Spellheart [Luna & Jakers]

[☆Luna☆]

"Huh... you did say that, now that I think about it. I didn't think much of it, but you literally saw all of my moves, so you were knew to keep out of range of my diffusion smoke." Shibo paused. "Makes me wish I had the know-how to do a fancy ranged attack. It's easy to run me around in circles, so I suck against people with a mix of mobility and traps." Shibo thought for a moment, before dismissing the topic as Mio was probably still shaken about the whole thing, going back to the topic at hand.

"So... I just need to watch people? That... that makes sense, actually. I've never thought of doing that because I always had the mentality of fighting an opponent where both people didn't have an idea what each other can do." Shibo mumbled. "Scouting brings a whole new equation into the system, though. I thought tactics had to be made up on the spot, but... now we'll have to do them before the fight even begins... *sigh*..." Shibo seemed a little disturbed by the amount of planning and thinking she'd have to do to actually contribute. She was good at making things up on the spot, but not good at pre-planning. The whole scouting business would be hard for her, but with people like Amiko at her side, she supposed it would be compensated.

...Ugh... nonetheless, Shibo still felt stupid about the whole situation now that it made more sense. How could she have missed the fact that Mio knew exactly what she was going to do? It made her want to hit her head against the wall. Amiko was doing her best to increase her observational skills, on the bright side, but still. She doubted if she could be the one coming up with elaborate plans and making tons of notes, and when it came to the fighting, she was trained to protect and duel. Could she really be useful in a 3v3 situation?

Amiko smiles, "I don't think it is as big a change as you think it will be, but maybe experiencing it will say more than any words of encouragement I could provide. For now, we could all use some sleep." Shifting to a soft tone like a mother would use with a child, "Mio, if you would like, you can sleep in my bed."

Still acting somewhat bashful around specifically Amiko, "I... I would. I mean, could I?"

Squeezing her hand playfully, "Of course silly."

Still seemingly in bliss, the group arrives home to Marcy, who had been waiting out front the entire time. Its the first time you've seen her in her natural form She looked relieved to see that everyone had made it back safely, "Welcome home."

Amiko bows her head respectfully in Marcy's direction, "I didn't worry you too much did I?"

"Aside from being unable to sleep, I'm surprisingly used to you vanishing without a word."

Lifting her head, "Probably a bad habit of mine. Are you planning to sleep here too? You know I'm already back in shape, right?"

Marcy leans back, still engaging in this banter that everyone already knew was more about ritual that actual persuasion. "Would you have me anyway?"

"Naturally. We were just heading to bed. I have no idea how we are going to fit 4 girls in just a small bed and a couch, but I'm sure we'll figure something out."

 

[Jakers]

Shibo seemed relaxed as she entered the growingly familiar entrance room of Amiko's, but at the same time, she looked pretty confused and lost. There was certainly a lot to think about after the recent events. That, and now, she was absolutely surrounded by girls. She wasn't used to this amount around her, especially when they were doing some sort of sleepover-thing. It was hard for Shibo not to be bashful, and it would take a while to get this back into her usual comfort zone.

Regardless, she was happy to see Marcy again. Her playful and banterous attitude was one Shibo took a shining to. Pondering for a moment, Shibo added after Amiko had finished,
"Well, I could always run home, sleep there, and then meet you guys again in the morning. I'm not exactly a small figure, so I'll take up too much room." Shibo added musingly, "I don't think I'm much fun to squeeze next to, either. Pretty sure I snore. And sweat. Maybe both."

There was a lot more Shibo wanted to say right now, but she felt like it would break the relaxed atmosphere of the place. After a day like this, relaxation certainly wasn't a mood she wanted to break out of. But from tomorrow, things were going to be even more complex than they were before.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Mio grins, "I'm sure you'll be fine. I used to sleep next to someone every night, even on the hot summer days. On a nice night like tonight, I'm sure it will work out fine. I miss the company, so I'm excited."

Amiko looked towards Shibo with those expectant eyes. Even without saying a word, she made the message loud and clear with her eyes. 'You aren't going to leave are you?'

Marcy laughs, "As if you'd go home now. It is one in the morning and everyone looks exhausted. Just stick around for a bit. Even if you just want to take the couch, you'd be better off here."

 

[Jakers]

"Oh boy. Well, okay. But you bought this upon yourselves." Shibo sheepishly said. "I'll stick to the couch, then. I really don't think you'll be able to squeeze me into a bed, unless you have a compactor lying around."

 

[☆Luna☆]

"Oh boy. Well, okay. But you bought this upon yourselves." Shibo sheepishly said. "I'll stick to the couch, then. I really don't think you'll be able to squeeze me into a bed, unless you have a compactor lying around."

The rest of the night is marked by idle chatter and preparation for bed. Although Shibo would be sleeping on the couch in the room over, everyone first convened in Amiko's room to gather the blankets and pillows that they'd be using for the night. Amiko looked to be organizing this process, but midway, she passed out on her bed seemingly out of nowhere. Up until that moment, she seemed to be perfectly awake. Mio moves quickly to her side, worried that she might have fainted, but Marcy stops her.

Marcy sighs, "Looks like the poor thing finally crashed. Considering she had been training the whole day, I didn't know how she kept going so long. The only reason she was able to keep going at all was probably one of these." Marcy holds onto a pill capsule of several pills. If Shibo thinks back, she can remember Amiko swallowing one just before searching for Mio. "These are the anti-fatigue pills that Spellheart uses for people who are on guard duty. Amiko keeps them in case she needs to stay awake through the night. But they don't actually make you any more energized, so once they wear off, you crash hard. After a long day like this, I think we all want to get to bed."

Mio looks over Amiko, still concerned, but understanding that this wasn't something that would hurt her. "She just looked so capable, it didn't seem like anything phased her at all. When I see her sound asleep like this, she just seems so vulnerable by comparison. I know Amiko always looks calm and in control when she is talking, but when she is sleeping, she looks more at peace. Is that a weird distinction?"

Marcy shakes her head, "It is probably one of the things that made me fall in love with her. Even though it seems like she is invincible, she really isn't. And when she goes to sleep, you start to see that there really isn't anything inherently extraordinary about Ami. She just has a big dream that she is trying to see through. And she thinks about it so intensely, all the time, that it isn't until she sleeps that she truly lets herself go." Marcy yawns, "But I'm getting all mushy since I'm tired. I couldn't sleep without knowing Ami was safe. Seeing her here is what puts me at peace. I should get to sleep. Shibo, here is some covers." Handing Shibo a warm, white, cotton blanket, Marcy quickly takes her place at Amiko's side. Curling up next to her, they really did look like a couple, and a cute one at that. Amiko's playful blonde hair contrasted beautifully with Marcy's elegant white hair. Lying facing towards each other, they looked nearly photographic, like a matching set.

One could almost hesitate to disrupt the two, but Mio was not one to appreciate or understand the deeper context of what was going on. Taking the spot behind Amiko, she took hold of her from the waist, tucking her forehead into the nape of her neck. The position looked so natural for Mio, even though she and Amiko should be considered perfect strangers at the moment. With all three girls on the one bed, there certainly wasn't any room for Shibo. Even if she were the size of a toddler, there wouldn't be room. The only reason all three of them could fit was because of the sheer comfort they had within each other's personal space.

Although they'd only get a modest amount of sleep, they'd have a big day ahead of them. Their first match as a team would happen tomorrow. Anticipating this moment, after another hard fought day, all three girls fall asleep quickly.

 

[Jakers]

"...Oh... thank you. You have a good sleep, alright?" Shibo bowed, seemingly sheepish at the fact that she had no much to say, or no further input, after she was handed the blanket by Marcy. It was hard for Shibo to take in everything they were saying about Amiko, but she could definitely feel where they were coming from. She was a unique specimen, and her personality was so intricate for reasons Shibo didn't understand yet. She was being taught how to observe people, but she didn't even know where to start with Amiko. She felt like each look was just scratching the surface of a tight, metal barrier. One that she didn't dare touch because of fear it might be electrified.

Watching the three snuggle tightly into bed, Shibo looked down for a moment, before hunkering down into the sofa with her blanket. For some reason, something inside of her felt confused - maybe even a little scared - at the current events right now. It wasn't that she felt left out, and it wasn't because she felt like she didn't fit in. She felt like she'd almost disrupted something sacred; gotten herself into group of people that were extremely complex, with ties and stories more tragic then any pathetic one Shibo could pretend to come up with - not that she would. From this day, her life was truly going to be turned around. When people saw her eating ice cream with a foreigner, or holding hands with a suspicious individual, certain people were going to look down on her. But Shibo's heart told her that this was what she needed to do; what she needed that'd truly fulfil her life. She would do her duty. She would protect and be with these people for when they needed her. Because, second-by-second, she was learning what it meant to have true friends.

Before she could think any more on the topic, without knowing it, the soft salmon-red eyes of Shibo Aozoa shuttered tight into a night of dreams. And one that, despite her words, did not contain any sweating or snoring.

~ ~ ~

With a thump, Shibo managed to wake herself up the next morning by falling out of the sofa.

"...Ungh... why..." She grumbled tiredly as she came to, not wishing to get up for a moment and wrap herself in the covers tightly like a cocoon and head back to sleep, but she quickly changed her mind as she remembered that today would be a big day. The fall out of the sofa hadn't been painful - it was quite gentle, in fact. Shibo got herself to her feet, her white hair in a bit of a bedhead-mess as she kept the blanket wrapped around her like a cloak. Her expression seemed confused and disorientated, as if she'd had a wildly bad dream.

God, she felt tired. If she had cereal in the mornings, she'd probably accidentally faceplant into and fall asleep. But she could wake herself up in time, and force her eyes open for now. Today wasn't a good day to be slumbering around.

"A..." Shibo paused to clear her throat as she quietly stepped near the bed. "Any of you girls awake?" She continued in a quiet whisper. She wasn't sure if she was the first up, but the light outside suggested it was early-ish morning, giving them a good time to prep before work.

 

[☆Luna☆]

"Nope, just me for right now. These two probably won't be up till later." Slipping out of her hold on Amiko, Marcy comes toward Shibo and leads her back out of the room. She then takes a seat on the couch. "Crazy last night, right?"

 

[Jakers]

Her eyes half-open, Shibo dragged a hand through her own hair with a tired flair to try and make it look better, but just ended up wiping her hand across her own face in a sloppy and lazy fashion.
"Mmm..." Shibo responded in a low, contemplative tone. "...I don't know what to make of it all. But... I guess things turned out okay... if... if... *yawn*..."

Usually, this is where Shibo would slip in something light-hearted or perhaps a little bit funny, but she ended the sentence there, settling on the couch with Marcy. Drowsily, Shibo leaned on Marcy, probably unintentionally due to how tired she was. Intentional or not, Shibo seemed fine staying there, closing her eyes and emitting a gentle hum that was probably her ritual of some sort of yawning process, before opening her eyes again with a light blow to her forehead to flick stray hair out of her own face.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Marcy leans back against Shibo, "Well, you won't really know how everything turned out until later today. After you do the group match with Amiko and Mio, you will have created a new name for yourself."

 

[Jakers]

Shibo pleasured the moment for a second, feeling the weight of each other being supported; feeling her own cheek gently touch Marcy's as the two leant together. It felt warm, knowing that the two could do this at any time, and the both of them knew they didn't mean anything by it. Pressing gently against Marcy, Shibo enjoyed the faint warmth of the moment, eventually speaking a reply before Marcy would begin to think she'd passed out again.

"...I just hope things work out okay." Shibo whispered. "Not with the whole winning or losing thing." Shibo hesitated, before her speech grew quiet and emotional all of a sudden. It wasn't uncommon for Shibo to get emotional about stuff, but there seemed to be an uncanny, helpless fear in Shibo's eyes that was uncommon for a strong girl like her. "Just... about everything else. I don't want to see someone get wheeled off for interrogation again. I don't want to get anyone in trouble. Yet I feel like I'm treading on thin ground, and I don't know why."

Shibo instincively pressed a little closer for a moment, before her eyes drifted downward in a slightly guilty manner.
"I'm sorry. That came out of nowhere."

 

[☆Luna☆]

Marcy shakes her head, "Rather than coming out of nowhere, I'd say this had been something that had been inevitable since the moment you were assigned to Amiko. I think this is going to end up being a heavy conversation, so want to go on a walk? I'll make sure we make it back before the others start to wake."

Marcy picks herself up off of the couch. Rather than changing out of her sleepwear, she simply engages Angel's Clothing to switch into a casual white dress. Looking back towards Shibo, Marcy gives her a hand. "It will be good for us to get our blood flowing anyway."

 

[Jakers]

Shibo's eyes were still down for a long moment, before her head tilted up at Marcy to softly grab her hand.
"...Okay... a walk sounds nice." Shibo's voice put out in a shaky tone. Getting to her feet, Shibo found herself growing attached and close to Marcy; one that she was starting to look to when she needed help. Shibo felt like she could talk to Marcy, and ask her questions, yet she couldn't bring herself to ask Amiko or Mio the same questions, due to her own fear of upsetting or triggering someone else.

To her, Marcy was a guide of sorts to Shibo. A light in the dark about the whole situation she was going to get herself into. And it felt good to have somebody like that at your side, holding your hand. Shibo should've felt childish and ashamed of feeling so helpless, the feeling of having to be babied and looked after in a way, yet for some reason, she didn't care at all.

"Can you fix my hair?" Shibo added shyly, self-aware of how much of a mess her cloud-white hair was in this morning.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Marcy notices Shibo's disconnection with the moment. Feeling empathy for her, she clearly had plenty on her mind, and these sorts of talks were probably her only moments to try to make sense of the madness going on around her. Just the past few days have likely been more hectic than any Shibo has ever experienced. Marcy knew that it was going to have to get worse before it got better, but she had the unique position needed to help Shibo to where she ultimately needs to be. Sending her Angel's Clothing spell through their connected hands, Marcy fixes up Shibo's hair. She hadn't touched it since she fixed it for her yesterday. Marcy gives a casual warning as they head out the door. "You know, you are going to have to eventually brush your hair. I can make it look nice, but you need to take care of yourself so it is actually nice."

Opening up the door, it is another nice brisk morning in Spellheart. Since it was still early out, there weren't many people around. Marcy kept hold of Shibo's hand, not letting go until it looked like she didn't want to anymore. They were heading in direction of the park, so it could be assumed that was where Marcy intended to take her.

"You know, you've been over here pretty often. Have you made sure to stay in touch with your family?"

 

[Jakers]

The gentle, sunlit breezes waking her up slightly with each step. In public, Shibo's hand naturally slipped out of Marcy's anyway. As she walked, Shibo seemed to be looking at what few people there were around carefully, staring at them for little details, before looking ahead again as if making mental notes. As Marcy asked her question, Shibo seemed to be distant for a moment, then she gave what was seemingly a half-planned response.

"...I was actually thinking of heading to my own home to sleep tonight. Just to inform everyone about what's going on. I already briefly explained everything to my brother when I headed back to get my clothes, but I feel like everybody in the family needs a proper explanation about why I might not be home some nights on a regular basis. It'll only be one or two more nights before they start to get genuinely worried." Shibo explained. She hesitated for a moment, before a little unknown smile came to her lips as she glanced ahead into nothingness in thought. "I don't think they'll mind anyway. But, regardless, it's not like I'm going to be staying over every night. I don't want to invade Amiko's personal space." Shibo said, yet she knew in reality that Amiko would probably appreciate the company, she felt the need to make the possible point anyway.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Entering the trees, Marcy starts to get towards the meat of the conversation. "I know that you probably haven't thought about it much, but have you thought about exactly what you are doing here?"

Understanding that she wasn't descriptive enough, Marcy elaborates, "Up until now, you've been more or less dragged into your circumstances. So you probably didn't have any sort of clear plan about what it was that you wanted to accomplish. You mentioned it before that you just wanted to keep everyone safe. Do you think that is your only motive, or was there something else you wanted to do?"

 

[Jakers]

Shibo seemed to struggle to come up for a response, her eyes looking around herself in a mixture of anxiety and confusion. It wasn't quite clear what was going through her head.
"I feel like there's something else, but I don't know what it is." Shibo finally managed to say. "Maybe it's just because I like you all... and Amiko's taught me so many things in such a short space of time, too." Shibo stopped in thought; it looked like she hadn't meant to say any more than that, but some words spilled out: "Or, maybe it's because..." Shibo drifted and intentionally cut herself off, before shaking her head in a randomly apologetic manner.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Shibo seemed to struggle to come up for a response, her eyes looking around herself in a mixture of anxiety and confusion. It wasn't quite clear what was going through her head.
"I feel like there's something else, but I don't know what it is." Shibo finally managed to say. "Maybe it's just because I like you all... and Amiko's taught me so many things in such a short space of time, too." Shibo stopped in thought; it looked like she hadn't meant to say any more than that, but some words spilled out: "Or, maybe it's because..." Shibo drifted and intentionally cut herself off, before shaking her head in a randomly apologetic manner.

Marcy shakes her head, seeing that Shibo was clearly confused. Although she tries to be empathetic, the urgency of the situation gives her words a sense of tension, "Look, Shibo, those sorts of wishy-washy feelings aren't going to help anyone. You need to decide what you want to do, and you are running out of time."

"You said that you didn't want to see Amiko, Mio, or me to get interrogated again, but think about why those interrogations are happening. People in the government were already scared simply because Amiko has become a powerful political force who has strong ties to building foreign alliances. She has taken a huge step by bringing Mio into Spellheart successfully. Now that it has reached this point, things are going to get worse, not better. What you see now is the calm before the storm. As soon as Amiko fights in a team with a foreigner, that storm is going to rage more violently than you could ever image. People are going to get hurt. Amiko, Mio, and I are going to need someone from a prestigious family to protect her if we are to avoid the interrogation room or worse. Amiko doesn't have that kind of a connection since she has a primarily grassroots influence with the townspeople. If you stay here, you have a conflict of interest, will be discredited, and likely find yourself falling into the same treatment. But, if you leave, and never come back, you could be that connection. The Aozoa family is highly regarded. If you avoid developing a conflict of interest, you can build support for Amiko's projects, and object to her detainment. You could protect her dream and make sure she doesn't suffer, even if it would mean you'd never get to talk to her again."

Taking a breath, Shibo realizes that she dropped a massive bombshell on Shibo. She loosens up, "But, even in spite of that, nobody would blame you if you wanted to stay. If you just wanted to do right by Amiko, leaving would be the obvious option. But, that is why I asked if you just wanted to protect her, or if it was something more."

Growing more passionate, "Because, I've never seen her get so close to someone so fast. You two have some sort of natural synergy that is difficult to explain. I care about you, and Mio does too. But you have yet to discover your purpose in this group. Amiko already noticed it. If you stayed with us, there is no way we wouldn't be great friends. Amiko, even understanding the strategic advantage, probably would feel pained to see you go."

With a pained expression, "You have an impossible choice to make. If you go fight with Mio and Ami today, you'll lose your ability to protect us. If you don't go, I'd take your place, and that would be the end of our relationship."

With piercing eyes, "You said you felt like you were walking on a tightrope, but you didn't understand why. Maybe now, you understand. You have been walking on a tightrope this entire time. Since the moment you met Amiko. If you keep sticking around her, you are going to be stuck with us. You've spent only a few days with us, you have no idea where you fit, what we are like, and if you actually support what we are trying to do. Yet in spite of this you have to decide in just a half hour if you want to spend the rest of your life estranged by society for us. I presented the choice as if it were to help us from the outside or the inside, but maybe that is selfish. Maybe it is more like, do you want to suffer with us, or find your own way?"

Marcy seems more worked up than you've seen the typically calm girl in the entire time that Shibo has known her. For every word she is saying, there is something invisible that she didn't say behind it. She didn't plan her talk carefully like Amiko would either. She came out passionately in a single burst without stopping to think about how it would come out. Yet her voice still seemed controlled, and while emotions clearly made their way into her thinking, Marcy remained collected.

 

[Jakers]

Shibo's eyes seemed distant as Marcy spoke. Her face seemed to be far away, and she showed surprisingly little reaction to the choice being presented in front of her - almost as if she'd been expecting something like this to come up anytime soon. She listened to the birds. She felt the wind lightly press on her skin and hair. She kept herself calm rather than distressed or hurried of mind, keeping patient as she fashioned the response in her head.

After a long while of thought that built suspense greatly in the air, Shibo finally broke the suspense with a quiet exhale of air. It didn't take anybody even remotely perceptive to see that she was holding a lot back to remain level-headed in this decision. As she spoke, her voice seemed mellow yet bitter. Not bitter at anybody in particular, but bitter at the whole situation. She'd known the thing she had going couldn't be simple this whole time, but it still throbbed.

"I... I suppose it's time for me to start getting real, huh...?" Shibo began with the briefest of smiles. A long paused followed, before she spoke in a light and serious tone. "I want what's best. Not what I prefer." Shibo began. In that one simple sentence, it became clear what her intentions were right from the start. "And whilst it would be easy for me to ignore the opportunities and do what my heart is telling me, I... I know that if I want to be a proper shield that protects you, not just a flimsy one-use-only one in some training arena, I realistically can't do that. I want to see a stop to you three's situation. Or, I at least want to help it. After seeing Mio, Amiko's shown me that her work brings good people. And if I can support that cause, if I can back up her situation, I'll likely end up helping a lot more people than myself. This isn't about fun or games, or little love stories anymore, this is about changing people's lives for the better - I can see that now. ...The outside world... I don't know much about it, but... there must be so many things we can do, judging by how I saw Mio talk about it briefly."

Shibo smiled lightly as she looked at the ground. A little sad smile that was likely holding back a lot of pain.
"...You understand, don't you." She began in near a whisper. "It's right for me to help you from the sidelines, isn't it... it's what's best. I-I'm sure Amiko would understand, too. She's been so sympathetic because she knew it wouldn't be long before the time would come, and the clock's struck the time for me to make a proper decision." She smiled slightly wider, "I... I never would've minded suffering with any of you. I was willing to throw it all away, because I never had anything true there in the first place. But... I keep having bad dreams about the worst that could happen if I kept things the way they are. I could barely get any sleep last night because of it. I've said so many times that I wanted to help your situation, or see it just stop, not add to it. So... h-haha..."

Shibo cut off, turning away for a brief moment. Her facial expression was hidden because of this.

"No wishy-washy feelings, right?"

It was clear she still had a lot more to say, but she was struggling to continue. She just needed a moment.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Shibo's eyes seemed distant as Marcy spoke. Her face seemed to be far away, and she showed surprisingly little reaction to the choice being presented in front of her - almost as if she'd been expecting something like this to come up anytime soon. She listened to the birds. She felt the wind lightly press on her skin and hair. She kept herself calm rather than distressed or hurried of mind, keeping patient as she fashioned the response in her head.

After a long while of thought that built suspense greatly in the air, Shibo finally broke the suspense with a quiet exhale of air. It didn't take anybody even remotely perceptive to see that she was holding a lot back to remain level-headed in this decision. As she spoke, her voice seemed mellow yet bitter. Not bitter at anybody in particular, but bitter at the whole situation. She'd known the thing she had going couldn't be simple this whole time, but it still throbbed.

"I... I suppose it's time for me to start getting real, huh...?" Shibo began with the briefest of smiles. A long paused followed, before she spoke in a light and serious tone. "I want what's best. Not what I prefer." Shibo began. In that one simple sentence, it became clear what her intentions were right from the start. "And whilst it would be easy for me to ignore the opportunities and do what my heart is telling me, I... I know that if I want to be a proper shield that protects you, not just a flimsy one-use-only one in some training arena, I realistically can't do that. I want to see a stop to you three's situation. Or, I at least want to help it. After seeing Mio, Amiko's shown me that her work brings good people. And if I can support that cause, if I can back up her situation, I'll likely end up helping a lot more people than myself. This isn't about fun or games, or little love stories anymore, this is about changing people's lives for the better - I can see that now. ...The outside world... I don't know much about it, but... there must be so many things we can do, judging by how I saw Mio talk about it briefly."

Shibo smiled lightly as she looked at the ground. A little sad smile that was likely holding back a lot of pain.
"...You understand, don't you." She began in near a whisper. "It's right for me to help you from the sidelines, isn't it... it's what's best. I-I'm sure Amiko would understand, too. She's been so sympathetic because she knew it wouldn't be long before the time would come, and the clock's struck the time for me to make a proper decision." She smiled slightly wider, "I... I never would've minded suffering with any of you. I was willing to throw it all away, because I never had anything true there in the first place. But... I keep having bad dreams about the worst that could happen if I kept things the way they are. I could barely get any sleep last night because of it. I've said so many times that I wanted to help your situation, or see it just stop, not add to it. So... h-haha..."

Shibo cut off, turning away for a brief moment. Her facial expression was hidden because of this.

"No wishy-washy feelings, right?"

It was clear she still had a lot more to say, but she was struggling to continue. She just needed a moment.

"I understand how you are feeling right now... For that reason..."

Marcy wraps her arms around Shibo, holding her tightly, "I just wanted you to know... I thought we'd have time. I thought you'd want to stay in spite of everything. I noticed, we all noticed, that you had feelings for Amiko. I asked it like a question because I thought we'd have time to confront it. But now that you are actually leaving... it feels unfair."

Marcy pauses for a few moments, pressing her forehead into the back of Shibo's neck.

Marcy lifts herself from Shibo after neither of them speak for about 5 seconds. Starting to walk away, "If you need a good starting place, look for a girl named Astra. She is unemployed, and tends to hang out on the city's edge."

 

[Jakers]

As Shibo felt the arms curl around her, and Marcy's forehead gently tuck into the back of her neck, Shibo's head tilted upwards to look at the skies. A single, silent tear ran down Shibo's face without her permission, and gently patted against the grass, but she denied any more from falling.

It isn't unfair. Some things just aren't meant to be. Shibo thought to herself. But now I'm going to let go of what was a pointless and selfish chase in the first place. I'd be just hurting people and hindering Am'... no, Amiko... if I kept going down that path. Forgetting about her in that way... that's the first thing I'm going to do to help.

Shibo's fist clenched to her side lightly.
...This time, I can promise that I'm going to protect you all. My real duty starts today.

As Marcy let go of Shibo, her body slouched slightly, almost longing for more, before she abruptly stood up straight, seemingly losing the weak and tired posture she'd had since the morning.
"...Yes. I'll go and find Astra." Shibo said in a sure yet flat tone. She lifted one foot to begin walking off. Before she made the step, however, the sound of her sleeve wiping against her face could be heard, before she spoke quietly.

"Before I do find her, though, I'll go and get my things before they wake up. And get work out of the way. I can't miss anymore sessions from today if I'm to keep the reputation we need to do this." A long pause followed, before Shibo looked back at Marcy with a wide smile. Tears were clearly forming in her eyes, but like a dam blocking a river, it was clear they simply wouldn't fall. "...Thank you, Marcy."

With that, Shibo stepped away, preparing to ink the quill that would start a new page. Any doubts were eliminated form her mind, and without even knocking or making a sound, Shibo ran back to Amiko's house just to retrieve her possessions, going in and out in a silent flash without saying goodbye. It was better that way.

Shibo completed her work as soon as she could, being amongst the earliest to arrive, and the earliest to leave after beating her opponent with patience, planning, and observing what the caster could do. After being beaten up and deflecting relentless blows, by pouncing on the slightest slip up they'd made in the arena, Shibo took care of them in one, clean, red-smoke filled thrust through the chest from her blade.

Leaving the arena and signing off for the day almost as quickly as she'd entered, Shibo head off to meet this 'Astra' person without looking back, heading to the town outskirts.