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Mabushina has a room in CARAT’s building, a nice pretty little… apartment? Is that what Muryou called it? She honestly can’t remember. It’s not quite translatable, to her language, so she doesn’t really know what to do with it.
Look, the point is, she does have somewhere to go when everyone else goes home.
The couch here is full of feathers and far too soft, but her bed is worse. She misses the shining crystals of home, but Muryou and CARAT have already done so much for her that she doesn’t want to intrude. (It’s not even been two months since she arrived, but she already misses her home and her father so deeply.)
She sits there and does nothing for… well, she doesn’t actually know how long. Just that, a moment and an eternity later, there’s a knock on her door.
“You in there, princess?” asks a familiar voice. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Tametomo, one of the chosen. The one who'd known what she was doing and been the first to try and stop her.
“C-come in,” she calls.
The door opens, slowly, and Tametomo peak in. He whistles.
“Nice place,” he says, slowly walking in and closing the door behind him. “Almost as good as mine.”
Mabushina doesn’t respond. She supposes it is, for local standards.
“How are you doing, though?” Tametomo continues, sitting down on the other end of the couch. “I know it’s not a nice feeling to lose someone you love, and to get your hopes ripped from you like that, just when you got some? Well, that’s probably worse.”
Mabushina sighs.
“I’m… I’m fine,” she says. “I just…”
She chokes on the next word. She… she…
She’s crying, the crystals landing in her lap. Tametomo turns closer, gently grabbing her shoulder as he says “hey, don’t worry. I’m here.”
Mabushina takes the offer and jumps into the offered shoulder to cry on. And to her surprise the soft human is incredibly comforting to lean into.
“O-oh,” he stammers. “You’re crying, umm… I know it hurts, but I… man, I’m not good at this, uh…”
His awkward rambling does help, though, and Mabushina can’t help but laugh through her tears at it. And he laughs too, as the clatter of her tears fades from her ears and she pulls back.
“Well, I guess I did something right,” he says. Face softening, he continues. “Seriously, though. I’m here for you, the whole team is!”
Mabushina smiles.
“I know,” she says. “Tha-thank you.”
Tametomo shrugs.
“I just came in here to apologize,” he says. “But I’m glad I could help. I… I lost someone I really cared about, once. I would do anything if I thought it could bring him back, too.”
Mabushina blinks.
“Oh,” she says. “Who—”
“Anyways, Princess,” Tametomo continues, interrupting her question. “You’re a part of this team, and no good team is one unless you’re honest with them and you treat each other like family. Do you think we’re a good team?”
…What?
“Of course I do!” Mabushina exclaims.
“Then we’re your family, now,” Tametomo replies. “Better than your asshole of an uncle, at least. And… I know it’s not the same, but it’s something.”
It… it really is. Mabushina smiles at the Yellow.
“Again, thank you,” she says. Tametomo smiles right back.
“Any time,” he says. “After all, we’re teammates… but I do need to go, my other team’s got a strategy meeting for an upcoming competition! Time for me to sparkle!”
Mabushina waves her hand. That’s a gesture of assurance here, right?
“I’m… better, now,” she says. “Good luck!”
Tametomo stands up, bowing dramatically.
“Of course, my princess,” he jokes. Turning around, he waves. “See ya tomorrow.”
(Thinking of her friends, it’s a little easier to fall asleep on her too-soft bed, tonight.
…Maybe tomorrow, she’ll ask Muryou for a little something firmer, after all.)