hikaru catchall

[exercisms]

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week 0; monday

[exercisms]

[Continued from here]

A little bit. It was inside another person. A girl. There was an evil spirit possessing her, and I was trying to get rid of it.

[That probably explains nothing??? But it's legitimately not a real place.]

[heartablaze]

An evil spirit...

[Look, sometimes a place exists in the realm of nothing and we just accept that.]

So it was like... her heart, almost? And that kitty was inside that girl's heart?

[exercisms]

Mm. [He's not sure whether it was her heart or not.] It was a place created by that spirit's powers. And this cat was in there.

[heartablaze]

A-ah. [That sounds... bad? Really bad. Scary, too. Hm.]

Do you think that kitty was part of the spirit at all, or... was she just trapped there?

[exercisms]

She. . . she must have been created by him, too!

[He says this like it's just occurred to him, and it's a pretty distressing thought.]

But she seems like just an ordinary cat.

week 0; sunday

[exercisms]

[Later that day, after execution, Mob can be found down near the river, leaning against the bridge and looking up at the sky.]

[heartablaze]

[Here she comes! She... actually looks somewhat serious?]

Shigeo-kun...

Hey, um... can I talk to you for a minute?

[exercisms]

[Ah - she looks so serious.]

What is it?

[heartablaze]

I found out why the vote was all messed up.

If we ever have another vote, then it's really important that everybody knows this, so... if I don't remember, and something bad happens... I need somebody else to say something for me. I'm telling a few people, but... I want you to be one of them.

Is that okay?

[exercisms]

[Nodding. This is worrying him, now? But he's glad she came to him?]

What happened?

week 1; post-trial

[exercisms]

[That was. An extremely long and sad day, wasn't it? Hikaru can probably find him anywhere - out for a walk outside, in the lobby or kitchen of the hotel - anywhere but the docking bay or the emporium.]

[heartablaze]

[She doesn't emerge from her room until late, wearily climbing down the stairs to try and sneak into the kitchen for some water. Her eyes are red and puffy, pajamas askew, jaw set with a cold expression of hurt and anger.

That fury softens when she spots Mob in the lobby, getting her to pause.]

...Shigeo-kun...

[Her chest aches. He'd tried so hard for Shuuya as well, and now...]

...Hey, Shigeo-kun... are you gonna be okay?

[exercisms]

[She was crying. Oh no. He looks a little nervous - he seemed genuinely upset and shocked at trial, but whatever that was has faded again into something more subdued. That's the way it always is, with his feelings.

He just isn't sure how to comfort a person who's crying.]

Mm. I'm sad, too, but I'm going to be okay. Are you?

[heartablaze]

I'm...

I'm angry. And I made a really... really, really bad mistake.

[She rubs at her eyes with one of her sleeves. It's fine. She's had her time to cry. Now wasn't the time to make anyone feel sorry for her.]

I'll... be okay, too, though. I just don't want tomorrow to happen.

[exercisms]

You made a mistake?

[He sounds concerned. He understands, though - it's easy to make mistakes when you're angry.]

What happened?

WEEK THREE - TUESDAY MORNING

[heartablaze]

[She's wading through one of the tiny fishing streams neae the jungle village, plucking up smooth, even rocks and setting them into a pile. Her sword is nearby, and she's quick to move it whenever she is out of arm's reach.

By the time Mob walks over, she has taken a break to simply lean down and watch the smaller of the fish wiggle past through the clear water, letting her bare feet dig into the sand and pebbles. When she spots him out of the corner of her eyes, she'll give a wave, slicking her bangs out of her face.]

Hi, Shigeo-kun! Have you been standing there a while?

[exercisms]

Hikaru-san.

[He hasn't been there too long, but he probably did stand there awkwardly for a little while before approaching.]

What are you doing?

[heartablaze]

Finding rocks. [See? Rocks! Here they are! It is a very neat little pile.] I wanna write names on them and put them near the shrine in the inn. The stream makes them nice and smooth, so I think they'll look nice.

You wanna help? I had something I wanted to ask you, anyway.

[exercisms]

Mm. That sounds nice. I'll help.

[He'll start looking for rocks, too, but will look up at her at the last comment.]

What is it?

[heartablaze]

I promised you I'd try to remind you, and I wanna keep my word. [She straightens up, a few extra rocks in her hands.]

Do you remember what you promised your brother, Shigeo-kun?

week 3; friday

[exercisms]

[After investigation, he can be found knocking on her door! Oh, is she not there? Well, he's knocking.]

[heartablaze]

[here she is!! this room is very big by yourself :(]

...Shigeo-kun... [She'll clear her throat for a minute, wiping at her eyes with her arm.]

Um... you can come in, if you want. I don't mind. [She'll even open the door a little wider.] What's the matter?

[exercisms]

[He will come in, then! Even though. . . it's a girl's room.]

I just wanted to see if you were doing all right.

[heartablaze]

[I mean... half of it is her stuff, which is mostly her sword and her gift bag and three different sized plushies (a dog, a fish with plastic wings, and a little plushie of a blonde man with an odd headband and cape) all plopped next to one of the leaf piles. The other half is... well. Dead dad stuff. I do not know what this stuff is do not ask me weeps.

Hikaru herself is still in her pajamas, pink striped pants and an oversized tee with a dog on the front. But most noticeably when she turns around, her braid is completely missing.]

I'm... I don't know.

I wasn't here with Shiro-san last night, because I needed to think about some stuff on my own. But maybe if I's been here, I... I could have noticed something...

I feel... gross about it.

[exercisms]

[Sorry Hikaru but if you want him to ask about haircuts you picked the wrong boy, he will never ask. Those pajamas are cute, though.]

Gross. . . but I don't think you could've noticed something like that. I didn't, with Brick-san.