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There's still a chance that there's someone at home who will step in -- someone who loves them just as much as Minato loves you.
[That's one of the truths of their lives, isn't it? Minato loves SEES, and he loves Ken especially. There's nothing that he wouldn't do to secure their safety, and Jaime hopes that everyone has that person, that one person who would do anything for them to keep them safe.
He knows that his family feels that way about him, after all. It's not like his Dad picks up his shotgun for just anyone.]
You're right that it doesn't happen all the time, and that it doesn't even happen that often... but it happens more than you think, Ken. I've seen it happen so many times now. But if they won't listen to that, all you can do is be there for them.
[He reaches out for Ken's shoulder and squeezes it.]
But it's not always easy being there for someone either.
[Poor Ken. He's been a support system for so many people now, but he's still so young.]
[That's one of the truths of their lives, isn't it? Minato loves SEES, and he loves Ken especially. There's nothing that he wouldn't do to secure their safety, and Jaime hopes that everyone has that person, that one person who would do anything for them to keep them safe.
He knows that his family feels that way about him, after all. It's not like his Dad picks up his shotgun for just anyone.]
You're right that it doesn't happen all the time, and that it doesn't even happen that often... but it happens more than you think, Ken. I've seen it happen so many times now. But if they won't listen to that, all you can do is be there for them.
[He reaches out for Ken's shoulder and squeezes it.]
But it's not always easy being there for someone either.
[Poor Ken. He's been a support system for so many people now, but he's still so young.]
[Mabel squeezes him just as tight, patting him on the back in a half-hearted attempt to keep this a little less emotional. Thinking to herself about how this is a pretty great sincere best friend hug (and mentally saying pat pat) is a good distraction from everything else. Plus it keeps the crying to a minimum.]
Me too. It's okay. ...thanks for being here!
Me too. It's okay. ...thanks for being here!
[Ken's thoughtful sounds catch his attention as he scoots over to get a better look, neck craning to get a better look. He has to admit, the kids do have the most fitting expression you can have when holding a giant froyo cup with a bajillion toppings stacked on it.
He's a little jealous.]
Whoa...
I didn't know places like that existed! You can have as many as you want?
[You can have as many as a NORMAL person wants, Kaneda.]
He's a little jealous.]
Whoa...
I didn't know places like that existed! You can have as many as you want?
[You can have as many as a NORMAL person wants, Kaneda.]
... So have I.
[Ken's living proof that there are multiple people like that. Minato isn't the only reason he's alive after all, he corrects himself silently, thinking about how that may have been the most recent and obvious sacrifice, but Ken's been saved by the sacrifices of other people, too. Even if his mother's death had been an accident, and Shinjiro was murdered by Takaya, both of their final acts were saving him, too. And unrelated to him, Koromaru nearly gave his life protecting his master's home even after his death.
Jaime was right. There're more than he might think, but, he hopes, if there is anybody who'll jump in like that to save Dipper and Mabel, they don't die doing it. The weight of a life given to save another weighs so heavily on the one who survives. Ken's shoulder is tense and tight under Jaime's hand, and he doesn't know how to unwind himself.]
I just want them to be happy, and alive. I thought -- even if we couldn't stay here forever, I wanted them to be able to be happy. But if they die...
[Ken's living proof that there are multiple people like that. Minato isn't the only reason he's alive after all, he corrects himself silently, thinking about how that may have been the most recent and obvious sacrifice, but Ken's been saved by the sacrifices of other people, too. Even if his mother's death had been an accident, and Shinjiro was murdered by Takaya, both of their final acts were saving him, too. And unrelated to him, Koromaru nearly gave his life protecting his master's home even after his death.
Jaime was right. There're more than he might think, but, he hopes, if there is anybody who'll jump in like that to save Dipper and Mabel, they don't die doing it. The weight of a life given to save another weighs so heavily on the one who survives. Ken's shoulder is tense and tight under Jaime's hand, and he doesn't know how to unwind himself.]
I just want them to be happy, and alive. I thought -- even if we couldn't stay here forever, I wanted them to be able to be happy. But if they die...
[Jaime doesn't know how to help Ken relax either. Maybe that's because he doesn't know how to do it for himself; he knows a countless number of people who are going home to either certain death, or almost certain death, and every time he thinks about it, he can feel it working him into knots upon knots. He's in the position of support almost every day, and he knows better than almost anyone how draining that can be, how sleepless nights are not haunted by your own problems, but by the problems of another.
But that's what you sign up for when you open your heart to someone else, as Ken has to a surprising amount of people here. Standing back, it's easy to see how many ties Ken has to the world, how he likely has even more than Jaime does at this point. That opens up a whole lot of joy for Ken, perhaps... but a whole lot of sorrow too.]
That's a big if, [Jaime says, though he knows it's inadequate. He considers, momentarily, bringing up the afterlife... but if Ken doesn't believe in that, bringing it up would only make things worse. Jaime believes in something, of course, but it's difficult not to when you've come face to face with the vengeful spirit of god, when you've known another who's made a literal deal with the devil.]
Are they happy here?
But that's what you sign up for when you open your heart to someone else, as Ken has to a surprising amount of people here. Standing back, it's easy to see how many ties Ken has to the world, how he likely has even more than Jaime does at this point. That opens up a whole lot of joy for Ken, perhaps... but a whole lot of sorrow too.]
That's a big if, [Jaime says, though he knows it's inadequate. He considers, momentarily, bringing up the afterlife... but if Ken doesn't believe in that, bringing it up would only make things worse. Jaime believes in something, of course, but it's difficult not to when you've come face to face with the vengeful spirit of god, when you've known another who's made a literal deal with the devil.]
Are they happy here?
... I think so.
[Dipper and Mabel were, as far as Ken knew, pretty happy. They had their friends, they had their family, they had each other. And they had told Ken as much. If he couldn't believe that, he wouldn't be able to believe anything they said.]
They miss their parents. I think -- I think that's normal, when you have family to go back to. But I think so.
[Dipper and Mabel were, as far as Ken knew, pretty happy. They had their friends, they had their family, they had each other. And they had told Ken as much. If he couldn't believe that, he wouldn't be able to believe anything they said.]
They miss their parents. I think -- I think that's normal, when you have family to go back to. But I think so.
[So his friends, plural, stuck in the same fate, young enough to miss their parents... it's enough clues for Jaime to have an inkling about who it is Ken's talking about. He doesn't voice it out loud though, decides to let Ken at least project the illusion of privacy. Knowing who it is doesn't make a difference in the long run.]
Yeah, that's normal. I mean, that's the boat I'm in.
[He's worried about a lot of things, and stressed, and life here is downright traumatic sometimes, but when it comes down to it, he'd still say that he's happy. He's surrounded by good people, and people that he loves. While things could be better, that's all he really needs to fulfill his own happiness. Maybe it's the same for Ken's friends.]
So... even if you can't do anything else, that's one thing to hold onto, okay? They're happy here and now. And I'm sure you're a big reason for why they are.
Yeah, that's normal. I mean, that's the boat I'm in.
[He's worried about a lot of things, and stressed, and life here is downright traumatic sometimes, but when it comes down to it, he'd still say that he's happy. He's surrounded by good people, and people that he loves. While things could be better, that's all he really needs to fulfill his own happiness. Maybe it's the same for Ken's friends.]
So... even if you can't do anything else, that's one thing to hold onto, okay? They're happy here and now. And I'm sure you're a big reason for why they are.
They're a big reason why I'm happy, too.
[He's happy. He can say that confidently now. When he feels this sad, and this scared, he's certain it's because he finally has a happiness to be afraid of losing again. Instead of mourning what he once had, he has something now. And that's good! That's good, but...]
I guess I'm just-- I'm scared. If they disappear now, I won't be able to say, "At least they'll be happy," because I won't know. When I miss the people who used to be here, I think about what they could be doing that'll make them happy. But if they're gone, there's none of that.
[He's happy. He can say that confidently now. When he feels this sad, and this scared, he's certain it's because he finally has a happiness to be afraid of losing again. Instead of mourning what he once had, he has something now. And that's good! That's good, but...]
I guess I'm just-- I'm scared. If they disappear now, I won't be able to say, "At least they'll be happy," because I won't know. When I miss the people who used to be here, I think about what they could be doing that'll make them happy. But if they're gone, there's none of that.
[That's a tough one. It's something that everyone here lives in fear of, isn't it? Having your people from awful worlds, who are dead back home, be ported out before you know it? It's happened to Jaime more times than he cares thinking about it, to people who've talked about wanting to stay here forever because their homes are so miserable. Even if Ken's friends make it out all right, Jaime knows for a fact that there's plenty of people he already has that concern about -- mostly because he lives with one of them.]
Yeah. Yeah, that's a scary one. I think that's the sort of thing that scares everyone here.
[Everyone knows someone... either that, or they are that someone.]
I'm not gonna tell you not to be scared now, or to be sad if it happens, but you have to have hope too. Until you know something for a fact, you can't just assume the worst.
[God, he hopes he's not talking out of his ass.]
I don't think they'd want you to assume the worst either.
Yeah. Yeah, that's a scary one. I think that's the sort of thing that scares everyone here.
[Everyone knows someone... either that, or they are that someone.]
I'm not gonna tell you not to be scared now, or to be sad if it happens, but you have to have hope too. Until you know something for a fact, you can't just assume the worst.
[God, he hopes he's not talking out of his ass.]
I don't think they'd want you to assume the worst either.
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