2 ~ in truth, this sort of silly question holds no real significance for me [audio/action]

[menial]

['End of the month. Check. Strange things appearing for no reason. Check. This would be, if I had the choice, the part where I run and hide from the experiment. However, the content that appeared is just bizarre.']

[audio]

"A fart will follow you into the car, ruining your date."

This sounds like one of those bad Western comedies. You know, the ones with lazy slacker heroes who're forced into wacky adventures...

['Wait, if I had to honestly describe my own life... As they say at home, the eye wax laughing at the snot*.'

And so he decides to leave it at that.]

[action]

[Today, then, Kyon will be found wandering around in the Welcome Center and the plaza, annoyed, because, quite according to the horoscope, his keys are missing.

'This does not bode well. Well, I guess "against all odds, you will accomplish a basic task" isn't ominous so much as simply insulting. But "you will have a chance encounter with romance today so take a bath, for God's sake"... That one could be problematic. In all kinds of ways.']

[*ooc: Japanese idiom, something like "the pot calling the kettle black".]

Comments

[ voice ]

[happyends]

It seems that way.. I wonder if everyone got completely different ones too.

A.. ah, don't worry, usually the experiments aren't anything like that. They're a little bit weird, but they aren't going to cut us or anything.. [ the last part is said perhaps a bit awkwardly since that's a pretty scary idea. ]

[ voice ]

[menial]

['Reassuring. As long as cutting isn't the only form of physical damage forbidden, I guess I can keep my spirits up.']

Yours are completely different, huh? Can I ask what they are?

[ voice ]

[happyends]

Um.. One of them is pretty scary, it says.. [ and so she reads it aloud: ] "A stranger may mean you harm this week so greet everyone with a blood-curdling shriek."

Do you really think someone might do that to me..?

[ voice ]

[menial]

Er... Well, it sounds like they just want you to scream a lot. I mean, a stranger might mean you harm any week, but that doesn't mean they really do, right?

[ voice ]

[happyends]

That's right, but they wouldn't warn me for no reason, right? I thought they were just trying to be nice and thoughtful..

[ voice ]

[menial]

Well, if it's an experiment, they really might just be warning you for no reason. Or worse than no reason.

[ voice ]

[happyends]

N-- ... no way, do you really think they would do that..?

[ voice ]

[menial]

I'd almost be more surprised if they didn't.

[ voice ]

[happyends]

They might be a little bit cruel, but.. I want to believe that nobody is truly mean like that.

[ voice ]

[menial]

...Well, they say they have a reason for it, if that's what you mean. And I'm sure they'd do it if they felt it was in keeping with their mission.

[ voice ]

[happyends]

A reason for it, huh.. But then it's maybe really like a warning, you see, so they try to help us out even though they have to do this for us for some reason.

[ voice ]

[menial]

...You really believe in their good faith, huh?

[ voice ]

[happyends]

Of course. [ a nod, and she smiles a little to herself. ] I don't want to believe anyone could really be that bad, so it's okay. We'll all get through this either way, right?

[ voice ]

[menial]

Uh, I suppose.

['I wish I had that level of confidence, but without my trusty Nagato and company... Well...']

What do you mean, 'that bad'? You don't think anyone could just not care about how what they're doing affects others?

[ voice ]

[happyends]

Hmm, like that. Everyone is always considering someone else's feelings, if not just a little bit.. o-or, at least I think so.

[ voice ]

[menial]

But not always considering everyone else's feelings. So things could still go wrong.

[ voice ]

[happyends]

But even if it isn't everyone, they have to think of at least some of the people in the village here, right?

[ voice ]

[menial]

...I imagine they're more concerned with thinking about each other.

['Do I dare go further? I mean, why would I want to ruin someone's innocence? Not that it's probably all that easy to ruin if she's gotten to this point with it intact.']

[ voice ]

[happyends]

Thinking.. about each other? [ ... ] You mean the Malnosso are too busy caring about each other instead..?

[ voice ]

[menial]

Uh. It's at least possible, I guess. If you think they care about someone, it's undoubtedly themselves.

=[ voice ]

[happyends]

Well..

In a way, that's good too.. I think. At least it means they care about some people, right? And it's only natural they would care for the others among them first, I suppose..

[ voice ]

[menial]

...Yes, that's one way to look at it. The nice thing is that it means it's only natural we shouldn't care about them either.

[ voice ]

[happyends]

E.. eh?! Do you really think we shouldn't?

[ Implying Madoka can not care about someone, even if it's the Malnosso.. ]

Re: [ voice ]

[menial]

...At least, we shouldn't overly concern ourselves with their well-being.

['Come on, how much caring are we supposed to have here? I know sharing is caring, but if the recent growth of privacy controls on social networks is any indication, there's a limit to how much caring we should have!']

[ voice ]

[happyends]

Hmm.. Maybe it's then alright if only a few of us care about them, then? In that case, I'll definitely be one of the people who do care..