tenth prayer [closed]

[prayed]

Characters: Kyoko Sakura, Czeslaw Meyer
Setting: Room 03-08
Format: Action brackets.
Summary: Checking up and enjoying the fall weather.
Warnings: None.


She has a bad feeling about him. That kid that she spoke with before. She couldn't pin down precisely what it was, but there's something about him that she just doesn't like.

Even so, this place is making her soft, far more than she cares to admit, and after the recent bout of flooding she finds herself checking dorm rooms for him out of what she tells herself is boredom. It didn't seem like there was anyone taking care of him and a kid that size would get washed away with everything else.

Of course, nobody going by the name "Benjamin" exists. She's made sure to check each one and, at first, she wonders he's gone, but--no, she's pretty sure he's still around here. The telepathic message she's able to send him (What the big idea!? Giving me a fake name--there's nobody in this place by the name of Benjamin, y'know!) is proof enough of that.

Eventually, after trying a few dorm rooms and coming up empty, she chooses the right one. Spotting Czes, she's just going to glare at him like he just killed her family and burned down their house. And she's going to continue her thoughts without skipping a beat.]

It took me forever to figure out where you were. I was starting to wonder if they'd kicked you out, y'know.

Comments

[bytheirhand]

[He'd never seen anything like this before. The barrier that separated them came out of nowhere and Kyoko... she...

She wasn't dead, that was for sure.

He carefully studied the way she moved, how she fought. He watched each cut, each slash, every single brutal attack he scrutinized. Her spear was interesting too. What was it made of? How could it be so flexible?

By the time she's dispatched the last of the monsters, he'd come to a decision.

He could definitely use her.

His head swivels around, watching as the barrier disappears around him before breaking out into a wide grin and running down the stairs after her.]

Wow! That was amazing, Kyoko!

[prayed]

Eh? That was nothing. Most of the monsters around here aren't even a challenge.

[It's not a lie and it's certainly not modesty that leads her to say that. With a shrug, she reaches to take another piece of pocky out of the box he's holding, clenches it between her teeth.]

But y'know, it's seriously annoying to have my secret keep getting blown like this.

[Not that she has any reason to hide being a Puella Magi here. It's just more practical. The less people know about what you're capable of, the better.]

[bytheirhand]

What was that? How did you... and that spear!

[He can't even formulate complete sentence, he's so impressed.]

[prayed]

Oi. You're gonna have to be more specific if you even want a chance at an answer. I'm not planning on spending all day trying to explaining this.

[bytheirhand]

How did you do all that? Was it magic?

[He remembers her mentioning something about magic when they first talked.]

[prayed]

Sure. I'm a Puella Magi.

[This kid's probably from the shoujo boom, so she'll elaborate a little:]

You've probably read stories about heroes who suddenly gain magic powers that they use to fight for justice, right? This job is something like that.

[bytheirhand]

... You're a what?

[OH. OH WAIT. NO OK. THAT... that kind of makes sense.]

Oh! Yeah, I've heard stories like that! Like The Shadow from the Detective Story Hour!

[prayed]

But unlike in those stories, there's nothing like salvation waiting at the end. Anyone foolish enough to treat this as a game where love and courage at the end will just win up getting themselves killed in the end. It's that kind of system.

[A shrug. Normally she might not bother to explain that much, but there's something she needs to get out of the way now.]

I obtained this power all for myself, so don't go around expecting to get any favors out of me, 'kay? You'll just wind up being disappointed. I'm not some heroine of justice, so if I save a person, it's just 'cause it's convenient for me, y'know.

[bytheirhand]

[His smile fades and he nods quietly.]

R-Right...

[prayed]

[She chuckles.]

You're disappointed.

[bytheirhand]

[he looks up and shakes his head.]

No, I mean... I can understand that.

[prayed]

[She frowns a little, unsure of how to take that statement--but then, it isn't as though she has these conversations often.]

Can you now?

[bytheirhand]

Sure. I can't do anything like you can, but when you're on your own you have to learn to put yourself first. Besides, you don't seem like th kind of person who'd go out of their way to do someone a favor.

[prayed]

[She stares at him seriously for a moment before she just laughs his answer off.]

Hah, of course not. Going out of your way to help people who won't give you anything in return...something like that is just a waste of time, y'know.

[But there's something else, too.]

So, you gotta tell me. How long've you been out on your own for, kid?

[bytheirhand]

... Long enough.

[prayed]

Yeah, I got that. So now that you've gone ahead and stated the obvious, you wanna give me an actual answer?

[bytheirhand]

[He shifts, uncomfortable.]

My parents died when I was four and after that I was taken in by a friend of the family, but he died a few years later. I was seven.

[prayed]

And you've been on your own since then?

[bytheirhand]

[A nod.]

[prayed]

[...]

How've you managed to take care of yourself all this time? You don't look like you've been missing any meals recently.

[She's going to try and give his belly a poke.]

I know that's not 'cause people take pity on an orphan kid. I'm sure you already know this, but being alone or broke doesn't make you pitiable, it makes you a target.

[Did he get lucky and get a mansion and millions of dollars left to him or something? But even then, she can't imagine he'd be able to hold onto that for long...distant relatives and greedy adults would wind up complicating things.]

[bytheirhand]

[He squirms a little when she pokes him, and he puts his hand on his stomach.]

It wasn't easy, but recently I was able to get odd jobs here and there. Kids are cheap labor and when that didn't work out I sold newspapers. I've managed to scrape by more or less.

[It's only half a lie, really. There were definitely times when he had to resort to this, but lately his research had paid off in spades. Selling the explosives he made would have kept hiim set for a long time. Too bad that didn't matter anymore.]

[prayed]

Hmm, really? I just busted open ATMs when the well went dry, myself. Way easier. 'Course, I guess that wouldn't have been an option back then.

[bytheirhand]

ATM?

[YOU CRAZY KIDS AND YOUR NEW FANGLED TECHNOLOGY!!!]

[prayed]

It's just another way of getting cash out of your bank account. It's all automatic, so there's no one manning it.

[She's still giving him a bit of a look, but she seems to have mostly accepted his excuse for now...]

[bytheirhand]

... How does it work if there's no one manning it?