momming | Catch-all; Rita Mordio

[ Here's a face she hasn't seen before at Toasted-- and Otome hesitates to approach at first, because she seems very focused on her notebook, but gradually she clears her throat. ]

Hello. Am I intruding?

[ Here we are at this place again-- Otome has to remind herself to eat, a little later in the day, so here she is. And there's Rita. ]

Oh-- hello, Rita.

[ Start off simple. ]

[ Hi, Rita. Incoming hug? Incoming hug.

There are no actual words yet. ]

[otome gets a text from rita!]

Sorry. I was wrong.

[ immediately chucks Rita into this because I can't do this from work--

Honestly, all it takes is a glance and Rita will experience the following:

She'll feel the alarm, the worry, the relief and the grief as Otome runs at full speed towards a dark-haired young man and a little pigtailed girl standing beside him, who looks more than a little nervous.

"O-oh, Mom..." She backs up a little. "I-I'm so-- sorry, I--!"

But then Otome drops to her knees in front of her and pulls her in close, hugging her tightly and causing the little girl's voice to crack in shock. "M-Mom??"

"I'm so glad you're safe..." Otome's voice trembles, thick with emotion. "I thought you might have been caught by a demon, or in the Void...!"

Still held tightly against her chest, the little girl's lower lip trembles as Otome continues.

"Where were you? If you were gone... I don't even know what I'd do... you can't just run off any time you want anymore. You'll always be with me... okay?"

The little girl lets out a thin sob and finally throws her arms around Otome's neck.

"O-Okay...! I'm sorry, Mom...!" ]

[hi otome, rita's here checking out the new rock climbing area! her general emotional state is mostly anxiety and irritation, but right now she's also just kind of perplexed?]

There's a moat here, too? [the heck is a lazy river]

[rita's walking by the empty classrooms, probably trying to get some distance from Everybody's Emotions, because god damn. when she finds otome, and stops. and lingers in the doorway.]

... Sorry.

I get it now. I mean, why you're like that.

[ Wherever Rita is, Otome will run into her! ]

... Does the burden feel a little lighter now?

Week 0, Sunday

Week 1, Friday (post-investigaton)

Week 2, Monday

Week 2, Saturday

Week 3, Monday

Week 4, Monday

Week 4, Saturday

Week 6, Sunday