fujimaru | Palace Game 6/3

She's still crying hysterically, like she hasn't heard--it does seem like whatever fit she's having, she's at least on the tail end of it, slowly coming down.

[she's slightly transparent, but he's still going to carefully reach out to put a hand on her shoulder, lightly.]

Hey...

The moment he touches her, there's a flash--

You can see the exact moment she understands what is happening, the way her confusion and anger give way to a genuine terrified panic. She claws at the arm of the smiling man who is slowly pushing her into what appears to be a fiery self-contained globe, screaming. No, no, I can't die like this! Not here! I can't--

You want to run for her, your feet scrabbling at the ground for a second, but your arm is held in an inexorable grip; you are locked in place by someone far stronger than you are.

But then she disappears, and the sound of her screaming cuts off abruptly.

The memory is over, and the woman jerks back, falling over even in her seated position, staring at him in horror.

"You-- who the hell do you think you are, just touching me like that?!"

Don't—

[fun! he gives a sharp noise of surprise as he comes out of that memory. he doesn't answer for a long moment, horrified, before he realizes he's been addressed.]

You - you were crying, I wanted to make sure you were alright.

"All right?" Her voice is high, incredulous, her hands pressed to her face. "All right?! How am I supposed to be--how dare you see what happened! How dare you! What are you even doing here?!"

No - no, you're right, that was a stupid question. It's just - is there anything I can do to help? That's what I'm here to do. To help.

"Help? Help?!" She scoffs at this, but draws herself up, pale and shaking. "There's nothing to be done here! If you wanted to help, why couldn't you have helped me? What do I care about anyone else?!"

...I'm sorry. Someone should have been able to. What happened was - horrible doesn't begin to describe it.

"It was! It was!!" She scrambles up now, on her knees, her eyes bright and furious. "All this time, I worked so hard--I tried so hard! I did everything I could for Father's vision! And in the end, that happened! How could it?! Why should I care about the rest of what happens here, when I--I--"

She breaks down into tears again, clawing at her face

[he glances around for a second, before:]

I know you don't want to be touched... But is there anything else I can do for you?

"I want to get out of here!" she says immediately, fever-frantic... and then she collapses in on herself again. "But I can't. I can't leave. It's so stupid. It's not fair! Every time I leave, I just wind up back here again!"

...Where do you try to go? Maybe if you went with me, it would work somehow.

"Anywhere! I can't, no matter how hard I try, I--"

As she speaks, though, there is the sound of approaching footsteps. There is a smiling man approaching.

"Excuse me," he says, polite. "If I may?"

Maybe I could try to—

[he looks between them for a moment as the man approaches, though.]

Ah - sure, what is it?

"I apologize for her," he says, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed little laugh. "But, ah, there's a reason we can't leave this place. Unfortunately."

No - you don't have to apologize, seriously.

[but he straightens up, with a frown.]

What is it?

"It's, well." He glances at the woman again, then leans in a little closer to Rupert, lowering his voice. "I suppose it's a little awkward to say, but... well. We're dead, unfortunately. There isn't much room for the dead to grow or change."

He still sounds very apologetic about this.

[after a fairly awkward pause]

I saw that memory, but... You're both here, right? So a part of you still exists. You're certain there's nothing I can do?

"We exist as memories," he says gently. "The dead can still be remembered, after all. But changing, or growing... none of us here can do that anymore."

[for whatever reason, he accepts that easily enough, though the sympathetic look on his face deepens.]

...I'm glad a part of you is still here, then, at least.

[and, after a moment:]

I'm here to help a friend. If you have any advice on where I should head next or what I should do... I'd appreciate it.

"Ah, for Ritsuka?" He looks pleased at that. "I told Leonardo people would show up for that! Though I didn't know they'd be coming here... ah, hm." He coughs into his fist for a moment. "...Well. If I know my old friend, he'll be keeping a close eye on her, but he won't hurt her. I assume he's hidden her off somewhere."

Your old friend...? Can you tell me anything about him, and where he might be keeping her?

"We go back a ways, he and I." There's something gently sad in the man's smile as he says this. "He's... a prickly one, we could say. Someone who isn't very given to sharing his thoughts or his feelings easily.

"But if he has Ritsuka, he'll have her where he can keep the closest eye on her. But it'll be somewhere amongst the living, not the dead."

Amongst the living... [he nods, grateful.] Thank you. I'll make sure she's safe.

[and then, to the woman:]

I need to go help her, but before I leave... Do you want to tell me a happy story about you and Ritsuka? A memory that's - different than the one I saw.

"Happy? With her?!" She snorts. "That girl fell asleep in the middle of the orientation meeting! And then she had the gall to be the only one who survived--even Kyrielight was injured! How was she the only one who got off without any injuries?! How dare she--"

Behind her, the man is making some small, shoo, quickly gestures, wincing a little as the woman's voice starts climbing to a high pitch.

Palace Game 6/3

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