lolijesus | 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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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.]

That's-!! [She put a hand over her own mouth and her other fist slammed onto the table, softly instead of furiously. But it stirred a little rain around it, haze like that of boiling water rising from the place where the impact landed. Umi's eyes refused to focus out of the blur nearly blinding her.

In a second she was by Hikaru's side, her hands on the other girl's shoulders, her glance wild but still trying to be reassuring, determined.]

I'm getting you out of this place.

[Somewhere, deep down, Hikaru knew this was how Umi would react. But she still knew Umi needed to know just what this place could do, why Hikaru didn't want Umi going places by herself. Hikaru didn't say anything in response, merely lowering her head; she was shaking under Umi's hands. She didn't want to see Umi like that.]

We promised to wait for him. I-i'm not leaving unt-til I say someth-thing to him.

And risk this happening to you again!? Hikaru...

[In a way she understood this perfectly. It was the truth of it her heart refused to deal with. Umi knew what a promise meant. If this had been her, waiting for either Fuu or Hikaru herself, Umi wouldn't have minded what danger she'd have had to face to fulfill it.]

I don't want to see you go through something like that again... I just couldn't bear it. I know this is important to you... That this is selfish of me. But I...!

[Umi never cried if she could help it. In fact, the water Knight didn't remember the last time she'd cried. But now it didn't surprise to feel a single tear drop down her cheek.]

...Why isn't there EVER anything I can do to help you!?

Y-you're wrong.

[Hikaru smiled - a real smile, small though - up at Umi, taking a tired, shaky hold of her arm.]

J-just you being here makes it easier. That helps me m-more than you know. R-remember what I said back in Cephiro when we first met? That if I'd been brought there by myself...?

Cephiro... We all had it easy then, and we didn't even know... did we? This is so different... [Hikaru's words were reassuring, but they grated too. It only proved her uselessness: Umi should be the one comforting her friend, not the other way round.] This is crueler than anything we've known before.

But I don't care. I WILL find a way to make sure nothing like that happens to you again.

...M-mm. And I'll make sure it doesn't happen to you or Fuu or Rika-chan or Louise-san. [Hikaru moved to hug Umi's neck. She meant that. She knew now the signs of that curse, and she knew Doumeki knew too. They'd be okay. She buried her face into Umi's shoulder.]

I-i'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just- I didn't want you to be mad if you didn't have to.

Don't. You're always thinking about us. It's... about time we start being strong for you too. [Umi held Hikaru close, patting her back, feeling herself grow warm by her friend's naturally fiery aura. For Hikaru and Fuu alone she could do this. Promises were something precious. Hikaru had been admirably strong, to get over such an experience for the sake of fulfilling hers. Umi couldn't do less than honor this.

Her voice sounded far steadier with resolve when she spoke next.]

This place won't EVER defeat us. We won't be broken by its nastiness. We'll face it together and look after each other like we always have, until it's time for us to leave.

[She was glad. Umi didn't sound like she was planning to do anything rash like Hikaru'd initially been afraid of. She tightened her hug around Umi; she didn't want to let go. Just remembering everything made it hard.]

M-mm. We'll take care of each other. We'll beat this place.

[It didn't matter. The City could throw their worst at them, Umi would still be ready. She refused to believe she hadn't been dragged into this grim place without a purpose. Perhaps it was just a matter of finding one, and hers would be to protect Hikaru and all her friends from its cruelty until the fire Knight fulfilled her promise and they could go home.

Umi held Hikaru tight but gently, determination easing the pain. She'd push the anger and sorrow down and forget them for now. For Hikaru.]

I know we will. We're together.

Right. [Hikaru's smile was bright now, like it used to be, the one Umi and Fuu knew so well. Despite everything that happened, she was glad they'd decided this. Together.]

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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