help in the first place.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

I guess you might be right. I learned about that the hard way, it seems...

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

B-but the important thing is that you did try. It's better than not trying at all, anyway.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Yeah, that's true. That's more that can be said for some people, anyway. I heard some people were just flat-out against the Kin'Corans, for whatever reason.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

It's kind of strange to think about... I mean, people are always so nice when New Feathers show up. Why would that be any different?

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

You're right! That's a good point. It must have been because the Kin'Corans weren't "one of us"... though, really, I'm not sure why that makes such a difference either.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Yeah, me, either. I don't think their situation is all that different from ours, so... I don't know. [He sighs a little to himself and tries to be more optimistic, for Hiro's sake.] I hope their situation improves, though.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

I heard people say they thought we were working with the Malnosso, and we didn't really have anything to disprove that.

I hope their situation improves, too. Maybe, if they're ever on a more equal footing with us, we can be allies.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

I hope so, too. [He smiles a little.] It'd be great if we could actually get along. We never know when we'll see them again.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Aren't we with people from other enclosures sometimes when there's drafts? We might encounter them again then. I almost hope I do meet a Kin'Coran on the next draft I'm on... making friends with a few of them might help.

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Oh, I guess you're right. [He hadn't thought about meeting them on drafts, though it's probably because he's never been on one before.] That's a great idea. I think, if I'm ever drafted, I'll try to do the same.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

That's great! Maybe we can work together to talk to people, huh? Doesn't that sound like a good idea?

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

[...aww. That makes Shinji smile.]

Y-yeah... That does sound like a good idea.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Alright! I guess we should meet up and look for people on the next draft, then?

[voice]

[shinesbrightest]

Yeah, that would be great. It'd probably be easier if we stuck together.

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Good deal! I'll be sure to look for you if I'm on the next draft, then. And then we can go look for the Kin'corans and show them what we're really made of.

[voice]

[failguardian]

Are you okay? You sound kinda upset...

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

I just... I have some things on my mind, that's all. Some things are worrying me.

[voice]

[failguardian]

What kind of things?

[voice]

[everyonesconfidant]

Ah, it's a little hard to narrow it all down... but the fiasco with the Kin'corans is one thing on my mind. It hurts a bit that I couldn't stop them from doing all the things they did. I was at the raid on the farm from a bit, and I heard they raided the smithy, too...