The afternoon sun hung high over Paradise Hall. As usual, its current inhabitants were everywhere and anywhere. A majority of the group were in the clinic basement, tending to a wound Kiwako had sustained in her last training session. Koharu remained locked in Yui’s office, with Hanako beside her this time. Yui was left alone, punching one of the few remaining punching bags left intact. For a mercy, she didn’t seem intent on breaking this one. Carrying a small laundry basket, Alice picks up some of the towels that have been left lying around, including several stained with Kiwako’s blood.

Alice: (she sighs) Oof. Taking suggestions on how I’m gonna explain this to the chief washing machine operator at home.

Yui: A stern look that says ‘don’t ask, or you’re next’ works for me. But I guess I dumped Intimidation, huh?

Alice: In my experience, threatening to grievously wound your own mother isn’t exactly the most constructive approach. (she sighs again, dumping the towels into the basket) I haven’t told her about the gym yet. 

Yui: (she shrugs, jabbing at the punching bag again) Maybe not your mother, no. Works well enough for mine, though. Then again, she can still kick my ass, so nevermind… 

Alice: Pretty sure you don’t have to ask her to do your laundry… (with a deep sigh, she puts down the laundry basket and sits down on the edge of the boxing ring) Sorry… Tired.

Yui: (with a soft sigh, Yui pulls away from the punching bag, walking over to Alice) Y’know you can ask for help, right? ‘Specially with a fucked up arm and all. …You’re not Wonder Woman, babe, you don’t gotta do it all alone.

Alice: I gotta do what I can do. Everyone else does.

Yui: Yeah, what you can do, not like… several layers above that. Carrying shit is a bit above your paygrade right now, babe… 

Alice: No, it isn’t. If anything, what I should do is fight alongside you. To save you. I can act the part of the sensible one grounding everyone all I want, but the fact of the matter is that I’m just a coward.

Yui: Babe… you don’t need to be on the frontlines with me. Just ‘cause I’m at war doesn’t mean you need to throw yourself into the lion’s den. I… feel bad enough about what happened to your shoulder. …I’m working on somethin’ to fix that, mind you, but… l-like, look, after Mei… I-I think I fight better without… (her voice is trailing off as her arm begins to tremble)

Alice: You’re not exactly… (she sighs) I mean, you can’t be telling me not to push myself when you’re out here putting up with fucking Kiwako and her “training sessions” all day despite… what happened. You’re grieving. You don’t have to put up a brave face for the others. They know you’re only human.

Yui: (For once, Yui doesn’t argue. She hesitates, quiet and still for a moment before simply nodding) …I know, babe. I know, okay? I haven’t dealt with it yet. Doesn’t help that I saw Mei down there, last time I slept. But I didn’t know what to fuckin’ say… It’s hard to think about my feelings when someone close to me dies, an’ I get to see ‘em when I sleep. It’s… 

Alice: … easier if they’re just gone? I don’t know… what does Mei want?

Yui: She wanted a purpose, something more than an ordinary life. One day, she leafed through my journal, and… from then on, she wanted only one thing. Mei wanted to be a Conductor.

Alice: Then maybe… in some strange way, she’s at peace now. Knowing that she can still do what she wants to do in the Dreamscape. I mean, it’s horrible. It’s unfair. But it’s better than just… disappearing. I know that’s not going to alleviate your grief — it shouldn’t — but, I dunno, as long as we have something we want, we can still keep going. People can live on in dreams… I guess, literally, in this case, too, but I mean, like, figuratively.

Yui: I… I get all that, Alice. Just, y’know… we’ve worked so hard to make the Conductors’ name more than just what some assholes did twenty some odd years ago, right? I wanted better for Mei. She wanted to die, she wanted to be a Conductor, and in a way, she got both… she’s on cloud 9, yeah? But… she deserved better than to die for some bullshit cause— to die for me… right?

Alice: It’s okay to feel that way, at least. But she didn’t die for a bullshit cause. She died to protect her friends. Even if she wanted to be a Conductor, at least it was a better breed of Conductor.

Yui: …Fought like hell when we went to get Mom back, too. Turned Worldeater’s mom against him. Guess we can confirm that Kae— that is, Katherine, specifically— really is Luca’s mother. Also found out that I really can’t just punch my way through this one. But man, you should’ve seen her out there. It was… it was like she hadn’t missed a beat. (Yui’s eyes unfocus as she looks away)

Alice: Must mean you’ve trained her well.

Yui: Not well enough, babe… 

Alice: I know, Yui. I… don’t have all the answers either. It’s… (she doesn’t finish her sentence, instead looking off into the distance)

Yui: …I wish she’d lived, Alice… 

Alice: Why wouldn’t you? I’m sorry, Yui.

Yui: (Yui doesn’t respond, or even move for a long moment. Eventually, she just shakes her head with a sigh) …I’ll be alright, Alice. Always am. This’s just hittin’ harder than usual’s all. …But uh, yeah… n-no need to go all Superwoman on me here just ‘cause my head’s in the sand. Whatever you need, just yell at me, yeah? It’d be like old times.

Alice: You need some time to unwind, too. Perhaps I’ll get on Koharu’s case. Make her pull her weight around here.

Yui: Heh… sure, an’ I can sell tickets to that shitshow. Babe, she’s fightin’ her own demons right now, just like we are. Hm… maybe we can get Kiwa an’ Hanako to help out more though. All they do lately is spar and train.

Alice: It’s… fine. It’s not like I have anything else to spend my time on.

Yui: If ya could, what would you be spending it on? Like, once we take these bastards down an’ all?

Alice: Yui, I’m… not going to be able to play the guitar again. Ever.

Yui: …Yeah you will. 

Alice: (she sighs) This is not the kind of thing you can just wish into existence. I mean, I couldn’t even if Kyubey offered.

Yui: …I can fix it, Alice. Just gimme a little time to get it right, and I’ll make it all right.

Alice: You can’t—How… are you going to do that? Become an Incubator? I don’t want you to make promises like that, Yui. I can’t have you slipping away for my sake.

Yui: Well, no. But I’m… let’s just say I’m workin’ out the limits of what a Soul Gem can do. Gimme a little time though, okay? 

Alice: I’m not sure if… I want that.

Yui: …I got a lot of reasons, babe. A lot. But most of all… seein’ you hurt, and not just your arm, it’s… it’s hard, knowing I can possibly fix it. All of it. …I gotta make something right by the end of all this. No matter what it takes.

Alice: Yui, are you… listening? I’m not sure if I want you to keep seeking more power for my sake. I… I don’t want to be your excuse for some… kind of crusade. You don’t need to fix me to make things right. That’s… not why you need to fight.

Yui: It’s not why I’m fighting. I’m fighting to keep you safe. This is… more personal, that’s all. Just trust me, okay? (Yui turns and begins to make for the stairs)

Alice: Okay. (she flashes Yui a brief smile before an introspective expression returns to her face)