View source for 751/Jingle Bells

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/12/26
|Location=Mitakihara - Downtown
|Synopsis=Fate finds Ayana crying because her Christmas was Good!? Except those aren't tears of joy! Ayana spills the beans on her big dark secret, and Fate is left uncertain what to do. Merry Christmas, Fate-chan!
|Cast of Characters=86,5
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jingle Jingle Jingle. It's mid-afternoon, and somewhere in Umbra's multi-dimensional headquarters, there is an inexplicable jingling sound.<br /><br />Jingle Jingle Jingle. It doesn't seem to be moving. Listening close will give away its position. It's intermittent, rather than frequent. <br /><br />Jingle Jingle Jingle. Sitting alone in a quiet corner--well away from Takashi's laboratory and his apartments, far back near the storage closets, where the spare parts and the cleaning supplies are kept--is Ayana. She's dressed festively for the day, in a Santa hat and a matching sheath dress, with red-and-white striped stockings, and a pair of black Mary Janes on her feet. Each of her three tails has a large green ribbon tied to the end in a bow, holding in place a pair of golden jingles.<br /><br />It's these which are making the noise--Jingle Jingle Jingle--as Ayana shifts position intermittently, but regularly. The foxgirl is all alone, clutching her legs and shifting uncomfortably and crying into her knees.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate Testarossa just happened to be passing by, on the way to the break room, when the sound of a jingle catches her ear. What is that noise?<br /><br />She stops walking. She listens. She hears it again, and again, and once again a little after. What could be making a sound like that?<br /><br />She draws closer to the noise as she searches, opening doors to look into rooms, before closing them after seeing nothing. She peeks around corners, looks in closets, and even into boxes as the constant noise guides her journey.<br /><br />Finally, she opens the right door, and that sound gets much louder. She hears a crying noise along with it and, as she draws closer... she recognizes the sound. Her feet begin to hurry.<br /><br />Turning a corner, she says, "Ayana-chan? What's wrong?" Fate walks up to the weeping fox, dropping to her knees next to the familiar.

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana freezes at the sound of Fate's voice. But it's too late, she's already spotted. Wiping at her eyes, she glances to the blonde, then sniffles and looks away. "It's duthing," she mumbles to Fate, then wipes her eyes again.<br /><br />"Don't tell Riventon you saw me like this, okay?" Ayana asks her. "He doesn't need to be worried about me." She sniffles again, and shifts positions once more. Jingle Jingle Jingle go her tails once again.<br /><br />"Did you have a Merry Christmas?" Ayana asks Fate uncertainly, trying to avoid the topic of her own tears.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate shakes her head, saying, "I won't tell him if you don't want me to." The blonde shifts so that she's sitting next to Ayana, looking up at the foxgirl.<br /><br />Upon being asked about how her Christmas was, Fate pauses and frowns for a moment. "It was okay..." She smiles for a moment as she says, "Arf and I go your presents! We really liked them! I actually... um..."<br /><br />Fate reaches into her pockets, pulling out a medium-sized package, and hands it to Ayana. "We wanted to give you this! I said you wanted jerky instead but Arf-chan seemed to think that was a silly idea. So we got something else... I hope you like it."<br /><br />Offering her gift, Fate tilts her head and asks, "Um... do I even want to ask how your Christmas was?"

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana wipes at her eyes again, and her nose, then smiles at Fate. It's not a good smile. "My Christmas was just wonderful," explains the Kitsune paradoxically.<br /><br />"I got up early, and dressed up real nice," Ayana motions to the outfit, "and then I tried to cook Taka-kun breakfast. But I think I messed it up." She sniffles a little as she looks over the package, then starts to tear into it. "We exchanged our gifts. I think he really liked what I got him. He got me this bracelet, and ... lots of jerky," here she lets out half a laugh at Fate.<br /><br />Ayana isn't really watching while she unwraps. She just continues tearing at the paper absently while she explains, "I really love him, you know. He's such a wonderful master. Except ... I think if he knew the truth about me, he'd probably kill me. Or turn me back into a fox. I'm a horrible familiar," she explains to Fate.<br /><br />It's then that Ayana looks down at what's in her hands, and her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh, Fate-chan," she mumbles. "This is wonderful." Ayana leans towards Fate and hugs the girl tightly. "I really wanted one of these, so much. I thought, maybe if I had a collar, I'd be a better familiar. And now I have one. Maybe I can be better. Maybe I can figure out how to be happy without having to lie to him. Or ... or something. Oh, I'm in so much trouble, Fate."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Her Christmas was just wonderful? ... Those weren't tears of joy that Fate saw. She isn't sure how to respond to that, so she sits and listens. Was that sarcasm? Or a lie? Fate can't tell.<br /><br />"You messed up breakfast?" As Fate continues to listen, and hears more and more of what Ayana is saying, she grows more and more worried. She leans back against the wall, asking, "Would he really...?"<br /><br />Fate shakes her head. No, it couldn't be that bad, could it? "I know that Arf-chan and I don't see eye to eye on some things. She strongly disagrees with a lot of the stuff I do for my mother, but I know she's just trying to look out for me in her own way. Even if she doesn't understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, I still have faith in the fact that she cares about me."<br /><br />She turns her head and tilts it at Ayana, saying, "... doesn't Takashi-sama feel the same way about you? I mean... a part of him is in you. I don't think he could really hate you..."<br /><br />The gift is opened, and thankfully appreciated. Fate smiles as she's hugged, returning the hug lightly. "You really like it? I'm glad, but... would a collar really do that much?"<br /><br />Fate's starting to get a bit worried, for Ayana's sake. Partly because she's so upset, and also partly because Riventon probably ''could'' kill her if he wanted to.

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana lets Fate go, then inspects the collar a few moments. She pets it with her thumb, then offers it to Fate. "Will you put it on me?" she begs quietly, then turns away so Fate can do so.<br /><br />"I think he would," Ayana explains. "See, when he first made me, Takashi asked me to learn everything I could about Magical Girls. He wanted me to become one, so that I could get him lots of data. And I did. And ... well, I made a lot of friends, and we got really close."<br /><br />Ayana hesitates a moment, but then continues to explain, "Too close, I think. I didn't realise, at the time, what Riventon really wanted. But now I know that he's ... kindof the villain? I mean, I'm okay with that. I love him, and I want what's best for him. Even if that means people get hurt, I'm okay with that. But some of the people I got close to ... I don't want them to get hurt, Fate-chan. I tried to protect one of them--a girl I think I might be in love with. In the process, we wound up messing up my bond with Takashi, by accident.<br /><br />"And I screwed up really bad," Ayana explains. "I didn't get him all the things he needed in time as a result, and when he was finally all better, he was really mad at me. He did ... something to me. Filled me with dark energy until I thought I would explode. And then I didn't love her anymore. I didn't like her at all. I just hated her, and hated Miss White, and everyone I thought I loved. I was jealous of them, and what they had done to my relationship with him. I wanted them to just do things for me, and only for me, or else to die if they got in my way."<br /><br />Ayana sniffles again, but continues, "Riventon doesn't know, but ... a few days ago, my friends cleansed me of all that dark energy. I still want what's best for him. I still really want him to succeed. But if he finds out they undid all his work in me, I think he's going to give up on me. I'm a failed experiment, Fate. And now I'm lying to him about it. And what's worse, I think they're going to try and ... I don't know, take me from him. And I don't want to be taken from him, but if I tell him all of this, I'm sure he's going to do something really bad. I don't know what to do."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate nods with a soft smile, saying, "Sure, I'll help you put it on." Taking the collar in hand, she undoes the snap, reaches around Ayana's neck, and clasps it back together. She adjusts it a bit, asking, "Does that feel right?" before letting it go.<br /><br />Fate listens to her story about being a magical girl, making friends, and getting close to people. Even to the point of falling in love with someone. Fate frowns slightly as it's pointed out that Riventon is the villain... it's something that makes her think. This is someone who knows Takashi maybe as well as he knows himself, and this is what she's saying about him.<br /><br />She actually looks surprised when hearing that Takashi had filled her with dark energy, and sealed away her feelings. Scientifically, it made sense to Fate, but she still didn't know that was possible. For a moment she tries to imagine what Arf would be like without feelings. It's a sad mental image, to her.<br /><br />Fate sits there quietly, next to her. Fate isn't sure how to even respond to any of it. This kind of thing is something she knows almost nothing about. Instead, all she can say is, "If it's only a problem if he finds out, then it would be better if he doesn't find out, but... I don't know how long you could really hide that from him. He's your master. I can't imagine any way in which you would either stop loving him, or your friends."<br /><br />Fate shakes her head again, "There are many who feel like Familiars are supposed to be like a conscience to their Masters, to tell them when they're doing something wrong. In a way, your reaction is kindof like that. You know that he's a villain, you're afraid he wont change even if you try to talk to him. If he was nicer, he wouldn't force you to fight your friends."

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana reaches up to toy with the collar as she turns back to sit next to Fate once more. "Yeah," she agrees quietly, "I guess. But ... I don't think Taka-kun thinks of me as his conscience." She sighs, softly, then explains, "I once wanted him to fall in love. Now he has, but I can't help him with it, because no one can know I'm his familiar. They know that I'm attached to Riventon, but ... he wants to keep his real identity a secret."<br /><br />She glances towards Fate, then says, "I can't hide it. This morning, he was telling me what a good fox I am. How I'd never betray him. How he can trust me. It hurt so much, Fate-chan. He didn't ask. I didn't have to ''lie''. But it feels like lying even if I'm just not telling him something. I just don't know what to do, anymore."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate takes time to process all of this. It's... not really what she expected to hear. Riventon is a villain? What does that say about Euphemia? About UMBRA? About Eclipse?<br /><br />About Fate?<br /><br />... or more scary, even about her mother? Why would Precia even deal with bad guys? That's not the mother she remembers, is it?<br /><br />She doesn't know where this line of thinking will lead her, but she knows that it's really scaring her.<br /><br />She turns to Ayana. She can't offer her a solution. Maybe she could if she were smarter, or older, but... she just doesn't know.<br /><br />"I wish I could help you. If this were Midchildia, I'd tell you to be honest with your master and try to work it out with him... but I don't think that'd work out very well for you. I don't know... I think if I were in your situation, I'd want to run away, but then that doesn't really help does it? Because he's still your master, and you still care about him, no matter what he does."

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I don't want to run away," Ayana agrees to Fate quietly. The fox-girl lowers her head, and her ears drop with the motion. "I just want Takashi to be happy. I think ... I think his mother wanted him to be a hero. But I don't know how to tell him that. He has this vision of her as wanting him to rule the world. And his father is a jerk."<br /><br />Ayana looks up to Fate again. "I want to go see her. The girl I fell in love with. But every time I do I feel like I'm betraying him. I feel like I don't have any good options." She sighs, faintly, then smiles at Fate. "Geeze, listen to me. You're so young. I'm so sorry, Fate-chan, you don't need to hear all of this. It isn't fair to you."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate sits there and quietly listens. After a moment, she just says, "It's not fair to you either, Ayana-chan. Maybe you feel like you're a villain, and you're fine with that, but even so I don't really think you deserve this."<br /><br />Should Fate try to talk to Takashi about this...? No, she doesn't want to stir up trouble. She wouldn't want Takashi to get mad at her the way Precia does.<br /><br />"I guess I just wish that I could help. I'll try to think about it, but... I guess I just don't know about things like that."

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana leans in to hug Fate again, and this time squeezes the girl a little tightly. "You're a good girl, Fate-chan," Ayana says quietly. "I really shouldn't have told you any of this. If Takashi finds out about it, he'll ... probably get rid of me. Please don't tell him, okay?"<br /><br />Ayana lets Fate go from the hug, but gently grips both of her shoulders. "I think I'm going to go see her. I think ... I think I'm not going to be able to lie to him very long, and since he's going to be out tonight, I should go see her while I still can. Before he finds out. Will you thank Arf for the gift?" she reaches up to touch her new collar again. "I really really appreciate it."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I wont tell him a thing," promises Fate. "This conversation never happened."<br /><br />Fate looks up at Ayana while she says she's going to meet 'her'. It's pretty clear from context who 'her' is.<br /><br />"I think it's best if you follow your feelings. If he finds out, then he finds out, but I wont tell him. Please stay safe, Ayana-chan. ... and yeah, I'll tell Arf that you liked the gift."<br /><br />Fate smiles up at the foxgirl. She's going to worry about Ayana now. She's not sure what's going to happen, but it's pretty clear at this point that Ayana can't get the perfect ending that she might want.

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Tasogare| (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana gives Fate a sad smile, and reaches up to ruffle the girl's head. Then she bounds to her feet--Jingle Jingle Jingle--and starts down the winding corridors towards the exit. Jingle Jingle Jingle.
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