Nino: Reed has a point, but Reed is speaking as though his life doesn't have much value in the face of his quest. Remind him the opposite is much more true.
- Nino: ...I understand where you're coming from now.
- Nino: But Reed, sometimes you talk as if you yourself don't really matter.
- Nino: It's not that you're nonchalant about taking precautions.
- Nino: But you see accomplishing your goal as more valuable than your own... wellbeing.
- Reed: Oh, no. Don't look too deep into nothing, please.
- Reed: That's not the case at all.
- Nino: I-I'm just saying, whenever you speak about yourself...
- Nino: Your language sounds a little concerning.
- Reed: Ha, I'm just not fond of acting too self-serving like a certain someone.
- Nino: I'm being serious!
- Nino: It's not a bad thing to want to keep yourself safe...
- Reed: OK, ok, calm down... jokes aside, listen.
- Reed: I do have a home to go back to, you know.
- Reed: So I'm not about to let myself go, when my presence there is necessary.
- Nino: Oh... see, that's reassuring! But even while saying that...
- Nino: It's as if you take your precautions because of your goal,
- Nino: And not because keeping yourself safe in the first place matters on its own!
- Nino: There's no need for any reasoning to why you wouldn't sacrifice your wellbeing.
- Reed: ...Sure. You're not wrong.
- Reed: But there really is no need to concern yourselves with my garbage work.
- Reed: Think about your non-garbage promise to Five instead.
- Aria: Calling it "garbage" seems a little harsh!
- Reed: That's besides the point.
- Reed: Nino, are you really ready to face any risk for your promise?
- Reed: You all better be able to fulfill your goals here, just as I am.
- Reed: There's someone who's counting on you for that.
- Meimona: Reed kinda has a point...
- Meimona: I don't think we plan things ahead as much as this guy does!
- Nino: ...Right. I guess you won't leave us an opening to help you out, then.
- Reed: Should I bother you for help,
- Reed: When you're still trying to handle the weight of your own promise?
- Reed: At your current state, that's a nope. Absolutely not.
- Nino: O-oh.
- Aria: Uhm, to put it nicely, I think the days we spend here aren't just resting...
- Aria: But this will be our chance to better prepare ourselves, Nino!
- Reed: That's right. So focus on yourselves only.
- Nino: A-alright, alright! I get it... I'll follow your example, I swear!
- Nino: So... sorry for assuming you didn't know better, when I'm not one to talk.
- Reed: Uh, seriously... there's nothing to apologize about here.
- Reed: You guys all love to say sorry every damn second, huh?
- Reed: It's gonna get lame fast if you talk like that. Fix your attitude.
- Nino: Huh? Then how should I be talking...?
- Reed: Pump up the confidence, why don't you.
- Reed: Make this interesting, and you won't feel the burden as much.
- Nino: What... what's that even mean?
- Reed: What I mean is...
- Reed: I'm going to find the professor before you find any of Five's friends.
- Nino: Wha...?
- Reed: Or, nah, actually...
- Reed: I'll do it before you even get within an inch of that old laboratory.
- Reed: And when that happens, you'll officially be branded the loser of the group.
- Nino: W-what!
- Meimona: DANG! Those are some daring words, mister!
- Meimona: You wanna bet on it? Huh? Huh??
- Nino: Uh, what!?
- Meimona: Yeah! I get twenty bucks if Nino wins! How's that!
- Reed: Psh, consider it done.
- Aria: Woah, really, Mei... that's such a waste.
- Nino: Yeah! What are you even saying...
- Aria: Because you could make a lot more than that!
- Aria: I think I could confidently bet quadruple the amount on my part.
- Nino: What- Aria- You too!?
- Meimona: Whoaaaah, that's a lot of twentybucks!
- Aria: Oh, but I won't bet it on Nino, sorry.
- Reed: Wait... on me?
- Reed: You'd be betting against yourselves...
- Aria: Hehe, I know! It's despite the fact!
- Reed: You believe I can do it to that extent?
- Aria: Sure do! You're the most well-equipped out of us.
- Meimona: I see there's a traitor amidst our ranks... >:0
- Reed: Yeah, you guys are supposed to be on his side, you know.
- Aria: But think about it, Reed really is better-prepared for his goal than we are!
- Reed: Ha, don't raise the bid too high.
- Reed: Your pockets combined probably aren't that deep.
- Meimona: Bold of you to assume I'd ever allow us to lose CASH!!!
- Meimona: We're gonna beat you fair, square, and with style!
- Meimona: Right, Nino!?
- Nino: Uh...!
Nino: They look to you for directives.
It's to the point that they'd try to cheer you up this fervently, at least.
In your concern, you exposed a fearful part of yourself, a most unleaderly hesitation. Yet still, they look towards you with understanding, waiting not to precede your steps, but follow behind in support.
Come on, their gaze says. Risk doesn't mean one must never act.
Don't fear the danger - you have us to rely on.
Yes, it doesn't matter if Reed speaks as if he's a lone wolf. Maybe it's a bad habit, an unconscious inclination to drift towards self-isolating language, but his actions speak far louder than his words.
The reality is that you won't allow each other to face the coming risks alone. An unspoken agreement, for as long as you are in this together.
Nino: Act more like a leader. Five isn't the only one relying on you here.
At what price does standing by Five's side come, to go against the very rules that dictate this world's conflicts? Surely you knew what it meant for a human to act that way, the moment you chose to save a monster in pain.
And is it a price you're truly ready to pay?
The only answer you'd want to show your companions is a resounding yes.
- Nino: Fine, I'm not standing by such disrespect...
- Nino: Me and Five are gonna find her friends faster than this guy finds his dad!
- Nino: Bring it on!
- Reed: Now that's more like it.
- Meimona: Alright! I hereby name Aria a witness!
- Aria: W-why do we need that?
- Meimona: Uuum, obviously, so no one cheapens out.
- Meimona: I want my hard-earned cash!!!
- Reed: What the hell do you take me for.
- Reed: I'm a man of my words.
- Nino: Me too! I mean, not that we'll even have to pay him, ha.
- Nino: No worries, Mei.
- Nino: We're gonna beat Reed and make bank.
- Meimona: Aw yeaaah, that's what I wanna hear!
- Nino: All right... tomorrow, let's try to prepare ourselves better.
- Nino: Mainly, I think we should see how we can work together as a team,
- Nino: And check on our... equipment! And maybe more stuff...
- Nino: But the goal is to be ready when it's time to head to the capital!
- Nino: So is that, uh... okay?
- Meimona: Aye, captain. :]
- Aria: I don't see why not!
- Reed: It's a good start.
- Nino: Whew, great...!
- Aria: I hope everything will really be okay, even if we find nothing there...
- Meimona: Don't be so pessimistic, I'm sure it'll be fine!
- Meimona: Plus, if I were in Five's shoes, I think... I'd wanna get confirmation, whether it's good or bad, on what happened to my friends and home.
- Nino: Mhm. Closure is important.
- Meimona: Alsooo... don't forget, it's a Reed home invasion!
- Meimona: So we still have something to look forward to!
- Aria: Oh, right! It won't be all bad, then!
- Reed: Uaaah, man...
- Reed: Hope I'll get some new lead outta this, at least.
- Nino: Haha, we can worry about that later.
- Nino: For now, I think we're all overdue for some rest!
- Aria: Oh, guys... shhh!
- Aria: Look!
Nino, Aria, Mei: Aw, Five fell asleep.
- Nino: Aww...
- Meimona: She's smiling! Probably having a good dream, hehe!
- Reed: Oh, whoops. I probably bored her with all my technical talk.
- Aria: She must've been so tired after all that happened today...
- Nino: Ahh, aren't we all?
- Nino: I'm about ready to call it a night.
- Aria: We've all had a long day, yeah.
- Meimona: It was fun, don't talk like that!
- Aria: Maybe in some part, but...
- Aria: There were too many death scares during a single day for my liking, really.
- Aria: At least I can finally rest for real, though!
- Aria: And I can't believe I'm sleeping with other humans!!
- Nino: Uhh...!
- Nino: Aria, that's... uhhmm...!
- Reed: ...A very poor choice of words.
- Aria: What? Did I say something wrong?
- Nino: ...Augh... no, nevermind.
- Aria: Whew, well, I'm so glad to be here right now!
- Meimona: Guys, the closet has pajamas by the way!!!
- Meimona: Also, I call dibs on the left bed!
- Meimona: Shoo, Reed! This is my spot!
- Reed: How come you get to choose.
- Meimona: It's first come first serve, slowpoke!
- Meimona: So you can just take uhh... wait.
- Meimona: Aren't four beds not enough?
- Meimona: Obviously, MY boyfriend sleeps with ME, so that leaves, umm...
- Nino: You guys... phrasing... please.
- Reed: (Why don't you just get your head outta the gutter.)
- Nino: (Don't give me that, hypocrite.)
Nino: There's only four beds for five people. Continue to be the dependable(!) leader(?) you are and take the couch for the night!
- Aria: Ludwig seems to like the carpet just fine, so no worries there.
- Meimona: Oooh! So... what about Five?
- Nino: It's cool, I'm taking the couch.
- Nino: Tuck her in one of the beds.
- Meimona: That works out! Nice arrangement here!
- Reed: ...
Reed: Consult so-called leader.
- Reed: ...Wait.
- Reed: Nino.
- Reed: Switch with me.
- Nino: What? You want the couch?
- Reed: I need the couch.
- Nino: Um. What's up with you dude.
- Reed: I think I'm the only person here who has any idea about personal space.
- Nino: Huh? Sharing a room isn't a big deal!
- Nino: Or wait... are you still not comfortable around us?
- Reed: Of course I'm not.
- Nino: Oh, get over it.
- Nino: They're just some girls!
- Reed: No.
- Reed: What you all are is a bunch of strangers.
- Nino: Uah.
- Reed: So just give me the goddamn couch.
- Nino: Jeez, fine, you can have it if you want it!
- Nino: I'm too tired to care about these pointless things...
- Aria: This is fun! It's like one big sleepover.
- Nino: Yeah, yeah, can we just shoosh and sleep already.
- Aria: Good night, everyone.
- Nino: Night.
- Meimona: Have cool dreams!
Reed: Good night...?
And then thirty more.
Yeah, uh. There's no way you're going to fall asleep so easily.
You've never been this uncomfortable before in your life.
Lucky Headquarters, getting to use the house freely all by herself.
You miss your bedroom so much right now.
Not that you don't have trouble sleeping there either. Insomnia is an ongoing problem for you. You just cope with having no real rhythm of sleep in your life, really.
But at least, in home you wouldn't be forced to stick around random strangers like this.
Random, weird, and funny strangers, who are sometimes too nice for their own good, and really need to mind their own business.
No matter, though. You'll part ways in no time.
And... wait. You hear loud snoring.
Reed: Are those three asleep already?
Yes they are. Wow. What the hell.
Is that coming from Aria? Wow. Apparently, even pretty girls can snore.
Seriously, seriously though, are you the odd one for feeling uncomfortable?
No, they're the weirdos for being so uncaring like that.
Besides, what kind of superpower is this, to lay one's head upon a pillow and instantly drift off to sweet dreams, as if it were by a flick of a switch?
It's like they don't even have to think about night terrors, the lot of 'em.
Then again, to be fair, they've had a day classified as "long and tiring" by their standards. It's no more of a workout to you than the usual, though. In fact, it's somehow less of a typical busy day, judging by your daily activities! There was no dinner to cook, no clothes to wash, and no cleaning to do.
Oh, but that means she had none of those things back home.
One who is tightly bound to physical reality, as if trapped, is unable to drift to the land of dreams.
You need to get back as soon as possible, and take care of... wait.
Oh, god. Are you feeling homesick? Ack, that's stupid.
You're just recalling your duty of taking care of everything there. Yeah.
That's what older siblings are supposed to do, after all.
But a free mind drifts anywhere, whether towards dreams, or the edges of reality.
Nino: Are you dreaming?
Nino redemption arc let’s gooooooooooooo!
"Besides, what kind of superpower is this, to lay one's head upon a pillow and instantly drift off to sweet dreams, as if it were by a flick of a switch?"
relatable on a spiritual level
Consider drinking tea, water, and blanking your mind of any thoughts while lying down with eyes closed for some time. Maybe sleep in a different position as well.
Reed is scared of cooties
He is!!!
Sigma Reed Grindset Rule #00000000001: Be Scared Of Cooties
Reed:Finish Homestuck ffs