Ah... Ibuki-chan's friends and her boss are all fighting with each other. She isn't taking it very well.

[ She frowns as she steps out the door for only a moment before leading Maya down the hallway with her. ]

I'm used to friends bickering with each other but this is kinda bad.

...Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to talk to Rohan. He's Ibuki's boss too, right?

[Maya closes the door behind her with a kind of.... bothered face on. She shakes it off and follows Mari.]

Boys are the worst when they fight.

[She's thinkin' bout you, Phoenix and Edgelord.]

You work for him, right? The cranky tailor? It would help probably.

Dandy-san and that weird mean guy aren't two people I really want to discuss affairs of the heart with~ [ She winks. ]

This is why all of my friends are girls!

Are you kidding? Dandy's the easier one to deal with. All I have to tell him is that he made Ibuki cry.

[Which she's going to do. And also hit him with a broom.]

Rohan's a little tougher. [But not impossible. She believes that.]

I haven't had a lot of girl friends, to be honest, but they're way less trouble than boys. My best friend back home's a boy, and taking care of him is crazy.

That's because we all work on the same page. Usually. [ Considering how she butts heads with Dia so much...! ]

Good luck with Dandy-san. Our rooms are next to each other here and when he gets mad, he's looooooooooud!

Big talkers are always loud.

[She pats Mari's shoulder as they exit the castle to mill about the yard.]

If you need a break, you can always use my room instead. But... sorry they're all being so much trouble.

[ Mari inhales the scent of the fresh nighttime air, smiling all the while. ]

It's not your fault. They're a buncha big boys who SHOULD be able to take care of themselves. [ She stretches her arms high up. ] Ahhh~ It's beautiful out!

Right? It's really nice! I really like nights like this...

[She takes in a deep breath and lets it out with a happy little aaah~.]

You're from.... wait, where are you from, again?

Hm...? Oh, I'm from Japan.

I grew up there for a long time and then went to study abroad with my parents in America!

Ah! Really?

[Maya claps her hands together.]

My family's Japanese! I mean, we all live in California, but, yeah!

[And then, recalling a conversation she'd had with one of the people who'd disappeared--]

What year? What year is it for you?

Edited 2017-08-29 09:54 pm (UTC)

My mom is Japanese and my father is Italian-American. I'm kind of all over the place~

It's 2017! Summertime.

[Maya inhales a huge gasp and grabs Mari's shoulders suddenly.]

You're-- you're from two years ago!

[Maya remembers 2017. It was one of three very important years. Mari is-- it's-- she's in that year--!!]

[ SQUEAK-- ]

Y-Yeah?? I mean, yeah!

I'm just about to graduate!

[Maya then lets go, stepping back. Sorry about that, Mari.]

Sorry, it's just-- everyone's from so many different years? It's so relieving to find out someone's kind of from the same time as me...

[ Mari shakes her head! ]

It's okay! I'm surprised by how many people are from... So far back in the past.

Looks like we've got more in common now~

Right? What's with all these old guys?

[Maya then puts her hand to her chin.]

Let's see... So, wait, are you 17 right now?

That's right.

How old are you? I can never tell with anyone.

[ she thought ibuki was like 12 ]

I just turned 20, in 2019. So I thiiink I'm a little older than you, either way?

[Something like that.]

I'd say we would be in the same class, buuut I didn't actually go to high school.

I wish I didn't have to go to high school. I'm the chairwoman of the whole place and that's a biiiiig job when you have to do as much class as I do.

[ Mari looks up at the sky, twitching her lips into a frown. ]

Hey, Maya-chan? Are you scared of what's gonna happen to us...?

Huh?

[Maya holds on to what she's heard, but refocuses at that second question.]

You mean... becoming monsters, right?

Yeah.

It's been a long time now. I've heard it can happen any day...

It is kind of scary.

[Maya admits, crossing her arms behind her back.]

But it's also another adventure... don't you think? All adventures are pretty scary, but if you hold on until the end, you get something amazing out of it. Maybe it can be fun.

I... [ Mari makes a face and turns her head back to Maya. ]

I don't want it to hurt.

[For all of a moment, Maya lets herself look sad in Mari's direction. She covers it with a gentle smile and reaches to gently grasp Mari's wrist.]

...You won't be alone.

[She can't promise it won't hurt.]

[ She looks down at Maya's hand and then flicks her wrist so she can hold the other girl's properly. ]

Promise? I'll be here for you too.