mailbox - soulgemmed

[loveedition]

This is Ryoko Asakura. I can't answer right now, please leave a message. Thank you!

[ action ; mailbox ; phone ]

Comments

[preparade]

Y...yeah. You're right...

[ Friends. The word hangs in Taiga's mind.

They were friends, yet Taiga so blatantly caused unneeded worry for Ryoko. She really was a horrible person, in the end. None of this would have happened if Taiga hadn't acted so foolishly to assume she could be safe on her own.

She buries her face beneath the blanket, trying to hide her hiccuping sobs. ]

[loveedition]

Of course I'm right!

[ Ryoko takes a deep breath, and then gives Taiga a big smile, standing in front of her with a false confident look on her face. ]

Anyone that hurts you is gonna get a big talking to from me, and I won't go easy on them, not even for a second! Asakura-san'll never forgive anyone that goes after you, so they'll have to watch out!

[ See, look at her! Look at how much she's sparkling! No, those aren't tears on the side of her eyes, those are sparkles! ]

[preparade]

[ If Taiga weren't, y'know, crying and counting all the ways she was a worthless human being, that would have earned a chuckle from her. Instead, in an almost deadpan voice, she responds dryly. ]

That sounds like a threat...

[loveedition]

[ That sounds familiar. Familiar enough to put a full smile on Ryoko's face, and get her to laugh quietly to herself. ]

I can't send anyone to the hospital... but, if I'm good at anything, it's giving them a lot to think about later. That's how I get others to learn.

[preparade]

Mmmm... Yeah.

[ Pardon the complete lack of true response, but Taiga's first thought was Ryoko trying to confront Chara. It was clear that they were playing the game, but what if they were to kill for the sport of it, because Ryoko pissed them off? They would probably do it without a second thought, and leave her to bleed out in the streets just like they did with her, after stabbing again and again and--

Taiga lurches forward, hand clasped over her mouth as her stomach churns violently at the mere thought of it all. ]

[loveedition]

[ Ryoko immediately catches her, eyes wide at her expression and she immediately backs down from that smile, her demeanor going right back to worried. ]

Ah... Ah, ah ah ah, no! Aisaka-san, it was a joke, a joke! You know I wouldn't do anything like that! If I did something like that, they'd--

[ NO, OKAY, BAD IDEA. ]

L-Let's just forget about it for now, okay?! There's no reason for us to even think about anything like that happening anymore!

[preparade]

I-it's fine, Ryoko... I'm fine, i-it's not what you said...

[ Except it totally was and she's totally not feeling fine, which is why Taiga just... kinda pathetically leans against Ryoko. ]

S...sorry.

[loveedition]

N...No, it's okay. I should be apologizing. I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine, I'm not going to go anywhere.

[ That's how you stay safe! Just... stay stationary, stay with your friends. ]

--I promise, I'm not going to do anything. Okay?

[preparade]

Okay... Just, make sure you don't get into any trouble... Please.

[ She doesn't want Ryoko to get hurt.

She doesn't want to be left alone. ]

[loveedition]

Ah... well...

More than anything... I feel that if something bad happened to me, you'd try to do something about that, so I should probably try to avoid trouble completely.

[ That's all it took to get someone riled up, wasn't it? ]

[preparade]

[ Well... Ryoko wasn't wrong. Taiga would commit felonies if it meant protecting someone she cared about. ]

....Mm-mmm. I'd make them pay...