Lunar Interlude 5

[balancemod]

looks like i'm in charge now NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! 1. FROM THERE TO HERE AND THERE IS GONE A. YOUR ARRIVAL For those of you who were just casually (or not so casually) pulled between the universes, depending on how you viewed your home world, your day just got a whole lot worse. You can't really remember what happened, but the grass beneath you is plush and comfortable, and out in the well manicured field of trees you're sitting in are ... well, a fairly sizeable crowd of people. The Director has pulled in new Reclaimers so often by this point that it's become something of an event. And quite frankly, according to the murmurs of other members of the Bureau, she's become pretty adept at picking some real weirdos. The Director, standing before you dressed in regal robes, clears her throat and begins to speak. She doesn't appear to be wearing any mics, but her voice is somehow amplified so that it booms through the Quad, and onto the Bracers of those who aren't in the Quad. When she's done, there's silence. In the distance, trains. No, really, you most definitely heard the sound of a train just now. That's probably normal. In any case, you have a few minutes to gather your bearings before you're taken to your initiation. You can talk with other newbies who are sitting there with you, or if you happen to spot somebody you know among the crowd watching, now's your chance to reunite with them. And maybe one of those people out there will be able to relay a fact to you, even if you can't remember exactly how: Your world, and the people who were there and are not here, are now gone. B. THE VOIDFISH Once you have your bearings, you are divided into small groups of three or four and brought to the easternmost geodesic dome, to an elevator in a well maintained, but sparsely landscaped field. There's nothing particularly ominous feeling about the space — in fact, the two guards who greet you at the elevator entrance seem pleased with your arrival. You are, after all, one of the few chosen by the Director, the few who will reclaim what the Hunger has destroyed. And in a few moments, you're about to find that out for yourself. After a tightly packed elevator ride, your group is ushered out to a rather grand looking hall, banners of the Bureau of Balance adorn both sides of smooth metal walls. And inside the Voidfish's chamber stands a tank — impossibly tall, and soaked in a black ink that obscures whatever the tank may be holding. Standing by the tank is a bard, who happens to be reciting the lyrics to a song. Considering what he's about to do with the sheets of paper in his hands, the lyrics might be apt enough. When he's finished, he takes the sheets of paper — sheet music — opens a drawer at the bottom of the tank, drops the papers in, and shuts it. And swiftly, you feel as if there's something you can't just shake off about the melody you just heard. If you seem alarmed, the bard takes notice of it. "Yeah, man, like... don't think too hard about it, it's like that every time. I'm guessing you're here to be inoculated? Just a heads up, you might want to, like, seriously, hold your nose while you drink it down. It tastes wicked gross, man." You sort of get the sense that he's said this speech once or twice in the past. It's well rehearsed, much like the stories you'd expect a bard to be able to recite. "Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you that you have a choice. If you drink the black stuff, you'll be able to hear through the, uh... Huh, how do I describe it? Through the [TSHCSCHTSHCHSC] sound. You guys like, hear that? Anyway, it's all about knowledge or something. I don't know, I'm just here to, like, feed the thing. We call it the [TSCHHSCHSCH], by the way. So, like. You get a choice. You can drink it and understand stuff, or not drink it and then hear that crackling noise all day every day. If I were you, I'd drink it. But, hey man, I'm not like, your dad or anything." The bard takes five cups and draws liquid from a spigot connected directly to the basin of the large tank. Stormy, muddy looking ichor is drawn into them, one by one. He offers each of you a sip. Drink it (he wasn't kidding about what it tasted like), and you're inoculated to the wisdom of the Voidfish. You try to remember the song this bard sang a few moments ago and the melody, the meter, every octave, all come back to you. And if you think back to your arrival, some of the things you may have heard other people in the Quad say, that simply sounded like static, are suddenly clear. Bureau of Balance. Grand Relic. Reclaimers. Yet you still can't remember the Hunger or what it had done to your world. And as you look back to the tank in front of you, the water has become clear. There's a jellyfish, as tall as a building, floating within. You look into the body of the creature and you can almost make out a beautiful, tiny universe floating within it. 2. TEST OF INITIATION You are immediately divided into pairs and brought to the Arena, a large building that is capable of running several simulations for combat training, events, or, in this case, your Test of Initiation. When you and your partner walk into the Arena, the simulators switch to Initiation Mode, the scenery shifts, and your test begins. The experience is wildly different for each group — that's because the test will be drawing from both of your experiences back home. Initiation Mode replicates an amalgam of thoughts, metaphors, and ideas between the two people who signed up in order to make an obstacle course suited to appropriately test their ability to stay focused. This is a good opportunity to introduce new CR to some of the thoughts and feelings that your character has going on through their mind, their preferences, or give away a piece of information about themselves that might not be on the surface level. For example, let's say that your character was born on a ship, and spent their entire childhood growing up at sea. Your partner's life involves a lifetime of academic research (setting aside our dearth of smart archetypes for a sec here). An amalgamation suited for the Test of Initiation may involve navigating a ship through choppy seas with flying book monsters that breathe fire. Be as creative as you want! The design is 100% left up to you. All tests will eventually lead toward a room with a relic locked within it. What that looks like is up also up to you! If you need a few ideas, though, it could be: A bright red pair of gloves that can manipulate matter, or a ball of yarn that can roll up pretty much anything. Regardless of what the relic looks like, all you have to do to pass is retrieve the relic without using it. 3. AROUND THE MOON BASE The Director's sudden absence isn't particularly anything new, given she spent the majority of her time on Lyrabar, leaving the Moon Base to manage itself. It is the first time Lucas has been left entirely in charge of it though. Controlled chaos becomes something of a much less controlled chaos. The sound of trains in the distance, though nobody can seem to pinpoint where they're coming from, isn't helping. Though, that isn't necessarily Lucas' fault It's largely the fault of a technomancer supposedly stuck on a different plane and infecting the Moon Base's tech. She's figured out where the Director went, and she's going to be using the next two weeks to her advantage. It's hard to say what her motives are here. But then, Miss Zarves has always been a little bit inexplicable. C. WHAT A CRUMMY WEEKEND THIS HAS BEEN Oh man, Miss Zarves has been wanting to try this thing she wrote for ages, and for a few weeks at least, she's figured out how to override the Director's simulation settings. Did you know the Moon Base has an arcade? You're about to find out if not: If you happen to wander into the Arena, you'll find yourself inexplicably trapped in a simulation based off of an arcade game — and no, you're not going to get out until you win. As a note, you can't die in these simulations, but you can be busted up a bit. You can repeatedly get game overs until you win. You can run with any game on the conveniently copyright infringement free list linked above however you like, but here are a few settings to get you started: ○ Mesozoic Park: The Lost Chult. You and a friend find yourselves in a lush jungle, with no clear path to the escape helicopter. Using your wits and path actions, you are going to need to clear one for yourselves. And thanks to not wanting to be sued by Michael Crichton's estate, the T-Rex that's chasing you down in this game is actually in the correct era. Once both you and your friend are safely strapped into the helicopter, the simulation will end. (As a side note, Lucretia would actually approve of this one — there are many very powerful monsters out there in Faerun, and learning to outrun/outwit/defeat them is a vital ability.) ○ Immortal Wombat: Actually becoming a wombat is optional. You and a friend will be situated in the middle of the arena, with a very loud and very rowdy simulated crowd surrounding you. As the name of the game implies, this simulation will not end until one of you is KO'd. Again, these are just a few examples! Feel free to use any of the games listed as you see fit. E. THERE'S NO ESCAPE The town, though it might not rely as heavily on Moon Base tech as the rest of the Bureau does, isn't exactly escaping unscathed either. It's more like, Miss Zarves find you Reclaimers a lot more entertaining than a bunch of shopkeepers who have had to put up with a deals warlock's shenanigans long enough that it's hard to surprise them. That said, if shopping or the occasional dining is on your agenda in town, then you'll find that you'll be able to do so largely unhindered. Shopping at Fantasy Costco is normal, too, if Garfield being himself falls under your usual definition of normal. There is one exception, though: It's a small alleyway that leads to the back entrance of Madame Frione's Tea Kettle. Step into it, and weirdly, you'll find that something unseen is blocking your exit. And then, a message appears on your bracer. From: Zarves♥Scarves hello!!!! since madam in charge is off tryin to fix something i thought id help out a bit you know like a team building exercise so you can do the bureau thing better sounds fun right??? anyway what would u say is your least favorite thing about yourself go on dont be shy You won't get a response from Miss Zarves, but you will find that you won't be able to leave until you respond to her text with something. And you'll also find that whatever you answer? It's automatically sent to the entire network. FYI: If you lie in your response, whatever's blocking you in will suddenly give way — you'll be able to move about three feet before there's suddenly another one blocking your escape. Unfortunately, it looks like if you want to escape this, you're going to have to be honest with yourself. And the network, as it were! E. LET'S JUST ESCAPE There is a very easy way to avoid anything a technomancer tries to do to mess with you, of course: Avoid the tech she's using to mess with you. And after the sort of messed up mission that Lyrabar was, and after the sort of screwed up ordeal that is being initiated into the Bureau to begin with, some of you will probably want to just chill out for a bit, too. Here are a few suggestions! ○ Another small art studio with a supply of magic paintbrushes has been set up in the Academy. Previously, the paintbrushes had painted in a color that represented the energy you're giving off. Nowadays, it's a bit more versatile: You can now change the color you're painting with by simply thinking about it. ○ Speaking of the Academy, there are a few new classes available: "Logic and Puzzles for the Easily Puzzled," led by a rather intelligent chemist who tends to speak in riddles herself; "Charmed, I'm Sure," led by a warlock who seems to have an uncanny sort of charisma, and knitting. What? You guys don't want to knit? Additionally, if you are interested in reading up on some of the advanced paths unlocked so far, the materials unlocked have been made available in the Artificer's Office. If there's an advanced path your character wants to reach someday, now's a good time as any for them to start studying it. ○ Before leaving, the Director set up a comfortable pile of large pillows and blankets out by the Whomping Willow in the Quad. Feel free to have as many sleepovers as you want. The Whomping Willow will also offer advice if you ask it, though it's particularly good at dispensing love advice. ○ WILDCARD: This is, of course, your time to rest as you see fit. Please feel free to use the setting however you wish!

Comments

[gotyourbach]

[Farewell hat :(

She hums and nods. There's no reason to suspect that kind of answer? It's true, after all; it's a far cry from waking up in a locker with the only explanation coming from a handful of freakish robotic bears.]

How is he? Oma-kun, I mean. Are you guys good friends? I know he can be kind of difficult to get along with...

[She'd meant what she said, before she died; she truly thought everyone would be good friends and escape the academy together. And if Kokichi and Shuichi are here, in spite of Kokichi's... everything, maybe they're friends now, too?]

I met my best friend here doing my Initiation Test, after all!

[diffidentive]

Uhm... [The uncertain, slightly sweaty look on his face is probably answer enough. It's complicated. It's very, very complicated, Kaede.] I don't...really know if we're friends.

[He takes a sip of tea to give himself more time to think about how to approach answering the rest of that. How is Kokichi? That is also very, very complicated. Even moreso because he's not sure it's his place to answer that. He is not Kokichi, after all.]

And he's...as well as he can be, given the circumstances, I suppose.

[gotyourbach]

Hmmm... well, he is pretty hard to get along with.

[She purses her lips. She hadn't spent much time with Kokichi, and it was months ago, but even now she can hear "It's a lie!" very clearly.]

Well, I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time until we're all friends! [she adds optimistically.] We have time, now.

[And that's maybe the most important thing. No robot bear breathing down their necks, no killing game... sure, there's combat, but it's not even close to the anxious terror from that academy.]

So... what else do you want to know?

[diffidentive]

[He gives a non-committal hum and takes another bite of sandwich. For Shuichi, it's less that Kokichi is hard to get along with and more that he never knows where he stands with him. It's a very fine distinction, at least in his mind. Or, at least, that's how it was back in the days before Kokichi put his fake mastermind scheme into action. Nowadays, it's even more complicated, and he's not sure the solution is something as simple as "having more time".]

Um...well. Maybe I should have asked this one before anything else but...where are we, exactly?

[This place has to have a name, right???]

[gotyourbach]

...Oh!! This is the moonbase! For the Bureau of Balance. Ummm... I guess you could say we work for them.

[Kaede doesn't quite know what kind of face to make, hiding her lips behind her teacup. She enjoys what she does -- she can meet people and help people way beyond anything she'd have ever imagined. But she also misses daily piano practice, dreaming about writing film compositions and playing piano all around the world.

She didn't ask the Director to save her life. She's grateful for it, but she still struggles with the why.]

We're orbiting Faerun now. It's kind of like... if you've ever read any fantasy manga? It's just like that, with elves and dwarves and pirates and magic. It's all pretty old-fashioned, for the most part. Except the motorcycles.

[Yeah there were motorcycles in Vista Virs for... some reason?? Motorcycles are just a step above bicycles, she decided, which means: bad.]

[diffidentive]

Motorcycles...

[Well...okay then.]

And Faerun is where the Relics are, I'm guessing? [It's all starting to come together now. Except...] Um...Akamatsu-san? I feel like I'm missing something here. We're just normal people...does the Bureau give us some kind of...advanced technology to use to reclaim these Relics? I don't see how they can expect people like us to do anything against real and powerful magic.

[She said they've reclaimed a few already so, clearly, it's possible. Which means there's some factor he's missing.]

Or...are there people from other worlds where magic is real that do the actual reclaiming? Are people like us just meant to be a support team?

[Are they like astronauts now? Are they the ground team? Do they have to deal with "Moon Base, we have a problem"?]

[gotyourbach]

Ummm... not exactly. We're all expected to be down there to help investigate.

[She uses "investigate" on purpose, like that might cheer Shuichi up. That's something she knows he's definitely good at! But she holds up her wrist and taps her bracer.]

These are like... cell phones, kind of. Really old ones that don't have any fun selfie filters, and you can't store music on them to listen to later, but they're pretty useful! And, um...

[She's a little more hesitant, almost self-conscious, as she keeps her hand up and just flicks her wrist, snapping her fingers to produce a harmless shower of sparks.]

Magic!

[What if Shuichi thinks she's weird!! She thinks magic is pretty cool, but what if he thinks it's weird???]

1/2

[diffidentive]

[Nope...it does not cheer him up at all. Actually, it makes a muscle in his jaw tense. There's nothing like investigating the murders of six friends to kind of make you sick of it. He was hoping this Relic quest would maybe be a break from that but no! Of course it's not! Even his initiation test was an investigation!!]

[Hilariously, his next question was going to be what the fuck the bracers are. Because obviously he noticed that Kaede had one as well. But he never gets to say anything on the topic of the bracers, because the shower of sparks kind of drives it from his mind. For a moment he just stares with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.]

So...these bracers make us magical?

[She didn't exactly specify so he can only assume the two are related. Since the bracer is "pretty useful! And um...magic". He raises his own hand, stares at it for a moment, and then snaps his fingers too.]

2/2

[diffidentive]

[...only for absolutely nothing to happen.]

[A small frown curves the corners of his lips. Is his bracer broken or does he just suck that much at this? He probably just sucks at this. Well that's disappointing...]

Um...is there something else I should be doing to make it work?

[gotyourbach]

Huh? Oh!! No, it's not the bracers.

[He doesn't think she's weird... that's a relief! But she does reach out and gently lower his hand back down to the table. Eat your sandwich, Shuichi.]

It's because I'm a bard! That means I use music for my magic. You're probably, ummm... something else! Like a wizard. Oh, or I bet you could make a really good rogue, since you're so quiet!!

[That is... a compliment.]

When you go back to your dorm, there'll be a little pamphlet that explains it all. Actually, I think I might still have mine in my backpack...

[It's her old backpack, the one she'd had with her in the killing game. It fits her sheet music perfectly, and all the ones she's found for sale and the one she brings on missions is a little too rugged for school use. It takes a little digging past the aforementioned sheet music, homework, and other assorted junk she's thrown in there, before finally pulling out a battered, cheap-looking leaflet that she passes across the table to him.

So you're a Bard!! it proclaims, and inside lists all ten abilities.]

The paladin one should be in here somewhere, too...

[Give her a bit.]

[diffidentive]

Oh.

[Okay. He'll eat his sandwich. Though he does feel a little bit better now that he knows he's not SUPPOSED to be able to snap his fingers and make sparks. Because he is almost certainly not a Bard, if music is involved. He's not musical at all.]

[He takes the pamphlet when she offers it to him, chewing his bite of sandwich as he reads it over. Yeah...whoever picked this class for Kaede picked well. He's pretty sure if there's anybody who has the natural talent necessary to "discover the magic hidden in music", it's Kaede. And it makes him smile a little to himself for a moment as he folds the pamphlet back up and sets it aside. He sips his tea, watching her dig through her backpack.]

[It's nice to see it full of sheet music and random junk...it should definitely be used to carry things like that instead of unexpected murder weapons.]

[gotyourbach]

[It very rarely carries murder weapons these days! Her rapier doesn't fit in it, after all. :(

Not that she usually carries her rapier around on the base anyway.]

Aha!

[She pulls out a newer-looking pamphlet from where it had gotten wedged between two different compositions. So you're a Paladin!. This one she opens up and turns around to show him, pursing her lips as she runs a finger down the abilities.]

I can do... this one. Shield of Faith and... Insight? I think I can do that one, anyway. So you better not try to hide anything from me, mister!

[She's clearly joking from the laughter in her voice as she winks at him.]

I had to learn all my bard skills before they'd let me learn anything else... but now I can protect people, more than I ever could just using music.

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi sets his tea down and leans in to look at the second pamphlet. And after looking over the indicated skills, he scans the rest of it with a pensive look. This one is a pretty good fit too, he thinks though...not as perfectly so as bard.]

Did you pick this one yourself or did they assign it to you as well?

[He gets the feeling it's the former. Because protection focus is really the only thing that fits Kaede, in his opinion. And she clearly has a strong desire to do that, so he can easily see her picking this if given the choice.]

[gotyourbach]

[She nods, drawing her hands back and wrapping them around her teacup again.]

Mmhm, I picked it... During our first mission, some stuff happened, and I had to rely on a bunch of other people to rescue me. So... I decided that I wasn't going to let that happen again! My friend Goro-kun -- Akechi Goro-kun, [her hand goes to a small gold-filigree necklace before falling back to the cup,] Started teaching me how to fight with a rapier, and he picked out gloves for me so I could protect my hands. It's... been a lot of work, to tell the truth.

[Going from being just a pianist to being actually competent at using a sword has been a struggle, to say the least. And she still doesn't like it; training with her friends is kind of fun, but actual combat is scary.]

Oh! But I've started learning how to play the violin, too! It's kind of nice having an instrument I can carry around.

[diffidentive]

.....

[His glance suddenly shifts down to his nearly-empty tea cup and he falls silent once again. Though Kaede had told him how long she'd been here and even though he'd noticed the subtle physical changes in her...it really only now hits Shuichi just how long nine months truly is. She's been through so much in all her time here and she's clearly grown as a person as well. And he...]

[...has he really grown or changed at all? He liked to think he had, but...that notion seems laughable. Or is he maybe just being too hard on himself? After all, he's only had a few weeks and he was the one who actually NEEDED to change and grow as a person, not Kaede. After a minute or so of pensive tea-gazing, he finally speaks again:]

You...really have been here a long time, haven't you?

[gotyourbach]

...Saihara-kun?

[She's confused by the silence. Confused, and a little concerned. Is this what they call information overload...?

Kaede rubs her fingers against the sides of the teacup, fidgeting to keep herself from speaking to interrupt whatever he's thinking about. A minute is a long, long time to sit in silence, and she can't help but worry that she might have said something wrong.]

Ummm... yeah, [she says finally, brows knitting together a little bit as she looks down into her own teacup. There's not much tea left to show her reflection, but she has to wonder how different she must look to Shuichi. More grown-up, maybe? It's hard for her to say whether or not she's changed. She'd like to think so.] I guess so.

[She glances back up, tilting her head to try to meet his eyes with a sad smile.] I thought... it would be even longer until I could see you and the others again. Not until... all of this was over. Maybe not even then. I...

[How could she put the feelings of the past few months into words? She can barely put them into song. "I've missed you," "I'm so happy to see you," "I'm so sorry," all war for being said, but none of them make it. Instead, she gives him another smile.]

I've been working on a song for you. Ah, but it's not done yet! So when I'm finished writing it, you have to promise to let me play it for you, okay?

[diffidentive]

[When he looks up from his teacup, his cheeks turn faintly pink. A song? For him? D-doki...]

M-mm... [He nods.] okay.

[As if he would say anything else?]

[gotyourbach]

[That response brings a little more of a brightness to her smile, and she presses her fingertips flat against the table as she gets a little more enthusiastic.]

Mmhm. I wanted to write one for each of our friends. I'm not very good at making speeches and stuff like that, so I wanted... to make sure I'd have a way for everyone to get to know you guys like I do. Do you think Oma-kun will let me play his for him, too? Oh, but his is even further from being finished than yours is...

[Her own cheeks get a little pink. She doesn't want to explain why she's put more work into Shuichi's than anyone else's!]

Well... he'll just have to be patient! I'm just a pianist, not a real composer.

[diffidentive]

[...oh, okay. One for each of them. But still! It's a song just for him, so it's still special. Even if it's not the only song she'd been working on.]

[He smiles softly.]

I think he will. Though you might not want to tell him until you're closer to being done. Otherwise he might bother you about finishing it with crocodile tears...

[gotyourbach]

[She giggles.]

I guess Oma-kun is still Oma-kun, huh...?

[She fidgets with her tea cup a little more. It's so easy to talk to Shuichi, like they had before everything had happened. She could probably answer questions about the last couple months for him all day long; it lets her put off talking about that horrible game.

But she can't do that forever. If she doesn't ask him about it now, and instead waits until after he's settled in more, it'll be harder, she thinks. So, hesitantly, she asks:]

Umm... is it okay if we talk a little bit about... our time in that academy? Because... it hasn't been nine whole months for you since then, has it?

[Not from the way he's been talking. And that doesn't surprise her; she already knows that time passes differently for different people, as confusing as it can seem.]

[diffidentive]

Some things will never change.

[Kokichi will always be a brat, he's pretty sure. But he's getting to a point where he doesn't really mind that, he thinks. It's just part of who Kokichi is.]

[When Kaede changes topics, his smile fades. He doesn't exactly look upset, after all, he did know this was eventually coming. What else would Kaede have questions about? But...it's not a pleasant topic. Not one that can keep even a feeble smile on his face.]

It...hasn't been that long for me, n-no... [He spins his teacup between his hands a little, tapping one side idly with his index finger a few times.] It's been... a little over a week since... [You died.] s-since I last saw you.

[gotyourbach]

Only a week, huh...?

[Her voice is soft, her gaze centered somewhere far away. What had she been doing, a week after she'd died...? Her arrival at the Bureau feels so blurred. Her initiation test with Akechi, of course, meeting some of her other friends, friends who've since been moved to other departments within the Bureau, or decided to work down on the surface.

She'd only been trapped in that academy for a few days, and yet somehow those memories haven't faded at all. She forces herself to focus on Shuichi again.]

Ummm... the last thing I remember is... my punishment. [Her teeth clench behind closed lips for a moment, but she forces herself past it. She'd thought she was so ready for death, but not like that.] When I was above that piano, while Monokuma was playing that horrible, horrible song, I saw a hand reaching for me and took it. But... that's not what happened for you, is it...?

What... what happened after... after I died, Saihara-kun...? Can you please tell me? Were you able to find a way out?

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi closes his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face. He knew this question was coming, and yet...]

No. We weren't.

[He wishes he could give another answer. That he could tell her they DID escape. That he'd managed to fulfill her wish...but he can't. Because that's not what happened. He has to tell her the whole ugly truth because he can't possibly lie well enough to cover it up.]

[And it's only going to get uglier from here. He knows this, and yet he doesn't continue. Maybe she won't make him elaborate. Maybe he can just put off telling her the rest of what happened forever if he just doesn't say anything else...]

[gotyourbach]

...Oh.

[She stares down at the table. She honestly doesn't know what's worse: thinking that all her friends were eaten by the Hunger, or knowing that they had to keep living in that awful academy for at least a week longer. In some respects, it's both; the classmates she knew are gone, while some other timeline, one that the Hunger hadn't gotten to yet, is what Shuichi had lived through.

Thinking about all of that gives her a headache. Shuichi is Shuichi, no matter where and when he comes from. She hesitates, then reaches for his hand, gently tugging it away from the teacup to hold it.]

I'm sorry... I wish... I could have been at your side. [More than anything, she wishes she hadn't left him behind in that kind of situation. That maybe she could have entertained a dream where they did all escape together and stay the best of friends.] Umm... we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

[She briefly considers offering to ask Kokichi to tell her instead, but just as quickly tosses that idea out. She'd never be able to know if he was telling her the truth about what happened or not, probably not even with her new paladin abilities.

She squeezes Shuichi's hand and tries to meet his eyes.]

Just knowing that you and Oma-kun are here, where it's safe... that's enough for now, I think.

[diffidentive]

[At her touch, his mind travels back to that sunset-lit classroom all those days ago. It's funny, how different yet similar the situations are. He clenches his fist a little in her hand.]

N-no, it's...not that I don't want to talk about it, really. [I mean...he doesn't. But it's Kaede, it's not the same as talking about it with a total stranger. She was part of the killing game, even if only for a few days. She gets it.] I just...wish I had a different answer to give you.