Rune of Assassin

24 - Being myself

TW// Mention of past neglectance, abuse

Taggi and David are sitting by the table in main room.

DAVID: You know Mira didn't mean it.

TAGGI: I know, I know... I just, didn't know.

DAVID: There's two of us. Guess we're all pretty messed up.

Taggi smiles.

TAGGI: Yeah haha... The only one who seem to no have problem is ... Ai.

As he's talking Ai comes in with headphones blasting the music so even David and Taggi can hear it. They go to the kitchen and get's out with a beer in their hand.

DAVID: And even they are not normal.

David and Taggi laugh.

Ai is walking to their room. When they come in, they takes off their headphones and look in the mirror.

AI: A freak huh? Maybe they were right.

They takes a sip of their beer and gets outside on their porch and sits down.

Akane is sleeping. She's tossing and turning, her dreams not letting her sleep.

EIR: Your homeland is not what you think it is.

She suddenly wakes up as she hers her sister laughing.

AKANE: It was just a dream.

She looks at Shiro sleeping.

AKANE: I didn't wake her up.

Then she notices a picture on the floor. She gets out of her bed and picks it up. On it is a family photo. She looks closely at the girl.

AKANE: Shiro?

It was Shiro, but not the Shiro she knew. Her hair was up in a strict bun, her clothes were black and gray and she looked... sad.

Ai sees Akane getting out of her house and noticing Ai. She starts walking towords them.

AI: Oh great.

AKANE: Can I ask you something?

AI: If you must.

Akane gives her the picture.

AKANE: What happened to her?

AI: Were you rummaging through her stuff?

AKANE: No I found it on the floor.

AI: I don't think Shiro wants me to tell you.

AKANE: Okay I know you don't trust me-

AI: No I really don't.

AKANE: I know... but I-, maybe I just want to help.

Ai is looking silently at her.

AI: Sit down.

Akane sits beside them, Ai is looking at the picture.

AI: Yes this is Shiro. Maybe she doesn't look like it, but she's the smartest kid I know. She may be the smartest of all of us, but she hides it. Because of them.

She points at the parents on the picture.

AI: I don't even know why they're called parents. Those kind of people should never be called parents. They didn't care about her, they only thing they wanted out of her was perfection. They forced her to sit in her room and learn. She didn't attend school, she was taught at home. She was so smart that many people examined and tested her. She didn't have friends, well she wasn't supposed to have them. Her parents only cared when they could boast about her... I can't understand that people can be so sick.

They throw away the photo.

AKANE: What happened then?

AI: The same as others, she ran away and started living.

A smiles paints over their face.

AI: I never want to see her sad ever again.

AKANE: I'm not doing a great job at that.

AI: But you changed. I can see it.

Ai looks at her.

AI: I may not trust you yet, but they do and I trust their decision... And I don't think you're that bad.

Akane smiles. After a few minutes Akane asks.

AKANE: Who was the last one to come here?

AI: It was me. Also a runaway.

AKANE: Why did you do it?

AI: For the record I was the only one that had normal perents. I grew up in a normal, loving family. But It didn't feel right. I wasn't myself. I started changing. First hair, earings, pearcings, clothes, tattoes. They hated that. They said I need to stop. They said that I was a freak.

AKANE: You don't look like a freak to me.

AI: For you and others not. But it hurts when it's coming out of your parents mouth... Anyway, here I can be wathever the hell I want to be... and that's pretty awsome.

They smiles and Akane does too.