noirc

个人剧情 黑角

19:46 P.M. \ Clear

Rhodes Island Landship, Operator Rest Area, Bar

How many cards?

I'll take two.

Let me see... I'll have one.

Noir Corne?

I'm out.

Luck's not smiling today, eh, bro?

Aw, man, I bet it's because I took the wrong mask out! Dammit.

Been busy enough recently, huh? I heard you were helping ops with simulation training, all on top of your run of field missions.

Nah, an extra shift once in a while's no big.

And I mean, I like training with all the newcomers. Youngsters with a love for life.

Haven't you always been pretty popular, Noir?

When I first arrived, I saw your mask, and I thought 'old, serious mentor type.' Swear I didn't even dare talk to you. Who knew you'd take me for drinks right after training, eh...

Wait, old mentor? Am I really that old? If you don't take that back, your next round's not on me!

As a bro! I mean as a solid, dependable bro.

Hey, bro. I'll take another card.

You know, Dylan, if you got out more and spent less time crammed in your cockpit, you'd be more popular too.

Forget it, goofing off in there suits me. If Noir didn't invite me, I wouldn't have wanted to come out.

...I'm more of the hiding sort too.

Last time I saw Noir Corne and the Doctor show up together, I ducked behind a wall on sheer reflex.

Haha, that's just you overreacting, isn't it?

I can't help it. After we got back from Lungmen, I had nightmares a couple straight days in a row.

It takes a lot of guts to keep working with Dr. Kal'tsit watching, and then when I saw the Doctor and all the others in the squad at the time, and the herd showing up in front of us...

That was... a terrifying scene.

Man, that's just rough, bud. What about you, Noir? You went too, right?

I'm good enough.

But that battle was pretty intense. Can't blame Chard. Even I'm still a little stressed about it.

...I'll have another glass. Talking about this made me break a sweat.

Yeah, me too, gimme the... Water of Life with vanilla soda!

Not gonna drink, Noir?

I'll pass.

Yo, you're worried Yato's gonna tell you off, huh? Never seen you hold back before.

Hey, hey. I'm older than you guys. Lay off the wisecracks.

—I'll give you the double-demon killer!

C'mon, you're just bluffing again. You're the worst actor every time you do this, y'know!

(Scratches mask) You serious?

Dammit. Don't they say masks hide your expression, make it easier to scare people?

Don't forget tone of voice. The moment you start bluffing, you sound super tense! It's like telling everyone what you're about to do. Anyone'd figure out the act, y'know?

Oh? I guess my acting still needs some work, then.

Oh, well. This next one's on me. You guys drink happy.

...If you say so. Give me another one.

Ease off, Chard. I don't want a repeat of you at the toilet bowl hurling and crying, yelling your daughter and ex-wife's names.

That last celebration dinner, if Noir Corne didn't carry you back to your place, you would've embarrassed yourself in front of the Doctor and Dr. Kal'tsit all night long.

(Groan)

You gotta lay off him now. Keep going and he'll pass out clutching the whole bottle, haha.

Chard's having a hard time. Went through a rough battle, returned living, and couldn't even tell the people that mattered about it. I know how that hits. You guys stop joking about him.

Thanks... s-see, I was genuinely scared... I wish I could be like you, Noir Corne, I've never seen you freeze up in any situation...

I've just been round the block a few more times. Everyone'll get used to it after a while.

Once I got back, I couldn't help picturing that scene. Those kind of conditions, that sort of place... if you left me to do anything alone right there, I wouldn't have made one step forward. Wouldn't have dared fall one step back.

Dr. Kal'tsit told me to think of my daughter. She said, if we won, I'd have a chance to see her again.

*Sigh*... I already know the thing, doctor. No matter if I die there or not, whether I get to see her again isn't my place to say.

I feel you.

The reason I... the reason I could keep walking was because she said we could win. I chose... *hic* to listen to that.

Then when we got back, I saw her and the Doctor again, and I was ashamed like nothing else. In that one moment, I was actually doubting we could win!

I'm not saying this to be nice, Chard—that mindset? I've thought like that too.

I've been through a lot of conflicts before. Used to just fight one battle to make it to the next, and when all was said and done, who won and who lost had nothing to do with a small fry like me.

Feeling like you can't win is normal. When you can't beat them, run, because your life's what's important. If you can keep just making it through the days, your job's done.

It's totally normal. Plenty of mercenaries think that way.

I used to run a security company outside, and people got the services they paid for, no other questions asked.

Then coming to Rhodes Island, same as the boss here, my mentality began to change.

I've been on plenty of missions with the Doctor. I slowly got to thinking, if we can win, and keep on winning at it, that's actually pretty slick!

Like that, I passed each day, hauling my weight on the battlefield, and now I'm even pumped for training. I'm practically keeping up with the young kids.

I wanna win too. I've always believed in what all the doctors are doing.

I wanna see my daughter, even if rationally, the odds are almost nothing. I'm still not gonna give up on them.

Hey, hey, that's the spirit! Good on you!

Rhodes Island always needs guys like us, after all. Is it our fault, really, we're not as strong, or we can hesitate, or we can get scared?

The Doctor told me to 'defend your own position,' and I did it. I've earned the pay, and I've earned the Doctor's trust.

And you were with Dr. Kal'tsit all the way to the end. You gonna tell me she chewed you out for it after coming back?

No. She... she actually commended me.

You see? Just like I said, right?

Yeah. I think you've actually helped me get past it a little.

But I still don't have the kind of good mentality you do. At the most, I won't hide behind a pillar next time I see the Doctor. Might even say hello by myself. See, you know, there's a whole lot of long-time ops who make the Doc sound mighty impressive.

We were on the same mission last time, sure... urp. But in the end, we didn't get to talk much.

Thinking about it, the Doctor sure as hell wouldn't remember me now... ugghhh...

Alright, Chard, I can safely say you're drunk again.

Lemme ease you up, buddy.

Better?

Phew... yeah, better...

I just wanna say, it doesn't mean someone's difficult when they cover up their face. You know that looking at me, don't you?

You can see for yourself the way the Doctor is, now we're all off the battlefield.

Once you're familiar, you'll realize the Doctor's not much different from us. There's two eyes and a mouth in there, a slacker, someone who makes mistakes, who worries about the schedules of every single department on this landship every day.

Yeah, now that you mention it, the Doc might be coming along on my next field mission soon!

That's a hell of a good chance. Right this moment, I'm even more curious about the Doctor than I am about what's under your mask, Noir!

Haha... that's good, yeah.

Are you okay, Chard? Should we keep going?

*cough*... Yeah, let's keep going. I'm much better now.

What's your hand?

Straight flush, yuccas!

Looks like you've lost again, Noir!

If we keep drinking at this rate, we're gonna run the liquor cabinet dry. We need some different stakes.

Then... if Noir loses again, he's gotta take his mask off!

Hey, hey, that's not gonna fly. It's not like I'm not willing, it's just you guys might be disappointed.

Yeah, the more you deflect, the more curious I get! I've been so curious, I've even dreamt it in my nightmares...

What did you dream?

Noir finally took off his mask, and underneath was another mask. And it was just one after another, kept going forever.

That's a nightmare for sure. I've got goosebumps now.

Oh yeah, that's a pretty solid dream. I like it.

If I could put on a bunch of masks in one go, I wouldn't have to worry about which one to wear every morning.