Goodbye Mr. A(very)

Now, some time after that hectic trial, Mika stood outside the Big Top aimless for cause. The beating sun lashed it’s radiating whips against Mika’s soft, pale skin. Red marks scattered her uncovered arms and legs, burning despite the thick coating of sunscreen she applied prior to heading outside. Mika sighed as she took shelter within the shade of the Big Top.

Glancing around, Mika noticed the lake’s cool appearance. Maybe I could take a dip…? Mika shook her head frantically at the idea. Too many bad things happened at that damn lake. But there was one location in this circus Mika knew she could go to cool off… THE POOL! Mika had never visited it before, either, so this was the perfect chance!

Smiling, Mika buzzed her way through the warehouse and into the Inn Finity down to the fifth floor. Mika walked into the female changing room, searching about for a bathing suit. Unlucky for Mika, none of the swimwear around fit her small body. So be it. Mika decided to simply walk out to the pool and simply dip her toes in. Maybe if no one is there, she might hop in and let her clothing get soaked. Being in this mess, there really isn’t much to lose.

Avery didn’t know Mika that well. How was she taking everything? She was still alive, which was impressive. Perhaps... Perhaps she didn’t want to talk about all that though. Maybe she’d come here to get away from the trial and all. It’d be rude to bring it up right now.

“Hey Mika!” Avery was shouting pretty loudly, and didn’t even bother to move from her spot. She was feeling pretty comfortable. “Yeah! I hadn’t come to the pool before, so it could be a nice place to hang!” She patted a spot next to her for Mika to sit, inviting her over. 

Keiko fell silent for a few minutes and maintained her limp stance with her forehead pressed against the wall. However, hearing someone approach yanked her out of that trance, and she quickly straightened up as Avery addressed her. Embarrassing, embarrassing..!! She can’t be caught looking depressing or thinking depressing thoughts, especially not by Avery. Although, inwardly, she had to admit that she was a bit relieved for her to have approached. She’d though Avery would go on with Keisuke after the trial. 

“Ah, wha- alright? Of course!! I just thought it’d be good to stretch out here!” As if it’d help her claim, she raised an arm up and raised her other behind her head and stretched. She did a few stretches like this. “It’s nice outside, and that trial was exhausting. I needed to stretch my limbs a bit!” Keiko smiled at Avery, no hint of the expression or mood she had just a moment before Avery approached her. “Hm, did you get a similar idea, Avery? Hey, we can stretch together!” 

Keiko dropped her arms to her side and bent over, then proceeded to do a few more stretches, “These feel really nice, after all. By the way, where’s Keisuke? Leave him behind? He could have stretched with us, too.” 

Avery scratched the back of her head. Keiko seemed really energetic, not really like you’d expect of someone who was just nearly shot. Avery sighed. Why couldn’t she be more carefree and friendly like Keiko was? She smiled at Keiko and laughed. “I’m glad you’re doing alright! I was… really worried about you. I mean, it’s not fair of Oliver to go and try to kill my nemesis like that!” She tried to laugh again, although it sounded like she was forcing it to come out, before slowing down and looking at her feet.

Avery looked at Keiko. She hoped she could learn from her. Maybe that’d help her be positive. She nodded in agreement. “Yeah! We were in such a tense environment for so long, so stretching now would be great!” Her bright smile returned when Keiko asked Avery to stretch with her, and she took a step closer. “Of course I’ll stretch with you! That is, if you can keep up with me!” Avery smiled smugly. Maybe making a game out of this would help.

It should have been loaded. 

That invasive thought lingered in her consciousness as she left the trial, after she left, as she walked towards the inn, as she redirected herself away from the inn, and as she aimlessly walked until she reached a dead end at the lake. It should have been loaded. She could have died back there. The only reason Oliver didn’t shoot her was because there wasn’t another bullet, wasn’t it? In retrospect, it was obvious that was the case. Oliver was prepared to kill her. 

Of course, she would have been prepared to kill her too, if she was in anyone else’s shoes. She could feel everyone’s exasperation towards her during the trial. She could feel how annoyed everyone was becoming when she tried to help- “help”. That’s a laugh. In that trial, she felt utterly hopeless, helpless, defeated… Her innate reaction to such feelings have always been to laugh and play around. Everything would be better if everyone could have some fun, even in a tense situation! Always! Always, not. It’s the same thing every time, isn’t it? She goes too far, gets too irritating, but she can’t just stop. That would come off as depressing or pitiful- pathetic, even! She can’t just fall silent and look distant, though everyone may want her too. It’s too depressing. Maybe not for anyone else, but for herself. She would feel too out of place. 

Well, that out of place feeling will arise regardless. At least, in one way, she doesn’t break character. 

Really, above all things right now, she’d like to just talk to someone. Anyone. Being alone has never been good for Keiko. She’s never enjoyed being alone. However, this time… No, that trial was very bad and very exhausting. Her trying to talk to anyone now- especially her- would end in her conversational partner being in a very foul mood. Perhaps, if she wasn’t so obnoxious, she would be able to talk to someone in a time like this. If she was just a little more decent. Keiko bit her lip and furrowed her brow at the outside wall of the lounge. There was nothing there- just some dirt on the wall. 

“Well, what do you think? What should I do?” Keiko frowned at the wall as if she were expecting it to reply to her. Of course it didn’t, and she didn’t know how to answer either. “[…Damn it- Damn it],”  she muttered in English and gave a solid kick to the wall. “[At least answer me…]” again, she spoke to the wall in English before ultimately resting her forehead against it. This is very, very wrong. Didn’t five people just die? Five. Five… “[So self-absorbed…] kkk- Disgusting.”

Avery broke away from Keisuke after the trial, heading to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was still just the afternoon, and she already looked exhausted. That trial had worn her down, and she had no clue how to react. She frowned. 

She was kind of upset. Takumi was one of the ones who died. Avery wasn’t that close to him... heck, she attacked him. But she didn’t want for him to die. Yeah, he was a killer, but still. Did he deserve it? If she’d been asked before the game, she’d definitely say yeah. But now? No way.

She was legitimately worried when Keiko went over to Oliver. She took each of his threats seriously, and was scared he might try something with her roommate. Keiko was her friend, and she didn’t want anything to happen to her. She’d been acting a bit strangely that entire trial. Avery... she wanted to talk to her.

She left the Inn, setting off to find her roommate. She had no clue what’d happened to her since she got to the facility. After everything that’d happened, was she the same happy-go-lucky girl she was at the start? She just wanted to be cheerful, and help everyone stay happy, but she found it kind of difficult with people dying around her right and left. She sighed. It was slowly wearing down on her happiness.