Backdated to Thursday, September 9th

[convallariaceae]

[Yuuka had been sitting in her garden for quite a while since the Hotel event. She literally had not left it for days, save for necessities. That BOY, did something to Yuuka that she could not understand. Somehow his pathetic clawing for proper speech managed to produce something that set a smoldering pile of ash ablaze in the back of Yuuka's

Comments

trollin' and hurtin' is a-ok

[rivercrossed]

[ Komachi is too tired to really want to do much more that day, just go home and go to bed. She can get her toes back tomorrow. As she stumbles blearily back home, she almost knocks into Yuuka. When she notices, her shoulders hunch up and she only stammers. ]

A-agh. Sorry. Sorry.

Komachi you fool!

[convallariaceae]

[Yuuka looks at Komachi with a confused gaze, stopping dead in her tracks.]

Sorry? Yes, sorry. So sorry.

You do not look well. Not well at all.

[rivercrossed]

[ Komachi nervously laughs. She's too oblivious to notice the change in Yuuka, but...]

No no, I'm okay. I don't have anything wrong with me, I think.

[convallariaceae]

Oh no, but you do.

You look so very tired. Has someone hurt you?

[rivercrossed]

I'm tired, but that's usual being in this place. I have to get back home now, it's been kind of a hard day.

I'm not hurt! Why - w-why're you askin'?

[convallariaceae]

You seem hurt.

[Yuuka is now walking toward Komachi rather slowly. Her voice is quiet, with a loving, motherly tone.]

And your reaction makes me think you are hiding something. You can tell me...I can help you.

[rivercrossed]

I'm not, honest. Really, there's nothing to tell!

[ Komachi has the strong urge to step backwards, but grits her teeth and stands her ground. ]

[convallariaceae]

[Yuuka reaches Komachi, and gently puts her hands on the poor girl's cheeks.]

Now now, dear. I know I can be a bit scary at times...but I'm really a nice woman deep down.

[That smile kind of says otherwise.]

[rivercrossed]

I, I'm not scared. So can you just let me go home, okay...seriously.

[ Though she's frozen in place, she still stares defiantly into Yuuka's eyes. ]

[convallariaceae]

It is good that you are not scared...though sometimes bravery can be quite foolish.

Tell me, which do you feel right now? Brave, or foolish?

[rivercrossed]

I'm not feeling anything that much. Yeah. Sometimes souls can be either, you know...but I'm not gonna think about that right now. You don't just need bravery to get into the afterlife.

[ She's rambling slightly now. But she still doesn't run. Too trusting? Or merely stupid? ]

[convallariaceae]

Oh? But I am sure one who is brave helps with that joke your employer calls judgment, yes?

Bravery and pureness of heart. Yes, these are what you need to move on to better things.

Though the broken and abused are doomed to hell, are they not?

Oh, I don't know why I'm asking you...I doubt you know anything of it.

[rivercrossed]

[ Her tone becomes more serious. ]

I know more than you think.

It doesn't matter what happens to you in life...well, it's more about how you go and react to it. That's it. So many souls aren't worth saving because they're consumed by misery and rage. That's what I understand. Do you?

[convallariaceae]

Yes, yes.

Your employer spends so much time touting the values of honor, kindness, compassion and so on...but when it comes down to it she's no better than anyone else.

The sort who would simply take a life, look upon it, and throw it in the trash heap because there is some flaw she finds unsatisfactory about it.

[Yuuka finally takes a few steps away from Komachi, and begins walking past her, gesturing grandly as she speaks.]

Oh yes, what a wise and fair and powerful thing she is! Let us worship her eternal wisdom while she casts what she sees as dirty into a refuse bin she will never have to look at again! Yes yes, let us talk about never giving up on others as we give up on what we find filthy to our eyes, filthy because it doesn't match up to our perfect little lives!

All praise the mighty Yama and her bumbling ferryman!

[rivercrossed]

[ Komachi bristles at that slight at her boss, the same boss she complains about. ]

That's...that's not what I meant! And it's wrong. Really wrong.

Someone who brings pain to others can't get away with it. It's that simple. Nobody's perfect, yeah, that's true, but it's how you react to that fact that changes your afterlife!

Ah, anyway. I'm too tired to do this... You've lived so long, who knows what'll happen after you die. You're the one who's given up.

[convallariaceae]

[Yuuka stops, and turns only just far enough to look at Komachi from the corner of her eye. Her voice is quiet...as well as pained and deadly at the same time.]

I have given up? If I had given up, I would be dead.

I have stood in the face of many things, while you live blessed lives.

No, every last one of you gave up on me long ago. So in turn, I gave up on you.

[With that, Yuuka turns and resumes her walk.]