[So... despite the fact that the kitchen has blood trails going through it, that is where Junpei will eventually find Tamamo, if he's determined to speak with her.
And she won't notice him enter at first. Probably because she's surrounded by all sorts of bowls and ingredients, an obvious sign of cooking. Someone does not care that this was once a crime scene, apparently.
With her arms are folded and her back to him, Tamamo faces the oven instead, her foot tapping with irritation the longer she stares]
[He had come here initially to find someone else, but when he sees Tamamo...he almost turns around and leaves. Except, like, at the same time he knows he can't avoid her forever. So he watches her for a moment, mirroring her stance from behind before...]
[honestly it's going to be more like eight minutes because nothing is ever consistent when it comes to baking, either you underestimate the timing and everything comes out soggy, or you wait too long and the underneath of your projects has been burnt to a crisp, but ANYWAY--
She'll approach him at some point and there's a plate of chocolate chip cookies in her hands... which she'll just. place in front of him like a tribute before taking a couple of steps back. She picks nervously at her fingers.
...
...
...]
So... it has come to my attention that I perhaps acted... inappropriately in some ways... and caused undeserved grief to you...
[Have you ever seen a dog that got yelled at and their tails just wag sadly behind them? Yeah.]
... Though I did not know what would be sufficient in bribing you to forgive me, so I went with a standard human favorite...
[That's...fine. He'll wait for as long as he to because he's not sure what the hell Tamamo's doing, but when she approaches and sets the plate down he looks at the cookies with nothing less than a stunned expression. He looks at the cookies and then back up at her and blinks in surprise.]
[He's still surprised for a handful of reasons but one look at his face makes it clear that he's definitely not mad. He's staring at the plate before he looks up at her again.]
...yeah, of course. [Humbling herself is sort of like saying she's sorry, but he'll take it.] I didn't think you knew how to bake.
[There's a pleased noise because, like, he does like cookies? So he's finishing it and licking his lips before there's a slow nod.]
...they're really good, yeah. Thanks. [But he tilts his head a bit as he watches her, eyes looking back to her tails briefly before he laughs lightly.] Were you going to come find me later with these?
[... Admittedly, hearing any apology (deserved or not) goes a long way into softening her features]
To your credit, I doubt there would have been a right way.
[...]
Junpei... I'm not the true Tamamo no Mae. She resides in an ethereal plane known as the Throne of Heroes. There, all types of figures who have made their mark on history reside, until they are summoned or called down upon the world to defend it.
Consider me more of a... projection of her, as the world would likely not be able to handle her full existence. [A shrug]
And as a projection, I have almost no bearing on the original. Should I die, Tamamo no Mae will continue to exist, and be summoned again. Over and over.
[Rearranging her hands on her lap, sighing, before she reaches over and takes a cookie for herself]
But it takes a miracle to be summoned. Every second is a gift to us Servants. It's why even knowing I am expendable, I wanted to make my wish come true somehow...
[...]
Though as previously mentioned, the requirements to keep me in the realm of the living are... steep. You'd need magic circuits, first off, and even then, most humans would buckle under the pressure of maintaining me. It'd be one thing if we were in the middle of a Holy Grail War -- then, at least, my purpose would be to protect you and win our battles, while you kept my existence stable. But during times of peace the benefit is...
[-- nonexistent, she wants to say, but Tamamo is trying not to make the same mistakes, either]
...aren't you the one who said that you believed if we were fighting in a Holy Grail War, I'd be the one who could summon you? [It's nothing accusatory or even really argumentative. It's just a statement, an inquiry, and he's contemplating his options here.]
You...aren't the first person I've saved. You aren't even the first person I've saved who wasn't a full, true version of yourself. [...] Sometimes you have to believe in miracles even when it's never really about that. There s always a universe where things work the way they're supposed to.
I meant under the most ideal of conditions! And if you were a magus. Which you are not, to my knowledge. Who knows if your scrawny arms could handle magic circuits.
[Biting into her cookie]
... Though I will concede -- that is indeed an impressive resume. [No wonder he was stung when Tamamo shut him down]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
W4, POST TRIAL
And she won't notice him enter at first. Probably because she's surrounded by all sorts of bowls and ingredients, an obvious sign of cooking. Someone does not care that this was once a crime scene, apparently.
With her arms are folded and her back to him, Tamamo faces the oven instead, her foot tapping with irritation the longer she stares]
Does it really take this long for them to bake?
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What're you doing?
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Unleashing an unholy screech as she turns and
tries to muscle him right out of the kitchen]
No no no no! Out with you immediately!!
[:/]
You're too early!! Come back in five minutes!!
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The moment he's sufficiently out of the kitchen, Tamamo points to some corner for him to sit in.]
Five. Minutes. Do not move from that spot.
[And just disappears back into the kitchen.
\8|/]
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Fine, whatever....five minutes. [And he waits.]
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She'll approach him at some point and there's a plate of chocolate chip cookies in her hands... which she'll just. place in front of him like a tribute before taking a couple of steps back. She picks nervously at her fingers.
...
...
...]
So... it has come to my attention that I perhaps acted... inappropriately in some ways... and caused undeserved grief to you...
[Have you ever seen a dog that got yelled at and their tails just wag sadly behind them? Yeah.]
... Though I did not know what would be sufficient in bribing you to forgive me, so I went with a standard human favorite...
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...you...made me apology cookies. [...holy shit.]
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God, she hates this, and now has to swing this back into her favor somehow, trying to wipe some of the nervousness from her expression]
Y-yes, of course! Even I know how to humble myself on occasion!
[It's fine.
She's not worried he'll still be mad.]
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...yeah, of course. [Humbling herself is sort of like saying she's sorry, but he'll take it.] I didn't think you knew how to bake.
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[Laundry is a gray area when it includes herself, but--]
They're all qualities for a good wife. Why would I not work hard to make sure I excel in those areas?
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They'll taste delicious.
Tamamo just doesn't care to reveal that skill to most people, it seems, and even so, she looks to him with another round of nerves]
... Are they... sufficient?
[mmmrrr]
I'm not as familiar with these types of ovens.
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...they're really good, yeah. Thanks. [But he tilts his head a bit as he watches her, eyes looking back to her tails briefly before he laughs lightly.] Were you going to come find me later with these?
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Seeing as he is correct and yeah, yeah. She was going to hunt him down with a plate-filled with cookies. She guesses.
Rather than respond at all, Tamamo chooses to glance sideways at the wall and play with her fingernails again.]
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...sit down, Tamamo.
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And waits for him to say whatever he wants to this time.]
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...I'm not going to apologize for trying to find a way to save you. But I will apologize for going about it the wrong way.
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To your credit, I doubt there would have been a right way.
[...]
Junpei... I'm not the true Tamamo no Mae. She resides in an ethereal plane known as the Throne of Heroes. There, all types of figures who have made their mark on history reside, until they are summoned or called down upon the world to defend it.
Consider me more of a... projection of her, as the world would likely not be able to handle her full existence. [A shrug]
And as a projection, I have almost no bearing on the original. Should I die, Tamamo no Mae will continue to exist, and be summoned again. Over and over.
[Rearranging her hands on her lap, sighing, before she reaches over and takes a cookie for herself]
But it takes a miracle to be summoned. Every second is a gift to us Servants. It's why even knowing I am expendable, I wanted to make my wish come true somehow...
[...]
Though as previously mentioned, the requirements to keep me in the realm of the living are... steep. You'd need magic circuits, first off, and even then, most humans would buckle under the pressure of maintaining me. It'd be one thing if we were in the middle of a Holy Grail War -- then, at least, my purpose would be to protect you and win our battles, while you kept my existence stable. But during times of peace the benefit is...
[-- nonexistent, she wants to say, but Tamamo is trying not to make the same mistakes, either]
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You...aren't the first person I've saved. You aren't even the first person I've saved who wasn't a full, true version of yourself. [...] Sometimes you have to believe in miracles even when it's never really about that. There s always a universe where things work the way they're supposed to.
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[Mouth slipping into a pout]
I meant under the most ideal of conditions! And if you were a magus. Which you are not, to my knowledge. Who knows if your scrawny arms could handle magic circuits.
[Biting into her cookie]
... Though I will concede -- that is indeed an impressive resume. [No wonder he was stung when Tamamo shut him down]
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[...he tilts his head.] ...didn't I tell you about Akane?
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It quickly turns bemused, however, and she shakes her head]
Tell me what, exactly?
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[All she knows is the memory where she watched Junpei press "betray"]
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