[video/voice/text/action/literally everything]

[undefines]

[When the Vine opens up, there's no one to be seen on screen. Instead, it simply displays what has probably by now become a familiar landmark in the Gardens — Jessica's fortress. Just when you might think this is an accidental video of some kind, Nue speaks. Her voice seems to come from somewhere directly below the recording mirror. The truth of the matter is that she's sitting with her back against whatever the Vine happens to be perched on on her end. This is the first anyone will have heard from her in the days since her death at the hands of the woman in the well, Nue having been staying out of sight and sleeping in public places rather than returning to what had been her home.]

Hey. This place is empty, right? I looked around inside, and all I could find were robots. [Though said robots seem to have been doing a good job of keeping the place clean. Not a lot of dust to be found, which just makes staying there all the more appealing to her.] Because... I don't think I'm going to stay at the shrine anymore. So if no one is using in this place, I think I'll just live here from now on.

[She goes quiet for a few seconds, the image on screen unchanging. Then, eventually, she says,] That's all I have to say. I just— I wanted to make sure it was empty, and I thought I should say something in case anyone actually cares where I am.


Voice - Priavate to Yuyuko
[Nue has never really felt comfortable talking to Yuyuko, and even less so after she wound up with one of her memories, but...]

Could you do me a favor?

[She really doesn't want to go back to the shrine right now, and someone needs to get her stuff.]


Text - Private to Kariya & Reimu
[Both of them get the same short message, the Vine unfurling to reveal the words:]

I'm sorry.

[Nue doesn't add anything to that, figuring there's nothing she can say to justify her actions. She also leaves it unsigned, but her identity may very well be easy to figure out based on the content and timing.]


[ ooc: The public portion is also open to action. ]

Comments

[tosaveyou]

[It's good to have some contact with someone. She tries to remember the last time, before coming here. She gave Sakura a hug. That was nice.]

She's my best friend. We grew up together. I think I've always felt that way about her, ever since I was a child.

[A pause. Does she want to talk about it? Well, she's already started.]

She doesn't feel the same way.

[undefines]

Oh. [She pauses a second, not really sure what to say to that. She feels a little useless as she adds,] I'm sorry. That must be hard.

["Since I was a child" is much shorter for humans than it is youkai, she knows, but she also realizes that Kariya isn't young. And because Kariya isn't young and humans' lives are so much shorter, a decade or two must feel even longer to her than it would to Nue, and it's not like that span of time would pass quickly in her mind, either.]

[tosaveyou]

[She nods.] It is. But she– she liked someone else, and I wanted her to be happy.

[She sees, now, that that was a mistake. If she'd said something, maybe everything would have turned out differently. She can't help but blame herself, even if rehashing the past and all the things she didn't do does nothing to help.]

But she isn't happy. Maybe I should have done something. Maybe I should have told her. [She shakes her head.] It's too late now.

[undefines]

[Nue stays quite for a few seconds, considering that. Then, she shakes her head.]

I don't think it's your fault she isn't happy, if that's how you feel. Even if you had said something, that might not have changed her mind, right? You couldn't make her do something she didn't want to. [Or she shouldn't have, at least. Nue values free will, even when that means the freedom to make poor decisions.] So, it's good that you let her do what she thought would make her happy. [Admirable, even.]

[tosaveyou]

You're right. No one should have to do something they don't want to. I'd never want that. But now I'll never know. But maybe if I'd said something, she wouldn't have married into a magus family. Then everything that happened wouldn't have happened. [She glances down at herself. She might not be in this situation now, if things had gone differently.]

I was happy for her, but then her husband gave one of their children away.

Who could be happy after that? [In Kariya's mind, Aoi must be resentful, if not hateful. How could she forgive Tokiomi?] Who could forgive something like that? [Certainly not Kariya.]

[undefines]

Maybe, but she might not have been happy even if she hadn't. You're right that you can't know, so don't feel guilty about it.

[Not that it's that easy, and Nue realizes it. Acknowledging when it's pointless to dwell on something is still important, she thinks.]

He gave one of her children away...? Why? [Nue tries to think of how she might feel in that situation, and she can't. The fact that she doesn't have a maternal bone in her body probably has something to do with it.] ...Sorry, I don't know if I can really relate to something like that.