Reflection (Yuna Kagurazaka)
| Reflection (Yuna Kagurazaka) | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 27 May 2016 |
| Location: | Fraulein Earth |
| Synopsis: | The day after Yuna helped ambush Yari Takane, she consults with a friend about an unresolved aspect of the fight. |
| Thanks to: | Yari Takane |
| Cast of Characters: | 385 |
Yuna double-checks the address of the flower shop she's standing in front of, confirming it against the information displayed on her phone's screen, and takes a deep breath before stepping inside, the door automatically opening to admit her. "Hello! Is Mari here ... ?"
"Is that voice ... ?" There's a brief rustle of movement from the back of the store, and then Mari Teshigawara - Mari of the Flowers, to use her old title - emerges into the main area, leaning a little bit to her side to avoid brushing against stray leaves. "Yuna? What brings you here? It's been so long!"
Yuna smiles in relief, reaching out to clasp Mari's offered hands. "It has been a while, hasn't it? It's good to see you again - I'm sorry I haven't been around to visit more often. How's your work going?"
"Well enough," Mari answers. "Come to think of it, the last time we talked was just after that Neuronoid invasion, wasn't it?"
"Neuroi," Yuna corrects, smiling wistfully. "I'm still glad everyone was able to help protect the populace back then; every time I think about what could happen to our Earth -" Her smile vanishes like a snuffed candle as she shudders at the thought. And it's not just her imagination that provides fuel for that thought: she hasn't forgotten her world's first contact with the Multiverse at large, the day the Confederacy invaded her planet.
Or rather, the day the Confederacy tried to invade her planet.
Mari squeezes Yuna's hands, nodding solemnly. "Still, that's why you went off to join the Union, isn't it? - Here, come and sit down; I can make some tea if you like. It won't be up to Yoshika's standards, but she recommended this kind ..."
Yuna shakes her head slightly. "I wish it were purely a social visit, but ..."
"Yuna," Mari chides her gently, "I saw the look on your face just now. Polite restraint is all well and good for a proper young lady, but gracefully accepting hospitality is also a matter of good manners. And we're hardly swarming with customers at the moment, so you're not pulling me away from anything."
Yuna hesitates, then nods. "Okay. I actually needed to ask your help with something - well, your advice."
Mari simply raises her eyebrows at that. "Still, let me make some tea for us. I could use a cup, so you're hardly imposing to accept one for yourself."
While Mari makes the tea, Yuna takes a few moments to look around the shop. Its stock consists mostly of flowers and plants native to Japan, although there are some imports which even Yuna can recognize as coming from other parts of Earth, or even - in a few cases - from other planets. "Isn't that Marianan kelp in the front corner?" Yuna asks as she sits down at a small table in the back of the shop.
Mari nods, "I picked up a few seeds when I was there on holiday last summer. They grow marvelously in a shallow bath of salt water; you should see it in full bloom. - So, what business did you want to discuss with me?"
Yuna hesitates briefly, biting her lip, then starts telling Mari of the previous night's events. Nagato asking for her help, the two of them plus Momoyo locating and attacking Yari Takane, Sanary Rondel joining the fray; Yuna tries not to go into detail, but the memory of Yari losing her eye (by accident) and her arm (by a very deliberate act) is still painfully vivid, and she can't help wincing as she mentions how badly the reptilian kunoichi had been hurt.
Mari listens silently until Yuna finishes, her tea sitting untouched. "You seriously didn't know how badly they'd be hurt? And that worries you more than your injuries, or those of your friends?"
Yuna bows her head, her fingers interlacing in her lap. "I knew the plan was to beat Yari up. I didn't ... I didn't want her to get maimed like that. And Sanary was hurt badly, too - I wasn't fighting her directly, maybe I shouldn't feel guilty about what Nagato or Momoyo did to her, but ... she was still there. She was just trying to protect her friend Yari. She didn't deserve to get hurt -"
"She's an active Confederate, she's been complicit in gods know how many actions against Union territory or personnel, or even against the neutral territories you've helped protect ..." Mari makes a face, picking up her teacup. "She's hardly an innocent, Yuna, and if she was as frenzied as you made it sound? Whatever your friends did to her, she had it coming. And you say this Yari girl tried to murder Nagato outright, not to mention coming so close to killing you ... The only thing that surprises me is that you agreed to help the other two."
"Nagato pledged that we weren't going to kill Yari," Yuna says, looking up and meeting Mari's gaze without flinching. "And we didn't. I didn't think any of us would go as far as Nagato did in the end. - Anyway, that's ... I want to send them flowers. A get-well bouquet."
Mari's teacup settles on the table with a soft clink as she puts it down. "You want to send get-well-soon wishes to your enemies?"
"I want to send flowers to some people I know who got hurt. I was hoping you could help me pick out appropriate flowers for them. Something that says 'I'm sorry' or something like that - I really didn't want them to get hurt that badly."
"Hanakotoba doesn't really do apologies, but ..." Mari trails off, mulling it over briefly. "I'm not sure we can fill the order appropriately here. And we don't have any provisions for shipping to Confederate territory, certainly not in any timely manner."
"Thank you, Mari!" Yuna smiles in relief and gratitude. "I just need to help sort out what to send, I'll find a florist somewhere who can put the bouquets together and deliver them in a timely manner."
Later that day, modest bouquets would be delivered to Confederate medical for Yari and Sanary. The flowers which Yuna chose, and their meanings:
Anemone - Sincerity; Cherry blossoms - Kindness and gentleness; Daffodils - Respect; Jasmine - Friendship or grace; Pansies - Thoughtfulness, caring
