Cutscene: The Carp Going Upstream
Characters: Enoha Koinose, Izo Imaizumi
Friday, October 9, 2012
Yumezaki Municipal Hospital
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On another day, a young man named Kyo Enda will come into this room and deal with some confessions of his own.
On another day, all hell will most likely break loose.
Today isn't that day.
But it is the day that Enoha sat there, by the unconscious Izo Imaizumi, pressing her face into her hands in order to rub, then look up. "The way he writes his reports, and the way he acted during that investigation. He doesn't seem to be himself anymore. Maybe, the rumors are changing him too? Making him into the sort of person that'd willingly use that machine for causes other than what we chatted about. It scares me." Her lips turn upwards in a wry smile. "I know I said I'd stand up to him if push came to shove, but it never seemed like I'd ever be facing a different man."
She sighs, letting her voiced thoughts pause a beat. "It could just be me still. He's stressed out, and I'm just throwing my issues at him, just like I'm doing with you. And you can't even reply back or tell me to shut up."
Idle hands begin to adjust some of the affects placed on the table next to Izo. "But I didn't come here just to complain. Really, this all started with me just trying to get you to see that he's not such a bad guy. So, when you see him again, be gentle with him, okay? And with everyone else."
Dark, gentle eyes glance back at Izo. "But, that's the thing- you need to come back if you're going to even do anything at all. Maybe I can ask you to show me the rest of your tattoo- the one on your arm. It's the same as my persona, isn't it? The koi-no-takinobori. It's sort of neat, even if I know some of the reasons why you have that tattoo. But it's a good symbol. About meeting challenges, and never giving up."
Enoha is silent then, gazing at Izo's comatose body, the equipment reading his life signs. "Come back soon. I need to apologize to you, Iamizumi-san. Let me apologize for all the chatting at least! That nurse said it may help, but I don't think she meant for me to talk this much! Until then..."
Taking a silk pounch out of her purse, Enoha loosens the ribbon drawstrings, letting a small cloisonne carp charm fall into the palm of her other hand. "I found this when I was window shopping the other day. It looked kind of like the koi on your arm." She squints at the charm, comparing what little of Izo's tattoo to the shiny gold charm swinging gently from her hand. "... Maybe not. I guess my memory's bad." She sighs, disappointed. "But it swims, see?" Holding up the charm by the loop of silken cord it's tied on, Enoha lets it dangle and flex, jerking the string to make it dance in the air.
"So keep swimming, okay? I'll do the same. We'll meet each other, when we get to the top."
