westedge | PC: Mizuki

... Monika did most of the heavy lifting there, really. She's pretty smart.

Of course she's smart, that's what I like about her. But you still had to check her over. You got us started on the right path to looking at things and...body checks aren't easy.

[ considering he literally could not handle setsu's. ]

[ she shrugs, halfheartedly ]

I think it's more of a sign I've been around too many bodies before.

I really hope you just mean here and not back home, too. [ please only have dealt with a single corpse, actually. ]

Uhh...

This does not fill me with confidence, Mizuki.

I could lie if you want.

That would probably be a little worse, in theory.

Alright. Then you know your answer.

Do I want to know why it's bodies, multiple?

[ ... ]

Well, both my parents were... you know.

[ ... ]

I knew you found your dad. I hadn't realized you were there to see your mom's, too. [ god. who allowed this. ]

Yeah.

[ Which isn't even the extent of it, but—no reason to get deep into it. ]

So... y'know. I've seen a lot before life got weird.

[ By showing up here. ]

[ he hates it, thanks. ]

I'm not saying this out of pity, so don't think that. But I'm sorry. Losing both of them so close together sounds like it wouldn't have been easy. [ ... ] Were you at least with somebody else before you got here?

[ "who was taking care you after all of that?" ]

... Mmhm. With Date.

[ who maybe he recognizes thanks to cyoa?? idk how that worked lol. ]

[ i make the rules now. but also: ]

That blonde detective guy? [ date was in her memory, and he'd likely seen his form one time or another in nml. ]

Yeah, him. I'd been living with him instead of my parents.

Like even before that? How'd you even meet the guy?

[ she nods, once ]

He was close friends with my parents—especially daddy. But then my parents divorced, and he got really busy, so...

So you ended up living with this guy instead. [ family dynamics are so bizarre... ] I guess it's a good thing you get along with him well enough.

[ "it's a good thing you were already with him when you lost both of them." ]