Catch-all; Sieghart

[momming]

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Week 6: Tuesday

[ercnerd]

[Sieghart is at the café, sipping tea. Otome may or may not be aware of his presence before she sees him, considering his thoughts drift into their surroundings.

. . . wonder how she's doing. She's got a clear support system, so she should be fine. But I can't help worrying . . . ]

[momming]

... Oh? Someone on your mind?

[ And she's heading towards him to plop down, her thought one of curiosity. ]

I was just pondering this new note about sharing who we care about.

[ercnerd]

Oh, Otome.

[He sets the cup down.]

Are you interested in sharing?

[momming]

Why not? We didn't have much opportunity to talk before.

[ it's a little late, but I would like to get to know him better. ]

[ercnerd]

[ . . . this time, huh?]

I wonder how Maya's doing . . .

[momming]

She's had to carry a lot.

She's strong, but I do worry about her.

[ercnerd]

Strength has nothing to do with it. If you don't air out your wounds, they'll start to fester from the inside.

[momming]

Do you think she won't talk to anyone about it?

[ercnerd]

It's not that I don't think she won't . . .

[But our habits are the same.]

I just wonder if she's letting them sit long enough.

[momming]

... Do you sort of feel as though you're kindred spirits, in a way?

[ercnerd]

. . . Not quite.

She said that I reminded her of her sister.

[momming]

Her sister?

[ ...

He doesn't really seem to have a sisterly aura, but maybe a similar personality...? ]

[ercnerd]

Mm, that's right.

[But she passed away.]

Even then, she was reluctant to tell me anything.

[momming]

There are some things we don't necessarily want to speak about. For a variety of reasons.

[ If people hadn't seen Koharu, I wonder if I would have stayed silent too... ]

[ercnerd]

. . . What about you? Who's the lucky patient you'll be talking about today?

[momming]

...

Did you know Lucretia paints?

[ercnerd]

Oh, that's right. She sent me a drawing of everyone from our dorm. Is that what she's up to when she isn't wrangling the kids?

[momming]

I think so! When the art room opened up last week, she was practically living there. She was actually working on a portrait of everyone-- the people living, the people here.

I think that's incredible, honestly. The more I learned about her, the more in awe I was.

[ercnerd]

She has an eye for detail. And she doesn't seem like someone who'd forget people easily . . .

[momming]

[ she-- winces, a little. ]

Not without outside "assistance", at least.

[ercnerd]

That's something we're all at the risk of.

[He leans back in his seat.]

So, are the two of you friends?

[momming]

I'd like to think so! She let me call her Lucy before she-- er, forgot me. And from that, I could figure out she wasn't very fond of people she didn't know calling her nicknames.

[ercnerd]

Is that right?

[Has she heard Moon Granny yet?]

She didn't even tell us her name when we first introduced ourselves.

[momming]

[ Moon Granny?? ]

How long did it take you to start calling her by her name?

[ercnerd]

Me? I just call her Director.