0110: written; action; partially filtered

[cuttingedges]

[For the public part of this entry, the camera is obscured.]

I caused much pain and distress during the experiment. To all of those who were attacked, I sincerely apologize. I could barely control myself. In addition, I... I believe I took two lives... those of "Cirno" and "Ian Kolansky." ...Should you decide that punishment is necessary, I will

Comments

[Locked]

[my_yoke_broke]

[coughcough]

There's no reason to say sorry-I mean, it was a close call, sure, but I get hurt all the time, y'know! And I'm fine, so there's no need to apologize for something that was messing with your head...

[my_yoke_broke]

[He looks up--time to throw up a good confused stare.]

...What species...? U-uh, human, of course...

[...Was he catching on?]

...you're asking because I look weird, right?

[cuttingedges]

Partly that. [He's just going to sit down, setting the sugar cubes on the table.] When I first saw you, I wondered why you would only want sugar to eat. You only asked for food for others. That was unusual.

[He leans back on the couch, looking Ian right in the eyes. It's not a mean look, just a curious one.] You're not quite human, are you?

[my_yoke_broke]

[He stares for a minute, and there's an underlying look of fear that passes through his gaze. This was just like at the tea shop. When Nomamura confronted him and took him in as a prisoner...

Even if the look being given is curious, he can't help but feel panic rising on the inside. What now? He was more open about who he was, but they still did want to regain him as a commodity...]

...

You're not gonna... take me in or something, are you...?

[cuttingedges]

What? No! [He looks legitimately surprised at this.] I've just been doing some thinking about the nature of people... which led to people of nature. Ahaha. Ha. ...Ahem. I'm sorry.

[my_yoke_broke]

...Well... It's just-I don't trust many people about these sorts of things; I know this isn't my world, but-but still... I'm nervous about letting people know about me... since I'm not like them.

[He's rather unsure about this. But he does no that, no matter what, he won't tell Kriz about his healing abilities, nor what the powder is. It's just. Something he can't say. Not after what happens at home.]

[cuttingedges]

...People here are surprisingly accepting. I won't say a word about you, but if someone should find out, I don't believe it will be a major stigma.

I'm just curious. That's all. [Thankfully, Kriz had the foresight to tuck his journal away so it doesn't pick up any of this.] ...Please, sit down, enjoy some sugar, and tell me what you are.

[my_yoke_broke]

[...familiar. Henrietta spoke a lot like that, when she learned that he was inhuman. He goes for some water, holding a glass at his mouth before he drinks.]

... Over 150 years ago, I was a tree-a pear tree, if you want to be exact.

[He drinks, refraining from downing it all like usual.]

Trees aren't exactly alive in the same way others are, but they're still alive. As a tree, I can remember the wordless sorts of thoughts I had, and even though I didn't have any eyes, I remember things I felt. Things like the wind, or how people leaned on me, or the pain of something scratching my bark.

Trees are like that. No sense of taste, smell, no voice, nothing but physical contact registers, really.

[a nod]

That was me, for 30 years. At least, as far as I can estimate.

[cuttingedges]

[A tree for thirty years... that's longer than Kriz has been alive, to say nothing of 150 years. He's listening intently, not even touching his own drink.]

How did you become what you are now?

[my_yoke_broke]

Uhm, well. One day, someone from the outside spoke to me-a woman. I don't know how she did it, but she somehow spoke to me, even though I had no real language. And somehow, she showed me things. Things through her form.

...It seemed really amazing. And when she offered the chance for me to be like her, I... really couldn't think of any reason to say no.

[cuttingedges]

So that was when you changed. [He's still too focused on all of this to bother with anything on the table, let alone trying to come up with questions.]

[my_yoke_broke]

[He smiles, though it's tiny.]

Yeah. When I woke up, I was by myself on that old hill.... Still haven't found anything about the woman who did that to me. But then-I guess by now she's probably passed on.

[He takes another quiet drink; it was kind of all right, reminiscing on things from such a long time ago.]

So that's how it happened. It was all pretty simple, I guess, when you really look at things...

[cuttingedges]

It always amazes me how many different worlds are represented here, as well as the differences between them. I've seen a great many things, but never a tree turned human. [Kriz finally pops open his bottle of sports drink and takes a sip.]

Do you have any lingering connections with the trees? ...Or with pears, perhaps.

[my_yoke_broke]

[An unsure laugh.]

Unfortunately, trees never really had connections to each other to begin with. Even when I was one myself, there was no way of me ever speaking to other ones... No eyes or ears or a mouth, yanno.

So right now, I'm about the same, in that regard. Can't talk to 'em or hear 'em or anything, and I'm about as connected as any normal person is to a tree. But I care a lot about them, knowing they're as alive as I am now.

[cuttingedges]

Ah, I understand. ...I think I will start treating trees with more care as well. [Mmmm, delicious sports drink. It's got what plants crave. Maybe.]

I do apologize for the questions, but it's fascinating talking to someone like you. [He pauses, looking slightly awkward.] ...One more before I go get the labels. Are you bothered by people eating pears?

[my_yoke_broke]

Not at all!

[Happily drinking his water~]

They're extensions of trees made for eating-it's how we kept goin' as a species: spread around more trees, and all that. As far as I can remember, it was never painful, for someone to pick them. If they weren't ripe yet, then it was... like getting a shot, a good comparison would be!