Scene #8810: Wellness Check

Owner	Pose
Kale Hearthward	The side of the van reads: PALADIUM IN-HOME SERVICE. It's not Kale's idea, or even his van - it's pulled from the organizational vehicle pool, used for low stakes rendezvous missions that still need a modicum of discretion. The idea is that, when the sliding door is opened and pulled back all the way, most of the letters are obscured thusly: PALADIUM IN-HOME SERVICE PALAD IN S The van pulls up at the Kirenai house during the daytime, when Kayoko would be at school and the parents would be at work, and parks such that the PALADIUM IN-HOME SERVICE side is facing towards the house. Kale Hearthward, in human guise and sporting an electrician outfit, takes a moment to peer through the van's front windows - checking for incriminating doorbell cams and seeing if he can spot even more incriminating cherubs, before climbing out of the van and popping open the side door. There's a minute or so of rummaging in the side of the van, enough time to give credence to why he had to open it, before going across the driveway to the front door and ringing the doorbell. The side of the van remains open, showing the PALAD IN S clue clearly visible from the house's front door, but not so much from anywhere else.
Meika Kirenai	It's starting to get familiar, isn't it? It doesn't matter if this visit isn't on any official business, isn't cleared by any institution, isn't by any invitation. You already know the drill. There's nothing special about the suburbs Kale traverses through, whether by road or rail. It's quiet from the warpgate, but the It's rainy and mild, crowds blur into a mass of umbrellas and raincoats as streetlamps fight through the grey. It really could be any Earth-- and doesn't that just make the pressure, here, easier to carry out with you? Maybe the windshield and window tint of his requisitioned work van is enough of a shield. Maybe it feels just a tiny bit like the inside of an exhibit. Either way, the trip ends eventually, as many things do- by getting parked outside the low bounding wall of a quiet family household. Well. Maybe not that many things end that specific way. Kayoko is at school- she lives in the dorms, after all. Kyou is at school, too, even if she lives here. Meika's parents are at work. It really is just her, alone in the building, when Kale arrives. No lurking Cherubs (unless the small scurrying motions he can only ever see out of the periphery of his eyes aren't from some sort of squirrel, actually) make their presence known, as he looks for them. There's no cameras on the doors. Neighbors don't have any reason to glare long his way, from passing cars or other windows, so long as he keeps up that effort of not standing out. Footsteps and rummaging alert Meika, however, even before the doorbell rings. Floorboards don't creak as she makes her way to the genkan, standing silently on the other side of the door as she tries to recall whether anyone told her if an electrician would be coming. "...Oh. It's-" There was a second's pause, after opening up the door, as the magical girl stares somewhat through Kale. Recognition comes, at least. "Chevalier Hearthward..? I'm- what are you /doing/ here? I'm not- I'm not in- more trouble, right? I- I haven't done anything else." She's still in her school uniform, wrinkled as it so often is. Her eyes are tired, with dark circles lining them. And even if it's silent, she's anxiously tapping her heel against the ground, as thoughts clearly race behind a frantic expression.
Kale Hearthward	She doesn't look good right now... "You're not in more trouble," says Kale quickly. Too quickly to be believable? She thinks the only reason I could be here is to cause her more trouble. I'm already messing this up. Then Kale pauses, and he takes his eyes off Meika for a moment, going to glance to the side - not quite turning his head all the way back towards the van, but then quickly turning his attention back towards her. ... Wait, did she even notice the van before she recognized me? Did I mess something up with the disguise? Not important right now. "I came here to talk about what happened, and to apologize," he says. "And to check in on you." "You're not a Paladin anymore." Smooth. Remind the crying girl about getting pulled out. That'll make her feel better. Shut up and say something better then, if you can. "What I mean is - you're not a Paladin anymore on paper anymore but - it's like Dame Commander Rook says. Responsibility for blood shed for thee. And you fought alongside us, and nothing can change that part." "And then... things happened, and I wasn't able to do anything about it. I failed my responsibility to you, and I'm here to apologize, and see if there is any way I can start to make up for it."
Meika Kirenai	"Right." Meika steps away from the door, leaving it open, and sits down on the raised step of the entryway. His comment is too quick to be believeable. His overheard thought elicits a wince- not that it's a surprise. Not that she doesn't already know. "Come inside, or something. At least out of the rain. It's weird to just stand there. You'll give people weird ideas." Anyone could tell that that last part is right. It's not really an invitation with any hospitality- just beckoning him past the door and out of sight. Meika's brow furrows for a second, wondering how she'll manage to sneak him out if anyone were to come home, and eventually settles on just saying he's an electrician there to hassle about some sales pitch. Easy enough, should it matter. "Check in on me. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? You're sorry, I'm sorry, it's all just a-" A frustrated noise doesn't make it past her lips. I don't want to talk about it. "...Talk. Fine. I'll listen." Her hands rest on her knees, squeezing hard through pleated fabric. 'You're not a Paladin anymore.' A sharp inhale. Right. Thanks. I'd almost forgotten. It's not made easier, knowing Kale's upset at himself for that choice of words, too. It just feels all the more bitter. "You- know, you don't have any more reason to bother being here if it's just for- It's- it's fine. You can just wipe your hands clean. It's not like I- like I've d-done anything to make it-" She trails off, exhaling, silent. "Failed? I- I'm the... whatever. Apology accepted, if it'll make you happy." She doesn't, actually, know a ton about the circumstances of having gotten pulled out from the Paladins- nor Kale's involvement in any of that, just a few comments from Lilian, mostly-remembered in the flood of guilty emotions that taint that radio conversation. "There's nothing to make up for. Y-you did everything you could to fix stuff, r-right? I get it." And I did everything I could to mess it up. "What more needs saying?"
Kale Hearthward	Kale goes inside, feeling a bit more awkward now, but he doesn't go far in. Well this is going swimmingly. Let's say what we came to say and get lost. We can still fix this. She's right though, isn't she. We're here to wash our hands. We can still fix this. We're here because we feel guilty. "Whether I could have done something or not done something isn't material. I had a responsibility, and I failed." "I have a debt to you now. Whatever's in my power, large or small, I'll do it." "That's... all I came here to say. If you're fine here, I'll leave you alone."
Meika Kirenai	{She's right though, isn't she. We're here to wash our hands.} 'Whether I could have done something or not done something isn't material. I had a responsibility, and I failed.' 'I have a debt to you now. Whatever's in my power, large or small, I'll-' {"Shut the fuck up, Mister Hearthward."} Meika's whispering carries a clarity her voice doesn't, even if her lips still move in tandem with the motion. Her eyes are fixed on the floor instead of him, and she's scowling- not getting up from sitting at all, but everything about her tenses up. "If that's it- you- you shouldn't have come. I didn't /ask/ you to." Her shoulders rise, like she's taking a deep breath, but there's no sound to it. "W-what do you want me to say? What did you think I would? G-great. Now it's-" Another silenced breath. She wasnt' crying before, but she's tearing up, now. "H-how come that's fair? I know I made you mess up with- with that 'responsibility'. I didn't ask you to have it. Don't- don't make it on me, too, t-to make you feel better. If you don't know what could do that for you, I can't either." She sniffles. That's audible, at least. Her boots- on, in case she had to step outside, but unlaced, twist into the genkan's tiling, with what should be a shrill rubber squeak- and isn't. "So- so fucking leave. Just be sad, if I made you sad. Just forget me, if you don't want to be. We're not- not friends, and we're not coworkers, anymore. If you're trying to /fix/ something-" That's not a word he's said out loud. Oops. "-How do you expect /me/ to do it for you?" She stands up, trembling, looking more through Kale's head than at it- her eyes are bleary and teared-over, frustrated, angry, guilty, and aching. "I don't even think I want you to f-feel better. So leave me alone." The door is still there, just right behind him, after all. Nothing keeps his feet in place. He's free- he's always been free, every time he's come to this city, to just leave this all behind a turned-away back. It's that easy.
Kale Hearthward	Meika's slip up isn't something Kale catches in the moment. He'll realize it later, when he's replaying the conversation over and over in his head, but that's for later. Kale cuts off as Meika whisper-shouts at him to stop acting like he's the party to be pitied here, and then he shifts awkwardly as Meika goes through the rest of her reaction. When she goes to look through him, he breaks eye contact and turns his head away. ... She didn't ask us to take on that responsibility. She shouldn't have to. She didn't. Did we even talk to them about our plans? Back when we decided we needed to help them? ... We didn't. The fact that he feels Persephone's hook tugging on him serves as a further warning. Kale messed up. "... You're right. It's not fair. And I shouldn't have come to you with it." Kale's wallet is pulled out. He grabs all of the bills there, without counting them, and drops them on the closest table. "There. If you end up - if whatever happens, there's that, and there's a box of survival supplies at dead drop point delta in the world that connects here through the warpgate. What you do with those is up to you." "I'll leave you alone. I'm sorry." And with that, Kale goes to leave and head back to the van.