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"Ew!" Kitsu shouts and slaps me over the back of my head with her pillow. "Shut up! I live with her!"
"Yeah, and I sleep with her!" I laugh at her outburst. Looking back as she relentlessly assaults me with the cotton filled fabric. "What's your point?"
"AH!" She slaps me harder before suddenly relenting with a pout and plopping back down. Now using the deadly weapon of mass comfort to bury her own head from sight.
"... It's hard, it feels like you'll never find someone like her again." I say as I place a hand on her shoulder and gently rub. "But you're still young, you'll find someone new."
"She was the only person who ever liked me." Kitsu mutters.
"I like you." I say with mockingly hurt tone.
"Not like that." She grumbles, turning her head away. "She actually like liked me. You like me because you see me as a facsimile of the daughter you always wanted to raise."
"That's not true." I tell her, even if it hurts to know she thinks that. "I love you for the adorable little gremlin you are. Not for what role you play in my life."
It hurts even more to hear her say that because... there is some truth to it. And denying it feels like lying.
"You know that's not what I mean." She mumbles. "She was there, and she wanted me for me. And me being me drove her off."
Ouch, okay, that's not something I can really address.
"There'll be others." I tell her.
"No there won't." She grumbles. "No one else liked me the way she did."
"I'm pretty sure Ben would stab someone for the chance to-" I begin to suggest.
"Ben is a kid!" She shoots up and stares me down. "He's like three years younger than me!"
"Hey, you're the one being all mopey about being single!" I throw my hands up in my defense. "I'm just giving you options. Not my fault you keep adding conditions."
Not that I'm trying to get her to date anyone. But poking her buttons and getting her up is better than letting her waste away in here.
"Maybe in six years, I'll think about maybe going out with Ben." She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. Sitting back on her heels as she turns her nose up in the air. "A child like him wouldn't know how to handle a woman like me."
"You're a child." I point out.
"Kindly go and excuse yourself." She huffs and places a hand on her chest. "I am a lady, thank you very much."
"I'm just saying, you're not as out of options as you seem to think." I gently explain. "And you're not as unattractive as you seem to believe."
"I don't think I'm ugly!" She gets up and whacks me with the pillow. "I'm adorable and I know it!"
"You know what I mean." I say softly.
That makes her pause and think quietly to herself. Slowly unfolding and refolding her legs. Sitting crisscross, she hugs the pillow and wraps her tail around the front. Ears splayed back as she buries the lower half of her face into the fabric.
Kitsu is... oddly lacking in self confidence when it comes to certain things. Namely her self image and how she believes people view her. I guess it'd be easier to say she's insecure about her appearance.
Despite her assertion that she is aging, I don't see any real difference in her as compared to when we first met. She's supposed to be thirteen and yet, take away her ears, she's a foot shorter than any girl her age that I've ever seen. And maybe it's just my age showing, but she looks like she should be given juice boxes and not walking to high school on her own. Doesn't help that she plays on her looks a lot to get away with certain things.
Even take away how she's cursed with youthful looks. There's the fact that she's a Case 53. It's no secret that society is not kind to them as a whole. Kitsu does get less of the discrimination aimed at her due to her mutations being more tame than others, and even giving her pretty privilege. But that comes with its own issues. One can only imagine the self image issues that come with always being on the receiving end of derogatory statements that she's no doubt heard.
"Kitsu, you are a smart, adorable, and beautiful young girl." I tell her, and though she tries to look like she's ignoring me, she's betrayed by the way her ears perk up when I say beautiful. "Missy breaking up with you, that was her choice. I'm not going to sit and speculate why that is-"
"She said I constantly disrespect her boundaries and never reflect on anything I do wrong." Kitsu answers, derailing my train of thought. "That I constantly do things I'm not supposed to and only apologize if I'm getting in trouble for it."
'... Shit. That's... how do I say she isn't wrong without making this worse?' I think to myself.
"And if she's not okay with that, then it's on her." I tell her. "But if it's something you want to change about yourself then that's a different story. And we can talk about that too if you want."
"... I just want Missy back." She shakily sighs, her voice telling me she's on the verge of tears.
It's jarring to see Kitsu like this. She isn't one to normally get sad or depressed over these kinds if things. Her default emotion when upset is usually anger, but I guess that doesn't really apply here.
"For as smart as you are, you're pretty dumb with certain things." I chuckle. "And I don't just mean the dumb things you think are funny."
"If you're trying to make me feel better." Kitsu's voice shakes a bit as she talks. "You're doing a pretty bad job at it."
"I know." I let out a sigh. "Unfortunately for you though, I'm the most qualified person for the job that you've got."
"... This place's mental health program sucks." She grumbles and buries her face deeper into the pillow.
Don't I know it.
"There's always going to be things in life that you can't control." I tell her. "This is just one of those things, Kitsu. I'm sorry to say it, but it needs to be said. No matter how much you may want it, what happened is done and over with. There's no use sitting and thinking on what you could've done." I decide I might as well get to the point. "No, you just have to look ahead and ask what you're going to do now. Are you going to get better, or sit in the past while everyone else moves on?"
"Get... better?" I hear her mutter.
"You can choose to stay in here, but you need to face the music eventually." I continue. "And the longer you wait, the harder it's going to be when you're eventually forced to."
"You're right." She says.
"I am." I say caught off guard; my tone somewhere between a question and a statement.
"I need to get out there and figure out what I need to do!" She suddenly shoots up.
"That's the spirit!" I turn back and smile at her. Surprised that I actually managed to get through to the depressed little fox.
"I just need to find a way to get Missy to forgive me and take me back!" She declares.
'Uh oh.' I feel my elation and sense of accomplishment turn itself on its head.
"That's not-"
"I got it!" She gets up and grabs my hand. Pulling on me and eventually pushing me out of her room. "No peeping toms! I need to get dressed and get to school, I'm going to get Missy to take me back and to do that I need to figure out exactly what she hates about me so I can fix it!"
"That is not-" I go to correct her on her very skewed line of thinking, but Kitsu slams the door behind me as soon as I'm past the bounds of her room. "... This... huh."
I mean, so long as she doesn't do anything illegal. Then it shouldn't be an issue, right? And besides, I got her to get up and get ready for school!
"... I am not qualified for this type of drama." I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.
.
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-Later that day, 6pm, The Rig-
.
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Melody POV
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Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic
'Did they have to put an analog clock in this room?' I glare at the timekeeping device on the wall. 'This has to be a form of psychological torture.'
Krsshh
The door opens and I put my cheery act back on. Ready to annoy and eavesdrop on the scientists again today. It's one of my favorite pastimes.
"Morning doctor!" I hop up off my bed with a smile. "Time for your daily get paid to molest the little girl time or— you're not Carl."
"No." Assault says as he walks into the room and closes the door behind him. "But now I have questions."
"Ugh, you and every other confused liberal." I scoff and lay back down on my bed.
"Not... sure how to take that. If I'm being completely honest." He mutters, inviting himself to take a chair and place it in front of me. Sitting backwards on it and resting his arms on the back.
"Take it up the butt." I shrug and begin morphing a bit of biomass into the shape of a thin triangle at the tip of my fingernail before modifying its chemical organic makeup.
Crunch
And start nomming on the Dorito flavored finger nail.
"What are you-" He starts to ask.
"I'm using biokinesis to recreate the organic chemical makeup of the food." I answer and break off a fresh Dorito nail, holding out the chip to the energy manipulator. "Want one?"
"... Isn't that... technically your flesh?" He points out.
"It's someone's flesh." I shrug and toss the chip into my mouth. "Not like there's much else to do."
At least not without getting foamed. Don't get me wrong, I could easily break out of here no problem. I just... don't really have a reason to. Not like there's anything for me to go to. Maybe if I catch word of a music festival, I'll check myself out of hotel PRT.
"Well, in that case I have the perfect solution-"
"I'm not being your mascot, you have M-Vista for that." I shoot him down.
"I wouldn't use the word mascot." He rolls his eyes.
I couldn't see his eyes. But I know he rolled them.
"And Nazi's wouldn't use the word Genocide." I counter. "But let's call a spade a spade. The PRT wants to control me and failing that, get rid of me. Sending you in here as the nice cop isn't making that any less unclear."
"... Then you know they can't let you out." Assault says solemnly. "At best, you'll be stuck in this room... forever."
"I can break out at any time I want, Ethan." I counter and stomp a foot to the ground; transforming it to resemble something more draconic than human as I crack the tiles.
"So then why don't you?" He asks.
"..." I stare him down, or I try to. Hard to stare someone down when you're barely four feet.
Deciding I'm done with this conversation, I whip my tail around. Aiming the point for his neck, I stop just short of impaling his throat and let the threat hang there. Rather than take the hint, the idiot doesn't even flinch. Leading to a long moment where I just stare at my twisted reflection in his visor.
'That's not you.' I feel my mind scream at me, even as the horned girl blinks in tandem with me. 'That's who you're forced to be.'
I'm seconds away from smashing the visor, if for no other reason than to show I'm serious. When Assault reaches up and takes off his helmet. Now staring into his brown eyes, I... I just don't have it in me to really care anymore. letting my tail fall and looking away from him.
"Get out." I mutter, pulling my legs up and grabbing the edges of my covers and wrapping them around me.
"Come on, Melody." He says and kneels down in front of me. "You can stop being stubborn. I know you're-"
"Don't pretend you know me." I snarl, barring my sharpened teeth and turning my eyes red.
"I'm not, but I know someone a lot like you." He says. "And a long time ago, there was a point where I thought we could be friends."
"Why are you still here?" I ask, not caring for his attempts to butter me up. "Is creeping in little girls' rooms just something you're into now? I haven't seen Battery in a while, she finally divorce you?"
"I'd like to try and be your friend, Melody." Ethan offers, holding out a hand to me; ignoring my attempts to piss him off. "Just give me a chance to help you."
"... ptoo!" I spit on his hand.
"... That's not a no." He smirks, then wipes the hand on my blanket.
"EW!" I shout and kick him, to absolutely no effect. "Stop! That's my only blanket!"
.
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-Friday, October 29th, 7am, Boardwalk-
.
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"In the wake of the attack on the slums and the casualties suffered." Miss Militia tells the gathered crowd. "The PRT has decided to pledge its local reserve forces to aid in the cleanup. With plans to assist in any future reconstruction."
"What about the rising homeless population?" One reporter asks. "How are those displaced by this tragedy supposed to continue on?"
"Unfortunately I am unqualified to answer that." Miss Militia says. "The PRT has no involvement in the housing sector, such questions would be best directed to mayor Christener's administration. Next question?"
"What about the deaths of the capes involved in the fighting?" Another man asks. "Many capes, PRT and New Wave, haven't been seen since the incident."
"Many individuals yet to be found are those with enhanced physiology, so we maintain hope that they can be still be found. However, without any bodies, we cannot confirm or deny any cape casualties. Even more so considering the mover, Nightcrawler, was involved in the incident, we are holding out hope that he managed to flee with any missing persons." She continues. "Unfortunately, many clean up attempts have been hindered or halted. By opportunistic criminal entities seeking to take advantage of the chaos."
"Isn't Nightcrawler a villain with a criminal record?" Another reporter asks.
"Nightcrawler has a colorful past, yes." Militia nods. "However, he is more accurately described as a rogue. A hired mercenary, and he was operating freely to assist in the crisis. If he had any ill intent, he'd not have risked his life as he did. No further questions on the matter."
"What about the rumors claiming that many of the villains who were supposed to be locked up in the Birdcage being spotted around North America!?" A scrawny reporter asks. "Is there any truth to these rumors, and if so, what is the PRT in Brockton going to do about it?"
"The rumors are as of yet unconfirmed and a thorough investigation is underway to account for every villain sentenced to the Bauman Parahuman Containment Facility." Militia said, technically not lying. "As for what we intend to do should they be true? Brockton Bay has extended its cape program, and is actively recruiting. Now offering training and a three month salary advance for any capes interested in helping keep their city safe. Outside of recruitment and increasing patrols however, there is little that can be done for simple rumors."
The rest of the press conference went much the same. With Miss Militia answering the planted reporter's questions, and even a few of the normal ones. When finally it came time for the big reveal.
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