school: maya

[shaft]

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[shaft]

Maya.

[ He looks at her, trying to meet her gaze. ]

Neither did you.

[feytality]

[ she's avoiding his eyes and she doesn't say anything to that ]

[shaft]

I know you don't believe it.

[ But I do. ]

It's not because I think you're innocent or a child or incapable of mistakes, but because I know you. You're not a villain.

[feytality]

[ she hugs her knees, making herself very small ]

I was one for the past few days.

(Why are you trying to comfort me? Am I that pathetic?)

[shaft]

... Do you think that only people who are pathetic deserve comfort?

[ Then what was I on Thursday night? ]

[feytality]

[ vehemently: ] No, of course not.

[ just, being comforted after u murdered.... from claude he told her on thursday he couldn't be responsible for her ]

I just don't deserve it right now, is all.

[shaft]

Okay, then you don't deserve it.

[ He says this with a tone of voice that implies that he doesn't believe that at all.

Especially since he follows that up by brushing back her hair and giving her forehead a kiss. ]

But I'm going to do it anyway.

[feytality]

[ apparently my tag didn't go through wtf ]

[ but she really has no idea how to react ]

You're really not... angry?

(I didn't think you would want me around even before the killing...)

[shaft]

No. [ He flicks a finger at her forehead. ] It would be hypocritical of me anyway.

[feytality]

Why?

[ was claude out killing too ..... ]

[shaft]

[ He wasn't!! ]

I've killed plenty of people in my lifetime, and even more have died because of the decisions I've made. [ He seems like he's contemplating something for a moment, before continuing. ] It's not easy to have a life on your shoulders, and I wish that you didn't have to bear it.

[feytality]

[ she knew all of this already, but.... ]

... I killed somebody important to you, though.

(Like the Professor. I hurt you. )

[ it was the last thing she ever wanted to do. hurt claude. and yet... ]

[shaft]

You're nothing like Byleth.

[ He says that with a little more vehemence than he wants, and he takes a breath. ]

You're hurting more than anyone else, Maya. I'm not going to blame you for something outside your control.

[feytality]

[ she kind of wishes someone would blame her, though, because she blames herself ]

[ luckily, mandi hates her now ]

....

I was scared that you'd hate me, even when I was.... [ makes crazy motions ] I didn't care if they executed me, but I just.... didn't want you to hate me.

[shaft]

Maya...

[ He draws her in toward his chest. ]

I couldn't. And I know that Manwol doesn't either. Whenever you're in trouble, I'll be in your corner. No matter how hopeless it feels.

[feytality]

[ she kind of slumps into the hug ]

I know. She only thought about saving me, the whole time I was.....

[ .... ]

Even after.... what happened to you, Thursday?

[shaft]

That wasn't your fault. That was... [ Maya will get this mental image as a treat.

Claude looks briefly ducked up as he thinks about it. ]

It wasn't a good trip. And I'm not well-trained in being seen when I'm hurt. I appreciated you caring for me, I was just too foolish to accept it.

[feytality]

[ maya has no idea what this image means but she tries to send comforting thoughts his way ]

.... I was just worried I was making things worse for you.

Are you okay now? You don't have to be.

[shaft]

[ He laughs a little, but it's mostly humourless. ]

No, that was me getting in my own head. I don't think I'm past it honestly, but I don't want to dwell either.

[feytality]

I just.... don't want to burden you at all.

[ that's what she was worried about ]

If... you want to talk about it now.....

[shaft]

A burden is something you shoulder unwillingly. I worry about you because you're important to me, Maya.

[ Gently squeezes her shoulder.

And then he... thinks about. ]

It's hard to explain. And don't feel pressured to say anything when you hear.

[feytality]

Willing or not...

[ ..... ]

To be honest, I think... all those field trips are really hard to explain. [ none of them really make sense ] But... I can listen. And, um, probably not say too much.

[shaft]

... I woke up alone. [ Unlike his first adventure. ] I didn't know where I was, and then I met... this girl. She was hurt and afraid. It took me forever to get her to trust me.

[ Maya will get the mental image of that girl from earlier, in a dark room, dirty, bleeding and coughing. She can't speak. ]

I knew something was off about her because she spoke directly into my head. I thought maybe she was a ghost, and I had to help her move on.

She helped me escape. I was inside a shipwreck, and she helped me out. She was hungry, so I needed to go and find some food for her anyway. [ ... ] I met Lux and Kon once I got out, and they were investigating disappearances in a nearby village. Their search led us back to that shipwreck.

[ Maya can probably see where this is going. ]

When we returned... the ship collapsed. We found Futaba among a mountain of corpses. She was eating people in an attempt to become human. She hated being a monster.

But she turned into one. She never hit me even then, but I still killed her in the end.

[feytality]

[ yeah it's a good thing claude told her she doesn't have to respond, because she has no idea what to say. claude being soft for a young girl and helping her out is such a claude thing to do, though ]

Futaba.....

[ that checks out considering her panic attack. and that apparently taichi, yamato, and others (including maya herself, she's guessing) have featured in this corpse pile. and claude... yeah, this explains a few things ]

[ no wonder he was so ducked up ]

(This is... a new level of horrible....)

.... I'm sorry.

I think that you probably would have been forced to kill her no matter what. That's just what this place is like.

[shaft]

Probably.

[ He groans and falls back on the bed. ]

Joy and suffering in equal parts seems to be the motto.