Without missing a beat, Washu swung her arm around Minagi's and silently pulled the young girl away from tension's breeding ground. Ryoko was left alone to face Tenchi and discuss such the frightening subject that was love. Had she ever had to directly tell Tenchi that she loved him, she'd fold like delicate paper in the origami artist's hands. Graceful fingers bending her spine in a way as to bring her into view and show what she had hidden there so long. Tenchi took a long pause before looking up at Ryoko, hoping to make the situation lighter. Hoping to find a way to laugh off anything he might have said.
Instead, there was a painful peace within them and a torturous tension between them. With feelings on the onsen floor, who would say what, and when and why? How would Aeka react? When does Ryoko get to live the life of her dreams as opposed to the reality she had to face? Tenchi would have to really know Ryoko, but Ryoko didn't even know Ryoko.
At any respectful time, Tenchi would have spoken. And when he found the time right, Minagi had broken free of Washu and approached the two of them again. She panicked for a fleeting moment, wondering if it was the right time to intervene. Hoping Tenchi would understand, she only phased away with Ryoko who didn't seem reluctant to leave the situation.
Minagi positioned Ryoko between a large boulder and herself at the farthest reaches of the forest, softly illuminated a motherly glow of orange by the setting sun. The girl thought to speak and then held back. She took a deep breath.
"You are you." Minagi's only words came after deepest contemplation.
"What?" Ryoko's voice came softly, more in unenthusiastic fake response than actual curiosity.
"I mean, you are Ryoko. A girl, much like myself, who just wants to find her place in the world. Who wants to carve a niche that fits her just perfectly. You are an adventurer and a louse, you're a troublemaker and a problem solver. You're every complicated thing in the world, and then you're it's solution. Ryoko, you are who you are and no one can change that. I spent all last night just trying to figure out who you were. I asked questions about who you were and the only thing I could think to answer it was simply who you are. You are Ryoko. You're not some grand, divine being sent to us to terrorize or create, you were simply put here to be you. You don't search within yourself for the answers to the questions you ask yourself. Don't doubt yourself." The young woman spoke. "Don't fail to give yourself credit as well." Minagi took Ryoko's hand. "Look at the world around us. We're given all these pointless little convinces that only add up to something when they're one whole, functioning unit. We have Earth. A home, a place to love and be loved in. You take every part of you, the part that's shy and the part that's sad and angry and happy and even malicious. The part that innocent and the part that's suffered tragedy and you are simply you. You can't be anything more than Ryoko. It's what you've needed to be told for a long time."
Ryoko made a weak attempt to stop trembling enough to lean forward and embrace Minagi. It seemed like the only thing she could do. She wanted to transfer all her fears and worries off onto someone who could take them and destroy them for her, she learned, though, that she'd have to do that herself. Minagi pat Ryoko's back for a moment. A gentle smile passed her lips as she thought to be as mischievous as Washu just once before she left. Slowly backing away from Ryoko, she faded out. Where she stood, Tenchi fell and stumbled forward, crashing into Ryoko. Minagi thanked her flair for physics as she floated from her location, hovering over the two. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall on you. She tossed me at such an angle... I..." Tenchi rubbed the back of his head and gazed up at Ryoko.
"It's no place you've never been. I can recount a few times you've ended up in my cleavage." Ryoko tried to lighten the situation just a bit.
Tenchi lowered his head. "Yea, I'm really sorry about that... about all of this, Ryoko. I'm really sorry that you found out that way."
Ryoko felt herself losing composure. She felt herself bending as if it were about to begin. Her stomach was the first to go. It knotted up, but butterflies still found ways to attack her stomach. Her skin turned pale, but she knew she had to say it. "Tenchi? I'm not sorry you said any of that stuff. Because..." It was getting harder for her to admit it. "Because I love you too."
Tenchi's face flushed the way it would if he were surprised. He didn't know why it was so surprising to hear Ryoko utter the words she'd let her actions speak so boldly so many times before. It just felt to him like they were having a civil moment where they could connect. It didn't seem like Ryoko to be so calm and graceful around him, but instead, the Minagi's version of Ryoko he'd seen only days before. They'd both never admit it, but this was the way they were both their happiest.
Minagi crouched low in a tree branch, more worried that Washu would drag her off than being caught by the two. Smiling softly, she hoped the best for them.
End of Ch.
-It's a short chapter... but I didn't know where to go but UP XD. I need sleep.
Instead, there was a painful peace within them and a torturous tension between them. With feelings on the onsen floor, who would say what, and when and why? How would Aeka react? When does Ryoko get to live the life of her dreams as opposed to the reality she had to face? Tenchi would have to really know Ryoko, but Ryoko didn't even know Ryoko.
At any respectful time, Tenchi would have spoken. And when he found the time right, Minagi had broken free of Washu and approached the two of them again. She panicked for a fleeting moment, wondering if it was the right time to intervene. Hoping Tenchi would understand, she only phased away with Ryoko who didn't seem reluctant to leave the situation.
Minagi positioned Ryoko between a large boulder and herself at the farthest reaches of the forest, softly illuminated a motherly glow of orange by the setting sun. The girl thought to speak and then held back. She took a deep breath.
"You are you." Minagi's only words came after deepest contemplation.
"What?" Ryoko's voice came softly, more in unenthusiastic fake response than actual curiosity.
"I mean, you are Ryoko. A girl, much like myself, who just wants to find her place in the world. Who wants to carve a niche that fits her just perfectly. You are an adventurer and a louse, you're a troublemaker and a problem solver. You're every complicated thing in the world, and then you're it's solution. Ryoko, you are who you are and no one can change that. I spent all last night just trying to figure out who you were. I asked questions about who you were and the only thing I could think to answer it was simply who you are. You are Ryoko. You're not some grand, divine being sent to us to terrorize or create, you were simply put here to be you. You don't search within yourself for the answers to the questions you ask yourself. Don't doubt yourself." The young woman spoke. "Don't fail to give yourself credit as well." Minagi took Ryoko's hand. "Look at the world around us. We're given all these pointless little convinces that only add up to something when they're one whole, functioning unit. We have Earth. A home, a place to love and be loved in. You take every part of you, the part that's shy and the part that's sad and angry and happy and even malicious. The part that innocent and the part that's suffered tragedy and you are simply you. You can't be anything more than Ryoko. It's what you've needed to be told for a long time."
Ryoko made a weak attempt to stop trembling enough to lean forward and embrace Minagi. It seemed like the only thing she could do. She wanted to transfer all her fears and worries off onto someone who could take them and destroy them for her, she learned, though, that she'd have to do that herself. Minagi pat Ryoko's back for a moment. A gentle smile passed her lips as she thought to be as mischievous as Washu just once before she left. Slowly backing away from Ryoko, she faded out. Where she stood, Tenchi fell and stumbled forward, crashing into Ryoko. Minagi thanked her flair for physics as she floated from her location, hovering over the two. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall on you. She tossed me at such an angle... I..." Tenchi rubbed the back of his head and gazed up at Ryoko.
"It's no place you've never been. I can recount a few times you've ended up in my cleavage." Ryoko tried to lighten the situation just a bit.
Tenchi lowered his head. "Yea, I'm really sorry about that... about all of this, Ryoko. I'm really sorry that you found out that way."
Ryoko felt herself losing composure. She felt herself bending as if it were about to begin. Her stomach was the first to go. It knotted up, but butterflies still found ways to attack her stomach. Her skin turned pale, but she knew she had to say it. "Tenchi? I'm not sorry you said any of that stuff. Because..." It was getting harder for her to admit it. "Because I love you too."
Tenchi's face flushed the way it would if he were surprised. He didn't know why it was so surprising to hear Ryoko utter the words she'd let her actions speak so boldly so many times before. It just felt to him like they were having a civil moment where they could connect. It didn't seem like Ryoko to be so calm and graceful around him, but instead, the Minagi's version of Ryoko he'd seen only days before. They'd both never admit it, but this was the way they were both their happiest.
Minagi crouched low in a tree branch, more worried that Washu would drag her off than being caught by the two. Smiling softly, she hoped the best for them.
End of Ch.
-It's a short chapter... but I didn't know where to go but UP XD. I need sleep.