(two.) | video.

[invocation]

[It's rare that she addresses the network at large, but today, Kyouko is perched on a far-off rooftop. The remains of the domed ceiling and the slightly bent, scorched cross atop it suggest that this place, wherever it is, used to be a church.

She is dressed as a Puella Magi for this, and with a care that belies her usual behavior, wraps the chains of her separated spear around the bent cross, and begins to pull, slowly. The comm device catches bits and pieces of this work — her boots, the strain and squeaking of old metal and wood. Eventually the cross is righted as much as it can be without tipping over and crashing to the ground below, and apparently satisfied, she leans against it, unwraps a candy bar, and places her comm device in her lap, staring down at the screen.]

[She turns away a little, and speaks in a contemplative tone of voice.] Y'know, the people who live here have hard lives.

[She takes a bite out of her candy bar, and continues to speak. Seems she's in an introspective mood.] Not you guys, [rude.] the people who lived here before we got here. When those bombs hit, a buncha of these buildings didn't make it. A lot of the people didn't either.

[A grin, but there's little humor to be found in it.] Heh, and this place is still here. It's a dump, but people come in here anyway. There's no priest and no books, but they leave junk here at the altars, even though the rain leaks through. They bury people without givin' 'em their rites. [...] I wonder if they even remember 'em. Betcha they don't, huh?

[She continues to chew.] I got here almost a year ago, and this building's still the same as the first time I saw it. I used to think nobody gave a damn about it, but I see them coming in and out of here all the time. An' even after the bombs, and what just happened, they always smile at you when you walk by. People give me stuff for no reason. I used to think that kinda attitude was stupid. Who smiles in a shitty place like this? Why give a buncha strangers anything? It's better to just care about yourself. They'd live better lives if they did.

[The wind is soft. Still. Kyouko's expression appears to close off, becomes difficult to read.]

Maybe. I don't know what I think now.

Comments

[tragicomedienne]

[That's true, she knows, but they're these people's dead and not the Transports'. An agitated line creases her forehead.] Nobody wants to turn on their phone and just hear about death!

[It's rare for her to agree this off the bat.] I think they should be, too. It's not like they can just rebuild everything out there. Almost everything's a wreck out beyond where we live.

But why be mad at us?

[invocation]

[A snort.] Get used to it. You're gonna hear way worse over this thing.

[She bites into her candy.] And think about it. We get treated better than they do, don't we? We don't have to pay for nothin' if we don't wanna, we can eat when we want, and they let us live here, in the best building this dump has. I've lived in worse places than the Hold. Even though it's a war, you don't gotta go on most of the missions if you don't want to.

But just look at this place. [She motions to the cross.] This is what they've got.

[tragicomedienne]

We're not to blame for that!

[She lifts her head abruptly, slamming both palms down onto the table in front of her.]

If they want to blame anyone, just - just look around! We're not responsible for any of this. You and I and the rest of us didn't cause any of this, so it's stupid to think they'd waste time hating us. Besides, we're here for a reason. If they hated us they'd just be jealous.

I guess they're smarter than that. [No, they probably just don't have the energy. The sincerity of the revelation makes her balk a little, and she quickly turns it back on Kyouko.]

You shouldn't eat while you're talking to people! it's rude.