Sofia observed Stella as she comforted Sakura, and couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice. When she had first exposed her vulnerable side to Stella, there was no solace or consolation offered, only a facade of sympathy that appeared to be manipulative. It was hard for her to not feel envious of the genuine compassion being shown towards Sakura.
But she knew that it wasn't entirely fair to blame Stella. After all, Sakura's situation was pitiable, and if Sofia was a beast, then Sakura was merely human. They had both experienced a difficult childhood, yet their coping mechanisms were vastly different. Sofia had become fiercely independent, while Sakura was still hoping to be saved by someone else.
In any case, Sofia came to the conclusion that Sakura was a naive person who believed that a knight in shining armor would come to her rescue. But in this case, she was right since Shirou would save her.
"Ibaraki, are you okay?" Marisa asked softly, casting a worried glance at Ibaraki. Ibaraki rubbed Marisa's head and assured her that she was fine.
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Nyx observed the scene, her gaze lingering on Stella as memories from her past life flooded her mind. Sofia had confided in her that even Stella had tried to take advantage of her and showed no intention of helping her with her PTSD. However, Nyx recognized that this timeline was different.
Sofia had only come to appreciate Stella's concern after she had fully claimed her as hers. And now, Stella was providing the comfort and care that Sofia had once longed for from someone who had done nothing to help her, while Sofia had meticulously planned and schemed to receive the compassion she craved.
Nyx made a spontaneous decision to stick by Sofia's side, and although Sofia was surprised by the sudden gesture, she didn't say anything. Marisa observed the situation and opted to join them, sensing that Sofia needed some cheering up.
As they walked away, Nyx cast a final glance at Stella and couldn't help but scoff at her actions.
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The three of them sat on the self-made bench, watching the serene scenery of the beach. The waves crashing against the shore created a soothing rhythm that could calm anyone down.
Ibaraki broke the silence, "Marisa, why did you drag me out here?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Marisa didn't answer immediately but instead hugged Ibaraki tightly. Nyx followed suit and hugged her from the other side. The sudden embrace caught Ibaraki off guard, but she felt comforted by their warmth.
"Marisa?" Ibaraki questioned, feeling a lump form in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes.
"It's okay, Ibaraki. It's hard, isn't it?" Marisa whispered, her voice full of empathy.
Nyx chimed in, "It's okay to feel sad, Ibaraki. You did a good job holding everything together and acting like a responsible adult."
Ibaraki's confusion turned to despair as her tears continued to flow. "I, I don't understand... Why am I crying?" she stuttered, trying to control her sobs.
"It's okay, Ibaraki. Let it all out," Marisa reassured her.
"I did my best, I'm an adult already. Yet, why do I need her to spoil me? I want hugs too. I want her to tell me that I did my best. Not only that, but I desperately wanted her to notice it, yet..." Ibaraki trailed off, unable to continue as her tears continued to stream down her face.
Ibaraki's heart sank as she realized the truth about her relationship with Shuten. All this time, she had believed that Shuten was her most trusted person, someone who truly cared for her. But now she saw the truth – their relationship was merely that of a slave to her master. Shuten had never spoiled her or shown any affection because she was not commanded to do so. Ibaraki felt foolish for believing in a relationship that was based on power rather than genuine care.
As the realization hit her, Ibaraki's emotions spiraled out of control. She couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face, and her sobs grew louder with each passing moment. Marisa and Nyx were alarmed, but they didn't know what to do. They wanted to help Ibaraki, but they didn't have the ability to read minds.
Amidst her tears, Ibaraki had an epiphany. She knew what she had to do, and she had a favor to ask of Marisa and Nyx. She wiped away her tears and looked at them with determination, ready to take action to improve her life.
Ibaraki's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Thank you both for being here for me, but I don't want to burden you any longer. I need to face my own problems, and I need to do it alone."
Marisa and Nyx exchanged worried glances, but Ibaraki's determination was palpable. They nodded silently, understanding that sometimes the best way to help someone is to let them help themselves.
"But before that, I have a favor to ask,"
----------------
Shuten looked around the room and noticed that Sakura was once again asleep. Realizing that the others were not in the room, she decided to go out and search for them. As she walked, she spotted Nyx and Marisa looking a bit down, prompting her to approach them.
"Nyx, Marisa, what happened?" Shuten inquired, eyeing them with concern. The two of them looked up at her with melancholic expressions.
"It's nothing, but Ibaraki asked to meet you at the dock," Marisa said cryptically, making Shuten feel uneasy about what might have happened.
"I see, do you know why?" Shuten asked them, but both Nyx and Marisa shook their heads.
"Okay, I'll go see her. See you two later," Shuten said before walking away, leaving the two of them to discuss what they should do if things worsen.
Shuten gazed at the harbor, where strong gusts of wind kept blowing, causing her hair to fall out of place. As she scanned the area, she noticed Ibaraki perched on top of a cargo crate, staring out at the distant sea. Without hesitation, Shuten leaped up and landed gracefully beside her.
"What's on your mind?" she inquired softly, settling down next to Ibaraki and turning her gaze towards her face.
"Let's end this, Stella. A loveless love isn't worth feeding," Sofia said with a serious and grave tone, causing Stella to feel shaken and hurt.
"What? What do you mean, Sofia?!" Stella demanded an explanation, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"This isn't something to joke about!" she said strongly, her voice wavering slightly with emotion.
"You didn't love me, Stella. You were only doing this because you were conditioned by me. All of your so-called feelings were just a mere imitation of love," Sofia explained, looking directly into Stella's eyes.
"What are you saying, Sofia?!" Stella felt agitated and deeply hurt that Sofia thought her affection was fake.
"Your affection for me is a hoax! You never cared about me, nor did you ever think about my feelings!" Sofia shouted, stunning Stella.
"You don't care about me anymore! You didn't pat me! You didn't encourage me every day! And you don't even kiss me good night! Everything has changed! Have I lost my purpose in your eyes?!" Sofia was crying as she poured out her heart to Stella.
"You... You had a fever, didn't you?" Stella closed their foreheads and felt Sofia's temperature was higher than normal.
"Well, no wonder you're so emotional right now. I apologize for not doing those things. I thought you needed some space," Stella said as she held Sofia's hands and tenderly kissed her on the forehead.
"Sofia, please remember that no matter what happens, I will love you forever. And please don't hesitate to complain if I do anything wrong," Stella added, looking at Sofia, who sulked.
"I don't have a fever," Sofia said, her face starting to turn red. "Yes, let's go and rest, shall we?" Stella said as she lovingly carried Ibaraki to home.
-----
'No wonder she felt a bit hotter than usual,' Marisa and Nyx thought as they saw Shuten tuck Ibaraki into bed.
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Oh my mind, what wild and wacky ideas are you brewing up, something from the depths of the trash heap, perchance?
Another chapter of pure garbage, but hey, that's just me, the Garbodor of writing! I mean, who needs a perfect manuscript when you can just have fun with it, am I right? Besides, it's not like anyone's going to read it anyway.
Hey, hey, hey! I'm totally ignoring you guys right now because I just gotta be emo sometimes, you know what I mean? Like, let me be dramatic for a bit, okay? Haha, anyway, moving on...
Have you heard the weather report? It's saying that it's going to rain tonight with ladies! But let's face it, you guys probably don't have any dates lined up, am I right? Ha! Just kidding! Don't get your panties in a twist! Let's make the most out of this rainy night and have some fun, even if we don't have any ladies to keep us company! Who's with me? Let's go!