[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

[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.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha also loves Kris. It makes absolutely no sense to her, especially since she'd always believed that she could only love one person. And, on top of all that, she still loves Shiki. Is this because she's a teenager? Is that what it is? Or is this... normal? It didn't make any sense.]

The easy way is never the right way, Katina. I can't tell you what to do, because I don't know. But stop this pathetic self-flagellation. I don't like it.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ Don't ask Katina. Love's always confused the hell out of her - she's not sure whether she loves Akiha, or Subaru, or both, or neither, or... anything right now. ]

No, but it's easy. That's the thing. That's why so many people fuck their lives up.

I'm not as strong as I try to act.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Then become stronger. Stop running. Stop hiding.

[Akiha glances back over her shoulder a moment at Katina, then looks forward again.]

Stop hurting yourself.

[grandtheftmecha]

I've already hurt the people I care about. Fair's fair.

[ It's all she can think to do. ]

...feel like digging a hole and burying myself.

[ritsu_kouyou]

...it hurts me when you hurt yourself. Come back... while you still can.

[Akiha starts to walk away then.]

[grandtheftmecha]

I just can't win.

[ Katina blinks back any tears that might be forming, and turns. ]

...gimme just... a little more time. If I don't come back soon enough, you can have Kris come beat me up and drag me back.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha pauses and looks back over her shoulder, through her hair.]

Two days. Then I do it myself.

[grandtheftmecha]

Two days. I'll be... somewhere by then.

[ She's not sure if she'll be able to just walk up and knock on Akiha's front door. Kris might blow her up. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

...you know where to find me.

[Akiha pauses, just looking at Katina a bit longer, before continuing on her way.]

[grandtheftmecha]

Mm. Yeah, I do.

[ It'll be convenient if Subaru's there too. Conveniently... soul crushing? ]