[X] Plan Delegation
True to Kure Kirika's word, your party's train arrives at the Hakone station well after night has fallen, but fortunately at least one among your party has been here before. And were it not for them, none of you would even be here right now. "Alright, unfortunately it is a bit of a walk from the station to the beach house," Mikuni Oriko says, gesturing in the general direction to which your party must head next. "But once we're there, we'll have the rest of the night and all of tomorrow all to ourselves, so let's try and make the most of it, shall we?"
You can think of one member of your party for whom 'making the most of it' appears not to be an option. You really hope that Sayaka won't spend the entire trip in a miserable state, and that she'll let go and find it in her to relax and enjoy herself once she's actually situated. Your party of eleven walks in three clusters, very reminiscent of your earlier seating arrangements on the train - Mikuni Oriko leads the party, as expected, with Kure Kirika walking beside her hand-in-hand, Lancer on her master's opposite side; you and Madoka walking the same, with your own servant on your opposite side; and Sayaka, Hitomi, Tomoe-san, and Kyouko sandwiched in-between - save for one noticeable difference; the presence of an additional face walking alongside Archer.
"I've never been to Hakone before," Kure Minako says; your servant, to his credit, is taking her presence in stride, though you cannot help but feel for him as he can do little more than stave off her unwanted advances on his own. "I've seen pictures of Lake Ashi before, but I never thought I'd get to stay at a private beach house on the lakefront. I hope it's as beautiful as the pictures make it out to be."
"Assassin, are you there?"
"Yes, master, did you need something of me?"
"First, I'd like to apologize to you. I'll be out of town until late tomorrow night, and I wanted to apologize for neither inviting you, nor giving you the chance to touch me before I left town. I would have informed you sooner, but the events of last night were... All-encompassing, with regards to my attention. I'd be willing to make it up to you upon my return, if there is anything within reason you would like from me; but until then, I need for you to keep an eye on McRemitz-san and her Lancer servant. Make sure she doesn't go snooping around where she doesn't belong; namely, the residences of my friends and I are off-limits. Let me know if she makes any moves towards them, or if she makes moves anywhere else you think it might be suspicious of her to go."
"I understand, master. Last night was an unprecedented calamity; I do not fault you for neglecting to inform me of your planned absence. I shall keep watch over your guest while you are away, and upon your return I shall let you know what I desire as recompense for your absence."
"I suppose that's all I can ask for. Thank you for understanding, Assassin. I'll see you tomorrow night."
While you're sure the hill upon which the Mikuni beach house rests provides a great scenic view of Lake Ashi, Kure Minako will have to wait until morning to know whether the view is as beautiful as the pictures make it out to be. "Well, we're here," Mikuni Oriko says, leading everyone to the front door of the two-story wood cabin. She pats down on each of the pockets of her jeans, saying "Wouldn't it be funny if we had come all this way and I had forgotten the key?" before producing the key from her back-left pocket. The master of the house enters first, flipping the light switch in the foyer once her shoes have come off. "Well, everyone; we're here. Please, make yourselves at home."
The cabin has a very open floor plan; a spacious room with two couches and two single chairs seated around a square coffee table. The kitchen area, along with a table sit off to the side, and on the opposite side from the kitchen area is a flight of stairs leading, you presume, to the bedrooms and toilet, as the only doors you can see are the front door, which you just came in; and the sliding glass double-doors leading out to a beach-facing patio. At least, you assume it's a beach-facing patio. It's too dark to tell for sure.
"I'll give everyone the tour in just a few moments," Mikuni Oriko says, heading over to the kitchen, returning with a piece of paper in her hands which she gives to Lancer. "If you would, take Archer and Minako-san to the store at this address. We'll need mattresses, and-" she turns to your servant, saying "-I've heard good things about your cooking skills, Archer. I trust you'll be able to make us all something suitable for dinner."
"Of course," Lancer says, pocketing the slip of paper given to her by her master. She looks over to Archer, asking "Is there anything you need before we depart?"
"As long as there's a grill and fire pit, and the proper utensils for me to use, I should be fine."
"I believe father had a folding grill put away somewhere around here," Mikuni Oriko says, as her eyes dart around the open room as if looking for or trying to recall where said grill might be, "But if you'd rather have a fire pit, we can dig one out on the beach while you're all out shopping."
"Both would be ideal, for what I've got in mind."
Mikuni Oriko nods, and Lancer says "Then we shall be off, to give my master and her friends the time they need to get acquainted, and to have everything set up for when we return."
Lancer leads the adults out and off of the premises, and now it's just eight girls. Mikuni Oriko waits until the door is closed and the lock snaps into place; you can hear her throat hard at work to swallow the lump which has formed in it. Her hands shake, but her eyes are resolute as she faces Sayaka. Then, before Sayaka can open her mouth to say anything, Mikuni Oriko has fallen to the floor in a dogeza position. "Please accept my most sincere apologies for my actions earlier." Sayaka's mouth hangs open, her eyes just as wide as her mouth. Though she does not give voice to the same apology, Kure Kirika joins her lover prostrating before Sayaka. "I do not expect you to forgive me for what I have done, but I ask that you not let my actions towards you make you upset any longer."
"I am trying - honestly trying - to be a better person than I was back then, but I know that nothing I do will ever take away what I have done. It pains me to see how my actions continue to cause you distress, and I would like nothing more than to see you put aside your anger and enjoy yourself on this vacation."
Sayaka is silent; the room is silent; you can hear a fly buzzing upstairs. Finally, "Get up," Sayaka says, her voice shaky and her fists trembling; you have a bad feeling about this. "Get up off the ground before I kick your head in." Mikuni Oriko does as she is told, standing, but as soon as she is straight on her feet, Sayaka's fist sends her right back to the ground. "Get up!" she screams, stamping her foot against the hardwood floor, her sapphire eyes flecked with her angry tears. "Get up and fight me!" Sayaka squares up to Mikuni Oriko, juggling her fists in front of her face. "You're not so tough when you don't have the element of surprise, are you?"
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Kure Kirika screams; visibly torn between getting in Sayaka's face, and attending to her girlfriend, who despite the solid hit to her jaw is managing to pull herself up with little trouble. "She was trying to apologize, and you think knocking her lights out will make it better? I should-"
"You should what, huh? Gonna try to kill me for punching your girlfriend? Like you were going to do to me and Madoka before?"
"No." Mikuni Oriko stands between Sayaka and Kure Kirika. "I will not fight you, Miki-san." And she does not; rather than raise her fists or, God forbid, a swarm of drones against her aggressor, Mikuni Oriko instead turns her head, presenting the right side of her face to Sayaka. "I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To anyone who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." Mikuni Oriko smiles as she recites from Scripture, saying "I will do only good to you from now on, Miki-san; I will bless you, I will pray for you, and whenever you hit me, I will turn the other cheek. I reject a life where I must do harm to anyone else, so if I have done harm to you in the past, I pray that I may find the strength to make it right to you." When Sayaka fails to strike her on the other cheek, Mikuni Oriko turns to Madoka, saying "And to you, Kaname-san, for you as well I shall endeavour to do whatever I can to make up for my earlier actions."
Neither Sayaka nor Mikuni Oriko can go any further; as soon as the opportunity presents itself, they both fall down onto the open room's available seating. Apparently, neither of them mind the fact that they've chosen the same couch to lie down on. "If the rest of you don't mind, I can give you the full tour in just a few minutes," Mikuni Oriko says to her guests. "I'm just a little exhausted right now."
[ ] Wat do?
), I didn't read this update the moment I noticed the alert because I was just doing other stuff. Reading stuff, playing stuff (particularly an online casual local thing today), having a short lapse of burning out on reading because there's always so many things out there to read in the world. But yeah, sorry. Didn't even notice it was that long ago.
