✿ 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.]

[seiriald]

[She gives a small nod, still trying to hide the extent of them. Being stuck in the clinic had been horrible, bringing up vague memories of experiments and pain, of screaming from her brethren to see how much they could endure before Humans decided they were done and disposed of them. For now, it was better that so many of her memories were suppressed, and that she get away before she acts on them.]

[imatreenow]

[There is a pause, filled with Mithos' uncertainty of what to say. He still clings to his reservations, but...moth, meet flame.]

You should be inside. [Simply stating a fact of self-preservation. Nothing more...of course not.]

[seiriald]

[Said flame doesn't really have any sense of self-preservation, but if Mithos seems to care...]

Maybe... I don't like the clinic...

[imatreenow]

[He doesn't fault her for that. His recent stay at the medical center was severely contemptible, but for reasons different from hers: he simply despises the idea of entrusting his wellness to untrustworthy humans. It also probably had something to do with the fact that Yuan was the reason he was there.]

Go back to your house then.

[seiriald]

I'm planning to... [In reality she'd rather make it to the flower shop first, not only because it's going to be difficult to climb that many flights of stairs, but she's always felt safe around them. They wouldn't betray her.]

[imatreenow]

[That's something he wouldn't understand. There isn't a fragment of trust left in him for anyone in this village.

And even though he shouldn't care about this girl, he can't help but ask-]

Was it a human who did this to you? [The bitterness is creeping back into his words. More familiar territory.]

[seiriald]

Not sure. [It had been so unexpected, and Kaori had never known a Human capable of doing such a thing. Most of what was said that night made little to no sense to her, especially with the amount of pain she was in.]

I wouldn't be... surprised...

[imatreenow]

The people here are no different from the filth in any other world. [Regardless of whatever lies Raine tried to tell him. The world is different, but the people are the same as they were in their own broken worlds. He does realize that different worlds have different races, but it's still entirely the same: one group subjugates another simply for being different. Kaori may not be a half-elf, but she is the same as him.]

[seiriald]

I've noticed. [This isn't the first world she's traveled to that also has Humans contaminating it. They were almost always the ones who tread upon them wherever she went.]

[imatreenow]

They aren't even aware of how disgusting they are, judging us for our hatred when they are the ones who hated first. Whose fault do they think it is? [Childish logic. But when you've been cornered for so long, you take the first chance you can to lash back as fiercely as possible.]

[seiriald]

[Kaori listens quietly, briefly remembering a time when she adored Humans and wanted nothing more than to see their happiness in smiles, to be their friends. Hard to believe that it was only six years ago when she gave up on them, and with the death of every loved one she hated them more and more.

She wanted to lash out, too, like Mithos was now. Except for her to do so, she would have to act on it. Many in Luceti would be caught in the crossfire.]

[imatreenow]

[It's...soothing, in a way, to say these things to someone who actually understands. So he'll keep talking, even forgetting about the (slowly ebbing) part of him that wants to keep far away.]

Humans do nothing but take, and trample, and destroy, yet they feel no remorse for their transgressions. They never change.

[seiriald]

Not even in... other worlds. [Everywhere she's been so far they've been the same, though Luceti not as much as others. There's little doubt in her mind that they would meet her expectations eventually.

Maybe even those who she'd opened herself up to, just a little.]

[imatreenow]

They'll never accept those who are different. Why should we even give them a chance? [His voice gets quieter. The angry edge that was there before has been gradually subsiding, revealing the loneliness underneath.] We opened our hearts, but they turned their backs on us... Why should we try again? [Even he isn't sure if "we" means he and Martel, or...maybe...]

[seiriald]

[She'd asked herself the same thing many times; why should she give them another chance? It was only a few months ago that her youngest sibling had been killed, sending her back further.

A part of her was telling her... that maybe they should try again, so that they stop hurting them eventually. Not that it'll work, Mithos' loneliness seems to confirm that for her. She half-raises her hand, naturally wanting to comfort him through the emotions she experienced so often. But she was hesitating.

Don't be sad...]