Thankfully their situation didn't last that long. I think they worked it out?
[ Maybe. Probably. It's not exactly like Ange was in any state to see how they resolved that, considering she just literally ran straight for the hills after that happened.
That part is just a tad too embarrassing to tell Shannon of all people about, though. ]
And I just.. [ Hm. Well. Saying she was okay would be a lie, so.. ] I guess I tucked it away into a little corner of my mind and hoped to just never think about it ever again.
[ UNTIL OZPIN STARTED TO GIVE HER WEIRD LOOKS NOW. ]
That's... good, I suppose? And also what I would do in that situation.
[Really, Sayo's entire teenagehood was defined by "tucking something into the back of her mind and not thinking too hard about it." Unfortunately, she is a chronic overthinker, so she made up other people to not think about it and other people to think about it for her too.
The next day:]
Ozpin-san stopped staring at me starting this morning! How about you?
[Nothing can't be solved with a sufficient level of intimidation.]
[ Huh. That's.. surprising? It's a good thing, sure, but it doesn't explain why it suddenly started, or why it suddenly stopped. ]
I'm glad to hear it. [ Because Ange was pretty worried about it.
But.. well.. ]
You had tea with him though? [ Ange is so confused as to why. Was she just too polite to turn it down?! Ange can't imagine this being a voluntary matter incited on Shannon's end. ]
[ It's so easy too when it comes to social situations. ]
Come on.. even you aren't that quick to forgive someone, right? [ The irony here is really, really thick, though of course Ange herself doesn't realise it.
Though it'd be nice for 'Shannon' to know that she is allowed to - and should definitely - stand up for herself, she thinks. ]
It was only yesterday that he was still doing it! I sure can't forget someone doing something so awkward that quickly.
[ It's the 'fast friends' that catches Ange off guard even more, but then she realises it's probably since the other has no idea that Ange actually knows about what happened between Shannon and George during those two days on Rokkenjima.. or even just in general, considering. You know. She was a toddler.
But while she did certainly get some Odd Vibes from reading about that, she's mostly just been reading about what happened or could have happened then and there, during the entire incident, considering that's what the message bottles and forgeries were about. And during the years before that, despite actually being present, wasn't Ange back then a little too young to really notice.. ]
I'm not sure if it was bad, necessarily. Just... strange. Before Battler-san left, he was always so formal with me, but there was this odd feeling of... resentment? Frustration, perhaps? I don't know, I'm probably seeing things that weren't there!
He was strangely aggressive about being my, er,
friend
once Battler-san was gone, too. But that went away quickly!
[Sayo's Relationship With George Was Perfectly Fine And Had No Problems And She Is Not Spiraling Over How She Murdered Him With Her Own Two Hands On Accident Right Now Thank You Very Much]
[Stop perceiving her, Ange, it only makes this living arrangement more painful! Sayo wishes she had one of those big dumb black potato sack coats that she wore to Jessica's concert, except to wrap around her entire life.]
It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound, Ange-san! I'm doing George-san a disservice...
But even if it was, it's my duty as a servant of the Ushiromiya family to, um, "put up with it."
[ That reply arrives so quickly, because by god, does Ange ever feel sick just thinking about that. The attitude instilled into the servants is already bad enough by itself, but to think that would involve even putting up with this stuff..
It makes Ange feel so guilty and gross by association. ]
I don't care what anyone else says about it. Grandfather, or aunt Natsuhi, or anyone else.
You don't owe us your life. If there was anything about your relationship with him that did make you feel awkward at some point, you should've been allowed to say it. Or even to just get out of there forever and live your own life, if it got to that point.
[ ... ]
Sorry, I know this is a lot. I just can't believe how messed up things were.
[How much Ange cares about her, how much Ange resents her family for their treatment of her- every word feels like another molten iron stake pounded into Sayo's heart.]
[ She does deserve it, Ange thinks - totally unaware of the exact reason why the other thinks she doesn't.
Ange doesn't type it out though. They both know it's what Ange would say here, and they both know that it's hard for the other to internalize it.
So instead.. ]
Let's just stay careful, okay? [ This feels like something they can agree on instead. ] I hope this means the weird looks thing is entirely over, but we can't be sure yet.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Maybe. Probably. It's not exactly like Ange was in any state to see how they resolved that, considering she just literally ran straight for the hills after that happened.
That part is just a tad too embarrassing to tell Shannon of all people about, though. ]
And I just.. [ Hm. Well. Saying she was okay would be a lie, so.. ] I guess I tucked it away into a little corner of my mind and hoped to just never think about it ever again.
[ UNTIL OZPIN STARTED TO GIVE HER WEIRD LOOKS NOW. ]
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[Really, Sayo's entire teenagehood was defined by "tucking something into the back of her mind and not thinking too hard about it." Unfortunately, she is a chronic overthinker, so she made up other people to not think about it and other people to think about it for her too.
The next day:]
Ozpin-san stopped staring at me starting this morning! How about you?
[Nothing can't be solved with a sufficient level of intimidation.]
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[ Especially since it was so noticable the day before. It's not like that'd suddenly go away out of nowhere.. right? ]
Do you really think he fully stopped?
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[Nevermind that having tea with him was just about the last thing Sayo wanted to do, but refusing would be even more suspicious.]
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I'm glad to hear it. [ Because Ange was pretty worried about it.
But.. well.. ]
You had tea with him though? [ Ange is so confused as to why. Was she just too polite to turn it down?! Ange can't imagine this being a voluntary matter incited on Shannon's end. ]
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[For once, Ange has an accurate read of Sayo.]
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[ Though Ange gets that it's hard. She felt awkward too when she first moved in.. So she knows her advice isn't that easy to follow up on.
But it'd still feel wrong to not say it. ]
You don't have to do anything you don't want to here. It's not like anyone will kick you out just for not feeling like having a tea party.
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[Sayo would've been happy to tell Ozpin to stuff it, but that would've been out of character for Shannon.]
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Though she kind of gets it when it's 'Shannon'. Of course the other has zero experience with this. She was never allowed to do it. ]
If you don't want to be rude, you could always explain why?
I mean, I think "sorry, I'd rather not get creeper looks while having tea with you" is a pretty valid excuse.
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[...at this point, Sayo might be slightly trolling Ange. Slightly.]
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Come on.. even you aren't that quick to forgive someone, right? [ The irony here is really, really thick, though of course Ange herself doesn't realise it.
Though it'd be nice for 'Shannon' to know that she is allowed to - and should definitely - stand up for herself, she thinks. ]
It was only yesterday that he was still doing it! I sure can't forget someone doing something so awkward that quickly.
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cacklingcreaking sounds coming from the house for a few minutes, that's just the wind.(Don't pay attention to the
occasional sobghostly wails either.)]Well, George-san acted quite strangely around me when we were both younger, and for a much longer time than that, but after he stopped we became
[A full minute passes before Sayo struggles through her emotions enough to finish that sentence.]
friends
yes, er
fast. friends
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[ It's the 'fast friends' that catches Ange off guard even more, but then she realises it's probably since the other has no idea that Ange actually knows about what happened between Shannon and George during those two days on Rokkenjima.. or even just in general, considering. You know. She was a toddler.
But while she did certainly get some Odd Vibes from reading about that, she's mostly just been reading about what happened or could have happened then and there, during the entire incident, considering that's what the message bottles and forgeries were about. And during the years before that, despite actually being present, wasn't Ange back then a little too young to really notice.. ]
Was it a bad kind of strange?
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He was strangely aggressive about being my, er,
friend
once Battler-san was gone, too. But that went away quickly!
[Sayo's Relationship With George Was Perfectly Fine And Had No Problems And She Is Not Spiraling Over How She Murdered Him With Her Own Two Hands On Accident Right Now Thank You Very Much]
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Ange guesses that story of Featherine's really hadn't been lying, though she knows that's way too wild of a fact to suddenly throw around.
There's a slight pause, but then she sends: ]
You sure put up with a lot.
[ That's not necessarily judging.
It's more a 'girl, please, you deserve having more self-respect than to let these weird men walk all over you.' It's kind of sympathetic. ]
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It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound, Ange-san! I'm doing George-san a disservice...
But even if it was, it's my duty as a servant of the Ushiromiya family to, um, "put up with it."
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[ That reply arrives so quickly, because by god, does Ange ever feel sick just thinking about that. The attitude instilled into the servants is already bad enough by itself, but to think that would involve even putting up with this stuff..
It makes Ange feel so guilty and gross by association. ]
I don't care what anyone else says about it. Grandfather, or aunt Natsuhi, or anyone else.
You don't owe us your life. If there was anything about your relationship with him that did make you feel awkward at some point, you should've been allowed to say it. Or even to just get out of there forever and live your own life, if it got to that point.
[ ... ]
Sorry, I know this is a lot. I just can't believe how messed up things were.
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I don't deserve your kind words, Ange-san...
But thank you.
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Ange doesn't type it out though. They both know it's what Ange would say here, and they both know that it's hard for the other to internalize it.
So instead.. ]
Let's just stay careful, okay? [ This feels like something they can agree on instead. ] I hope this means the weird looks thing is entirely over, but we can't be sure yet.
end?
[She also has faith in Ozpin's fear of death, but that's another matter entirely.]