[Hanako] Chapter 11: Relationships

[Asta]

Hanako tried not to groan, the girl was incredibly frustrating to talk to. "Can you at least promise me to come talk to me first if you suspect something? There's going to be a huge morale problem if you just go around attacking people because you think they might be up to no good."

[Throndir]

Diplomacy requested

[Asta]

Diplomacy:

Rolled 1d20+5 : 18 + 5, total 23

[Throndir]

The valkyrie held up her right hand as if it to swear to you.

"That I shalt promise then." Kari said. "Now, willst I still stay in this cell?"

[Asta]

"I suppose not, if you're going to behave." Hanako said stepping forward and unlocking the cage. "I'll take that off as well, as a measure of good faith." she continued, tapping a finger on the collar Kari had around her neck as a flourish while using her ability to unlock it.

Hanako took a step back and turned to look at Falah, releasing her command over her. "Let's all try and get along shall we? Kari, I'm sure you haven't eaten in a while so why don't you go get something for... lunch? Is it lunchtime yet?" she asked nobody in particular. "Try not to wander off the grounds, it would be a real shame if we were discovered before my plan in ready. Anyone here can probably show you around if you want."

As she spoke she remembered the spell that had blown up in the girl's hand earlier. "Could probably get your hand treated too. Just have mundane first aide though, nobody here can use light magic."

[Throndir]

The lock on the cage opened easily enough, and so did the collar. Kari's eyes widened slightly, though she only seemed to nod a moment later. Once the collar was loose, she grabbed on to it and dropped it on the ground without another word. Her disgust in the collar was plain to see in both her facial expression and actions.

"Mine hand shalt be fine, tis the effect of mana feedback." Kari said looking at her hands. "But I thank thee. Dost thou have tea?"

Falah's eyes cleared up again, after a moment of getting her bearings she spoke.

"I'm sorry Hanako...!" She said, tears forming in her eyes, and shivering.

As reference from the Spell doc:

Spell Failures and Untrained Usage
Lastly, failure on learning spells have more consequences than other Techniques. If a hero fails their Spellcraft check to learn the spell DC by 5 or more, they will suffer lethal damage equating the amount of MP used in the spell. This same effect happens for Untrained Usage of spells.

If the casting of a spell is interrupted, either by provoking an attack of opportunity, or somehow the incantation was interrupted, the caster also suffers from the same effect. The damage is an untyped Mana feedback damage.

[Asta]

"Mine hand shalt be fine, tis the effect of mana feedback. But I thank thee. Dost thou have tea?"

"If you say so, get it checked out if it bothers you though." Hanako said, in regards to Kari's hand. "As far as tea goes, yeah I think we have some. Guy who used to own this place seemed like a tea drinker. I'm sure someone could help you find it upstairs."

"I'm sorry Hanako...!"

She turned to Falah and smiled gently, trying not to show the slight disappointment she felt earlier. "I know. Let's go back up to your room and we can talk about it."

Hanako waved away anyone that would offer to make the trip with her out of concern or suspicion. "I think we all know I'll be fine."

Hanako will escort Falah back to her room alone, as indicated. Provided nobody else has anything important to say.

[Throndir]

Much of the crowd was silent after the entire confrontation. Eventually interest started to wane, and the people started making their way back up to the higher levels of the estate. Akime was the one who decided to take up showing Kari around, the Isikawan too perhaps felt like she had some responsibility over the ordeal. There was a language barrier between them of course, but they seemed to get along well enough through simple gestures, it didn't take long for Minette to eventually offer her services.

Meanwhile, both you and Falah made your way back to her room. Through the journey Falah kept her eyes down and followed immediately. Word had already spread of the valkyrie's attack on you, not to mention the interrogation that had happened, and there were more than a couple of others who had given both Falah and Valkyrie a hard stare. Soon enough, the two of you were back in Falah's room.

[Asta]

"Well, that certainly was something hmm?" Hanako said nonchalantly after making sure the door was closed. "I wasn't expecting that to go that way, but I guess it worked out in the end."

She wasn't exactly sure how to approach the subject of Falah's hypothetical betrayal, but she knew that the situation hadn't really been resolved satisfactorily.

"Soooo..." Hanako trailed off awkwardly.

[Throndir]

http://www.youtube.com/v/WySlRsifN1s?end=263

Falah bowed to you, in a similar Japanese fashion that you were familiar with. How Falah picked it up was beyond anyone's guess.

"I'm sorry Hanako." Falah stated once again, this time a bit more surely. "I... was afraid. I didn't find out you were a hero until a bit after you took me in. I suspected you were different or special to be visiting the Birkensen Trading Company and being in a place that they kept secret, with all the weapons they were developing." She paused for a moment then looked up while still bowing, her eyes were worried. "There's more I have to tell you..." She said, as she bit her lip.

"But first... I really want you to know how important it is for me for you to keep me like this..! Here I... I have a bed. A soft and warm one. And I can pull up the covers whenever I want. If I wanted to sleep in, I could. I'm allowed to go around cleaning the estate with Trudy. Here I could talk to some people without them secretly hating me. And yes there are the glares... But I mean... I sometimes get those back in the castle too at Lord Maou's. So I'm used to it too."

"I know it's been short, but... it feels like a dream, almost. And... and when I think about that, I think about how much better the dream would be, if my father was praising me. All he cares about... is domination this, the war that, fighting with the humans, taking over, and subjugating." She gulped as she finally stopped her bow, her eyes catching yours directly.

"If I were Sofia... I would have done the same." Her eyes shifted away from yours, moving to look at the floor. "I... wasn't always locked up at the Birkensen Trading Company. There was a brief time I worked above in the offices, not to read or write, I can't really do that very well, but like here, I cleaned up places. I overheard some people talking... Like... weapons against demons? And... I almost panicked. I told one of the people I worked with. But I shouldn't have. I wanted to tell my father, I didn't want him to get hurt. After that... After that you saw what happened." Falah said, her eyes flaring in anger.

"They put a collar on me! They kept using it... Over and over... And over and over and over and over...!" Tears begun to swell in her eyes. "I trusted them! They gave me a place to work..! Some avoided me, but some still talked to me! Do you know how it feels when you see someone you thought you trusted, only smirking and laughing when you're in pain, locked behind a caged door? You would call out to them for help. They'd only stare back with a crooked smile, their eyes accusing me even though I hadn't even done anything wrong but worry!"

"You know I'm a half demon. And I admit... that part of me burns with anger and hatred." Her eyes started to flash red literally. "When I was in the cage at the company... You asked me what I would do if I were free... Do you remember? I said... I wasn't sure. But..." She began to clench her fists.

"I didn't want to admit it, and I feel guilt for thinking it. But if they got in my way ever again, I would tear them limb from limb! Even if I'm not as powerful as the full-blooded demons, I can at least do that!" She stopped then, realizing what she had said in her outburst. She wiped away her tears with an arm, then continued to look at your feet.

"If I'm banished to one of the cages downstairs... I would understand." Falah said, her eyes glazing over, though, not from your ability. "I wouldn't trust myself either."

[Asta]

Hanako listened quietly while Falah poured out her feelings. When she was finished Hanako sat down on the bed and let out a short sigh. 'I'm not going to stick you downstairs." she began. "Part of trusting someone, is giving them the opportunity to hurt you, and hoping that they wont. Granted, you did just admit you were looking for a way to tell your father about all this but at least for the time being I know you aren't going to."

She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the bed. "You say you want your father to accept you, and to praise you yeah? Lets say that somehow you did let him know, and he came here with an army and wiped out the entire estate. Yes, I think he would probably praise you. For that. Do I think he would actually accept you? No."

She leaned forward again, folding her hands together and resting her elbows on her knees. "The way you talk about your father reminds me a lot of my own parents. I wasn't lying about them not caring about me. To the best of my knowledge, I'm the single biggest disappointment in their lives and they did absolutely nothing to hide that. They didn't like me for who I was, and because of that they cut off contact with me entirely. I'm sure you can imagine what it's like to live in a house where everyone ignores you, or sometimes looks at you like you're less than trash."

"Sure, it would have been possible to change, to squeeze myself into the mold they wanted me to fit into. Maybe they would have showed me some affection for a time. However, I would always know that it wasn't really me that they cared for. I couldn't lie to myself about that. So when I was old enough, I left."

Hanako turned to Falah. "Do you get what I'm saying? Deep down, you know they wouldn't accept you as you are, as the person you want to be."

She held out a hand. "I will though, and so will the others in time. You aren't a bad person."

[Throndir]

Falah's mouth quivered for a second, and her face showed clear emotion in them. Her eyes started to waver, and a moment later they teared up again. She stumbled forward, grabbing your hand, but eventually stumbled to the floor at your feet still clasping on to your fingers. Her form heaved in between sobs as she attempted to stifle her emotions. But the demon girl wasn't able to.

[Asta]

Hanako placed her free hand on Falah's head and ruffled the sobbing girl's hair gently. "There there... I know it's not easy."

Hanako knew that the situation's that they shared weren't entirely the same, and the things she had said were perhaps more idealistic than practical but it seemed that it was what Falah needed to hear at the time. She hoped that in the long run, the entire situation would end up allowing Falah to finally be, at the very least, treated with some measure of dignity by the rest of the residents of the estate. Only time would tell.

[Throndir]

Falah continued to quietly sob for the next half an hour, until she had finally stopped. She never moved from her position at your feet, with her head touching your knees, and hands out to grasp one of yours. She had her head down for most of it, but from the rhythmic nature of her breathing, she had likely fallen asleep.

[Asta]

Hanako continued to stroke the sleeping girl's hair for a while, wondering what time it was. There was still so much that needed to be taken care of today, but she figured that there was a little time to spare to reassure Falah that she was still wanted here.

What a day... she thought wearily.

After another half hour or so Hanako is gonna try and get Falah up and into the bed so she can leave the room.