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video; un: lookingforshinsengumi

U-Um..

[ When the video starts, the girl visible looks clearly shaken up. She's looking a little pale, but it mostly seems to be since she's scared - since it matches the way her eyes look wider than usually, and the way she's breathing a little hard, like she's been running around for a while now. There's even some drops of sweat at her temples because of it. ]

I'm sorry to bother everyone. [ Despite her state, it's like she somehow can't help but mutter those words first, even offering a faintly apologetic bow of her head before she quickly glances around her and then speaks on. ] But, I-- I.. think I'm in danger, and I don't know what to do about it..

[ A valid reason to ask a question on here, one might say, and yet Chizuru seems so awkward about it all the same. ]

The other day I started seeing ghosts here around town. Um, ghosts I.. I recognize. I'm not sure if they're ghosts, but I can't imagine what else they'd be.. [ Because it's clearly not those people actually being there. ] At first it was just me seeing them and nothing else, but now every time I see one, they rush towards me to try and attack me. It's..

[ She hesitates, but then admits, helplessly, stammering-- ]

It's scary. It's really scary.. Has anyone else experienced this? Or.. what should I do..? I really don't know..

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I... like just being a normal person here.

[For whatever value of 'normal' there is here. It's odd, but he's not against life here. There's beauty to be found in this insanity, even as he tries to hold on to what's normal for him.]

I don't have to be a hero. I can just be Nara'a. At home... the whole world is riding on my back a lot of the time. It's... I don't mind saving people, but I miss being just an adventurer sometimes. The responsibility...

... It's really hard sometimes, Chizuru. I've watched people die, people sacrifice themselves. I've been in wars and to stranger places than I could have ever imagined. But it all... is a lot.

[ Ah, so that's it. It's not quite something the girl can understand on a personal level. After all, she may have been surrounded back home by people she would view as important, but Chizuru is well aware that she's a total nobody. The fact that she's gone from home at least shouldn't influence the events going on there.

So having the kind of responsibility Nara'a seems to be describing in this moment - it's something Chizuru has only seen at least. It's never something she's actually felt. Still, she tries to consider it, carefully pressing her hands together. ]

Well.. If you want a break, then.. you deserve one.

[ Granted, she can't speak for the people in the world he comes from. She can understand if they might view it differently, given the stakes... ]

In the end.. you should do what's best for you, right..? It's not good if you're always hurting.

I... want to do what's best for me, but I keep doing what's best for other people first. I know I should allow myself to be more selfish, but it's... just not in my nature.

[He looks around, checking for monsters again. There's something far off to the east that he can hear, but it's not close to them, thankfully.]

I don't want to be hurting because it makes other people upset, but I don't want other people to be hurting, either... it's a dilemma.

I don't think that should all just be on your shoulders though.

[ Chizuru's voice isn't very strict when she talks about that. She gets that his position is.. difficult, after all. And even aside from that, Chizuru can very much acknowledge that she doesn't know all that much about his world. Certainly not enough to be able to speak for it in any way.

On the other hand, Nara'a is her friend. She cares about him. So, looking at it from that perspective.. ]

I know it might seem like your world makes it that way. That a lot of people put pressure on just you. But.. um, I think that when it comes down to it, you always find that there are a lot of people trying to keep others safe and happy in all situations. And that people working together is what makes it work in the end.

[ Her voice is a little gentle and careful, like she doesn't want to be too pushy about this.

But she still wants to explain. ]

Wouldn't that be easier on you? If you weren't the only one doing so much..?

It's getting to the point where others can help, but I... I have a gift that protects me from some of the worst monsters in my world. We've only just recently come up with a way so that others can fight those monsters as well. But even still...

[Even still. Those few days he spent in Elpis, as fraught as they were... just being with people and living lives where he could almost forget the world was in danger...]

It would be easier. And I know I can rely on the others. I'm just... so used to being the one saving everyone. The last time someone protected me it... well.

[He gestures towards where the ghost was.]

[ It's not like Chizuru doesn't get it, really. Relying on other people.. It's scary, and even more so when you've already experienced that someone got really hurt because of you.

But no matter how hard it is, and no matter how hypocritical it is, she can't help but say this much all the same. ]

Then let yourself rely on other people. Just a little.

[ Because she wants him to. No matter how hard it is. In the end.. it'd be better for him, she thinks. ]

Rely on me too, even if I can only help you here, and not back home. If there's anything I can do at all to lighten your burden, then.. I will.

I'm doing my best. It's... hard, to remember to ask.

[He smiles at her as they walk. She's so sweet. He doesn't want anything to happen to her...]

But I'll try. I promise you that I'll at least try to remember to ask for help. What sorts of things are you comfortable helping with?

[He doesn't want to push something on her that she's not alright with, after all.]

I'm.. good at chores.

[ She figures that it's not what he was thinking of here, but if she's entirely honest about her qualities, Chizuru figures that she should put this upfront. ]

Cooking, or cleaning, or mending clothes, or.. um, any of that.. I'm pretty good at it, and I think it's fun to do as well, so I really don't mind doing them for other people. [ She's already offered to do so for various people in this place, after all. ] Aside from that.. I can listen pretty well, I think. So if you ever just need someone to talk to, someone who'll listen to you.. I can always do that too.

[ She grows a little more quiet, and then adds: ]

It's just that I'm no good at all with battles, or dangerous things like that.. I'm not as strong as other people.

Not everyone is good at battles. Most people aren't. And most people shouldn't be. There's too much in the world that's rough and dangerous...

[He shakes his head and sighs.]

I might call you if we're having trouble at home... it's a little run-down but it's getting back to snuff. It's a little exciting, I haven't helped build a house before.

[ While Chizuru does entirely agree with the first part of what Nara'a says.. she still can't help but feel like it's a bad thing that she personally isn't good at them.

Still, when he holds such a pure belief, it feels rude to say that out loud. Instead the girl goes quiet, staring at the ground as they walk before slowly piping up again. ]

.. you're building an entire house? From scratch? [ Another pause, and then: ] With some friends?

No, not from scratch. I think the basic frame of the house and some framing of the interior walls was there originally, but we're just starting to get the rest of the walls built up inside. The kitchen's the part that's the most put together, but the bedrooms and sitting room are starting to get there as well.

[He's got enough sense to know how to hold a hammer correctly, and how to get things nailed down. He's a little less good at the sawing part, but he's learning.]

That's still really impressive.

[ Especially since it's close enough to building it from scratch. After all, it sounds like the only thing that was really there already was the framing, so they're doing everything else in there by themselves..

Her head kind of spins when she tries to imagine how much work that would be, even for a group of people. ]

I guess that means you can make it look however all of you want in the end.. That must be nice. I just moved in with a friend.. [ So she never really had to do any of that herself.

Which is probably for the better, given that Chizuru's talents don't really lie there. ]

Moving in with a friend is nice, too. I mean that's basically what I did... but it's just some extra work. I don't mind helping out.

[He never does mind, where he can. He still finds it a lot of work, but it's good work. It helps to pass the time when he's around. When he's not out patrolling for beasts and other things... but it's nice.]

[His ears swivel as he catches a sound. It's close, but not close enough for alarm.]

And I'm sure you have work that you do, yourself. We all do what we can.

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