triggerhappytraitor | Prisma Inbox/index

Tachibana blinked. "...Spider latched on to him because he was compatible, but afraid," he pointed out. "It was able to use Mutsuki's insecurities and fears to its advantage, keeping him in its sway long enough to take full control of him."

That Isaka didn't understand that part... made Tachibana wonder how aware of the parallels between his and Mutsuki's situations Isaka actually had realized.

He shifted, looking at Isaka directly, pressing his lips together a long moment.

"... You're asking why one person feels a connection to another," he realized. "Not just why we all wanted to help Mutsuki."

Isaka continues to look frustrated, continues to almost seethe with his lack of understanding, right up until Tachibana stumbles upon the actual point of confusion. And then he gives a sudden lean back, visibly shocked.

"That's..." That's not what he asked? Not exactly what he asked. But when he reflects upon it... yes. That is what has him so frustratingly confused. He is, at least, not quite as angry about it, now that Tachibana's gone and stabbed right to the heart of things. "...why did you want to help someone so fearful and insecure?"

To take advantage of someone like that, fine, he can understand it all too well. But to help...?

Tachibana blinked a few times. "...Because that's what I do," he pointed out, feeling that if he were talking to anyone else, he would be stating the obvious.

"Almost everything I've done with my life has been to help others. It was why I joined BOARD, why I became a Rider, why I reformed BOARD to be what it should have been from the start."

He paused, pressing his lips together a moment, knowing that the answer likely wasn't what Isaka needed, but not really having any better way to pu it.

"Asking me why I want to help others... is a bit like asking an Undead why they fight."

Isaka isn't entirely sure that that's what Tachibana does. He has mostly seen him at his worst, running away from everyone and struggling. He is frowning and furrowing his brow so hard now that it's plain even behind those shades of his.

"...but that's not an absolute human impulse. That's not comparable to an Undead's drive to fight at all." Because he has seen humans do terrible things, seen the selfish and callous thoughts they carry around in their heads. And here's Tachibana claiming... something he hasn't quite grasped.

"I can't speak for all of humanity," Tachibana pointed out. "But for me... and for others like me, Kenzaki, Mutsuki, Sayoko, Hirose, even Kotaro-- all of us, even when we feel we have nothing to give, still want to help. And I think most of humanity is the same. Most people... even if fear and other things get in the way, deep inside... most everyone wants to help others."

Even if there were people like Tennouji in the world... the amount of people like Kenzaki, like Dakki, like Shiro, like Lyall, like everyone else he had fought alongside, far outnumbered them. So no matter how many selfish and terrible people there were-- he would never give up believing in humanity.

It is hard to put together a rebuttal to something said so earnestly. Felt so earnestly, too. An absent skimming of the man's thoughts brings up faces that he doesn't know, but so many of them... had he truly had so many more positive experiences than negative ones?

He lets out a huff and looks away, turning it all over in his head. He may not fully understand, no, but he can draw some conclusions. "...and this is why you're so tolerant of me, isn't it."

Tachibana was quiet a moment, mulling it over. "...Partly, yeah," he finally acknowledged. It was... far more complicated than that, but at the root of it all... he wanted to see the good in everyone. Even someone like Isaka. Especially someone like Isaka.

There was also....

He pressed his lips together, memories of Takuya's life surfacing. Having lived the life of someone who had done countless horrible things in service to his family, only starting to become truly human from his desire to protect his son from the very family that he had lived his life for.

It wasn't the same as the Undead's existence. But the parallels between them were strong.

"...but you're still not interested in doing things with me?" After all, he showed up here to try and get a bit of Tachibana's attention. Hopefully to come play a game with him, but at this point, he's about ready to settle for anything.

Tachibana blinked a few times, pulled utterly out his flashbacks as he looked over at Isaka, one eyebrow raised.

"The hell have you asked to do other than get me to play that damned game with you a million times? he countered.

Other than the few times Isaka had come looking for a fight. Which he had always given him. But that was something different.

Once more, his face scrunches. "Is your only objection to playing that game that it's that game? What do you like to do, then, that's not... fighting, and working on your machines?"

He is trying to be different. Better? Different, certainly. He is trying his best to grow as a being, here. Perhaps he just hasn't known the right questions to ask.

...that was a bit of an unintentionally pointed question, really and Tachibana pressed his lips together. What did he like doing, other than being in his garage.

... reading. Research. Exploring. Riding... But all of those were solo activities.

He let out a long breath, shifting his arms as he pushed off from the wall to stand more upright.

"...mostly I just keep to myself," he admitted. "Spend time in the library or out riding towards the wastelands to see what there is out there."

"Ah." For all that Tachibana seems uncertain about what he has admitted, Isaka is quick to see an opportunity for himself. "Let me come with you, next time you ride out to the wastes. You could use the backup, couldn't you?"

It's very logical. Very reasonable. And a good way to pass the time with him, have him to himself for a bit...

"There's not that much to fight out there," Tachibana pointed out, not wanting Isaka getting his hopes up in that respect. "Have you ever ridden before?"

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