onerous | IC Inbox

Well, if it's stubbornness, it's at least... effective. It gets things done. [Ouse can be just as stubborn. About a lot of the same and also a lot of different things.

She's... not expecting the little nudge to turn into anything else. She's not even expecting Yuri to pick up that she did it on purpose, let alone do anything in turn, so when she feels fingers slide along her palm she forgets how to breathe for just a moment. The leap of her heart into her throat isn't from whatever she sees over the Mitori - there's really nothing Yuri can show her anymore that Ouse doesn't already know - it's not even startled, which means there's only one explanation for it, and honestly, one Ouse just wants to kick herself for.

She can't act so lovesick around Yuri. She really, really can't. Gods, maybe it was a bad idea to do this, but...

... But it's easy enough to just bury the feelings. They have a duty to perform, she can do what she always fails to do and try to focus more on that. And at the road ahead of them, and not at Yuri, because she can't afford to show off that moment of weakness. (It was super obvious and she misses the hand when it moves away. It just feels so cold in her palm afterward...)]

Elementary school.... mmm... that makes sense. H-her room was furnished in a way I would expect a younger child's, with the dolls and all. The bed was also quite small and there was even a crib, as though the family were expecting another child.

Now I'm even more worried about what might've happened to her... You said it was the mayor's house? I never thought that mayor would have a family. Then again, I don't think I've even ever seen the mayor?

[Not that she can recall, anyhow. Hm. But that stutter didn't go unnoticed and Yuri looks to Ouse with her brow furrowed in concern. As to why the stutter happened... Yuri is kind of oblivious.]

Are you alright?

I don't think we have seen the mayor, no. He... she? May very well be trapped in that home. There was a woman making noise in the kitchen, but it was... it gave me an awful feeling of dread and danger. The same feeling of dread came from the living room... and someone wandered in there - he returned with awful bruises, as though someone had soundly beaten him.

[I'm fine. I'm fine. It's fine. This Is Fine.]

I'm alright, yes. Just a little surprised. [Just gonna leave that like that and not attempt to explain further.[

[Yuri listens, feeling more and more disturbed as Ouse talks.] What's happened in this town...? [A question she fears they may never find an answer to. She sighs, a little frustrated, and shakes her head.

The trail was headed towards the Mayor's house again after the school, it seemed, and she tilts her head as she watches the trace.]

What else happened in the house?

It was difficult to be sure. We couldn't go very far except specifically to the girl's room. The hallway turned endless and kicked us right back to where we started when we turned around, and the kitchen and living rooms were dangerous. The only place we could find that was safe was within her room. [She pauses, looks down, brow furrowed in concentration.] ... The painting of the deer was behind the wall. It was so distracting it kept me from doing anything... else. [Like stupidly wandering into the kitchen like she probably would have otherwise.] Because the spiritual presence. But we had to peel off many layers of wallpaper to take it out. The crib was only half-painted, and in fact, still had the paint used to paint it next to it. There was a bed, a bookshelf full of books that I hear are strange because there are no glitches in them, a dollhouse... many dolls, but... none of them had clothes. I remember thinking that was quite strange. And... there was the dresser. There was blood on it - on the corner, where it was chipped, like someone's... head, perhaps, was slammed into it, and scratches all down the side. Furthermore, there was a feeling of... violence in the air, so even though the room was a safe spot, you could tell something had happened there, as well.

[Yuri winces a little as she listens. Talk about nightmare houses...]

Violence from outside, or inside? [She's not sure Ouse would know the answer to that, exactly. But was this a case of domestic violence, or someone (something?) outside the house that got in? And why??

She hated this place and every time it just gave her more questions. She looks down at the book] What do you mean by glitches?

I'm not sure. It was just... violence. Considering that whomever was in the living room was what beat... Cable? So soundly, it may have been on the inside, but I couldn't tell. It was just so worrying to feel in what was clearly a younger child's room.

[As for the books...] As I understand it, there are many books here where... the pages within are... what they call 'glitched'. Perhaps unreadable, or different from how they should be? I'm not sure, but some of the others in the room seemed surprised that there was nothing wrong with the books in that room.

Hopefully the child wasn't the violent one either. [Which normally, with the level of violence Ouse seems to be describing, it wouldn't be possible. But this was a very abnormal sort of world, so who's to say what was or wasn't possible?

Yuri shakes her head to clear it and move on] I haven't seen any books like that though, that is strange... I think I'd like to examine one of those though. There's a library in town, isn't there? I'll have to actually go there...

[She falls quiet a moment, brow furrowed as she starts thinking of a game plan for investigating.] ...I hope there isn't much more to this trail, however... I'm starting to get a headache...

I think they may only be story books? I'm not quite sure. Majima-san may know more. [She hasn't really experienced it, either.

She slows her pace a bit as Yuri speaks, though, tilting her head. Ah... right that would get a bit tiring, concentrating too much.]

Oh... well, if you'd like, I can try to take it back over. It seems like an easy enough trail to follow, and I don't want you to hurt yourself for it.

[Yuri slows to a stop and looks like she's really waring with herself about it.]

I don't... I'm sure I could keep going... [She trails off, reluctant to admit she can't keep it up the entire time or anything.] I shouldn't have said anything. I can do this for a couple minutes longer, at least. And... And then you can take over, if you want to.

[There that seems like a good compromise, surely??]

Well, don't push yourself too hard. It's just supposed to be practice, after all. [Practice to see if they could get some decent answers, but that's also why Ouse came along. Well, part of it. The other was to be close to-

... Okay, no, can't think of that. Ouse clasps her hands in front of her.] But if it gets to be too much, let me know. I won't force you to do something that may just hurt you.

[Practice. Right. It's not like this is an exam she has to do perfectly on or anything, but Yuri still looks a tad embarrassed.]

I know. It's just... I feel like I'll end up letting you down or something. And, I don't want to make you regret coming to me about this...

[What Ouse wants to do: gather Yuri up in her arms, nuzzle into her hair for a long moment, laughing, and assure her everything is fine until the laughter subsides.

What Ouse would do if it were later in the month: that.

What Ouse actually does do: give a little baffled huff of a laugh, shake her head... and clench her hands a bit harder together to resist the urge to touch Yuri.]

Why would I ever do that? You've already gone well above and beyond what you should need to do... for me or anyone else. I knew you wanted practice as well, so if we've accomplished that, then I think today was good for both of us.

[And Ouse didn't break her promise to herself to get too close to Yuri. Double win.]

That's true. [She exhales in a rush and smiles a little, embarrassed.] I suppose I just... Care too much about what you think, maybe.

[She exhales slowly and runs a hand through her hair, holding the book out to Ouse.] So... Please take over for a little while.

Don't worry about me... [That's a bit of a fond admonishment, as Ouse reaches out to take the book.

She turns it over in her hands a little, as though trying to figure out where to even start (it's been a long time), before... ah, there it goes. A spiritual resonance to follow.]

It's not as though we aren't in this all together. [That's her excuse and not that she likes Yuri too much.]

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