lolijesus | 95 flames

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95 flames

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I guess there's no avoiding it, really, is there, Satori-niisama? It's best not to run, right?

...Umi, I wish you'd listen to me. I don't want anything more to happen to you. Please. I have to try and talk to you about all this again.

How's everyone doing after the blackout? I hope the damage was minimal from the earthquake.

Did anyone get a glimpse of that thing during the outage? It was too fast for me to see.

Umi, I guess our outing has to wait a little longer. I should clean up the mess we made during this whole thing.

[ooc; Break her. 8)

eta; going to bed, but I'll pick up tags when I get home from work tomorrow o/ ]

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[She stopped at that. Her heart itself skipped a beat. Umi hugged the bag to her chest and turned around to look into Hikaru's eyes, hoping her glance would let her friend know she indeed appreciated this, but that there would be no pressure from her part.]

If that's what you want, then alright. Just... I don't want you to feel upset about it if you're not ready.

[Hikaru had to force herself not to say anything to that. She made her way into the kitchen with a smile.]

Let's worry about putting everything away first. You arms are probably tired from carrying all this here.

I don't mind... Uhm. But okay. [Was this for gaining time? Umi wondered how this was working inside Hikaru's head. Was her friend seeing this as an opportunity to relieve herself of this trauma or did she see it as an obligation of sorts? Something she'd rather not share if she could help it? Umi feared it was the latter.

Regardless, she plunked the bag down on the kitchen counter and started sorting through the groceries.] Lots of ice cream, like I promised.

Like.... you promised? [Hikaru'd forgotten, of course. She slapped her palm to her forehead.] I'm sorry, I forgot I promised you ice cream when you came back from the Underground.

Ehh?? [Umi's eyes went huge and blinked several times in a row at that. After what they'd been through after that trip was over it wasn't as if that could have stayed in either of their minds, anyway.]

Uh, never mind that! With all that happened... I forgot about it too!

...At least it's here now. [Try to play it off, it's okay. It's just ice cream. She sighed, though more from relief than anything and started putting things away.]

We should decide what kind of tea you and Road-san are going to serve.

Uh. I got Earl Grey in mind! Or Darjeeling. Maybe I'll ask for Mister Sebastian's advise on that one again...

[Making time, most definitely. But let it come when it would: pace was all for Hikaru to decide if she had indeed made up her mind to address this issue. Umi started arranging the goods around the kitchen, inside the fridge... She gestured toward the ice cream.] Hey, we could use some right now.

He sounds like he really knows a lot about that kind of stuff.

[Just a bit longer. She wanted to enjoy this time together like this before she told Umi what really happened. But that smile faltered only a little] I'm not really hungry for any, but you can help yourself.

But this... Eh. Then I'll just fix us some tea, now we're talking about that. [But this used to be your favorite dessert, she'd been about to say. Hikaru would jump at any chance to have ice cream. Umi sighed soundlessly and wondered how many other things had changed within that year.]

Mister Sebastian? He's Brittish, you know? And seems like his boss is pretty uptight with tea time...

I didn't know that, but ...I've heard of British being like that with tea. I guess it's true.

[She knew what she was doing. Hikaru felt a little guilty for it, but she didn't want to have anything extra she didn't need when they got down to business.]

...Umi, we should... sit down so we can talk.

[So this was it. Umi's deep breath came out inaudibly as she put the kettle on the stove and sat slowly at the kitchen table, her eyes always with Hikaru.]

Okay. Let's...

...M-mm.

[Hikaru felt suddenly nervous, like she was about to tell Umi something that would change their friendship for good. Did she really want to do this?

...Umi did deserve to know. She had a right to know why her friend was acting so strangely around her. Hikaru stood in front of her, not quite ready to sit down. This was probably futile, but, she still had to try.]

Umi, before I tell you... Please, promise me you won't try to do anything to the City or the deities afterward.

[...THAT terrible, huh. Umi bit her lip. Hikaru knew of Umi's temper more than anyone else, except possibly Fuu. Her friend also understood how hard it was to restrain herself when it came to anyone who'd wronged her friends in any manner. If Hikaru was asking her this... Umi sucked in a breath and frowned.

Very well. She'd know beforehand that she should brace herself for the worst.]

...I'll try. That's all I can say. But if this is all some person's deed...

{If it'd been a person that'd done this, Hikaru wouldn't have thought anything about it. But she didn't want Umi doing anything she'd regret later.

With an accepting nod, Hikaru sat at the table next to her and took a breath. She didn't like the idea of talking about this, or telling Umi but...]

...You remember I told you about a woman that hurt Wolfwood-niisan and a lot of other people?

Yeah. I couldn't forget if I tried. [Her reply came at once. Umi clearly remembered Hikaru had talked about HER during their time outside during the blackout, when the memory of this had almost broken the smaller girl. The water Knight had the feeling this would end up with her wanting to drown someone painstakingly slowly...]

Some freak who liked to teach people "lessons" or "punish" them? Hikaru, if this woman's still around...

[Hikaru instantly shook her head.] She was gone from the City not long after the police force caught her. I haven't seen or heard of her being back.

But that's right, she'd do things like that. It was... a really weird way to try and get someone to appreciate their life.

Trust that to come from a PSYCHO... [Umi crossed and uncrossed her legs from under the table, shifting in her seat as her anger started building up.] Good riddance. At least she's off our backs for the time being.

[She wanted to press on but got a grip and waited for Hikaru to continue.]

[She watched Umi, watched her reactions. Hikaru was trying to gauge how she needed to word all this.]

...Yeah. But... before I got here and before she came, there'd been a curse that was exactly like it. I'd only heard stories about it, but everyone who'd been here when it happened all seemed like they were really wary of it happening again.

A curse that worked like this nutbag woman used to? So this was all this place's doing after all... [This might not be a good thing. Umi had almost wished she could direct her anger at a single person. It'd be easier than adding to her hatred of The City at large.]

It is... [She tried to put on a smile, as best as one she could manage. But her voice was betraying her.]

It seems like one weekend out of every month, different curses happen to everyone and n-no one ever knows what's going to happen to who.

A-about a month before you got here, it-- I-- got stuck with that curse.

[That smile... she didn't like this. Umi knew things weren't working well whenever Hikaru's smile didn't match the rest of her behavior. Slowly she inched closer to the other girl in her chair.]

What sort of curse was that?

Th-the curse like what that woman did to Wolfwood-niisan and Rem-san and everyone. [She looked down at her hands clapsed tightly together in her lap as they shook. She had to do this. She could do it, just tell her what happened. Deep breath. Swallow. Calm, just take it slowly.]

When I wok-oke up, it was so dark. I couldn't see anything, ex-xcept a light on the far side of wherever it was. [Why yes, Umi, she does plan on telling you the details she can remember. She thought for a moment, trying to remember it as clearly as she could.] There was something in my hand, like one of those handheld tape recorders. I k-kept-- I tried to call out and I couldn't. [She ran her fingertips over the scars around her mouth, the smile no longer there. She no longer felt like trying to put one on.]

Hikaru... A network device? N-no. [Umi had noticed something weeks ago. She hadn't been sure before, but... the way Hikaru was touching her mouth, her reactions... It all tied up together with what this curse might have been about. Only Umi's mind couldn't put the pieces together yet. Perhaps a part of it simply refused to.

She fought the urge to rise and put an arm around her friend. Hikaru had to do this on her own, and so prove herself she was strong enough to face it. For now at least. Umi envisioned the described scene in her thoughts.] What happened? Why couldn't you call them...?

[Hikaru'd had every intention of telling Umi the basics of what happened, but this damned curse was compelling her to answer in full detail. He held her head low as she spoke.] It was all metal. My mouth felt like it was sewn shut.

I-i can't... remember what exactly the tape said not word for word, but-- it talked a lot about not asking for help from you and Fuu and everyone else--. I-i had to find my way out on my own because I insisted on doing everything on my own. I couldn't see anything, so I started trying to feel my way around, but I kept running into something sharp. I c-couldn't go anywhere else but foward, so I k-kept going. Whatever it was kept cutting me. I couldn't get them out after a few minutes.

[She paused, still not looking at Umi. This was the hardest part, what she had to do to open the door. She hated thinking about it. She hugged her arms around herself without thinking about it, like it was natural.] I got to the do-door, and it... There was so much blood already, and I-- I had to... had to ki-- It went so fast, and it was such a blur.

[Hikaru finally looked at Umi, tears in her eyes and her face like she was fighting everything that made her want to stop talking.] I-i didn't want to do it. B-but I didn't want to die. That man was in the way of the door's lock and it was the only way I could get out. I couldn't apologize to him or try to get help and and there was so much blood everywhere.

[For the longest time Umi sat very straight, not moving a single muscle, not breathing, her mind refusing to convey a single thought. Her heart itself might have stopped, for all she knew. In her thoughts she was imagining the scenes Hikaru described for her, and every second of it was a nightmare Umi hadn't been ready to confront. In a way it WOULD have been better for HER to confront it. Knowing this had happened to Hikaru was a million times worse.]

You... had to... This place...! It actually made you......

[Umi breathed deeply, trying to get a hold of herself. Her mind just snapped, a bright blue aura surrounding her, the kitchen's air condescending in a dew-like mist around her as her magic became one with her will and her anger.

She had to hold back, she had to hold back, she had to stay calm for the sake of Hikaru. For not making this worse than it already was.]

95 flames

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1/2 action; alriiiiight, you killed her |D

2/2 action;

action; oh god. clash of the wills.

action; it was meant to happen e_ea;;

2/2 action; oops, forgot to say.

action; it's trufax. and need to go sleep after my next tag orz

action; actually, I should too ;;; ♥

action; sob what is sleep ;;; ♥

action; something I obviously forgo for you and your awesome threads 8|;;; ♥

action; sadly I could not forgo work for YOUR awesome threads ;; <3

action; a-and now see how my timing fails us ;~; At least this ended well.

action; it diiiiid and ignore the weird icons, curse and all