thisavrou | 002, the afternoon of the 18th

[When Robin had first received her wanted poster in the mail, she had been mortified. When she started receiving messages about it from other people, that emotion changed into one of fear, suspicion and paranoia. The first thing she'd done in response was to head down into the prison planet, away from the Moira and the crew she no longer felt safe around.

It had been more than twenty four hours since then, though , and she's since come to terms with the fact that this isn't a permanent solution. She won't be able to stay on the prison planet forever, and even if she could she certainly didn't want to. Besides the obvious fact that it's a prison, things were starting to get strange down there.

It didn't take long to realize that this isn't the sort of problem she's going to be able to run from - not yet, at least. Even if she isn't ready to board the Moira again, she needs to get out ahead of this problem. ]

This is Nico Robin.

I know some of you got my posters in the mail. I was hoping to know, how many?

[ The first step of dealing with a problem is figuring out how much of one she's dealing with, after all. Maybe if it's just one or two people, she can bribe or threaten them into keeping their mouths shut. Maybe, if she's lucky, she can prevent her face from being associated with that name.]

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Then would you rather be called Robin?

[It's hard to grasp the idea, both ideas. Of being named by a mother (would her own have tried, if she'd lived?) and of using a false name. Identity was all anyone truly had; giving it up for any reason felt unthinkable.

Robin must had been truly afraid, to deny her own name. The girl can feel sympathy for that. More than that she has empathy for the waver in Robin's voice. She hadn't been so quick to mention her connections on arrival from fear of retribution herself.]

All the best people I know's got a poster like this. Can I keep it? Seems like it bothers ya, so I'll give it back if ya really want, but it kinda reminds me of home.

[It's okay, shes trying to say without saying.]

Y-yeah...

[With as much effort as she put into hiding her true name, it feels strange to say that she'd prefer to use it . But in the end, Robin is the name she identifies with, and the Girl isn't wrong - identities are important. ]

Too many people know already, I can't hide who I am anymore. Keep it if you want, there's no point in taking it back.

I don't think it's right to have to hide who you are.

[It's part of what they'd been fighting against, in all their time in the Zones.

She pauses, letting her voice drop to something quieter and hesitant.]

I wanna ask you about why. I don't care about the number, or that ya did it. But were they the bad guys?

[There's a long pause before Robin answers. She isn't bothered by the claim that it's wrong to hide who you are - she's had to do plenty of things she knew to be wrong in order to survive, and she knows she'll have to do plenty more.

The question, though, gives Robin some hesitance.]

...they killed everyone. [Her voice is quiet, but serious. Almost... haunted, when she recalls the events of that terrible day. She tries not to think about it too often.] My friends. My teachers. My mom. Everyone.

They were the bad guys. They deserved everything that happened to them.

[She lets the words wash over her. There are similarities in their stories. The bad guys coming in and destroying everything held dear, leaving nothing but blood and tears. The only difference was that the girl hadn't killed anyone for the crimes yet.]

BLI took Mom. [She says it slow, gently. This is her way to try to show empathy.] They dusted a lot of runners, more then I can count. They get inside people's head and pull out everything they are, then make 'em kill the people they used to love. They even took away the people that I loved.

[It's as close as she's ever come to admitting what happened that day the boys died.]

They have my boys on posters like your's. 'Cause they fight back, paid 'em back for it. 'Cause we're standin' up to 'em.

[A deep breath. Her voice grows firm, passionate.]

If the people here are gettin' mad about it, fuck 'em. You got the right to be the enemy. You did the right thing, Robin. Anybody that's got a problem with it ain't got a heart worth beatin'. You just remember that, okay?

[ This is... It's the first time that anyone has told Robin that she did the right thing. Even aboard the Moira, people have told her that what she did didn't matter here, or that they're willing to ignore the posters, or that they don't think she really did it.

But the Girl is the first to really take her side in such a way. It's an entirely new experience for Robin.]

Th-thank you.

[ It's clear from her voice that she's right on the verge of tears, barely holding them back. She didn't even commit the crime she's been accused of, of course, but she's been carrying them all the same. It's such a relief to have someone that far in her corner - for once, she doesn't worry about how long this will last.]

That means a lot, Sine.

[ It occurs to Robin that this is one of the first times she's actually used her name for the Girl out loud. Sine Nomine - a phrase meaning "Without a Name." A fitting thing to call The Girl if ever there were one.]

I-I'm sorry I lied to you about my name...

[She'll ignore that that sound of tears in Robin's voice. It's not her being callous, it's a kindess so as not to embarrass her. Emotion has it's place in her home world, the ability to feel at all is something to be protected. But it's only polite, by zone standards, to look over another's tears and let them save face against their pain.]

I'm not mad, ya don't gotta apologize. I can't get upset that you were tryin' to stay safe.

[She keeps her tone matter-of-fact. It is what it is and she's got no hard feelings over it.]

I'm glad ya told me though. Robin's a nice name.

[Animal names were always in style in the desert. It's not as flashy as what she's used to, but it has potential.]

Sine? Is that what you're gonna call me?

[She doesn't say as much, but Robin appreciates her not mentioning it. It's nice to have a kid close to her own age who seems like she might understand - unlike Chara, who only mocked and chastised Robin for her fears.]

Thanks.

[She says it again, a little less tremble in her voice this time. The tears are still there, but they're in less of a hurry to get down her face. She's honestly relieved that this girl wasn't upset with her - she'd made a pretty big point about the importance of names.

Speaking of which, Robin perks up a bit when she mentions Robin's name for her.]

D-do you like it? It's short for Sine Nomine.

[There's a bit of a pause. Usually a conversation like this would be met with a careful nudge or shoulder clap, a physical sign of companionship or a nonverbal way of letting the other know gratitude didn't need to be said. She was used to this sort of communication happening face to face, in a world were meaning was found in how people used their space as much as there words.]

Welcome.

[It feels paltry to say it here, when she should be wherever the other is to show her defense of Robin's position but it's what she can do now. She'll let it drop for another time.]

I don't know what that means, but it sounds nice. All fancy like.

[Robin smiles a little bit at that. She wipes at the tears, their tide slowing down to barely a trickle.]

It's from a dead language, where I come from. It means "Without A Name."

[A pause.]

I know you have names - and that lots of people call you different things. But I've never had to give anyone a name before, so it felt... fitting.

It fits. I mean, lots of people give me nicknames but I still ain't got a real one.

I like it. You put a lotta though into it.

[ Robin blushes at that, glad that the Girl liked her name choice and also that she can't see Robin's face right now - both because of the blush, and the fact that her to face is still wet from tears (even if, for the moment, they seem to have stopped flowing).]

I'm glad you like it - I wanted to make sure I picked a good one.

[ Of course, those good feelings aren't there for long before the insecurities and abandonment issues start to kick in.]

Do you still want to be friends after all this? I know I lied about who I was, but I hope you still like me. You were sort of my first friend i made that was my own age...

[ It's a dumb question - or, at least, she hopes it's a dumb question - but she needs to hear the answer herself. ]

It is a good one. But I woulda liked anythin', ya know? Long as someone was tryin'. What someone calls ya tells a lot about 'em.

[Robin putting so much thought into the name told the Girl how clever, and caring, the other child was.]

Yeah. Why wouldn't we be? I already told ya I got why ya lied about your name. [She sounds genuinely confused Robin is asking the question, like it hadn't occurred to her to drop the friendship at all.] Ya still think I'm mad?

Edited 2016-05-12 22:36 (UTC)

002, the afternoon of the 18th

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