HoloAdvent (A Hololive fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter 13

Crill found himself in the midst of a birthday celebration where his presence garnered mixed reactions. Some welcomed him warmly as the younger sibling of the birthday celebrant, while others maintained a polite but distant demeanor, aware of the underlying tension that could unravel with a misstep.

Amidst the festivities, a speaker onstage posed a question to the audience along the lines of, "If you could give one last piece of advice on your very last day on Earth, what would it be?" The room buzzed with a flurry of responses.

Engaging in conversation, Sarah, holding a glass of iced tea and nibbling on brownies, teased Crill about his unexpected attendance, given his prior reluctance. Their banter led to reminiscing about a hilarious baking mishap from the past.

"I recall that time we tried baking cookies at my place," Sarah said, a playful glint in her eye. "I was convinced you were more skilled in the kitchen than me."

Crill chuckled. "Ah, that fiasco. I was following the recipe, trying to do the whole chef thing, but your siblings were making a racket in the living room."

"You were cracking eggs too. One slipped, turning into a slippery mess. You attempted a comical foot juggle, while I tried to prevent a splatter disaster," Sarah recounted, enjoying Crill's eye roll at her vivid memory. "Don't blame the volume my siblings produced to hide your mistake; they were just enjoying TV time."

"I'm pretty sure they were distracting me," Crill retorted.

"The best part was when my dog dashed in the kitchen, thinking the mess you made was an impromptu snack," Sarah chuckled. 

"But why bring it up now?" Crill asked.

"Just a reminder to take a breather." she said. "You're confident when you need to be. In moments like this, you're in another world."

The momentary silence between them was cut short when Crill asked Sarah yet another question.

"So, how do you answer that guy's question on the stage? What's your last advice before dying?"

"Me?" Sarah mused, the sound of her glass clinking against another. "I'd advocate for empathy. Understanding others can be challenging. Listening to all kinds of people intently is difficult. Oddly, the simplest actions can be the most arduous. I think many things can be solved with that kind of approach."

"What if listening isn't enough? What if understanding can't be done?" 

"We're complex for a reason, aren't we?" Sarah said. "While empathy is admirable, humans are selective. We choose whom we extend our kindness to. This question may have taught me a very important lesson." 

In a teasing yet matter-of-fact tone, she asserted, "A single universal advice to offer the world? Not a chance. Our world is different. For you and for me. Just like how I try to see myself in another lens, you alone have an idea how things will work out for your own self."

Sarah's advice oddly resonated with him, even though dredging up the kitchen mishap felt unnecessary.

"Anyway, I don't plan on dying yet. So my advice will probably change in a couple of years."

"Thanks for that. Where's Shiori and the others by the way?" Crill inquired, looking around the place for them.

"Shiori's grabbing some food. Koseki mentioned she'd keep her distance from the crowd, so she's probably around where it's less crowded. Nerissa is—" Sarah paused, noticing Nerissa taking the stage. "Nerissa is... forging her own path."