6/16: kyouka

[randori]

[ The moment votes were cast, Natsuo had left. He didn't want to hear the results. He didn't want to be a part of it at all. So he picked himself off and left— slow, staggering, blood seeping through the bandages around his stomach that dots a trail from the garden back inside the castle.

He probably wouldn't be able to get very far, but the path he takes is directly up the stairs to his room, and he can be intercepted at any point between the garden and there. ]

Comments

[randori]

I don't care. [ Who cares what Akechi thinks, right? ]

I want to help. I'm going to help. That's what matters here. How is he supposed to accept help if people think like that and there's nobody to offer it?

[nivation]

[ ... That's selfish, but she has no reason to protest and has no argument against it. ]

You'll keep trying no matter what.

[ That's what she gets from this. ]

[randori]

Yeah! No matter what!

[ It's selfish, but that's just how people are. Selfish. Some might confuse it with confidence. ]

That's what everybody does— Everybody's weak at first, but whatever you believe in, keep trying at it no matter what! That's how you win!

[nivation]

[ hm ]

... When were you weak?

[ She doesn't think he's smart, but she can't see him as anything other than headstrong. ]

[randori]

[ HE DIDN'T DIE ON PURPOSE......... ]

I'm weak right now! I'm not making any progress and I'm not doing anything right, and that's why I've gotta keep trying! The strength I have isn't enough!

[ Can you be the self-proclaimed strongest person in the castle and still call yourself weak? Yes, because what strength he has isn't enough; as long as people are dying and this game is being played, he's not enough. ]

[nivation]

[ hm mkii ]

[ Kyouka's eyes widen, and she looks down. He has self-awareness that she doesn't. She doesn't want to kill anymore, but her body moves before her mind catches up.

Sometimes, even when her mind does— ]

Can you really make progress that way? What if the things you try are still wrong? And they continue to be wrong?

[randori]

[ asdflkjh Ara I haven't even had breakfast yet, it's too early for memes ]

Then you keep trying something else! You do everything you can, and if that still doesn't work, you go to somebody smarter and beg for help! There's no shame in that!

[ There's probably some shame, but he doesn't have any. It's the larger scheme of things; some things are worth a little kowtowing. ]

[nivation]

[ He has no shame. She shouldn't be surprised, but she has a lot of shame.

How do you ask: how can you stop yourself from attacking someone on instinct? ]

... It's not something I know how to ask for help with.

[randori]

You just ask! Like how you did with me- whatever questions you have, if you want answers, all you have to do is ask!

[ It's that simple, apparently, to just be direct with what you want. Natsuo might not be able to answer her questions to any satisfactory extent, but encouraging her not to be afraid to ask, that might be something he could do something about. ]

[nivation]

Not all questions have answers, but I'll try.

[ That's the least she can do even if it's not that simple.

She is a direct person, but it's not in the safest way. ]