Day 18 Chapter 15
- Location
- Around here
[X] Enetious
After returning to her room in a fuming mess, you could occasionally still hear the sounds of Kyouko's tantrum. But now, you hear no sound coming from upstairs. Tomoe-san doesn't hear it, either.
"I'll go upstairs and make sure she hasn't run out on us," you say, placing your best approximation of a comforting hand onto Tomoe-san's shoulder as you excuse yourself from the table. "While I do that, Mikuni Oriko, you and Kure Kirika are to make whatever necessary preparations you see fit, before meeting with us. We will begin our search as soon as the five of us and our servants have assembled."
You leave your phone on the table just in case Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko need to discuss further preparations, and head upstairs to find Kyouko's room. The second floor of the apartment, you recall from a time long gone, is arranged very much like the second floor of the Kaname residence, with a master bedroom, guest bedroom, and bathroom all branching off from a main hallway. Having helped Tomoe-san move Kyouko's things from over from the church yesterday, you already know to check the guest bedroom.
The door is shut, but from the crack underneath the door you can see that the light is on. Sakura Kyouko is brash and impulsive at even the best of times, so the thought of her having escaped out the window to search the night for Assassin by herself is not one that escapes you. Yet, as you open the door, you can breathe easy at the sight of the window tightly closed.
The guest room is simple enough in form. A dresser, likely sourced secondhand from wherever, sits neatly closed in the corner. The red pleather jacket that accompanied several of her other clothing purchases from last Sunday rests on a coat hanger, and articles of clothing which you presume to be yesterday's shirt and delicates lay abandoned on the floor, with no laundry hamper in sight.
The futon, piled high with blankets is pushed up against the opposite corner, with the minifridge and space heater haphazardly positioned beside it. Sitting atop the minifridge is the singed photograph of Kyouko's younger sister, now framed; an act presumably courtesy of Tomoe-san. Yet, while there is no sign of Kyouko's disappearance, she is still missing all the same.
Or so you thought. A light whimper draws your attention back to the pile of blankets on the futon, where a second glance reveals the distressed form of Kyouko, tightly clutching a tear-stained pillow to her chest.
"It's not fair..." she mutters, just loud enough for you to hear her. "She was just a kid... She never did nuthin' ta deserve this, so why'd God have ta take her away?" Shaking, her hand reaches for the photograph of her younger sister. "Why can't I ever keep th' people I care about safe? Why? Why's it always gotta happen ta me?"
"I can't pretend to offer you any words of comfort, Sakura Kyouko," you say, hesitantly approaching the futon. "I too, have lost people that I care about, and I know that it never gets easier."
Kyouko turns her head upwards to look at you; her hardened cherry-coloured eyes have softened in her sadness. "However, what I can tell you is that, if you truly wish to avenge Chitose Yuma, then your best course of action is to cease your current reckless behaviour. Archer believes Assassin to be in possession of an anti-female Noble Phantasm, meaning that if you were to charge in blindly and let your anger guide you, you would be immediately vulnerable and likely to end up as nothing more than a quick snack."
"I understand that you have personal reasons for wanting Assassin dead, but I need for you to understand in return that I am not trying to punish you or anger you by holding you back from directly engaging her. None of us should be directly engaging Assassin in combat; not even Lancer, a servant." Kyouko pulls herself up and into a seated position, and out of courtesy you opt to join her. "I can't help you if you're just looking for an adrenaline high while going to your death. But if you really want to avenge Chitose Yuma, the best way to do that will be to help ensure that Assassin is killed. And the best way to do that is by being smart, surviving, and allowing Rider to do his job."
"Assassin might be a witch, but she's also a servant. Our best bet is to let Rider, Caster, and Berserker do the fighting for us. Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko are making final preparations to go find Assassin, and you are more than welcome to join us if you feel up to it."
There is a decided weight time before Kyouko responds, though hardly in a manner which you had expected.
"... I'm useless, aren't I? I... I couldn't keep Momo safe... I couldn't keep Yuma safe either... Couldn't even beat that bitch Kirika without gettin' torn half ta shreds... An' now I'm s'pposed ta stand down an' let everyone else kill Assassin, even though..." The pillow falls from Kyouko's hands, dented from her vice-like grip, but springing back to full as it leaves her grasp. "... Even though I'm th' one who wants her dead most of all."
Kyouko turns to you, and asks "if you had one thing, just one thing that ya really wanted ta do, more'n anyone else in the whole world, an' someone else beat ya to it, how would you feel?"
Just one thing?
That's obvious, isn't it?
It would be to keep Madoka safe.
"You can think on that fer a bit, if ya need to. I..."Kyouko reaches for her fallen pillow, giving it a quick fluff before returning to a reclined position. "... I know enough ta know that I shouldn't be fightin' when I'm this messed up. Last time I tried, it... Didn't go very well fer me."
"I understand," you say, rising to take your leave.
[ ] What is your answer to Kyouko's question?
Do you
[ ] Continue moving forward with the plan tonight in spite of Kyouko's absence
-[ ] What concessions have to be made to cope with Kyouko's absence? (write-in)
[ ] Postpone the plan until tomorrow, when Kyouko will hopefully be back to her old self
-[ ] What do you tell Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko? (write-in)
-[ ] What do you do now?
--[ ] Remain with Tomoe-san
--[ ] Head home
--[ ] Go hunting with Archer
---[ ] Where do you go to hunt?
---[ ] Do you invite Tomoe-san to join you?
[ ] Other (write-in)
?
"I'll go upstairs and make sure she hasn't run out on us," you say, placing your best approximation of a comforting hand onto Tomoe-san's shoulder as you excuse yourself from the table. "While I do that, Mikuni Oriko, you and Kure Kirika are to make whatever necessary preparations you see fit, before meeting with us. We will begin our search as soon as the five of us and our servants have assembled."
You leave your phone on the table just in case Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko need to discuss further preparations, and head upstairs to find Kyouko's room. The second floor of the apartment, you recall from a time long gone, is arranged very much like the second floor of the Kaname residence, with a master bedroom, guest bedroom, and bathroom all branching off from a main hallway. Having helped Tomoe-san move Kyouko's things from over from the church yesterday, you already know to check the guest bedroom.
The door is shut, but from the crack underneath the door you can see that the light is on. Sakura Kyouko is brash and impulsive at even the best of times, so the thought of her having escaped out the window to search the night for Assassin by herself is not one that escapes you. Yet, as you open the door, you can breathe easy at the sight of the window tightly closed.
The guest room is simple enough in form. A dresser, likely sourced secondhand from wherever, sits neatly closed in the corner. The red pleather jacket that accompanied several of her other clothing purchases from last Sunday rests on a coat hanger, and articles of clothing which you presume to be yesterday's shirt and delicates lay abandoned on the floor, with no laundry hamper in sight.
The futon, piled high with blankets is pushed up against the opposite corner, with the minifridge and space heater haphazardly positioned beside it. Sitting atop the minifridge is the singed photograph of Kyouko's younger sister, now framed; an act presumably courtesy of Tomoe-san. Yet, while there is no sign of Kyouko's disappearance, she is still missing all the same.
Or so you thought. A light whimper draws your attention back to the pile of blankets on the futon, where a second glance reveals the distressed form of Kyouko, tightly clutching a tear-stained pillow to her chest.
"It's not fair..." she mutters, just loud enough for you to hear her. "She was just a kid... She never did nuthin' ta deserve this, so why'd God have ta take her away?" Shaking, her hand reaches for the photograph of her younger sister. "Why can't I ever keep th' people I care about safe? Why? Why's it always gotta happen ta me?"
"I can't pretend to offer you any words of comfort, Sakura Kyouko," you say, hesitantly approaching the futon. "I too, have lost people that I care about, and I know that it never gets easier."
Kyouko turns her head upwards to look at you; her hardened cherry-coloured eyes have softened in her sadness. "However, what I can tell you is that, if you truly wish to avenge Chitose Yuma, then your best course of action is to cease your current reckless behaviour. Archer believes Assassin to be in possession of an anti-female Noble Phantasm, meaning that if you were to charge in blindly and let your anger guide you, you would be immediately vulnerable and likely to end up as nothing more than a quick snack."
"I understand that you have personal reasons for wanting Assassin dead, but I need for you to understand in return that I am not trying to punish you or anger you by holding you back from directly engaging her. None of us should be directly engaging Assassin in combat; not even Lancer, a servant." Kyouko pulls herself up and into a seated position, and out of courtesy you opt to join her. "I can't help you if you're just looking for an adrenaline high while going to your death. But if you really want to avenge Chitose Yuma, the best way to do that will be to help ensure that Assassin is killed. And the best way to do that is by being smart, surviving, and allowing Rider to do his job."
"Assassin might be a witch, but she's also a servant. Our best bet is to let Rider, Caster, and Berserker do the fighting for us. Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko are making final preparations to go find Assassin, and you are more than welcome to join us if you feel up to it."
There is a decided weight time before Kyouko responds, though hardly in a manner which you had expected.
"... I'm useless, aren't I? I... I couldn't keep Momo safe... I couldn't keep Yuma safe either... Couldn't even beat that bitch Kirika without gettin' torn half ta shreds... An' now I'm s'pposed ta stand down an' let everyone else kill Assassin, even though..." The pillow falls from Kyouko's hands, dented from her vice-like grip, but springing back to full as it leaves her grasp. "... Even though I'm th' one who wants her dead most of all."
Kyouko turns to you, and asks "if you had one thing, just one thing that ya really wanted ta do, more'n anyone else in the whole world, an' someone else beat ya to it, how would you feel?"
Just one thing?
That's obvious, isn't it?
It would be to keep Madoka safe.
"You can think on that fer a bit, if ya need to. I..."Kyouko reaches for her fallen pillow, giving it a quick fluff before returning to a reclined position. "... I know enough ta know that I shouldn't be fightin' when I'm this messed up. Last time I tried, it... Didn't go very well fer me."
"I understand," you say, rising to take your leave.
[ ] What is your answer to Kyouko's question?
Do you
[ ] Continue moving forward with the plan tonight in spite of Kyouko's absence
-[ ] What concessions have to be made to cope with Kyouko's absence? (write-in)
[ ] Postpone the plan until tomorrow, when Kyouko will hopefully be back to her old self
-[ ] What do you tell Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko? (write-in)
-[ ] What do you do now?
--[ ] Remain with Tomoe-san
--[ ] Head home
--[ ] Go hunting with Archer
---[ ] Where do you go to hunt?
---[ ] Do you invite Tomoe-san to join you?
[ ] Other (write-in)
?
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You have too many wouldn'ts and can'ts, Enetious. Call me stupid, but the first couple sentences are a bit confusing to me. So, it would hurt if someone else 'did it', but she would do anything to do it... after the fact of it happening?
