sotobas_lot | [Video]

[Video]

[Nowhere. Nowhere. Nowhere. Click after click, with as many haphazard groups as have been pulled together by whatever virus the community's returned in full force with, she's nowhere, not on some other world deluded into being in love, not commenting on anybody else's situation... He slumps back into his chair. His jaw shivers with building tension, blinking too quickly, too many times.

He hasn't even noticed the green haired woman behind him. She stares as if sensing it's an inopportune moment, but still not certain why he's browsing the internet rather than working. She can't very well hold it against him to take a few minutes for himself, but it's still unusual behavior.

It's not until a choked noise that sounds close to a muffled sob strains through his teeth that she clears her throat.

He quickly, with the stereotypical jerk of one surprised by an audience, sits and sloppily runs his sleeve over his eyes. It's too quick a reflex to pass off as anything but wiping his eyes, which leaves him at something of a loss for words when he turns to face her.

Her shuolders fall, but she puts on a smile which then falters into a serious, concerned expression.]

Doctor...

It's nothing... [Of course she isn't buying it.] I'm.. it's all right.

[After a short moment which seems like an endless, inquisitive stare, she accepts it as a lie and bows.] Yes. Excuse me...

[He turns back to the camera with a self derrisive snort. He's sure she's assuming it's about his wife. That's just another layer on top of everything.]

I haven't even mourned my own wife yet... Hn. How pathetic...

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Sensei... I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Ah! Her!

He'd almost completely forgotten about her in the rush of things happening lately. His eyes widen, then relax as he seems to slump further wth a tired smile.]

Tendo.... Kasumi...-san. [It's said as if remembering her along with her name; she's here, she's watching. Just how much of his pathetic life has she seen?]

...Thank you.

[Ozaki-sensei has always looked tired, even for one of his profession, but he looks so much worse than before. It is right to greive for your loved ones. But not at the expense of your own health. Concern prompts a need for action.]

Ah. I understand that you are going through difficulties. If there is anything I might do for you, please let me know. Even a small thing, if it will help ease your way.

[Having given up, there should be more ease; the relief that comes with it somehow only seems more lethargic than relaxed.]

I don't imagine you happen to have a cure for mild brainwashing.

I'm afraid I do not. Would sukiyaki be of any help? Or a safe space?

Sukiyaki, is it... [There's a snort, but it's not derisive. At least not at her.] Maybe once this is over, a sukiyaki party would be in order... I'll keep your offer in mind.

Please do.

[At the loss he has faced, and the stress of his profession, it is understandable that he is distraught, but there is something off putting in his expression, an unexplainable strain. The last she spoke with him there was a sickness sweeping his town. Something else must have happened.]

If it is not too much to ask, and please, do not answer if you do not wish: something has happened, hasn't it? Are your patients all right?

More or less. [He'll lie. It's not a complete lie; to this point, at least those who he could convince to stay in the actual building for treatment were safe while they were there. At least until they notice she's done, it should hold true.] There've... been a lot of deaths, but there have been a lot of lives [Not saved. He means to lie, but it comes out too honest.] prolonged....

Ozaki-sensei, I'm so sorry to hear that. [But something, still, wasn't right. Prolonged? An epidemic? That meant, they must be dying.] You are not the only one looking after them, are you?

There's nobody left to look out for anyone. If something happens to them, there's not much left that can be done, at this point... Ah, but they're trying. There are others trying, so... [So it's not hopeless, he wants to imply, but it is. It definitely is.]

[More than a tight spot, without a clear means of action. She can't fix it, though the will is there. There must be something that can be done.] I am very sure there is space in someone's world for need of an evacuation.

That'd be abandoning the village... Abandoning the world to these things. As long as they're out there, it wouldn't be safe to return. Some of the people here... I don't think they could survive without--no, I don't think they'd want to exist any place but here...

How are you?

It's over. With this, Sotoba's at its end, too.

I know things may seem very bad but it's amazing what a town can recover from. As long as there are people who want to live there and are willing to work for it, it's too soon to give up on it.

Aa. They're willing to work for it. Even against a threat like her around, they patiently waited it out...

Waiting isn't always enough.

That was my mistake. It worked well for them.

What's been happening?

Somebody had been protecting this clinic, at least. That person is gone.

They'll likely invade as soon as they've noticed.

...The rest of your town?

What are you saying they should be able to do?

I'm asking how they're doing.

They don't know anything.

No, they don't want to know anything, so... They're fine, for now.

How can all of that be happening and them not notice?

[how stupid of her. she hadn't given much thought about how other people would feel about Dead Master's disappearance. she's initially tempted to reply and blurt out that Dead Master will return as she had several other times to other people, but the underlying fear can't be shaken off no matter what she does.

as much as she wants to remain confident in Dead Master's eventual return, Shooter's finding it hard to rely on her dumb optimism now. so she doesn't say anything, unable to figure out how to properly respond to Ozaki's grief.]

[ at least the doctor isn't included in a harem! that's one good thing. ] ....Sensei?

Something to say about my priorities, I take it?

It's not like you're drinking whatever's going on in your town away.

Or bothered with a harem.

The town probably saw her, and maybe her friend too, as some kind of mistresses. But without them, this town is finished, anyhow.

...Who're we talkin' about, again?

[ more importantly- ] No. You better not be giving up already.

[It's fine to kick himself a bit over being so cold regarding Kyoko, but he doesn't particularly feel like having somebody else point out the disparity in missing somebody else who was much, much further from human, if the terms of her death are believable. So he'll dodge that first question.]

I may owe it a final push, but all it should take is one bite and I'll be doing more than giving up. I'll be helping finalize their plan.

[ what? is that all the prep talk that was needed? ] Can I ask how you'll be finalizing their plan? Whose plan, anyways? 'S not Kefka's, I know that...

Theirs. They'll have this town.

I don't understand it fully, but they can't drain a victim completely in one visit. None the less, even those who are still alive are compliant. They must also inject something when they take from their prey to keep them docile but functional.

I failed to examine Kyoko during that critical period. Any chance to make an antidote is lost, now.

They may have been afraid of this household, but they'll notice eventually and move in.

It's over.

Then ask for help! From others on this community! Maybe they have an antidote!

Should I ask for you?

An antidote when you don't even know what it is? There are enough people like Kefka who would help them too, who would pity them and take them off world and have them thrive... But they're something that can't coexist with us. The community's members aren't willing to accept that. Especially not on this community where predatory natures can be dismissed due to direct contact happening at most on a very small, specialized scale.

It's no different than a town that won't accept the threat because it's too much to deal with.

Yes. An antidote like that. I bet if I asked right now, others would reply saying they've dealt with things that died and sucked blood and made people become docile and they made an antidote. You've never asked before so you can't assume that everything's helpless. Don't tell me that only asking is too much to deal with.

That's entirely too specific and too broad at once. Even studying their blood, there's nothing to suggest they inject an anti-coagulant, there's no sign of a venom... I can't even begin to say what I'm asking them to fix. It's asking for a miracle.

So you're not going to even try? If you haven't been bitten already, there's nothing wrong with asking. Better something than nothing at all.

Then what does that mean for all that time I didn't try anything when I had her around?! Once I take decisive action, they'll... And without that key piece... If she isn't used, she feels...

...I'm sorry for your loss, Sensei. But it'd be even more sorry if you gave up because of it. I'm trying to say that it's not hopeless and you're not helpless.

I can't just chase them out and make them somebody else's problem... [His distracted tone should mean he is at least thinking in terms of strategy again. Of he could be listless; it's a bit hard to tell.

It's a far stretching reason; he's heard of people dying and returning on the community, but usually with no memory, in effect a different person. If she returns, she wouldn't remember him, and what are the odds of her taking out a crew of vampires to same some remote village with nobody of importance to her?

...Maybe higher than he suspects. Why she dedicated herself to the cause in the first place is something or a miraculous mystery.]

But if she does somehow return, at the very least I don't want to be somebody else she has to "murder."

[ ...at least he's being somewhat hopeful. he must be speaking of a community member. ] If you get yourself killed, they'd have me to deal with. [ because Issun is such a big threat. well. kefka thinks so. ]

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