lili

[preowned]

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week 7, wednesday

[coastal]

[she really thinks he’d be upset about her going back without him

and that’s why regardless she’s with him just as they’re about to leave]

Ready to go?

[preowned]

Mmhm.

[ he'd prefer not to, but it's not like they have any choice here. ]

We should get tea.

[coastal]

Tea sounds fine - do you know how to prepare it?

[she’s looking for what he can make without her having to do it]

[preowned]

Of course I can.

[ tea, the one thing he knows how to do well ]

[coastal]

Then I’ll leave it to you.

[and she’ll glance back at the gateway one last time before moving to step through to get them back to the graveyard]

... yes, tea would be good. I have some things to tell you anyway.

[preowned]

[ yeah he is

not looking back again. it's fine. ]

What kind of things?

[coastal]

I think Ookurikara and I are dating now.

[a pause]

And he’s going to kill Kaoru to cleanse him of corruption on Thursday.

1/3

[preowned]

What? Really? Ahaha, that's great!

[preowned]

Wait.

[preowned]

Not the last thing. Excuse me?

[coastal]

He volunteered to take the responsibilities that Four and Miki left behind - and I presume he only told me so that I wouldn’t have to fret over seeing Kaoru dead on Friday.

[but even so

she doesn’t look happy about it

and starts to head off for the kitchen immediately]

[preowned]

[ he follows after her easily enough ]

... that sounds very much like him.

[coastal]

It does, doesn't it?

... he told Kaoru too, while he's still himself. So he can help make it look like Ookurikara didn't do it, so he's not condemned for performing a service.

[ . . . ]

Both of them are so foolish.

[even if she sounds more tired than venomous]

[preowned]

He'll make it as painless as he can.

[ as long as nothing goes wrong. tsuru has no idea how they're planning on doing it, so there's always the possibility that a corrupted kaoru might make their plans go off course, but...

he nudges lili lightly. ]

And then you can yell at your old partner again.

[coastal]

[she’ll glance over at him before sighing and running a hand through her hair irritatedly, tossing it over her shoulder]

I yell at him through the messages just fine....

[ . . . ]

But I know this is the best way it could’ve gone... If anything, I’m almost jealous that he got to know beforehand, so that they could do something like this.

[preowned]

He may have thought to do it after what happened with you.

[ considering how much of a mess that turned into. ]

What kind of tea do you like?

[coastal]

Something herbal is fine.

[and when they’re at the kitchen, she’ll move to sit on the counter]

... I’m still frustrated with what happened to me, so I suppose that’s fine...

[preowned]

[ and he'll go to make the tea ]

I'd be surprised if you weren't.

[coastal]

.... It’s just awkward, you know? To be so angry at my partner’s girlfriend.

[partner bonds are broken but she will probably never stop calling kaoru her partner]

[preowned]

Well... your relationship to her isn't the same as your relationship to him.

[ why is this conversation giving him deja vu ]

[coastal]

[who can say!]

.... well -

Maybe I didn’t she was that bad, before the whole fiasco. I can’t say I’m not disappointed that I read someone wrong again...

[preowned]

Well... you can never predict what someone might do, Lili.

Humans can react in very unexpected ways when they're thrust into a situation.

[coastal]

Including very stupidly, I suppose.

[she’s still so salty]

[preowned]

Here's your tea.

[ wash down your salt ]

[coastal]

Oh - thank you.

[she’ll take it but WILL IT REALLY WASH DOWN HER SALT]

How was it for you? Being back on that side.