6th Inversion [Vine - Text/Accidental Video]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The Vine unfurls to show the following letter:



A minute or so after the letter is sent, the mirror opens to show Akiha's bedroom. The fireplace is roaring and Akiha is sitting on the floor before it. Her knees are pulled up and she has her face buried in her arms, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. If one looks closely, her shoulder's shake every now and then.

Clearly, she's oblivious to the mirror's activation, but the Vine and Akiha never did get along...]


[Sent privately to Gal]

Comments

[action] if that's okay

[cobbledtogether]

[Not long after Akiha makes her apology over the Vine, there's a knock at her door. On the other side, Lambda patiently waits for Akiha to acknowledge her.]

[action] perfectly fine!

[ritsu_kouyou]

[There's a long moment before Akiha responds as she debated whether to ignore it or not.]

Who is it?

[Her voice is muffled as she hasn't bothered to look up, leaving her face in her arms.]

[cobbledtogether]

Lambda.

[The reply is also somewhat muffled, but that's because Lambda isn't sure how loudly she has to speak to be heard through the door.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

...

[Akiha owes an apology to Lambda, as much as she would like to just stay locked away in her room for the rest of the week.]

You may enter.

[cobbledtogether]

[The door opens and shuts as Lambda steps inside. Perhaps somewhat unusually, she doesn't wait for Akiha to speak first.]

Is there anything you require, Akiha-sama?

[Which may seem like an odd thing for her to ask, seeing as she's the one who showed up without being asked, but...]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Time to be turned back so I could reverse everything that happened.

[And yet, Akiha knew that was impossible. She lifted her head to look over at Lambda, a glistening on her cheeks and at her eyes, and sighed.]

I'm sorry for the way I treated you... earlier.

[cobbledtogether]

[Lambda starts to take a step closer, but then stops, unsure if Akiha would appreciate physical proximity.]

"Sorry"...?

[She sounds puzzled by the apology, as if it hadn't even occurred to her that she needed one in the first place.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha gives a nod to indicate Lambda need not keep her distance.]

Yes... I must apologize. I mistreated you and played with the ignorance your creators bestowed upon you. It was cruel of me.

[cobbledtogether]

I did not request an apology.

[It's hard to say whether or not that's meant to be comforting, as it's delivered with Lambda's usual flat tone. Either way, she steps closer to Akiha, lowering herself onto the floor beside her. She hadn't come just to showcase her clumsy attempts at showing concern, though, so she barrels forward with her next question in typical socially unaware Lambda fashion.]

A notable quantity of blood was detected near the front entrance this morning. Analysis indicates it is partially your own. [...] Are you injured?

[ritsu_kouyou]

And yet I'm giving you one anyways as you have the right to it... and you're part of my family here.

[The question makes Akiha tense a little and she takes a moment to respond.]

...I was. I'm not any longer.

[cobbledtogether]

..."Family"?

[When Akiha tells her she is not injured, Lambda looks as though she wants to ask if she's certain for a moment. Ultimately, she doesn't.]

Understood.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Yes, family.

[Akiha sees that looks and sighs.]

Kris healed me after healing herself. The rest of the blood on the floor down there is hers. Last night was... bad.

[cobbledtogether]

...Understood.

[Either that reply satisfies Lambda or even she knows enough not to pry further. As always, it's hard to tell which.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Are you... Are you alright with me... with what you know?

[cobbledtogether]

Yes.

[The reply comes immediately, but Lambda tilts her head as she delivers it, looking a bit perplexed. Just as she hadn't seen the need for an apology, she sees that question as unnecessary.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

I suppose you were one of the few to encounter me like that where I didn't hurt you.

Thank you. For not choosing to leave me.

[cobbledtogether]

...You're welcome.

[From the halting, uncertain why she says it and the look on her face, though, she doesn't understand why she is being thanked for that.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

You don't understand, do you?

[cobbledtogether]

I do not.

[She admits it readily. Akiha was Akiha, and she had not given her a reason to feel otherwise.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Perhaps it's better if you don't.

[cobbledtogether]

[That doesn't seem to help any. She just stares, puzzled.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha gives a soft sigh.]

Gal left because of me and I don't know if she'll come back. Kohaku is in the Clinic recovering from a severe injury and when she's well, she may choose not to come back. Hisui has already been returned to Misaki City. All that's left here with me is you and Kris. Kris won't leave... and I was afraid you might since I'd made you uncomfortable.

[cobbledtogether]

You did not harm me.

[The fact that she could have is not lost on Lambda, but Akiha has said that she wouldn't, and she hadn't. For her, that is enough.]

[ritsu_kouyou]

There are some that would leave over insult or other non-physical reasons. But you're right; I didn't harm you.

[cobbledtogether]

I was not insulted.

[Confused, maybe, but she hadn't taken anything Akiha had said as anything more than a little strange.]