RITA;

[goalsides]

Comments

[goalsides]

Was he asking a lot of questions before all of this happened...?

[overlimit]

There's the stuff with Leo, obviously, but before that...

I think the whole Otome reveal hit him pretty hard. He was always assisting her with stuff, and it seemed like he really trusted her. Even when he killed her, he still... you know, cared.

[goalsides]

...well yeah. I don't think you can just immediately stop caring about someone important to you, so...it probably wasn't that great for him either.

[which is why taichi's trying not to be angry about it. but. otome's still dead so that's not great.]

Did you go see him last night?

[overlimit]

Yeah. I got to understand what he went through a little better. The poor idiot.

... I'll make sure he doesn't get left behind. No matter what.

[goalsides]

You're probably one of the best people to do it. [there's a nod to that.]

...were you able to ask him about what happened Thursday? Or just about Amatsuki?

[overlimit]

[she looks away, self-conscious for a moment, then nods.]

Yeah. He said he woke up in the orchard, convinced that if Otome died, all of this would end.

[goalsides]

Sounds a lot like what happened to Sieghart's killer. If he was able to create his own weapon and stuff, he had enough clarity to still act on his own. It was just...being driven by a very convincing lie.

Wonder why he woke up that far out.

[overlimit]

He grabbed a twig for his weapon-summoning trick from there, so maybe they get started someplace with a convenient weapon to take.

[goalsides]

That's entirely possible. When Byleth and Crow woke up, it sounded like they started in the SUB and then Crow busted his way out. But it's possible someone who's compelled is somewhere that they can use their resources.

[overlimit]

[rita nods... then checks her phone, and frowns.]

Hey... you don't happen to have any extra credit to do, do you?

[goalsides]

...yeah I do, but it's kind of a complicated one. I sort of have to plan for it, and it'd have to be pretty public. Why? Need one before tomorrow?

[overlimit]

... Yeah. I've got next week figured out, but this week's just been...

[ugh.]

[goalsides]

[rubbing his face contemplatively.]

Did you ask Maya or Molly? He probably has a new one since he just got back. Or...[...] Who would you consider yourself to be on decent terms with right now, Rita?

[overlimit]

[a sigh.]

I've asked Maya, Sakyou, Nier, Caleb, even Luxanna... Malik, against my better judgment... can't ask Denji again this week.

[goalsides]

...you could try Mabel? You guys were both on pretty good terms with Tsuyukusa...could say it's something to honor his memory. Or Mandricardo since he seems to be way too chill about everything right now and I don't know how long that'll last. Hope might be an option, too.

[overlimit]

I don't know any of those guys too well. Would be pretty weird to come out of nowhere asking something like that.

[she's thinking about it, though? ugh...]

[goalsides]

...I think Mabel could use someone to talk to, to be honest. Even if it's just to do extra credit. Give her a distract of some kind? And if you're worried about Hope just tell him it's a favor for me and Yamato. That could work for Mandricardo, too.

[overlimit]

[a sigh...] I'll consider it.

Anyway, we got one in, at least, so we'll get a hint no matter what. Just might not be the best one we could've gotten.

But then again, that "plot hole" thing was supposedly the best hint we could've gotten at the time, so... [shrugs.]

[goalsides]

I've been thinking about that a lot. I mean you know what a plot hole is. That's a pretty big thing to just kind of ignore. It's now a question of how we're supposed to use it and what we can do with it.