Susato Mikotoba 🌸 御琴羽 寿沙都 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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dreamcrystals2022-02-02 09:03 pm
judicialassistant) wrote in dreamcrystals2022-02-02 09:03 pm
Entry tags:
[01] a dream is a wish your heart makes
Sender: Susato Mikotoba
To: Everyone
Subject: Passive dream recording
Notes: Based on an AU idea and thus deviates from canon. Susato "inherits" Kazuma's resolve upon his mysterious death and faces some opposition in trying to take his place in Great Britain.
* * * * *
"Preposterous." The words were practically spat as the scene hazily came into view. An older male voice spoke, voice nasaly and unpleasant, though his features were obscured.
"Why?" A second man, recognizable to those in Reverein as Yujin Mikotoba, responded. His tone was more polite than was deserved.
"You know our laws."
"I know that women are subject to the same laws as we men," Yujin argued, "and yet none are afforded the same right to even set foot inside the courtroom to aid in their own defense. Why do you suppose that is?"
"It matters not, professor." The first man, now with a pair of glasses and other recognizable features, shook his head grimly. "A boy is dead. Now is simply not the time for her childish fantasies."
"That boy was like her brother," Yujin said, unable to mask the offense and growing irritation in his voice. "Susato has studied all the same texts, the same laws. She learned a second language in order to be able to assist him. Who better to take his place in the exchange and finish what he started?"
"We have plenty students of law at Yumei who would qualify. Male students."
"None with his resolve." Yujin spoke immediately with confidence, as he looked to his daughter with pride. "Nor hers."
Susato didn't react, remaining stoic as she accepted judgement. She was angry. First at her loss, and then that her hard work would be reduced to this, a petty argument to prove her worth. The more she showed that anger, though, the worse it would be, so outwardly, she only clenches her fist, tugging the edge of her kimono.
"...That is okay, father. I understand." Susato spoke calmly, as someone who has already made her decision. "I understand that they do not wish for me to practice law in Japan--but the way I see it, I am leaving anyway, so this argument is irrelevant. I do not expect to be back until I find the truth he sought."
The voice. Follow the voice, to Great Britain. Susato turned to leave, with Yujin reaching for her moments after, but both stopped at the same nasaly voice.
"Our agreement for the exchange still requires that you have an assistant!"
.
Yujin sighed, sensing the older man's desperation at bringing up such a trivial matter.
"Ah... as it so happens, I know just the young man," Yujin said. "Kazuma's best friend, in fact. I believe he was caught trying to board the steamship already..."
His voice seems to trail off, vibrating as the scene flickers. In the final moment, an image of boy in a black student's uniform appears with his signature wide eyes; but the image statics as Susato stirs in the real world.
Then it fades away abruptly as she awakens with a start.
* * * * *
[ Susato's eyes spring open to the familiar darkness in her room. Even as memories of the dream start to fracture and fade, she tries to make sense of everything she just saw. None of that actually happened, right? Yet somehow, it didn't feel too far off the mark, and she can't seem to decide whether she is thankful for that, or woefully disappointed.
She's never had her dream recorded before, but rather than act embarrassed or ashamed, she just shuts her journal with an apologetic sigh to no one in particular.
Instead, she grabs another journal--a normal one--along with a quill, and starts writing down anything she can remember. ]
To: Everyone
Subject: Passive dream recording
Notes: Based on an AU idea and thus deviates from canon. Susato "inherits" Kazuma's resolve upon his mysterious death and faces some opposition in trying to take his place in Great Britain.
"Preposterous." The words were practically spat as the scene hazily came into view. An older male voice spoke, voice nasaly and unpleasant, though his features were obscured.
"Why?" A second man, recognizable to those in Reverein as Yujin Mikotoba, responded. His tone was more polite than was deserved.
"You know our laws."
"I know that women are subject to the same laws as we men," Yujin argued, "and yet none are afforded the same right to even set foot inside the courtroom to aid in their own defense. Why do you suppose that is?"
"It matters not, professor." The first man, now with a pair of glasses and other recognizable features, shook his head grimly. "A boy is dead. Now is simply not the time for her childish fantasies."
"That boy was like her brother," Yujin said, unable to mask the offense and growing irritation in his voice. "Susato has studied all the same texts, the same laws. She learned a second language in order to be able to assist him. Who better to take his place in the exchange and finish what he started?"
"We have plenty students of law at Yumei who would qualify. Male students."
"None with his resolve." Yujin spoke immediately with confidence, as he looked to his daughter with pride. "Nor hers."
Susato didn't react, remaining stoic as she accepted judgement. She was angry. First at her loss, and then that her hard work would be reduced to this, a petty argument to prove her worth. The more she showed that anger, though, the worse it would be, so outwardly, she only clenches her fist, tugging the edge of her kimono.
"...That is okay, father. I understand." Susato spoke calmly, as someone who has already made her decision. "I understand that they do not wish for me to practice law in Japan--but the way I see it, I am leaving anyway, so this argument is irrelevant. I do not expect to be back until I find the truth he sought."
The voice. Follow the voice, to Great Britain. Susato turned to leave, with Yujin reaching for her moments after, but both stopped at the same nasaly voice.
"Our agreement for the exchange still requires that you have an assistant!"
.
Yujin sighed, sensing the older man's desperation at bringing up such a trivial matter.
"Ah... as it so happens, I know just the young man," Yujin said. "Kazuma's best friend, in fact. I believe he was caught trying to board the steamship already..."
His voice seems to trail off, vibrating as the scene flickers. In the final moment, an image of boy in a black student's uniform appears with his signature wide eyes; but the image statics as Susato stirs in the real world.
Then it fades away abruptly as she awakens with a start.
[ Susato's eyes spring open to the familiar darkness in her room. Even as memories of the dream start to fracture and fade, she tries to make sense of everything she just saw. None of that actually happened, right? Yet somehow, it didn't feel too far off the mark, and she can't seem to decide whether she is thankful for that, or woefully disappointed.
She's never had her dream recorded before, but rather than act embarrassed or ashamed, she just shuts her journal with an apologetic sigh to no one in particular.
Instead, she grabs another journal--a normal one--along with a quill, and starts writing down anything she can remember. ]
no subject
Not at all, I was already awake when I've witnessed the recording. [He... won't get into that, because they're definitely talking about her!!]
If neither a memory or a nightmare, then was it simply a dream?
1/2
I believe so. [ END OF DISCUSSION except now she's thinking about the differences between her dream and what she remembers of what actually happened... she should make notes on that, too. ] Kazuma-sama and I were already on the SS Burya, for one, when the unfortunate events unfolded.
no subject
[ Not sure that counts as a difference, though, considering no one knew it at the time. ]
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...
He's getting off track here, in his own mind.
Although, it's very disappointing to hear that she only views Kazuma as a brother figure.....]
Mr. Asogi is quite healthy from what I've seen of him here, I'm glad that he's not in such peril back home. Although, was he hurt badly in some manner before?
no subject
...The problem is they'd all be in Japanese, so she supposes she'd be starting from scratch anyway. How does she explain that his death was faked essentially by him tripping over a cat in the dark?
... ]
Badly enough he lost his memory for many months. [ Hey, here's an idea, what if she just doesn't get into that? ] Thankfully he regained them again while in Great Britain.
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They've at least lessened somewhat lightly, but they're still painful enough for him to stop before long.]
How did he recover them? Or was it a gradual sort of recovery with you and Mr Naruhodo assisting him throughout those difficult months?
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No, nothing like that. He was was forced into working under Lord van Zieks at the time, and after trial one day it just happened rather suddenly.
[ Okay, so it didn't just happen; Lord van Zieks was dropping some rather hefty truth bombs. ]
I believe some may call it "information overload"?
[ Hey, Vigil can relate to that. ]
no subject
...He imagines that this must be Stronghart's doing rather than van Zieks's fault; Vigil knows now that the prosecutor is not a bad man beneath all those intimidating stares.]
So he recovered his memory after trial... [Vigil cringes slightly to himself, trying to imagine getting memories back in a place like that.]
He really must've been in a lot of pain during that moment. I know how difficult it is to remember just a single event, so to have one's memory fully return all at once...
no subject
You haven't had any luck? [ There are some gentle taps of her quill, the medieval or Reverein equivilent of "Susato is writing..." ] Being so far away from home must make it difficult.
[ There's hardly any room for external reminders and such to facilitate the return of his memory... though she wonders if that's really a bad thing. ]
no subject
I'm afraid that none of my memories have fully returned. I realize that it must be frustrating for Mr Asogi in particular... I believe there's a connection between his father and myself and it's not a deep request to know more about one's own parent.
But it's been rather difficult trying to think about Genshin Asogi for long.
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She can't in good conscience suggest that he actually talk to Kazuma about it, but she is kind of curious how well they know each other. She's seen Vigil at the Wild Harvest, at least. ]
...I'm sorry, Mr Vigil.
[ She thinks about telling him about her case notes that she was able to get from the Wishing Well--the ones regarding Inspector Gregson's case specifically. Maybe reading the information on a page would be less traumatizing, but she's wary about risking it. ]
Have you spoken with Kazuma-sama much?
no subject
[Also he sees an opportunity here and he's going to snatch it--]
He mentioned that Mr Naruhodo is his best friend. But alongside that, he seemed to care about you a great deal.
no subject
Ah. Well... [ Sure? Of course he does. Her father raised him like his own. It's like an unwritten rule or something that he must care. Obligation.
...Still, she can't help but worry that he may have commented unfavorably on her performance at the Wild Harvest. Even though that would like, make no sense, because Vigil clearly implies that he said something good. Having self-doubt is really great. ]
Did he say something about me?
it's still Vigil's nice writing but also i have to use these icons
He did, in fact.
He was worried that you were overworking yourself.
lmao gossip!!!! smh
No, she couldn't possibly. She'll just be mildly relieved. After all... ]
That cannot be helped, when we are down one man in the kitchen. I hope he knows I worry about him, too. [ Kazuma is not one to talk about overworking. ]
no subject
[With all the worrying and overworking she does!! You know what, he's just going straight for it--]
Do you just view him as a brother figure?
no subject
She is sheltered, but she is also a teenage girl who had gone to school, so she can guess what he means. ]
To view him as something more would be highly inappropriate of me.
[ A pause. The more she thinks about it, the more the idea sinks in, confusing her as she remembers allowing him in her room just now--something she's never done before for another boy. Not to mention the other soft moments they've together. ]
That said...no one has ever asked me that before.
no subject
sigh......
Except.
Oh ho.]
There's nothing wrong viewing someone in a different manner than before, especially as you grow into your own person.
1/2
Then... I must have more growing to do. [ "Because I don't know." ]
no subject
When you met Ms Evie, did you know?
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And oh, he's being asked about Evie now... that's fine, he doesn't mind at all recounting his first encounter with his lovely wife.]
I was entirely enamored with her when we first met, and I only found myself loving her more the longer we got to know one another.
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Did she feel the same? Did you have to woo her?
[ . . . ]
Was there some sort of sign?
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[Considering they've been married for a while now with two children.]
I'm not entirely sure there was any specific sign, but I always felt happier when she was near.
no subject
I see. I'm sure she felt the same, which is how she came to realize that she returned your feelings.
I just wonder if there is a difference between the happiness that you two share as a married couple, and the warmth you would feel with family. [ Like... a brother. ]
no subject
Family is something you're born into and treated with love and affection. ...I'd hope that's the expectation, at least.
When you find someone-- someone special, you want to share the rest of your life with them. But ah, you have to find and develop those feelings on your own with the other person.
1/2
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