like a bitter stranger

[samuraiwomen]

Who: Everyone
What: Our monthly family meeting.
When: March 5th, 2000.
Where: Yogen dorms common room.
Warnings: Discussions of murder, suicide, child death...more?



[ A message goes up on the forums late Friday evening.

S.chidouin: Group meeting in the dorms Saturday. 12:00. No punching. No stabbing. I'll bring stickers.

If your character would not find a post from Sara worth listening too, Bonnie is wandering around, vaguely noting how important this meeting is, and how very much you should attend. No further details are forthcoming.

The meeting itself is a quiet affair. The fireplace is not lit, there are no snacks. Sara waits in the corner for everyone to arrive and get settled and then she clears her throat to speak. ]

As most of you know... [ It's hard to start, but her voice gets firmer as she goes on. ] We spent the last two months investigating Maya Arisu's murder. That case is solved. A few weeks ago, Bonnie-chan and I found the culprit.

Rantaro Amami killed Maya Arisu, Hiro Arisu, the vice principal and is presumably responsible for the scene with Keigo Arata. He is also dead. I just figured...everyone should know. To many people got hurt the last few months. I'm sorry.

[ She fiddles with her hair. That's all...she really has to say. There's not much more then that as the gist of it. ]

Comments

[heroicpolonaise]

... I certainly thought so.

[she sighs, raising her head to smile at noah.]

I confessed. Lead them to the truth. And then I died, because that's the system we had there. And what I left behind... was a simple a wish: that they do their best, be friends, and stop the mastermind -- so they could be free and live their lives the way they wanted. What I had bet on and lost.

[it doesn't answer the question proper, though, and after a moment she will give him a better one:]

People can justify it as they see fit. They can fault others for it, too. It's just a matter of perspective... in the eyes of some, I just fell right into their trap and kicked the whole thing off. And in the eyes of others... I did what I thought was right, and in the process hurt so, so many people. And killed a very dear friend of mine.

[it's evident in how often she and amami spent time together that this was fact enough, nevermind he'd always talk well about her skills and the like. to kill someone she cherished so much on such a slim hope...]

Looking back, there's no justification for that extreme. If everyone can talk things out, can be open and be willing to think of something else, then there's no limit in the possibilities they can create. Even just... incapacitating someone is better than that.

[silentabyss]

...yeah. I...

[Noah wrings his hands together in his lap. He feels for her, and he doesn't know how to convey it properly. Saying that almost seems empty, given his earlier outbursts. Clearly the grieving child who yells a lot and has a track record for punching people and acts completely unsympathetic at the best of times gets it, yes of course, because that makes sense.

He sighs inwardly.]

I wish I could've done that, looking back. I tried to... sorry, I guess you weren't here for that. Backtracking... there was someone named Hyde here once, and he was... a serial killer, I think. He came after me one night, almost a year ago now. I tried to talk to him. I didn't want to kill him, but he wouldn't listen to reason.

...I should've just incapacitated him, even when he was aiming to kill me.

[Even when he technically did, Noah thinks quietly, though his moonstone had rewinded time to save him in the end.]

I should've done that with Add, too. I should've tried to talk longer when we fought, like you said.

...Sorry. I didn't mean to make the conversation about me. I'm just... trying to say you're not alone, maybe.

[heroicpolonaise]

It's easier to think of "should've"s after the fact, huh?

[should've done this, should've done that... it seems everyone else feels the same, listening to the sentiment echoed around. kaede'll take his hand, if he'll let her, and squeeze it gently.]

Thanks. I really appreciate it, Ebalon-kun. And... I don't think anyone would've blamed you either time for what you did -- as much as we wish this and that, when it comes down to it... we aren't the most logical out there. All we can do is hold ourselves accountable and do better.

[silentabyss]

Yeah. That's... all I want to be, is better. Better than the Noah of last year or even last month. It's just... it's hard.

[A neverending quest for self-improvement, really, because if he thinks about it? Noah doesn't believe he'll ever like himself or be happy with his progress entirely. On one hand, he knows he's come far, and he's said as much; on the other, he looks in the mirror and still feels disappointed.

Maybe that's just life.]

...thank you for having this talk with me, detective.

[heroicpolonaise]

... You too, detective. And... no matter how hard it is, let's do better together. It's easier when you have a friend at your side.

[she knows from experience, after all. how hard something can be. how having someone who believes in you can change all that.]