Spellheart

Momoko glares at Marcy without moving her head. "We were barely more than acquaintances," she muttered with a sip of her tea.
 
Marcy loses her calm, declaring, "Bullshit!" Marcy rants, "I've never seen her let anyone into her life like this before. I know you two were paired for the exam together, but you can't possibly expect me to believe that was the first time you two met. The way you two fought seemed perfectly synced up. Plus, she left several notes for me, talking about you, and how I should learn to get along with you. Am I supposed to believe she'd do something like that in the brief time you visited her house?" Marcy glares daggers at Momoko, "Do you just think I'm an idiot or something?"
 
Momoko jumps, finally turning her head to fully look at Marcy. She sets her tea down on the coffee table, listening to what Marcy's saying with plain confusion painted on her face. "What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, raising her voice a little. "I'd never met her before then! Why would I lie to you about that?"
 
Marcy blurts out, "I don't know!" Marcy pauses, as she lets off the steam. She takes a deep breath. "I can't figure any of this out. Despite following your every move since you came in contact with Ami, I still have no idea what you want from her, or what she sees in you. At first I thought you learned what sort of situation she was in, and wanted to support her through it. But then I found out you understood nothing. Yet you don't seem to have any sort of stakes in what happens to her. You just keep showing up in her life like some sort of invited guest, but you don't even do anything. And so we get right back to the question, what are you even trying to do here? Why does she want you here?"
 
Momoko stares at Marcy, trying not to freak out at the notion that someone's been watching her for the past few days and she hadn't noticed. She took a deep breath, rubbing her temple. "Look, I don't know why she wants me here," she admits, "but I really do just want to help."
 
Marcy looks at Momoko incredulously, "Are you just the sort of person who'd help anyone who looked in trouble?"
 
Momoko hesitates, taking a long few moments to think. "I don't know," she admits, "but this is more about how someone actively sought me out. In this situation, yeah, I am."
 
Marcy seems to reluctantly accept this answer. Finishing off her tea, she settles down, laying on the couch with a defeated, tired expression on her face. Unlike the last time Momoko came to the house, it was the middle of the day. Lunch was fast approaching, yet the same scenario from last night seemed ready to occur again. Marcy didn't seem like she was one for conversation, and Amiko didn't even look ready for human interaction. If things continued like this, Momoko might find herself sitting in silence.
 
Momoko picks her teacup back up, taking a few more sips from it. Most of it's still left as she sits it back down on the table. She can tell that an awkward silence is coming up, so she wracks her brain for a topic. "You're a good fighter, by the way," she says quietly, hoping that Marcy won't immediately bite her head off for it.
 
Marcy turns her head to face Momoko, slowly and dismissively but at least acknowledging her presence. Pausing for a moment, Marcy sighs, "Thanks." Marcy looks like thinking about continuing, but she stops herself just as she opens her mouth to continue. Instead, she stays quiet for a short time before reverting to her childlike form. She looks even more tired than before, but her eyes look more inviting. "I think, I just needed to learn how to protect things. Really, I think, you frustrate me because you fight to defend this place. I don't know if you've taken a proper look at the people in the arena, but, it feels like everyone I see has no idea what that means... So many people fight for their own reasons. Things like: I want to be respected and powerful, I want to experience the thrill of a fight to the death, and I want to prove I'm better than other people. I've seen that in so many of our soldiers that it's hard to see them as anything more. You make me upset because you really do want to protect this place. This place that's inflicted onto me and Amiko and so many others the sort of scars that will never heal. I never understood why, but Amiko wanted to protect this place... Yet, I could never find it in myself to forgive them. That's actually why, we broke up... And even though, I act like I have no idea what she sees in you, I'm not really confused. I just didn't want to accept that you are more fit to stand at her side than I am. So, even though it doesn't excuse how I've treated you... I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry."
 
In the silence, Momoko looks away and opens her mouth to declare that she's going to head home. Before she can say as much, Marcy starts to speak. She turns her head to look at Marcy and jumps a little at the change that had happened while she wasn't looking. She recovers quick enough - at least it wasn't a new form, or something - and is able to listen to what she says. At the end, the silence drags on for a few seconds. Questions burn in Momoko's head like tiny candles, and the only way to sort them is to blow them out one by one. She clears her throat and smiles softly at Marcy. "Uh...thanks." She says slowly, not really knowing what else to say apart from that. She looks away for a second, clearing her throat again. "What...what do you mean by 'more fit to stand at her side'?" She asks tentatively.
 
Marcy smiles a bit before answering, "Well, I don't think it would be fair for me to answer that question, since it isn't my feelings, but basically..." Marcy points at Momoko, "Amiko thinks highly of you. Since she invited you here, that probably means that she intends to involve you in something." Marcy teases playfully, "So if you wanted to get out, this is probably your last chance."
 
Momoko blinks a few times in shock. Nervously, she giggles. "All...alright then..." she says slowly, looking down at the floor. She rubs at her chin as if she had a five o'clock shadow. On the one hand, she wants to just go home. Maybe just take a nap, open some wine with her parents, forget all about this. However, the worm of curiosity has burrowed deep in her mind. She just hopes that it didn't lead her somewhere horrible. "I...I think I'll stay." She says with a small but strong nod.
 
Marcy glances at her crystal ball, seemingly reminded by Momoko's words. Marcy looks pleasantly surprised, "Well, as glad as I am to hear that. I think we could use some time away. From what I've seen, Ami probably has at least another few hours before she snaps out of it. We should go out for a proper lunch while we still have the chance." Marcy plays with her crystal ball, "If you want, you can invite some friends. It always gets awkward between us since we don't really share anything together."
 
Momoko smiles, a hand drifting to her stomach. "I am a bit hungry," she admits with a laugh. She considers the offer. Her thoughts instantly go to Yuuki, though her inherent introvert attitude would make her unwilling. She things of Izumi and Hinata first, though Izumi was likely still at work, though she was still worth a call. Of her main few friends, the only person that had a high chance of coming was Hinata. "I think I've got a few people that could come along. I'll have to call them, though," she says, delving into her pocket and pulling her crystal ball out her pocket.

Only a few minutes later, Izumi's been confirmed still working, but Hinata is, as always, free. "I got one person who can come," she says, holding up one finger, "you wanting me to invite any more?" She asks Marcy.
 
Marcy shakes her head, "I don't mind more people, but I'm hungry right now. Unless you want to bring along someone else, my vote is for leaving right away. Normally I'd suggest the restaurant Ami always goes to, but it wouldn't feel right without her. So, maybe we can try one of the new shops that has opened up. Some of the new graduates have some seriously interesting ideas for creating atmosphere. I haven't tried the food myself, but the design of the building looks great, and I've heard mostly good things about some of their food." Marcy pauses, "Oh, but maybe it would be better to wait for your friend before deciding everything..."
 
Momoko nods. "Yeah, I get that." She agrees, pulling up the chat app. She laughs. "Hinata's not picky. She'll eat anywhere. You could take her to the desert and she'd find something to eat." She chuckles quietly. "What's the name of the place? She's saying she'll just meet us there."
 
Marcy notes, "It is a place called The Finest Hour. It's located on Colossus Boulevard. The owner is an accomplished illusionspace engineer who managed to figure out how to display illusionspace in a dome-shaped field in reality. He incorporated this design into his sports bar to show off what the device is capable of."
 
Momoko raises her eyebrows, intrigued. "Sounds cool! Gotta tell my dad about that. He'd love it," she claims, texting the name of the place to Hinata. She slipped the ball back into her pocket, turning to look at Marcy. "Shall we go, then?"
 
Marcy agrees, walking cheerfully towards their destination. The commercial district is a bit of a walk from Amiko's house, but Spellheart isn't that large, so it doesn't take much time at all to get there. Much to the surprise of the girls, the restaurant seems to be styled much like a modernized version of the arena. The entrance is an archway made of dark stone with intricate details carved into the surrounding frame. On the facade, a scene depicting the legendary Primal Seer fighting off the void displays prominently. Just underneath the scene, in gold lettering, "Finest Hour". Moving inside, the flooring is hard stone, and the lighting comes primarily from lines of light coming from the edges of the pathways, with the remainder being braziers located atop stone platforms. The place seems to be subdivided into 8 distinct rooms: a waiting room with an area for the hostess which made her look much like an arena clerk and a long hallway connecting to six different dining areas with the kitchen entrance located at the extreme end. The place seems absolutely packed despite this only being the restaurant's third day in operation. As Marcy approaches, she covers her ears from the loud clamor of the crowd. Speaking relatively loud to be heard over the crowd, "I didn't think that the place would be so crowded."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top