No one is alone

[waiting_for_the_worms]

Who: Kariya Matou, Lancer, Rin Tohsaka, residents of 1666 Nelson Street, and all of Rin's friends.
What: A party to prove to Rin that she has friends.
Where: 1666 Nelson Street.
When: Saturday afternoon.
Warnings: Possible tsunsplosion. Action tags to keep things going.

With the help of Lancer, Kariya had managed to get in touch with all of Rin's friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who views her in the slightest favorable light.  The party had been thrown together somewhat at the last minute, but since it's really just a gathering of friends, there actually wasn't that much specific planning to do.  There's plenty of food and drink - both alcoholic and non - set up in the kitchen and dining room area, and a separate table for anyone bringing presents to set them down.  Apart from that, he's just sitting there with the assembled group of Rin's friends, waiting for her to arrive.

Comments

[gandere]

Why would I tell you something like that?

[ Pausing to consider it, she gives a nod as though to reaffirm her decision all this time. ]

Keeping it a secret was for the best.

[ Outright refusing to admit that she was in pain and suffering, Rin turns around to face her friend as she releases her hair. ]

[doesnotgetit]

I worried for so long because I didn't know what was going on... [It's a little frustrating, knowing that she got off easy compared to everyone she knew. Rin's arms and legs were taken, Saber's arm and eye were taken, and her arm was replaced by a chunk of rusty metal... what did she get? A bad cold. It wasn't fair, that those close to her had to suffer like that....]

Surely there must have been something I could have done to help...?

[gandere]

[ Not only were her arms taken, but: ] Just what could you have done? Find the robot who's limbs I got stuck with and give them back to them? Better yet, fix whatever they did to my brain?

You couldn't have done anything and it's for the best I kept it a secret. Not even Lancer could help... [ She frowns. ] The only person I allowed to get that close was Marisa.

[ First name basis whoooa. ]

[doesnotgetit]

[That hurts. It really does. The rational part of her mind knows that Rin is right. She doesn't really know a lot about magic or technology or anything aside from information-gathering, so she would have been useless.]

Still... even if I didn't have the ability to change you back, there must have been something I could have done to help you out until someone else found a way.

[gandere]

I didn't want to burden you.

[ It's a confession she feels she can make easily enough at this point. Maybe it's the mood of the party or maybe it's because her heart's grown soft because of her family having been here. Looking towards her, she forces a tiny smile as her hand reaches up to touch the necklace. ]

It was really stupid of me to keep something of that nature from you, wasn't it?

[doesnotgetit]

[... Oh. She... wasn't expecting Rin to just outright admit it like that. And she feels a little bad since it seems like a thing Rin would never really want to admit.

But then she smiles and... well. Hakuno can't help but smile back.]

I wouldn't call it stupid... [Because implying that Rin might be stupid, even if she admits it, would probably be a Really Bad Idea.] I wanted to make it clear that you can rely on me, but I know it's kind of a silly thing to ask for someone you don't know as well as others.

[gandere]

[ Hakuno, you've gone up in the harem ranking. It takes a smart person to realize calling Rin Dumb is a Bad End. ]

I don't know Marisa any better than I know you. [ A shrug. ] She's a powerful magician, but it wasn't because of that I let her see me in that state. Marisa seems as though she can handle it without breaking down.

I thought if you saw me... well, your perfect image of me would be ruined. [ Confidence is back, watch out. ] I can't allow that to happen no matter what.

I'm still the best in your world here, right?

[doesnotgetit]

[... The way Rin puts it, it must have been much more horrifying than she originally made it out to be. And... yeah, Hakuno would have freaked out. She freaked out when she saw that rusty piece of shit sword grafted to Saber's arm. But broken down? She'd like to think that she wouldn't have done such a thing, that she could have kept it together enough to help Rin out somehow... but she's honestly not sure if she could have done that.

Still, she shakes her head.]

That couldn't have ruined my image of you. Nothing can. [Such words seem like Hakuno is just trying to feed Rin's ego, but the sincerity in her voice says otherwise.] I... I admit that I didn't know you as well as I hoped I could when I was still in the Moon Cell. But I saw enough to leave an impression that can't be cracked, no matter what.

[gandere]

Well, it's just better this way now. Me telling you and us talking through it, I suppose.

[ Shifting her weight a bit, she shows that she's uncomfortable over the subject now. ] I don't know about that. This town can do twisted things to our minds it appears.

[doesnotgetit]

Twist our... minds? What, you mean something other than the droning?

[She sounds rather uneasy at that. People prodding with her brain, her memories.... kind of a sensitive subject, that.]

[gandere]

Yes, that's what I mean. I've seen people droned right away, but imagine if someone here has the power to hypnotize us or something else. They could just use that person to inflict harm upon the town as a whole.

[ Frowning after that. ] They did something to my head during that time and even now my memories of it are foggy. Um, it seems when I went to visit the post office that I forgot things that were important to me.

[ People who were important. ]

[doesnotgetit]

But... isn't the Post Office bad? They give us our powers and possessions back, so it's not completely horrible, but I've heard bad things happen when you go and ask for things back...

[... Rin must have been pretty desperate if she knew that risk but chose to go anyway...] Maybe they just... suppressed those memories. They can't really get rid of them completely, right?

[gandere]

It's a risk, but some things are worth it. This town was denying my father something he needed, so I had no choice but to go.

[ Yes, she did it for her jackass of a father. ] As for that, who knows? I certainly don't since it's never happened to me before. Lancer's upset with me for it.

[doesnotgetit]

[Hakuno didn't really get a chance to talk to the guy, so she's not sure if that was a smart move or not. But still...] Was it worth it? I mean... did he ever use whatever it was that you were willing to lose something important for?

I'd probably be a little upset too, if I was in his position, to be honest. But I can't blame you for wanting to help someone important to you, either.

[gandere]

No, he was droned recently. [ Hence her sour mood and why Kariya is trying to throw this party for her. ]

It doesn't matter though. Lancer should remember that he's my Servant and that if I made that decision, he needs to respect that.

[ Definitely lost a few of the 'falling in love' memories there. ]

[doesnotgetit]

... Oh. I'm sorry. [Even if the relationship was different, she certainly knows how it feels, seeing someone very close to you get droned.]

I think it does matter. Masters and Servants are partners, aren't they? It's only natural that he'd try looking out for you, and so it makes sense that he'd be upset when you put yourself in danger like that.

[gandere]

And what was good for me was trying to please my father. [ Hmph. ] If he knew anything about me at all, he'd know that was the most important thing of all to me.

So he should respect that. Even if it means I forgot a few stupid months with him.

[doesnotgetit]

[Hm, it's starting to click...]

Maybe... maybe part of the reason he was mad was because something happened during the months you forgot? It would be a little unfair to be mad at you, since it's not like you could pick what you forgot, right? But... that would certainly make sense.