(GS3) Home Field: Espoir Mansion

[Hope]

Hana sat down at the dining room table, her eyes somewhat closed. She was practically still half-asleep.

"Uhhhhh huh... I'll have eggs... also where's Mi-hime I thought I heard her..."

[Cherry]

Of course.

"Ignorance is a bliss, so for everyone else who weren't connected to Cray like the people in this house, she isn't wrong", Yukino accept this fact. For a majority of the world, Vanguard was simply a game and nothing more. For the Espoirs, Vanguard was a connection and a destiny. Despite how important they believed themselves to be, they did not make up the entirety of humanity's point of view. People got worthy exchanges for their previous clans, so of course they'd be happy.

"Satoshi probably understood this", she continued. "That, or this mysterious voice you mentioned helped drill it into his mind."

The thing is, what could Yukino even do about it? Holding her chin in thought, what was there to do about it? The woman could go find the two, and then what? Yell at Satoshi and Neu, despite the fact that Yugure agreed she had a point for everyone not connected to the Espoir? Satoshi didn't even have to keep suffering like a sidekick if he wanted, seeing as he must've felt useless watching them all fall to Neu's arrival.

Hopelessness born from an expected failure arose, and she choked.

There wasn't anything in her power that could fix this at the time.

[Jello]

Haruka noticed Miyuki's intolerance to the black coffee, immediately.

"Eer, you can have it with sugar you know?" Haruka laughed a little at Miyuki's reaction and requested sugar cubes.

"Its more of a pick-me up to be fair. I don't drink it solely for the taste." Haruka remarks, as he takes another gulp.

"Oh, sleep well?" Haruka was actually fond of chatting with Miyuki. It was a lot more casual than most conversations he had these days.

Miyuki +1 AP

As he asked, the little princess makes her entrance to the kitchen, sleepy-eyed as hell.

Sheesh, she's more tired than me. Probably.

[Beryl]

"Yugure, please..." Seph shook his head. "Satoshi though of his cards as his friends for so long. It's this misguidedness that comes from interacting with people that makes things so difficult. He keeps getting lost in people because he wants to understand how people are all so different..."

He stared in her eyes, tears forming in his own. "Come on! You don't find him and Haruka just 'sidekicks,' do you? That's not the Yugure I watched grow over the shoulder of the Royal Guard! That's not the Snow Flower he so lovingly calls you! You changed!" He bit his lip. "What's to say Neu can't change, either?!"

[Cherry]

"What makes you think I can make her change as I am?!" Yugure screamed. Of course she didn't think of them as just sidekicks, but what could she do about it or anything right now? The queen accepted her powerlessness, as she was bested twice by this villain who stole away the warring Paladins and Dragons. Gritting her teeth, she went on to speak: "Satoshi still has the cards he thinks of as friends."

Jealousy controlled her tone. She lost her clans, but he didn't. It wasn't his fault, of course, but the queen had a hard time feeling sympathy for that statement when Satoshi lost absolutely nothing.

[Jello]

The scream echoes through the halls. Haruka stands up walks out into the hallway to see Yukino, yelling at, what seems to be air.

Lost friends.

Haruka showed up in time to hear her remark of Satoshi still having his clan. The tones of anger brewing in her words caught him off guard for sure.

"Yukino..." Haruka called out lightly to her.

"What's going on?"

[Beryl]

Seph's face softened. While he was pained, he could see Yugure was struggling with problems herself, particularly the failure that had so driven her over the edge before, back when Jellal had crushed her with Phantom Blaster Overlord. She wasn't managing well without Ahmes and Yunos and Alfred...all of them had been particularly close, and it wasn't really his place, as the Guardian Dragon of Neo Nectar, to chastise her for feeling the way that she did.

But his thoughts changed to Ezel, which made him sigh and speak once more:

"You're right. He does still have the cards he thinks of as friends. But let me ask you, Chosen Sword: do you not feel the same of Gold Paladin, the remnants of Royal and Shadow Paladin alike to find the Beast Armors and free those friends you love?" He gave a slight smile. "I can't say I speak for Ezel or Garmore, but from as far as I know they fight on your behalf, every day, trying to get things back to the way they were. Vortimer, too, on behalf of Haruka. Vermilion, on behalf of his champion. Even Maelstrom longs for a battlefield where Aqua Force can contest the justice of the Paladins or the fierce flames of the Kagero. Cray itself is determined to undo the seals, but they still need their champions. All of them."

He materialized more realistically and lightly touched her shoulder, attempting to console. "I know you don't believe this, but right now, I understand your losses very strongly. I don't want to lose Satoshi any more than you wanted to lose Ahmes or Yunos. But to say that these Gold Paladins can't be your friends...isn't that acting a bit like the one you want to stop?" He stroked that shoulder with a nod. "You're different from Neu Edelweiss. You know you are. You know Cray matters. You, Hana, Haruka, Jellal...and I know Satoshi does as well. He's just...confused. He needs his leader to guide him."

Seph pat her shoulder and turned to Haruka with a slightly awkward wave. "Hi. Didn't see you there. Satoshi's in trouble because of Neu Edelweiss. As far as I know, they're still at the amusement park. But I don't really know if Yugure's in the shape to make her case yet..." He scratched his chin and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you could perhaps run out and have a look, Sera---" Seph coughed, making sure he didn't finish the name to hurt Haruka as he accidentally had before by telling Yugure. "I mean, Haruka?"

[Cherry]

Yugure scowled, not a single person would ever be able to understand how she felt right now. Seeing Haruka show up took her attention from Seph. "Speaking with Satoshi's Guardian Dragon", the irate queen responded, disdain obvious. She was down on her luck, losing Royal and Shadow. Even so, the bonds she had with Gold Paladin were rising to be on equal terms that she had with the former two. Ezel and Garmore never got on her for this attitude, as the lost is still devastating. That, and they had warming up to her to do themselves, and vice versa.

"I never said they can't by my friends, nor did I say they're not. But I still lost friends, was my point."

Again, she wasn't given too much choice her. Always a duty to fulfill, and she wasn't looking forward to meeting Neu again.

"I'll go find him. He needs me to change his mind", the woman caved in, deciding to go. Quickly rushing to get the Gold Paladin deck before venturing out.

[Jello]

The rage sent shivers down his spine. Haruka was most definitely unsure of what to say at this point, but that was normal for him.

"I see." Haruka made notice of Seph and sort of just stared at the two for a moment.

What do I say? I can't...

She had made her choice as she stormed off, seemingly to catch up with Satoshi and help him. His instincts said to follow her, but something inside of him told him to stop.

His chest began to hurt, as per usual now. He hung his head down, standing in the hallway.

From the pit of his stomach ranged guilt and confusion, and the subtle lack of drive. He felt useless.

He was useless, as of now.

[Beryl]

"Yugure, please don't trouble yourself if---"

Too late. She was already out the door. All that was left was Seph looking at a very distraught Haruka. Similar problems, maybe?

He touched a hand to his shoulder. "They need you, too. You're the glue that stick the two of them together, and right now, I have a feeling that's going to be more than necessary to make things right." He smiled. "That sounds like something Dragonic Overlord would want of his Vanguard."

[Jello]

Haruka's eyes glazed over. He heard the words but they sort of passed over.

The Seraphim had a grip on Haruka's heart and mind now. All he could do was nod and break a weak smile, despite paranoia coating Haruka's conscious. He looked up, hands in pockets and simply nodded, as to get Seph off of his back.

"When I get around to it." Were the Seraphim's words.

[Crystalia]

Miyuki looked slightly doubtfully at the sugar, but mixed it into the coffee anyway. She had another sip, then realised it needed more sugar. After adding more sugar it became drinkable. 'I'm not sure if this is the right way to drink coffee, but oh well, it's actually quite nice now.'

After finishing the coffee, she looked around. Haruka was nowhere to be soon. 'Wait, what. I thought he was right here.' Confused, she looked at the butler, who simply said that Haruka had left a bit ago, whilst she was messing around with the sugar. 'Well whatever'. Thanking the butler for the coffee, she walked out and wondered around a bit more. Maybe the dining room would have people in it? With this thought in mind, she headed there, vagually remembering the location from last time. She made it this time, and entered to have a look.

[Hope]

Hana had finished brunch awhile back, eggs. Then she returned to her room and had a meet up with Cray's council. Dinner time! Hana ate eggs for dinner. She had just finished, now she see's Mi-hime entering the dining room.

"Hello Mi-hime." She said her usually greeting, just lacking the usual enthusiasm.

[Crystalia]

She noticed Hana sitting in the dining room. She moved over, and sat next to her. Noticing that she seemed down, she thought of what to do. 'Well, let's just be straight-forward about this'.

'Hii Hana' she said brightly, trying to dispel the slightly moody atmosphere. 'Are you feeling better? Sorry I couldn't be of more help yesterday'. She hoped that this would work, otherwise this could end badly. She could tell that Hana had quite obviously not fully recovered, she just needed to see how she'd respond in order to help her. 'Can I do anything for you?'

[Hope]

Mi-hime was sitting next to her again, whoau.

Hana really didn't think of anything that could come to mind, but then again she remembered that she hasn't been keeping up with her Cardfighting and that can't be as a national champion, she had to keep herself in good shape. A bunch of games just to bond with her Angel Feather deck doesn't sound bad either...

"Hey Mi-hime we should do a bunch of games later, also invite Yukinee and the others if possible..."