Satoko Ihara

SHSL ??? Affiliated with Amnesia ICe

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Laid Them Beneath the Juniper Tree || Closed

[satokoihara-blog]

shizukanashizumaru‌:

Satoko matched his stubbornness to the point of ridiculousness. Perhaps that’s why he was so determined to reach her. Because it was so much harder. Because he honestly didn’t know if he could and that scared him. He had no ideea if he could reach even himself when he lost his temper. That was a thought he kept shelving.

But thankfully she agreed and that was a start. He readied himself for whatever damage she wanted to inflict. Whatever it was, he was sure he deserved it. It was important to him that they be even. That he could make up for what he’d done and work towards, hopefully, a better future. He had closed his eyes but the pain that he expected never came. And his eyes fluttered back open to see her hesitation.

This was… surprising and to be honest, he had no idea how to react. It didn’t feel like mercy… so why? Perhaps she didn’t want to use force like he did. That ashamed him. She had restrained when he had not. What did that say about him? His eyes fall to the floor as he considers many things - about himself, about her. About the situation.

He closes his eyes and then…

Whap!

The stinging of his own cheek felt gratifying somehow, even if it was done by his own hand.

Maybe he really wasn’t smart. But this was all he could think of. How could he reach Satoko? How could he make her understand? No, maybe she did understand… but she disagreed. In that case, he had to make a good case. Tatsuya had told him before his way of doing things was wrong. He had agreed in the moment but as time had went on, more and more that confronted him.

“I don’t know what’ll make it okay! I don’t know… but does that mean I should just accept that? I can’t! No matter what, as long as you’re all here, you’re all… you’re all allies. I know it’s stupid to you. But that’s how I feel. I want to be sincere about that, because… we’ve already lost too much. You’re not heartless. You can’t enjoy watching people die. And you must know you’re not invincible. N… none of us are.“

Not even me.

He hadn’t realized it until Satoko fell from the tram but it wasn’t just the killing game that could be deadly.

“I thought that I could do this on my own. But… you’re right. I don’t think… I can do this on my own. I really thought I could, but how can I act like I’m doing well when Bellerose-san is dead? When Shiga-san is dead? When their killers were sent to death, confused, scared… alone. None of us ever wanted this!“

Shizumaru sighs and bows.

It was honestly beyond hard to admit; even harder to face. But if he was ever going to help anyone, he had to do more than play leader. That wouldn’t work. All it ever did was make things worse.

“Please, Ihara-san. I want your strength - work together with me. I don’t have a plan yet, but if we put our heads together, coming up with one shouldn’t be too hard. Won’t we regret it, if we don’t try? I… all I want to do is help. That’s why… I had to reach out. My pride is useless if I can’t protect people. That’s… what I’m… what I’ve been forced to see.“

Satoko’s attention snapped back to Shizumaru at the sound of his hand against his face.

“What...what are you doing?”

The action was so sudden that it reset all of her anger and resentment, replacing them with shock and confusion. She stared at him, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, searching for some kind of answer. 

“Y-You...who do you think I am, exactly? Of course I don’t - of course I don’t want to see people die! And I - I’m not...stupid enough to think I’m invincible.”

She breathed in hard, trying to regain her usual resolve. She wasn’t invincible, but she was strong enough to save herself. That was what mattered, wasn’t it? But as Shizumaru brought up Giselle and Tsuneko, there was a noticeable shift in her demeanor. Her eyes darted from one side to the other as she remembered their faces, remembered the faces of the young girls from the video that had called out to her, their pleas for her return. 

She closed her eyes.

“Fine.”

Her voice was quiet, but firm. Satoko opened her eyes and held out her hand, her expression and posture back to their usual prideful state.

“It’s a deal. But don’t make me regret this.”

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Laid Them Beneath the Juniper Tree || Closed

[satokoihara-blog]

shizukanashizumaru‌:

She was as curt as ever and yet, Shizumaru felt a distinct coldness and edge in her words and demeanor. That was… natural. But it still hurt a little. He’d gone overboard. He knew that. But part of him still felt he wasn’t in the wrong. It was a complicated, messy situation altogether. But it wouldn’t do to leave it as it was and let bygones be bygones. In a normal world, maybe the two of them would never talk again; maybe that would be easier. But this was a situation that required, in his eyes, everyone. He wanted so badly for everyone to work together and to be safe. And that’s why he had to do his best in this area, even if it wasn’t his strong suit.

He’d regret it otherwise.

“I came here to make things even.“

And that’s really all there was to it. Shizumaru had realized it a while back; he made a mess of a lot of situations with his attitude. And he had no idea how to change himself nor fix that. But if made an effort, it might make the difference and that was what he was counting on.

“I think I went overboard before. But… I don’t think I was wrong. I was angry because I was scared. But that’s no excuse. I kept thinking it over, what I should do. And… this is the answer I came up with. I’d like to start over with you, Ihara-san. If you need to insult me or hit me, I’ll take that. But, I would like to stand evenly with you once more. Because I think that… we need each other to get out of this.“

He scratches the side of his face awkwardly. He’s never had good plans but this might be up there for one of the worst ones yet. But had had to try. He owed it to himself to do that much.

“I’m sorry I can’t think of anything smarter. But those are my true feelings.“

‘To make things even’? What did that mean? 

As Shizumaru mentioned that he doesn’t think he was wrong, Satoko felt a familiar sensation welling in the pit of her stomach. If that was the case, why bother confronting her like this? She scowled, subconsciously reaching a hand up to gingerly brush her fingers over the spot where Shizumaru had hit her at the tram station. It was almost like she could still feel the sting. 

Despite all his words, in the end, she only really seemed to retain the part where he gave her permission to hit him. That would be fair, wouldn’t it? 

“Fine. Let’s make it even, then.”

Her words were hissed through clenched teeth. She approached him and raised her hand as if to strike him, but...

...a moment passed, and her hand was still hovering in the air. She didn’t give any reason as to why this was, but the anger in her eyes hadn’t faded. Satoko bit down on her lip hard before trying again, taking a menacing step towards him and pulling her hand back further. 

Again, she hesitated. 

Despite her best attempts to keep calm, her breathing started to become ragged and her fingers trembled ever so slightly.

“Y...You - “ A sharp inhale. “You’re an idiot! What do you want me to do? You think any of this is going to make things okay?!”

The words came bursting out so loud, she seemed to startle herself. But she wasn’t done.

“What makes you think I need you to get out of this? All you ever do is breath down our necks like you know better than us, but you don’t! You're just as lost as the rest of us! You don’t even have a plan for getting out of here, do you?! Why would I ever want to work with someone like you, you - you - ! You idiot! Stupid!”

There was silence as Satoko stopped to catch her breath, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Her gaze dropped down to the ground, unwilling to meet Shizumaru’s.

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Laid Them Beneath the Juniper Tree || Closed

So much had happened. On the island, and even just in the last few days. He had made his first friend and then, in the space of only a few hours, likely ruined that bond for good. He had saved Satoko from a fall only for it to blow up in everyone’s faces. Their concerned faces… Yukari, Lewis… those stuck with him. The adrenaline of the moment had long since passed but sometimes he could still feel his hands shake with an indescribable dread. The smoke of a future that could’ve been. A vision of a bad ending. Even so, it wasn’t quite the fairytale ending one may have hoped for. But at the very least, she was alive. They were both alive. Yukari could’ve had an accident, as well. It could’ve gone wrong so many ways. If this tension was the price of it, so be it.

Then, on top of that… the motive. Yukari had seen nothing. Neither had he, but he felt her ties to family were much stronger than his. Then… Lewis and Satoko… both namedropped. Both had places to go back to, people to be with. He worried; about all of them, really. But how to put that into useful action? How to put those feelings across?

It was hard.

WIth all the new areas, it felt oddly nostalgia to be back in the Garden Shelter. But not unpleasant. The weather seemed more picture-esque when you saw it from the glass’s reflection. And no matter what the humans here did, the plants grew on. There was something courageous and meaningful about the tomato plants crawling up their vines. The proof that life can go on, perhaps.

Still, he wasn’t here for that. He was looking for someone in particular. Well, more than one, perhaps, but for this time, just one would do. He’d searched the guesthouse and some other areas first. He’d actually more gone to the shelter for shelter but as luck would have it, this is where she was.

“Ihara-san… can we talk? Whenever you have time, I think… I think we should.”

Shizumaru honestly wasn’t sure what he’d say yet. There were things on his mind but more than anything, he hoped for some closure to his jumbled thoughts.

[satokoihara-blog]

Given how much time they had spent living there, it was natural that Satoko would have gotten sick of all the snow and frost on the island. The cold wind against her skin only brought back the bitter taste of bad memories - it seemed she couldn’t even step foot outside of her room without something going terribly wrong. Even now, she could still hear the words of FATHER ringing through her head and feel the sensation of falling through the air at the tram station.

But the garden shelter was different. Seeing the plants bloom around her was so different from the desolate snowscape outside that it made her feel like she had managed to get away from it all. She couldn’t say it was familiar to her for obvious reasons, but...it was comforting.

The shelter was large and empty, however, so when someone else entered, she knew in an instant. Satoko kept her back turned at first, keeping her focus on the potted plants in front of her. She would’ve liked to just avoid any interaction at all considering she had gone there for some time to herself, but the moment the other person spoke up, she realized that wasn’t going to be an option.

Shizumaru was almost as stubborn as she was, after all.

“Kirikubo.” She turned only halfway to glance at him over her shoulder. “What do you want?”

It wasn’t a complete dismissal, but she obviously wasn’t very happy to see him.

[theonlyori-blog]

late nights | open

[♫♫♫]

There’s a moment where Ori stands in the Prism Bar, staring into one of the mirrors, staring at the multitudes of Oris, some staring back at them and others staring off into space. The intersections of mirrors create infinities within infinities.

They tilt their head, raise their chin, and examine the scar across their cheek. They see it every time they look in the mirror, of course. They have a vague idea of where it came from; just looking at their own reflection(s) triggered memories, way back when. They can see the scar from every angle, the different texture catching the purple-pink light just a little differently than the rest of their face.

Ori waves one hand, watching the dozens of identical hands make the same motion, from so many different angles. The hand is scarred too, scars that are different, but not different, than the one on their face. They’re all scars. They watch all of the other Oris move in synch. Maybe some of those infinite Oris aren’t stuck in such a dreary and cold place. Maybe they’re somewhere a little more comfortable.

That’s stupid, they’re just reflections. Still, Ori just kind of stares at themselves. It’s been several hours since Giselle and Kaizou died; it’s getting late, and it’s dark out, and usually by now Ori would be back in the therapy centre relaxing in their nice private bedroom. But they’re not. They’re here instead, for reasons they don’t even really know.

Maybe they just don’t feel like sleeping just yet. It’s been a long day, too long to end the day just yet.

And then they see, behind them, someone else entering, infinite copies invading the infinite multitudes Ori currently occupies. Ori doesn’t turn around; they can see the newcomer just fine - a dozen times over, no less. “You’re up late…” they mutter quietly.

[satokoihara-blog]

Between the deaths of Giselle and Kaizou, and her memories of Sakuno and the older man from the past, Satoko found herself with quite a bit to think about. It probably wasn’t wise to be wandering around at such a late hour, but it was the only thing that she could think to do. She eventually found herself at the bar, heaving a sigh upon recognizing the kimono-clad figure seated there.

‘You’re up late...’

Her brow furrowed at these words. 

“And? So are you.”

Her voice was soft, however, lacking its usual bite. She shuffled her way over to a seat several spaces down from where Ori was, sitting quietly for a moment before she spoke up again.

“...what are you doing here?” Her eyes darted up to glance at them for only a moment before returning to their position on the counter top. “I thought you were the type to sleep whenever you could.”

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Like a Flower in the Wind || Closed

[satokoihara-blog]

shizukanashizumaru:

Is that… concern? That’s a big step for her, isn’t it? For the person who dismissed him when they first met, only barely allowed him the courtesy of her name… this was a great step in the right direction. Or perhaps she was just more comfortable with girls. Either way, it was good to see a semblance of friendship; t the very least, of respect.

She seemed uncomfortable with such feelings though. Shizumaru couldn’t empathise with that, even if he wanted to. It was somewhat hard to hear but he did think she was concerned… her face seemed to suggest it even if he couldn’t pull out the words.

“… She’ll be alright. I swear it, Ihara-san. I’m– I’ll protect her…“

He drags his scarf up to his mouth and sighs deeply into the fur. Somehow the warmth that small gesture brings is something of a relief. He’s already hurt someone to protect Ryoka. How many more would he consider hurting? Unfortunately, it’s a thought that’s crossed his mind. And will likely cross it again. Would Satoko understood if he shared those thoughts?

She might. She might not.

Either way, there’s no use getting into it. What should be built is teamwork. And while honesty is important for that, there’s no use bleating out everything you did in a day just to hopefully bond more with people.

It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things as the subject seems to pass as Satoko’s voice gets sharper with the changing subject. It takes him by surprise a bit but he can’t think of any disagreements. She says it harshly but he has no intention of being controlled by LISE either so he just nods.

“I am glad to work alongside you on this, then.“

He bows his head and then blinks at her grumbling stomach. Satoko has… an awful lot of pride, doesn’t she? It’s odd. Why does she feel the need to be so independent? Well… that said, he’s plenty independent himself. Perhaps he can understand those feelings a little. Still, such pride when the body disobeys is just foolish. He offers her a smile, more naturally than he thought.

“You can. This is certainly true. But won’t you allow me to? You’ve travelled a bit to get to the cafe. I’ve been here for a while. And, if nothing else, it would prevent you from hearing me want to repay the debt. Don’t worry. I’m not that bad a chef. Please, let me at least try, Ihara-san.“

Satoko’s eyes narrowed. Shizumaru was honest to a fault - it was clear that there was some sort of uneasiness concerning the partnership between him and Ryoka. Perhaps not in the regards that he would protect her, but something else...

...her finger tapped impatiently against the top of the counter. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it. Regardless, she had been the one to change the topic, and she couldn’t return to it now. No, she would have to deal with this silly debt first. 

“You’re really pushing for this, aren’t you?” A moment as she hummed thoughtfully to herself. "If it gets you to stop talking about it...fine.”

Satoko stretched, trying to make her concession seem as nonchalant as possible. She was still in charge if she could help it, and she certainly wasn’t going to take it any easier on him just because she had agreed to his terms. Shizumaru didn’t seem to be bluffing when he said he was a decent cook, but she found it hard to believe just by looking at him. He seemed more like the outdoorsy type than a stay at home chef. 

“Well, you’ve been warned: I’m not easy to impress.” She propped her elbows up onto the counter, resting her chin on intertwined fingers. “Try not to disappoint.”

[lewiscoley-blog]

[closed] cohort study

[satokoihara-blog]

lewiscoley:

Lewis heaved a sigh of relief as he was allowed inside. He sat down on the couch, finding his words. This was most certainly awkward but he had to try and speak confidently. He folded his hands on his lap, unaware of Satoko’s shakiness.

“Well…my main concern at the moment is…you. How are you holding up?” He didn’t expect her to be entirely open with him just yet, but he felt compelled to ask. If he had to double dose someone…well. Not ideal. But he would have to swallow that.

“I’m not quite sure of how to handle this myself. I, admittedly, have been hiding out in my room, but I couldn’t help but worry, you see.” He swallowed hard, briefly averting his gaze. “If it comes down to it…I don’t want to, but…you being in pain is worse, I reckon.”

It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. As Lewis anticipated her response, his eyes traveled around the room. The figurines caught his attention, but he wasn’t sure if now was an appropriate time to comment on them. It could be a nice subject change, though.

“Those…figures are quite intricate. In fact, speaking of–I obtained one myself the other day.” It wasn’t as nice as these ones, in his opinion. 

Satoko frowned, her gaze sharp like she had just been challenged. She pulled her shoulders back and puffed her chest out, as if she hadn’t been sitting straight enough before. Slowly, deliberately, she spoke.

“I am fine.” 

The corners of her mouth twitched at the mention of Lewis hiding in his room, not unlike what she had been doing just a minute before. How pathetic...she had let herself sink down to the level of someone like him. Even worse - he was worried for her. She clenched her jaw shut, as though she were afraid that the feelings of shame and anger welling in her chest might come pouring out at any moment. She closed her eyes resolutely.

“Don’t even think about doing anything. This ‘poison’ is so weak that I don’t even notice it.” She opened one of her eyes, realizing in what felt like slow motion that Lewis had taken notice of her figurine shelf. “Hey, don’t - “

For a moment, she could only stare ahead, expression unreadable. There was silence before she finally spoke again.

“...you...you have one? What does...it look like...?”

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Like a Flower in the Wind || Closed

[satokoihara-blog]

shizukanashizumaru:

There was something oddly pleasant about Satoko’s sharpness. A sense of reality? Or perhaps a sense of some people remaining the same, remaining strong, despite circumstances. Staring out into the open expanse when somebody else was in the cafe seemed indifferent at best and downright rude when you thought about it so he opted to head back inside himself. He dusted some snow from the top of his head and swept more neatly off his shoulders, seemingly none the worse. Wasn’t it rather odd he didn’t feel that cold? His clothing was fairly bulky, all things considered, but exposed shoulders seemed like a safety hazard… and yet, he remained capable and undaunted. Certainly, he felt the cold, it was just… easy to deal with. Perhaps he grew up in such a place. He thought about that every now and again when he saw the difficulties others seemed to have.

Satoko herself seemed fine, if a little short. No, perhaps she was always a bit snippy.

He came down the stairs to greet her properly, bobbing his head in greeting before he gave the area a brief scan. Just to be sure. Confiscating all the knives or dangerous objects was foolish. It’d never work - if someone wanted to hurt someone, kill someone, they’d find a way. But on occasion he still liked to try and keep the more lethal-looking objects out of sight.

Just on the off-chance it made a difference.

He finally turned back to Satoko.

“No… I didn’t.“

His answer is surprisingly literal. Or perhaps, unsurprisingly, he answered it seriously, thinking it was a serious concern.

“I was giving Umehara-san some space. I suppose it does her no good to have me around all the time. I’m just… concerned. For now I suppose I’m thinking about alternative plans… with a place this big, there must be something we can do… some way to escape, or some way to fight back. Isn’t it wrong to end a life? … I suppose in certain circumstances it is for the best… and that I understand but… it feels like a last resort. I want to try finding another way. It can’t end like this.“

That was a whole lot of talk Satoko likely didn’t ask for. He didn’t find this type of over-sharing embarrassing though, rather, wasn’t it important? If you weren’t clear with your words, about what you wanted, it’d lead to misunderstanding. Honesty was something he wanted to keep to, even if it wasn’t always pleasant to hear.

“If I might ask, why did you come here? Are you hungry? If you are, I can repay you for the earlier meal you gave me. I believe in repaying debts.“

‘Umehara-san’? Ah, that was right, the two had been partnered up earlier. But, it had been a while since she had lost gotten the chance to speak to Ryoka personally. Satoko’s eyes narrowed as she studied Shizumaru closely, clearly sizing him up. Could he be trusted to take care of her? 

“Umehara.” The name slipped out of her lips before she could stop it. Despite how firmly she had said the name, Satoko herself looked surprised, and she turned her head to the side to pretend that she hadn’t said it at all. A quiet moment passed and she burrowed one side of her face into the palm of her hand. “Umehara. She...is she...doing...........okay...?” 

Her voice dropped off to a near inaudible level, the scowl on her face growing with every passing word. She wasn’t sure if Shizumaru had heard anything of what she had just said, but before she even had the chance to verify it, she slammed an open palm down on a nearby table-top as if to cut herself off.

“Of course it’s wrong to end a life! I don’t think anyone is arguing that.” A shameless change of subject. “I don’t object to finding a way out of here, either. I’m not going to let that cube control me for the rest of my life.”

An excellent recovery, as far as Satoko was concerned. She glowered at Shizumaru - challenging him to point out anything strange - before hopping up onto one of the stools.

“Anyways, I’m not hungr- “ She inhaled deeply and ground her teeth together as the unmistakable sound of her stomach growling sounded beneath her words. “I’m hungry. But a meal isn’t a debt - I can make something for myself.”

[shizukanashizumaru-blog]

Like a Flower in the Wind || Closed

Hours past. A day passed. Maybe two. As everything around him stays mostly the same, it becomes harder to differentiate such times. Every now and again, he let Ryoka have her space. Not for long, mind, he would hate himself too much if he risked letting something else bad happen to her. But he knew she’d likely get tired of him if he hovered around her too much. That’s why a balance was key. Even if such a balance stressed him out. Surely it was more logical to keep watch but he had put her in the predicament. It felt scummy to not respect such wishes. As the sun began to duck past snow-tipped peaks and sombre clouds, a vague orange light spread out, turning some of the snow an almost creamy colour. At the very least, despite everything, it seemed like a nice day, outside of the terrible hail and snow. Well. Perhaps it was just a nice sunset, then.

Shizumaru had opted to stay at the Crystal Cafe. He hadn’t been eating well lately, after all. Perhaps this was a good chance to do so. Still, the motivation hadn’t hit him yet. There was this great sense that he should be doing more; not just for Ryoka, but for all of them. What made it his responsibility? Well, nothing, he supposed, and yet the need wouldn’t disappear. But what could he do? What was in his power? Making a big speech about how murder was bad seemed not only obvious but patronizing. Furthermore, he doubted he could even give such a good speech. Seeing everyone stare at him all expectantly… that would surely silence him. He walked out to the balcony as he considered his options. Time and time again he had warned people about the woods. Yet perhaps something deeply important could be found there. If enough trees were cut, perhaps even a raft of some kind could be made. Unlikely thoughts, maybe. But ones that should perhaps be considered nonetheless. At the very least, focusing on the future and what he CAN do is more useful than sitting around lamenting mistakes.It’ll be alright. As long as he tries… and works towards it.

It’ll be alright.

As he ruminates things on the balcony, he notices someone approach the cafe. It’s nice there’s such a useful vantage point here, really. In between the snowflakes and stones of ice is a silhouette, wrapped in a tan-ish coat, long black hair tossed by the always unruly wind. Only one such person matched the description; Satoko Ihara.

She was an… interesting person. Harsh and yet, not unkind, he found. She seemed to use cold words but wasn’t unreasonable; no, at times she was downright generous, as odd as that sounded. She was just generous in an odd sort of way. That attitude seemed both oddly dishonest and sweet. Hard to put into words.

“Ihara-san. Greetings. You should come inside, the weather gets worse when the sun goes down.“

[satokoihara-blog]

Her setup in the therapy centre was comfortable, so much so that Satoko hadn’t felt much need to venture out too far from the confines of its four walls. But there was a certain restlessness that accompanied her stay. To stay hidden was an admission of weakness - that she could not shoulder the burden of the poison long enough to live her life as normal. A trip outside would help, she decided, and so she set her course for the Crystal Cafe.

From what she could remember during her brief inspection of the cafe, it was rather nice. She also recalled a kitchen area from where she could pull some ingredients from now that the stock in her own room was getting to be quite low. A good idea on paper, but as she trudged through the howling wind, she found herself relying on sheer stubbornness just to make it there.

After a good deal of cursing under her breath and bracing against the wind and pulling the heels of her shoes out of unexpected dips in the path, the silhouette of the cafe was finally in view. Satoko would have smiled smugly to herself to celebrate her arrival, but an unexpected voice from the balcony had her on the defensive before she had the chance. She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders and squinted through the snow. Shizumaru? His words were kind enough, obviously borne out of concern, but...

“Speak for yourself. You’re the one standing out on the balcony when you could be inside.”

She was sharp as ever. With a huff, she trudged her way into the cafe.

It was pleasantly warm enough inside, but not enough to get the chill out of her body all at once. Satoko clenched her jaw so as to disguise the chattering of her teeth, combing her fingers through her hair to shake out any snow that had accumulated on her way over. It was best to keep up appearances around Shizumaru - he was the type to fret over anything and she wasn’t about to give him the chance to. Slowly, she inhaled and straightened her back.

“...what are you doing here anyways? You didn’t come here just to stare outside all night, did you?”

[lewiscoley-blog]

[closed] cohort study

After LISE’s announcement and the yelling had finally stopped, he faced a new problem. What in the world was this motive? More importantly, how was Satoko doing? They didn’t really know each other either, so this would prove difficult. As long as he tried his very best not to get hurt then it’d be fine…at least, he hoped so. Once everyone else cleared out, he decided to seek her out.

From his brief interactions with her he assumed that she wouldn’t be just hanging around outside, so he tried her therapy room.  Noting that the door was slightly ajar, he knocked anyway to be courteous. 

“…Hello, Satoko, it’s me, Lewis. How are you holding up?” Ahh…first name basis? Perhaps too personal. “S-Sorry. Ihara-san, I meant…may I come in?” The thought of having to double the dosage pained him, but if she was in great anguish, he’d have no choice, he figured. Instead of inviting himself in, he folds his hands behind his back and waits patiently, trying to suppress any of the many worries he had. 

He thought about the power he had. Doubling someone else’s dose for the sake of their partner…too much power. He wondered how the other leaders were taking it at the moment. Hopefully they didn’t have…malicious intent.

[satokoihara-blog]

Lately, it seemed like all she did was keep herself holed up in her room at the therapy centre. The lights were mostly off, save for a single lamp that dimly illuminated the space on the couch where Satoko sat. She would not have the others see her like this...so weak, so pathetic. The poison hurt more than she would have liked to admit, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. That was what she would have liked to tell herself, at least. But as she turned her gaze down to her lap where her hands rested, she could see her fingertips tremble in pain, and she could not will them to stop.

A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. ‘It’s me, Lewis’, came the voice outside her room. She squinted through the darkness, cursing herself under her breath as she realized the door had not completely closed on her way in earlier. Satoko sucked in a breath and steadied herself before switching on an extra light and going to open the door.

“You...”

Her partner. Under any other circumstance, she would have told him to leave, but this new punishment meant that her actions would affect him as well. It was something worth discussing before it became a problem for either of them. She glanced around the room for a second, obviously searching for something to say.

“...I suspect we both know what you came here to talk about. You can have a seat on the couch.” She stepped aside, following after him to sit nearby as he entered the room. She crossed her legs, keeping her hands clasped neatly over her knee so as to disguise their shaking. “Did you have anything specific to say?”

[murofushisan]

Yukari Sticks An Anime Figurine Hand Up Her Nose And Can’t Get It Out [Closed]

In the therapy centre, Yukari is standing in front of a particular door.

Satoko Ihara’s room…what could possibly be in there? Despite her rude nature, Yukari has always really admired her for her assertive personality and mature look. She’s almost jealous, but no, it’s more of an admiration thing. In a sense she looks up to her.

Looking at the door, she’s overwhelmed with curiousity. What’s hiding behind those doors? An office, probably? She really wants to know who she is better and where all her confidence comes from, but…man, she’s hard to approach. She’s never going to achieve what she has if she doesn’t try to though! With a shaky hand, she knocks on the door.

“I-Ihara-san? Can I come in?”

She says in a nervous voice, waiting patiently for an answer, if she’s even in there.

[satokoihara-blog]

Satoko reclined into her couch, letting out a sigh as she relaxed. At least, tried to relax. Before she could fully get settled, she heard a knock at the door and a familiar voice. She hesitated as she tried to recall who it was. Hm...paper thin, like the aural equivalent of a baby deer struggling to stand up for the first time. Yes, she knew this voice.

The door creaked open slowly.

“Murofoshi.” 

Satoko frowned through the crack in the door. For what reason she would have sought out her room specifically, she had no idea. From what she could last recall, they had never really gotten along. Satoko glanced over the other girl, clearly suspicious of her intentions, but opened the door a little wider nonetheless.

“Perhaps. It depends on why you’re here.” 

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

tofallondeafears:

Matías blinked as she protested the term ‘toys’- is that merely annoyance with him, or was it a Passion for said to- err, figures? He’d never have imagined someone like Satoko to take an interest for anime, much less develop a passion to it, but rather than having a negative reaction he just thought that was interesting. So he smiled and nodded.

“Fi-gu-res. Got it. Either way, they look really nice- nothing to ignore or anything-? Unless I’m missing a culture cue about it.”

Yes, he is. He didn’t get what’s so bad about collecting a bunch of anime figures, what’s so different from that to little collectible cars? He didn’t get either, but didn’t make him judge anyone negatively for it. And then he gets called out, but just chuckles and shrugs a little- why is he always so carefree? Save Satoko.

“I mean, I did, but telling people to not mention something is almost like… opposite psychology?”

Reverse, Matías. Reverse. Either way, he didn’t want to leave, he quite enjoyed bantering with her even if she got so mad at him so easily. To his credit, he was still hanging around the doorway, since he knew Satoko probably wouldn’t have liked if he waltzed inside, sat on the sofa and made himself at home or something. Something caught his interest enough he could just use it, probably, so he did.

“What kinda soup tho? From scouring the kitchen in the guesthouse there’s many things in there I’m not quite familiar with how to cook, I might just be missing some Japanese culinary knowledge, so I’m a little curious what would you be preparing. Really! No second intentions about it.”

He says that, but obviously, Cute Girl is always a huge bonus for him, of course he wants more of Satoko’s presence because she’s cute. His interest in her cooking wasn’t a lie though.

Satoko exhaled - her breath coming out as a low hiss between her teeth. She turned to face him so that he could read her lips.

“Reverse psychology, not opposite psychology.” She tapped her foot impatiently. “And what if I told you to stay, hm? You’d just stick around, wouldn’t you? If I tell you to leave, you stay. If I tell you to stay, you stay. In the end, you’re just doing whatever you want without listening to me.”

Her eyes narrowed as Matias continued to give her that air-headed smile. It really seemed like there was nothing she could do to get him to leave...well, nothing short of leaving the stove unattended, and she wasn’t about to do that. If he wanted to be stubborn, though, she didn’t have to be nice. With her free hand, she made a shooing motion towards the door. 

“Move back. Into the hallway.” She shouted after him as she waited for him to move. “It’s just miso soup anyways! It’s not even hard to make! It’s just dashi stock, miso paste and hot water. Then you add tofu. Even an idiot like you could probably make it.” 

A pause as she gauged whether or not he was adequately far enough. 

“But don’t try it or you’ll probably burn down the guesthouse.”

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

shizukanashizumaru:

God… that smell… no, it couldn’t be… Nobody would start a fire, would they?

No, unfortunately, he could think of a few people… but it was odd. He’d never been in a fire that he remembered but he still somehow felt he knew the sign of one. So he thought, but the fire smelled a bit tastier than he expected, as odd as that seemed. Still! It was rather fortunate he’d opted to explore the Therapy Centre, he supposed. As he rushed to the source, he found smoke billowing out of an open door. Oh no, given how the rooms were likely personalized… he couldn’t predict what was in here.

“Are you alright?!”

Oh.

And then he realizes… quite belatedly… that it was just someone cooking. And that they were fine. He balls his hands into fists before gently using them to cover his face. He doubted he could talk his way into not seeming like a fool here. Being worried was one thing but this was another. And to think it was Satoko… he was worried about her underestimating him, this sort of thing would hardly help.

Still, she seemed… oddly welcoming. And that smell was quite inviting. He’d been so stressed he hadn’t really remembered to eat. He takes a careful step inside before, a little nervous to enter a girl’s room. It… wasn’t technically a girl’s room, but it kind of was, wasn’t it? Either way it was a little embarrassing. His eyes began to move around, just naturally and he kept going back to the thought that Satoko was a very sophisticated and modern person. He opened his mouth to compliment her on this when she spoke up once more.

“O… oh… I’m sorry. I thought to tell you your room looked very chic but… I will keep that to myself in the future. Forgive me.”

He bows his head.

“And I’m… sorry for barging in. That was impolite. You, um, appear to be quite the chef though! Very skillful.”

Satoko stared blankly as Shizumaru made his...dynamic entrance. She glanced around the room, as if trying to find the source of his concern. It seemed he realized his mistake as quickly as she had, however, and looked to be rather embarrassed about it.

“You...” She looked him over and frowned. “You’re weird, do you know that?”

Probably not the best thing to say if she were trying to spare his feelings, but she wasn’t the type to mince her words. In any case, it wasn’t like she was entirely incorrect. Shizumaru seemed to balk easily in average social situations despite being so stern and stubborn otherwise. She turned her attention back to the pot of soup on the stove, shutting off the heat so that it wouldn’t boil over.

“Skillful...maybe. If you ask me, it just seems like common sense that someone should know how to cook.”

Satoko paused, glancing over at the rest of the food she had made. Perhaps she was a skilled cook, but she was completely off on portion size. There was no way that she would be able to finish everything by herself. She stood in place, quietly thinking something over before setting the table for two. She wasn’t particularly interested in being friendly or anything, but something in her seethed at the thought of the food going to waste. As she finished putting the last row of grilled eel atop a bowl of rice, she turned towards Shizumaru and fixed a glare on him.

“You’re hungry." It was less of a statement and more of a command. “Eat.”

Without any further explanation, she pushed half of the plated food in his decoration and set down some utensils before starting to eat her portion of the meal.

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

tofallondeafears:

These therapeutic rooms were really a bunch of surprises. After spending a while on his, as soon as he opened the door to leave he could smell food being made. But, being so close, it must mean it was being done in one of these rooms, something he definitely wouldn’t have guessed they had. Figures cooking must be therapeutic to at least one of these 16 kids.

Curiosity got him to peek inside the open door of Satoko’s room and - while he was astounded at the Fancy Modern Chic decor for a bit in the corner of his eye - he obviously ended up just staring at the owner of the room herself. Satoko with a ponytail up in a ribbon wearing an apron?? Is this Christmas? It felt like Christmas. This stupid useless heterosexual just stared at her astounded with a small smile and didn’t even blink when she apparently was ready to hit him with the ladle she brandished. If this was how he died, he’d welcome it.

But, figures he’ll just torment people for a while longer, as Satoko doesn’t murder him instead she just invites him in. Unless she planned to poison him. Which presented itself in Matías mind as one flicker of a thought before he immediately and violently shoved it aside - he didn’t want to think about the last case and last trial right now, he just wanted to appreciate a cute, pretty girl in an apron. He barely noticed the decor until she mentioned, then properly looking around at the room- ohh, are those anime characters? He felt like he must have seen one or two, or maybe he just saw an anime figurine before so he recognises what one is. He chuckles and shrugs.

“I’d think you’re dazzling enough to one not even pay attention to the decor.”

Matías for fucks sake please shut up. But nooo, he goes on, proving deaf does not mean mute. Please kick him out Satoko.

“I actually like how the room looks, is it just because of the anime… uhhh, toys? statue? I’m not sure how to call it…”

At the first sentence out of Matias’s mouth, Satoko closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. The ladle was right in her hand...it would take so little just to throw it across the room at him. Ah, but that would dirty a perfectly good ladle. She tightened her grip around the handle, intending to keep her temper in check, but...

“Toys?” Satoko’s eyes narrowed, her mouth pressed into a tight frown. “They’re figures. Got it? FI-GURES.”

She exaggerated the syllables, ensuring that he would be able to pick the word up from the movement of her lips. Satoko straightened, inhaling sharply through her nose. That’s right...teaching this guy new vocabulary was the least of her problems.

“More importantly, were you not paying to attention to what I just told you? I’m going to finish up this soup, and by the time I turn back around, you’d better be out of here.” 

With that, she turned her back to him and set her focus back onto the stove. Having some guy waltz into her room and flirt with her like he owned the place had already put her in a bad mood - if he was still hanging around after this, there would be hell to pay. 

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

shsl-koutsukino:

Kou had just woken up, blinking a bit as they sat up slowly and looked around their therapy room once more. They were refreshed but ultimately still unnerved. They were also a little hungry. With no hesitation, Kou rolled to the side of the bed before swinging their legs to the ground so that they could sit up. In that moment, they remembered the sweets hidden underneath their bed and reached out to grab them, holding the jar protectively. 

There was a sigh that broke the silence of their room as they realized that a proper meal was in order and they couldn’t just continue to eat sweets… but they weren’t going to abandon them! So they moved from sitting up to standing up and looked to the vanity to adjust themselves to seem more proper. When they entered the hallway they could smell something delicious and followed their nose, how unsightly. 

Oh and now they were caught, awful. They couldn’t raise their hands in defense lest they drop their treasured jar of sweets but the unexpected happen and Kou graciously entered the room. It was so fitting for her and they looked around, being careful not to touch anything. 

This was the one that had yelled at them in the forest and stood besides them during the trial. She seemed so much more pleasant now than she did before, maybe it was because she was cooking? Speaking of which, there was a very undignified sound coming from Kou’s stomach. They didn’t seem embarrassed by it. So there they were, awkwardly standing in the middle of Satoko’s room while cradling a jar of sweets and watching her cook. Her comment about the decor did make the curious and when they set their sight on the figurines all they could manage to say was, “Oh, that’s cute.”

Satoko watched as Kou entered the room, her eyes narrowing as they made contact with the jar of sweets in their arms. Were they...planning on carrying that around with them all day? It was already slightly off-putting that they had walked in without so much as a greeting. She eyed them warily as they turned towards the shelf with the figurines...

Oh, they had better not.

Oh, but they did.

Satoko bristled at Kou’s comment, immediately stopping everything she had been doing to make her way over to them.

“What did I JUST tell you? Were you listening at all?!” She grabbed them by the tie, pulling them in closer so that she could threateningly point the ladle at their face. “I should just -!”

Her sentence, however, was cut off by the distinct sound of Kou’s stomach growling. For a moment, Satoko simply stood there, mouth still ajar from having been interrupted. Then, she slowly inhaled and leaned forward.

“FOOD! NOW!”

Without further warning, she tossed Kou onto the couch and made her way back to the kitchen. With alarming speed, she plated a meal for the two of them on a tray and brought the dishes back over to the table, slamming it down once she had returned. Bowls of miso soup and unadon threatened to topple over completely, but miraculously stood upright as she took her own seat across from Kou. She clapped her hands together with excessive force and glared at them over her fingertips.

“Let’s. Eat.”

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

shsllotus:

Her room had been very lovely. For one thing, it was warmer there than in most places here so she was inclined to stay there for quite some time. But there wasn’t so much to do there. Whether it meant that she was a simple person or that she wasn’t very interesting, she wouldn’t know. In any case, she figured she ought to go back to her room in the cabin; she’d left her shoes there after the events that had passed that morning and lest her feet freeze, she should probably get them. 

Upon getting into the hallway, however, the sight of an open door caught her eye. Had someone discovered their room as well? She wasn’t one for prying at all but she did have to pass the doorway to exit so surely it wouldn’t be so bad?

…As it turned out, a peek into that room ended with the sight of the troublesome girl from a while ago looking as if she’d hit her with a ladle. She was about to simply nod and take her leave when she was spoken to.

“Oh, I was not meaning to look…”

An invitation inside? Perhaps she thought she had wanted to take a look inside? It was…very much different from the almost angry sort of replies she had gotten back the last time she’d talked to her.

Still, that had been a very confusing time for everyone. Not that this was better, but if she was trying to make amends in a way, she would not be so rude as to simply leave and let it rot.

“I cannot say no to such kindness. I shall say nothing of this room, then. Thank you, Gek…”

Oh dear.

“Forgive me. Your name, I never caught it then. It is…?”

Oh, it was the dense, oddly dressed one. Satoko acknowledged her entrance with only a curt nod over the shoulder.

“Ihara Satoko.” She paused, recalling how the others had referred to her during the trial. “You’re...Lotus, aren’t you?”

Satoko turned, leaning against the counter top so she could get a better look at the other girl. They had all been provided with a different wardrobe, had they not? It was curious that she insisted on dressing in such flimsy clothes...unless, all her other clothes were of similar material. Perhaps it was a cultural thing. After all, it was clear that Lotus wasn’t native to Japan

Satoko glanced back over to the stove, turning the ladle over in her hand as though contemplating something.

“Do you...” Her face scrunched up slightly - effort from trying to make herself sound friendlier. “...like Japanese food?”

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

[satokoihara-blog]

ryokaumehara:

Originally Ryoka hadn’t meant to be spying or snooping around, honest! After spending some time dressing up and trying on various outfits in her own room thought she’d get a move on and see what else there was to do but a certain scent had gotten her attention. Pausing, Ryoka sniffed the hair a couple times before eventually wandering over to Satoko’s room. Soon her curiousity got the beter of her and since the door was open just a crack she couldn’t but peer in. It was hard to tell what was going on but was… Was she cooking in there?

And then Satoko seemed to spot her and the girl immediately raised her hands up, not feeling guilty for having spyed on the other for so long. Thankfully, for once, Satoko didn’t seem too upset. In fact Ryoka was being invited in of all things.

“Oh gosh I’m sorry! I hope I didn’t both you, I didn’t mean to spy or creep on you or anything.”

She explains, clasping her hands together hopefully. While Ryoka did feel bad her attention started to wander a bit as she took in the room, around her. Oh wow, her room really did have a cooking station in it. Guess that explains the smell. Though Ryoka’s main area of interest was the shelf with ll the anime figurines on them.

"Hmm? But they’re such lovely figurines! Honest! They’re very cute~!”

She beams, admiring the magical girl figurines. Ryoka did you not even listen to Satoko just then? Maybe some of these characters were in some of the shoujo manga in Ryoka’s own room. She’d really have to check and compare them sometime. If Satoko would let her that is.

Satoko recognized the silver-haired girl the moment she walked into the room. It was no surprise that Ryoka had been the one to have been drawn to her room. She seemed to have a thing for...sniffing? At least, that’s what it had looked like during the last trial.

She watched as Ryoka inspected the glass shelf, visibly tensing as the girl commented on them. For a moment, Satoko turned her face back towards the stove, expression hidden. Her shoulders trembled as she spoke.

“Shining Star...” The words were quiet at first, barely audible from across the room. Then, suddenly, she slammed a hand onto the counter, whirling around to face Ryoka. “That’s Shining Star! The magical girl that gains different powers based on how the stars align.”

Despite what she was saying, her voice was deadly serious - her brow furrowed into a passionate glare. She pointed the ladle she had been holding towards Ryoka, almost as if she were challenging her.

“Do you know her?”

[satokoihara-blog]

Moments Alone || Open

Her room in the Therapy Center had been a welcome change, at first. Everything was arranged exactly according to her taste, and she needed a moment alone from the others after all that had happened. But as the hours stretched on, Satoko began to feel a nagging emptiness - the acute lack of someone who had been there before. Maybe a roommate wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.

Satoko frowned and sat up from her position on the couch. Shutting herself in just to sulk around...this wouldn’t do. She stood, adjusting her clothes to ensure they were in pristine condition, before wandering over to the cooking area in her room. If nothing else, she could distract herself for a while.

It seemed the room had everything that she needed to prepare a meal. Ingredients, utensils, even an apron and a ribbon to tie her hair back with. Satoko set out everything that she would need to prepare a meal out on the counter, grumbling to herself as she realized there was no window to crack open so she could air the room out while cooking. She stomped over to the entrance, leaving the door ajar instead.

It wasn’t until later, when she was finishing up a pot of soup to accompany the rest of the meal, that she realized that leaving the door open might attract the attention of another hungry person or two. Satoko looked over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes as they made contact with a figure lurking just outside of her doorway. She pulled the ladle she was stirring with out of the pot and help it up - almost as if to signify that she could brandish it as a weapon if needed.

...and yet, despite the apparent hostility in her body language, she didn’t seem intent on shooing them away immediately. Rather -

“Come in.” She glanced over at the glass shelf containing the assortment of magical girl figurines, her brow furrowed before she turned her attention back to the soup. “But if you say anything about the decor I’m kicking you out.”