It's time to go.
Most people are on the train by now. Settled into their cabins and among friends and loved ones. There are only three new arrivals left to board and once they do, Hal pulls a conductor's hat out from underneath the bar, tugs it on, and steps around it to the middle of the train. He opens his mouth to talk, voice filling the train.
"It's time to go. Stops happen once a day until everyone's departed and I already have your stopped listed. If you'd like to be prioritized, let me know, otherwise we'll go in order of death. Settle in and enjoy the ride. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask, folks."
This, of course, means that those who died earliest (Manfred, Higekiri) will depart first while those who died latest (Barnham, Damian, Percy) will depart last. There's a stop for everyone, though those who want to get off together are more than welcome to. Hal pulls a notepad and pen out of his pocket later and people will notice that he goes around the train confirming stops with everyone. Whatever feeling Hal may have had to a character back in town isn't noticeable here -- he is simply a robot assigned with a job.
After that, it's all a matter of settling in and enjoying the ride. If that's possible for you, at least.
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robowest2017-03-04 12:02 pm
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He pauses for a moment, before:]
... Dunno. Half rhetorical, half sincere, I guess.
[The easiest explanation would, of course, be that Percy's just an idiot. But Shinnosuke knows it's not just that alone, and it frustrates him, the growing realization that he might actually understand why.]
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"In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos's traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that is very, very dangerous."
“Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you are impulsive, but when it comes to your friends, you are as constant as a compass needle. You are unswervingly loyal, and you inspire loyalty. You are the glue that will unite the seven.”
So. Why make friends? Why give himself reasons to crack, as it were? Half-rhetorical though the question may be, he chooses to answer it with as much serious effort as possible.]
People...will always fight harder when they have something they want to protect or something they love. People are more likely to cooperate and stick together if they feel like people are listening to them, like they have a reason to keep going. None of us asked to be here. A lot of us just needed a push in the right direction and I...maybe I thought that I could help. If we all had goals to work toward, getting people together to work together so we could all reach the right ending. Isn't it better to have multiple people helping you get closer than to wonder if you'll get there on your own?
But the reason I befriended people even knowing how much it was going to hurt in the end is because I don't ever want to do these things alone ever again. I don't want people thinking they're alone. Everyone had my back. So I had to have theirs. I know it might not make sense and maybe I'm the naive one here, but it's true. For every person we lost, I gained more motivation to keep trying. If I only focused on Annabeth I would have given up a long time ago. But people here deserved a chance and I knew I could be the one to give it to them. I wanted to be. And that's why.
[Saying it out loud sounds so stupid, but he's not ashamed of it either. He's seemingly waiting for Shinnosuke to tell him he's a moron, mostly.]