Scene #7781: Handburgers

Owner	Pose
Strawberry Princess	YODER'S GRILL is a tiny, dim, wood-furnished restaurant on a tiny nondescript street somewhere in the UK, on a perfectly unremarkable Earth. It's impossible to guess how Strawberry picked it out. This certainly isn't even her world. Strawberry is here at a booth, not in costume as Hibiki's usually seen her, but rather in casual clothes. There's a long carrying case resting on the bench next to her that probably contains her wnad, but otherwise she's distinctly un-put-together and un-magical-girl-like; slightly red eyes indicate recent crying, her hair's still a little damp like she got out of the shower not too long ago, and she's solely wearing a comfy flannel jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans. There's no mistaking her, though. There's still that too-tall gangliness (slightly mitigated by attempts to get in shape), and the distinctive scar on her face Hibiki might've glimpsed once before. Even if she didn't stand out, the restaurant's completely empty at this time of night; just a couple of employees standing around behind the counter or cleaning the floors in expectation of closing. Food's already on the table, with a basket of fries between them and their burgers wrapped in foil, but Strawberry hasn't yet started eating when she waves Hibiki over. "Sorry. I know it's out of the way. But I always thought this place was nice. I hope- the way it made me happy, it can make you happy, too." 'The same thing I get' seems to be a double-patty cheeseburger, with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, raw onion, and mustard. The bite is sharp, but it's something you could really get used to.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki shows up at the not-bar-just-a-grill only a little bit later than you would expect, clothing slightly adjusted from its usual to make up for the chilliness that comes with a later hour; jacket zipped up closed to the collar, and shorts changed out for thick cargo pants. Her way of carrying herself on the way in is distinctly 'uncomfortable' - she looks like she's focused more on whatever is in her head than what's in front of her, and her left hand is loosely gripping onto the wrist of her right, rubbing at it idly. Her distant expression is replaced with one of muted surprise when she stops on the spot and catches Strawberry waving her over. She can't remember ever really getting a chance to see her out of uniform, and it puts off a pretty different impression from what she's had the last few times they've met. But between her and food sitting at the ready, the atmosphere alone does a decent enough job of making some of the tension visibly leave her. "...It's fine. Not the kind of place I was expecting, but not in a bad way." Hibiki manages the tiniest of smiles for as long as it takes her to finish talking, where she tries to find something to say to the last part--and can't manage anything. So she doesn't, and slides into the seat opposite the older magical girl silently with some of the awkward air around her returning. Unwrapping her burger partway, she looks like she's caught somewhere between her natural instinct to light up at delicious-looking food and still trying to find the words she wants. It ends up leaving her stuck there for several completely quiet seconds looking down at her sandwich before she purses her lips, peers briefly up at Strawberry, and then glances back down. Until she gives the metaphorical 'screw it' by picking it up, taking a massive bite out of it, and closing her eyes to savor the strong taste - she didn't expect jalapenos from her - and sort herself out. Even after she swallows, she still keeps them shut. "...This is really, really good. Um...sorry, Strawberry. I thought of so many things I wanted to say when I got here, and now I...don't even know where to start..."
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry's cheek rests in her hand. Her legs awkwardly try to find somewhere to settle under the table, and end up tightly crossed. The older magical girl's stare rests on Hibiki's face for a little too long, until she realizes that's probably kind of awkward, and hastily diverts to putting a fry in her mouth. "My mom always took me to Yoder's on my birthday," she says, filling space more than anything. "In my world, it's- it isn't around anymore. Lots of things happened. But in some worlds where there aren't magical girls and monsters, it's still standing. Finding that out... it was really nice." When Hibiki finally tucks in to her food, Strawberry smiles earnestly, but even her smile is a little reserved. There's a lot going on upstairs, enough that she almost forgets to take a bite of her burger too. "That's okay, Hibiki," she says softly after swallowing. "I was just feeling the same way. It's all... hard to put into words. Too many things at once. But I can start." "I know about your hand. I know about Muramasa. And I know about Lilian. But... what were you apologizing for? Why did you think you had to say sorry. Because I was going to say the same thing." Strawberry's right hand rests on the table, outstretched. It's there for Hibiki to hold or squeeze if she needs it.
Hibiki Tachibana	That explains it. A place that exists in other worlds, but not her own anymore...she wonders how true that is for a lot of people's homes. "So thanks to the Multiverse, you got to..." ...get back something she lost, in a way. No wonder it's something that makes her happy. She can understand that. In a somewhat different way, but maybe a lot more than the other magical girl might realize. She's grateful that Strawberry takes it on herself to break the ice. Even if that doesn't feel like it makes it any easier to get words out. At the question, she breathes in quietly as if to get the air to speak, only to end up holding it for a few moments. It comes out in a heavy sigh before she purses her lips. "I..." Her burger is slowly put back down. "...I didn't want to get you mixed up in all of this crap, too. I know it was stupid to think I could do it forever, if I just didn't say anything. If things kept going on normally. Because eventually I'd /have/ to come talk to you about Lilian...or maybe we'd end up..." She trails off, thoughts going to a very real possibility when it comes to doing something about Muramasa. Fighting her. Her expression tightens up. "Even right now, it has to be hard for you, doesn't it? ...Choosing between being there for her or me." Not only Strawberry, but Rita's face flashes into the forefront of her thoughts as soon as she says that, forcing out a wince before she quickly looks away. "S-Sorry. I shouldn't...have even said something like that." Her hands, now flat on the table, are trembling softly. She glances back, down towards the offered hand, and her own starts sliding just a little bit towards it--before it stops, recoils back the distance it crossed, and clenches tightly. Hibiki bites her bottom lip, turning her head down almost guiltily. "And you don't...you don't have anything to apologize for. Nothing that happened was your fault. It was all me...and...and her."
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry's smile slowly disappears, replaced first by a sympathetically neutral expression that sees her free hand nursing her scarred temple, and then by a softly pained open-mouthed wince. She pushes the basket of fries out of the way and tenderly lays her hand on top of Hibiki's fist, tempting it to open back up. "No. Hibiki, it's... it isn't like that at all. You aren't making me choose sides. There's- there's not even sides for me to choose. This is..." It's just like Blueberry again. But how do I explain that out loud? How do I make her understand, without hurting her even more? Strawberry looks off to the side, her gaze cast down to the tiled floor. She's momentarily lost for words. A half-dozen emotions wage a gentle war for control of her face, and none of them are happy. "You're not stupid. You're a lot smarter than I am. Maybe even smarter than I used to be," she says with a hollow silent laugh, shaking her head. "Don't say sorry, either. ... I'm going to try to say something complicated, okay? And please forgive me if I get it wrong. It's something I've never explained out loud before." She shifts in her seat uncomfortably, turning back to face Hibiki dead on. Even then, she opts not to make eye contact, staring down at her own half-eaten burger distantly. "Hibiki... there's something really wrong with Lilian. Deep, deep down. Being good is easy for people like me, but it's harder for her, and easy to even lose track of what 'good' means. Not like a sense in her heart, but like a promise she made a long time ago." "I try to remind her. To be a... a good example. But I can't always be there. What she did to you... I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop it. For your sake, and hers. That's not taking sides." She glances up, and the look in her eyes is searching, implicitly asking for confirmation. Is that the way it is, Hibiki?
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki was clearly not expecting Strawberry to reach out and take her hand, as the act gets her to stop looking away and slowly turn back towards her, mouth falling open slightly. It's at that moment that she can take in the mix of emotions she's obviously wrestling with, her own internal struggle. She's been so caught up in her own head since getting here that she hasn't really noticed how red the older girl's eyes are until right now. Was she...crying...? Her lips come back together, brow furrowing. Something she's never explained out loud before? She settles in where she is, clearly very uneasy, but she also doesn't pull her hand away. The tense fist it had been tightened into loosens up a bit, enough that she can turn it around to be palm to palm. It helps her, a little bit...and maybe it'll help Strawberry too. She doesn't really think about it, she just does it. But she can't help the way her eyes widen and her voice catches in her throat again, listening to that. Even though Strawberry is avoiding eye contact, Hibiki is left staring right back at her face in silence. At least until she looks back up and they're left looking at each other, and she has to try to put what she wants to say together. But even before she can, Hibiki's eyes can't lie. She...believes that. Or at least she wants to. She's tried not to let it show, but it's so hard; it started with Rita and Lilian and become a fear involving a lot more people since then, Strawberry included. Choosing between the two of them. The deep down worry that she wouldn't get picked, as disgusting as that makes her feel. Doing her best to keep everything bottled in the few times she's ran into her since that day. If either of them pressed the issue, how could everyone else /not/ have to pick one or the other? ...But right now, hand in hand, looking at each other eye to eye...she can't hold on to that worry. At least not where Strawberry is concerned. Too many other emotions are butting in. Swallowing, she closes her eyes again. "Muramasa...said something like that before, too. That she's doing her best to be a good person, even when she's not. He told me that even before I fought her. I...you...just please don't beat yourself up over it, Strawberry. Even if you were there, I don't know if you could have done anything about it." That guilty look comes to her face again, and her voice drops. "...I got so angry at her. For more reasons than I could count. And a ton of them were selfish, even if I didn't think they were...and she was so angry with me. I didn't even realize how much until then. And I'm still...I'm still mad enough I want to hit something every time I think of her. For even more reasons now." She says that, but when she opens her eyes back up, she almost looks miserably tired. "But I...I can't even tell if I hate her or not. And I hate /that/, after everything she's done...!" Her other hand clenches tight until her knuckles turn white, only to loosen up after a few seconds. "...Why is she the way she is, Strawberry? What even happened to her...?"
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry holds eye contact with Hibiki for as long as she's permitted to, her own gaze betraying a deep uncertainty and quiet anguish. Masking her own feelings is antithetical to her, even though she's dimly conscious it might be more reassuring to put on a brave face. She squeezes Hibiki's hand gently as the other girl's eyes finally close. By now the emotions tugging at her face have found an uneasy truce in a wincing frown. Some hair falls down off her shoulder as she leans forward, and she habitually brushes it back. "Hey. It's... you're allowed to hate her. After- everything. All the stuff you've been through, it doesn't matter whose fault. It's okay to be angry. Nobody can say you don't get to be mad. You don't have to be, but... I give you permission to be, however much that counts." Her hand comes up to uncomfortably rub against the back of her neck in response to Hibiki's question- why is Lilian like this? Blueberry went through some awful things. But lots of people go through awful things. And there was only one Blueberry. "I don't know," she admits after a moment of thought. "I know some things that might've done it. But sometimes people are just... born different, too. It's nobody's fault. There's no satisfying reason. They've just got to wrestle with it the best they can." She exhales slowly, closing her eyes too. They don't open for a good long moment. How do I navigate this? I can't tell Lilian one thing and Hibiki another. Strawberry Princess doesn't lie. But then... is there anything I can say to both of them that won't get one of them hurt? I hate this. But it's nobody's fault but mine. A slow, defeated sigh escapes her. Her shoulders slump. Her posture slackens. Hibiki may have it worse, but Strawberry's eyes are tired too. Her free hand curls up into a fist, but her knuckles don't blanch; there's no conviction in it. "You were scared to pull me into this. To pull other people into this, in general. That's why you've been so quiet. Right? Everybody likes you, and a lot of people like her, and you didn't... want to do that to them. That's really kind. But it's hard on you, isn't it?" A slight misunderstanding, but close enough. Her gaze turns down towards the table. She shakes her head a little as it hangs. "I don't want to start a fight. I just want to fix this. Even if I don't know how. And I guess you don't, either." "A good place to start, maybe, is just... what do you think she should've done? Acting like a good person, in the position she was in."
Hibiki Tachibana	She's allowed to hate her...? Strawberry of all people is saying that's okay? ...She should. She really really should. Lilian took away her hand, something that holds far more symbolic importance to her than almost anything else. She doesn't treat Muramasa right, and thinks she has the right to take him away. Hibiki hates the way she looks down on her, thinks she needs her, talks to her-- It's okay to do it. She even has permission now...so why does the knot in her chest hardly feel any looser for it? Remaining silent, she listens to Strawberry with a tired and tense expression - for as bad as she's feeling, even though the older girl said she's not picking sides, there's no denying how rough it has to be on her. There's a part of her that feels entirely responsible for it no matter how much she might try to force it down. Whether it's true or not, it still...hurts. Hibiki swallows nothing but her own spit once again as Strawberry continues on. The misunderstanding doesn't bother her...if only because the full truth isn't something she can say in words. And because she can't say anything against it being hard on her end too. That'd just be lying. "...Yeah," she ends up saying simply, before needing to seriously think about what's being asked of her. It apparently catches her off-guard enough for her dejected look to change to one leaning more towards surprise, and then contemplation. "I--" She stops. After a few blinks, her mouth closes up again and she glances off to the side, unable to help some frustration coming to her face. "...I don't know," she ends up saying, clearly unsatisfied with her own answer, but also with some of her own emotions bleeding in. "Anything but coming to my house and baiting me into a fight. If she was a good person, we never would have gotten into that situation in the first place. And /he/ never would have felt like--" Catching herself, it's her turn for her shoulders to slacken up and an exhausted exhale to force its way out. "...I'm sorry." She says that so quietly it almost can't be heard. "Maybe...if that's how it was, if I was a better person too, we could have figured it out without fighting...I don't know if we can do that now. I want to...I really want to fix things too..." She sounds slightly choked up just saying that, like it took real effort to do so, as quiet as it is. And she doesn't get any less so, still turned away. "...But I just can't figure out how." She sniffles, only to let out a completely dry chuckle, speaking softly to seemingly only herself. "Look at me. I pull myself out of that room, all resolved to get Muramasa back no matter what...but I still can't get her out of my head either..."
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry glances down and lets out a little breath through her nose. Of course she couldn't just be mad. Too guilty to feel angry, too angry to stay sad. I've been there before. It's too bad she couldn't take the easy out. "Hibiki, no..." she says softly. "You carry a lot of heavy things already. Being a magical girl, protecting others from monsters- I know exactly how much that weighs. Everything else, I can't imagine. But you're still doing your best. You're still trying to do right by everybody." One more tight squeeze, and then Strawberry lets go of Hibiki's hand. In its stead she reaches across the table to rest a hand on Hibiki's shoulder, as if blessing or confiding. "Even people who do wrong by you, huh? And that's part of why it hurts so bad. Because you can't just hate her. You're still stuck trying to understand." A brief pause, as the elegant words Strawberry intended evaporate off her tongue. A sniffling face like that takes the wind out of any canned speeches. She glances out the window instead, giving her friend a bit of privacy. "... And I guess I am too." I'm starting to get a clearer idea, though. 'Baited her into a fight' means Lilian was telling the truth: she didn't throw the first punch. If only I could talk to Muramasa... is it really necessary for Hibiki to hold those 'command seals' for them to be together? Strawberry slides off the booth's bench, pushes herself up to standing once she's clear of the table, and then bends down again next to Hibiki in a classical Talking To Short People stance. Her eyes aren't watering; it looks like she got all that out of the way before she came here. But the way her voice cracks suggests she would be if her tear ducts weren't dry. "Nobody could ever say you aren't trying hard enough. Nobody could ever say your heart isn't pure enough. Nobody could ever say you aren't enough of a hero. I'm proud of you, Hibiki Tachibana." Strawberry opens her arms, offering a hug. She doesn't press the issue if it seems unwanted, but it's there. "And I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in all this."
Hibiki Tachibana	It's hard to tell if Hibiki is convinced at first. Even though she doesn't look back right away, even if her expression doesn't change, she's very clearly listening...and grateful, when she's given that moment. It helps her get herself together just some. Strawberry...understands. Not just about how hard it is. About /why/ it hurts. It'd be so much easier if she could just hate her outright. She wishes she could. But hearing it put into such simple terms like that... ...Somehow makes the hurt, hurt a little less. She finally glances to her, at what the older girl says right before she hops up...and it lets their eyes meet again, even if she has to lift her neck a bit to do so regardless of leaning down. She looks like she doesn't know what to say. Even less so when Strawberry says those words, voice unsteady. Like a deer caught in headlights, she looks almost unsure of what to do, despite those arms spread wide. Like she's afraid for some reason, maybe. And then, as if a delayed reaction, she visibly tenses up. Her lips purse together tight, and her hands ball up even tighter, head turning down like she doesn't know where to look. She almost looks like she's starting to shake - and then she throws herself forward into the hug, clutching on tight to the back of Strawberry's jacket. "...I have to try even harder, or else..." "I don't...have anything like that...you don't even know what I've..." "I-I'm not...I'm not a hero at all...you're the...everyone's wrong, I..." Whatever she was going to say trails off into muffled choking sounds, barely loud enough to escape from the shoulder her face is buried into. She's trying very hard not to let it to be heard, but the wet spots that'll be left behind don't tell lies. She really, really wants to tell her not to be sorry. She's the one who should be saying those exact words. ...But just this once, she'll let herself selfishly get it all out. There's going to be a lot of even harder things to do in the future. And even if she still doesn't know what exactly she's going to do about all of it yet...maybe she'll be able to face it just a little bit better after this.