so_shik | Forty-Seventh Spool of Thread

[It's no secret that Shiki's been a little less present than usual. Sure she's been keeping an eye on the village and checking in with her friends, but overall as soon as her last Christmas order was finished, she had taken to spending less time at the shop and more time at home. Less time talking and more time listening.

Is this a sign that she's maturing? No, not really. She's been regrouping since that last draft, and she's been plotting a little.]

Okay, so, I guess it's my turn to ask a birthday-related question. What do you do when you run out of ideas how you want to celebrate? Do you just acknowledge the day and carry on, or do you keep trying up until the last twenty-four hours? I mean I know I'm going to age no matter what, but...well, a friend asked me what I wanted to do for it. And I still don't know. It's a little under a month away so I have time but...okay, maybe it's a silly thing to think about.

And in the realm of something less self-centered, hi everybody. Did everybody have a nice Christmas? Thanks for the presents, by the way. I saw a few of you at the New Years Eve party, but for everybody else...yeah. Talk to me, I guess. I think the cold's starting to drive me crazy.

PS? Yes, I'm starting to take orders for the spring already.

[Housemates and close friends, of course, are allowed to find her in the living room of House 10. When she gets bored inside, she'll have moved to the front porch of the house to sit and sketch with the new colored pencils Ginia got her.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's been a few months, by now. I'm fortunate.

Totally...it always helps to have someone here. Glad to hear it.

Are your friends here with you, too, then?

[To be honest, it had been almost better for her while she was alone from her world; not for any fault in her friends from there, but because it forced her to make new friends as well.]

Two of them...three people from home in total. We had a few more at one point, but they've gone home. In one case, thankfully...on the other, I miss her. But it's not bad. The boys and I stick together.

Some of my friends from home were here early on, not just Usagi-chan. But all of them, and her, went back again before I did. And they haven't returned since that time.

That's such a bummer...but you've got friends here, don't you?

[She answers honestly, if a bit restrained.]

I didn't at first. But, I found people willing to give me a chance.

That's the most important thing. Everyone deserves a second chance. [Man, does she know it.]

[She probably didn't deserve it back then. Now... maybe; she's still the person who did those things, isn't she? Even if she doesn't do them now?]

There were people back home, who used their second chances to commit more crimes. That sort of thing has to be stopped.

But normally, you're right.

Let me ask you something in the case of those people...do you think they'll ever reach a state where they can be considered redeemable? Or do you think if you just keep giving them chances they'll keep taking advantage of it?

I think it depends in each case, don't you? I can't decide that without knowing more.

Making a decision, no, but everyone always has some sort of idea.

I've seen people who've done terrible things, really try to do their best to make it right once they realized how wrong they were.

And I've seen people given too many chances, who even mocked the person giving them mercy for being so kind.

People are mysterious like that. I guess it's all about just hoping they'll do the right thing, but being prepared if they don't. That's all we can do, right?

I think so.

But in the end... I think people might be surprising sometimes, in choosing the right thing. Maybe. [It's still not easy to make these statements of faith; but she's starting.]

I don't think there's a maybe about it...it's always a surprising thing.

Do you think people are bad by nature?

No way. It's such a dismal way of thinking...I'd rather just believe everyone has good in them.

...do you?

I think... some people can be. [Herself, though she's worked to overcome that.]

...it just makes me sad, I guess. Knowing that there's something so terrible that had to have happened to make them that bad. But maybe I'm just overthinking it.

That isn't always the case. Sometimes, it's something that's just inside them.

[She's being unfair to herself. She'd had darkness inside her - but so does every human heart. What happened to bring it out had been someone else's doing, not her own.]

I guess all we can do is hope for the best for those people.

I'm sorry if I sound too harsh.

It's not harsh. It's just a healthy dose of reality.

There are people who are much better than what I described.

[Voice]

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