Little boy blue and the man in the moon

[despairection]

[It's not unusual for Monobear to appear in the main control room in one of his physical bodies, a ball of yarn cupped in his hands. He speaks in Kalosian when he addresses the man seated at the wall of screens.]

...I think this week's going well, don't you think Papa?

Comments

[holocast]

[...he is a grown-ass man and he is about as pumped to be playing with this stupid yarn ball as you are. This is saying something, and it's probably not anything flattering.]

I'm not angry with you for it. I just think you have no right to talk to me about being partial to any of the students.

[Have another one, then!]

[despairection]

[The light in the bear's red eye dims a little at that remark, but he doesn't say anything.

The second toss doesn't bounce quite as high on the return - still high enough to catch, but not as energetic.

He mutters something too muffled to pick up.]

[holocast]

[...Okay, come on. Surely you don't think you're going to get away with that.]

What was that, mon petit? I didn't catch it.

[despairection]

[...You know what, no, he's actually mad enough to answer straight.]

I said, at least I didn't leave the cameras unattended to go play.

[holocast]

That...!

[Oh, here we go - ]

That was entirely different and you know it.

[despairection]

You're right, it was.

Because I didn't almost tell the people I was playing with all of our secrets.

[holocast]

"Almost" hardly counts unless the move covers the field.

The fact is that I told him nothing.

[despairection]

And you just happened to know how to angle your body to block the paper so that the camera couldn't see what you were writing.

So I guess I gotta take your word on it.

[He huffs and jumps up and down.]

Throw the ball again!

[holocast]

Old habits die hard.

[That insistence seems to relax him a bit, however, and up goes the yarn again.]

I just wanted to see him again in person. I promise that's all it was.

[despairection]

[This time there's a little bit of anger behind the headbutt and it goes slightly wide (still not out of reach, but he'll have to exert effort to catch it.]

You're really attached to him.

That's not gonna get in the way of the plan, is it?

[holocast]

[Oh, dammit, let him just...nearly miss that but he's got it. Have another one.]

If I weren't prepared to lose him, I wouldn't have put him in there in the first place. It's possible that he could die tomorrow because someone got it into their head to kill him and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

You have nothing to worry about.

[despairection]

[Boop!]

...Do you think they can win?

[holocast]

[And once he's caught it, he hesitates before throwing it again; the pause is brief, but it's noticable.]

Weren't you just telling me a while back that our odds are something terrible?

[despairection]

Well, yeah, but that was back when half of them were just blindly stumbling about like idiots.

They've...changed a lot since then. They're more determined.

[holocast]

They are, yes.

Does that concern you, then?

[despairection]

[The bear shifts his weight and makes a noncommittal noise at that.

Feel free to take that as a 'yes.']

[holocast]

[...Ah.]

I said when I returned that I wasn't interested in abandoning you again. I'm not helping them win.

[despairection]

[Another noise, this time more impatient and directed at the ball of yarn.]

...Good.

[holocast]

I'm not particularly in the mood to die myself, you know. If they want that, they're going to have to earn it themselves.

[Yes, yes, more yarn for you.]

Until then, you can continue to play with the others; I see no harm in it.

[despairection]

[Boop!]

...What will happen to me, if they kill you?

Will I cease to function along with pretty much everything but the elevator to the surface?

[holocast]

You make it sound as though I have some sort of ridiculous heart monitor attached to me that will kill the building if I die.

[He makes the catch easily before throwing it back.]

I've made arrangements for you. Do you want me to promise you that as well?

[despairection]

Wasn't that what she did? In the first one.

It sounds like something she'd do.

[He returns it easily.]

What arrangements?

[holocast]

...I think that's what she did, yes.

[Another catch, another toss. It's easier to focus on this than it is on her, too.]

I'll send you with friends. It's going to be fine.

[despairection]

Huh. How Super High School Level Weird is that.

[Another flawless return.]

I was under the impression that all your friends were either dead or in here.

[holocast]

And you don't think those in here would show you mercy, I take it.