veth wanted some kind of a mingle so here is a mingle

[dialo]

[You are in some sort of generic jamjar! There is a speed dating event, which you are participating in because you are literally locked in here. And also you're depowered, if that's a thing you need to be concerned with.

Anyway, it looks like you're not getting out of here until you do the thing, so you might as well do the thing.]

Comments

[misblamed]

Yeah... well. You know.

[ Ganta looks about as embarrassed as you might expect from a fourteen-year-old boy admitting he misses a girl. In front of another girl, even. ]

It's not like she's my girlfriend or anything. But we've been friends for a long time. Since we were kids, actually.

[ He sounds a little surprised himself by that last bit. ]

So. Yeah. I guess I miss her. You got... anyone like that?

[dialo]

There's Chelan, an angel the same age as me. I've known her... as long as I can remember, and we've been living together for a few years now.

She doesn't talk much, so I usually end up interpreting for her to other people. We understand each other well.

[misblamed]

So angels and demons can even live together, huh?

[ No matter-antimatter explosion when they touch? Wack. ]

Yeah, you wouldn't have to do that with Shiro. She talks. ...A lot.

[ It would probably be insensitive to ask if they can trade. ]

[dialo]

We do. You should see our God and Devil, they're practically married.

[misblamed]

So if you guys aren't, like, representatives of the forces of good and evil... what do your God and Devil actually do?

[ Do they have day jobs? ]

[dialo]

God created our world and is responsible for protecting it from outside forces. The Devil... Doesn't do much these days aside from play board games with God, but if necessary he would fight in our defense.

Rather than good and evil, you might think of them more as creation and destruction?

[misblamed]

Board games. Sure.

[ What else would primal forces of the universe do on their days off, right? ]

I guess... you guys must not have too many problems in your world. If God and the Devil are always around to help you out.

[ His voice only wavers a little. ]

[dialo]

We were invaded recently. But before that it was a peaceful place.

[...no torture death games, at least.]

[misblamed]

Invaded by someone else's God and Devil?

[ He thinks he's getting the idea of how these things work. ]

[dialo]

Just their Devil. Apparently worlds where the two get along are incredibly rare, and angels and demons fight each other everywhere else. I can hardly imagine it, personally.

[misblamed]

Yeah, I mean... I always thought you guys were supposed to be enemies. But we don't really have angels and demons and stuff in my world. Just stories. And humans fight each other a lot too, so I guess you guys lucked out.

[dialo]

Why would humans fight each other? You're the same species.

[?????????]

[misblamed]

Heh. [ The most mirthless "heh" ever, for the record. ] Your guess is as good as mine. I thought it was weird even before they threw me in the death game prison.

[dialo]

I'm sorry, the what.

[misblamed]

Oh, yeah! You wouldn't know about Deadman Wonderland.

[ Ganta tries to keep out any undertone of "lucky you". He really does. ]

I mean, I guess I can't really call it a death game. It's more of a... get one of your organs removed if you lose, game. A non-vital one, if you're lucky.

[ His hands clench and unclench. ]

I haven't lost yet.

[dialo]

...I'm not very good at them, but do you want a hug?

[Because like. What the fuck, actually.]

[misblamed]

...

[ .........

It's been a long time since anyone offered Ganta a hug, unless you count Shiro's glomps. Which, don't get him wrong, are fine! In moderation. But it's not the same as being hugged by someone who understands.

Wordlessly, he nods and gets to his feet. His eyes feel moist. ]

[dialo]

[She hugs him gently. It's a little awkward - it's been a long while since she's hugged anyone but Chelan, and Chelan usually initiates those - but she's warm and soft.]

I'm sorry. No one deserves that.

[misblamed]

[ Yeah. Okay. He can get hugged without having a breakdown. Like a normal person. He's fine, he's fine, he can do this.

Ganta's not one to complain about hugs being awkward. He's pretty rusty himself. But he lets instinct take over for now, wrapping his arms around her and trying not to press his face too fiercely into her shoulder. After a moment, self-consciously, he clears his throat. ]

Maybe this wasn't exactly what they had in mind when they wanted us to talk about ourselves.

[dialo]

Maybe not. But it seemed like you needed it.

[She rubs his shoulder lightly. There, there. It'll be okay.]

At least here is safe.

[misblamed]

Yeah. Can't complain. Worst we have to worry about here is being turned into stuff for a couple days, or, like... were you here for the time they made us sing everything? Eesh.

[ He'll take dying of embarrassment over regular dying, but sometimes there's a slim margin between those choices.

At this point, the hug's been going on long enough that Ganta feels he probably ought to disentangle himself before he makes it weird. He pulls back, offering Dialo an uncertain smile. ]

Sorry for dumping that on you. I've been trying not to think about it too much, you know? But... thanks.

[dialo]

That was awful, I sounded like a frog.

[She doesn't sing! What about her says 'singing person' to you.]

Any time. It seemed like you needed it.