7th Social Link ▫ [Text + Audio]

[jivitadana]

[That nightmare was... different. Not new, as the stuff of nightmares was something Minato was used to. But different. He had been taking a nap at his desk while working on testing something. Something had been bothering him for a long while already, and it would be a way to distract him from thinking about the dream. The nightmare was the sign of something to come. Like those event announcements. He would just be prepared for it whenever it came.

Thus once he was ready again, he began writing, solving this math problem, then the next math problem and others like it.]

...

[Done. Answers checked out. But what about something... simple?]

42 - 17 = ______
...

........ What's forty-two minus seventeen?

.....

[Blank. How could he not know this? Something had to be wrong. (And it isn't cheating to ask the network!)]

Comments

Text

[jivitadana]

[...

Okay, nothing. Minato had to admit that.]

I don't know. I don't even know where to start.

[How weird. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a subtraction problem before.]

Text

[sorta_cinderella]

100 - 99?

100 - 1?

[Wow, this may actually be a serious problem.]

he does his best to lock this, but it's not very good

[strategisch]

Excuse me... This might seem out of the blue, but, you're Minato, correct?

Audio;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji glanced to the side, thinking, then looked back.]

If I have three perfect paper cranes, but Tefra eats one, how many are left?

Text

[jivitadana]

[Wait, okay, those ones aren't so bad.]

99 + 1 = 100

1 + 99 = 100

I think it should be 1 and 99. I think.

[That was really going the long way about things since he had to count and do addition instead, and he had to type out "I think"... twice. Because he really wasn't sure.]

Text

[sorta_cinderella]

This is either the calmest event we've ever had, or perhaps something is ailing you.

Audio;

[jivitadana]

[The pause here is way too long. Really way too long.]

... I need to count.

[Insert another pause here. Then he said it out loud.]

One, two, three. One plus one is two... One plus two is three. I think... two?

[This is really not... normal.]

No problem! Locked. (And they actually met back in April, but no problem XD)

[jivitadana]

[Minato noticed the filter on this message, and put up a better filter instead to help it.]

Mn. Did you need to ask me something?

[Minato was listening.]

a-ah, sorry, it's been a long time ><

[strategisch]

I just wanted to confirm something, if it's not too much trouble.

Were you effected by the event previous, about two weeks ago?

Text

[jivitadana]

[Minato didn't think it was an event. Or was it? No, he didn't remember an event announcement.]

I think it's something I did.

That's okay! It has been! <3 Thanks for tagging. ^-^

[jivitadana]

[Minato didn't have any reason to lie. He nodded. But some non-verbal answer wasn't really going to help.]

I was.

[There we go. Minato was a little worried. Or really worried. He hadn't forgotten exactly what happened.]

no problem!!!

[strategisch]

And during that time... Do you admit to losing control of your powers, and killing Mikasa Ackerman as a result?

<3

[jivitadana]

Yes.

[Minato could get technical. He could say it was an event. He could say that his Persona had killed Mikasa. He could say that it was Wonderland's fault. But he didn't. There wouldn't be any point. And Minato did think he had killed her.]

[coldhardy]

Three hundred and fifty-nine.

[The puzzled note is back.]

Text

[sorta_cinderella]

I can't imagine what that would be.

[jivitadana]

[Okay, yeah, something is wrong.]

How did you do that?

[He had to ask.]

Text | Private

[jivitadana]

[And there goes a filter on the rest of this conversation.]

On the other side of the Mirrors, there's some door with light coming out of it.

[strategisch]

[But you done right, Minato. Armin won't accept any excuses or distractions from the truth. You're owning up to what you've done, and that's what he wants.]

[...Even if a small part of him wishes he could get mad, and let out his frustrations, and now he can't.]

If you take responsibility for it, then I don't have any further issue with you. I trust that you regret what happened.

Text | Private

[sorta_cinderella]

[This is indeed serious time.]

Did you go near it?

[jivitadana]

[If anyone is good at feeling guilty at anything ever, it's Minato, especially over something like this.]

I talked to her a little while ago after she revived.

[Or he meant more like when he found her again and only after he revived himself. Still, it didn't make what he did disappear, even after talking to her about it. Apologizing was just words and feelings; how much did it help? He had to move on, and he had in some way, though he wouldn't forget.]

You're a friend of hers, right?

Text | Private

[jivitadana]

Yes, we opened the door, then we closed it right away afterward.

[Not that Minato regretted it. But it was good to know that okay, well, there's something weird on that side.]

Text | Private

[sorta_cinderella]

And you think perhaps the side affect was subtraction was subtracted from you?

[strategisch]

[Considering how good Mikasa is with words, Armin imagines this "talk" didn't amount to much. But that's not Minato's fault.]

Yes. She's as dear as a sister to me.

Audio;

[eatsyourscience]

Yes. Two.

[Yeah, that was definitely weird.]

At least we don't have math tests here. [That was a question as much as it was a statement. Silver lining, right?]

Audio;

[jivitadana]

I hope not.

[Minato didn't think they'd have math tests here, but... subtraction was something practical.]