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[jivitadana]

[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?

Comments

[thesamurai]

[ It seems like everyone here has already heard a horror story similar to hers. Zombies, everyone else calls them, and they're a frighteningly real part of a lot of people's lives.

Entertainment for other's, and maybe that pisses her off some, but that's not the same conversation and better saved for a different day. ]

End of the world. Zombie style.

[ She says it nonchalantly because she just assumes he's heard of such a thing from someone here. ]

[jivitadana]

[Minato hadn't heard that one before, not as of this conversation with her now. Someone did mention that zombies were here for an event, but that didn't necessarily mean the end of the world, no matter how many movies, video games, comic books, all of that, said so whenever it came to zombies.

But the end of the world. It didn't matter how it was going to happen. The important part was that it was.]

... Is there hope though that it won't end?

[Perhaps the question was a bit idealistic. But he could only hope that there was something that could be done.]

[thesamurai]

No.

[ Her answer isn't short with him, it's just what it is. There isn't going to be an end to it. ]

We're all infected with whatever it is that brings people back. No way around it. No matter how you die, you come back.

[ So, the walkers won't ever stop. She doesn't even know if babies born now are infected, too, if it'll always be like that. ]

We can figure out how to beat them. We pretty much have. But living people in the end of the world are a whole other thing. They try to take control. By any means possible.

[jivitadana]

[It was so much more complicated than he thought. He thought his life at home was complicated, but it was so straightforward compared to what was going on elsewhere. He didn't take it for granted, but he just hadn't thought about what it would be like anywhere else.]

But why would they do that? If you're all trying to survive, what's the point of working against each other?

[Then again, he thought about home and other people who tried to take control. Of the world. Or something like it. They didn't care if everyone on earth died as long as they won. But won what? It was hard to fathom.]

[thesamurai]

People who are assholes now were always assholes. There were laws and society keeping them in check. You take that away, they can kill to get what they want. Intimidate. Brutalize. No one's making shit anymore, no ammo, no food. Assholes get to the top by any means necessary, make everyone else do the work, get them what they need, or take it by force.

[ She shakes her head, letting out a breath. ]

You'd be surprised what people kill each other over when it might be the last of its kind you'll ever have again.

[jivitadana]

[Minato knew that was the truth, but that didn't mean he had to like it. But it was human nature, he supposed, to look out for number one. Survival of the fittest. That was the way of the world. He figured even the zombies had to feel the same way.]

But you have friends though to help as much as possible? How many?

[Even one other person was enough.]

[thesamurai]

We have a group. About forty or fifty of us.

[ Against Negan's army, but. There's no need to keep making it terrible. ]

We're a group of fighters. Won't go down easy.

[jivitadana]

[Forty to fifty was more than Minato expected, but then again, it was hard to keep track of everyone or to keep everyone united. He did have to stay positive about it, thinking that they had to all be aiming for the same goal.]

I'm wishing you luck. I wish things were easier for you though too.

[It was a lot of wishful thinking and he didn't think he had to worry about her too much. It was the other people around or the situation itself that he worried about.]

I'm Minato. And you?

[thesamurai]

Thank you. Me, too.

[ She does manage a small smile, though. ]

Michonne. Nice to meet you.

[jivitadana]

[He liked that name. He hadn't ever heard it before but somehow thought it fit her.]

Despite everything though, Wonderland has been treating you okay?

[It could be crazy here, really. Minato appreciated the downtime, at least. He'd still worry about her though, knowing what she was going to go back to and he hoped she didn't have to experience anything like that here. She was going to get enough of it at home.]

[thesamurai]

Can't say it hasn't. Other than the time I died, and the other times this place has tried to take me out.

[ She pauses, raising an eyebrow. ]

Not that much different from home in that regard, I guess. And I don't have to fight every day. That's a plus.

You? This place okay to you?

[jivitadana]

[This place really has something against some people. But events could be dangerous and whatever happened during them were unexpected too. She could take a break here some times, which was good for recharging batteries and preparing for anything that was going to come next.]

It's been okay. Meeting people from different places is fun.

[Which then implied that he didn't really get to meet people from different places? Or implied too that he didn't have the chance at home to do so.]

I don't mind having somewhere to sleep and having food available.

[Sometimes. Those events messed stuff up.]

[thesamurai]

I hear you on that, Minato.

[ She has Alexandria now, and hopefully that holds, but she's slept in the worst conditions imaginable, usually either with walkers close by on chains or covered in rot herself to keep herself from smelling like fresh meat. Not the easiest time falling asleep when death and decay are all around you, but you get used to it. ]

I do like meeting people here, and not every single event totally sucks. There's some I was glad for. Pretty sure, anyway.

[jivitadana]

What events did you like?

[Most of the events Minato had been through since being here hadn't been all that great. Some were worse than others. He wondered if he should be thinking about people the same way, that he should see that most of them were good, but he had to be careful too. She experienced something similar, unfortunately.]

[thesamurai]

[ Well, now she has to really think. In over two years, what has she liked? ]

There was one, we all thought we were in magic school. I was a professor. Liked that one a lot.

[ She actually smiles about it, thinking back. ]

Huh. I guess that's about it, honestly.

[jivitadana]

[Minato had heard about that one. That one seemed pretty popular with everyone who was here for it. He wished he could've seen what it was like.]

At least there's one?

[It was better than having all events that were horrible. That gave him a little bit of hope that there would be ones that were a little more light-hearted, if Wonderland could be so and if they could afford it to be too.]

[thesamurai]

[ Michonne laughs softly. ]

Yeah. I'll always have that. Here's hoping for more good experiences.

[jivitadana]

I hope so too. But if any aren't so great, I'll help you however I can.

[He'd totally be there if he could! Events have a way of happening when he's busy making other plans though, but he'd do his best.]

[thesamurai]

I appreciate that. We'll talk again soon, I hope.

[jivitadana]

Mn, same here. Please take care. Call me anytime you need anything too.

[She had been so kind to answer his inquiry on the network and all and to help him sort through his thoughts about life and death and living here.]