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Setsu sat at the cafeteria bar and stared somewhat gloomily at their drink. The ship could assemble any drink one could think of, provided it wasn't on some restricted list or considered indecent. So Setsu had water. It was usually the safest bet.
The Gnosia had been eliminated; the ship - and its crew - was safe. For now, anyway. Behind Setsu's turned back came the noises of celebration and the quiet sounds of relief.
It wouldn't last. That was the wretched thing. Before long, everybody would be right back where they'd started. It was only a small mercy that nobody would be aware that everything would soon happen all over again. Sometimes, often, Setsu envied that small mercy. It was more than what they got after all.
Setsu took a drink of their water. Behind them, they heard someone slap someone else on the back, followed by Shigemichi exclaiming, "We sure showed them, eh?"
"Oh, ah, yes... I suppose..." came Gina's somewhat hesitant reply.
"Yeah, that'll teach those Gnosia to mess with us humans," Shigemichi continued cheerfully.
Well, at least Setsu had been just another part of the crew this time around, they considered as they put their glass back on the bar. They... preferred being crew, if they could help it - which they couldn't. Doctor, Engineer, Guardian Angel, even, they were fine if they had to be someome special, but Setsu preferred not to be. It made them prominent, important. It was so awkward. They often felt like a fleeting visitor, so being thrust into such a significant role felt... wrong.
Still, could've been worse. They could've been one of the two placed on guard duty. They hated that. It implied they'd had a past from before the loops. Which, obviously, they had, they just... their past wasn't that past, and Setsu despised having that false truth shoved into their brain.
Of course, there was one role Setsu despised even more than guard duty. Not Gnosia, not Bug. When they were Gnosia they were infected by an outside force, and so not really them. Bug... well... they were just an error in the universe. So, really, not that far removed from what they were ordinarily.
No, what Setsu really loathed was starting a loop and finding out they were an AC Follower. Having a false past forced upon them was bad enough, but having a false belief jammed into their brain was so much worse. Suddenly they found themselves the fanatic adherent of an incoherent dogma totally at odds with their normal self. The dissonance always gave them such a headache that being killed by the Gnosia was a relief.
Better to be just crew. Be just nobody.
"Heya, what're you doing here all by your lonesome?"
Setsu glanced aside. Comet stood leaning with her back against the bar, a big, goofy grin spread across her face. Colourful spirals crawled cheerfully along her skin.
"Just bleeding off some adrenaline," Setsu said. "Having to root out those killer from our midst, well... it's been a tense few days."
They hadn't been. They'd been routine.
"Oh, yeah?" Comet said sceptically. "Well, hey, y'know how you could really use that adrenaline?"
"How?" Setsu asked.
"Party!" Comet exclaimed. "Come on, why not? What could happen?"
"A lot," Setsu replied. An ironic smile tugged at their lips. "And nothing."
Comet blinked. "Uh... what?"
"Sorry," Setsu said. "Forget it, I'm just in a weird mood, I guess. Go part while you can."
"Fine, OK," Comet said. "But, hey, remember something for me, would you?"
"Sure."
"Remember to enjoy the little moments, OK?"
Setsu raised their hand. The Key appeared in their palm.
"I'll try."
... static ...
Loop 641