Dual Therapy Session

Nagi was eating at a place called "Sunshine", that had just opened up again around Hachiko—enjoying a double cheeseburger, for the codes she would get for EleStra from doing this—when she noticed that someone had texted her.

And her first reaction was to let out a long-suffering sigh—as she hadn't quite gotten over her trauma from the Reapers' Game—and always thought that a new text message meant a mission now. But when she saw that it was just Lady Shoka asking questions about the soul-enrapturing and soul-claiming game they now shared together in their hearts, she calmed down and began sending a few answers back.

The silly thing! Thinking that Lord Ishimoto and Lady Sakura might have a thing for each other! Yes, Lady Sakura was a well-rounded character, who could love as easily as she could wield her sword, but her duty still came first!

Nagi was in the process of sending a few long texts about all of this back—almost wondering if it would be easier to just call Lady Shoka over the phone, and tell her over this… if she could be pulled away from Rindo long enough to answer it, that was—when someone else sat down beside her.

"Tempting fate, I see," Nagi snarled, pushing up her glasses and getting ready to fight, whoever would sneak up on a damsel when she was unprepared to take care of herself, for being as taken away as she was by her hyper-fixation. "Know that I will not stand for it! In the name of my dear Lord Ishimoto, I will slay you where you sit, for ever daring to think that you could best me when I just won a-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, Naggirl!" Lord Tosai—though Nagi was moreso wanting to call him "Fret" in this moment, or ignore him completely, since he was giving her a dreaded name pun again—tried to calm her down instantly, as he threw his hands up into the air, before running one hand through his hair nervously. "Shokie told me you were here, and I- I just wondered if I could come and talk to you about stuff, because… Oh, hey! Is that a Frozen Coke?!"

Hmm… Nagi might have to have a word with Lady Shoka later, about giving out one's location without their permission… though then again, maybe not. Lord Tosai did seem to be pretty upset about something, but Nagi wondered why he was covering it up already. Hadn't he learnt to be more real in the Game?

Granted… Nagi would admit, that her desire to shut him down even now, probably did not help matters… so perhaps she should try to dial it back a degree, and treat him the way she might Lord Rindo, even though he was not the one who had secured her the Elegant Strategy pin, of course.

"If there's something you'd like to talk about Lord Tosai, I'm more than happy to listen! I'm a pretty big empath, as we discussed in the Reapers' Game. So, I do believe that I could help you. And at least this time, I wouldn't have to dive inside your head, and have anxiety that I might fail before doing so… so I'm all ears!"

It occurred to Nagi as she said this, though, that she and Lord Tosai were probably going to be at this restaurant for a little while longer. And she'd only had one burger…

Not wanting the restaurant workers to hate them or kick them out, Nagi decided to have a heart and buy Lord Tosai a triple burger—they'd enjoyed those in the Game, had they not?—and the frozen coke he had just spied, while she waited for him to be honest with her—her hands underneath her chin, as she watched him devour his food before he found himself… she felt disgusted watching him eat, though, and almost rethought this whole plan. Why was she helping him, of all people, again?

But when the Lord finally began talking again, Nagi understood. "It's just… talking about my friend who committed suicide has me going through it again, y'know? And I- I don't know what to do about it. And- the Game was hard, Nagi. I don't have to tell you that. I guess… after everything, I'm afraid I might end up like him."

And if that wasn't enough to make Nagi hate herself for the way she'd treated Lord Tosai in the past, she didn't know what would. But what to say here to get the point across? Somehow, she thought that just suggesting that he play Elegant Strategy as a pick-me-up wasn't going to work this time…

"Well, talking about it is always the best first step…" Dear God, why was she blushing, and why were her glasses fogging up because of it? "And we've been through some real stuff, Lord Tosai, that going to see a therapist for isn't out of the question. I've thought about it, myself. We may have to lie about some of our ordeals, unfortunately. Lest we end up locked somewhere like the legend himself was… but I do think it would help."

Lord Tosai's face, that had become pretty gloomy after he'd finished eating—as he held a hand to his heart, as if it was too heavy from bearing the weight of everyone and everything he loved within it—looked as though the sun was now coming out for him, and Nagi was most glad for it.

Time to really dive in for the kill now, then, Nagi thought—rubbing her hands together, excitedly, as if she were playing her favorite game in the world. But, no. This was so much more than that.

"And know, Lord Tosai, that… that the Wicked Twisters are here for you. Myself included. They say that talking to people who went through similar things to yourself can be very beneficial… we all love you, I mean…" And Lord Ishimoto help her… why was she awkward here again, almost wanting to wipe at her glasses?

And as Nagi was doing just that, Lord Tosai stood up—seeming much relieved and better—and he put money in her hand for his portion of the meal, she thought, and said, "Yeah, the Wicked Twisters is a group that all really loves each other, huh?" and smiled her way.