I will never, ever fall, never stumble, and I don't need to be humble

[mooninthewater]

Who: Mizuki & you!
What: Mizuki's here to talk to people now.
When: Couple days after the meeting.
Where: Inn or Therapy Building.
Warnings: Will be in the titles as they come up.

[ Mizuki hasn't really shown himself around the Grove since being outed by Irene. Add and Elsword got to see him, and Vash got to see him the one time, too, but overall? He just kept to his camouflage and sauntered around the place in secret.

Now he thinks he's finally ready for people to come talk to him. He gets the feeling that no one beyond Irene (and Lancer, though he hasn't realized this, yet) is actually mad at him, but he knows there's bound to be a lot of questions. Questions he's not really ready to answer.

Doctor Kal'tsit is going to be so disappointed in him.

You'll visibly find him in one of two places. One, the lobby of the inn, of which he'll be in the chair on the opposite end of the lobby of the Inquisition fireplace. He just stares at it, even as people enter and exit, lost in thought. Two, he'll be at the therapy building. Either just outside, putting cute stickers on the door outside, or in the lobby, playing Frogger.

He doesn't make the effort to actually talk to anyone, but he won't immediately bail if you walk up to him, either. ]

Comments

[mooninthewater]

[ He's looking up at Sesa for a moment, a little unsurprised, but also just a smidge apologetic. He should've come sought his friend out instead of just sitting around, but… ]

Mmh… I can swap us to multiplayer, hold on…

[ Two player Frogger, lessgo.

Mizuki picks up a bunch of nearby stuffed animals with his tentacles to slide over to Sesa so he can be just a little more comfortable instead of just sitting on the floor. ]

[sesa]

[The addition of toys is much appreciated, coaxing a smile out of the Vouivre as he settles among all the soft things once Mizuki has gotten them set up. And since they're playing multiplayer, and also a game that they've probably played a hundred times previously, it won't be hard to have a conversation over it.

But...how to broach the topic? He isn't quite so sure.

So for a little bit he simply plays with Mizuki in silence, waiting for a lull between levels to try and speak up.]

It's good to see you again, Mizuki.

[mooninthewater]

[ Name any retro game and Mizuki can list you 100 facts about it and play it as if it's a simple shape-matching game. He probably doesn't even need to pay attention to the screen, either, but he's intentionally not looking at Sesa as he speaks. ]

…Yeah, it's good to see you, too. Sorry about… all of that. I didn't mean to make anyone upset or worry.

[sesa]

No...it's alright, Mizuki. You have nothing to apologize for. I am just glad you are alright.

[Seeing Irene attack him like that, unprovoked...minor injury or no, it was scary. Sesa hadn't been able to do anything but stand there and watch, and he still feels plenty guilty over it.]

I just wanted to say...that if you would rather not talk about what happened, then I am fine with that. You have my support regardless.

[mooninthewater]

[ Okay, now he'll look at Sesa. ]

Thank you. But, honestly, I'm not upset about what happened. I'm rather indifferent about talking about it, too. The only reason I kept it from everyone was because Doctor Kal'tsit had told me I shouldn't tell anyone. And before that Cicero had said the same thing.

…

I didn't want to lie to you, I hope you know that.

[sesa]

I know. I find it hard to believe you would ever want to lie to anyone. And...given the response some seem to have towards you, I can hardly blame you for keeping secrets.

[He shifts a little, listing his weight to one side as if he's getting more into the game when- in reality- he's just scooting a little closer to Mizuki.]

But it bothered me seeing you treated so unkindly, regardless of the circumstances.

[mooninthewater]

Oh, it's alright. Miss Irene has every right to be upset. I'm not worried about it. Doctor Kal'tsit generally has to have me leave the landship if the Abyssal Hunters are onboard. Irene was kind enough to not let her angry fester into something that would actually end up leading into a fight, but they would've killed me on sight. Doctor Kal'tsit has told Gladiia on multiple occasions to leave me alone, unfortunately…

[ He tilts his head and then just fully leans into Sesa, moving his little frog across the logs. ]

We always have such kind people like Doctor Kal'tsit, the Doctor, my old man, the video game store manage, the chef… and you, Mister Sesa.

[sesa]

Haha, I am not so sure I would place myself on the same level as the Doctor, or Doctor Kal'tsit...but thank you, Mizuki. From what it sounds like to me...Kal'tsit has only been trying to protect you, this entire time. It is unfortunate that things have to be this way, of course...

[He sighs, looking ahead at the TV in front of them as Mizuki continues guiding Frogger forward.]

But be that as it may. You shouldn't have to feel as if you need to hide yourself away from us, here. We have enough issues to deal with fighting against the Forest as it is without dissent between us.

[mooninthewater]

Oh, yes, she absolutely was. After I followed Ch'en to Rhodes, she was incredibly insistent on me staying. I'm not sure how she found me out so quickly, but Doctor Kal'tsit was ever so kind to me, anyway. [ Passenger is somewhere in the aether going "That woman is evil incarnate, actually." ] I wasn't allowed to be an official operator like you or Miss Ch'en, though. I think because if I was, then I would need to have official files on record, and that would obviously pose issues. She... was actually the one who told me to keep these secrets. She had told me that sometimes it's better if people didn't know about certain stuff.

I didn't understand that at the time, I'm not sure I still do...? I feel like all this could've been avoided if I were just honest from the beginning... [ All this said with frogger music in the background. ]

But, I know that. I wasn't hiding because I thought anyone was mad at me or anything. You all are so nice. I was just taking some time to myself because I was a bit sad that I let Doctor Kal'tsit down.

[sesa]

In my experience, it's...hard to know about these things. Perhaps it could have worked out differently...but that isn't something we'd know unless we could turn back time. It sounds like she decided it best to err on the side of caution, since you can never predict how other people will react. Oftentimes it won't be in ways they themselves expect.

[After all, just look at how the meeting went...]

I think if she were here, she would have understood. You did everything right, Mizuki.

[mooninthewater]

You seem very sure of it, Sesa, so I'll believe you. However, I feel like if I did everything right, I wouldn't have been found out at all.

[sesa]

I suppose it's possible that you wouldn't have. Not a lot of us know much about Seaborn as it is, after all. But at the very least, now you won't have to worry about it anymore.

[WELL I WOULDNT SAY THAT...]

[mooninthewater]

That's... intentional, to some extent? Iberians only asked for help from Laterano, and when they were told "it's your problem," it's likely they took that to the extreme. While Sargon does border the Sea of Clariside, unless there are nomads along the coastlines, it's highly unlikely any Seaborn would've ventured out there. Aquatic creatures of any kind, Aegir and Seaborn alike, would be miserable in the dry environment.

Anyway, I wouldn't say not worrying about it is totally correct. You, Gnosis, and Irene all are aware of this now, and I'll likely have to bring all of you to Doctor Kal'tsit to inform her when we get back. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, and she's likely going to give you all the same reasonings for keeping it under wraps...

[sesa]

That's fine. I don't mind speaking with her about this, if I must.

[She'd better not tell him he can't hang out with Mizuki or something anymore, though. That's when Sesa will no longer be nice and maybe start taking Passenger's Kal'tsit shade to heart.]

For the time being though, it isn't a problem, is more what I mean. Not unless we find a way to get back to Terra any time soon, at any rate.

[mooninthewater]

…I'm not so sure about that one, either, but I suppose that's more of a gut feeling than anything I have actually evidence for.

[ The closest thing he'd have is the fact that the Forest has used their secrets and fears against them in the past. It wouldn't be too outlandish to assume it'd do something to use the Swarm against Mizuki and the others as well, somehow.

It's not something he wants to think too extensively about, though. ]

I hope you're right, though, Sesa.

[sesa]

You needn't hope. I'm right about most things. You can take full confidence in my word being gospel.

[This is. A lie.]

And either way...regardless of your true origins, Seaborn or not...you're still Mizuki. That's all that matters to me.