naturalcure | Dual Post

Dual Post

I finished doing a sweep of the city and the island. There's no sign of the infestation anywhere around here. It should be safe.

...well. Safe from this, at least. Anyway. My job's done, so, I'm going back to the forest soon. Tsukumo and the rest of you...y'know what to do if you need me again.

---

[Later at night, at SAI's spirit house, Isabel is sitting alone - technically, she shouldn't really be here, this late past closing. She put her skills as a hunter to less-than-good-use and snuck in. She's not even sure she did a good job, she probably tripped an alarm and someone, somewhere knows she broke in. It doesn't really matter a whole lot to her. Right now, she's just sitting up in a tree somewhere, watching the spirits that make their home there.

Every so often, she quietly sniffs and brings her hand up to her eyes, wiping them clear. Then, she goes back to observing the spirits for a few moments before they start clouding up again.]

(OOC: Alternatively, if your character would have no reason to investigate the spirit house at SAI but you still wanna interact with Isabel through this event part, she can be outside Sakana or in the Domino park as necessary)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

....

[Isabel looks away. When she speaks, her voice is cracking.]

Yeah. Well.

I didn't feel like signing up for the tour.

*Juudai frowns a little, noting the cracking in her voice. Slowly, he climbs the same tree Isabel is in and sits on another branch close to hers.*

So... you're going back soon, huh.

...Yeah.

Probably as soon as I can find a good place to connect to the gate again.

*Juudai remains silent for a moment, before speaking.*

We've all really missed you here. It was great having you around and being able to talk with you again.

[Isabel suddenly says very bluntly:] I didn't come to talk to you guys.

...I didn't come to deal with the infestation either.

*Juudai looks at her, puzzled.*

You didn't come to deal with the infestation? But isn't that what you've been doing here?

It's what I've been doing, but -- [She waves a hand, frustratedly.] Any hunter could've done that! Gian or Lotus could've come and handled that in like, two days!

I'm saying it's not why I came here. Do you get it?!

Then... there was another reason you came back here?

Yeeeeah, that's what I'm saying! Holy crap, I was afraid I'd have to draw you a chart.

[After that unsubtle dig at Juudai's intelligence, Isabel lets out a sigh and looks down.]

....

While we were in the forest...Tsukumo told me about what happened to Ruka.

*Juudai takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh as he looks down.*

Yeah. That was an awful thing for her to go through.
She's grown up a lot though and I'm proud of how she's been handling it. She's still beat up over it, there will probably never come a time when she isn't... but she's coping with it.

...

When he told me, all I could think about was Ruka after those other guys had been taken away from her. When she was so depressed, I couldn't even get her out of her room.

[Isabel runs a hand through her hair. She sniffs and her voice cracks again.]

I couldn't help her then and a Number wound up getting her because of it - I thought 'I can't let that happen again. I won't let her be alone this time. If she's alone, I'll stay with her as long as I need to.'

...I actually came here planning to ask her to move back to the forest with me.

*Juudai looks up at Isabel with surprise.*

You were?

...I thought if she was like how she had gotten before... [She sighs.] It's peaceful and quiet and the spirits there are all really kind...

I thought it would be what was best for her. To start over like I did...

But she's already moving forward with her life. She doesn't need me to rescue her. [Isabel sucks in a breath and lets it out with a pained noise.] All I did by coming here was dredge up a sad memory she's trying to get past on her own. I couldn't help her again. Just like last time.

*Juudai slowly raises his hand and places it on Isabel's shoulder.*

I'm sure she'd appreciate that you came here for her and that you were thinking of her.
And I'm sure she was happy to get to see you again.

It's true that she doesn't need rescuing, she doesn't need any of us to do that for her, but knowing she has the support of her friends will give her strength, including yours, even if you aren't here to physically give it to her.
She knows you care.

Yeah. Yeah, she knows I care. [Isabel lets out a little sigh. She doesn't sound that comforted. But she does lean into Juudai a bit when she feels his hand on her.]

...d'you know why I left here?

I know you were feeling rather lost. I assumed it was to do some soul searching. Just travel where-ever and see where it lead you.

...yeah.

I borrowed that line from you 'cause I really liked how it sounded. Y'told me that if you hadn't married Asuka and started the Spirit Foundation... [She sighs.] That's what you would've done, right?

*Juudai nods at that.*

Yeah. That's what I would of done, had none of that happened and had I failed graduating the Academy.
I still want to travel like that at some point but, that's way far in my future.

I'll have plenty of time to kill, after all.

[Snort.] Yeah. I was thinkin' somethin' like that too.

... [She looks away from Juudai, a somewhat ashamed expression on her face.] That wasn't the whole truth, though.

*Juudai looks at her curiously.*

It wasn't...?

....

[Isabel runs a hand through her hair. Her wooden hand.]

...you know what power Tomoko and my dad have, right?

Of course. They're both Psychic Duelists.

I mean, specifically, the specific powers they have. Do you know what it is?

Well, Tomoko's is a healing power, with added empathic abilities.

[Isabel blinks - since when did she have a healing power? Neither here nor there.]

Yeah. The empathic power. That's...what I'm talking about.

She and my dad can sense other people's emotions. And it affects them. [Isabel's hand comes over her wooden arm and she looks down.]

...

...I should've died when I lost to Z-ONE.

He ripped me apart and he threw me off of that island and I fell back down to Earth and my body was destroyed by it and I should've died when that happened, but because of the power I stole from Demeter, I didn't, and. I couldn't get past that.

[Isabel lets out a breath. Juudai may remember how difficult Isabel's rehabilitation was after she lost to Z-ONE, but this is the first time she's opened up to him about it.]

I was weak and in pain all the time. I had nightmares. And....weird stuff, like I'd go outside and suddenly I'd flash back to being there and seeing Z-ONE and I'd start freaking out. [She blinks a few times.] I just...I found myself wishing Z-ONE had just killed me so I wouldn't have to keep living like that. And I didn't want those thoughts and feelings getting picked up by my dad or Tomoko. So. When I was able to take care of myself again...

...I left. I figured I'd either find something to help me or I'd find a place to just...burn myself out. And that'd be it.

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