At home (read as: in bed) with the simple one

[blueondeck]

[Closing the door to your room with a tray in hand]

Comments

[silverspotlight]

[flopped out on the bed, vaguely flops over to look at you]

[blueondeck]

[Sets the tray down]

[silverspotlight]

There's so much going on right now. I don't like it.

[blueondeck]

Like what?

[silverspotlight]

Just--trouble all over. Chiaki and Kotoha, you and Marvelous-san, Basco, we just--don't get a break!

[blueondeck]

[Sits down on the bed, listening.]

[silverspotlight]

We've been here for six months--six months--and people have been here for years, and our mission isn't done, and I can't help it if I'm the furthest behind, but it still doesn't help and I feel like it's my fault because I don't know what's going on!

I don't like being negative. I hate it. I feel like I have to keep fighting this and still try to be cheerful and pumped, but then I just worry and I can't handle a lot of it. Everyone's so scattered and it's happened to the Shinkengers too, and it's not right!

I hate seeing people I love and respect like that.

[blueondeck]

[Listening, looking vaguely at you, but still not speaking yet]

[silverspotlight]

Most sentai are together for a year, no more. I don't--have a problem if we're like that and we stop travelling together after we defeat the Zangyack, or if we continue together. I'd like the latter a lot more, but...

And just--I don't see why relationships are coming first for people here. We're sentai. We need to be focused on our relationship as a team first, and anything romantic second and after we're actually done.

I mean, I worried about it a lot, with Don. I'm not going to say I wasn't. If I made that decision, then we got into a battle, and because of my feelings for him, I got distracted and someone got hurt... I wouldn't be able to live with that. My feelings for all of you--Marvelous-san, Luka-san, Ahim-san, Don-san and you--are all individual and special, but before any of that, we're comrades and I'm sworn to protect each of you the best I can. That comes before anything, even my own feelings. It made me really uncomfortable, but I thought it was best at the time that we took care of it and could have it sorted, because unresolved feelings are also just as difficult and maybe more troublesome. I believe it was you and Takeru-san that told me that, anyway.

So, I know you can't really... change how you feel, and--love should be celebrated! But--when did it become more important than our camaraderie? Kotoha-san and Chiaki-san aren't talking at all, and everyone seems so worried about them, but--even if they were dating before, they're still comrades and that doesn't change!

[sighs]

Maybe I'm being too simple about it.

[blueondeck]

The Zangyack are the type to use relationships and close bonds against their enemies. You should never doubt that you're right about that. Giving special attention to someone with the treat like that over us is stupid. A detached soldier is a focused solider.

You were talking about distracting in battle, but the feelings between Kotoha and Chiaki can do that same thing. The power of Shinkenger is bond, isn't it? In a situation like this, they're ignoring that.

[silverspotlight]

Yeah... I just can't help thinking that our meddling isn't going to go well, though. Takeru had said as much!

I mean, if Don comes back--when Don comes back, if he doesn't remember, I'm going to be straightforward to him, about what happened. But...I'm not gonna expect anything out of him, either.

[blueondeck]

There's no other way to handle something like that. No matter what Kotoha thinks, her response to the situation wasn't right. Not as former romantic partners and not as comrades either.

We aren't meddling. We aren't doing anything but making them exist in the same space without any way to escape.

[silverspotlight]

Mm. I guess it'll work out somehow.

[blueondeck]

It will. He can't be pissy forever.

[silverspotlight]

Neither can Kotoha-san.

[blueondeck]

What else?

[silverspotlight]

That was a lot of it.

[blueondeck]

Relationships happen. The Shinkenger's finished their mission. They're entitled to enjoy the time they have now.

Marvelous would never change things to make it awkward while we still have so much to do. I also don't want something like that happening at this point.

[silverspotlight]

You have a good point.

[blueondeck]

Basco has used us against Marvelous once before, things like this are still possible and he knows it.

[silverspotlight]

Which is why Marvelous being upset and reactive about it is doubly bad. It's not like we can get rid of him--Basco, that is. So, we have to make a tenuous sort of peace with him, at the very least.

[blueondeck]

It's sort of what Marvelous and I have done . We aren't happy about it, but we're being as civil as we have to be.

[silverspotlight]

Being civil is good.

[blueondeck]

He even asked him about love advice. It's as civil as he can manage.

[silverspotlight]

Why would you--wait, Go-onger.

[blueondeck]

Go-Onger?

[silverspotlight]

Hanto-san, their green? Temporarily fell in love with one of the female villains!

[blueondeck]

You realize Marvelous and Basco use to be ... "together", right?

[silverspotlight]

[sits up]

No way!

[blueondeck]

Broad definition of "together", but yeah. That's one reason he was so upset.

[silverspotlight]

[not gonna say it]

[blueondeck]

. . . Say it.

[silverspotlight]

I was about to say that Marvelous-san has a thing about traitors...

[blueondeck]

. . .

. . . . . .

Maybe he does.

[silverspotlight]

[shrug]

[blueondeck]

We aren't the same. Nothing about Basco and I are alike.

[silverspotlight]

To know your enemies, you must know yourself, and not deny it when there are similarities. I mean, he uses extra ranger keys, I use extra ranger keys. See?

[blueondeck]

. . . You want to hear about how our betrayals were both careless? About how our actions killed innocent men? Or how they both end up hurting Marvelous in some way?

[silverspotlight]

[uuugh]

[hitting me would have been easier]

Sorry, it was callous.

[blueondeck]

. . .

Mine wasn't intentional.

[silverspotlight]

You're very different from him.

[blueondeck]

I said that.

[silverspotlight]

Mm, you're not going to be like him ever, either. Joe-san is... very honorable.

[blueondeck]

And Basco is not. I can't respect him for that very reason.

[silverspotlight]

But knowing it is something we can use.

[blueondeck]

... How?