✿ 4th Bud [Action]

[seiriald]

[It's been several days since the incident that confined her to the clinic, and frankly Kaori has become very tired of that place. Not only was she bored out of her mind, but merely the smell of it brought up fragmented memories of pain and fear from long ago. On top of that, it was lonely when no one visited. Sorry Vash, but she really can't take

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[imatreenow]

[Mithos would hold no objections to holing himself up in house 52 and shunning the outside world and its people (especially its people) for as long as deemed fit (a very, very long time), but unfortunately food is a necessity. So here he is, on his way back from the grocery store...

...When he notices a certain girl in the road ahead. He stops short, his footsteps crunching to a halt in the snow.]

[imatreenow]

[In the weeks since they spoke he has tried to push her from his mind, but naturally this has the exact opposite effect as intended. And despite that, Mithos still can't decide what to think of her. He feels drawn to her, but he wants to push her away like everyone else; he can't trust anyone but himself, but a part of him wants to trust her. Of course he hadn't planned on encountering her anytime soon. Or ever. Running away is the easiest and most effective method of self-preservation.

What Mithos doesn't realize is that she's blind. He thinks that she must have seen him - the distance between them isn't that much - so he debates the course of action he should take.]

[seiriald]

[It's difficult to not notice the bundle of extreme emotions that is Mithos, but unfortunately Kaori can't really recognize him, beyond the feeling that they've spoken before. She stops and debates trying to talk to him, since she can't know for sure that it's him until he confirms it by speaking. Only then will she recognize his voice.

In short, it's your move, Mithos. There's no way for her to know it's you for sure.]

[imatreenow]

[He wonders why she hasn't spoken, and is tempted to just walk away - there's ample opportunity. But.....he somehow feels compelled to say something. That's how she is; she just stirs a dormant curiosity in him and it rises against his better judgment. Now, any normal person would have said something along the lines of "Hello", or "How are you?" by now, but Mithos is far from normal and thus at a loss for what to say.]

...Kaori. [He speaks as though still deciding whether or not to say anything at all, even if words are already coming out.]

[seiriald]

[Her eyes widen visibly, now able to properly face him while her protective nature rises. She'd been worried about him, but just as unsure over whether or not she could trust him. Now she was... happy, was that it?]

Mithos...? [She wants to come closer, but refrains for now.]

[imatreenow]

[Mithos tenses slightly when she speaks his name. That's right...for some reason he had given her that sign of trust - a chance, opening up the risk of betrayal - and that's when he had shut the journal on her. Unfortunately, that isn't possible when talking face to face. He still teeters on the fence between trust and distrust.]

...Yes, it's me. [Even if she can't see him to read his body language, his tension and uncertainty seep into his words.]

[seiriald]

[And she can tell that right away, since she often doesn't give away her name to people very easily either, for the same reasons. Fear of betrayal, of being hurt again and again.]

Why are you... out here? [Weakness, she'll hide it the best she can with Mithos.]

[imatreenow]

[Normally he might bite back with something along the lines of "Why do you care?", but the anger and bitterness just aren't there. It's...strange. Uncomfortable, too, being unable to hide behind his anger.]

I needed food. [Of course he doesn't know that she can't see the bag of groceries in his arms. The very full bag of groceries - to ensure a lower frequency of trips. Such banal tasks are annoying.]

[seiriald]

Oh... [He seemed like the kind of person who would live alone, if they really thought the same. Except with her, she needs to have someone she trusts nearby.

Here they were face-to-face, yet she can't come up with anything to say of importance. Small talk seems wrong with him.]

[imatreenow]

[He still wonders why he's even bothering. Caught between letting her in and shutting her out, unable to choose or reject either path, he doesn't know what to do. So he asks a question, maybe to test the waters.]

...Why do you care? [It isn't said rudely at all, not like usual. It's genuine curiosity and uncertainty.]

[seiriald]

You... left abruptly... [So much that it made her worried for a while. She has no idea what his emotional state was after that, and if they really were that similar then she knows it's dangerous.]

I think... I really startled you... something...

[imatreenow]

[She did startle him. A lot. Actually, that might not even be the right word. It's more like she shook him to the core. He doesn't know what to say to that, hence a long pause.]

I didn't think there was anyone who's...like me. [It's bizarre to say aloud. Even if it may seem insignificant, it isn't at all. Like his heart is uncurling a tiny bit, against the wishes of the "logical" part of his brain, the part that warns him that he'll get hurt.]

[seiriald]

... It's hard... finding someone... [To find anyone who understands even remotely, how they were driven to the point they were. Her own usual shield is slipping away a little, just because she still gets along with others doesn't mean that she trusts them. Even here she can't be open about her hatred.]

[imatreenow]

[He knows that well. Genis was the first person he opened up to in thousands of years, the first person who he thought could understand him, and even then...Genis had chosen Lloyd in the end. He had chosen to forgive the world and give it another chance; he hadn't truly understood. This girl, though...it really seemed like...]

They don't understand that forgiveness isn't an option.

[seiriald]

Exactly. [She'd tried, she really has. A part of her still wants to forgive, but every time she tried it was thrown back in her face with a heavy dose of pain, both emotionally and physically. Really, she's tired of it and wants nothing but pain inflicted on those people now.]

What they do... is horrible...

[imatreenow]

[There's no need to agree; it's like stating that the sky is blue. Instead, he notices her obviously damaged physical state and her difficulty speaking. Mithos had noticed before of course, but the whirlwind of volatile emotions inside him had demanded his full attention. It simply hadn't been important. His tension is slowly dissipating from the relief of knowing that there is someone who understands and agrees rather than judges and attacks.]

...You're injured. [...Not that he cares. Of course he doesn't. He doesn't care about anyone besides himself and Martel...]