avenge.

Diana kept her mouth quiet, for a little bit. She wanted to scream about how she wasn’t all right, how she wasn’t lucky, how she had caused everything, but… it’d be pointless to put that on someone like Clover, who was younger than her, and had actually been through multiple escape games, and…

Diana still felt like absolute shit, but, she’d try to keep herself together. For Clover’s sake, if not her own.

“I… I guess I’m lucky…” The words came out hesitatingly, making it clear she wasn’t completely on board with this train of thought, but… she’d suppress the worst of it.

“No, you’re right. If I’ve got love, and hope, and faith, then… if I had luck, that would complete the clover, wouldn’t it?”

Her eyes were beginning to water. She felt like crying. And if she were to stop herself from tearing up, she’d have to get this conversation away from focusing on her, asap.

“If there’s anyone who’s really lucky… it would be your brother. I know it’s a weird thing to say, given his condition, but… I don’t think anyone could ask for a better sister than the one he has.”

clover wasn’t good at social cues, && she had problems forming meaningful conversations with people, but even she could see that diana was struggling with this. she wasn’t sure what she said to mess up things so bad && make the woman start crying, but she needed to fix things, && fast.

she wasn’t sure why she was so upset, clover was trying to be polite && make diana feel good. && with not knowing what parental love is even like, she wanted diana to know that there’s people out there who appreciate her && how hard she tries, but she figures she messed up somehow.

of course she did.

“it would! i’m a firm believer that all you need in life is the clover, && with how much you’ve been through, i’d believe you’re lucky! && if not, then, i’ve got you. i know how hard it is, but i’ve accepted that what happens is what happens... && you can’t change it. i’ve had so many people i love die, && some of it is my fault... && i’ve hurt so many people on the way. 

but somehow... somehow luck brought me through it.”

she gives a small nod, a bit sad about how many people she’s killed in so many timelines but they’re okay now, && she’s here.

a small tearful at the mention of her brother. 

his condition.

she hated that’s what everyone brought up! light is much more than the abuse he faced && his disability, she knew no one ever meant any harm by it, but he was so much more than being blind. he was the love of his life && her best friend.

“i’m luckier to have him. he’s been through a lot, && i would do anything to keep him in my life... i did do anything. i dropped out of school for him, i killed people for him. he deserves the world.”

@imensus liked for a starter!!

clover loved her job, she couldn’t lie about that part. it was fun working in the restaurant && seeing who all ordered things, she’s always been a people watcher. but it was more fun just living with light on her own. usually days were slow && no one of interest showed up && she could go back to researching things for sois.

of course, working for sois was always hard for her. she wasn’t particularly strong, && while her and light had very high resonance, she had way too easy of a temper to do anything valuable, && was only ever needed for the more emotionally heavy missions && not so much the grunt work.

of course to clover, she loved spending time with alice. she admired the girl && had grown to consider her a good friend (&& if she was more in tune with her feelings, she would know it’s a crush.) 

she was in the middle of filing an order for one of the customers when she was hit by a wave of almost a sorry feeling. memories suddenly flooding back as the door opened && revealed the familiar face.

“O-oh my goodness!” Diana had to stifle a bout of laughter there. Yes, that was exactly what their ages would suggest, but… just the concept, it seemed so silly. And then using the word ‘sweaty,’ of all things, to talk about Akane…

She looked away as Clover kept recounting her experiences in the games. This wasn’t quite what she meant by time travel, but it was more than sufficient enough to explain the process. Especially with what Clover herself had been through, it wasn’t worth splitting hairs.

Once she looked back up and made eye contact with Clover again, well, she really had to turn away.

“Lucky? I-I’m really not sure lucky is the right word to use here…” As much as she wanted to stay cheery, she was starting to fade. “After all… if she’s so lucky to have me, then… the outbreak…”

She stopped herself there, absolutely forcing that smile on her face to stay put. It was clear where she was about to go. Radical-6. If she hadn’t become so attached to Phi, then… it never would have happened…

“Please don’t misunderstand - I love her. I love her with every fibre of my being. But… I bring bad luck to people. That’s just what I do. It’s no use having Hope, Faith, or Love, if I don’t even have Luck…”

clover didn’t know anything about this apparent fourth time travel into the future, she figured the three she’d gone through had been more than enough. what was with akane && the constant time travel, anyway? she’d have to ask around about that later.

clover noticed as diana suddenly evaded eye contact && bit her tongue. what did she say this time? she had a habit of saying too much. 

“well, i’m a big believer in luck! it’s literally what my name means! phi is awesome && she wouldn’t be here without you. i would say that’s lucky. i mean, it’s not often that someone travels through time && space just to bring you here.”

clover wasn’t sure what diana was talking about, but there’s nothing wrong with loving your children. clover would die to have a relationship with her parents, but with her father being the awful person he was && leaving them at such a young age, && her mother having to work to keep them alive - clover never knew what parents are. she wondered if diana knew how lucky she truly was.

“you do have luck. come on, my whole life is just luck. i don’t have faith, but i have love, && i have hope, && i have luck. sometimes all you need is a three leaf clover. a clover is a clover, && i say you’re lucky!”

she gave a small smile. 

Thankfully, Diana had a little bit of experience with these sorts of conversations. People who saw her and her daughter together might have assumed they were sisters, or just really good friends, or… well, anything but what they were.

“No, silly, I didn’t give birth as a baby…” She had to hold back a laugh. Was that really what Clover would have believed?

“Technically, I haven’t given birth at all… at least, not in this timeline. But, on November 16, 2029, another me will have a pair of twins, and another Sigma will send them back in time. One of those twins went through a few more journeys through time after that, but she was still my baby girl. My daughter. My Phi.”

She held her hands behind her back, wondering how Clover would take this.

honestly clover thought diana && phi were really close friends, almost as close as her && alice, but thankfully she was told the truth before things got too awkward. she soul have literally died of embarrassment.

“i mean, that’s what your ages would suggest! she’s not much younger than you!” she didn’t actually believe that, of course, but it was funny to watch how the redhead reacted.

“ohh time travel. it’s like when i killed everyone because i thought they killed light, but i didn’t actually... or when akane died in a furnace, but then she was an adult later && just really sweaty... or when alice was killed by dio && we were all on the moon...” she realized how long she was going on - she’s been through a lot, && didn’t really notice until diana looked back at her.

mind trailing back, she realized how conversations are supposed to go. right. responding to what she was saying. “that’s adorable, actually. it’s amazing how much you love her. she’s lucky to have you.”

@notevenjupiter liked for a starter!

“wait, so walk me through this again... you && phi are the same age, but you’re her mom? did you give birth as a baby?”

she scratches her head innocently, partially understanding but enjoying the look on diana’s face as she waited for an answer.

instigating was what she was good at. 

hope.             faith.                         love.                                    luck.

                                               remember these things.

“No, I… I guess there isn’t but…”

Standing suddenly, Luna turned fully to face Clover.

“M-maybe, maybe there’s something I can do.”

The number nine door would never open again. Supposedly. But why shouldn’t it? There was no purpose to keeping people trapped after the game, in any timeline. And even if there were…

“I’m a part of this place. The whole building. I, I don’t know if I can, but… If I tried, I might be able to override the protocols, to get the number nine door open again. It’s just… Clover… I mean…”

Luna’s fervor began to fade. Would the world, or rather, the moon, outside the rhizome really be a thing that would inspire hope in anyone? A history forty-five years too far forward, in some cases. And if they all left, then Luna would be…

No, not alone. She would still have… G-OLM. And Lagomorph, unless the cessation of the Nonary Game deacivated him.

“What’s outside those doors,” she concluded softly, “might be a bit of a shock.”

“but what is that going to leave you with? you can’t stay here alone... even if you are a robot you have emotions && needs, && i’m not letting you sacrifice yourself for me.”

really, clover wanted to see her brother again. she wanted to feel the outside air - to not be trapped in this place. but she wasn’t going to drag luna down in order to do it. not today, not this time. she had bigger problems to worry about, bigger issues that needed healing. and she wasn’t going to allow this sacrifice. 

she would be safe, sure. but it would weigh on her the rest of her life, && that was an issue. 

“really, i’m okay. i don’t want to leave you alone.”

sure, eventually she would die. the place would end up being abandoned && luna would end up alone && immortal, but she’s not going to let that happen, not for as long as she could. she was still young.

thoughts shifted at luna’s last statement && she was forced back into this scary reality.

“outside the doors? why? it’s only been forty five years, how bad can it be...?”

that was rhetorical, as curious as she was- she didn’t know if she wanted to find out. 

           “No, he isn’t—” June repeated Clover’s words as though she knew for a fact, the truth being that she  d i d. However, the other woman wasn’t aware, and there were plenty of advantages to that. It’s not as though Akane enjoyed observing the innocent suffer like this, but sacrifices had to be taken; necessities, all of them, to obtain the greater good.

           “My brother,” June mumbled absentmindedly as the other pulled away, her lids lifting, allowing the soothingness in her violet eyes to be displayed. “He’s— He’s amazing, Clover. He’s always there for me, and he raised me despite of how difficult orphanhood was.”

           Her reveal felt almost casual. Oh, her parents had died when they were young. Not a big deal, was it? No. No, of course it was. However, June had grown accustomed to that fact over many many years, and Akane knew of the necessity of said past losses. All in all, it was just yet another piece of information.

“thank you for saying that...” she knew june was just trying to cheer her up, but at least she was trying. && at a time like this, clover could appreciate that. things were always so grim, nothing wrong with trying to cheer someone up. time was all clover needed - && it’s not like you could just create more of it.

“orphan? i had no idea.” sure, clover’s parents weren’t dead, per say but their father had never been a good one, && when the chance came for them to leave their dad, they did. not even batting an eye to tell their mother. while things were bad, they were glad the three of them were able to reunite, their mother pitching in.

but still, clover couldn’t imagine being on her own with just light - especially not that young. she figured a bad father was better than none at all, right?

“I think… that was probably the point.”

Luna wouldn’t have been very effective in her role if everyone could tell she wasn’t human, after all. Not that it seemed to have helped much. No, that wasn’t necessarily true, not the way the AB Project was meant to work – merely that she herself was stuck in a history that did not have the optimal ending. And such histories had to exist to allow Phi and Sigma to manifest their abilities. Still…

Luna looked down at her hands, brushing the fingers of one over the palm of the other.

“Clover, I… I really am… sorry. That it all turned out this way.”

this was how it ended, wasn’t it?

trapped inside of this place. alice was dead, light was nowhere to be found. really, it seemed like the worst way to go. what happened when they ran out of food? what happened when they got bored? why was she chosen for this again? she was the only one.

the only one who had to get sucked back into a third nonary game, not even the girl who once died was back. it was just her. she wondered what karma she’d deserved for this to happen, over && over again.

“i guess so! but it’s still so... unexpected!” 

luna, a robot. that meant she was going to survive beyond the rest of the group. luna was probably going to end up alone once everyone died. clover couldn’t even imagine...

she tried to pick herself up, things weren’t as bad as they seemed. unfair? sure. but it wasn’t the end of the world. she was going to make it out of this alive. 

“not much i can do about it i guess.” 

a small shrug, pink heel kicking the floor beneath her. she wasn’t making eye contact with luna, she was too exhausted for that.