【ｓｉｘ 】 〜 ｖｉｄｅｏ

[tsuridasu]

-out of your mind!? No matter how popular you are, you're still only a whore!

[There's the sound of a smack, but then the Fansuwoth drops to the ground giving a clear view of Kiyoha. She's in one of the storage rooms of the household, which is clear from all the pretty mattresses behind her, but her torso is bound. She's disheveled, her usually

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[video] 1/2

[struck_first]

[ What. The. Hell. ]

What--! [ There's no mistaking the anger on his face. There have been talks of people being punished for going against the wishes of their House owners, but being tied and beaten. ]

[ ...is Lockon going to have to leave his house and-- ]

[struck_first]

[ No, he... has to stay calm. Things worked differently, here. People had different expectations; different rules. Context was everything.

....oh, fuck context. ] Kiyoha, what's going on? [ The expression melts away to one of concern, but there is still something smoldering behind that single eye of his. The urge to see if whoever was treating his friend this way would like a beating of their own. ]

[tsuridasu]

[She laughs, not as his reaction, but more out of embarrassment at being seen like this]

I tried to run away. That's all.

[struck_first]

[ A sigh; not at her. ] This is going too far. [ A beat, wherein he wonders if he should intercept her inevitable assurance that this was either somehow deserved, or just normal. ] I don't care who you ask, this is cruel punishment, even for this place.

Where are you?

[tsuridasu]

This is cruel? [Bitterly,] This is kind, Lockon-san. I have only been beaten, which will not scar.

[She pauses, debating whether to answer, but does say,] Shakuraku, of course.

[struck_first]

Being tied up and abandoned is kind? [ He calls bullshit on that. ]

Which room? Your own? [ He can't tell, having never visited. ]

[tsuridasu]

[Coldly,] Your concern is appreciated, but I do not need to be rescued.

[struck_first]

[ Neil closes his eye, heaving a frustrated sigh. ] Kiyoha...

Give me two good reasons why I shouldn't just march in there, guns blazing. [ A beat. ] Figuratively. [ And yes, it was two reasons, because she could probably think of one and that wouldn't be good enough. ]

[tsuridasu]

What do you really think is going to happen if you do? If I just take this punishment, then okaa-san will be pleased and tomorrow, I can continue as normal. Come in and interrupt it and I'll be punished more.

[struck_first]

I---

[ He stops any preparations he was making. He can't even look at the camera because, well, what if she was right? She would know best. ] ...this isn't right. This isn't humane. [ Leather creaks as he balls his free hand into a tight fist off-camera. There are a lot of things about this place he can tolerate... but this?

Though she was right. He can't do anything; he has no power here. No influence, no weapons, no force. Nothing to stand against the way this world spins.

And it just burns him up. ]

[tsuridasu]

I never claimed to be happy with it. It's not fair. It is only my fault for being so foolish as to think I had grown out of my impulsiveness.

[struck_first]

[ There's an unamused huff when his expression breaks. He smirks. ] You don't strike me as the impulsive type.

[tsuridasu]

[She looks away from the camera, and her answer is simple.] I was.

[struck_first]

Not a lot of room for that, in your profession, huh? [ He's ... trying to calm himself. It's working, a little. ]

[tsuridasu]

[She huffs slightly, wishing she could just reach a little farther and turn off the camera, but as it is, she's stuck.]

None.

[A beat] I fell in love once. That was more than enough.

[struck_first]

[ ...is that what this was about? He kind of glossed over that in her initial comments. ] I could see that being complicated, in your position.

[ ...no pun intended, as always. He nods to the screen. ] Do you at least have someone coming to turn that off? You may be patient enough to wait this out, but I bet you don't want the whole city to watch you suffering.