15strangers | THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

I... tea would be nice.

[ He's nodding. After a brief glance to the side, he reaches out to rest a hand on her upper arm. ]

I'll be right back, then.

[ And he's off to make tea, now. ]

[ She really appreciates it. Tea, of any kind, will help a lot. When he returns, she'll sigh and offer a wan smile. ]

I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but... I don't know. This shouldn't have happened. I should have looked after everyone closer...

If you try to watch everyone, you're gonna miss some details.

[ He holds a blink, his expression faltering for just a fraction of a second. ]

... But that's why it's important to have more than one set of eyes.

[ He tilts his head at her, offering a small nod. ]

You're trying your best, and that's all any of us can do. Meridies-san, Goro, and me -- I know, for sure, we all have your back.

[ Were you expecting a breakdown because hoo boy is it coming. ]

I should have stopped it--he was Akko's age... if I just--I'm capable enough, I can defend myself, I can use a weapon, I should have stopped it...

[ She buries her head in her hands, and removes her glasses to wipe under them. ]

--Sorry, I... Wake was the same age as my students, or thereabouts, and... he didn't deserve this. We have to make sure whoever did this pays.

[ ... Maybe it hurts so much, because those feelings are too far from his own.

But he manages to keep his expression from outright faltering too much; the more upset she sounds, the more he forces himself to calm down. When she's burying her head in her hands, he reaches out... and just lets his hand gently rest on her shoulder. ]

He didn't... and they won't get away with it.

[ His voice is quiet, and he lets his gaze lower for a moment. ]

... When I-

[ He hasn't... openly told anyone about this kind of stuff, but... she's not even from the same... timeline, or whatever... ]

When I'm fighting alongside my team, the first place my mind always goes is to keeping them alive. [ He lowers his hand. ] It's always there, in the back of my mind... And it's worse whenever one of them jumps in front of an attack meant for me. I always beat myself up every time I see one of them come close to death because I was--.....

[ RECORD SCRATCH ]

... Sorry.

[ ... He doesn't do this???? But, guess that's what happens when a person finally lets even an ounce of those inner feelings out, when they've been holding them in for what's probably way too long??

Either way, other people open up to him, and not the other way around. Sooooo... let's pretend he didn't do that. He is going to quickly move on!

. . . ]

Is Chariot just a nickname?

Edited 2017-12-01 22:37 (UTC)

... So you do lead them. The Phantom Thieves, then?

[ There's a long pause as she puts her glasses... not back on, but in her pockets. ]

... It's my real name. Croix's not wrong. My actual name is Chariot du Nord. I had been hoping to keep it a secret somewhat, though. It's why I dyed my hair.

[ Well... cat's out of the bag with Goro, and that had been the one he'd been most concerned over knowing. ]

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. [ He leans his head back just a little, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. ] I think I was picked to be their leader because I have access to more magic and abilities.

[ Chariot du Nord, huh...? ]

I see... [ He looks at her for a moment, one hand reaching up to twist a part of his bangs. ] Why did you want it to be a secret?

... I see. So then... we're not very different, though I never led a team of people.

[ There's a long pause. ]

... I'm Shiny Chariot, the person that Atsuko cares about so much. And I don't... like being that person. I like being "Ursula Callistis" much better. Someone divorced from the fame and the accidents I caused. Because of me... so many people were hurt...

[ ... It breaks her heart. ]

Do you remember what I told you about the Shiny Rod? I was its previous owner. And I failed.

It's stressful, but... worth the work that comes with the position.

[ A faint smile tugs at one corner of his lips. ]

When we're in the real world, we function mainly as a group of friends who happen hang out after school.

[ His gaze lowers, and he decides to start with: ]

If it makes you feel more comfortable, I'll continue calling you Callistis-san. [ ... ] What do you mean "failed," though?

... I'm glad that it's you. If it were anyone else... but you all sound very sweet. I think I was right when I told the detective you all were trying to aid the police, not hurt them.

[ Ah, but that question--she holds her arm a bit, fidgeting obviously. ]

... I was trying to do the same thing she's doing now. But I... couldn't awaken the last Word. So I went on tour, hoping that maybe it would come to me on its own, if I just made people smile with my magic show, but...

[ That obviously didn't happen. ]

... It disowned me. I cast a spell in a panic that I'd been used to saying so many times. It's supposed to create a bow and arrow and open the Arcturus Stream, but...

[ His expression turns serious. ]

All we ever wanted was to help our messed up society.

[ His brow tenses.

It "disowned" her?

His gaze lowers, expression dimming. ]

Callistis-san... how is it a bad thing that you were just trying to make people smile?

[ He looks back up, expression firm. ]

Why did it "disown" you?

... Me too.

[ A small chuckle, but it's a little mirthless. ]

... I shouldn't have done it. I can't... really fully explain it to you, but--my shows came at a price. The price of the audience's latent magical potential. I didn't know the spell I was using would hurt anyone, but...

[ ... She's why Akko can't fly. She's certain of it. ]

[ ...... ]

Callistis-san... you just said it yourself.

[ He's giving her a bit of a firm expression here. ]

You didn't know.

... I did find out eventually, though. And...

[ She's not going to bring up what Croix did. ]

Can I ask you something? What's the moon like? If you looked up at the moon, what would you see? Back home.

[ This question has importance, just give her a minute. ]

[ Ursula....... ]

"Eventually" doesn't mean you did it on purpose. You just wanted everyone to be happy. Yes, it's not something you can undo, but it doesn't make you a bad person at all.

[ His expression softens as he loosely rests his hands in his lap. ]

You did the best you could, and... I find that amazing.

[ There's a soft blink. ]

It's... [ like a moon?????? ] ... bright.

[ He glances up in thought. YES. HE IS GOING TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION SERIOUSLY. ]

Golden... and it goes through phases. So, to the naked eye, it looks like it changes shape -- it turns crescent until it either appears to be fully round or even entirely black.

[ He tilts his head as he glances back to her. ]

Why?

[ ... Even if he says that, the look on her face as she digs her nails into her bad arm still speaks volumes about the guilt she shoulders. She exhales. She has to remember how to breathe, sorry. She's... very anxious, right now. ]

I... I thought as much. It's normal, right?

[ ... Patently ignoring what he said? She sure is. ]

Our moon... there's a large diamond shaped hole blown into it. You can always see it, even when it's waxing.

[ His expression dims. ]

... You don't believe me, do you?

[ His voice is gentle, but he isn't just going to ignore his words being ignored? Sorry, Ursula, you're getting to see how stubborn he can be. Though... even if she does ignore his question, he won't push her any further...

Because it will mean she isn't ready just yet. He can push later if he gets the chance. Right now, they're all going through a lot...

That mention of the hole in the moon has him blinking. ]

What happened?

[ ... She closes her eyes, and recites the Word. ]

"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor"... the first of the Seven Words of Arcturus. Unlocking its true potential, and its meaning, allows the user of the Shiny Rod to create a weapon. The arrows fired by the Shiny Arc are capable of opening up the Arcturus Stream, but also of great magical power. If you're not using them to travel...

[ She trails off. ]

... If you happened to use the Shiny Arc for something unimaginable, to put too much energy into it, its power could... say, create a crater in the moon.

[ She's holding tightly to that bad arm of hers. The scars aren't visible. But they exist. And it hurts her, remembering what she did. ]

My last show went... very wrong. I said those words, that I'd said a thousand times over, and it funneled my anxiety into a weapon on my arm. I could have destroyed the entire moon. I was lucky. I didn't.

[ His brow tenses, concern entering his gaze. Of course, there is concern over the fact that a part of the moon was destroyed, but... the entirety of it wasn't. Her arm however... ]

What did it do to your arm...?

... I think it probably caused some kind of magical damage. It latched onto it when it created something to fire off of, so...

[ She bites her lip a little. ]

... The people in the crowd don't remember. But there's no way someone wouldn't have noticed, even if they couldn't trace it back to me, if someone ever found out...

[ The amount of trouble she'd be in for that alone would be ridiculous. ]

Edited 2017-12-04 22:42 (UTC)

[ ... Oh...

Shit... ]

Does it still hurt?

[ She... kind of instinctively forces herself not to hold it. ]

... I'd be lying if I said it didn't. I can't use that hand to hold my wand anymore, so I trained myself to use my other hand, instead. It can grip things in basic manners, but it's... weaker.

I don't really like bringing it up, but a few people have already noticed, so there's not much I can do about it.

[ Without any hesitation, he speaks in a quiet voice. ]

I won't tell anyone...

[ He reaches up, twisting a small section of his bangs for a lengthy pause, gaze resting on his other hand. After mulling over everything she's told him since the day they arrived... he speaks in a tone of firm belief. ]

... You're really strong.

... I don't think so.

[ She wrings her hands. ]

A strong person wouldn't have hidden from the world.

THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

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