implanta | [action/written]

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Another one gone. It hadn't been that long since the neighbour of the person she went to see went away too, about four months time, really.

The scene was the same: no one living in the room anymore, no clothes strewn around, no messy bed... no Roy. Cloche had gone over with some (kind of terrible-looking) food she had made in a basket, maybe thinking to sit outside for a little while with him.

But when she got there and the door was open already...

The basket dropped to the floor, and Cloche would again sit in the room formerly occupied by someone dear to her and cry.

[action]
[After gathering up the food that had spilled in front of Roy's old room in CH4, Cloche might be seen zombie-walking back to her room in CH5, loosely holding a basket full of food. It definitely doesn't look all that great now. To anyone who looks closely, Cloche's eyes are red and puffy, and she's prone to bursts of tears.]

[Written]
[After some time in her room, she'll finally muster up the ability to write something. Speaking about it is too hard right now.]

Roy has gone home to Falena.

[And after a pause in writing:]
If you were in his drama group, and would still like to be, please let me know. I'll try to keep it up as long as I can.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...And then his temper flares]

You say I'm wasting time to help you one more time I'm busting in your door, Cloche!

[...well. She wasn't expecting that much of an outburst. More around the lines of "pfft whatev, Cloche" but not that.]

Rin.

[What else could she really say to that? He was doing that Caring Tsundere thing. That thing that she could identify with.]

You really don't. [For now.]

Too bad, I am. Bringing over some snacks, some manga. YOu ain't going somewhere, I'm gonna come hang with you.

[Gruffly, and he'll intend to be there in like an hour or two. SCOOF]

...What's manga?

Well you'll see in like an hour, won't you?

[And indeed he will be there. Knocking. Bag under both arms]

[It might take her a few minutes to react to the knocking, but when she does finally get up, she'll nudge the basket of food over from the door and open it a little to peer outside. Seeing that it's Rin, she'll open the door wordlessly, shutting it after him.

But it's the bag that catches her attention.]

What's that?

[Basket of food inside the door? Huh. He glances at that and then looks at her. His mood falls all the more. She looks like a mess. He frowns and then offers one of the bags to her] S'pie in this one. Other one's got my manga.

You didn't-- [Sigh. Of course he didn't. He got angry when she said she didn't want to waste his time by him doing something like that. But here he was, doing this for her. Cloche tears up-- but she quickly saves face, doing precisely what she was taught-- or even trained-- to do: to put on the strong face, the mask. She'll blink a couple of times, and look a little more normal. She's had a little more time since she saw Adell to collect herself a little more.]

Thank you. We'll share it again. [Cloche takes the bag from him, but she's eying the bag with manga in it more.]

Ah... I'd like that.

[The sharing. At her bed again? He hopes not. Even if the mood now is even worse than then. He exhales and allows her to take the bag with the pie. As for the manga though, he keeps it under his arm and waits for her to lead on]

[No, she'll go out to the shared kitchen area. They can sit out there, no problem in that. Cloche will glance at the basket once more, and walk past it and Rin, giving him a look to follow.

She'll try to make some small talk, though.]

Is it a different kind than last time?

Yeah. Went for a strawberry one this time. [He follows though. He frowns, her actions, how she is... this is all a mess. And it's annoying he can do so little]

I look forward to it. I know it'll be good. The last one was really good too.

[And brought to her for the same reason. Sigh.

To get her mind off of it, she'll grab plates, forks, and a knife over to the table, and sit. After a moment, she'll finally speak up:]

...Rin?

Yeah? [He's already sitting here, leaning back and trying not to look surly. ]

You... aren't going to go away too, are you? I'm not cursed, am I? I don't want anyone else to go away, but... my friends seem to keep disappearing, I... I don't want you to go away too, Rin...!

[Any tears she may have been attempting to hold back are... no long doing what she'd like.]

[...Go away. But he wants to go away. He wants to go home with Shiemi and Yukio and all his classmates. He grits his teeth a moment, before standing. He goes to walk over to her and pat her on the head]

Oi, I'm here now.

[But... he...

Cloche moves her head, and then looks at him, eye to eye.]

But... but that doesn't answer my question! I know you're here now, but.. but what if you're not tomorrow...?!

[ What if it happened. Tomorrow..

...Che. Dammit, Yukio. He grits his teeth and then resolves himself. He tries to focus and. What would he do? He'd handle it, but how would this happen. After all, this is someone else being hurt by him leaving. He's not sure how to confront that, because he wants to go home. but]

Then... I'd be gone, and back home. It's where I oughta be, and everyone here oughta be back home, you know?

We shouldn't have to leave separately, we should all be sent home at the same time! That way... that way no one has to be sad! That way, we wouldn't have to be hurt again and again and again! I don't want to keep being left behind! Luca's gone, Touma's gone, and now Roy's gone too! I'd rather them take me from here for a short time and experiment on me than the people I love and care about leave here!

[...] Cloche- you...

[What does he say to this? She's shouting and crying and generally being a mess. He goes to put a hand on her. He's not sure how to-]

Yeah, everyone should go back at once, it'd be best. But you can't wish people aren't vanishing. It's back to where they oughta be for 'em.

[Cloche slaps his hand away and stands, turning away from him in the process.] It's always the same. I have to be cursed. I'm not allowed to be close to anyone. If I am... if I am, then they just leave me behind. Better that they're not here, but... I don't want to be left behind anymore. It's just like home.

[When he retracts his hand, he feels the distance between them grow, not shrink. He's not really sure what he should be thinking about that. But...

...]

Oi, what do you mean, cursed?

Exactly what I said. I'm cursed to be alone here like I am in Metafalss. [Not allowed to have friends. Not allowed to show more love and frienship to one person, or else the rest of the people might get jealous. It could just cause more problems. While her status didn't matter here, it was becoming the same here, at least right now.

After a few minutes of debating with herself - did she tell Rin? Did she have that level of trust? - She'll turn back to him, looking grim.]

I am Cloche Leythal Pastalia, Thirty-Third Holy Maiden of the Grand Bell. The only one believed to be directly descended from the Goddess herself, and the one most precious life in Metafalss. Or so I've been told. I was raised being told that I was the only one who could save all of Metafalss and its people, locked away in the Grand Bell Palace for at least eleven years. I cannot have friends. I cannot have anyone close to talk to. I cannot fall in love. If I were to do so, and not share my love with everyone in Metafalss, it causes problems and jealousy.

But here. Here in this prison, I'm more free than I ever have been, even now in my homeworld. I can make friends, talk with people, and I can walk freely without escort. But when my friends leave, the people I love, the people I've come to cherish... it's like being in the cage of the Grand Bell all over again. People were imprisoned for talking to me so freely there, and here it's the same. I want the people I love here to stay, so we can all say our final goodbyes when we all leave together. I don't want to leave here if I would make someone sad because I have left.

[Metafalss must be her world or her country or something. It sounds as weirdly alien as when she was talking about that perfect world thing a while ago. And then he long name... holy maiden? Goddess? She was that important? He's actually in awe for a moment. Only a moment though because-

"Locked away in the Grand Bell Palace for at least eleven years."

He grits his teeth.

"I cannot have friends. I cannot have anyone close to talk to."

He starts to tremble, with both the weight of what she's telling him and a fury welling up inside of him. His hands also ball into fists.

"I cannot fall in love. If I were to do so, and not share my love with everyone in Metafalss."

At that point, trembling and gritting his teeth, be barely hears the whole rest of what she says. She's clearly bearing her soul to him, but he can't even hear it right now. His eyes are burning, and he feels the indignation wheeling up inside of him too. To think he brought her something to eat... the pie's on the table, but the manga, still on his arm, now falls to the floor. Why? The handle of the bag it was in lights up with blue fire he's not controlling perfectly as he flares up around his shoulders.

And as soon as she's done talking, he stands]

That's stupid, Cloche! All of that,the Holy Maiden and the locked up and the rest of that is just stupid! [His flames are reigned in, but you can see the anger burning in his eyes] Can't share you love?! Can't have friends?! What sort of bullshit is that?! Why would someone who doesn't have friends and family and love want to save the world?! How can you go 'round loving everyone enough to make some sacrifices or whatever like that without knowing what you're missing?!

[And he raises a fist] Locked up?! That's disgusting!

[Cloche doesn't even get mad at all of that. She simply closes her eyes, listens to everything he says, takes it all in. Despite the bad life, despite being called terrible things, being the Maiden of Taboo, or Maiden of Disaster, she knows why. She knows why she wants to help Metafalss.

When he's done, she'll open her eyes once again, leveling them on him. A smile takes form, and after a moment, in a crackling voice, she'll reply:]

Because when I see how hard everyone else tries for a better world, for Metafalica, I want to help them. I want to give them the world they've been dreaming of for hundreds of years. Everyone works so hard to do so, in their own way, to create their perfect world. I want to help them in that if I can, I want to sing Metafalica and give everyone more land. I don't want to lose any more than we have already. If a sacrifice like that helps everyone, even if I never agreed with the Grand Bell policies, then I'll do it. Seeing everyone's smiling faces when the land is reborn is what I've been striving for since I was young. If I stopped now, what would it accomplish?

I've sneaked out on more than one occasion, and seeing the lives of everyone in Pastalia, in the Slums, even in the farthest reaches of the Rim, how everyone tries is what drives me. But if that's what it takes, then I'm willing to do it. Even if these are things I want so badly. I've made more than enough friends in my trials at home, but it's still hard. I go against how I was taught, and part of me thinks it's wrong. I want to be the person that everyone looks up to and cheers on, knowing that I do everything for them. But I want to be a regular girl too. I don't know how to be. Touma, he... told me I should do things for myself. I've been trying to. But when this happens, when I think it's all right, this happens. And then I know I have to be cursed.

[Her voice cracks more, prompting her to stop.]

You ain't cursed! If you were cursed, I'd exorcize that spirit doing it myself! I'm an exorcist, remember?! Saving people from curses and demons is what we do!

[That speech... had him at a loss. So he's just shouting this, trying to have some ground to stand on here]

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