twelfth prayer

[prayed]

Characters: Kyoko Sakura, Czeslaw Meyer [closed]
Setting: Dorm hallways.
Format: Action
Summary: Sure did turn into a witch and a cannibal during the event.
Warnings: possible vomiting and other unpleasant things and/or references to cannibalism.

Dorms Closed; Backdated to after the event
[Her mind is still reeling from the events of the last week. It feels like it should have all been a bad nightmare. Being subjected to a vicious assault of drugs, subliminal messaging, body modification that was nothing less than outright torture. Becoming a slave to the administrators. Murdering the same people she might have protected. Selling out her friends to that man. It all happened too swiftly, her consciousness too far gone, shrouding it with a dream-like quality.

But the reward (and it is a reward, because she was so kind as to sell out everyone,) she was given is proof enough of her actions. Any hope she has of blaming it on another person, dismissing it as an illusion is waved away. She can't deny it and sitting around is worse than nothing. And so, the first thing she does it to contact Naoto.

The second is to start to search out the others she knows to have been effected. She can handle it, after all. It's unfortunate. It's frustrating and unforgivable and she wants nothing more than to tear the person responsible apart--no, she will tear him apart--, but ultimately, she can overcome this. She's strong enough to, but there are others less capable. Mami is the one who comes to mind first. Mami is strong enough to handle this. She can overcome any tragedy, but even so, how much of a strain was put on her Soul Gem while her body was being controlled...? Did she even have any Grief Seeds yet?

This plan is cut short by the sight of a familiar face in the hallway. Another one that she'd seen around (and the thought of this child, biting into flesh and bone, is enough to make her want to retch.) A heavy frown settles on her face as she pauses, before starting to approach him, swallowing a bite of chocolate.]

...Czes?

Comments

[bytheirhand]

[Czes' eyes widen as they dart here and there around the hall, looking for some means of escape. He didn't want to see anyone right now. He didn't want to deal with anyone right now.

The only way to get away from her is turn back around, but she'd just catch up to him and then she'd probably get angry and what if she tried to kill him or --

He swallows hard, cowering a bit. Looking like he wanted nothing more than to curl up and die right here and now.]

H-Hello, Kyoko...

[prayed]

[She unwraps another piece of chocolate, pops it into her mouth to create an excuse for the silence that follows as she closes the gap between them. Kid looks like he wants to curl up in a dark corner somewhere and, truthfully, she doesn't blame him.

What does a person say to someone in a situation like this? For once, she finds herself drawing a blank. If he were crying, she could tell him to buck up, but he's just casually greeting her.

Still searching for words (any words, because there is no right in this situation,) she reaches her hand out to try and brush his bangs back, to stroke his hair. She settles on an observation.]

...so, you're back to normal, huh.

[bytheirhand]

[He shrinks back slightly at the touch. Nothing personal, Kyoko. It's just that he died an awful lot this past week and... kept coming back before his killer had a chance to leave the area.

He trembles a little, trying to keep himself calm. Trying not to think about what he looked like. About the things he did. The people he hurt, killed and... and ate. Czes' face pales and he opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a whimper as he nods his head.

He feels sick.]

[prayed]

Oi. It's fine now, y'know.

[Kyoko nods in acknowledgement of his answer. She strokes his hair for a few moments, a surprisingly gentle gesture coming from such an abrasive girl, before it slides down to his shoulder as she ducks down to his level. A slight, forced smile crosses her face. Her own concerns have been tucked away in a box, shoved into a dark corner of her mind for the moment. She's far from the best person to deal with this, but...]

You don't have to hold back on my account.

[bytheirhand]

[At first he didn't notice that he was crying. His head was swimming, his stomach was in knots, and he just couldn't stop thinking. Then Kyoko leaned down, put a hand on his shoulder and... and said that.

Tears stream down his face, his lip trembling. This could be a trick. She was probably lying. Pretending to be nice. Part of him just wants to yell at her. Screw his cover and tell her how much of an idiot she's being because what reason does he have to trust her? To trust anyone in this damn tower?

But he doesn't yell at her. A sob wracks his body and he sinks into her arms. He hates this. He hates all of this. He hate her. This place. Himself. Everything.]

[prayed]

[Despite telling him that he didn't need to hold back, truthfully, she wasn't expecting him to take her up on the offer. Her mouth opens slightly in the start of confusion before she simply settles for wrapping her arms around him. She pulls him close, as though holding him tightly might be enough to shield him from the horrors of this place.

She should scold him for crying. Should tell him that he needs to grow up, that no one will be able to answer his cries, but she can't quite bring herself to. Everything about this hits too close to home. It's an ugly reminder of all the bad things that happened to her so many years ago, all those mistakes that she grew strong enough to keep from repeating (or so she thought.)

So, rather than criticize him, she just pulls him in a bit tighter. She rubs his head, rocks back and forth. Let him all get it out.]

[bytheirhand]

[When she told him that he didn't expect himself to sit there and cry into her arms. No, he expected to tell her he was fine. Everything was fine, but thank you for checking up on him. It was a very kind gesture. That and a whole bunch of other bullshit. That is clearly not what happened.

He holds on to her tight, sobbing into her shirt and shaking his head.]

That man... he...

[He turned him into something he never wanted to be. Into something that made him sick. Made his body crave the taste for human flesh.]

[prayed]

[Kyoko nods understandingly, silent for a moment. When she finally speaks up, her voice is soft, barely loud enough for even Czes to hear. That edge that always seems to hang onto every word, that hint of annoyance, is strangely absent.]

He tried to turn you into something you're not.

[Tried, because Czes is here in front of her, overcome with emotion over what was done to him. Even though it wasn't him, not at all. She rubs his back.]

But in the end, you're still you. Not that monster that bastard wants you to be.

[Just like Sayaka. Whether she's a girl, a Puella Magi, or a Witch, was just Sayaka. Nothing will convince her otherwise.]

[bytheirhand]

[He sniffles, his tears slowing as he processes what she's saying. He has to admit that the tone of her voice has caught him completely off guard. He wasn't expecting this sort of compassion from her. Still didn't mean it was real and he still wasn't sure he believed it was, but she sounded sincere. Perhaps that would be enough for now.]

You too.

[prayed]

Yeah. That's right.

[She looses her grip on him as his tears begin to slow, looking down on him with a gentle smile, nodding once more in response to his statement.]

It's like if you were possessed by the devil, y'know. Even if your body was forced to do terrible things, the weight of those sins rests solely on that man. So you don't have to feel bad about it.

[The same can't be said for Kyoko. Her actions carry a weight weight than his. They've hurt more people, but of course, she has no reason to say any of that.]

[bytheirhand]

It's hard not to... there's a girl her a little older than me. We've talked a few times and then I...

[Killed her. Tore into her flesh. Ripped muscle away from bone and devoured it. He can still feel the warmth of her blood, can see it on his hands, can taste it in his mouth. Czes pales in an instant, his forehead beading with sweat as he doubles over, falls to his hands and knees and retches.]

[prayed]

[Kyoko takes a step away from him as he begins to retch before beginning to pat his back. If he's listening closely, Czes might catch her mumbling under her breath:]

Something like that is...

[More than anything, she'd like to kill that man. Him and Ruana both. Subject them to all of the things that they put the tower's residents through, but of course, right now, that's impossible.]

You were aware of it the whole time, right? It must have been really hard, but...

[She bites her lip, struggling to find the right words for this situation. Can she really say anything in this situation?]

It's not your fault. It wasn't you. The fact that it was painful is proof of that.