Backstage Behavior ❃ OPEN
A lot had happened in the span of a few hours and to process it all was not something she thought she could, or even wanted to handle.
The lab. Rushing into things. The ceiling falling down on her, enough to hurt but not enough to kill. Kou’s declaration. Yukari and Makoto’s relationship. Matias’ talent revealed.
It’s too much, too much to bear. She can’t handle people at the moment so as soon as she can, she makes her way best she can to the back of the guesthouse to the hot spring. Last she’d been here, everyone had been lost and alive. No less dangerous, but the threat of death was not so present. It was still as isolated as ever, which suited her.
Slowly but carefully she took off her socks and shoes, placing her bag next to it. Next was taking the contents of her top out and putting that in her bag as well. And finally, she folded Shizumaru’s scarf neatly and placed that on top of the bag. All this, she put in a small pile near the spring’s edge.
Stepping into the spring itself, she slowly sat down and pulled her knees to her chest, simply sitting there and trying to collect her thoughts. Almost dying...it was awful. Is this what the others felt as they died? Who did they think of? Her thoughts...her mother (that must be who that woman in the video was, no other reason for feeling like such must exist), she had to speak to her. They had much to talk about, yes. And then...that person. From the memory flashes so long ago (was it really, though?), who were they? She knew them, had to help them, they were hurt because of her-
The near-death experience, combined with her pent up emotions about it finally hit her square in the gut and she lowered her head, feeling tears well up, even though she didn’t want them to.
She hated it; the uncertainty of another tomorrow, the constant suspicion and having to pretend she was stronger than she really was, even the idea that she may not be even that...it was too much to keep inside, to herself. So she let it out, quietly but fully.
A noise from the entrance startled her. She must look a sight; fully dressed, bruised terribly and crying in a hot spring. Quickly, she scooped some water into her hands and splashed it on her face to give her time to recover, and if it covered the tears on her face, that was okay too.
“...”
She wasn’t in the mood to talk but something told her, the newcomer probably did.
