longingfreesia | Story + Closed Event

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Story + Closed Event

Limbo.
That was the only way she could describe how she was feeling. It was like being in limbo. An endless circle of thoughts and worries that never really seemed to resolve themselves.
She'd been feeling like this a while, but it had been stronger ever since she met that 'Serena', the girl who shared the same face as Yuzu, but just by talking to her, Kotori could tell they weren't the same person.
Just who was she?
She claimed to be from some dueling military school. She grew up there learning that dueling was a tool for fighting, which Kotori disagreed with at first, but when asked to prove her resolve, Kotori couldn't do anything but flee, leaving her head full of doubts.

Should dueling be used as a way to fight? Or should it only be for fun? And was she any better than her? Her original drive to learn dueling was because she wanted to be able to protect herself and to protect Yuma, but it was Yuma who wanted her to not see dueling as a tool to fight with, he wanted her to see it as something fun.
But could any of them keep seeing it that way?
People who used dueling as a weapon destroyed their home and took everyone they knew and loved away from them. They took away their lives as they knew it.
But no-one knew who did it. No-one knew where they were.
Serena had mentioned she was after dueling 'terrorists'. Could it be she was after those who attacked Heartland? Was she sent to Domino City because they'd been seen here?
Kotori wrung her hands as anxiety clutched at her chest. She was terrified of the thought of the same thing happening to Domino City. She didn't want to risk losing her home, friends or family again, she just wouldn't be able to bare it, but it was this worry that had eaten at her for longer than she really cared to admit. This fear that everything could be taken away from her again at any moment.

And she wouldn't be strong enough to stop it.

She could duel now, but she felt she was no where near the level that Yuma or his friends were and even though she'd discovered her powers since then, she barely knew anything about them. Sure, she'd been able to control them better, but all she could do was push, pull and levitate small items and as for the butterflies, what could she even do with those other than run away like a coward?

She felt that, until either those who attacked Heartland were found and brought to justice, or until she was strong enough to protect those she loved, she could never relax.
Never settle.
Never fully move forward.

Not while the risk of losing everything again still hung over her like a thick fog that wouldn't clear.
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Closed Event

*Kotori is sitting on a bench in the park. It's quite a hot summer's day, but Kotori's attention doesn't seem to be on the wonderful weather.
She's sat looking down at her hands, looking quite deep in thought and rather anxious. Around her, there seems to be a few fluttering butterflies which, to the un-trained eye, look like normal butterflies, but to anyone with a keen eye, especially those sensitive to the supernatural, they can tell they aren't just regular butterflies. In-fact they weren't real butterflies at all and seemed to be made up of some kind of solid light.

One flutters down and lands on her hands, making Kotori give out a sigh. She knew they were appearing because of how anxious she'd been feeling and because she'd been keeping those worries to herself, but she didn't really know how to make them go away.*

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::Walks up to you, slowly, leaning on his cane.::

Butterflies from your stomach, Miss?

*This breaks her out of her thoughts and she looks up at him quickly.*

Mr. Heartland--! I--

*There was no use in really lying. She remembered how he was able to notice her powers last time. Sighing again, she glances back down at the glowing butterfly resting on her hand.*

... I guess that's one way of putting it.

I find a sense of levity about a situation makes it easier to talk about.

*She looks back up at him with an unsure look on her face.*

Somedays I wish I could look at things in that way, rather than worrying over them in an endless circle.

And what exactly do you have yourself worried over?

I guess, a lot of things.

I met a girl, a while ago... she said she was from a military dueling school and that she was looking for 'terrorists' who used dueling and... I'm worried that those she's looking for are those who attacked Heartland... that they've been seen here or something.
But I guess I've been worried over the possibility of Domino City being targeted for a long time. Those who attacked Heartland were never caught and... I'm terrified of the possibility of having to live through an attack like that again. I don't want to lose my home or anymore people I care about.

And I feel if it did happen, I wouldn't be able to do anything to help stop it, or protect anyone.

Isn't there a Special Police Force here designed specifically to deal with Dueling related crimes? Though, it is noble to want to protect one's home.

Well... yes, there is, but those who attacked Heartland attacked it with such force, I'd worry that this city would still struggle against an attack like that...

*She groans and places her hands over her face, the butterfly fluttering up and landing on her head. Another few seem to appear as her frustration elevates.*

I don't know... I just feel I can't really settle or feel relaxed until something is done, because everything could be taken away from me again. I could lose my home all over again, and lose the only family I have left... or the friends I've made here. Everything I've had to build up!

But what can be done? Nobody knows who attacked Heartland! Nobody knows where they are! And the attack just got buried under a bunch of lies!
I wanted to learn dueling originally so I could protect myself and to protect those I care about, but I'm not as strong as my boyfriend or his friends and even my abilities aren't really all that strong.

I...

*She sighs.*

I'm sorry. I shouldn't really be bothering you with all this.

On the contrary, Miss. What good is a politician if he doesn't at least try and listen to his constituents. Besides, there have been many 'not strong' people who have changed things in the world around them.

I guess that is true... I just wish I could do more, to be able to protect myself, my friends and family, in case something like that does happen.
I'm probably just letting anxiety over it run away with me, but it's so frustrating feeling like you're a sitting duck to something that may or may never happen.

::Sits down to you. But you notice one of his knees seems, less good than the other.::

It's important to worry about the future. But to the point of going in circles about it will get you nowhere.

::Taps the cane against the park concrete walkway..::

Perhaps you should try finding or talking to that girl? She might be a lead. Off the record, I'm saying.

Hmm, even if I wanted to find her, I'm not sure where I'd look. It's also a little confusing, because she looks uncannily like someone else I know too.
I'm also not sure how willing she would be to talk to me. The last time I... kind of got into a disagreement with her over how she saw dueling as a weapon, it's how she was raised to see it. I disagreed and when she challenged me to prove my resolve over it...
... I ran. Instead of accepting her challenge, I ran.

Then I questioned myself afterwards if it was really right for me to judge how she saw dueling, when my original reason for learning it was to use it to protect myself and others, which really, if she's looking for terrorists, she's really just doing the same.

::Tap tap tap...::

Ultimately, as I see it, you have a few options.

Keep practicing and let yourself get stronger in case this does happen, because certainly, I couldn't do it myself.

Secondly, if you can't do that so much, look for the girl. Surely she couldn't of vanished purely into thin air. And see if anyone else has seen her. She wasn't exactly like the person you know, I assume?

Though, Thirdly and finally, if not that, try and get in contact with anyone there who DID survive that wasn't your family. I heard a few other folks managed to get out. Maybe they know something you don't.

I've already spoken to all the survivors, only two of them weren't people I consider family. Though... *She thinks.*
... I guess there might be another one. I saw a guy wearing a mask of some sort, as well dark clothes and a cape at the Heartland Memorial... but that was months ago and he fled when I called out to him... I haven't seen anyone like that since. So I don't know if they were a survivor or not.

*That description might sound familiar to him!
She let's out a heavy breath.*

I guess all I can do is look out for that girl again... and somehow figure out how to become stronger, with both my dueling and my abilities.
Right now, all I can do is push, pull and levitate small items... and I don't even really know what these butterflies do. Just that they seem to show up if I'm anxious or scared.
I know little else about it, or even where the ability came from, other than it's apparently an hereditary trait.

::Notices her power. ... it's so familiar. Could she be... Hrm. Anyways.::

Well, I do think at least on both of those fronts, and Dueling, I might be able to help. I am a professional manager of Duelists, my dear.

*Kotori looks over at him, looking surprised.*

You'd really be willing to help me with improving my dueling?

Anything for a fellow citizen of Heartland City, my dear. Like I said before. We have to stick together.

*Kotori gives him a smile.*

Thank you so much! It's really kind of you to offer to help me!

::Pulls out a business card.::

Show this at the front desk on the building listed, tell them Mr. Heartland gave this to you. We'll arrange things from there.

*She takes it.*

Thank you! I'll make sure to come by soon!

Now, I hate to cut our time short, but.

I have equally important business to attend to.

::Gets up, walking with a slight limp.::

Thank you again, Mr. Heartland.

*She smiles and politely bows to him before she watches him walk away.*

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