Chapter Text
Scissor City
mr. worldwide: so.. miko.. about that reading
guuji lesbian: we do not mention that here.
it was simply spreading falsehoods about me. i never lie
mr. worldwide: i mean…
guuji lesbian: never
mr. worldwide: right.. but there was that one time in the mikawa flower festival
and after the ritual..
guuji lesbian: i never lied there, i simply just didn’t say the full truth
anyways, let’s omit from talking about this, lest the others start asking as well
detective sideboob: i mean.. i wasmt going to before but now..
raven edge lord: I am curious as well to what could’ve resulted to this much.. passion
mr. worldwide: it’s not as bad as it could’ve been trust
guuji lesbian: i am trusting nothing that comes out of that mouth
detective sideboob: come onn, it couldn’t have been that bad
guuji lesbian: shut up
all you need to know was it was wrong and that’s all i’m saying about this
mr. worldwide: it’s not that bad! could’ve been worse
guuji lesbian: it was bad and wrong
she is alice’s friend, obviously there was a conspiracy against my cards
therapist lady: If it would make you less suspicious, Miko, I can mention mine?
I got curious and wanted to check it out for myself.
guuji lesbian: that’s a way better idea
go on then mizuki
therapist lady: Well, I had managed to get the reversed moon. According to Lady Barbeloth, it can mean “escapism,” “illusion,” or “self-deception”
The reading had helped put a lot of things into perspective for me
raven edge lord: Yikes, that sounds a little harsh..
therapist: Yes, but it definitely helped out with that I was struggling with
mr. worldwide: i am glad that reading was able to help you out with your film Mizuki :)
therapist lady: Yes, and thank you Traveler for accompanying me
raven edge lord: Is it really that helpful? Maybe I should give it a try one day..
the better kamisato: Maybe I will as well.. This would maybe help me with my struggles
guuji lesbian: don’t do it my dear little sister
all it does is spreads falsehoods about people
sugar daddy: She is still not your sister.
mr. worldwide: cmon miko, mizuki shared hers, it’s only fair
The Almighty Raiden Shogun: I’m starting to get interested as well
guuji lesbian: ...it was a reverse justice card
she said it meant “imbalance,” “dishonesty,” and “dissatisfaction”
therapist lady: Folded under no pressure whatsoever..
guuji lesbian: whatever, it doesn’t matter
what she said was false and that's that
detective sideboob: so, if i’m reading this correctly, you were simply… read like a book, and now you’re upset about it. man alive, it’s shocking to see these sides of you
mr. worldwide: the reading wasn’t entirely untrue..
guuji lesbian: what would any of you know?
like i said, it doesn’t matter so just shut up
sugar daddy: Seems they have struck a nerve there
therapist lady: Like I have said previously, Miko and vulnerability often don’t mix well. They are like oil and water sometimes
Or maybe a better comparison is when you add too much friction to a chemical. It just leads to an explosion
guuji lesbian: okay Mizuki, how about we talk about you again?
you can’t even accept yourself, nevermind accept when others dont need you all the damn time
therapist lady: Hm..
guuji lesbian: and you, detective, aren’t you still hung up about your little ex-situationship?
don’t you flirt with the traveler, hoping it fills the void left by a certain friend?
detective sideboob: ..I don’t know what you’re talking about
guuji lesbian: what? now getting the cold shoulder because you also got a reality check?
sugar daddy: How about you calm down Lady Guuji. You are getting worked up over some teasing
guuji lesbian: god, if I had known the Kamisato clan would produce someone like you I wouldn’t have even saved it. Truly a waste of my time
the better kamisato: Lady Guuji..
raven edge lord: Guuji Yae, as much as I respect you, this is all uncalled for. Stop this immediately
guuji lesbian: a shame you never managed to inherit your father’s intelligence. maybe then you would’ve understood more than just being a bootlicker
raven edge lord: ..
The Almighty Raiden Shogun: Miko.
guuji lesbian: oh great, here comes ms. moral officer
don’t come here to lecture me when you haven’t even gotten over your own sister
The Almighty Raiden Shogun: ..You are obviously trying to get a reaction out of me so I will not give you what you want.
Take a breath and think about what you are saying. You are hurting a lot of my people
guuji lesbian: like hell i care about your damn “people”. they wanted to be insistent with trying to force me to reveal my “deepest darkest secret” and yet can barely handle their own
this all would’ve been avoided if they just kept their mouths shut when i told them to
The Almighty Raiden Shogun: You do not mean that and that’s okay Miko. Talk to me when you’re in a better mood
dragon (source: trust me bro): how about we all just log off for today and calm down
It seems like being on here is doing more harm than good
the real leader of the arataki gang: I agree with Miss Kokomi, you all seem to be very ill tempered and taking it out on each other
detective sideboob: please, the only one taking anything out is the Lady Guuji
sugar daddy: She was the one insulting all of us just for telling her things she didn’t want to hear
guuji lesbian: if you all would’ve minded your damn business it wouldn’t have happened
no. 1 mailman: i don’t know all that’s been happening but how about we just get along :(
guuji lesbian: whatever, im out of here
~~~~~~~~~~
Miko had stared at the device in her hand for a while more after sending that message. She never got mad this often, especially after petty teasing. Usually, she was the one getting people worked up like that, mischief is practically her middle name. But.. this time it was different. It was about that damned reading. If she knew it was going to make her that vulnerable, she would’ve never had the Traveler of all people show up. Especially since it was material that can be used against her, now that everyone knows what was on it.
It wasn’t that serious. Miko knows this well. Ordinarily, she could brush it off. Ordinarily, she could slip back into her perfect persona, one of many she’d refined over centuries. But that reading, it… Rattled her.
And now, probably a dozen of her people, citizens that should be looking up to her, have witnessed her walls tumbling down. Her mask slipping.
“Goddamnit!” She throws the device, uncaring if it breaks.
Hot tears slide down her cheeks, her jaw clenching and nose burning with emotion. How could this have happened?
What’s wrong with me? Miko thinks. She had just said she didn’t care about Ei’s people, the people she herself has protected for 500 years. Insulting them, using her knowledge against them, all for what? Because of an innocent question about a card reading? The traveler meant no harm, at most a teasing comment she could brush off, why had she taken it so seriously?
Maybe because she’d already been feeling so strange today. One of those moods she has every once in a while, snapping at little things everywhere. Her poor shrine maidens weren’t even safe from her temper, then.
Because you are a pitiful creature. You always have been. It’s no wonder Ei abandoned you.
Ei left because she was grieving. Because of her perceived personal failures. Not me. It wasn’t my fault.
Is anything ever your fault? Is there a convenient excuse for what happened moments ago?
It wasn’t my fault. They kept persisting, that’s it, and I snapped.
Just like you always do? Admit it, they were right about everything. You know they were. You just like to pretend they see themself in you, but face it—you’re still that dumb, naive little kitsune who can’t handle the real world. Stop pretending to be anything else.
ỷ̵̙̠̩̞͑ͬȏ̶͓̼ù̖̳͎̞͚̌ d̖͓͍̺̹ͭ̆o̵̪ṅ̹̫͕̋̾̎t̻̯̠̗̥̒̍ͧ d̵͓ȅ͕̺̪̮̼s̀ͥͪͣe̝̦̖͖rͭ̑̊v͇̩̦͖̦̅ͨ̎͋ͭĕͦ̅ Ḁ̬͚̟̜̃̃͋͊N͎ͪŸ̵̘̣̺̮̜̉̉̃T̨̘͖̪͛̾ͅHͨÎ̴̿͂N̴̯Gͪ e̦͎̫͉̬̊ͨ̒ͣl͔ͮ̑ͭͪş͚̅ͩ̇e̴ͤͤͨ͒̔
..I really don’t deserve anything, do I?
Maybe it’s better to let it take over, Miko thinks. Maybe it’s better to slip away for a while. She doesn’t register sliding down a wall, or curling into herself, or the sobs that wrack her body. All she feels is tired. Fuzzy. Absent.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ei finds Miko that way, curled up, clutching her head, trembling. The communication device is tossed aside—no wonder she hadn’t answered any messages. Miko doesn’t seem to have even noticed her presence.
“Miko...” Ei approaches her slowly, her tone saddened. Though, before she can come too close, she hears a whisper.
“Not Miko.” ‘Miko’ looks up and Ei stops, seeing one of her eyes glowing and glowering.
Ah. So it was one of those days.
Ei starts to walk again and sits down next to ‘Miko.’ “Okay. Who are you then? I don’t wish to call you by the wrong name”
“…It’s Kasumi.” Kasumi mutters out, putting her head back down on her lap.
“Kasumi then. Do you wish for me to stay here?” Ei lifts a hand before hesitating, while she knows Miko would appreciate it, she could not say the same for Kasumi.
Kasumi takes a few moments to respond before leaning next to Ei. Well, it looks like she got her answer.
Ei wraps her arm around Kasumi, getting the confirmation she needed. “Alright.. We can stay here for a while..”