Description: Having recently become so very much aware of how horrible she's behaved in recent months, Hotaru makes her first visit among many to come. Catching Roberto as he leaves the hospital after she put him there, Hotaru tries to apologize for what happened, but the damage may be too deep to repair - in more than one way.
It's been a few weeks since the fateful SNF that he found himself matched up against Hotaru. The hospital has finally released him and given him strict orders to stay away from fighting and soccer for a few more days.
While giving up fighting didn't hurt so much, giving up soccer, his true love(as much as it probably hurts Yurika), hurt him so much more. He's happy to finally leave and finally ditch patient clothing and those four walls in his room that had seen way too much of, he's happy.
One might wonder what happened to the jar of chainmail links extracted from his side. That was something else Roberto was more than happy to leave behind. Of course some doctor's probably going to auction it off on Ebay... Greedy bastard.
Tense. Sick to her stomach. Nervous. Ashamed. Any number of adjectives could be used to describe the girl waiting for Roberto to be released. Having called around to find out where the soccer fighter could be found, she was eventually told that he hadn't been let out of the hospital yet since his last appearance... It didn't take too much thinking to figure out which appearance /that/ would be.
Not once but twice Roberto got placed up against her after her fight against Kataki a few months ago. And twice he suffered the full brunt of the potent technique she was learning, improving on, and destroying herself with. The second time was even more savage than the first, when she slipped into a rage out of no where and attacked him with all she had, shocking herself and the audience alike.
Days ago something changed, however, in the midst of sparring with her apprentice. The manipulation broke, the blinders lifted, she became aware of every last horrible thing she had done since Kataki found her alone at the church yard she maintains. Every insult, every taunt, every harsh word, every savage attack. With no hope of undoing what was done, all she can do is seek out those who were affected and speak to them. One by one.
Catching Roberto as he approaches the main entrance to the hospital, Hotaru pushes herself off from leaning against a wall in order to intersect his path, "Roberto..." she speaks up, hoping to get his attention, hoping he doesn't simply walk by, though not blaming him if he did chose to just ignore her entirely.
Even if Roberto was released from the hospital he still moves gingerly. That the second time the technique hit, it did something to his body and the way he moves while still it shows he's agile, isn't quite right. Perhaps it will heal with time, perhaps it will be permanent. Roberto and the doctors are quite possibly the only ones who knows.
As he moves to the entrance, the disabled listed soccer star gets ready to flag a cab when he hears that familiar voice. With a somewhat curt response of his own he turns to her and says,"Hotaru." There's no hello or anything that would invite warmth but it isn't quite hostile either. It's as if he's not sure how to treat her. There's the chi focused hatred that she's pumped into him twice, yet on the other hand there was also what Sakura had said about her dabbling with powers she doesn't understand makes him a little more hesitant to completely turn his back on her.
The thought does cross his mind to leave her behind due to the fact he once again finds himself in a situation where his soccer career was imperiled and all for her to prove a point that in his mind didn't really need proving. But the main thing that makes his decision for him is the fact that they didn't have a chance to finish their pre-fight conversation about people attack those who fought in Thailand. What either of them have to say is something that could prevent someone else from being caught unawares.
Of course she picks up on how Roberto is moving as he makes his way toward the exit. She hurt him bad. Possibly worse than she's ever done to anyone in a fight, except perhaps Zach Glen with the two savage strikes into his chest with that vile power she's been dabbling with, as it were. The things she has to say, the conversation she has to broach... it's one of the most difficult things she's ever done. She'd rather be facing some ridiculously powerful fighter in a ring somewhere than this. At least then she knows what she's supposed to try and do. This? This is way harder.
He turns to face her, and he doesn't seem to be launching an attack, so that's a good start, right? He also isn't yelling, though she isn't sure she's ever seen Roberto raise his voice more than during their Neo League match, and even that was... relatively calm compared to how she was carrying on.
Exhaling softly, trying to find the courage to continue, she swallows once, wishing her face wasn't so pale with nervousness as she kneads her hands together in front of her. "I don't want to keep you- I mean, ah," she mumbles, still folding her hands together repeatedly. "Roberto, I know what I did in our fights was awful. It's some of the most horrible things I've ever said or done, and at the time... it must have seemed like that I meant every bit of it, but..."
The girl shakes her head, looking back up toward the Taiyo student, "I'm sorry. I was out of control. I... it's complicated, but... I know there's nothing I can do about it now. And... well, if there was anything I could do to make it up to you, I would..."
The sidelined soccer star remains silent as Hotaru speaks taking each word she says while keep his face neutral. Even that's a hard task for him. And much of what she says isn't anything new to him. As a matter of fact the fact most of them were things that either Sakura or Hotaru had said themselves in prior conversations.
But now in this case, there's remorse to it which changes things. Even still part of him wants to tell her to go screw herself(and possibly the more profane version as well). The part that's bitter about not being able to do what he truly loves.
There is the other part of him. The part that wants to trust her again. The part that wants to remain loyal because of the things that went through together. And where Roberto didn't have to think before forgiving Shoma(He had the best of intentions, he didn't sideline him, in addition to the things they went through together, they both were best of friends before), Roberto requires a bit more thought for Hotaru. She just didn't have the benefit of history other than fighting alongside each other in Thailand.
After weighing everything, his response to Hotaru is, "We'll see."
There were some other things he wanted to speak with her about. "You said there was some boy attacking people who took part in Thai War?"
Her accounting offered, the girl looks quietly back at Roberto, finding it hard to meet his eyes for long, resulting in occasional glances to the side. He answers in two words. Words that imply some doubt, some uncertainty, but some possibility. She didn't expect or feel she deserved more than that. A simple acknowledgement is maybe even more than she thought she would get.
Her eyes glance toward his after a moment of quiet. "You said a lot of things to me during our Neo League match, I... owe you a great debt for the effort you made then. I won't forget what you told me. Thank you for caring enough to try..." With that she bows her head, still folding her hands together, not sure what to say next.
Roberto shifts the topic, however, and Hotaru glances up again, "A boy. Very young," she remarks. "He attacked me at a place I frequent. Came in out of no where and tried to hurt me with knives and... some kind of malevolent power. I fought him off and he vanished." She frowns faintly, "But he definitely implied that it had to do with having interferred in Thailand... I'm glad you haven't had to deal with it."
As Hotaru gives an account of her experience with the boy and he nods as he tries to imagine how the scenario went down. A thoughtful expression on his face and complete silence as she gives details.
Of course when she said that he hadn't had to deal with it, he has to say something, especially since he probably was in a worse situation. "Not quite true. Sometime just before our Saturday Night Fight, I had a woman dressed up like a nurse pull me from my soccer practice under the guise of a check up and then proceeded to attack me." The soccer star begins to look downward shaking his head as he continues. "I fought her but I wasn't quite able to beat her. She kept telling me it wouldn't have happened if I kept my nose out of their business and stick to away teams closer to Southtown. I'm not stupid it was easy to add two and two together though she didn't exactly say it until I called her on it. I thought I left the war behind me when I finally left the institution. I guess I was wrong. She had mentioned that Gedo was next on her list and I went to Daigo right away." After that Roberto lets out a sigh of frustration. It's hard to tell if it's one of frustration at his current powerlessness to do anything about it or at the frustration at the fact that problems keep coming.
Hotaru falls quiet as Roberto begins to speak, correcting her on her assumption that he hasn't been troubled by the aftermath of their interference in Thailand last summer. A girl dressed as a nurse, probably trying to take advantage of the regular medical care fighters need... Great, now she's going to be paranoid around nurses.
"Hm..." the girl ponders quietly. "I'm glad you've been telling people to be on the lookout. I thought all that was over, until I saw that boy. He said we... killed his father. Vega, I guess. It was unnerving," the girl states, folding her arms in front of her as if staving off a chill.
She falls a bit quiet after that, still feeling uncomfortable even after the topic shift. Will it feel this way around everyone she used to enjoy being around? she wonders. A quiet exhale as she sways a little on her feet, unfolding her arms. "I shouldn't keep you... I just..." she falls quiet again, glancing at his side where she had smashed his chain mail links into him with her violent attack, before looking away, turning to the side. "I hope that..." she pauses again, scowling off to the side, unsure of what to say. "Get well," she finishes finally.
As for Roberto he wouldn't mind getting away from Hotaru himself. There's some things he will need to sort out for himself for him to be able to talk to Hotaru the same way again. And probably the same would go for Hotaru though the soccer star not being psychic wouldn't know how true that would be.
He's about to raise an arm to hail a cab when he realizes he needs to make sure Hotaru knows what she's dealing with. "Before I go, I want you to know that you should be on the lookout for a Caucasian woman with red hair. She has the capability of healing herself with that weird energy she uses and has a similar stance to the one that Cammy used." Roberto should know, he had fought/gotten his butt whooped by her before.
Roberto rubs his chin as he thinks about how to approach matters further and ultimately decides to verbalize his plan of attack "When I get home, I'm gonna check to see if she's been in any fighting leagues when I go home. It would be easier to warn those fighting her before hand. It's the least I can do." He doesn't mention the fact that it's because of the injury he can't do much more. No need to rub her face in it when she already knows it.
After that, he finally does hail a cab and get in. The whole thing is a major ordeal. Man, he can't wait until gets to the point where it's bearable.
Hotaru takes in the details, the warning, with a quiet nod. At least she knows kind of what to look out for. Of course, as she won't be fighting anymore... at least... not any time soon, she figures she's at less risk of needing medical attention. At least, once her right arm has been healed completely. Ongoing treatments are required there. "Good luck, Roberto," the girl replies quietly as he shares his plan of attack. At least someone is doing something about this new menace. She... well, she isn't sure that she should be involved.
The girl watches the soccer fighter as he hails down a taxi, observing the way he moves, the way he gingerly gets into the ride. The degree of the injury he's coping with is impossible to miss and as he vanishes within the cab, the girl turns away, eyes closed, a tear shed from each eye in silence. One visit down... so many more to go. Her left hand comes up to wipe at her eyes as she leaves, continuing on her way.
Slowly she pulls back her right sleeve to stare at her arm. Layers of bandage wraps cover her forearm, concealing the damage of the final form of the Koga techinique from sight. Pulling her sleeve down, Hotaru sighs, clenching her hands tightly. She would gladly suffer such injuries and more if only it would take away the suffering she caused everyone else. But all she can do for now is continue on, crushed beneath the weight of actions she can't even believe she did. Time to meet with someone else and repeat this experience all over again...
Log created on 00:05:58 04/16/2008 by Hotaru, and last modified on 01:37:57 04/18/2008.