#610B0B

[bisection]

[color]

I have no idea what to do with myself without him.

Just a few days and I feel completely helpless. I thought he was the one clinging, but I am the one who is clinging, right? But he is like this now and I do not even know how to take care of his pets while I wait.

I have fed them but what else do these chicken things need? Food, water, warmth... what else? Am I doing this right? I have no idea.

I hope he is normal again soon. I can't take this. Maybe my wish backfired. My bad luck again, I guess.

Comments

[queenofminiskirts]

[That's the question, isn't it...?]

i think it depends on why.

can i come over?

[bisection]

I am not sure why you want to.

[queenofminiskirts]

because i want to see you.

[bisection]

I do not think I will be good company right now, Kaoru, so I am not sure why you would...

[queenofminiskirts]

because i'm worried.

because i know how it feels like, to cling too hard to people and feel like you don't even know what to do if they weren't there with you. like i don't even know who i am if i were by myself.

and i know...i know you're probably not good company. i wasn't either when i felt like this. i'd get angry at people and throw things at them [Or them at walls.] i always wanted to be alone...but i don't want you to be alone.

so...please? tell me where you are so i can come find you?

[bisection]

if that is what you want.

I am about to go out and bring the chickens in.

[queenofminiskirts]

so you're at dex's house? i'll be there as soon as i can.

[bisection]

Right.

Okay.

to actioN!

[queenofminiskirts]

[Since she's already in Bluo and she can fly she arrives there ridiculously quickly.

If she doesn't see him outside, she'll go knock on the door.]

[bisection]

[ He opens the door for her when she gets there. He was on his way outside with the chickens in tow when he heard her.

His frown doesn't lighten when he greets her. He just regards her with a somber look before speaking. ]

You didn't need to come here so quickly, Kaoru. But, would you help me lead them out to the coop?

[queenofminiskirts]

I wanted to.

[She really just wanted to hug him, but she knows how he is with sudden physical contact, so she just reaches out to touch his shoulder briefly.]

Sure! I'd love to help!

[bisection]

[ He's surprised at the touch, but droops his head again soon after. He motions towards the birds still gathered about his feet. ]

Help me to keep them in line...

[queenofminiskirts]

[She salutes him.] No problem! Leave it to me.

[bisection]

... Thank you, Kaoru.

[ He starts to shuffle along again, leaned a bit over to motions the birds forward with his hands. ]

It is around the side of the house. That way.

[queenofminiskirts]

You're welcome.

[It's easy enough for her to keep the chickens in a neat(ish) line as they moved.]

They seem pretty happy. [Which is to say, he's probably doing fine.]

[bisection]

How so? They are birds.

[ They don't really have emotions like that, do they? He takes the comment too seriously as he ushers the birds forward towards the fence's gate. ]

Can you open it?

[queenofminiskirts]

Well, I can't say exactly why but I feel like it's true! If we wanted to confirm it, we can ask Shiho to check!

[She nods because of course she can. A flick of her wrist is all it takes to unlatch and open the gate.]

Now let's get his girls back home~.

[bisection]

... Shiho can tell? Can Shiho understand birds?

[ He hasn't understood the breadth of either of these girls' powers yet, so anything is likely.

He watches her open the gate without even touching it. So her powers can be used for little things, too...

He nods and escorts the small flock into their pen. ]

Come on, come on... it's time for exercise...

[queenofminiskirts]

Of course she can! She was an apprentice to a bird whisperer!

[Shiho is a girl of many skills.

She perches herself on the fence. It didn't matter how sturdy it was, since she was holding her own weight. She was as light as a feather sitting there.]

How long are they doing this for?

[bisection]

Why do they have to whisper? Will it scare the bird?

[ He squints at her, taking her too seriously. Weirder things were known to happen.

Then he turns back to the birds as he shuts them in. ]

Mm, it is cold, so not too long, but I want to give them some time.

[queenofminiskirts]

...they don't actually whisper. I mean, they might. An animal whisperer is just someone who's really good with that animal, almost like they can speak the same language.

[Anyone else and she'd give some bullshit answer but she answers him honestly.

Now that they're sitting here, watching the chickens in the yard, they have a moment, don't they?]

Everyone was afraid of my powers, growing up. Even I was scared of myself. I hated my powers back then. The first time I was glad I was born was the day I met Shiho and Aoi. They were so cute! [She smiled and it's warm, it's sincere, because the memory was a fond one but the circumstances around them weren't.] They were my entire world and it didn't matter what happened to me as long as I could have the power to protect them. To the point where I was even willing to sacrifice others.

[It had hurt her to make those calls, those few times she had. But she hadn't known, at the time, how she could choose differently.]

[bisection]

Oh, I see... they specialize in a certain animal...

[ He goes quiet for a moment, but then she speaks with a tone that's shifted. She sounds so much more serious than usual so he stays silent and watches her. He's listening intently. ]

Hm... sometimes, that is the only way. The only way to save your 'world'. I would do that for my brother. I know I would.

[queenofminiskirts]

But they wouldn't want that. As much as we want to protect them, they want to stop us from making those choices for their sake.

And it's not always the only way you know? Sometimes, we're just so scared to lose them that we can't think straight.

[bisection]

Then, aren't they being just as selfish as we are?

[ He looks ahead and lets out a small, audible breath. ]

Do you think people like us are wrong, Kaoru? For feeling the way we do... acting the way we do. I know, if I were in your position, I would have done exactly the same.

[queenofminiskirts]

Maybe.

[She can't deny that...after all, protecting someone else...was in its own way selfish and willful. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

...was it wrong? Something like that was a difficult question to answer. Because it's far morec complicated than that. Even so...]

No. I don't think so. But...it's true that these feelings, this way of seeing the world, definitely didn't come somewhere healthy.

People aren't meant to live alone. We want to be loved and love others...we need that kind of human connection. When we're denied that, when we're hurt or rejected by the world...isn't it natural, to cling onto the few people that give us that? That make us feel like...even for someone like us, there's someone who will hold our hand and not let go?

But...[She turns a little, reaches out to touch a hand to his cheek.] Because it comes from an unhealthy place, that way of thinking isn't good for us. When we say, 'I'd give up the world for this person. I'd sacrifice anyone and anything' isn't that just another way to keep rejecting the world and everyone else in it? Aren't we just afraid to put our trust into the people we care about in case they might leave us behind? If we keep doing that, then we won't just become unable to accept ourselves?