Takeru can be easier for people to talk to, I think. ----
"We should leave. I mean, not just out of here. I mean, get out of this city." Riko knew that her friend's sanity might rely on her not identifying herself partly as something she hated. Even if Chiyo was half Ganma, what did that really mean? That she could see them. That was it. If they got out of there, away from the city, that meant that Chiyo had time to redefine herself as something that was not causing her so much pain.
Chiyo seemed unusually docile as she nodded, a testament to how much this whole thing had impacted her. When Riko had put the clues together and asked Chiyo about them a while ago, Chiyo had sadly and reluctantly admitted that Riko was right. Then she'd broken down sobbing, and Riko suspected that it was because Riko was the first person who'd understood really what the whole thing meant.
"Chiyo," Chiyo's mother said, coming into the room, "I have to talk to you. In private?" Which meant Ganma stuff. Riko could see Chiyo straightening up.
"You can talk in front of Riko. She knows."
Chiyo's mother looked at Chiyo and then Riko. "It might be safer if she doesn't know."
Chiyo had told Riko that her mother had cautioned her about reacting to Ganma or telling anybody else. That caution had to have come from somewhere, but Riko couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.
"You can tell her anyway." There was a little bit of spirit back into Chiyo's voice.
"How much do you know?" Chiyo's mother asked - not Chiyo, but Riko.
"I know that her father's Ganma," Riko said, figuring sticking to the truth was the best. "And so she can see Ganma when she shouldn't be able to. And she doesn't like being part Ganma."
As if she'd passed some kind of test, Chiyo's mother smiled. "There's a little bit more to it than that, but yes." She sat down. "Chiyo, we're going to leave, your uncle Makoto, you and I."
Chiyo nodded. "I... I think that would be good."
"Prince Alain - the one that was here - is as obsessed with your uncle as always. And you and I along with him, to some extent. It's because we're Fukamis, not because of what you are."
She hadn't known that there was a Ganma obsessed with Chiyo's uncle. From Chiyo's expression, neither had she. Chiyo merely nodded again.
"He threatened us." And with that, Riko got a good look at Chiyo's mother's face. She was obviously the worse for wear. "He wanted to send us all back to the Ganma world. Mostly you and your uncle, I think."
It was a good reason to run away, if different from her own. Once Chiyo's mother was done speaking, she'd talk herself.
"Chiyo... I think you should know what Prince Alain said." Chiyo's mother paused, as if unsure how to deliver the news. "Your body is like your uncle Makoto's."
"My body is Ganma?" Chiyo asked, and Riko could see her cringe. She wrapped an arm around Chiyo's shoulders.
"Your body is human." Obviously, Chiyo's mother was trying to find a soft way to break it to Chiyo. "But it's wrapped around a Ganma Eyecon. Prince Alain told me that. Back when your uncles fought against the Ganma the first time around, Prince Alain tried to send your uncle Makoto back by reducing him back to an Eyecon - destroying his physical body and then sending him through the gate between worlds."
Chiyo shook. Riko gave her a squeeze, to remind her that she was not alone.
"I'm not going to let Prince Alain send either of you back." Chiyo's mother's tone was firm.
"I'm going with you. If he's figured out I'm Chiyo's friend, then he'd go after me to find you." It was the best time, Riko thought, to speak. "I know it's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to make it. She needs someone besides her family, Ms. Fukami."
"Or I could go with Prince Alain." It didn't sound like something that Chiyo was looking forward to, which Riko didn't blame her. From what she'd learned, it would be a bleak existance. "And then find my way back. He's my father, isn't he?"
"I can't tell you. But I can tell you, to quote your uncle Takeru, that it wouldn't be a good idea." Chiyo's mother's tone had gone soft again. "We're Fukamis. The only way he'd be satisfied if all of us were there... back there for your uncle and I. He'd never let you leave the Ganma world again."
Chiyo was shivering now. "I...."
"Let's just go with your family." Riko tried to sound decisive, without making Chiyo's choices for her.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2016-02-08 01:15 pm (UTC)----
"We should leave. I mean, not just out of here. I mean, get out of this city." Riko knew that her friend's sanity might rely on her not identifying herself partly as something she hated. Even if Chiyo was half Ganma, what did that really mean? That she could see them. That was it. If they got out of there, away from the city, that meant that Chiyo had time to redefine herself as something that was not causing her so much pain.
Chiyo seemed unusually docile as she nodded, a testament to how much this whole thing had impacted her. When Riko had put the clues together and asked Chiyo about them a while ago, Chiyo had sadly and reluctantly admitted that Riko was right. Then she'd broken down sobbing, and Riko suspected that it was because Riko was the first person who'd understood really what the whole thing meant.
"Chiyo," Chiyo's mother said, coming into the room, "I have to talk to you. In private?" Which meant Ganma stuff. Riko could see Chiyo straightening up.
"You can talk in front of Riko. She knows."
Chiyo's mother looked at Chiyo and then Riko. "It might be safer if she doesn't know."
Chiyo had told Riko that her mother had cautioned her about reacting to Ganma or telling anybody else. That caution had to have come from somewhere, but Riko couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.
"You can tell her anyway." There was a little bit of spirit back into Chiyo's voice.
"How much do you know?" Chiyo's mother asked - not Chiyo, but Riko.
"I know that her father's Ganma," Riko said, figuring sticking to the truth was the best. "And so she can see Ganma when she shouldn't be able to. And she doesn't like being part Ganma."
As if she'd passed some kind of test, Chiyo's mother smiled. "There's a little bit more to it than that, but yes." She sat down. "Chiyo, we're going to leave, your uncle Makoto, you and I."
Chiyo nodded. "I... I think that would be good."
"Prince Alain - the one that was here - is as obsessed with your uncle as always. And you and I along with him, to some extent. It's because we're Fukamis, not because of what you are."
She hadn't known that there was a Ganma obsessed with Chiyo's uncle. From Chiyo's expression, neither had she. Chiyo merely nodded again.
"He threatened us." And with that, Riko got a good look at Chiyo's mother's face. She was obviously the worse for wear. "He wanted to send us all back to the Ganma world. Mostly you and your uncle, I think."
It was a good reason to run away, if different from her own. Once Chiyo's mother was done speaking, she'd talk herself.
"Chiyo... I think you should know what Prince Alain said." Chiyo's mother paused, as if unsure how to deliver the news. "Your body is like your uncle Makoto's."
"My body is Ganma?" Chiyo asked, and Riko could see her cringe. She wrapped an arm around Chiyo's shoulders.
"Your body is human." Obviously, Chiyo's mother was trying to find a soft way to break it to Chiyo. "But it's wrapped around a Ganma Eyecon. Prince Alain told me that. Back when your uncles fought against the Ganma the first time around, Prince Alain tried to send your uncle Makoto back by reducing him back to an Eyecon - destroying his physical body and then sending him through the gate between worlds."
Chiyo shook. Riko gave her a squeeze, to remind her that she was not alone.
"I'm not going to let Prince Alain send either of you back." Chiyo's mother's tone was firm.
"I'm going with you. If he's figured out I'm Chiyo's friend, then he'd go after me to find you." It was the best time, Riko thought, to speak. "I know it's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to make it. She needs someone besides her family, Ms. Fukami."
"Or I could go with Prince Alain." It didn't sound like something that Chiyo was looking forward to, which Riko didn't blame her. From what she'd learned, it would be a bleak existance. "And then find my way back. He's my father, isn't he?"
"I can't tell you. But I can tell you, to quote your uncle Takeru, that it wouldn't be a good idea." Chiyo's mother's tone had gone soft again. "We're Fukamis. The only way he'd be satisfied if all of us were there... back there for your uncle and I. He'd never let you leave the Ganma world again."
Chiyo was shivering now. "I...."
"Let's just go with your family." Riko tried to sound decisive, without making Chiyo's choices for her.