damned_institute | Nightshift 36: F31-40 Hallway

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Nightshift 36: F31-40 Hallway

[outside F33 to be specific]

Beatrix, with sword across back and chef knife in her makeshift oven mitt sheathe that rests on her hip, stepped into the hallway after warning Maki that one of her wards was coming to the room. She'd attempt to give the other woman and her 'date' some space when she could, but she had no plans on discussing Rena's disappearance with Hanyuu out in the hallway. She was only out there to keep an eye out for the small girl. She didn't expect there to be trouble in the F-Block hallways, but one never knew.

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Hanyuu hadn't expected a reaction like that, and the surprise was clear by her expression. She was unable to say anything for a moment, and then, "I-I'm only accepting the inevitable. Humans are condemned to die the moment they are born. Some are permitted to live happy lives, while others aren't so fortunate. The people here... are the unlucky ones." Not only were they going to die, they were going to die at the hands of a madman.

"And Fate means everything," she continued. "Fighting against it brings nothing but pain and sadness. You... You might not be ready or willing to give in yet, but... I'm tired of the fighting."

At the look on Hanyuu's face, Beatrix realized that she'd grabbed the girl and let go of her chin, afraid she might have hurt her a little. It hadn't been her intention, but Hanyuu was dangerously close to making the Bride lose her temper. She forced herself to calm a little.

"Of course humans start dying from the moment they are born," she said, her voice a little less harsh, but the edge was still there. "That's what makes living so very precious to us all. I have accepted that I will die. I can't tell you how many times I should have." Without warning, she took Hanyuu's hand and laid it flat against the side of Beatrix's head where the metal plate in her head could be felt.

"That doesn't mean I'm just going to sit down and let death take me. I'm going to live my life as much as I possibly can before I get torn down, kicking and screaming, by death," she said, letting go of the girl's hand. "Fate is an excuse the weak use to explain why they can't change things. It's not that they can't change things, it's because they aren't doing the right things to make it happen. And the first step to making it happen, Hanyuu, is to believe that it's possible."

[Yeah the giving up thing doesn't sit well with the Bride at all.]

Although Hanyuu was grateful when Arlene released her, she didn't dare take her eyes off the woman again. Her tone was evident enough that she was still displeased with what Hanyuu had said, and when Arlene brought her hand to the metal place, the spirit's eyes widened and she couldn't help but gasp.

It was that gesture that made her realize how little she knew Arlene--or anyone outside of Hinamizawa, really. What had this woman gone through during her life? Hanyuu couldn't help but wonder, but now wasn't the time for such questions. Just as Arlene had her beliefs, Hanyuu had hers. And she believed that believing was futile.

Hanyuu had believed, all those years ago, that Rika's murder had been a fluke; a mistake that shouldn't have taken place. But then she had been murdered a second time, a third time, a fourth... Next she had believed they could find a way to prevent the murder from taking place. They'd managed to figure out some of the Rules in their game against Fate, but in the end none of that had ever mattered. And then they had arrived in this place and gained a new setting and new Rules. As horrible as this place was, Hanyuu had believed the new board would give them a better chance at obtaining a bright future. But now Rika and Rena were gone.

Believing had never brought anything but more heartache.

"Believing has never done any good," the spirit replied, shaking her head quickly. "We've tried changing things. We believed, many times, that we could and would win, but look at everything now. Rika is dead," she flinched slightly at the word, but didn't stop, "and now you've told me that Rena is, too. Two of the people that I cared most about are dead and nothing can change that now, so there's no sense in wishing, or... or hoping that things will get better, because this is it."

"We don't know that they're dead," Beatrix said, noting the man that entered the room to talk to Maki, and making sure her lower her voice even more. "Gone does not mean dead. I have lived through what others would think of being dead - unconscious for four years from a bullet to the head, being buried alive so I had to literally claw my way to the surface with nothing but my nails and determination to get out."

"For all we know, one of them could be walking down that hall as we speak," she said, offhandedly, with a nod toward the hallway through the open door.

The Bride suddenly went silent as she turned over what Hanyuu had actually said in her mind as recalled some of the things she'd mentioned earlier about some game. She didn't quite understand what the girl was getting on about, so she thought in general terms. The way she was saying 'we' didn't sound like it was referring to a large group of people and Mion certainly didn't have this hopeless melancholy. Mion was upset, yes, but the older girl wasn't giving up. Not like Hanyuu.

It was almost as if Hanyuu had seen more in her life than any twelve year old could possibly have. This kind of hopelessness, giving up, is something she'd seen in the very old politicians and organized crime bosses she'd killed before. They knew the end was inevitable and they'd grown tired of trying to avoid it, so they stopped fighting back, stopped eluding her and made the job that much easier. That's what this reminded her of. It didn't make sense - Hanyuu was a child. She should not have these feelings and the knowledge that something had caused it in the girl set ablaze a new fire of hatred in Beatrix. A child should not be like this and if the Bride ever found out who had brought it upon Hanyuu she would be certain to kill the one one responsible.

She put her hand to Hanyuu's cheek with a motherly touch. "If you don't believe that you can change things, then believe in those of us around you. One person cannot create change. They can be a catalyst, but it is the many that make it happen," she said, the edge of anger toward Hanyuu gone from her voice. "I don't know what suffering you have gone through, Hanyuu, but I can hear it in your voice. I've heard that tone several times before and I've delivered death to it." Her bluntness of her words were a bit contradictory to the softness of her touch, but she meant them both.

"It asks for death, Hanyuu, but death... death is not going to give you the answer you seek. Do not ask for death."

Hanyuu knew there was truth in Arlene's words, but she still found it difficult to think in optimistic terms. The fact that Rika and Rena had disappeared didn't necessarily mean they had died; they could've simply found a way home. Or, since a nurse had claimed Rena had been released, perhaps they'd gone mad and bought into the hospital's lies. The latter would've been crushing to learn, but at least it'd mean they were still alive.

Hanyuu sighed, although she did throw a quick glance to the door. There was nothing she wouldn't have given for one--preferably both--of them to be out there, but... Well, she couldn't say much about what had happened to Rena, but she was sure that Rika was truly gone. Even if she'd found a way home, or simply bought into the lies, she and Hanyuu still shared a sensory connection, and Rika had gone far too long without any food or water...

The woman's touch brought Hanyuu's attention back to her, and the spirit's eyes widened slightly. Was she really asking for death? She accepted it and believed it was going to happen sooner rather than later, but did that mean she asked for it? Hanyuu... wasn't sure. She didn't want to die, but by giving up and believing that nothing could be done to avoid it, maybe it was the same thing.

"I don't... I don't want to die," she said quietly, closing her eyes as she put a hand over Arlene's. "I'm... afraid." How... pathetic she must sound. Rika and the others had died many times, while she had only died once. Of course, she'd made the choice to die and had gone willingly then. Now she was in a situation that took away the option of choosing, and... Well, she was terrified. Not that she hadn't been scared back then too, but at least then she'd been convinced it was the right thing to do. What was right about dying here?

"I don't want to die," she repeated, her voice a little stronger this time. Opening her eyes again, Hanyuu made no attempt to hide the fact that she was crying. "A-and I don't want anyone else to die either. I... I want to do something, but... I've already lost two people. Nothing can change that now, and I... I just don't know what to do..."

Beatrix wiped away some of Hanyuu's tears with her thumb.

"You persevere, Hanyuu," she said, her voice gentle. "One foot in front of the other, one day at a time, working to find a solution. We don't know what that solution is, but it's out there - somewhere. Remember what I said before about faith?"

She smiled a little. "You need to have faith in something. They may be gone, but would your friends really want you to give up? I don't know Rika, but I'm fairly certain that Rena wouldn't want you to give up. If the same tactic you've been using hasn't been working, try a different angle. It's okay to be afraid... it's okay."

Beatrix wiped away another tear. "You're so young... I'd be worried if you weren't afraid."

[ 8D; is it a good time for a miracle now? ]

Rika idled in the hallway longer than she knew she should have, because she could have sworn if she listened hard enough, she could make out a voice that sounded like Hanyuu's. The more she waited, the more it seemed true, and Rika wondered if this was a mere stroke of luck, or if this world...

No, she had been fooled by false starts before. Not this time.

So Rika made sure to check the room herself, noticing the light was on and that it housed the source of the voices. Rika only acted timid when she peered through the door; in truth, she was rather anxious to know exactly who was in there, whether it was rude or not.

"... Hanyuu! I've been looking all over for you! Ni-pah~"

Hanyuu managed a small smile at the woman’s words. Faith, yes... That's what it always came down to. She wasn't sure what or who to put her faith in, but...

"R-right... You're right. They wouldn't give up, s-so I... I won't either." Even if she lacked any true power, there had to be other things she could do. As hard as it was, she couldn't give up yet; they deserved better than that.

She wasn't anywhere near as young as Arlene thought she was either, but before she could say anything else, another voice piped up and Hanyuu just froze. There was no mistaking it, especially when it was accompanied by a 'ni-pah', but... how was it possible?

It wasn't possible. It just could not happen. What were the odds that Rika would appear only moments after Arlene had made a comment about one of them being in the hall? Given Hanyuu's luck she wouldn't think they were good at all, and yet... there she was. That brought about more questions and confusions, but they were immediately pushed aside. They didn't matter at the moment.

"Rika!!" The moment the shock wore off, the spirit launched herself across the room and gave her friend a hug that was more of a tackle than an actual embrace. "You--I thought--When--Rika!" She was aware that she couldn't form a coherent sentence at the moment but, again, that didn't matter right then. What mattered was Rika was there, and Rika was alive!

When Hanyuu froze, the Bride immediately put her hand to the hilt of her sword sticking up over her shoulder. She did not draw it, though, when she saw the source of the voice and the reaction was yet another young girl about Hanyuu's age.

Ni-pah?

Beatrix released her grip when Hanyuu threw herself at the girl... Rika, apparently. The Bride was fluent in Japanese and quite familiar with the country, but she'd never encountered this 'ni-pah' before. Regardless, what matter was she had been right.

"See, Hanyuu?" The Bride moved over to where the two girls were and knelt back down so she wasn't towering over them. "Faith."

Hanyuu was always happy when she and Rika were reunited in a new world, but Rika was also used to Hanyuu not having a physical form. She let out a surprised cry as Hanyuu all but knocked her over, but her affection was returned. Just a little more calmly. She couldn't really blame her friend; she must have died, and they didn't know if Rika would be able to return on her own.

"I must have worried you a lot! You leaped on me like a cat, nyaah~" Rika sang out, a little annoyed that she had to keep up appearances because of the other woman in the room. At least, she was annoyed until she heard what the woman said.

Faith?

"... Miss, were you the one taking care of Hanyuu for me?" Rika chirped, having the feeling that whomever this woman was, she was an ally of theirs.

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Nightshift 36: F31-40 Hallway

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