[X] Telepathy to Ariane
-[X] Sorry about that? It's just really Mariko's family business, and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable sharing too much?
[X] Talk with everyone
-[X] Ariane just found out something we didn't really try to keep secret.
--[X] Due to some family business Mariko is going to stay over at my home.
'Uh, I wasn't really trying to put it off?' you send to Ariane after unsuccessfully trying to make a coherent and understandable sentence with a mouth full of pizza-flavored pineapple.
'I mean, I'm sorry about that, but it's just, well…' You trail off awkwardly, throwing another quick glance at everyone else in the room.
You're turning into quite the spectacle from the looks of it. And to be fair, you suppose the way Ariane is so intensely focused on you might be a bit weird to anyone looking. But besides that,
'Well, it's just really Mariko's family business. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by sharing too much about her? Not without her permission.'
You watch Ariane's reaction to your explanation closely. At first it would appear that she wants nothing more than to argue against that, and to push further. You think she actually came quite close to doing that, if it wasn't for a small moment of doubt that then expands into closer consideration.
She stares at you, and behind the abnormally intense, almost all-seeing stare of hers, you can't be entirely sure what she's thinking. You much prefer the girl when she's her usual, happy go-lucky self.
'You're keeping a lot of other secrets here, right?' Ariane eventually asks, putting it quite bluntly. She throws herself back and gives Mariko a quick look. She doesn't elaborate any further.
'Kind of?' you offer to her.
'But, um…'
'A conversation for a later date? Father says that sometimes,' Ariane mentions.
'Well, that and it probably being Mariko's decision to make,' you answer and shift your position to face everyone else. You'd say it's better to offer some form of explanation for them for the sudden show.
"Just in case you were wondering, and you totally were, Ariane kind of found out about something that… I hadn't really intended to keep as a secret, but hadn't really mentioned before," you announce, while rubbing your neck awkwardly.
"But anyways, you see, Mariko…"
"To get it over with, I'm simply staying over at the hugger-in-chief here," Mariko says out loud, pointing at you and looking like she had been forced to swallow a whole lemon.
"For 'how long' is for now. The reasons are due to some… issues back in my apartment. Really don't want to go into specifics, thank you very much."
You take a moment to consider what Mariko said, before nodding along.
"Basically, what she said."
There's a moment of silence from Evelyn and Ami, who've yet to be brought into the loop one way or another, before the former opens her mouth.
"Well, uh, I hope those issues can get fixed soon?" Evelyn offers, before realizing how it might have come off as.
"Not that I'm against the arrangement, I mean, but-"
"No, I get what you mean, don't worry," Mariko explains.
"Thanks."
You on the other hand fall into your thoughts again. it would certainly be nice to get Mariko's life in order, and back on track. But at the same time there's an ugly truth you're forced to confront... It's quite doubtful if this truly is something that can actually
ever be fixed, much less soon.
"How long has it been?" Ami asks, looking quite curious, even if a bit skeptical of the arragement.
"Since yesterday," Mariko answers.
"So there isn't much to talk about, given how it's all still being figured out."
So it's possible Mariko will have to stay somewhere for the foreseeable future. And come to think of it, what does this mean for the upcoming trip to Tokyo?
What do you do?
[] See this onversation to a proper conclusion.
[] Anyhow, with that out of the way... Let's talk about something else!
[] Write-in.
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You have Ariane on your trail now
