[PP-F1] Test of Steel (Koutei, Katharine, Archer)

[Katharine 0]

I gently held his hand, before turning to him and giving him a soft smile.

"I want you to stay alive in this game, till it is beaten."

[Koutei 0]

"I want you to stay alive in this game, till it is beaten."

My eyes widened and I looked up at her. I was completely frozen, unable to say or do anything except stare at her. I was completely taken back by her sudden request, which hit me out of nowhere.

After a while, I had recovered from the initial shock enough to talk. "But why do I matter..."

[Katharine 0]

"You matter. Maybe you don't think so, but I'm sure someone cares about you..." I said, staring a intently at him.

I wanted him to live, no matter what.

[Koutei 0]

"I'm not so sure about that..." I was still confused, not sure what to think. I knew Kat was trying hard to comfort me but it wasn't having much effect on me...

[Katharine 0]

"Just live until the end of the game..." I said, softly.

I don't want to lose anyone, no one. I hated seeing people cry, fall down. Because it reminds me of I am, when I was in that house. But I couldn't do anything else, since it was all up to him in the end, whether he wanted to care about the game, or life in general.

[Koutei 0]

As much as I tried to cheer myself up, I just couldn't stop being depressed. I was doubting myself... my life.

"And then what? Return to the real world where I'll be alone again? You don't understand, Kat. I don't have anybody who cares about me..."

I was really struggling to hold back tears. I'd stumbled upon the sad truth and there was nothing I could do to make it go away. I didn't know what to do any more...

[Katharine 0]

I couldn't hold it back anymore, I was tired of his stupid whining.

I gave him a tight slap across his face, leaving a red mark on his face.

"Nobody cares about you? Nobody cares about you?! What about your friends, what about me?! Didn't you confess to me?! So are you just going to throw that away?!" I shouted at him, tears falling down my face.

"Maybe you don't have someone that cares for you in real life, in where you live. But right now, you have people who care about you, and you should be cherishing that!" I screamed at him, and breathed in heavily.

[Koutei 0]

I took a darker tone after she slapped me.

"There was a time where I thought people cared about me. And then... then they turned their backs on me, and I ended up in hospital. The doctors were surprised I wasn't dead. But... my best friend, the only one who cared about me... they betrayed him as well and he ended up dead!"

Tears were rushing down my face at that point, and I was trembling with sadness and anger.

"I can't find people who truly care about me. The others said they cared about me, but they proved themselves wrong. I care about you, Kat, but how am I supposed to know you truly care about me?"

[Katharine 0]

I can't believe he is so oblivious...

"If I didn't truly care about you, why would I bother telling you this? I understand how you feel, I had friends that treated me as if I was nothing, I soon realized that. I had to deal with being builled in school, laughed at other people. I perfectly understand how you feel!" I was so frustrated, I couldn't bare it any longer, I didn't want to hide my emotions.

(wads with the feels in this rp T.T)

[Koutei 0]

"I'm sorry Kat, I want to believe you, I really do. I just... I can't bring myself to trust you. I trusted people and they ended up hurting me."

I raised my hand up to my face and touched the red mark I had from being slapped.

"I'm scared. If I trust you, I'm scared I'll end up getting hurt." I said, gently rubbing the mark on my face. "I want to trust you, but you'll have to prove you truly do care about me. Though, I'm not sure if that's even possible..."

(feels overload xD)

[Katharine 0]

I felt my legs weaken as I fell down to the ground.

"I don't want you to leave this world, just yet..." I said, tears in my eyes.

I gave Koutei a big hug, and a soft, comfortable silence fell upon us.

[Koutei 0]

Seeing her cry and hug me caused a thought to cross my mind. Maybe it's not about what I want or how I feel. I know what losing a friend feels like and if I died, wouldn't I just be putting that on Kat? I realised how much of an idiot I was. I was being completely selfish. Kat's feelings are more important than mine. I guess being alone for all these years made me forget what true friendship is all about. If I don't trust Kat, am I not just as bad as the people I used to call friends?

A soft smile appeared on my face.

"Thanks, Kat. I won't leave you. Not now... not ever."

[Katharine 0]

A gentle smile appeared on my face as he said that. I got up and said to him, "Shall we go? I think Archer's gonna get a bit worried."

I don't need to worry about losing him anymore.

(DAMN SOMEONE CATCH THAT ONION CUTTING NINJA!)

[Koutei 0]

Kat mentioned Archer and my eyes widened with shock. "Oops, I forgot all about her!"

We ran off back to the duel arena where we found Archer waiting for us. I tried hiding the red mark on my face and my bandaged hand, though I wasn't doing a very good job of it.

[Katharine 0]

"Sorry Archer!" I said, panting and a bit out of breath.

I really hope she won't make any assumptions on what we were doing while we were gone...it would be really awkward...

[Archer 0]

Archer watched as Kat ran off after Koutei, she smiled and sheathed her sword if anyone could talk some sense into Koutei it would be her. Archer wandered over the stands and sat down crossing her legs on the seat and leaning back. She figure it would be best to leave them to sort it so she sat and waited humming a nonsense song to herself. Archer slowed her humming as she saw Kat and Koutei appearing, she pretended not to notice the red mark on Koutei face or the dry tears on both of their cheeks "Seems like you sorted everything out" she grinned and stood up walking over to the two "I never got to say thanks for a good duels Kat!" I laughed turning around to point to the town "Right! lets go find something delicious to eat to lighten the mood!" Archer peered over her shoulder at the two, it seemed like they'd grown closer together she was happy for them, every single person in this world deserved to have their own happiness and she hoped that they had found theirs.

(guys those feels kyaaa~ it was amazing *wipes tear*)

[Katharine 0]

"Oh! I prepared some food, lets have a picnic under that tree!" I said, pointing that tree.

I quickly placed the mat, the food and drinks.

[Koutei 0]

I smiled at Archer's reaction, there was no way she didn't see my injuries, yet she acted as if nothing ever happened because she didn't want things to get awkward. She deserved to be called a friend.

Kat mentioned that she had food for us to eat. "Sounds good." I replied, and we went and sat under a nearby tree. "What's on the menu this time?" I asked her, eager to see what kinds of amazing food she had in store for us.

[Katharine 0]

"Hehe, chicken wrap, sushi, some tomato soup, gralic bread and my famous apple pie!" I said, grinning proudly as I layed out the food.

[Archer 0]

Archer whirled round to look at Kat her eyes all sparkley "Y..you made a picnic for us... Kaaaaattttt" she started to tear up and jumped towards Kat wrapping her arms around her next as she gave her a grateful hug. She quickly sat down on the mat her stomach rumbling, if Afcher had a tail it would be wagging madly right now as she looked excitedly at the food. "It all looks so delicious! Ooh a chicken wrap" she reach for the wrap practically drooling in anticipation "Itadakimasu!" she exclaimed opening her mouth as wide as she could and taking a massive bite of the wrap "It's so delicious!" she praised Kat although it might have sound more like Archer talking nonsense as her cheeks were all puffed up with the enormous bite she had take. In case Kay had failed to understand her Archer gave a thumbs up in her direction wondering what they would choose to eat.