Public channel | D22

[hippocarnival]

Hey, everyone.

[There's a pause, like he's waiting to be sure enough people are listening before he continues. He wants to reach as much of the carnival as possible.] I spoke to Noa, and she explained a little bit more about the Void and the Harbingers to me.

She said she thinks the carnival members can still be saved. I think so, too. The Void makes them think there's nothing worth living for, but we know them and we know that's not true. If we can show them that whay they cared about before still matters, what was to their souls can be purified and the Void won't have them anymore. We think CY-Ren can be saved, too.

I... don't know exactly how to do that. But everyone taken, they have friends here, don't they? If we work together, we can find a way. Maybe we can share what made them happy, what might remind them of who they are or--or how to talk to them? [His voice wavers a little, but not out of lack of confidence in his plan.]

I know they can be reached. It won't be easy, but... I think we should try. I think it's better than just fighting them.

((TREAT THIS AS A MINGLE threadjack each other, this is an open forum of friendship.))

Comments

[periphrasing]

There BETTER be a way to turn them back or there's basically no point to ANY of this!

[Said in the voice of someone who had never even considered the possibility that they might NOT be able to be fixed.]

This isn't like Steven at all...

[hippocarnival]

They can definitely be turned back! We're not going to give up on them. [Yuya, too, refuses to acknowledge the chance they can't help them.]

I saw Steven, too. He seems like... he expects other people to hurt him all the time. He said he didn't think it was possible to be happy, and that he was taking control of his life.

[periphrasing]

[She grunts in agreement.]

It's beyond me how the Void's influence managed to warp him so completely. Steven's the sort of person who always works to find the best in people, and draw that out. He would never normally just attack them on the odd chance that they MIGHT hurt him.

[There's a heavy sigh, and then she sounds extremely intense, and determined:]

Whatever your plan is, I want to help. I NEED to help. Please.

[hippocarnival]

You're his friend, right? [It's not a real question so much of an affirmative. Yuya's heard from Connie that Peridot and Steven fight to protect their earth together, and she clearly cares about him here.] I... I don't have a plan just by myself. CY-Ren is having another concert, and they're probably all going to be there.

If he thinks he can't be happy because he always expects people to hurt him... then maybe he needs to hear it from a friend all the happy things he wouldn't have felt if he didn't get to know them. And how having friends makes him stronger against people who want to hurt him, because he's not alone.

[periphrasing]

[Peridot listens to his theory quietly.]

I guess that could work... [She's seen weirder things before. But also, SHE HAS. SOME DOUBTS?] For what it's worth, though, I tried talking to him once already, and it didn't go so well. He tried to gem-nap me and turn me into one of them.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya pauses at that. For someone who wanted to end everything, were his reasons for wanting to turn Peridot until a Herbinger similar to CY-Ren's? Did she have a reliable way of turning people?

If she did, why weren't there more kidnappings? If that's it, why didn't Steven take him?] Did he say why he wanted to make you a Harbinger?

[periphrasing]

Not really. He said something like... It would be easier for me to understand his perspective, if he poofed me first before taking me back to their secret lair or whatever?

[She grunts.]

Come to think of it, he might not have been trying to turn me into a harbinger at all. Two of my other friends were turned into familiars for the opposition.

[hippocarnival]

CY-Ren can turn people into familiars too? [Damn, that means there's actually more people affected than he thought. Maybe they'll turn back when the Harbingers they're tied to do.]

I, uh... lost a fight with Steven. [Technically Yuya wasn't fighting back, but 'got beat up by' just sounds terrible.] But he didn't do anything to me even though he could have, even just to get rid of a Star Guardian... I don't think he was trying to take you just to have more people on CY-Ren's side.

[He's tired of feeling hurt by people, but he hasn't forgotten his friends, has he?] Even if it didn't work the first time, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try again. This time, we know what doesn't reach his heart, right? If we can understand and speak to his feelings, too, I think he'll listen.

Then you can remind him that he doesn't have to feel so hopeless about his future.

[periphrasing]

...I suppose I can't see any flaws in your logic there. [Though she still sounds kind of skeptical.] Steven has always been more driven by feelings than anything else.