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5th Social Link ▫ Video + Action

[Winter was now over and spring had just started. Minato kind of missed the snow, but at least the weather was cool and comfortable instead of being too cold. For a change of pace as he wandered outside, now that the space event was over, he decided to head to the Checkerboard Hills. He hadn't been there often. It was time to check it out again.

That is, if checking it out meant doing a once-over on the checkered patterns from dark to light, then ending up laying in one of the darker square patches, his comm device off to the side as he looked up at the sky.

It's spring here and spring at home. School would be starting again, if he were there and time progressed.

Were these questions even fair? Did he have too much time on his hands, playing around with or thinking about 'what if' in a place that may make him forget his existence here at all?]

..... Would you rather be dead at home or alive here?

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A little. Mostly from American movies though.

[Or other forms of media available to a Japanese teenager, admittedly. Having people associated with the FBI actually here with him though made it much more real to him, not that it wasn't "real" to begin with. It just seemed far away and really like something just out of a movie or comic.]

You're part of it? Can I ask too what your name is?

[He was just checking. He knew someone who had something to do with the FBI... but he wanted to check first if they were somehow related.]

Yeah. Of course. I'm Kurt Weller.

[ Kurt never really means to be so stoic all the time, but he is. His expression always seems a little more tense than most people, like an impenetrable wall. There are so many instances where he barely gives more than a few monosyllabic answers, too, but this conversation has pulled a little more out of him, at least.

He really does like talking to people, he's just...not always the best at letting that actually show. He's trying to improve on that here in Wonderland, though, where there's not always a lot to do but talk to people. ]

Back home, I'm the Assistant Director for the FBI's New York City field office. There's a lot...unfinished. With my cases. [ There's a very long, involved story to tell, what would really be keeping him from wanting to die there, but that's a little more than it seems appropriate to share with someone he's just met. ]

It's nice to meet you. I'm Minato Arisato.

[Minato had to remember to give his first name first. He hardly ever gave his last name anymore here as most people just used his first name here, but he thought he should now since it seemed right to do so. He hoped it wasn't too formal though.

But that name and the rank that he held? No one just gets to work in the FBI by walking in and doing nothing. That was impressive, even if he said things were unfinished. Having a job at the FBI was a never ending one since cases didn't wait to be solved before another one opened up.]

You know Jane, right? She works with you?

[And she was with him too, from what he understood.]

Nice to meet you, too.

[ Jane's made a lot of friends here already, so he somehow isn't surprised to hear that Minato knows Jane already. She's the more outgoing of the two of them, and so is his sister. Kurt's always struggled a bit to open up to people, but he's definitely trying to improve on that. ]

Yeah. We work together. She's my partner. [ In more ways than one. ] Have you known her a while?

Mn, I wandered into the tattoo parlor and ended up getting a tattoo from her.

[Tattoos at home were sometimes considered a stigma to have. Sometimes, like it was more of a yakuza thing to do, and a "normal" teenager like himself shouldn't be getting one. But sometimes now it was also just acceptable to get one, for fashion or for a statement of some sort, or just because.

But he really did just wander into there since he hadn't ever been to a tattoo parlor at home. No one was going to give him a hard time here about it. She was welcoming and he felt like he could trust her.]

I'm glad that she's with you. She's mentioned only all good things about you.

[ There's a hint of a proud smile on Kurt's face, and though it flickers away almost as quickly as it appeared, it was there for a moment. He's proud of Jane. Remembering the terrified, haunted woman who had come out of that bag in Times Square with no memories and comparing her to the woman she's blossomed into here is amazing.

And he knows just being around her can make you feel better. She has that way about her. Which makes him glad that she's spreading some of that kindness around to other people. People like Minato who deserve good friends. ]

She's an amazing artist. Gave me a few tattoos, too.

[ He raises an eyebrow a little, more curious than anything. ] As long as she said good things.

So, look. You don't have to tell me anything, of course. But what's got you thinking about this kind of thing - being dead at home or alive here?

[Minato nodded. He thought that having something like a tattoo parlor here was a good idea. For him, getting a tattoo was almost like some kind of rite of passage. He didn't age here and he wouldn't be considered an adult until three years from now when he was 20. The symbol he had gotten too meant something to him and he wanted to see it on him every day.

But his other reason for getting the tattoo besides anything personal was because of those Mirrors. His Mirror wouldn't have the tattoos he had and that would distinguish them if anything happened. So the tattoo parlor did double duty in that respect.]

All good, I promise.

[He was glad that they had each other here. He knew having someone that close to you here helped. He did want to address the question though since it was fair. He left himself open for it, which he didn't mind.]

I died at home. I know I'll go back one day, but being alive here is... I like it.

[ Kurt's been so happy for Jane, that she's found not only something to do in Wonderland, but a purpose. She's an incredible artist who's impacting the people around her in a positive way with her gift, and he knows that means so much to her.

In contrast, Kurt's felt a bit aimless here. He had a purpose and a clear path back home: leading his team, taking down bad guys and repelling as much of the evil in the world as possible. In Wonderland, things are less certain. There aren't really any crimes to solve. So he's trying to find a new purpose, even if that just means helping people when there's a need, or he can mentor others somehow.

It would be Kurt's wish that everyone here had someone the way he has Jane, though he knows it's just the reality of life that things don't always work out like that.

Hearing what happened to Minato in his world, though, draws a deep frown from Kurt. ]

So this place is...it's all you've got left?

[Minato did wonder that though himself, if this was the last stop he would make. Consciousness was a tricky thing at home, given how he died and why he did and what happened afterward, but it certainly wasn't living. He had to do what he did, but still... he did miss his friends and home.]

I think of it that way.

[With where he was at home after he died, maybe there was a chance to be saved, but he couldn't hope for it too much. It might not ever happen, but Minato didn't mind.]

I died to save my friends, so I'm okay with it. Being here though, I get to make new ones and I get the chance to miss the old ones.

[Which was kind of nice. Since he died, it was like he didn't get to think about them after that, not really. But he could here, all while meeting new people and then expanding his group of friends.]

[ Kurt is deeply troubled by this. He'd suspected this when the topic was posed to the network at large, but it doesn't make the confirmation of it any easier to swallow. His entire life, he's always wanted to keep others safe. He's always felt like he needed to be the strongest one in whatever group of people he was with. He needed to give the people around him everything that he had. Those feelings had lent themselves well to his position with the FBI, of course, and though he hadn't been able to save everyone, he damn sure tried.

He's only just met Minato, but he's a kid with a good heart, that much is clear. He's a kid who sure as hell didn't deserve to die, even if it was for a good cause. He can understand wanting to protect the people you love, but in his mind, everything is unbalanced; a child shouldn't die for anyone. He has no control over what happens to Minato back home, but he can keep an eye on him here, at the very least. Protect him. ]

Yeah, you do. You're pretty good at it.

Your friends - they're lucky to have you, kid.

Thanks. I was lucky to have them too.

[That actually spoke volume for Minato since his friends were his family. They were everything to him because they had given him everything he could have ever wanted, things that he didn't even know he wanted or needed in the first place. It took him a long time to understand that he was only existing: After meeting his friends and being with them, he finally learned what it was like to live.

He was grateful that he could be here. He had to thank Wonderland for something, and that was it, that he could continue to live, even if just for a little longer.

He wondered about his own ability to make friends. It seemed like the people around him though were the ones who he should thank since they were so good to him. He just wanted to reciprocate.]

I'm glad to have met you too. I hope that everything works out for you.

[He only knew what was going on at their home from what he was told, and he could only wish that Kurt and Jane could be happy together. He could only wish too that whatever they shared here, they could take it back home. It made him want to try harder to figure out how to do that, retain all memories of this place no matter what.]

[ He can't think of many other people who would be this...peaceful in regards to their own death. He can't imagine it's the easiest thing to accept, but he seems to have come to terms with it precisely because it was a sacrifice made for such a noble cause. If Kurt were in the same position, he knows he'd feel the way Minato does. ]

You've got a good heart. Thanks.

One thing I've learned about this place - it's good to have people. Ones you can trust, ones who have your back. So if you need anything, Jane and me, we're both here.

[Kurt was the one with the good heart. They've only just met, but he could tell that Kurt really meant what he said. It was refreshing too, having adults around who Minato could trust and confide in too. He had seen enough adults who were selfish, power-hungry, uncaring. There were good ones, it was true, but the ones who were not so good seemed to be a constant presence.]

Thank you. It's the same for you two too. I'll do my best for you.

[Normally Minato wouldn't want to trouble anyone, but he may take Kurt up on his offer. He was more than willing to reciprocate as well because he thought he should. He could, or he could at least try.]

[ He wants to tell Minato that he's not the one who should be worrying about the adults, but he can relate to this kid on some level. He reminds him of himself when he was young. And no one telling him not to worry about people older than him, or want to help, would have changed his mindset.

So he tilts his head in gratitude, with a small smile on his face. ]

I know you would. Thanks, kid. We'll talk soon.

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

[Minato returned the smile and was grateful that Kurt had responded to his inquiry. He was happy enough that someone had answered, and then to find out it was him made it even better.

Just knowing that someone was looking out for him too? That was really nice, actually. He always wanted to take care of the people around him no matter what, but knowing he could depend too on someone else if he needed it? It was nice.]

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