[Audio + Action]

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Not that anyone knows where she is... or so she hopes...

No, Kris could probably find her again if she wanted. That was why she'd taken the ring off, buried it for safe keeping if she ever felt like she could get away with it again. That might help. But Subaru would take a while to find Katina on the edge of the gardens. The sorry excuse for a tent she'd put up was camouflaged, proper military style, and she'd only barely found enough to eat and drink to not fall ill or drop dead.

...a vine was poking into her tent, the sort that carried messages. She tapped it.

There was breathing, heavy breathing from the other end of the vine, probably a good minute that felt like a good year or so to Katina. No matter what happened, people deserved to know that she was alive, right? Then they could do... whatever.

More breathing. ]

I can't... I can't do this...

[ And then silence. Maybe she'll see what the Queen does if she starves a few times - any other consequences can't be that bad right? ]

Comments

[grandtheftmecha]

I'm...

[ What is she doing? This is dumb. Akiha's dumb. She's dumb too. ]

...edge of the gardens. Near a forest.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha isn't sure which hurt more - what Katina did... or hearing her so weak and in need of help. She hates that she knows what that means.]

...I'm on my way.

[And... she walks out of the mansion, heading toward where Katina says she is. But she's not hurrying.]

[grandtheftmecha]

You shouldn't.

[ Maybe she can pack up and move before then - or hell, just leave the tent and wander into the wilderness. If she's lucky, it'll turn her into a tree for a week. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Too late, Katina. The half-demon is on her way.]

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Damn. God damn. She can barely muster the strength to stagger outside of her tent. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha, looking just as she usually does, stops when she sees Katina. Her expression is unreadable and not betray the storm of emotions inside.

...she's so angry, but she's also so worried. She wants to hug Katina, but also tear her throat out. UGH. She hates the way she feels and what it tells her about herself.

So... she just stands there, looking at Katina.]

[grandtheftmecha]

[ So she couldn't even run away from someone slowly walking to the edge of the garden. Did she want to see Akiha? Right now, Katina just wants to turn and run into the woods and disappear.

Why's her expression so blank? Why isn't she just ripping Katina's damned heart out? ]

...hi.

[ What else should she say? ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

['Hi'? That's what Katina had to say?]

...you look terrible.

[...just as pathetic a response. Great.]

[grandtheftmecha]

Been living in a tent scavenging.

[ She's already lost a little weight, her hair's worse than usual, there are bags under her eyes. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

...why?

[grandtheftmecha]

For fun.

[ Having the time of her life can't you tell? Sarcasm's a pretty weak defense for her though. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha frowns and holds out the bottle of water she had been carrying with her.]

[grandtheftmecha]

I'm not dehydrated.

[ But she takes the bottle anyways, opens, takes a sip. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

It's better than anything you would drink out of a filthy stream. You will find food is back with the rest of civilization.

Stop being pathetic, Katina. I don't know what you are anymore, but I know this isn't it.

[grandtheftmecha]

I learned how to clean water enough to drink, even if it tastes like shit.

[ Katina lets her hand drop by her side. ]

...stop it.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Stop what?

[grandtheftmecha]

Don't fucking act like I can just come back that easily.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[There, something in Akiha's expression flickers.] I don't recall inviting you back to my mansion.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Good. ]

The rest of civilization's where you and Subaru are.

[ritsu_kouyou]

And where everyone else is. You're making the mistake of thinking your self-exile will make up for what you've done or that it will make things better. As if your absence is something important.

Tch. Trying to take the easy way out where you don't have to actually make any decisions. Still a coward, I see.

[grandtheftmecha]

I'm not denying it. Yeah, I'm a coward, I'm fucking terrified and I don't want to have to face my fears.

Then one of them goes and just shows up, and I shouldn't have fucking told you where I am.

[ritsu_kouyou]

And I shouldn't have asked. Yet I did, despite my better judgment. So we both have to deal with this. One way or another.

I don't know what you want, and I sure as hell don't know what I want. But I do know two things.

...I hate you, Katina. But I also love you.

[grandtheftmecha]

...god... dammit!

[ Katina turns around almost instantly as she yells that. She didn't want to deal with this, there's no good way of dealing with it. Wouldn't it just be easier to hate her and forget about her and be done with it? ]

What the hell did I do to earn that?

[ritsu_kouyou]

If I knew, I could make it go away. But I can't. I've tried. I've tried for weeks. And it's still there. It's why I almost killed you and why I didn't.

Do you know what my blood told me, what it still whispers in my head, because of it? If I can't have you, no one can. So don't you dare think you're the only one terrified here.

[And Akiha turns away, walking a few steps away before stopping. She crosses her arms and glares at a spot on the ground in front of her.]

[grandtheftmecha]

[ What has she done? Akiha loves her. Kris was justified in nearly killing her back there, or so she figures, and yet Akiha just said she loves her and get it out of her head.

...and how does she feel about Akiha anyways? ]

This would be a lot easier if I didn't care about both of you, you know. I could just tell you two to get over it, and if people were pissed at me, they could go ahead and hate me.