Blossoms of the Dark

LXVII Selene: Oasis

"Anything else, Mother?" Shigaraki mutters.

He glances at the plaster hands briefly.

"No, Son," I reply just as kindly.

I turn to Kurogiri. "Do you have anything I can eat?"

Kurogiri is quiet for a few moments before he speaks. "There's some milk and cake in the fridge downstairs."

Milk and cake? "What kind of cake?"

"Plain angel cake."

Eh. Just as well. "Can I have some?"

"No."

"Oh."

"You can have all of it."

"Take me there. Please."

"Hey! Why are you giving that cake to her?" Shigaraki protests.

"Because you don't like that cake. You say it tastes bland. Remind me why we bought it in the first place," Kurogiri responds calmly.

"It was on sale. That's why."

"Yes. We bought it last week, and you still haven't eaten it. It's nearing its expiration date, so someone has to eat it, or else I have to throw it away."

I get up to follow Kurogiri out the door. All the while, Shigaraki is grumbling in defeat. I consider teasing him and do it when he throws a pillow at my face. I grab the pillow and throw it back at his face with a too much force. He topples back on the bed, trying to regain balance. Before he can retaliate, I leave the room. All for One is laughing at the entire exchange.

When I reach the bar, I see a tall glass of milk, the angel cake, and a fork already present on the countertop. I hoist myself onto a bar stool and begin eating. The milk is warm. I like it.

Kurogiri watches me eat and drink as he arranges the wine glasses. "That's the first time I've seen Shigaraki be scolded. I must admit, I was entertained. The last time someone did that, Shigaraki insulted the person and then covered the person's mouth with his hand. All that remained was dust."

"So I'm the lucky soul? When was this?" I ask.

"Three or four years ago."

"And when did you meet Shigaraki?"

"A few years before that."

"What did you do before that?"

"All these questions. You've proceeded from interrogating Shigaraki to me now. Very well. I don't remember."

That statement takes me aback. "You don't remember what you did before you met Shigaraki? Did you have an accident which caused amnesia?"

"I don't know. There's very little I know about my past. I remember liking sushi, but I don't eat anything now."

"Hmm. Well, thank you for the milk and cake. If you may, could you open the gate back?"

He doesn't open the gate. I look at him, confused. "I think I have a better idea. This building has more than one bedroom, and most of them are unoccupied. You could rest here for a few hours, and then I can open the gateway."

"Why such kindness?"

"Why refuse such kindness?"

Alright. Two can play this game. "If I stay, Shigaraki will find out, and I don't think I'll be so lucky anymore."

"If you stay, I'll make sure Shigaraki won't find out, and you won't have to climb back into that bed of bad memories."

He has a point. "If I stay, the man lying in bed with me will know that I'm missing."

"If you stay, he won't know if he's unconscious."

Oh? Now, I'm interested. "If I stay, the Hanada household will find out."

"If you stay, the Hanada household won't find out if they're unconscious as well."

"So how do you plan on making five people currently asleep in a manor unconscious?"

"Why do I need to plan, when I have already accomplished said plan?"

I ponder over that for a moment. "They're already unconscious? How did you do that?"

"It was simple. I just laced their dinners and drinks with a potent sleeping pill. I assure you, even the maids and servants are having pleasant dreams of higher wages right now."

"When did you do it?" I ask urgently.

"While you were at the school infirmary."

"How come I didn't fall unconscious? I ate dinner, too."

"You ate dinner later. Much later than anyone else in the manor. So, I had laced your dinner with a chemical to combat the effects of the sleeping pill."

I raise an eyebrow at that and glance at my now empty glass and plate. "I'm not sure if I'm fond of the idea of eating and drinking laced things, but ... thank you."

"I assume this means you've agreed to rest here."

"You assume correctly."

I remember the one question he's evaded from the start. "You still haven't answered one question. The one that started this little game of wits. Why such kindness?"

He chuckles lightly but then stops. "Because even though I may be allied with wicked villains like Shigaraki and All for One, I have some sense of morality. Humans believe that there are two unforgivable crimes: murder and rape. But my morals say that rape is the worst crime in existence and that all rapists must be punished mercilessly. Because murder is the killing of the body, but rape is the killing of the soul. You don't deserve what's being done to you."

"People rarely get exactly what they deserve. Judgment is a desert, and justice is an oasis. Very few are fortunate to find that oasis."

"Then people should take what they deserve for themselves. Create that oasis in the desert by themselves. Selene, take what the world owes you by any means necessary. The world has a shit memory. It will never pay its debts unless you force its hand. "

I can't tell if he's advising me, taunting me, or both. "Could you show me where I can rest?"

Although Kurogiri's misty face never shows any emotion, I feel his smirk. "As you wish. Follow me."

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Citations:

"'Take what the world owes you by any means necessary.' ... 'The world has a shit memory. It will never pay its debts unless you force its hand.'" - The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi