Bedside Commentary (Sakuya)

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Homeroom was over. The first class, too, was over. That was about as long as the teachers could maintain Eriko's attention that morning. Giving up on learning anything important, she made her way out of the classroom as soon as class ended. She may have detested wasting time, but she would at least be polite and stay the whole period before walking out. Most of the other third-years knew better than to stand in Tokisaka Eriko's way. Most of them had been there since the maiden first unleashed hell towards the riff-raff in her class. Of course, for the younger students, such information was not as widely known.

On the second floor, she had to weave through students occasionally. On the first, she had to hug a wall to get by. Certainly, she was recognized as a third year, but, that aside, most knew nothing of the weary-faced, long-haired maiden. That was likely for the best, she thought to herself- as she did almost every day she waded through groups and headed directly for the infirmary. One would have thought she was anemic, or deathly ill, given the frequency of her visits. Of course, anyone that knew Eriko knew better than that.

As she entered the infirmary, the girl muttered habitual formalities to the nurse, half-bowing as the woman excused herself. It was a sort of understanding that was shared between the two. That, and the girl was trusted to not meddle with supplies. She had no reason to bother with them, anyway. As she made her way to a bed, the girl reached in the pocket of her sweater, pulling out a few pills before swallowing them. Despite being a sizable dose intended to knock her out, they rarely did anything more than giving her a slight daze. Of course, taking more than what she did would have been a health risk, so that was out of the question.

Pulling her precious knee-length hair to either side as she sat on the edge of the bed, the young lady sighed. Looking up, she realized she left the partitioning curtain open, but she could not muster the willpower to bother getting up and closing it. Shaking her head, the girl shifted about until she was centered on the bed, her black veil resting at either side of her body as she laid back. Pulling an earbud out of her skirt pocket, she plugged it into her right ear, reaching back inside her pocket to fiddle with her phone before she managed to start a playlist. Classical music- symphonious orchestras!- would come in a matter of heartbeats, but would it be her lullaby?

Notes: Hopefully this works. If not, you know how to get me.
Date: November 18, 2015; Wednesday. Morning; not sure when the average time would be for the end of the first class over there.
Weather: Dunno or care.
Tagged: Sakuya

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

At the end of the first class, Sakuya had to make her way to the bathroom; she had not gone in some time now, and felt the urge to go for she had drunk copious amounts of water prior to going to school. She had a peculiar dream the previous night, it involved a strangely feminine silhouette, doing some rather unsavory things to someone else, Sakuya did not remember, but the silhouette then turned to her and then raised a weapon of sorts. Fortunately, Sakuya had woken up before it transpired any further and deigned it appropriate to chug down inordinate amounts of water before resuming her slumber last night. That is exactly why she looked absolutely terrible today; an evident lack of sleep. The guys in her class knew better than to cross with her, lest they be met with ultra-violence to the face, or to other places. Sakuya was somehow infamous among the rest of the sophomore year for being ridiculously virulent towards males and ridiculously clingy towards the girls. It was no mystery to anyone that she swung that way, and for that, most of her class, which was predominantly male, simply ignored her as she walked out of the classroom once class ended to visit the bathroom.

On her way to the bathroom, she noticed a girl, most likely older than she was or a year or so her senior, making her way to the infirmary. Sakuya had tilted her head upon this observation, but decided to do her business in the bathroom first. While she was in the bathroom, she had thought mainly about that girl, she was always going into the infirmary for whatever reason... Sakuya didn't really think highly of that, but at the same time, there was most likely a reason for it, right? She was trying to think, but then for a moment, she realized she could try and ask about it, right? Sakuya soon rubbed her forehead and it felt a little hot; she sighed and wondered if she was coming down with something due to the lack of sleep. She had been having late nights recently, trying to cope with an unusual increase in workload recently.

Sakuya washed her face and decided that she would visit the infirmary as well to see if she could get her temperature checked. She left the bathroom and visited the infirmary. The nurse simply sat there as Sakuya greeted her and nodded her head. Sakuya explained that she wasn't sure if she was coming down with something, as she felt like she had a high temperature going. She requested to have her temperature taken, and the nurse obliged, taking out those fancy-shmancy thermometers (Sakuya never understood those things) and when the temperature was being read, it clocked at around 38.2 degrees Celsius. It was quite a high temperature, and it would explain a slight headache riding up in Sakuya's head.

The girl weakly nodded and was instructed to rest for the meantime. She made her way into the group of beds and took a vacant one, sitting up and resting herself against the bed rest. She could see the girl who entered the infirmary before she did... Sakuya weakly took her phone and decided to inform one of her classmates about her absence and her stay in the infirmary due to a rising fever. She rubbed her temples and looked inquisitively at the girl listening to music in bed.

[Eriko Tokisaka]

When in the infirmary, very few things ever seemed to go her way. Despite the fact that she entered so often, Eriko very seldom managed to fall asleep, even with the assistance of those pills. While that, and the rendition of Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave having little effect, were not necessarily unexpected, the young lady did feel slightly off. Being one that constantly looked out for hostility, often out of necessity to stay alive, the girl could usually tell if she were being stared at- and the shuffling of sounds before suggested that someone was nearby, anyway. Why could nothing ever be painfully simple and just go right for once? Was that really too much to ask for?

The maiden on her back remained silent for a moment before taking in a deep breath, her hands shifting to fold together on her lap. Were it not for the earbud, the sight could have passed for one of those fairy tales with sleeping princesses. Slowly, just one eye opened, it turning to catch the observer in the edge of her vision. Then, turning her head, she opened the other eye, forcing the younger girl into the focus of her vision. Hands were the first to be checked- their location and tension paramount to determining if the other was planning something. Then, her focus shifted to the face. The posture was slightly odd- most would be laying down- but she could tell that something truly was amiss. That revelation quickly shattered most of her concern over the other girl.

“So, is it that you stare at everyone that way, or have you fallen for me?” It was an innocent jab. The girl was a sadist, and picking at someone for ruining her chances of sleep like that was perfectly all right in her book. “I'm not a doctor, nor a nurse for that matter, but I think it would probably help you more if you laid down.” She suggested in a moment, her tone was calm, but her expression was fairly uninterested after her suspicions were laid to rest. Slowly, she straightened her neck, allowing her eyes to focus on the ceiling. Yes, she probably would not be able to sleep- at all. But having someone to pester was not necessarily bad, either.

“Though, more seriously, speak your mind. I'm not dense. You look like you had something to ask.” While she was not exactly interested in the other girl, part of her would feel uneasy about the lack of explanation. Very seldom did people just stare at her. Some were guardians, other were creepy fans, and the last of them tended to be the more dangerous ones.

Notes: N/A

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Sakuya weakly chuckled, placing a hand on her cheek as the fair maiden in the other bed had asked her "So, is it that you stare at everyone that way, or have you fallen for me?" She soon also suggested that Sakuya lie down, a suggestion that Sakuya would very soon take to heart, but felt she had to justify herself first. She didn't want to give this fellow the wrong idea about her presence here, and she was definitely quite interested in her, but for different reasons as of the current juncture. Sakuya coughed for a moment. "no, no... do not get the wrong idea; i was merely curious about your repeated trips to the infirmary," Sakuya sputtered. "you must have quite the skill to be able to maintain your stay here if all you do when you come here is try to sleep, o fair one." Indeed, Sakuya had noticed this girl come to the infirmary pretty damnably often, and she really wanted to know what was up with that. At the same time though... Sakuya felt a little bad that if this really were the case - the whole "I wanted to sleep" thing - she had basically ruined the latter's chances at getting a restful sleep. Oh well.

Sakuya sighed. "well, if were as simple as that, i must apologize for disturbing you at once." She shifted herself about so she was lying down in bed, head facing the ceiling. Some color began to drain from her face as she placed a palm on her forehead. She felt really sick this time. It was not quite nausea, but it seemed to be more of a raging headache... Almost a migraine. She sighed and groaned somewhat from the pain, and soon realized that the person she saw in her dream last night looked suspiciously similar to this girl in the infirmary bed! "imagine that..." Sakuya murmured to herself. "was last night's dream a premonition?" she wondered if what she was saying was audible at all, but with how weak she felt right now, it probably wasn't.

Sakuya continued to just lay there, but eventually she tried to close her eyes and get some much needed rest; her mind and body just refused to co-operate at this point, providing nothing but pain for her. However, the one thing she was thinking of before she tried to drift off to lala-land was if the princess on the other bed trying to sleep had gotten the wrong impression of her... If that dream last night was anything to go off of... Sakuya's feelings at this point were quite confusing. But one thing was certain, Sakuya felt compelled to learn more about this person...

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Despite the fact that the other girl's response was so spirited, Eriko could believe the response. It was bothersome, though that she stood out that much. Given that she did not actually manage to fall asleep often, it may have been within her best interest to alter her habits a bit. Still, that was too much effort- and her time at that facility would be over in only a few more months. Slowly, though, she nodded. There really was no need to deny her reasons for coming. More importantly, the other's way of speaking was odd- amusing enough to draw a slight smile to the insomniac's face.

“That's about right.” She simply noted as the other shifted about. “Sleep is something that does not come easily to me. Even with the assistance of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and more, it eludes me like a fearful white rabbit. With that said, don't let your presence be considered a bother. At the very least, company is appreciated when dreams turn their back on me.” That was one benefit to having only one earbud in use- background music while retaining the ability to comprehend and converse. Despite the other's movements, Eriko did not turn her gaze towards the guest. Weakness was something that she hated displaying. Whether or not this younger girl felt the same way was beyond her- but she would at least respect her that much.

She could hear that the other was muttering, though the actual words were unintelligible to her. Perhaps they were curses at her condition? It would have been understandable. Though she remained silent for some time, even closing her eyes, the insomniac could not claim the treasure she so dearly desired. Going by the sound of breathing, she could guess that the other girl had not, either. Slowly, her lips curled into a somewhat derisive smile- though it was with self-derision, rather than that towards the girl. She was, perhaps, too nosy.

“I really don't intend to get into your business, but I think it'd be wise to garner the aid of medicine before attempting to rest. You may find it slightly more. . . comfortable.” She opened her eyes, staring above again. By then, one of many renditions of “Air on the G String” began in her ear. “Though, once again, I'm not a doctor.” She tacked that warning on at the end- more a verbal acknowledgement that she was, in fact, meddling.

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Sakuya grinned upon hearing the one listening to music; again making that same disclaimer "Though, once again, I'm not a doctor." Sakuya wasn't sure what the implication behind that was... It was quite obvious to her that she was not a doctor... Such a statement made out of the blue, perhaps there was an ulterior motive for it? Sakuya did not know, and she wasn't sure if she really cared enough to know right now. However, she did think to herself not to get on this maiden's bad side, and decided to entertain her a little. "medicine..." Sakuya fidgeted about her pockets and discovered the nurse had shoved in a tiny plastic cylinder containing what seemed to be either capsules or tablets. Sakuya pulled them out and eyed the cylinder, raising it into the ceiling and looking quite ridiculous. "this looks like paracetamol..." she said. Sakuya sighed and felt the fever rage on more, and decided perhaps it would indeed be prudent to take a tablet or two.

Sakuya weakly got up. The cylindrical case wrapped in a red cloth which contained her weapon clandestinely, was propped neatly by the bed she was lying down on. Her condition looked rather terrible; while she remained to stand still in place, she looked extremely weak and shabby, her hair became unruly and messy and she looked to shamble whenever she tried to walk. The nurse noticed this and Sakuya had briefly mentioned asking if she could take one of the tablets she was given. The nurse nodded and pointed Sakuya to the water dispenser. The sickly girl (at present, at least) took a small paper cup, promptly filled it up with water and quickly downed one tablet of paracetamol. She wasn't sure how much it was, but... Hopefully it would help.

Upon finishing her taking of the medicine, Sakuya retreated to her infirmary bed, but not before fixing the position of the case which held her weapon, and then plopped herself, albeit carefully, back into the bed, wrapping herself with the incredibly thin sheets (as was customary with all infirmary bedsheets). She smiled weakly; she seemed to be curled up beneath the sheets. "perhaps you are right in that i would need medicine," Sakuya mutters, this time more audibly. "though... what of you, fair one? are you having difficulty trying to find respite?"

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Eriko did not comment as her infirmed companion decided to move about- presumedly to follow up on her suggestion. It was slightly refreshing for someone to take her advice when they were not obligated to do so- or worshipped the ground she walked on, like a certain member or two of the Dragons. Closing her eyes once again, she attempted to sleep, not having given up just yet. Of course, nothing pleasant came to greet her, and, instead, she other girl return and curl up. And then that phrase came up again. Honestly, what was with this girl? So cheesy- so cliché, and out of place- and yet she found herself smiling. It certainly was amusing.

“Were my aim to dream eternally without fear of awakening, I certainly could take more. However, I'd much rather enter that slumber after I've finished with this world. Dreams of the unknown are not quite so welcome to me just yet.” She gave away a little more than she should have, she admitted to herself, but this person was unlikely to be with her enemy. “Relief will not come to me easily. I've grown accustomed to that fact.” For a moment, she went silent. Then, slowly turning her head and opening her eyes again, those crimson orbs fixated the other girl.

“While I'm not against flattery, calling me that must be a bit tedious, no? I do have a name, if you'd prefer to use that. I am Tokisaka Eriko.” Under normal circumstances, outside of school, she would never have given her name, but acquiring another's name when they had a face was infinitely easier at school than in the streets. “So, with that, may I be so bold as to ask of you your own?” She did wonder if the other would recognize her name in any way. Was she aware of the legends about her, but not her face? Or was so completely unaware? The latter, Eriko thought, would be preferable, but she could deal with another person avoiding her out of fear.

Plenty did that already. What was one, or ten, more?

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Once more, this fair maiden spoke to Sakuya, the words that entered her ears seemed to be... somewhat different than what she had expected. For some reason, Sakuya felt somewhat reminded of... herself in what this girl said. Sakuya shuffled about, feeling a gaze fixating on her, and shuffled about and shifted her head; she soon saw the crimson eyes of that girl, looking at her... Indeed, she was as fair as she always was. Sakuya had seen her often visit this part of the school, and was quite nervous to talk to her; she seemed quite mysterious... but this conversation changed a lot. However, things changed quickly when she gave her name - it seemed to be a way to get Sakuya to stop calling her 'fair one.' Well, she didn't mind.

"While I'm not against flattery, calling me that must be a bit tedious, no? I do have a name, if you'd prefer to use that. I am Tokisaka Eriko."

Tokisaka Eriko

Tokisaka Eriko

The name rung a bell in her mind... Tokisaka Eriko. But where did this name come from...? Sakuya tried hard to recall the circumstances wherein she encountered this name, and it was after a few quick moments of racking her brain, she recalled her father recounting information on a certain group of people, and explained a story about a young girl capable of inflicting harsh pain on her victims; and gave that name... The stories Sakuya heard about this Tokisaka Eriko, and the dream she had last night... Were they connected? And here Sakuya was, she discovered that this Tokisaka Eriko was studying in the same school as her, and they were both in the infirmary together?! what a striking coincidence... Sakuya tried to muster a weak smile with as much strength as she could. No, she was not afraid of this Tokisaka-san, she was in fact, curious, intrigued by this character.

Such an influential figure was studying in this institution, and they were here, face to face, in seemingly normal circumstances? There was nothing to be afraid of here; Sakuya became curious, even more so, wanting to learn more about this Tokisaka. "forgive me, then, Tokisaka-senpai. i am Kyoudou Sakuya... i have heard quite a lot about you, actually... my father has recounted to me quite a lot about your affiliations, and some of your... exploits," Sakuya says, trying to be audible yet soft at the same time. She did not want to seem afraid, she wanted to sound friendly and appreciative that someone such as Eriko did not express hostility at the circumstance. "to be honest, Tokisaka-senpai, i am not sure whether i should be awestruck and afraid, or simply feel honored to be able to meet you here; albeit in unlikely circumstance..." Sakuya rubbed her temples for a moment. The headache was beginning to subside, the paracetamol was kicking in quite effectively. She also found herself subconsciously referring to the girl with "senpai," which ultimately, she didn't really mind.

"it must be tough, right? living that kind of life..." Sakuya said softly once more. "it makes me wonder of my own purpose in this damned world, a world where i actuate my role as the protector of the oppressed, the punisher of the wicked... as my compatriot would say, a 'knight' of sorts." she trailed on, sounding more poetic than she'd had hoped, but tried not to make a deal of it. "oh, i apologize for my ramblings... it must be due to my presence that slumber has eluded you at this time, i request your forgiveness." Sakuya's smile became more genuine at this point.

[Eriko Tokisaka]

The moment that Sakuya's name escaped her lips, Eriko knew the general gist of her situation. She was not a stalker, by any means, but she was aware of the Kyoudou name. More than that, she faintly recalled a scandal of sorts in which his wife was imprisoned for abuse to the daughter- or something along those lines. In that single moment of realization, the young lady's mistake stabbed her in the head multiple times. Certainly, Kyoudou Sakuya may not have been an enemy, but it did not take much for influential people to gather information. Her concerns were addressed in the most negative sense when the girl continued. Though her eyes and expression remained neutral, her pulse had picked up. Mentally deriding herself, she straightened her neck and stared above, listening to Sakuya's words. . .

. . . and wondering why Lady Luck seemed to give her an eternal middle finger.

An overdose did not sound like a terrible idea after such a horrid blunder. It would figure that the one time she opened up casually to somebody at school, it'd be synonomous with revealing that she was not exactly the shining example of human goodness. Certainly, she did not consider herself a villain- if anybody observed her actions with the correct information and her intentions, she could even be considered a hero- but she knew her actions were far from what some considered “just”. Still, there was nothing to be done about her blunder. She had no reason to bother the girl on the bed beside her. Though it did sound that there was a misunderstanding somewhere.

Once Sakuya had finished speaking, the girl slowly reached towards her ear with her right hand, plucking the earbud out and letting it drop before she extended the limb up, as if ensuring blood made its way up the tower. The mild discolorations from the burn scars showed on her hand, but, at that moment, Eriko did not particularly care.

“I do not know what your father told you, I could only guess, really, but your words stir me in bad way.” Her tone was cool, but not angry. She did not even sound annoyed, but it was obvious that she was a little more serious than before. “Awe? Fear? Honor? You speak like I'm a devil of war, or something along those lines, but I think your information is slightly exaggerated.” The hand sank and played in her hair, getting tangled rather quickly, not that Eriko minded. It was a habitual thing that occurred when she was bothered- when she was in thought.

“And, one thing I feel is slightly more important than that. . .” She turned her gaze to the girl once again. Those eyes that had been so neutral, so uninterested, were alive. Where they had been dull, they were alight, filled with energy and a sort of mad intelligence. “I have no qualms with the life I live.” She knew the girl meant nothing by it, but the assumption that her life was tough annoyed her. She lacked nothing. She had a large family. While they had their challenges, there was nothing that they could not handle. Yes, she was content with her current life- that was the truth she believed.

“However, I don't advise you to look to me for inspiration. I'm not a knight. My values differ from those of others, so I'm not the ideal role model.” With that, she closed her eyes and straightened her neck once again, her hand limply squirming and weaving free of the black mass that was her hair. Inwardly, she sighed. She said her part, but she knew it was forceful. Luck eluded her just as much as sleep. Her underclassman was likely going to feel alienated, go silent and try to think of a response, then simply give up and fake a ruse that she had fallen asleep. That was what she expected, anyway. Perhaps the girl would surprise her pleasantly?

Her heart could do with a pleasant surprise after finally calming down.

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Sakuya simply shrugged in response; she did not intend for such a reaction anyway. But it could not be helped, it seemed she had a streak for these sorts of things - after all, she had spent most of her stay here alone except for classroom matters which basically involved interaction with others. Her grasp on social graces was rather tenuous at best. Well, it's not like Sakuya knew any more about Eriko than what she already knew... It was a misunderstanding at best. Mentally chiding herself for simply speaking her mind, Sakuya placed a hand over her mouth and stifled a sigh. But at the same time, she didn't want to feel like some sort of negative presence to the people she interacted with... Even during class, due to her somewhat violent nature towards people of the opposite gender, she has been considered somewhat of a crazy, and it has haunted her for quite some time now.

i'm so stupid.

what made me possibly consider that i could understand?

i'm just a lone wolf anyway.

For a brief moment, she shook her head. Those words struck her quite strongly; not in a negative sense, per se, but it had made her reflect on numerous things. Perhaps this information was exaggerated as so; after all, it came from the girl herself - and did Sakuya really know any better? Probably not. What an enigmatic person this Tokisaka Eriko was! At least, in Sakuya's view, she seemed quite mysterious.

"I have no qualms with the life I live."

That was what she said, at least. Sakuya had to take a few moments for that to register, and it soon occurred to her that perhaps Eriko was quite satisfied with how she ran her life, and then Sakuya mentally beat herself up again for acting stupid in front of another girl... But then, when she wanted to speak, it was mostly to address the last thing Eriko had said. "i look to no one for inspiration," she suddenly said. Her voice was unwavering yet it held an air of melancholy to it. "i indeed do not know the specifics, nor will i claim to ever be able to understand... but i will say this much... i did not mean to make such an impression on you; it was perhaps the fault of my excitement in finally getting to meet someone new, you know...?" Sakuya hung her head low and shook it again.

"i harbor no ill will towards you, no matter who you are or who my fellow common folk know you as," Sakuya still looked down at her sheets for a moment before suddenly looking back at Eriko again. "...i simply wish to feel that one feeling one usually gets when they meet someone new who even so much as introduces themselves to him or her. i have missed that feeling.

[Eriko Tokisaka]

The girl had not retracted into silence. That much was a pleasant shock to Eriko. Of course, the girl's words stabbed at her conscience. She knew that she probably went a little too far- no, not too far; she was too forceful. Even so, her life was something precious to her, something that she would not stand to have insulted, even if insults and slander were not intended. The apology and innocent explanation- coming from a sick girl- made the insomniac uncomfortable. Slowly, her hand began to play with her hand again. A sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes twitched a little. Apologizing was awkward.

“Look, it came out more forcefully than it should have.” She offered the weak excuse to Sakuya. Her inability to simply apologize had probably been obvious. “I respect the ones I live with. I owe them a lot. So, more than anything, I react out of reflex whenever I feel that that is being slighted. I know you didn't mean offense.” She paused, her hand scratching at her cheek and drawing a few locks to tickle the surface by accident. There would definitely not be a next time that she just opened up to a random underclassman. Next time, no introductions. She'd fake a slumber. If only an assassination attempt would occur- she'd have a genuine excuse to escape the situation.

In the seconds she took to think, her hand became that much more tangled in her hair. It almost looked like the black mass was constricting the pale appendage. “What I'm trying to say is that I didn't mean to-” What? How was she supposed to finish that? Did she hurt Sakuya's feelings? Why was everything so bloody awkward? “Shit.” She muttered, losing any sense of regality that might have been retained at that point. “My words were rough. Don't let 'em bother you. All right?” Her apology finally came in what could be considered an insensitive manner, but, given her struggle up to that point, her intentions were at least pure.

She huffed at that point, attempting to work her hand free. It was almost as if she were sulking- though she would have fervently denied it if such a question or accusation popped up. “So what now?” She asked finally, opting to give the other reign of the conversation's direction- or the ability to cut it short. At that point, she honestly did not care. She just wanted it to move on or end- anything to get the awkwardness as far away as possible.

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Sakuya felt somewhat relieved at what Eriko said, though a tad guilty that it had come to this. After all, Sakuya was merely justifying herself for what she had said; a spur-of-the-moment train of thought... But at the same time, Sakuya had realized just how seriously this Tokisaka Eriko took the notion of "life" in its essence... Well, it was fine. Sakuya had not truly been hurt or intimidated in anyway; simply surprised in that reaction... Then again, she was commonly misunderstood. Her demeanor and violent tendencies occasionally even scared other girls, those that Sakuya had sworn to protect... And it was in extreme cases where those girls truly got to appreciate the zeal Sakuya had put forth into actuating her personal mission. In that same vein, Sakuya felt somewhat obligated to try her best to understand others, even if she was not very good at it. She would have put that to the test right now, except she had already failed it.

Eriko seemed to have some difficulty with her words, making some apology of sorts. Sakuya didn't care about how it came out; it seemed perfectly fine to her. What disturbed her more was the way Eriko carried herself as she did it, but tried to push that aside for some introspective session when she was alone in her dorm or something. Her actions after the words left her lips similarly disturbed her, and after those words... "So what now?" Sakuya felt she needed to move things into another direction. She of course did not want to cut things here, not now, the moment was too off, too inappropriate, to do such a thing. The feverish girl weakly shuffled about in place. While the headache for the most part had subsided, she still felt incredibly weak, and her temperature was still most likely quite high.

i wonder if this Tokisaka-senpai has anything against me.

and why do i call her that, anyway?

i just met her.

this is weird... and i even had a dream with her in it...

before i even met her. what's happening...?

Sakuya sighed, wondering how appropriate it was to bring up her dream; in the end she decided against it, perhaps saving it for a better moment in time. She remained calm, regulating her breathing with some form of ease, trying to come up with a neutral way to mention what she was going to say next. But the words came out anyway, regardless of whether she actually wanted those words to come out or not. "i apologize if this comes out as rather... peculiar or strange, but i had a feeling i would encounter you this day," Sakuya sighed, hoping she would not step on Eriko's toes again. "i had a dream last night where i saw someone suspiciously like you relay punishment unto another, one who had done allegedly wicked things... then this person, turned to me, and brandished a weapon in my direction. i woke up after that." she continued.

did i really just say that?

Sakuya started coughing for a moment. "i'm sorry, Tokisaka-senpai for what i am saying," Sakuya struggled to maintain her composure as the coughing got worse. The lack of sleep must have really gotten to her at this point. Perhaps she came down with some form of flu. "but i wondered what the implications of that was... and i figured if i asked you, foolish as i am, this insidious nagging thought would escape my mind..."

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Eriko only blinked at the premature apology, finding herself resisting the urge to chuckle at the words immediately following. Really, was this girl trying to flirt, or something? Premonitions, prophecies, and all the like were nothing but the products of fairy tales. Though her hand was still shifting about in her hair, she was not in deep thought- or even bothered. Quite the contrary, she felt much more relaxed compared to the last half-minute of her life. She was not entirely certain about how to comment at that point, however. When the coughing began, she refused to look at the girl, taking in the words between the coughs. If it truly bothered Sakuya, then she had to at least give some form of response, even if the first thing that came to mind was not really reassuring.

“I'd say to pay it no heed. I'm not one to believe in precognition, premonitions, prophecies, or anything of that sort. Actually, if it weren't for your apparent concern over it, I would have asked if you were attempting to be a romantic.” She turned her gaze over to the ill girl again, her hand fumbling about for her earbud. “Seeing the future is a literary device or a power given to some special character in some form of media. Thinking that that sort of power existed would be the same as thinking that espers existed.” Considering that she wielded an embodiment of her psyche as a means of defense, that argument actually could not hold its weight. She, of course, would neglect to consider that out of laziness.

“It may be rude, but if you want my in-depth opinion on it, I'd say it may have been a mixture of stress combined with your current illness. Both have an effect on one's mental state, and that's generally what dreams are created from- your mind.” It was an overly logical opinion, but it seemed like the best way to defeat the other's concerns without saying too much. She really did not feel like specifying that she had a torture chamber, so it was unlikely that the girl would actually witness her work- her art. She was very sensitive on that subject- it was so controversial, depending on who was talking about it! Certainly, it was a bad thing, if it was done to just anybody, but her charges were always those that had their own faults. She did not kill them, either- she had not once taken the life of a human. Granted, most of those that were on her table would face a brutal death at someone else's hands, but that was another matter entirely.

“Besides, you seem nice enough.” She went on after a moment, debating with herself if she was entirely certain of that. “I highly doubt you'd be the sort to get into trouble.” Then, smirking, she winked. “Or am I wrong in thinking that?” She teased, hoping to lessen the girl's worries further with a bit of playfulness. It was not without consideration that she did it, though. After all, if the girl was too suspicious of her, she might have tried tailing her one day.

That would have been unpleasant.

[Kyoudou Sakuya]

Eriko had dismissed it quite trivially, presenting what appeared to be... the most logical way to go about responding to a claim of premonition. Well, it didn't really dishearten Sakuya to hear that; it had probably relieved her more than remotely even bothered her. It at least gave her the comfort of knowing there was someone out there who didn't consider her to be completely crazy. And even so, she had mentioned the idea of special powers. Funny, that Sakuya still had her ofuda talisman stashed somewhere on her person; the one device of sorts that allowed her to summon an otherworldly being who would fight alongside her. She knew better, however, than to simply contest that view out of the belief that sharing too much would be a fairly unwise idea. Her coughing soon ceased and she cleared her throat for a moment, shaking her head and regaining her bearings. Upon the mention of the words highly doubt you'd be the sort to get into trouble, Sakuya inwardly held the urge to laugh. Fortunately, no one would dare to spread the story of Sakuya the Cleaver of Men throughout the school; it was too foolish to speak so badly of her, considering that all her troublemaking was done in the name of someone else's wellbeing and to prevent their suffering from manifesting.

it's a shame, because i am the embodiment of 'trouble.'

in my year level, anyway.

i suppose she wouldn't have known.

she probably should know.

Sakuya could no longer restrain herself and she let out an unusually hearty giggle. "trouble, double trouble~" Sakuya pointed to the cylindrical case resting by the bed she was in. "do you see this? it contains my instrument... my instrument of destruction, neh?" The case itself looked very non-descript, and the wrapping it was in made it entirely unclear as to what was actually inside it. It kept Sakuya's weapon inside it, and the best part is, nobody would suspect that such a deadly thing was being brought to school on a regular basis. In fact, it was through the use of this weapon, that Sakuya had gotten herself into a lot of trouble due to merely brandishing and exposing it, when her zeal to protect had overrided her moral obligations as a high school student. "getting into trouble... that's something i often get myself into..." Sakuya smiles, but it is a genuine one, a warm one; it would be hard to mistake it for anything malicious or deceptive. "but i do not regret such things; it is by the hands of disgusting men that i am brought to take action... such rampant cases of bullying i have soiled myself in, simply to save those who are being victimized... i have instead found myself on the receiving end of much administrative punishment. fortunately, those who i have saved have testified for my not having been suspended yet, but..."

Sakuya laughs a little louder this time. She hefts the cylindrical case and opens it ever-so-slightly, exposing the hilt of her Nameless One, and soon revealing just a little bit of blood-stained steel, a red lustre of vengeance and resentment streaked across it. "this is just a secret between you and i, for those who have seen this blade usually do not live to tell the tale, or if they do, they are too fearful to mention a word of it. for years i have used this power for the purpose of saving those in need... they tend to be fellow girls around our age, i find myself dealing with those in your year level as well. ahaha... i apologize once more, i haven't been able to be this open to anyone since i started studying here."

[Eriko Tokisaka]

If there was anything that Eriko would know by the end of that day, it was that she was better off not opening up to those outside of the Dragons. Hell, there seemed to be people just unscrewed enough to bring weapons like that to school. How, oh how, did that thing make it past inspections, when they occurred? The fact that the girl was giggling only made it worse. Who would she meet tomorrow? A mecha pilot with split personalities? It was ridiculous, but here she was with a girl who considered herself a knight, brought a weapon- a bloody weapon, which was another problem in itself- to school, and was giggling about it happily as she laid in bed feverish.

. . . the world was a grim place. For all the wrong reasons.

Okay, so she could sort of guess that only girls were on her “need to rescue list”, going by her words. Going by that, and her earlier reference, Eriko could somewhat imagine that Sakuya, at the very least, swung both ways. She'd need to stop teasing about falling for her, in that case. By the time the girl had finished her monologue, Eriko had given up on putting the earbud back in her ear. More than that, she honestly was not sure about what to comment on first. Dropping the bud, she let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. She was obviously annoyed. Making sure that that sunk into Sakuya's awareness for a moment, in silence, she contemplated where to begin.

“There are so many things wrong about this, but I'm going to focus on the one that bugs me the most.” She began, speaking in the manner that an upperclassman would be expected to. “I'm pretty sure I saw blood on that blade. Do you not clean it?” Of course, the topic she decided to focus on was less than natural. It was obvious that, despite her thoughts, Eriko was just as bad as the girl she was speaking with. “That is really unsanitary. Not to mention bad for the blade. You do know that, right?” She huffed, almost like a teacher annoyed at a particularly dense pupil.

She shrugged lightly on the bed, shaking her head. It was obvious that she was wondering what the girl was thinking- wondering how someone did not know this. “The blade can rust if you leave blood on it. Not only that, but it breeds bacteria that can cause infection or disease. Even if you only use the blade on enemies, that means that accidentally cutting yourself, or if someone else does so, it could cause a number of problems. Not only that, it just looks bad. I mean, even if it's an ordinary blade, sudden splotches of red look aesthetically detrimental- or, and please tell me I'm wrong, do you think that that's somehow cool?” Anybody who had been observing the conversation from the start would have likely wanted to put as much space between themselves and either of the girls as possible.

“Also, whose blood is that, even?” Perhaps the ballsiest thing the girl could do while laying down- ask someone who brings a blood-coated weapon to school whose blood is on it. Granted, Eriko was fairly certain that, even if Sakuya attacked her out of panic from the question, she could handle it. The younger girl was ill, after all.