Audience - Mizu

[holyspirits]

Comments

[purities]

It's a terrible place.

[tiredly, staring at the entrance of the funhouse with eyes full of murder. the funhouse is mizu's new enemy, thank you.]

There are no secrets here. Even the things that are better off forgotten are revealed inside.

[batterypack]

Everything, huh. [ considering some of the things she's seen, she's not sure how she feels about that. ] Think there's a way to pick and choose what those secrets are though? It's just a house.

[purities]

Unlikely. If you could just pick and chose whatever you want to see exposed, then no one would have an opinion on this place.

[batterypack]

Unlikely doesn't mean entirely no, Mizu. [ and sometimes that is enough. ]

... what do you think? Coming with me to see?

[purities]

[... considers this. sure, what the hell.]

A short walk, near the exit. The mirrors make it a pain to navigate. Disorientating.

[batterypack]

I can do a short walk. [ i'm also making you go first. ]

... should I take that to mean you've been in here more times than you'd like?

[purities]

Too many. You pass through any door in any other place, and eventually you find yourself back here.

[and then they step inside the mirror maze and immediately get smacked with a memory.]

[batterypack]

And I would say you could turn and walk out the exit, but I'm guessing you're dropped somewhere in the middle if you aren't here on purpose.

[ but then this is happening, and she pauses. watches this. looks at mizu. watches this. ]

... don't tell me that's what led to you being here. Was he right and it was an ambush?

[purities]

[makes a face at the immediate assumption.]

No. I wouldn't meet my end until the following spring.

[it's fine. this mizu still has a few more months to live.]

There was no ambush. Only tea, and five hundred archers lying in wait in case the negotiations went south.

[it doesn't count as an ambush if they're upfront about wanting to kill you? very sane thoughts from mizu.]

[batterypack]

And it better not have been to that guy either. [ she says, always unimpressed with men that yell "fight me!" very loudly. ]

It seems negotiations went fine then. But what were they for, exactly?

[purities]

[snorts.]

He wishes.

[taigen is out there getting cucked from all angles, actually.]

I am sworn to kill his business partner. A man named Abijah Fowler. He was, of course, inclined to stop me from doing so. Fowler makes him so rich, he tried to bribe me with 50,000 ryō.

[batterypack]

And I assume the bribe didn't work at all because you don't seem like the type to be bought. [ and good for mizu, frankly. ] But why exactly were you sworn to this?

[purities]

I have no interest in money. Only satisfaction. [which is to say...] There were four white men in my country at the time I was born. Abijah Fowler is one of them. I will kill him and his ilk for my mother... and myself.

[batterypack]

[ interesting. ]

And what are you going to do about the other three? Are you going to do anything about the other three?

[purities]

The other two. [said with a smile, completely humorless.] Fowler is not the first one I found.

[batterypack]

The other two. [ she does not mind the correction. ] I assume then the answer is to take care of them the way you did the first one. And what you'll do to Fowler.

[purities]

You'd be right. I plan to kill them.

[batterypack]

And then what will you do after that though? Once you've finished your mission.

[purities]

[...

a hum and a shrug.]

Perhaps I'll make my way back to my master's forge and take up blacksmithing again.

[batterypack]

[ that sounds strangely peaceful. ]

Do you think that would make you happiest? To accomplish all of that, and then return to where you were before?

[purities]

If I'm still alive, then I will keep on living. I don't need to be happy. Only satisfied.

[batterypack]

You don't think the two things can coincide?

[purities]

I'm not saying they can't. But it's alright to just be content, no? I don't need to be at my happiest.

[batterypack]

I suppose so. [ contentment is okay. ] But I also think if you're going to be alive and on Earth—or whatever you may call your planet—you owe it to yourself to fight for exactly what you want, and the best of it.

[purities]

[... shakes head.]

What I want is my revenge. I will either have it, or god will see me again sooner than they hoped. Whatever comes after that is... a bonus, as far as I'm concerned.