awashrpg | USER: #A5211F - Bogeyman (Forward dated to the 26th)

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The bogeyman that was hiding in town has finally been defeated, but it was at the cost of three lives. Dave, John and Dextera. I couldn't save them. I'm sorry.

Okuyasu and Asuka are badly injured, but are currently being treated for it. [He is too? He's bleeding all over his laptop, but it's fine.]

Dextera's body changed into something else, but the other two are still remaining. I think they both have family here, or something close. You can contact me and I'll tell you where they are, so you can arrange a burial or whatever you think is best.

I take full responsibility for this. There's still going to be a defense force meeting at the beginning of next month, so we can talk about it then. I know there could still be people missing from the werewolf thing, too, so keep your eyes open for them, alive or otherwise. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them.

That's all.

[Of course, after this, he'll be in his room at his laptop, so people are free to come bother him. He's covered in blood, most notably a stab wound straight through his chest at the heart, and it looks like he's only partially been able to deal with that. He's not bleeding out as quickly? But his healing isn't working. He's only just barely come back to consciousness from Mahiru taking over.]

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[She gets that he was doing his best to take responsibility and she's grateful he told everyone. But the fact of the matter was, he had found someone suitable to deal with this sort of problem and had left without clearing it with whoever that was. And then was trying to walk around while injured. And that was just more than a little worrying.

She reaches out to steady him as he sits up. When he's up she'll pick up the roll of bandages. And start working.Yup. Because it gives her an excuse to not ask anymore questions.

But it's not like she can avoid it forever.]

Do you remember how they... [died but she can't force the word out of her mouth.]

...I didn't see what happened to John or Dave.

[He knows the question already from her stop, and continues like that, sounding a little dead himself.]

It happened to Dextera right in front of me. I don't think you need to know the details.

[It would only hurt, to have her try to relive it as if she were there.]

I think that's for me to decide for myself.

[But she wouldn't push if it weren't something he wanted to talk about. Honestly, the whole thing hurt but it hurt just as much to hear the way he sounded right now. She had to finish wrapping this wound first but she wanted desperately to hold his hand or hug him.]

Do you want to talk about it? Would it help?

No.

[The answer is short, blunt, but it's the truth, this time. He's already reliving it in his head, time and time again. Saying it aloud to someone else just makes it more real, and he wants to live in half denial. Pretend that Dextera's soul isn't in his pocket right now.]

What you're doing helps enough.

Okay. Then I won't ask anymore. [She doesn't say that she wishes she could do more, because there wasn't much she could do, because it seemed like such a selfish thing to say.

So she just finishes wrapping him up. When she's done she'll reach out to take his hand. She wasn't quite looking at him right now as she considers what she wanted to say and, as always when she didn't know quite what to say she uses Minamoto's.]

...Minamoto said once, that there are always going to be things that are outside of our control, that just because we have powers doesn't mean there aren't going to be things we're powerless against. We can only do what we can to save as many people as possible.

[He can feel how hard Kaoru is trying to cheer him up, and he wishes it could work a little more. He can't take those words seriously with the life he's lived. He's never been one to accept his powerlessness. No matter how useless it is, no matter how impossible, he's fought against fate, against his place in the world. That's his entire reason for going forward, even now.

Now, Guren is just thinking that if he responds to that, he'll make her more upset by explaining how little he can follow it. Because she can't help. And he's thinking that he should be able to help someone right in front of him, upset and caring. If he can't, still, then what can he do at all?

His free hand reaches over to rest on her head, affectionate. But all he can think to do to detract from this mood is squeeze her hand and comment non seriously.]

I thought there was someone else you wanted to hold hands with.

[To be honest, she's had trouble with that, but at the very least, she didn't want him to blame himself.

Yet it ended up feeling like that time Fujiko had kissed her on the forehead after she declared that she would take care of things in her stead while the Director was hibernating to recover her strength. Like she was the one being reassured even though she wanted so much to be able to help shoulder some of the baggage the people around her carried. It was a bit...frustrating.

But she had been told, right? Sometimes adults need to work through things on their own.

She blinked when he changed the subject and, fine, she basically held hands with just about all her friends but even she knows that's not what he meant. Even if there was a moment of blank incomprehension until she suddenly blushed.]

I already told you it's not like that!

Sure, whatever you say.

[He waves it off quite literally, glad that she took him up on this distraction. By her choice or not, he's relieved to have something less serious to tease about.]

If that's your story, you should probably work on making it more believable.

[It was both. She was willing to play along though she also...would rather this conversation be about something else.]

I don't know what you find unbelievable about it! I can be friends with a guy without liking them like that!

Sure, but it's on your face when you do.

[Simple, and even if he's glad for this conversation, it's still short. It's tiring to talk, and he's exhausted in general. His eyes close, a sign of that.]

Stop worrying about the love life of highschool girls and rest. [She's meaning to scold him! But it comes out a lot more exasperated and soft.]

[It's fine, because he could say "I knew it was a love life thing" but he's too tired. He keeps his eyes closed, humming like he's not so sure, but really it's just him being lazy, exhausted, needing sleep.]

Alright, I'll rest.

[She squeezes his hand again before slowly letting go.]

Is there anything you want to eat later? I can't cook, but I'm sure I could get Rin to make you something.

...Curry?

[It's what he always says when people ask him that question, and he blinks open his eyes to stare at the ceiling again.]

If we even have the stuff here to make it. I'm not sure. It just came to mind first.

We do! I worked with Sorey to find all the ingredients before so I know where the stuff is!

[Or well, they'd found the ingredients according to Akira's list...and she actually has no idea how it tasted in the end, but she's sure it must have tasted fine!]

I don't think we have any rice. But there must be something we can eat with it. I'll ask!

USER: #A5211F - Bogeyman (Forward dated to the 26th)

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